Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3384 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where we are back into the high 20s feels like mid 30s for a few days.
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada quirky as usual, reasonably friendly, with four long uns, only one of them an anagram, a meagre four anagrams in total (two partials), two lurkers, and no homophones, all in a not much value for the money symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, all BRB verified where necessary, you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand! You might even need your favourite e-search ‘assistant’!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 12a, 23a, 26a, 14d, 21d, and 22d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the what I very subjectively perceive to be the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also”. Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.
Some hints follow:
Across
8a Global superpower ignoring a feature (4)
Pick a five letter global superpower, at least according to Dada, and delete (ignoring) the A at the end.
12a Sign socialist coerced (8)
A type of sign (that indicates belonging to an organisation?) and the colour associated with a socialist.
13a Perhaps note Alpine film? (3,5,2,5)
A double definition(?) – the first may relate perhaps to a musical note.
20a Thrilling picture, killer drawing? (5,10)
The first part doesn’t quite work for me, with my bare pass in English O-level, based on a noun (killer) we have to come up with an adjective. Then we need a nounal synonym of drawing.
23a Dasher uncovered – or Comet? (8)
Nothing to do with the Americanisation of Father Christmas’s reindeer, it’s too early for that. A double definition – the second is how one might describe a visible Comet in space. The illustration relates to an ‘event’ in January 1982!
26a Economic recovery finished, go! (6)
A two letter synonym of finished and a nounal synonym of go.
28a Sit around when money’s short (4)
A synonym of money, which is also something that is edible, with the last letter deleted (‘s short).
Down
1d Some worth reshipping, separate wheat from chaff (6)
A lurker (some) found in two words in the clue.
3d It seems solver has left Trappist brotherhood? That sounds a lot better (3,3’2,7)
You will see that I have modified the enumeration, at least compared to how it is shown on the web site and in the app, I hope that helps. Although not subject to a vow, which surprised me somewhat, a practice observed by Trappist Monks (and Nuns) which would end on leaving the order.
5d Rousing anthem for a hymn felt sad, potentially (4,2,2,7)
An anagram (potentially) of FOR A HYMN FELT SAD.
16d Drink a drop, but not all (3)
A lachrymal drop with the last letter removed (but not all).
18d Put off, something smelly hanging in cupboard? (8)
A double definition – the second is to protect mainly woollen garments.
21d Thoroughfare in ‘arbour, extremely unremarkable (6)
A synonym of ‘arbour which also has a ‘missing’ aspirate indicated by an apostrophe followed by the outer letters (extremely) of UnremarkablE.
24d A little testy, petulant sort (4)
A lurker (a little) found in two words in the clue.
Quick Crossword Pun:
JAY + KERB + MALI = JACOB MARLEY
Could new readers please read the Welcome post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT, or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES OR HINTS in your comment.
Please read these instructions carefully – they are not subject to debate or discussion. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted. In all cases the administrator’s decision is final.
If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then save yourself a lot of trouble and don’t leave a comment.
As discussed two weeks ago my other ‘if all else fails’ duo:
Dada being kind to us this week with a most enjoyable puzzle. Seeing that the grid was crenelated, I looked for a Nina but to no avail. I solved two of the long ones straight off and these gave a number of checkers to help solve others. I couldn’t see what Trappist monks had to do with 3d until I solved it – very clever. My COTD is the thrilling picture at 20a.
Thank you, Dada for the fun. Thank you, Colonel for the hints and Plant and Krauss.
A dnf unaided from me as I needed the hints on a couple, and then felt a right alias. Oh well, I’d been on a good run. It didn’t help by entering the answer to 24d in 28a which stymied the SE for a while. My podium comprises 18d, 23a and 15a. Thanks to Dada and Senf
I never find the Sunday PP easy but today was a tale of two halves. With the exception of 3d I had little difficulty with the North.
Managed the second half of 20a thanks to the checkers, the first half seems right but can’t really parse it. Fell straight into the trap of 23a before 24d made me realised it could not be correct.
