Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3389 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where the word FR*ST is beginning to appear in weather forecasts and reports!
For me, and I stress for me,© same as last week, Dada very friendly once I had cracked two or three clues. Four long ‘uns, six anagrams (two partials), one lurker, and two homophones, all in a symmetric 32 clues; with 16 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’!
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Candidates for favourite – 1a, 21a, 22a, 7d, 8d, 18d, 24d, and 25d.
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
1a Smart activity of sprinter (7)
A double definition to start – the first might be descriptive of me with my red scarf.
9a Short of money, beaten as a professional? (8,3,4)
A synonym of beaten (as a punishment) followed by a phrase that suggests a professional’s expectations?
12a Some trains to Paddington station (4)
The lurker (some) found in three words in the clue.
16a Twist user, and terpsichorean (7)
An anagram (twist) of USER, AND – originally a word from the other side of La Manche which has been assimilated into English.
22a Try sport with red boxing gloves, initially (5)
A variety of the colour red containing (boxing) the first letter (initially) of Gloves.
26a Jolly good in orchestra, blowing a little? (6,3,6)
A musical (in orchestra) synonym of good inserted into (in) a synonym of orchestra followed by a single word term for blowing a little – thanks to DavidSurrey.
28a Crooked senator’s crime (7)
An anagram (crooked) of SENATOR (ignoring the contraction of is).
Down
1d Strip beds or otherwise, one tucked in (7)
The Roman numeral for one inserted into (tucked in) an anagram (otherwise) of BEDS OR.
2d Dog jumper on poodle! (8,7)
This took a while to parse with considerable searching of The Crimson Tome but I have been able to convince myself that I have got it correct – a synonym of jumper (not as an item of clothing) placed before (on) a synonym of poodle (as a fawning person)!
4d Thought visitor expressed audibly? (7)
A past tense verbal homophone (expressed audibly) of a synonym of visitor.
7d Reign supreme – and take strides to do it? (4,3,8)
A double definition? – the second relates to the use of strides as a slang, especially antipodean, term.
8d Disappointment I see in agent on turning up (2-5)
The reversal (turning up) of all of a two letter synonym of I see (as an interjection) inserted into (in) the abbreviated form of a synonym of agent and ON from the clue.
13d Damp at home, some sunlight outside (5)
A term for some sunlight containing (outside) the usual two letter synonym for at home.
18d Bottle about as old as us? (7)
The single Latin based letter for about and a (3,3) phrase equivalent to as old as us.
24d One can’t take off number ultimately, try subtracting the end (4)
The last letter (ultimately) of numbeR and a synonym of try (in court?) with the last letter deleted (subtracting the end).
In a moment of weakness, I decided that I would add this illustration:
25d Cheese fly departs from shortly (4)
Fly deleted from (departs from) a synonym of shortly.
Quick Crossword Pun:
CURRY + NATION + CHECK IN = CORONATION CHICKEN
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Instrumental rock group The Tornados acted as a backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek’s productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right including Telstar, named after the first communications satellite launched in 1962, which became their first number one hit for five weeks starting on this day in 1962. This is most likely from an early 1960s film:
Thank you for parsing 2d… the reasoning behind the second word was driving me mad.
As to 26a, I see it as a synonym for “good” inserted into an alternative word for orchestra, then followed by the weather condition.
Welcome to the blog, DavidSurrey.
Hi David. I parsed 26a in the same way.
Welcome to the blog from me and thanks for the correct parsing of 26a. The hint has been revised.
I must ease up on the amber nectar on a Saturday evening.
Welcome, DS and I agree with your parsing of 26a. Please keep commenting – we need fresh ideas!! 🤣🤣
A bit of a mixed bag for me. Parts were straightforward, others less so, not helped by initially writing in the wrong answer to 26a which completely held up elements of the south. Once I sorted out a few other southerly clues my folly became evident and I edged slowly to completion. In the end 26a, became my cotd. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
After a slowish start this came together quite smoothly, but I had the same issue with 2d as DavidSurrey inasmuch the second part didn’t gel with me, so thank you Senf for explaining the synonymousness; (is that the right word I ask myself?). My picks of a good bunch are the sound of the cat, 23a, and the 2 multi-word answers at 9a and 7d.
My thanks to Dada and Senf.
Hi CD
Synonymousness is a word and a splendid one at that. Synonymity pales in comparison.
This didn’t cause too many issues other than, like many others, I’m sure, the synonym of poodle.
I have and never will use ‘super’ as an adverb.
I do like ‘I see’ in a clue that had so much going on for such a short word.
I’m all for padding if it adds some colour to the surface but I don’t think ‘once’ does in 5a.
My picks are 28a, 17d and 18d.
MTT Radio and S.
2*/3*
For me, ‘once’ is valid in 5a as it serves the dual purpose of suggesting an ex-PM who held that post but more than a few years ago, in this case from the last millennium
Ah, that’s interesting.
It echoes my point from Friday’s conversation with MG, where I suggested having a subtle clue to narrow the search for the president.
‘Once’ isn’t required to mean ‘ex’ as that’s a given in crosswords. But, I quite like the idea of it implying that it was a while ago.
It took a while to get started and several took some head scratching to parse eg 2d but I got there in the end and enjoyed it very much.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints
I agree with Gazza on the parsing of 26a but can see both ways work. 7d was my cod, the slang made me smile.
I think you mean DavidSurrey but I do agree with his parsing.
A thoroughly enjoyable guzzle from Dada that took just one mug of Taylors Hot Lava Java. 7d took a while because I was chasing the wrong definition of “Strides” until a switch clicked in the brain. For me, the synonym for “Good” in 26a does not quite work because I don’t think it always means good. Still, that’s only my take on the word. My COTD is the old bottle at 18d.
I loved the Quickie pun today because it needed a few goes with different pronunciations for the penny to drop.
Thank you, Dada for a great Sunday challenge. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.
What a fabulous puzzle, I’ve got ticks all over the page. LOI was 3d mainly because after first reading I thought it was best left alone and to come back to it later. It became one of my favourite clues.
Top picks for me were 24d, 22a, 7d, 10a, 13d and 3d.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
Entertaining stuff from Dada today (a pity about the three consecutive anagrams) – thanks to him and Senf.
My rosettes were pinned on 9a, 22a (Try sport – brilliant!) and 7d.
What’s wrong with 3 consecutive anagrams?
I never notice such things as I tend to solve the clues by concentrating on the ones with available checkers … rather than doing them in sequence. (15a, 16a and 17a, I presume?)
Two and a half as the first was a ‘partial’ one
Quite right, S!
2*/4*. I found this fairly light and very enjoyable with 22a my favourite.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
I got the nickname 17a at scout camp one year, because I mistakenly sat on my razor.
Ouch!
… but very appropriate nickname (or perhaps nick name
)
Like it, Ardy. Like it.
For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), another challenging guzzle. The first few flew in like cruise missiles, but then the ‘Eh?’ began. However, I scrambled through by (eventually) nabbing the long fellas.
Social nightmare for me as we had ‘some people’ round last night. Well, two people. I was very heartened when the male half of the duo chimed in with “I hate having people around to our house!” To which H responded, “So does Terence!” So that was good. Two socially awkward people and two normal gals.
People often say, “But… you’re the life and soul at parties. You’re such an extrovert!” But I’m playing the part. I would live very happily on a desert island (with some books and crossword guzzles).
Oh yeah, back to business – thanks to Da-doo-ron-ron and The Frosty Man From Manitoba.
Mostly not too hard, but completely stumped on 7d…don’t know much antipodean slang!