Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31366
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty **** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday.
In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Something outstanding that nobody wants? (4)
DEBT: A cryptic definition of something owed
3a Charles is not amused in transport hub (5,5)
KINGS CROSS: What Charles does for a job is followed by the contraction for is and a word meaning angry or not amused
10a 27 Across changed system for the better (9)
TOTALISER: An anagram (changed) of the answer to 27a
11a Nonsense writer with new master (5)
LEARN: Edward the writer of A Book of Nonsense with the single letter for new
12a Sweet young Henry seen with Virginia (5)
HALVA: The name given to Shakespeare’s young Henry V with the abbreviation for the state of Virginia
13a Mortals corrupted around Oklahoma act quickly (4,5)
LOOK SMART: An anagram (corrupted) of MORTALS containing (around) the abbreviation for the state of Oklahoma
14a Hard to part dog and Siamese once here? (8)
THAILAND: The pencil abbreviation for hard is inserted in (to part) dog or follow, and that’s followed by AND from the clue
16a Where you might see male team in green? (6)
MEXICO: The wordplay tells us to find the answer by following the single letter for male with a Roman numeral for a cricket or football team inserted in green or environmentally friendly. The entire clue can serve as the definition
19a Go to ground, literally or figuratively (3,3)
LIE LOW: The answer can mean “go to ground” both literally and figuratively
20a A titled woman covering bottom in novel (4,4)
ADAM BEDE: A from the clue with a titled woman containing (covering) the bottom of a lake or sea
22a Alert as 15 Down looking to pass or shoot (2,3,4)
ON THE BALL: How a sportswoman who is one of the 15d might be described when looking to pass or shoot
24a Trader generating turnover? (5)
BAKER: A cryptic definition of a trader who produces turnovers and other pastry goods
26a Country wife and son drinking beer (5)
WALES: The single letters for wife and son are sandwiching (drinking) a type of beer
27a Emerge carrying child close to natural philosopher (9)
ARISTOTLE: A synonym of emerge containing (carrying) both another word for a small child and the last letter of (close to) NATURAL
28a Where Postcode Lottery winner may now live? (4,6)
EASY STREET: A cryptic reference to an informal expression describing where somebody well off might be living
29a Genuine regret shown after time (4)
TRUE: Another word for regret comes after the physics symbol for time
Down
1d Day on long canal (5)
DITCH: The single letter for day with long or yearn
2d Formidable woman in latex beat Dicky (6-3)
BATTLE-AXE: An anagram (dicky) of LATEX BEAT
4d Unduly fresh in Hampshire strait (8)
INSOLENT: IN from the clue with a strait bordering Hampshire
5d What abstainers drink served up for Medusa? (6)
GORGON: The reversal (served up, in a down clue) of a (2,4) expression that could be what abstainers drink. The ? indicates that the definition is by example
6d Place for spectacles with a classical design and oval shape? (9)
COLOSSEUM: A cryptic definition of a place where spectacles were once held
7d Love meat rolls initially available in city (5)
OMAHA: Join together the letter for a love score in tennis, the reversal (rolls) of a type of meat, and the first letter (initially) of AVAILABLE
8d Effect of excessive heat - Turk's nose damaged (9)
SUNSTROKE: An anagram (damaged) of TURK’S NOSE
9d and 24d: Minor skin lesion - some escape bandages (4-4)
FLEA-BITE: A synonym of escape contains (bandages) another word for some
14d Sad story, Spooner's Plaintive Cry from Little Piggy (4,2,3)
TALE OF WOE: Reading little piggy as a foot appendage, Spoonerise a phrase that could mean plaintive cry from little piggy
15d Noiseless bats and other animals (9)
LIONESSES: An anagram (bats) of NOISELESS
17d Curry perhaps cool served with fish and rook? (3-6)
ICE-SKATER: A synonym of cool is followed by a flat fish and the chess abbreviation for rook
18d City set down a Scottish river engulfs (8)
ADELAIDE: A from the clue with a Scottish river that contains (engulfs) another word for set down
21d Barry Adair making odd appearances in market (6)
BAZAAR: An informal form of Barry with the odd letters (making odd appearances) of ADAIR
23d Bone set in hospital usually (5)
TALUS: The answer is hidden in (set in) HOSPITAL USUALLY
25d Old magistrate once a Kent player? (5)
REEVE: A historical (old) word for a magistrate is also the last name of an actor who once played Clark Kent
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: PRIVET + HIGHS + ASIAN = PRIVATISATION
A terrific guzzle to end the week. Not easy but it is to be expected at this time of the week. The good reverend is having a sustained outing of late and today’s at 14d was a cracker. I did not understand 16a so thanks to Mr. K. for explaining it. My COTD is trader at 24a because of its simple surface and misdirection.
