DT 26091 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26091

by Gazza  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26091

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

We have another entertaining puzzle from our usual Friday setter. With most puzzles you find at least one or two surface readings which are a bit “iffy”, but Giovanni always produces beautifully smooth clues. I think that today he has a given us a puzzle which treads a fine line by being within the reach of novice solvers whilst posing enough of a challenge for the more experienced.
We always appreciate getting feedback from you, so if you’ve never left us a comment before, now is the time to introduce yourself!
As usual the answers are hidden inside the curly brackets – if you want to reveal one, just select the white space inside.

Across Clues

1a  Ignorant, like a policeman that’s new coming in (10)
{UNINFORMED} – like a policeman is UNIFORMED – insert N(ew).

6a  Service in which one gets married — fool! (4)
{MASS} – put together M(arried) and ASS (fool).

9a  Connected ideas a Scot worked out (10)
{ASSOCIATED} – an anagram (worked out) of IDEAS A SCOT.

10a  Learner overwhelmed by expression of surprise and merriment (4)
{GLEE} – an expression of surprise is GEE! – put L(earner) inside (overwhelmed).

12/13a  Say nothing about computers etc.? No problem! (4,7,2)
{DON’T MENTION IT} – double definition. Computers etc. is Information Technology (IT).

15a  Indian capital (8 )
{CHEYENNE} – double definition – a member of an Indian tribe is also the first of today’s two US State capitals.

16a  English king’s companion is a gas (6)
{ETHANE} – put together E(nglish) and THANE (king’s companion, a word many of us will associate with labouring through Macbeth at school) to get the name of a gas.

18a  Frightened when female’s issued a reprimand (6)
{EARFUL} – frightened is FEARFUL, which becomes an informal word for a loud reprimand when the F(emale) comes out.

20a  Heavy rain in county getting to river, then old city (8 )
{DOWNPOUR} – string together DOWN (Irish County), PO (the longest river in Italy) and UR (ancient biblical city).

23a  Game trials are held here (9)
{BADMINTON} – double definition, the second referring to the Gloucestershire village where horse trials are held each Spring.

24a  Give away secrets in hotel lobby (4)
{TELL} – a hidden word indicated by IN.

26a  Charge boy when egg’s been nabbed (4)
{LOAD} – boy is LAD – put O (egg, one of the many ways of indicating O in crosswords) inside (nabbed).

27a  A lot of mistakes in a recording badly made (10)
{CORRIGENDA} – an anagram (badly made) of A RECORDING produces a word for corrections which need to be made in a book.

28a  Glut of eggs at Easter (4)
{SATE} – hidden (indicated by OF) in the clue is a verb meaning to satisfy to the full or glut.

29a  Patience needed by principal inclined to be impulsive (10)
{HEADSTRONG} – start with HEAD (principal) and add Patience STRONG (a sort of poet in the McGonagall tradition, who for years had a daily poem published in the Daily Mirror).

I stopped to call a taxi in the heart of Babylon.
At the pavement’s edge I stood – the traffic writhing on
Leftward to the Whitehall turning like a lustrous snake
Or rightward to Westminster Bridge, the southbound road to take,

There to pass proud Boadicea set towards the tower
Where Big Ben in his solemn grandeur booms the passing hour
As if to warn the seething crowds that Time brooks no delay
As he sifts the minutes of the unforgiving day.


Down Clues

1d  Poison found in university, juice knocked over (4)
{UPAS} – the poison from the tree of the same name is made from U(niversity) and SAP (juice) which has to be reversed (knocked over).

2d  Son and heir swimming around near the beach? (7)
{INSHORE} – an anagram (swimming around) of SON and HEIR.

3d  Look at the score and square up to a difficult situation (4,3,5)
{FACE THE MUSIC} – double definition, score here being MUSIC.

4d  Providing fresh ammunition to back LibDem (8 )
{REARMING} – a charade of REAR (back) and MING (nickname of Sir Menzies Campbell, former leader of the LibDems).

5d  Leave the scene with old lover, accompanied by silly tune (6)
{EXEUNT} – the stage direction for more than one person to leave is constructed from EX (old lover) and an anagram (silly) of TUNE.

7d  Capital city worker found in map book (not Sweden’s capital) (7)
{ATLANTA} – the State Capital of Georgia is formed by putting ANT (worker) inside ATLA(S) (map book without the first letter of Sweden).

8d  The sweater looks dreadful, beloved! (10)
{SWEETHEART} – a quotation from Noel Edmonds’ girlfriend? – No, just an anagram (looks dreadful) of THE SWEATER.

11d  Drunk after session and going nowhere (7,5)
{SITTING TIGHT} – put TIGHT (drunk) after SITTING (session).

14d  What snooker players do, mad folk! (10)
{SCREWBALLS} – double definition, the first a description of what snooker players do to put sidespin or backspin on the cue ball.

17d  Gosh, dweeb pocketing drug gets caught! (8 )
{CORNERED} – gosh is COR! – follow up with NERD (dweeb) around (gets caught) (pocketing)  E(cstasy). Thanks to Sarumite for the correction.