With the 3d checkers in place and a guess for a couple of extra letters a thought occurred to me and I consulted Mr. G who said I was close enough.
COTD – has to be 3d, took me an age and very clever.
Thank you Dada and Senf for the hints.
Dada’s very entertaining today – thanks to him and Senf.
I particularly liked 23a, 3d and 18d.
This took a bit of work but was a pleasant enough solve.
Grids with a few long’uns gives you a fighting chance.
I liked that the nuns crossed the monks. You could almost put the four long answers into a sentence.
I think the jury is out with the technique of dropping the h of harbour if it doesn’t have an East London reference. I appreciate that it’s been accepted for years but I don’t think it’s for me. Saying that, I’ll have a ponder.
My picks are 20a, 3d and 22d.
MTT Radio and S
3*/3*
Tom. I do urge you to ponder over 21d. The apsotrophe is there to indicate that the word without its first letter in the clue requires a synonym also with its initial letter missing. It’s a common device and not specifically/necessarily linked to any London argot. People all over the UK drop aitches. (S has already outlined this in his hint so I don’t think I’m being naughty).
Just to briefly resurrect the debate from last Friday, and I don’t particularly want to continue it, I came across this clue from some years ago. I thought you might be interested in it but also possibly aghast:
Mata and Reg on holiday here (7)
Hi J
That clue doesn’t do it for me even though it’s perfectly acceptable. Ironic that the resort isn’t abroad.
I appreciate that dropping the aitch is an accepted device. I’m just saying that I’m not a fan.
2*/4*. Good fun and would have been 1* difficulty apart from a couple of clues in the SE corner holding me up a bit.
Not for the first time, my podium aligns with Gazza’s: 23a, 3d & 18d.
Senf’s picture for 23a reminded me of the comment by Bill Beaumont, who was the England captain at the time, In 1982, the teams stayed out during half-time and the captains gathered their team members together on the pitch to deliver their pep talk. Beaumont said afterwards, “I became aware that I didn’t have the full attention of my team”.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
It reminded me of something I heard in the early 60s. A copper was patrolling in a town centre and came across a group of Teddy boys. He sarcastically asked one who was wearing winkle-pickers: “Do your feet go right to the end of those shoes?” He retorted gleefully: “Does your ‘ead go right to the top of that helmet?”
*She was called Erika Roe. I’ve never forgotten that incident.
I enjoyed this but it took an age to get my LOI 3d but it brought a huge smile once I did.
Top picks for me were 23a, 3d, 15a, 18d and 20a.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
This was the rule of 80/20 for me. The last few to go in being 11a, 26a, and finally 17a which prodiced a facepalm when I finally solved it.
The four long ones were favourites. For those struggling with 20a, killer can absolutely be an adjective, and that was my COTD.
A typical Dada Sunday Prize Puzzle and anenjoyable solve or me. I enjoyed the Trappist monk clue at 3d, the smelly thing at 18d, the cleverly worr 2sa and being reminded of seeing Vincent at 7d perform live, when I was a teenager. Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
Definitely a puzzle of two halves for me. I found a lot of fairly straight forward clues and then got completely stuck on the last 6-8. Favourite was the long Trappist Brotherhood which was also my last one in. Thank you Senf and Dada as always.
Watching a rather one sided test match and doing a crossword are not really compatible in terms of concentration, but I managed to combine the two.
For me this was a steady fill delayed only by 3d, which took nearly as long as the rest of the puzzle, and that was after reading Senf’s re-enumeration and SC’s comment. Otherwise an enjoyable workout at a good SPP level.
17a, 18d and 3d are my pody picks.
Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Well for me, compared to last Sunday’s Dada offering, this was somewhat unfriendly from my POV. It was also quirky all over the grid and his thesaurus today was well thumbed through.
3*/3.5*
Favourites include 13a, 20a, 23a, 3d, 7d & 14d — with winner 3d and 23a the runner-up
Thanks to Dada & Senf
Thanks to Dada and Senf. Finished in a respectable time considering it was a prize puzzle. Didn’t recourse to hint either. Val loves the multi word clues! COTD 3d. LOI 7d.