Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31367 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
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A very sunny and chilly morning brings us what I thought was quite a tricky Saturday Prize Puzzle, possibly because the longer of the eight anagrams result in some splendid words, even if they take a while to work out.
Please ask for help if you are stuck on clues I haven’t hinted, but before doing so, please read the comments that appear before yours, so that you are not duplicating questions, and make sure you obey both THE INSTRUCTIONS IN RED at the end of the Hints and the blog’s Comment Etiquette – Big Dave’s Crossword Blog)
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.
Across
1a Something to eat? Make ultimately tasty bite (6,4)
A make of something, the ultimate letter of tastY and a verb meaning to bite
6a Something to look through belonging to Mr Goodman? (4)
Something to look through, perhaps one belonging to the late judge of Strictly Come Dancing
12a Source of entertainment supply? (13)
The key to solving this clue is the pronunciation of the final word – a splendid cryptic definition of someone who twists their body for the entertainment of others
14a Ate birds – and others! (8)
Put in the mouth (ate) and some birds
15a Way of speaking in Oxford, perhaps (6)
A particular accent or a stout shoe such as an Oxford
21a Dismay about men initially fleeing huge country (13)
The Latin abbreviation for about, a synonym for huge without the M (men initially fleeing) and a country
27a RIP Yank and old Queen – it might make one cry (10)
A verb meaning to rip, another meaning to pull vigorously (yank) and the regnal cipher of the late Queen
Down
1d Drink and remain very empty (4)
An informal name for a drink – a synonym for remain and the letters left once you ‘empty’ VerY
3d Just dessert in diet, strangely (13)
An adjective meaning just or impartial is an anagram (strangely) of DESSERT IN DIET
8d Wee ducks? (10)
An informal term of endearment – if you split your solution 5,5, how would you describe where the first word of the clue can be found?
16d On back, on back in shop? (8)
Two lots of the usual ‘on the subject of’, the first one followed by the back of something and the second reversed (back) at the end
18d Seeing that religious education’s true (7)
A conjunction meaning seeing that and the abbreviation for religious education
22d Bring up notes for broadcast (5)
A homophone (for broadcast) of the second notes in the tonic sol-fa scale
23d Stand naked, we hear (4)
A homophone (we hear) of a synonym for naked
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT, or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment. If in doubt, leave it out
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The Quick Crossword pun: HAIRY + POT + HER = HARRY POTTER
My strategy of sending bouquets of flowers, daily, to the editorial board of the Telegraph has finally paid off.
Curses!!!! 🤣
You’ll have to stop entering now to allow us mere mortals a chance, mind you, doesn’t look like much of a colouring set!
Congratulations
Well done. Now it’s my turn sans bouquets.
RATS TAILS!!!!!!?!
I’ll just say congratulations!
CONGRATULATIONS TERENCE.
Am I dog in the manger? Of course not! 🤞
Fairly straightforward until it wasn’t. The long ones caused me problems but they began to appear as checkers arrived. Spelling 4d incorrectly held up 10a for a while and the meaning of “seeing that’ at 18d took me some time to fathom. Plenty to like, though, such as Mr. Goodman’s property at 6a and the dead Yank at 27a but my COTD is the tasty bite at 1a.
Thank you, setter (it doesn’t feel like NYDK to me) for a bit of a mangler. Thank you, CeeSoo for the hints.
A beautiful autumnal day in The Marches but rain is forecast for later in the day. Not that it will affect the daily walks with Hudson. There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. 😊
A real curates egg. It felt very anagram heavy although I haven’t counted or worked out the percentage. 25A seems to make an appearance on a nearly weekly basis and I seem to remember 15A from a fairly recent puzzle. I romped through at pace until I faced 8D and 6A. 8D could only be what it was from the checkers but it seems weak however I think 6A is extremely poor in ways which if I explained would put me on the naughty step however as it’s hinted I think it’s fair to hilight its obscurity. In contrast I thought 12A was one of the best clues I have ever encountered and obviously it stands on the podium as COTD. Thanks to CS for the hints and to the setter.
Thai corner.
100 half size breeze blocks being delivered tomorrow morning to act as risers for all the electrical equipment in the kitchen in anticipation of future flooding.
I think 8d is more subtle than the hints suggest.
There’s a nod to Ray T on an expanded scale.
GJR I think I’ve finally got it thanks to your comment and if so it’s worthy of, ”clue of the year”.
I think a lot of commenters have missed the cleverness of 8d.
I’m one of them. I shall wait for the full review to find out what I’m missing.
PS I’m aware of Ray T’s favourite clue word. It’s the other word with “e’s” in that is my query.
I’ve just got it. Ha! great.
I don’t really know how to sum this up. It didn’t feel like a NYDK presentation so have no idea of the compiler. With 8 anagrams and 4 easy 4 letter words I felt there wasn’t enough meat to chew on, although the long ones took some working out. 12a doesn’t seem right to me as a definition. In the end I found 3 which tickled my fancy, viz 8d, the wee ducks, 27a, the weepie and the bag search at 20d.
My thanks to the setter and CS.
Before anyone prompts me, I should have read CSs hint for 12a before commenting. Very clever.
Toughest Saturday one in ages, but all fairly clued (once you’d got ’em)
Has anyone over the pond heard of this Mr Goodman I wonder?
My two of the day have to be 14a, 3d and the brilliant 21a.
Off to get some chestnuts now, wonder how the very hot summer has affected the crop, will find out in a bit.
