How do I solve 1 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

1 across reads "Maybe what Drake chose to follow principal part of meal" (4,6 letters); the answer is MAIN COURSE. It's a double-definition clue: two separate definitions of the same word sit side by side. No wordplay split and no indicators — both halves of the clue define the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 6 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

6 across reads "Following operation, this could set mine off" (4 letters); the answer is FUSE. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 9 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

9 across reads "Backed plan limiting newspaperman's channels of communication" (5 letters); the answer is MEDIA. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 10 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

10 across reads "Small lass with pert bust lacking obvious support" (9 letters); the answer is STRAPLESS. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 12 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

12 across reads "They can rectify eye deficiencies? Nelson ecstatic, sadly having lost one" (7,6 letters); the answer is CONTACT LENSES. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 14 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

14 across reads "Bond producer comparatively quickly bringing in vacuous nymphette" (8 letters); the answer is FASTENER. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 15 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

15 across reads "Defending poorly, Gunners ending in heap around post" (6 letters); the answer is PILLAR. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 17 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

17 across reads "Imagine former partner favoured cuddling Charlie" (6 letters); the answer is EXPECT. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 19 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

19 across reads "Plump young attendant taking half of spread?" (4-4 letters); the answer is FULL-PAGE. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 22 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

22 across reads "Spooner's secretly approaching DIY store for old-fashioned mobility aids" (7,6 letters); the answer is WALKING STICKS. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 24 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

24 across reads "Obscure Colin Dexter novel – 50 put out, then 10" (9 letters); the answer is RECONDITE. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 25 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

25 across reads "Not once advancing rook is daring" (5 letters); the answer is NERVE. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 26 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

26 across reads "Decline contract, ignoring HR" (4 letters); the answer is SINK. It's a deletion clue: start with a word the clue points to, then drop one or more letters. Indicators include 'endlessly' (lose the last letter), 'beheaded' (lose the first), or 'heartlessly' (lose the middle). The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 27 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

27 across reads "She brings us the latest mobile – we are nerds!" (10 letters); the answer is NEWSREADER. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 1 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

1 down reads "Bond's boss initially ignores Moneypenny's exasperated gesture" (4 letters); the answer is MIME. It's a letter-selection clue: take specific letters from a longer source. 'First of' means the opening letter, 'extremely' means first + last, 'regularly' means every other letter, 'oddly' / 'evenly' means odd or even positions. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 2 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

2 down reads "Gets pub fruit drinks, reportedly" (7 letters); the answer is INDUCES. It's a homophone clue: the answer sounds like another word. Indicators like 'reportedly', 'we hear', or 'sounds like' point to a word that's pronounced similarly to the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 3 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

3 down reads "Seat incorporating new electronic mechanism – it moves forward all by itself" (5,8 letters); the answer is CHAIN REACTION. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 4 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

4 down reads "Nun has pink champagne, finally stirred – not like Bond's martini" (8 letters); the answer is UNSHAKEN. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 5 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

5 down reads "Vindictiveness, eating last of partner's brownie" (6 letters); the answer is SPRITE. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 7 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

7 down reads "Every so often Auntie Ann's girls help in the kitchen, perhaps" (7 letters); the answer is UTENSIL. It's a letter-selection clue: take specific letters from a longer source. 'First of' means the opening letter, 'extremely' means first + last, 'regularly' means every other letter, 'oddly' / 'evenly' means odd or even positions. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 8 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

8 down reads "State of cosy affluence? Yes, a setter's loaded" (4,6 letters); the answer is EASY STREET. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 11 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

11 down reads "Freedom for art ... as Browning got, when he and Lizzie tied the knot?" (6,7 letters); the answer is POETIC LICENCE. It's a double-definition clue: two separate definitions of the same word sit side by side. No wordplay split and no indicators — both halves of the clue define the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 13 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