Thank you, setter for a great end to the week. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
An enjoyable guzzle for a Friday with nowt to bother the grey matter. Last in was the minor skin lesion although the parsing escaped me for a while until I looked at it again.
Plenty of ticks from which I’ll pick the Postcode lottery winners residence 28a, Medusa upset at 5d and the fresh Hampshire strait at 4d for my podium.
Many thanks to the setter and Mr K
1*/4*
I got there in the end although I can only see 6D as a straight definition and I fail to see the cryptic element unless it’s the misdirection of the third word in the clue. For me the level of general knowledge required to confirm the answer was excessive although the cryptic element pointed to the solution, geographical, literary or sporting knowledge was required too often to confirm. Some great clues though, 17D,28A,3A with podium place for 25D. Thanks to Mr K for the hints and to the setter.
Thai corner.
My thanks to the setter for 14A which I am sure is dedicated to me. Interestingly the Thais pronounce Siam in a way that rhymes more with see-am than sigh-am
Hi ATIB
The setter is trying to make you think of somewhere like Specsavers.
I’m glad you’ve highlighted this, I had the same ‘what’s cryptic about it’ thought, having switched off after ‘Place for spectacles…’
I do have the same question on 16A’s green men though. What trickery am I missing?
I thought the same both 6d and 16a too
Sorry I’ve just read Mr K’s hint for 16A! Wow I really missed that, I did think about the ‘green’ part early on, then discarded it ❌
Surprisingly gentle for a Friday, but what an absolute cracker of a puzzle! Working broadly N-S my first out-loud chortle was at 5d, the smiles and laughs breaking out frequently from there right until the end. One of the most enjoyable puzzles for some time. No esoteric GK, everything fairly and often wittily clued, good variety of clue types. 10a solved form definition and a couple of checkers, so it was good to work out the parsing later on.
Lots of tickles so it’s very difficult to narrow down sufficiently to nominate a top 10, let alone a top 3. Podium to 5d, 14a & 14d, but snapping on their heels were 16a, 24a, 27a, 4d, 21d & 25d.
Many thanks to the setter, that was bluddy brilliant & I just wished it could have gone on longer. Thanks also to Mr K.
I think the Winter Olympian would fox anyone under the age of 50, so maybe a smidge esoteric. Otherwise complete agreement with your comment. A cracker!!
EDIT: And the novel was unknown, to me at least. I know, what a philistine.
A cracking puzzle, ticks all over the place. Several answers had to be revisited to parse properly, with an admiring smile appearing when the penny dropped.
I’m old enough to recall the Curry served up in 17d and I liked 25d which I took to be a Canterbury Tales reference, though our blogger’s actor works just as well.
The male team playing in green at 16a was my favourite, as they actually do.
I look forward to a Friday backpager and this one certainly didn’t disappoint.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Up the Lions!!!
Welcome back Hoofers, you’ve been away for ages!
Yes, finally gave up with the Guardian, just takes up too much of the day.
Good to be back.
Welcome back Hoofs – I still glance at the Graun occasionally but nowhere near as much as I used to
Even by Friday standards, a one word descriptor for today’s somewhat enjoyable puzzle – Stinker – 4.5*/3.5*
Candidates for favourite – 3a, 28a, 17d, and 25d – and the winner is 28a.
Thanks to whomsoever and Mr K.
Apart from entering an incorrect answer at 28a, (with the checking letters the location is technically correct, although not officially until 2027) I found this quite straightforward.
Many thanks to the setter for an enjoyable puzzle and to Mr K.
The Friday toughie by Sparks was surprisingly gentle (for a Friday toughie) and also very enjoyable.
I went for East Surrey too. You’d need to be a postcode lottery winner to afford to live here!
Me too!
Great puzzle though, even liked the spoonerism which is rare. Thanks to setter and Mr K for parcing 5d, just couldn’t see it
Absolutely top drawer puzzle, which I thought was a shade easier than the average Friday. Smiles aplenty and I’m not going to pick a favourite as there were so many. I will say that 21d got “groan of the day”. LOI was 15d. 2.5*/5*
Like others before me, I found this on the slightly easier side of the spectrum with no real problems. Any difficulties were very fairly clued, and my favourite was the clever 16a.