19d  Hold forth about a little girl being brilliant (7)
{RADIANT} – a synonym for brilliant is formed from RANT (hold forth) around A DI(ana).

21d  Gibbons seen somewhere in Florida (7)
{ORLANDO} – the city in Florida is also the forename of a leading English composer of the early seventeenth century.
ARVE Error: need id and provider

22d  Poodle has goose troubled? Time to intervene (6)
{STOOGE} – an anagram (troubled) of GOOSE with T(ime) inside gives us someone who does what he’s told to do, however menial, by someone else (poodle).

25d  Bunch of criminals go around Scotland (4)
{GANG} – double definition, the second being a Scottish verb meaning to go.

My favourite clues today included 2d and 5d but my clue of the day is 29a. Let us know what you think about the puzzle, and please remember to give it a grading by clicking on one of the stars below.

49 comments on “DT 26091”

  1. Another delightful puzzle from Giovanni. I will buck the trend and go for a different favourite today as I loved 3d. I also enjoyed 1a, 20a and 17d. Thanks for the blog and explanations and once again thanks to Giovanni for brightening up a drizzly Friday commute.

  2. Most enjoyable, 14d and 12/13a were my personal favourites.
    Plus a new word for me in 27a , at first thought it might be the programming schedule for a popular soap.

  3. I was convinced 27a was going to be cornucopia that I refused to put 21d answer in as I could not justify it as I have never heard of the said composer, I still think cornucopia would have been a good answer, still I have learned a new word.
    entertaining puzzle today

    1. I was convinced Giovanni had it wrong with 27a, as it brought my Latin exercise books sharply to mind for the first time in [large number deleted] years.

      I did have to write out rather a lot of 27a and I remember them being at least mostly corrections, rather than mistakes – the mistakes having been made in the previous day’s homework.

      However, mindful of the cries of ‘Chambers!’ every time someone mentions something like this I did check – and it seems that I was right in Latin but that Giovanni was right in English usage – so we both win.

  5. The best puzzle this week – really enjoyed it.

    There are several I enjoyed – 14d, 23a, 29a but my favourite was 12/13a today. New word – same as everyone else – 27a – liked how you got it as well.

    Thank you Giovanni for an excellent puzzle and thanks Gazza for the hints.

  6. Well a bit of a struggle for me today. Couldn’t get the left hand side completed but did enjoy a number of the clues. I can take satisfaction that I still have a way to go.

    I’d be interested in views on what is acceptable when faced with a new word? I was brought up with the premise that no outside help was allowed at all. Having formed 27a I did use Collins to check it existed. Is this what others do?

    Favourites were 1a and 22a.

    1. Bondini

      My view on this subject is very simple – crosswords would not be as much fun if you never learnt anything new. Using aids, particularly to confirm derived answers, is absolutely fine. Maybe you’ll never become the Times Crossword Champion, but that puts you in the vast majority of solvers.

    2. Bondini, I have only been doing these since June and without various ‘aids’ and this marvellous blog I would very likely never complete one!!! half the fun for me is being able to understand what the setter is looking for in the first place !! :)

      1. I love reading your posts, Mary.

        And it just occurred to me that if Big Dave could string them all together somewhere it would make a nice introduction for nervous newcomers to the blog to show just how much progress can be made among friends.

        Of course, if it ever gets into Belle de Jour territory – financially – I shall demand my cut.

  7. Super crossword as usual from Giovanni. too many great clues really to pick one but I really liked 14d.

  8. Having previously worked in a snooker club for several years, a while ago, I went to put screwback in 14d, to find it didn’t fit either the clue or the grid!! however in all that time i have never heard it said that any of the players were ‘screwing balls’ to pardon the expression!! :)

    1. never heard of 25d, favourite clue 11d & 3d, also never heard of 17d, had to look at your help Gazza for 26a & 19d also – thanks once again

  9. We didn’t get ‘Cheyenne’ – nor the full word play for ‘headstrong’. Pleased to see that there really is another poet (almost) as brilliantly awful as the Great McGonagall!!
    With thanks for the explanations.

  10. Once again a superb Friday puzzle by Don, and your usual masterly analysis Gazza, however I wonder how many people in America do the DT Crosswords, as they have certainly got their own back on us with four of their places named therein!. Loved 14d, another word derived from US!.

    1. Kram
      It’s very interesting to read the “National Post Cryptic Crossword Forum” (link under Crossword Blogs in the sidebar). This reviews DT Crosswords which appear in Canada about three months after we see them – it’s instructive to see how many of the terms which we take for granted have to be explained to the N. American readers.

      1. Thanks for pointing that one out Gazza. I have just gone to read it and found it very interesting. I originally come from Canada but have lived here so long that I take the phrases and terms we use for granted. Enjoyed seeing how the North Americans suffer with them. (I have more difficulty remembering North American phrases and terms than I do ours!!).

  11. Great crossword which I zoomed through before hitting a few stickers – notably 27a and 15a. Liked 1a best. Good crossword that made up for the gloomy weather as I headed into Liverpool Street.

