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DT 26117

by Rishi  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26117

Hints and tips by Rishi

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

Today’s crossword from our Monday Maestro posed some difficulties which I had to surmount before completing the puzzle.  At one stage, after the initial flurry of quick fills, I had ten to go: 10a, 14a, 28a, 29a, 30a and 7d, 18d, 19d,21d and 26d.  Luckily these fell one by one: why the bottom left corner held on till the end was because of my own mistake in writing wrongly the second word in the long phrasal 11d.  I got wise to it only after some crossings wouldn’t gel.

Clues I liked especially: 20a, 1d.


Across
1a Holy area in outskirts of Samarkand (6)
{SACRED} – We get a word that means ’holy’ by inserting a word that may mean ‘area’ in SD (these being the first and last letters of Samarkand). I think ‘acre’ is a measure of land. The Chambers dictionary, however, has “acres” (not ‘acre’) for “lands”.

4a Star skater is upset (8)
{ASTERISK} – Anagram of SKATER IS gets a word meaning ‘star’ (especially in printing).

9a Angled, and he’d caught fish (6)
{HEELED} – Put a three-letter word for fish in HE’D to get a word that means ‘angled’.

10a Peace-making counsel is put at risk (8)
{ENDANGER} – A word that means ‘[to] put at risk’ is obtained by what one might say to a person who is incensed.

12a Tax on goods and service (4)
{DUTY} – Two definitions – Tax on goods / service

13a Artist when old retires South (5)
{DEGAS} – Reverse a word that means ‘old ‘and add S (‘South’) and you get the name of an artist.

Edgar Degas (1834-1917), French painter

14a Health food council (4)
{DIET} – Health food / council (think of the national legislature of Japan)

17a Not a short class in arithmetic (4,8)
{LONG DIVISION} – A word that is the opposite of ‘short’ and a word that means ‘class’ together give us a kind of operation in arithmetic.

20a Sleek coat shows Parisian chic (6,6)
{FRENCH POLISH} – Put together a word that means ‘Parisian’ and a word that means ‘chic’ and get a phrase that gives a veneer to furniture.

23a Wander over casually (4)
{ROVE} – Anagram OVER and you won’t wander away from the answer.

24a Take the plunge, but get nothing in exchange (5)
{SWOOP} – If you want the answer ‘take the plunge’ and put O (nothing) in a word that means ‘exchange’ (only take care of the spelling!)

25a A French veto soon (4)
{ANON} – Take A for what it is and add a word that means ‘no’ in French and there will be no delay in reaching the answer.

28a General resemblance to Humpty Dumpty? (3-5)
{ALL-ROUND} – A word that means ‘general’ from the shape of Humpty Dumpty.

29a It is said to have proved a hit (6)
{TOUCHÉ} – Straightforward clue – A term from fencing when the fencer claims a hit.

30a Furtive sort of hat style (8)
{STEALTHY) – Did you, like me, realise rather late that an anagram of HAT STYLE fetches us a synonym for ‘furtive’ or secret?

31a Only just get me to bank (6)
{MERELY} – Only just get me to bank but don’t expect me to withdraw any money and give it to you. For, take a word that means ‘bank’ as a verb and put ME before that and ONLY then you get the answer.

Down
1d He’d put in cryptic clues in the list (8)
{SCHEDULE} – Put HED (from he’d) and in an anagram of CLUES and get a word that means ‘list’.

2d What a change it makes to one’s winnings! (8)
{CHEATING} – Anagram of CHANGE IT. For definition re-read the clue as a whole. Maybe what a card sharp thought.

3d There’s no advantage in breaking it (4)
{EVEN} – Cryptic definition. If a company ‘breaks even’ during a financial year, ‘there’s no advantage’, for it makes no profit.

5d So unholy cads may be converted here (6,6)
{SUNDAY SCHOOL} – In this all-in-one clue, anagram of SO UNHOLY CADS gets a phrase for a place where children get religious instruction and become better in their lives.

6d Former graduate set up test paper (4)
{EXAM} – A word or a prefix that means ‘former’ and a reversal of MA (‘graduate’) for ‘test paper’.

7d A lady well-liked on the network (6)
{INGRID} – Word sum – A word meaning ‘well-liked’ plus a word that means ‘network’ give the name of a woman.

8d Shrewish girl set about painter in unarmed combat (6)
{KARATE} – The name of a Shakespearean heroine (from The Taming of the Shrew’) taken around RA (‘artist’, abbreviation for Royal Academician) gives the name of a martial art.

11d Old maid? (7,5)
{SERVING WENCH} – Cryptic definition – A term by which a maid was known ages ago. Take care not to use it now!

15d Are about to perform worship (5)
{ADORE} – Don’t do anything to get ARE and do some work to take it around a short word that means ‘perform’ for a word that means ‘worship’ as a verb.

16d Prefer to attack (2,3)
{GO FOR} – Go for this clue! – Double definition – Prefer / To attack

18d First Lieutenant in boat gives a tip (8)
{PINNACLE} – Put L (the first letter of Lieutenant) in a word that means boat and you get a tip.

19d Opening lines in court (8)
{CHANCERY} – A word-sum that is very cleverly concealed and that I saw only now at the time of writing this – A word that means ‘opening’,, in the sense of opportunity, plus RY (which is an abbr. for railway meaning lines) gives a word that means ‘court’.

21d The distress of examinations (6)
{TRIALS} – Cryptic double definition – The distress / examinations. As the solution is in plural, should it have been “distresses”?

