Telegraph Cryptic Crossword Answers - Aug 21

Cryptic Crossword No 31324

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Across

  1. 1Back new skills to turn around SPFL clubSTRANRAER
  2. 6Initial temperature becoming cold for which songbird?CHAT
  3. 10Tea dunderhead gets early in the dayASSAM
  4. 11Suggests key condiment that's fineTABLESALT
  5. 12Mistake in writing amount Laura rued occasionally on reflectionERRATUM
  6. 13Over time hide this writer's secretFURTIVE
  7. 14Conceited mimic, initially ignored, Harry flipping plugsARROGANT
  8. 16Scottish banker with cute daughterTWEED
  9. 19Jack visits Céline in French cityDIJON
  10. 21Giant firm, American, must conceal deficitCOLOSSUS
  11. 24Composer of national broadcastBRITTEN
  12. 25Name for cat, typically small, written by PotterTIDDLES
  13. 27Destroy two foreign articles belonging to meUNDERMINE
  14. 28In agreement when lunch could be served?ATONE
  15. 29That girl's love for leading manHERO
  16. 30Index Pete adjusted as appropriateEXPEDIENT

Down

  1. 1Theatre employee departs after agent has changedSTAGEHAND
  2. 2Person getting up from chair is eruditeRISER
  3. 3Retiring janitor shows ID attached to uniform?NAMETAG
  4. 4Element against removing European from capitalANTIMONY
  5. 5Snub oddly rejected "green expert"REBUFF
  6. 7Weight vanishes surprisingly when taking drugHEAVINESS
  7. 8Book inscriptionTITLE
  8. 9Creature using paws to grab lemur's tail, right?FERRET
  9. 15Answer from Germany stopping one seeking to overturn Brexit?REJOINDER
  10. 17He's due regularly to test out something decorators use?DUSTSHEET
  11. 18Keep in check boldness on horsebackBOTTLEUP
  12. 20Legal official, indiscreet after downing whiskeyNOTARY
  13. 22Periodically boy led round of applause for veteranOLDHAND
  14. 23Villains identify fences doing timeINSIDE
  15. 24Show embarrassment when US president pens drivel ultimatelyBLUSH
  16. 26Mood essentially within London university is relaxedLOOSE

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Back new skills to turn around SPFL club — Answer: STRANRAER. Hint: Think of a Scottish football club whose name is built from reversed wordplay. ⚽
  2. 6. Initial temperature becoming cold for which songbird? — Answer: CHAT. Hint: Look for a songbird formed by putting a temperature abbreviation before a word for headwear. 🐦
  3. 10. Tea dunderhead gets early in the day — Answer: ASSAM. Hint: A tea variety emerges when a foolish person joins the abbreviation for morning. 🍵
  4. 11. Suggests key condiment that's fine — Answer: TABLESALT. Hint: Pair a keyboard key with a common seasoning to get this pantry staple. 🧂
  5. 12. Mistake in writing amount Laura rued occasionally on reflection — Answer: ERRATUM. Hint: A writing mistake is revealed by reversing selected letters from a phrase involving Laura’s regret. 📝
  6. 13. Over time hide this writer's secret — Answer: FURTIVE. Hint: Think of a word meaning secretive, perhaps describing something kept out of sight. 🤫
  7. 14. Conceited mimic, initially ignored, Harry flipping plugs — Answer: ARROGANT. Hint: The definition is conceited, while the wordplay involves a mimic, an ignored initial, and Harry turned around. 🎭
  8. 16. Scottish banker with cute daughter — Answer: TWEED. Hint: Build a Scottish river from a synonym for cute and the standard abbreviation for daughter. 🌊
  9. 19. Jack visits Céline in French city — Answer: DIJON. Hint: Think of a French city assembled from a male name associated with Jack and a name associated with Céline. 🗺️
  10. 21. Giant firm, American, must conceal deficit — Answer: COLOSSUS. Hint: Combine a company abbreviation, a deficit, and a pronoun for an American to name a giant. 🗿
  11. 24. Composer of national broadcast — Answer: BRITTEN. Hint: Use a nationality nickname and a number to identify this composer. 🎼
  12. 25. Name for cat, typically small, written by Potter — Answer: TIDDLES. Hint: Think of a stereotypical pet-cat name, especially one suited to a tiny feline. 🐱
  13. 27. Destroy two foreign articles belonging to me — Answer: UNDERMINE. Hint: A verb meaning destroy combines two non-English articles with a possessive term. 🛠️
  14. 28. In agreement when lunch could be served? — Answer: ATONE. Hint: Read the phrase as a time of day that can also mean being in harmony. 🕐
  15. 29. That girl's love for leading man — Answer: HERO. Hint: The definition is leading man, while the wordplay pairs a feminine possessive with the usual symbol for love. 🎬
  16. 30. Index Pete adjusted as appropriate — Answer: EXPEDIENT. Hint: Seek an adjective meaning suitable, with the clue’s rearranged name providing the core idea. 🧭