With regards to 6A, I don’t think you have to be from across the pond to have never heard of this minor celebrity and I am sure there could have been other ways to construct this clue without reference to him.
from this side of the pond have never heard of him. So obscure even googling him didn’t bring up a answer
Thought so Jim.
Hi TC & JB
90% of the solvers live in Blighty and are over 40, if not 50. So, the setters, quite rightly, compile crosswords with that in mind.
These references often evoke fond memories that people share, whether it be the chance to wax lyrical about Eric Morecambe or a moment in their life. This can only be a good thing.
It, of course, means that the 10% suffer. But, as long as there is another way to get to the answer that doesn’t ask too much, like today’s, then I think all is well.
If I was solving a crossword in America, I would fully expect there to be local references that would go over my head.
*** Chestnut update ***
Went up to the cricket field where I used to play to find some (and the ones from here are generally really good) only to find thousands of them just lying around, so many that you couldn’t see the ground in places, but they’re all about the size of peas, not even worth peeling!
Brought some home to put on the bird table for our resident squirrels. Hot summer strikes again.
I thought that this was nicely pitched for a Saturday PP, with a few crumpet scratches adding a bit of spice to the proceedings. 11d and 13d are great words that once they fell opened up much of the rest. Many contenders for a podium, from which I’ve chosen 1d, 21a and 27a with honorable mentions to 8d and 20d.
A bit of an anagramfest, this one.
I daresay it checks out ok in the BRB, but I always thought that 1d spelled as it is referred to large amount. To refer to a drink, I’ve always added an extra v.
Also in 3d, I’m not keen on the answer aligning closely enough with the definition.
In the credit column though are ticks against supply in 12a, wee ducks in 8d and the solution to 13d for being a very pleasing word to say.
My thanks to our setter and CS.
2*/2*. A curate’s egg for me which seemed over-reliant on anagrams.
15a was my favourite.
Thanks to the setter and to CS.
Fiddly but doable – with the exception of 12A which I’m sad to say fully defeated me! (Proper d’oh! moment when I read the clue… so thank you CeeSoo – I might have otherwise have been staring dumbly at it all day!)
A little trickier than some recent puzzles and also very entertaining.
Ticks awarded to 12a and 20d, but my favourite was 4d (sheer excellence and the best clue I’ve seen for a while).
Thanks to the setter and to CS.
I still don’t understand 8D, and in particular why ducks is pluralised… If the clue is a common phrase to mean the answer, can anyone point me to an example?
Welcome to the blog
Duck or ducks has been used regionally as an informal term of endearment for many years. Shakespeare even used it in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
What did you think of the crossword as a whole?
much enjoyed but 12a was a put in until I read CS’s hint – then the groan!
10a and 14a have to be my COTDs
Big thanks to the setter and CS
Not much value for money in 28 clues solved with few problems. I needed both checkers before I could identify Mr Goodman. **/***
Candidates for favourite – 14a, 15a, 19a, 13d, and 16d – and the winner is 16d.
Thanks to whomsoever and CS.
A slightly quirky but very enjoyable puzzle, though like others I found 8d a bit weak.
I posted an initial comment which supported you view. However following a reply from GJR I realise this is a clue with a second level of complexity that raises it to hero status. You have to consider RayT clueing to understand how brilliant the clue is.
A puzzle with interesting, and a couple of weird, clues. I was held up after a good start and had to resort to CS’s hints, for which “thank you”.
8d and 14a – I don’t quite get. These are the weird ones.
12a – I’ve been tricked by supply on several occasions, but never again.
25a – “Saw” is new to me, and I’m not referring to my DIY skills.
Thanks to setter as well
Saw is just a word that refers in crosswordland to proverbs, (redacted ),mottos, sayings etc. It’s used frequently for some reason.
Thanks, ATy.
I’ve never encountered it before anywhere.
8d – I don’t get the “Wee” part, unless I’m being extremely thick.
It’s just clicked with me. Very ingenious.
Pleased to have the space to complete before lunch. Anagram heavy, though 4d was worth the purchase of the paper, and the very long ones were more than clever. Much enjoyed 14a. Not sure about 8d. 16d gets better the more I look at it. Grateful to CS for explaining my bung in at 12a. Thanks to all of the BD crew, CS, and our compiler
You could call yourself Squier, saves on letters!
This could get far too technical…but pleased that my Tele is a Fender, and I’ve never got on with Strats 😀
A bit of googling reveals the Ray T reason for 8d being a piece of genius. I should do this crossword thing more than once a week…
I found this tricky and needed the hints to help, I still enjoyed it very much and 8d is very clever!
Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints.
Thanks Sue…
I have absolutely no idea why 12a is what I have put it in, it must be wrong.
6a was a struggle for me being the only person in the world who has never watched Stricktly Come Dancing.
Thanks both.
Got 12a now doh!!
I finished this earlier however needed to wait for the blog to check a few. 12a is quite brilliant now I understand why so is my clue of the day!
8d is also very clever.
Thank you
12a was my final entry and favourite once I had cracked it; very ingenious and great misdirection. 8d also kept me guessing for a while until the old penny dropped. Good entertainment all round if a little bit of an anagramfest.
Thanks to whomsoever and Sue.
Today,, I enter my eightieth year so it is with some relief, that I found i can still “cut the mustard” on this lovely offering. A gentle stroll with some very enjoyably clever clues Clues of the day were 8d, 121a and13d the latter being such a lovely word that trips off the tongue.
Spending the rest of the day opening prezzies and eating and drinking with the family. I had lots of cards but twice as many facebook posts – I suppose it is only to be expected in this digital age.