Thanks to both our Friday setter and Mr K.
An enjoyable puzzle to finish the week that, surprisingly, didn’t cause too many headaches. I didn’t help myself by putting in gringo for 16a: ring/team inside go/green, i.e green light. An excellent clue that went straight on to my podium.
I’m a fan of multi-word dooberries that are split but I’m not sure I like it when the answer is hyphenated. But, just like a children’s party in Dubai, it’s no big shakes. It’s always good to see ‘some’ in a clue that isn’t a lurker indicator.
My LOI was 20a for two reasons: I didn’t know the novel and the synonym for bottom took a while.
I liked that 10a was an anagram of 27a. The latter is the cockney rhyming slang for ‘Lost my bottle’. It’s a double rhyme. A*** was rhymed with bottle and glass. Bottle was then rhymed with 27a and truncated to Aris. A long-winded one, admittedly or should that be long windy one? Oh, stop it, Tom.
I know The Hud likes to makes up names of people and places (Barry Adair) but his puzzles don’t often appear on a Friday. I don’t think the 9d/24d hyphenated jobbie is one of Silvanus’. So, I’m going to go with…….Klara, Jang or X-Type. Hmm……cue drum roll…..Klara!
My picks are 1a (clever), 16a and 2d.
MTTTA and Special K.
2*/4*
Very nice.
I have been done by the CURRY definition before, but not this time.
Lots of nice clues.
I’m new to the app and it drives me nuts, is there any way to stop it skipping over crossing letters?
Thanks both
Yes, click on the three dots in the top-right corner, then deselect “skip filled squares”. The toggle should change from black to grey.
(this is on Android – I assume it’s the same on thrice-damned Apple devices)
It is the same on Apple, Hoofs. I had to change the setting because skipping the filled squares was most infuriating.
Strictly Android, thanks
Thanks…does it persist, of do you have to do that on every puzzle??
Persists, but annoyingly resets every time they tweak the app.
A brilliant end to the week, I had the spooner as a favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints.
Feeling my age today so lying low on the sofa with the guzzle this morning. The sun is shining, it is a tad warmer than yesterday and the Friday guzzle was a joy. I particularly liked the curry and fish served cold. I even got the slightly sporty ones. The play on 27a and 10a was clever and has anyone ever won on the Post code Lottery? Is it any better odds than the National Lottery? Not that I am doing either but it’s interesting. Many thanks to our Setter and to Mr K. Have a good weekend.
It’s been an excellent week for back-pagers. My rating today is 4*/4*.
There was something about this puzzle that seemed a little different, which I found quite tough in places. However, I did enjoy the challenge.
One American state abbreviation is fine, but I did wince at finding two, especially as they appeared in adjacent clues.
Initially I thought that 16a was just a very weak cryptic definition. Then I realised it was a superb “semi &lit”, elevating it to my podium alongside 1a & 14d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
PS. For anyone unfamiliar with the jargon, “semi&lit” refers to a clue where the entire clue is the definition but only part of the clue is the wordplay.
Thanks RD. I’ve never understood the term.
I have only just recovered from the blog on Sundays toughie about subtractive compound anagrams – now this fella!! Can you explain which part is the wordplay? I get the entire clue = def but I am completely baffled by the other bit!
Thanks in advance and sorry for being thick.
I just assumed the Mexicans play in a green strip – the wordplay bit is as described by Mr K in the hint –
M[ale] + XI for the team inserted into ECO (green)
Wow that was so far over my head it was in orbit! Thanks for explaining – now Inhave to say it is my clue of the day!
An unusual puzzle – I counted 21 proper nouns in the clues and answers. Good fun, nevertheless.
I second or third the thanks to Mr K for explaining what I thought was a non cryptic clue in16a. It makes sense now.
Being unfamiliar with Greek mythology, I didn’t solve 5d even though I don’t imbibe grog.
14d – liked a lot.
Thanks setter and hinter
To me this seems like a NYDK puzzle but not a terribly hard Friday puzzle this week, so I could be out to lunch regarding the setter.
Overall a relatively easy solve for the most part.
2*/3.5*
Favourites 1a, 3a, 24a, 27a, 4d & 14d — with winner 4d
Smiles for 1a, 3a & 28a
Thanks to NYDK & Mr K.