Down

  1. 1. Theatre employee departs after agent has changed — Answer: STAGEHAND. Hint: An anagram of the word for an agent, plus a departure, gives this theatre worker. 🎭
  2. 2. Person getting up from chair is erudite — Answer: RISER. Hint: A person who gets up is the straightforward definition, with a possible nod to a chair lift. 🪑
  3. 3. Retiring janitor shows ID attached to uniform? — Answer: NAMETAG. Hint: Think of the label an employee wears on a uniform to identify themselves. 🏷️
  4. 4. Element against removing European from capital — Answer: ANTIMONY. Hint: An element is formed from a term meaning opposed to plus a capital sum minus its European abbreviation. ⚗️
  5. 5. Snub oddly rejected "green expert" — Answer: REBUFF. Hint: A firm refusal or pointed rejection is the result. 🛑
  6. 7. Weight vanishes surprisingly when taking drug — Answer: HEAVINESS. Hint: This describes the sensation of being burdened or weighed down. ⚖️
  7. 8. Book inscription — Answer: TITLE. Hint: Look for the identifying name printed on a book’s cover or opening page. 📚
  8. 9. Creature using paws to grab lemur's tail, right? — Answer: FERRET. Hint: Think of a small, persistent mammal known for rummaging and grabbing. 🐾
  9. 15. Answer from Germany stopping one seeking to overturn Brexit? — Answer: REJOINDER. Hint: This is a sharp reply offered in response to a previous remark. 💬
  10. 17. He's due regularly to test out something decorators use? — Answer: DUSTSHEET. Hint: Decorators may drape this protective covering over furniture while working. 🛋️
  11. 18. Keep in check boldness on horseback — Answer: BOTTLEUP. Hint: To restrain feelings or impulses is to keep them tightly contained. 🤐
  12. 20. Legal official, indiscreet after downing whiskey — Answer: NOTARY. Hint: A public official who authenticates signatures and documents fits here. 📜
  13. 22. Periodically boy led round of applause for veteran — Answer: OLDHAND. Hint: A seasoned expert with long experience is described this way. 🧓
  14. 23. Villains identify fences doing time — Answer: INSIDE. Hint: Prison slang for someone currently incarcerated points to this word. 🚔
  15. 24. Show embarrassment when US president pens drivel ultimately — Answer: BLUSH. Hint: A visible reddening of the face can reveal embarrassment. 😊
  16. 26. Mood essentially within London university is relaxed — Answer: LOOSE. Hint: Relaxed, unconfined, or not tightly fastened all point in this direction. 😌

Recent Telegraph Cryptic Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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Here are the Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers for Friday, August 21, 2026 — every solution for that day's Monday–Friday 15×15 cryptic, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a puzzle you missed, settling a “what was the answer on August 21?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. Looking for today's puzzle instead? Head to our live Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers page.

Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers for August 21, 2026

The full solution for the August 21 Telegraph Cryptic is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Each answer is listed separately, so you can check just the clue you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Friday, August 21.

Full Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answer list for August 21, 2026

Every clue from the August 21 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.

Across

#ClueAnswer
1Back new skills to turn around SPFL clubSTRANRAER
6Initial temperature becoming cold for which songbird?CHAT
10Tea dunderhead gets early in the dayASSAM
11Suggests key condiment that's fineTABLESALT
12Mistake in writing amount Laura rued occasionally on reflectionERRATUM
13Over time hide this writer's secretFURTIVE
14Conceited mimic, initially ignored, Harry flipping plugsARROGANT
16Scottish banker with cute daughterTWEED
19Jack visits Céline in French cityDIJON
21Giant firm, American, must conceal deficitCOLOSSUS
24Composer of national broadcastBRITTEN
25Name for cat, typically small, written by PotterTIDDLES
27Destroy two foreign articles belonging to meUNDERMINE
28In agreement when lunch could be served?ATONE
29That girl's love for leading manHERO
30Index Pete adjusted as appropriateEXPEDIENT

Down

#ClueAnswer
1Theatre employee departs after agent has changedSTAGEHAND
2Person getting up from chair is eruditeRISER
3Retiring janitor shows ID attached to uniform?NAMETAG
4Element against removing European from capitalANTIMONY
5Snub oddly rejected "green expert"REBUFF
7Weight vanishes surprisingly when taking drugHEAVINESS
8Book inscriptionTITLE
9Creature using paws to grab lemur's tail, right?FERRET
15Answer from Germany stopping one seeking to overturn Brexit?REJOINDER
17He's due regularly to test out something decorators use?DUSTSHEET
18Keep in check boldness on horsebackBOTTLEUP
20Legal official, indiscreet after downing whiskeyNOTARY
22Periodically boy led round of applause for veteranOLDHAND
23Villains identify fences doing timeINSIDE
24Show embarrassment when US president pens drivel ultimatelyBLUSH
26Mood essentially within London university is relaxedLOOSE

Hints for the August 21 cryptic

Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The August 21 Telegraph Cryptic was a classic Friday 15×15 of cryptic wordplay — anagrams, charades, double definitions and the rest — separate from the harder Toughie. If a long entry stalls you, a hint or a single confirmed answer usually opens the corner around it. Use the hints first, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.

Looking for a different day?

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Frequently asked questions

What were the Telegraph Cryptic Crossword answers on August 21, 2026?

Every across and down answer for the Friday, August 21, 2026 Telegraph Cryptic is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed Monday–Friday 15×15 cryptic as published that day.

Was that day's puzzle the Toughie or the Prize Cryptic?

No — this archive page is the standard weekday Cryptic. The Toughie (Tue–Fri) and weekend Prize Cryptics are separate Telegraph puzzles.

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