  12. gosh lost the blog for a while got a ‘408’ error notice saying it wa overloaded, hope i didn’t cause it :)

  13. Another Friday treat .. thanks Giovanni.

    Particularly liked 12/13a, 15a and 3d.

    Gazza .. for 17d where you say .. “gosh is COR! – follow up with NERD (dweeb) around (gets caught) E(cstasy)”, did you mean “……….. (dweeb) around (drug) E(cstasy) for a word meaning ‘gets caught’?

  14. Never posted before but enjoy the site and have told all fellow DT addicts.
    Interesting mix today …even got 29ac with no idea why but had to have your help with 26ac.
    favourite clue 20ac as it’s so topical.

    2. You’ll love this site Chris, everyone is really helpful especially the bloggers and in case you’re wondering ‘the clueless club’ is just us poor things who on some days don’t have much of a clue as to what we’re looking for and when we get the answers wouldn’t really know why without this site :) but with their help we are hopefully improving as we go along :)

    3. With respect to 20a – these puzzles are submitted up to three months before publication. Maybe Giovanni has mystical powers – I’ll have to get him to fill in my lottery numbers.

  15. Excellent crossword- couldn’t finish it again without Gazza’s Clues- many thanks. I think that this is how a crossword should be – ie easy enough for me to get about half unaided, but possible to do most clues with a few electronic aids, leaving one or two which I would never get!

    I don’t know how some of you do a crossword like this one unaided.

    Only one question ref 18a – Why does “issued” mean remove?

      1. I am with you on this one Toby, struggled on a few and without my ‘aids’ and Gazza wouldn’t have completed, don’t worry, though it may seem like it, i have a sneaking suspicion there are lots like us out there, who could belong to the ‘clueless club’ if only they would own up to it :)

    2. Hi Toby in the absence of an answer (so far) to your question ref 18a, “issue” can relate to something flowing out, such as a river, or discharge (from a wound etc), so I reckon it’s context in this clue is probably admissible. (S)

        1. many thanks for your help – sounds a bit dodgy to me though!
          whats happened to your name Big Dave? is it now “Big Daver – The Raver perhaps?

  16. Started off in great style and then floundered on the bottom half.. was it the glass of wine?
    I too have to use various aids to help me, but , like Mary, feel that smug sensation of satisfaction when I finish. The I have to go to this site to explain why!

    Great site! ;)

    1. Liz

      I’m sure all of the other bloggers would agree that we would have loved a facility like this when we started. I remember well that feeling when looking at the answers the following day and thinking “how on earth … ??”

      1. You guys do keep bringing back memories for me.

        When I started I *did* have a facility just like this – it was my then-girlfriend’s mother. We would sit in the kitchen heads down over newspapers and she’d explain patiently how the stuff worked.

        For some reason I didn’t keep the girlfriend all that long – but I did keep the mother for longer!

  18. Definitely time to renew my membership to the ‘clueless club’. Once again Giovanni has beaten me. 2 new words which are always welcome. kicked myself for missing 15a.

  19. Oh Mary – you do make me laugh! Pretty much everythhing you say I could echo – & I am certain there are many more like us out there – thank God for the patience of everyone on this site. Thanks to all of you for your hints and explanations. Certainly needed your help today.

  20. Not a very difficult puzzle this Friday!
    Many thanks Gazza for Orlando Gibbons’ music!

    General comment – I feel it is time that setters should stick to British words and places in a GB crossword. There are too many references to North America and clues based on accentless French words like cure from curé the other day. Tut-tut!

  21. Thanks for the enthusiastic feedback. I was told off the other day by an American, Derek, on a Times website for being too UK-centric. Because of websites UK cryptic crosswords are going global — and a good thing too. I shall not refrain from making the UK the normal cultural reference point, but please remember that our English language and culture have always developed through interaction with languages and cultures from around the world. Please don’t reinforce the image that Telegraph readers are small-minded little-Englander xenophobes — because I’m sure the vast majority (including you, Derek) are not really like that!

  22. Just a little comment about the rationale for 4d – I don’t think Ming is a nickname, it’s a pronunciation (which is why I personally thought the clue was very obscure)

    1. Welcome to the blog MrMedved

      It’s a bit of both, really. As I’m sure you know Menzies, his real name, is pronounced Mingus, so Ming is a nickname.

  23. Haven’t commented before. Web-site is exe! Just a little comment about the rationale for 4d – I don’t think Ming is a nickname, it’s a pronunciation (which is why I personally thought the clue was very obscure)

    1. MrMedved
      Ming is just a shortened form of his forename, but it’s what he’s normally referred to as, so I think that it’s reasonable to call it a nickname.

  24. Thanks for the welcome. Sorry that repeat was an error – twitchy fingers excited by getting a posting. Errm, so yeah, I’m maybe just being pedantic on first time out but the pronunciation is more “Mingis” than “Mingus” and I thought Ming was more to do with Dan Dare or somebody of that ilk….. I didn’t like nickname, anyway.
    Great blog place and the clue analysis is always excellent, nevertheless. Keep up the great work. Ciao for now.

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