Whoever set it, I thought this was a splendid crossword with lots to enjoy while it lasted. I thought it was on the friendly side for a Friday but that’s fine by me . My favourite Across clue was the clever 16a and my favourite Down clue was the equally clever 25d
Thanks to the setter and Mr K
A top-class puzzle – many thanks to our setter and Mr K.
My ticks went to 16a, 20a, 6d and 20d with my favourite being 25d.
Hi G
I’m sure you know this but some others may not: sheriff literally means ’25d of the shire’.
Started over breakfast and didn’t get far, in fact I wondered at one point if it was going to be a dns let alone a dnf! But after a trip to the supermarket and a second attempt over lunch, all came together. I thought the spoonerism was excellent and makes my podium with the groanworthy 5d and 28a. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
Excellent puzzle and the fact that it was slightly easier than the usual Friday fare is fine by me! Didn’t know the novel but did remember the old magistrate playing.
Moan of the day – when did Wordle start reusing old answers? as today’s solution has certainly come up before – at least they’re still not allowing plurals – for now?
Thanks to setter and Mr K
Hi S
They started repeating in February which, to me, was a year or slow too late. Last year they started using words that 11a would have been proud of like fritz, assay and pouty.
Mild for a Friday, too mild I’d say, but enjoyable enough. The clues were mostly fine but too easy for this day which should really be a tough challenge to end the week. Not keen on 6d – only the merest hint of crypticness. A few ticks only and my favourite today: 25d; the definition is a very old chestnut (for me at least) and the answer went in immediately, but the word-play is sublime. Sorry to be a little negative! 2*/2.5*.
From my MRB, a couple of random facts from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa:
Jabulani: the official Adidas ball .
Vuvuzela: A long, plastic blowing horn – popular with the fans. Remember the racket they made?
I do, J.
A great name for them though!
Did someone mix up the Toughie with Crytic?
Unlike so many others I found this really tricky. Very enjoyable though. Thanks to the hinter and setter.
Hello from a Chester-bound train, doing the marathon on Sunday but also looking forward to seeing the city for the first time.
This was an enjoyable Friday tussle that took most of the first train leg to complete. Had much more early success in the South, then worked northwards, which is appropriate for my journey 🚂
Pody picks – several contenders, will go with 14A’s dog nation, 2D’s splendid surface which made me think of Dicky Davies on World of Sport (intentional?), and – almost a banker – the Spooner story of 14D.
Thanks to the clever setter and to Mr K ⭐️
Hi Wriggles
I see Chester is a three-time winner of The UK’s best Marathon. I’ve never been there and heard great things. So, I’m assuming a big part of the criteria is the setting.
You run a lot. So, is 3 hours a target or are you a 2.5 hour freak show?
Either way, good luck!
Come on wall! Let’s be ‘avin yer.
Grrrr…..
Thanks Tom, blimey, no my best time is 3:34:52 at London 2012. I hope to go under 4 hours as I usually do, but my sights are on ultras now so the best outcome is that I manage this marathon without injury, and that I feel I could keep going some more.
And then find a hearty meal and a pint 🙂
Sounds good.
Close to 3.5 is outstanding.
Enjoy your pasta tomorrow night and happy travels!
Thanks, and I do love a pasta feed, any day of the week 🙂
Love a hearty meal and a pint but can I miss the marathon please????? Good luck!
A DNF for me, couldn’t see 9 &24 down so gave up on it especially since I had spent too long parsing 16 and 20 .I didn’t know the novel and I just thought 16a a general knowledge question ? I saw plenty of that team in the world cup recently . The rest of it was on the easy side and a joy to solve.Top dogs include 14,20 and 28 .A lot of GK needed perhaps. ?
Thanks to all .
Very enjoyable but held up for a while through thinking the postcode winner might live in a ‘town centre’ … doh! Thank you compiler (NYDK?) and Mr K
Just finished and in a pretty good time for me. Also no assistance from the hints or elsewhere. Surprised at the 4* rating as I seemed to sail through it, just a slight pause in the SE corner for the last three clues. Some very amusing clues dotted throughout. I assumed that 25d was an indirect reference to Geoffrey Chaucer rather than Rachel from accounts!
Favourites were 1a, 16a, 28a and 2d, the latter reminding me of the teachers we had at primary school, absolutely no nonsense.
Thank you to the setter and to Mr K for the hints.
Fairly straightforward with head scratchers and face palms. Favourite was 16a. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.
