DT 25991

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25991

Hints and tips by Tilsit

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **

Quite an enjoyable start to the week with some very good cryptic definitions, which are the hallmarks of the Monday Maestro.  However, there are a couple of not-so-good ones, which is a shame, otherwise this would have been a real quality puzzle.

As usual, your comments are appreciated.

Across

1a Agrees to change gun ammunition (6)
{GREASE} An anagram to start today.  The ammunition for this particular gun is more likely to be found at B&Q rather than a gunsmith.

4a A writer’s attributes (8)
{ASCRIBES} I wish I had a pound for each time I’d seen this clue.  It’s a simple definition (attributes) with the solution being a word sum of A + word for an old fashioned writer.

9a Pointless advance warning? (3-3)
{TIP-OFF} Two definitions, one of which is cryptic.  An advance warning is the “normal” definition, but if something is pointless, what does it lack?

10a Heartless person who’s well-known for speed (8)
{CELERITY}  One of the best clues today.  You need the name of a person and remove the central letter (heartless) and you’ll get a word which means quickness.

12a The letters column (4)
{POST}  A double definition clue.  It reminds me of the old crossword joke.

“73ac He brings the mail each morning.”

“How many letters?”

“Take a look in his sack!”

13a Outcast who reflects the way people treat him (5)
{LEPER}  The definition here is OUTCAST and the indication is what many people do when confronted by him, but reversed (reflects).  If you are still stuck, think of Hansen’s Disease.

14a Low average (4)
{MEAN} A double definition.  I had BASE

17a A firm grip on the throttle? (12)
{STRANGLEHOLD} A cryptic definition for something not terribly pleasant as practised by Albert deSalvo.

20a A bit to drink? (4,2,6)
{HALF OF BITTER} Another cryptic definition, and one I feel over-eggs the pudding.   You’re looking for a drink, but not a whole pint.

23a Spot the sign of a faulty washer (4)
{DRIP} Another cryptic definition, this time you need the consequences of a faulty washer, not a machine in your kitchen, but one in your tap.

24a Go in for chips without fish (5)
{ENTER} Someone who has the nickname “Chips” is usually a CARPENTER, now remove the name of a fish, and what’s left?  Nice clue with good surface reading.

25a Low joint where a cap is worn (4)
{KNEE}  Another weak clue for me, I’ll stand the “low joint”, but “a cap is worn” is a bit too much.

28a Describing sounds of one pitch, perhaps (8)
{PHONETIC} An anagram of one pitch contained in a nice clue.

29a Stop and fire (3,3)
{LAY OFF}  I was quite troubled with this as I entered PAY OFF, which I felt was a valid answer.  The clue consists of two definitions, one of which is to stop, as in to desist.  The other is to fire, as in to make redundant.

30a Left with a suggestion of evil (8)
{SINISTER} Double definition.  Heraldry contains a whole lot of its own words and phrases and we have one here.  The phrase for left on a shield is the word required (The word for right is DEXTER).  The other definition is of someone furtive.

31a Exclude crafty frequenter of pubs (6)

{BARFLY} A word sum.  A word meaning “exclude” and a word more often used in the USA to mean “crafty”.  Put them together and you get the wonderful Barney Gumble of The Simpsons. Here’s his finest moment.

Down

1d Our mutual confidant (8)
{GATEPOST}  Another really good clue.  Think of the old expression Between you, me and the…..”

2d Revelation made by a photographer (8)
{EXPOSURE}  A cryptic definition, one I have seen a few times before.  A photographic term for a picture.

3d Notes seating is provided (4)
{SOFA}   Two notes from a musical scale.  I feel a song coming on….

ARVE Error: need id and provider

5d He has a moving part to play in the theatre (5-7)
{SCENE-SHIFTER} A cryptic-definition.  Think of the person who moves all the props around.

6d Rush animal from below (4)
{REED}  The animal required is DEER and you should reverse it to get a plant akin to a Bullrush.

7d Bridge expert in court (6)
{BAILEY}  Nothing to go with cards, (though it didn’t stop me looking through my bridge dictionary!).  A type of bridge is needed, with the name for a court in a castle.

8d Saw off the tongue (6)
{SAYING}  I am beginning to see the word “saw” in crosswords as being  like “flower” and “banker”, i.e. meaning something else.  A saw is an old saying and that is the main definition here.  I think “off the tongue” is a bit weak as a co-definition and perhaps should have been qualified a bit more.

11d An unholy racket! (4,2,1,5)
{HELL OF A NOISE}  Another cryptic definition for a phrase I don’t often use myself.  I tend to use “racket” as the last word.  Presumably “an infernal din” has been used before.

15d Sort of snake in the grass (5)
{SNEAK}  An anagram of SNAKE reveals one who cannot be trusted.

16d Clear the ground (5)
{PLAIN} Double definition clue – something that is this is clear, and also means a wide, open space.

18d Keep one’s distance in an impasse (5-3)
{STAND-OFF}  Another double definition.    I wasn’t over-keen on two phrases that feature “OFF” (See 29 ac).  Think off a phrase that starts “Mexican” and means an impasse.

19d Environmentally friendly insect? (8)
{GREENFLY}  A cryptic definition for an aphid.  If something is environmentally-friendly it is said to be this colour, and add to it a common insect.

21d Takes on commercial post needing organisation (6)
{ADOPTS}  Take on is the definition and the clue is a word sum  A short word for a TV commercial + An anagram of POST.  Again, I didn’t much care for this as post is one of today’s answers.  The clue could have read “commercial 12” and would have been OK for me.

22d Refuse to acknowledge down is out (6)
{DISOWN} An anagram (shown by out)  of DOWN IS, will give you a word meaning to refuse to acknowledge.

26d Rigid forms of worship (4)
{PEWS} Cryptic definition for church seating.  “Form” is used as in a type of seating.

27d Senile and repetitive state (4)
{GAGA}  The phrase “state” in a crossword usually means the abbreviation for one of the US states (two recent crosswords in other newspapers featured these), and  a visit to Big Dave’s Mine will reveal them.  Here you need the abbreviation for Georgia.

I shall spare you the musical Lady of that name.  The DJ played her latest hit at my birthday party on Saturday night and I knew I had reached a certain age…….

Thanks to our Monday maestro for today’s challenge.

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