22d Develop and go round topless (6)
{EVOLVE} – Remove the first letter of a word begins with R and means ‘go round’ and you get a word that means ‘develop’.

26d Thin metal blade (4)
{FOIL} – Double definition – thin metal / blade (fencing sword)

27d Playboy making love in the French way (4)
{ROUÉ} – O (love) put inside the French word for way, street gives a word for a playboy or dissolute person.

Please leave a comment telling us how you fared with this crossword and what your thoughts were as you did it. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

38 comments on “DT 26117”

  1. 21d I didn’t think scanned correctly
    29a there they go using foreign words again, quelle horreure!

    Pretty average today

  2. A gentle start to the week from Rufus. Unusually for his cluing, I thought that the construction in 9a and 1d was too similar – both being insertions into HE’D. In addition to the clues you mentioned, I also enjoyed 10a and 27d.

    Compliments of the season to Rufus and to one and all.

  3. Re “distress” and “trials”. The Penguin Thesaurus under TRIAL : “5.(he survived many trials) suffering, distress etc”.
    Seasonable best wishes to everyone as well as thanks to Rishi for his excellent blogs. (Christmas crosswords on Christmas Eve in DT, Christmas Day onTelegraph website!)

    1. Sorry, Rufus, but I have to agree with Rishi. One can suffer distress from one trial or many trials, but I can’t accept “trials” as a synonym for “distress”.

  4. Hi Rishi

    I completed this in good time except for 29a which I only got after reading your hint – I was kicking myself for not getting it!

    I liked 10a, 20a, 2d and 5d.

    Rufus, it is great to hear from you! I hope you have a very happy Christmas and New Year. I look forward to your puzzles in 2010 (in the DT, FT and Guardian).

  5. Stuck on 9a until I consulted you…I had “hooked”
    But 5d…a bit un-PC. “Unholy” “cads” “converted” , giving “sunday school”

  6. Just heard on the radio whilst driving home that on 21 December 1913 the first crossword was published. it was by Arthur Wynne.

    1. I bet they were not quoting Chambers as a defence in the result page, It would be interesting to try it if anyone knows if there is a copy on line anywhere.

        1. Thanks Dave – that is an interesting structure. When I get a chance may try and work it out. You are a star – thanks for the website, thanks for all your reviews and thanks for all the help you give.

          I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous 2010.

        3. Interesting to see the co founder of the rules for cryptic puzzles was my namesake! I will have to see if he is a relation.

    1. I second that, Lea – was just going to comment.

      Elsewhere I stupidly put in ‘Gotcha’ for 29a which didnt help me!.
      Also forgot the 14a although I have seen it before.

      Many Thanks to Rufus and Rishi and a ‘Merry Messy Christmas’!

        2. In two published crosswords one after the other, the clues I wrote required the solvers to use the words ‘strumpet’ and ‘wench’ in wordplay.

          A commenter on a blog, an Englishman on work in Kerala, India, said the setter’s view of womanhood was not glorifying!

          1. Now that I will agree with – but you can turn it on its head and work out that they don’t know what they are talking about!!!

  8. Finished it now – my last two to go in were 10a and 14a (a four letter word that I didn’t think was a good clue). Some of the other four letter words were okay – at least you had to work them out. Barrie should be happy as there are 8 of them in the puzzle.

    My favourite clues were 20a and 1d.

    Thanks Rufus for a good puzzle and thanks Rishi for the review.

  9. Rishi,

    I don’t think your explanation of 7d is quite right. I read it as “in” for popular or well-liked, on (down clue) “grid” for the network.

  10. Put in hedged for 9a and then couldn’t get 2d. Should have realised 2d was an anagram then would have realised error with 9a!

  11. 21d seems fair enough to me. The one I am struggling with is 2d; I got the answer from the anagram but still can’t see a definition? If Rufus could explain it I would be most grateful! Otherwise very enjoyable.

    1. Welcome to the blog Ian

      This clue is of a type that could be categorised as semi-&lit. The structure would not be acceptable to some purists, but resolve the anagram and then read the clue again to get the definition of the answer.

  12. On the whole a very enjoyable puzzle, particulary liked 19d although I only got it after working backwards from the answer! Not sure about 28a, wasn’t Hunpty Dumpty egg shaped or oval? Liked the 4 letter clues!!

  13. Thanks Dave. I am usually ok with this sort of clue but I must be having a mental block or just one of those days because I still cant see how the answer is defined by the rest of the clue!!! Unless winnings has another definition that it!!

    2. The suggestion is that by cheating you can increase your winnings – it’s only a bit of fun and doesn’t stand up to over-analysis.

  15. Yes, got it finally – though wasn’t too sure on “Chancery” but put it in as being a “Court” as I couldn’t think of any other words with “H” as second letter (ie other starting letters could only be CPST&W). Other that that relatively straight-forward.

  16. Enjoyable with some good clues.
    Favourites were 1a, 13a, 20a &30a. 1d, 11d, 18d & 19d.
    There were three references to le français again which may have upset some Brits! You setters should always remember that accents are important in foreign languages – please don’t reply that I am being too critically diacritical!!
    I daresay that 26d would help with 29a!

  17. Didn’t really like 11d. We had ‘servant woman’ there for a while and we thought ‘wench’ was the oppostie of ‘maid.’ Anyway Amazon has assured me that my copy of Chambers is on its way so hopefully this will clear a few things up..

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