A surprisingly ggentle ride for Friday, this puzzle did have some cunning misdirection and the parsing wasn’t always easy to unravel. My COTD cwas the Spoonerism at 14dbut the cunningle misdirected place for spectacles was a close second. The lego clphilosopher at 27a andits twinned anagram at 10a complete the podium. Thannks to the compiler abd to Mr K for the hints. An enjoyable puzzle.
*** / *****
Found this pretty typical for a Friday, impressed by those saying it was less so! Lots of humour and signs (at least to me) of an NYDK production, hence, it won’t be! Needed Mr G for Medusa and loved the answer then revealed (bit of cheat but still loved it). Needed the hint for 14a as it just wouldn’t yield for me. Thanks again to Mr K for confirming why ‘young’ works in 12a, I didn’t know that. The podium was filled with the postcode lottery at 28a, the unduly fresh 4d and the derivation of 5d. They all then got trumped by Dr. Spooner’s crying little piggy – superb.
Many thanks to the setter and Mr K for a fantastic Friday workout!
Not a beast by any means (many a Friday much tougher) but still the trickiest of the week’s back pagers & by a margin too. A terrific puzzle with ticks all over the shop – 14,16&28a + 4&14d the picks for me.
Thanks to the setter & to Mr K
Good afternoon
By the cringe! That was a challenge. Some excellent clueing, with some help required from Mr K on some of the parsing. I couldn’t see 9/24d; 25d was an educated guess (I looked up names of Kent cricketers!). 17d was an excellent piece of misdirection; this and my last to fall, 16a, take joint COTD honours.
Many thanks to our setter and to Mr K.
A couple of words that were new to me (12a and 23d). Failed to parse 16a so thanks to the hinster. One wrong answer: I decided 7d was not a city so put in the Japanese one without reason other than it fitted .
CoD 14a with Mr Spooner a close second.
I found this a pretty typical difficulty level for a Friday. Highlights include Charles being unamused in 3a, the 10a system for the better, the 14a dog, the 7d meat rolls, and some in 9d.
I was surprised to find the collection of letters I’d entered for 12a actually are a sweet, and the names for 20a are actually a novel. In 21d it felt quite niche to honour the chair of the USA’s Rural Broaband Association, so I can only presume he’s doing a splendid job. All hail Barry Adair!
Thank you to Mr K for explaining 25d (I can stop wondering wich county Dermot Reeve played for!) and the wordplay for the 16a green men.
He captained the mighty & previously unheralded Warwickshire side who won an unprecedented domestic treble in 1994 & got beat in the final of the NatWest. Happy memories as I won a bundle having quite by chance & before the season began been joined up on a golf course with some Warwickshire fringe players who let on that there was a whisper doing the rounds that Brian Lara would be the club’s overseas player. On that basis & at good odds I backed them singularly & in multiples. Had they won the toss at Lords in the NatWest I’m convinced they’d have beaten Worcestershire comfortably & instead of a big 5 figure win it would have been a whopper.
What a great story!
So close to ‘Wey hey!’
Ha — thank you!
You’re quite right. I was there that day. Was a Warwickshire member back in the (very successful) day(s).
Difficult enough to feel a real sense of achievement on completion. I did finish unaided this morning but have been to see the film Pressure and have just got in. Lots of misdirection and lots of ticks. Top goes to 28 across . Getting more used to Spoonerisms and today’s was a good one. Like many I needed the explanation for 16 across.
Thank you to our setter and Mr. K
A great end to the week. I had to dip in and out of today’s offering after a slow start but gathered momentum including getting the Spoonerism. Needed the hints to get me over the line many thanks to the setter and Mr K. Have a nice weekend everyone.
Im in the friendly for a Friday camp, although i did have to check the novel, my LOI.
16a was my favourite with the spoonerism in second place and the turnover producer in third.
Thanks to Mr K and Setter
The hardest solve for me this year I would say.
Possibly solved 11 clues before throwing in the towel. Second time this week.
All those that thought this was easy/gentle must be utter geniuses. I imagine they would be able to find a cure for cancer in their lunchbreak. 😂
Thanks to all.
I thought 16a was brilliant. I had put it in just because the team play in green and it was only looking at the hints that I realised how clever it was. The curry one was last but one in as I was going totally down the wrong path. Great puzzle and thanks to all involved.
This was a great puzzle and, as befits a Friday, nice and chewy but not ott. Think I’m in the ‘not as tough as some Friday’s’ camp. I’m on holiday so had most solved earlier then had to do some socialising , and now just got the last couple of clues before bedtime, which on second viewing came to me straight away. Really enjoyable puzzle. Thanks to the setter and Mr K.