13 down reads "Subsequently presents enthralling paper on English king" (10 letters); the answer is AFTERWARDS. It's a container clue: one word goes inside another. Container indicators include 'in', 'around', 'holding', and 'embracing' — identify the outer word, then the inner piece that gets slotted into it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 16 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

16 down reads "Prop in bar with lock" (8 letters); the answer is BUTTRESS. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 18 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

18 down reads "When liquid, place in large beaker?" (7 letters); the answer is PELICAN. It's an anagram clue: the answer is a rearrangement of letters supplied by the clue itself. Look for an indicator like 'mixed', 'broken', 'cooked', or 'wild', and find a phrase whose letters add up to the answer's length. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 20 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

20 down reads "Certain wider US sanctions partially lifted" (7 letters); the answer is ASSURED. It's a hidden-word clue: the answer is spelled out by consecutive letters in the clue itself, often crossing a word boundary. Indicators like 'in', 'some', or 'part of' signal that you're looking at a substring. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 21 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

21 down reads "Base metal American soldier used up making torch" (6 letters); the answer is IGNITE. It's a reversal clue: the answer is a word read backwards. Look for indicators like 'back', 'returned', or — in a down clue — 'up' or 'lifted'. Find the source word and reverse it. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

How do I solve 23 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270?

23 down reads "Pick up present for a listener" (4 letters); the answer is HEAR. It's a homophone clue: the answer sounds like another word. Indicators like 'reportedly', 'we hear', or 'sounds like' point to a word that's pronounced similarly to the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31270 — Answers, Hints & Wordplay Explained

1A — Maybe what Drake chose to follow principal part of meal (4,6) — MAIN COURSE

Wordplay
Wordplay: Double definition
Assembly
MAINCOURSE = MAIN COURSE

Across

1A — Maybe what Drake chose to follow principal part of meal (4,6) — MAIN COURSE

6A — Following operation, this could set mine off (4) — FUSE

9A — Backed plan limiting newspaperman's channels of communication (5) — MEDIA

10A — Small lass with pert bust lacking obvious support (9) — STRAPLESS

12A — They can rectify eye deficiencies? Nelson ecstatic, sadly having lost one (7,6) — CONTACT LENSES

14A — Bond producer comparatively quickly bringing in vacuous nymphette (8) — FASTENER

15A — Defending poorly, Gunners ending in heap around post (6) — PILLAR

17A — Imagine former partner favoured cuddling Charlie (6) — EXPECT

19A — Plump young attendant taking half of spread? (4-4) — FULL-PAGE

22A — Spooner's secretly approaching DIY store for old-fashioned mobility aids (7,6) — WALKING STICKS

24A — Obscure Colin Dexter novel – 50 put out, then 10 (9) — RECONDITE

25A — Not once advancing rook is daring (5) — NERVE

26A — Decline contract, ignoring HR (4) — SINK

27A — She brings us the latest mobile – we are nerds! (10) — NEWSREADER

Down

1D — Bond's boss initially ignores Moneypenny's exasperated gesture (4) — MIME

2D — Gets pub fruit drinks, reportedly (7) — INDUCES

3D — Seat incorporating new electronic mechanism – it moves forward all by itself (5,8) — CHAIN REACTION

4D — Nun has pink champagne, finally stirred – not like Bond's martini (8) — UNSHAKEN

5D — Vindictiveness, eating last of partner's brownie (6) — SPRITE

7D — Every so often Auntie Ann's girls help in the kitchen, perhaps (7) — UTENSIL

8D — State of cosy affluence? Yes, a setter's loaded (4,6) — EASY STREET

11D — Freedom for art ... as Browning got, when he and Lizzie tied the knot? (6,7) — POETIC LICENCE

13D — Subsequently presents enthralling paper on English king (10) — AFTERWARDS

16D — Prop in bar with lock (8) — BUTTRESS

18D — When liquid, place in large beaker? (7) — PELICAN

20D — Certain wider US sanctions partially lifted (7) — ASSURED

21D — Base metal American soldier used up making torch (6) — IGNITE

23D — Pick up present for a listener (4) — HEAR