Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26242
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ***
Another very enjoyable Monday morning ramble through a Rufus crossword. How many of you were left with 18a and 19a as the last clues to go in?
If you want to see the answers directly, just highlight the space between the curly brackets. All comments appreciated.
Across
1. Dictator hated for ill-treatment (5,6)
{ADOLF HITLER} – A simple anagram (treatment) of HATED FOR ILL will give you the name of an infamous German dictator.
9. Son of Adam said to sound archaic (4)
{SETH} – A son of Adam born after the slaying of Abel by Cain has a name that sounds like saith (an archaic form of say).
10. Remedial needlework (11)
{ACUPUNCTURE} – The needlework in this case is the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for other therapeutic purposes.
11. Captain’s favourable report on Commanding Officer (4)
{COOK} – The shortened abbreviation of Commanding Officer followed by OK (favourable report) is a famous Royal Navy Captain who is best down for his exploratory voyages.
14. Meant not to be found in action (7)
{DENOTED} – Another word for signified or to meant is formed from NOT inside, for example, a heroic exploit.
16. Mother checks out but doesn’t leave (7)
{REMAINS} – MA needs to be placed in another word for checks, e.g. the kind of checks that could be used on a horse and you end up with a word meaning to stay or be left behind.
17. Took a chance and got the chop (5)
{DICED} – Double definition, to take risks, or to chop into small cubes.
18. Main shareholder? (4)
{LION} – Why is it that the four letter clues cause the most problems, after a relatively quick solve I was left with this and 19a to finish off. The main shareholder in this case is a large cat and the actual saying derives from one of Aesop’s fables.
19. Wrath possibly shown by head (4)
{CAPE} – Wrath as a place name is nicely disguised by putting it at the front of the clue.
20. Check out of Kabul (5)
{BAULK} – An anagram (out of) KABUL is a word that means to pull up or stop short.
22. Support us in shame (7)
{SUSTAIN} – Put US inside another word for shame or guilt for a word that means to provide for or maintain.
23. Enjoy embracing one’s rescuer (7)
{SAVIOUR} – Another word for taste or relish is put around (embracing) I (ones) for someone who might save you from evil for example.
24. Trees in Wilhelmstrasse (4)
{ELMS} – The trees are hidden in the word Wilhelmstrasse.
28. Novel form of alarm — sirens (5,6)
{SILAS MARNER} – An anagram (form of) of ALARM SIRENS is a well known novel by George Eliot.
29. Have an inclination to be a nurse (4)
{TEND} – Double definition, to move or incline in a direction, or to care for.
30. Mountaineer out for the count (11)
{ENUMERATION} – An anagram (out) of MOUNTAINEER is the act of numbering.
Down
2. Cut off a weed (4)
{DOCK} – Double definition, to cut off, for example an animals tail or “a polygonaceous weed (genus Rumex) with large leaves and a long root”.
3. They may part with a smile (4)
{LIPS} – A cryptic reference to the muscular flaps in front of the teeth, that form the opening of your mouth.
4. Worker given guidance is touched (7)
{HANDLED} – The definition is “is touched”, put together a word for a worker (not an insect) and follow it with another word for directed or guided.
5. System for better transport (4)
{TOTE} – A betting system is also another word meaning to carry.
6. Had tree replaced, safe from lightning (7)
{EARTHED} – An anagram (replaced) of HAD TREE is what you might do if you connected something to the ground electrically.
7. The lowest figure, fractionally, even if quite common (11)
{DENOMINATOR} – The part of a fraction that is below the line and that functions as the divisor of the numerator.
8. Dramatist keeps a share — quite wrongly (11)
{SHAKESPEARE} – Another nice gentle anagram (quite wrongly) of KEEPS A SHARE is the bard of Stratford on Avon.
12. Teenagers make fuss over the French perfumes (11)
{ASOLESCENTS} – Put ADO (fuss) over the masculine French word of the, and then follow this with another word for perfumes and you have another word for young people between childhood and adulthood.
13. Clause in insurance policy motorists will try to avoid (11)
{ENDORSEMENT} – Double definition, An additional clause on an insurance policy is also a record of a motoring offence on a driving licence.
15. Bed for many a Russian (5)
{DIVAN} – The Roman number for 500 is followed by a common Russian first name is a bed without a headboard or a footboard.
16. Drums in lively dances (5)
{REELS} – Lively Scottish or Irish dances are also drums on which thread, cable etc can be wound round.
20. A large number put the charge on account (7)
{BILLION} – An electrically-charged particle is placed after a written account of money owed is a thousand million or a million million depending on where you are in the world. Although we have begrudgingly accepted that A on B results in BA for an across clue, this is very confusing in a down clue.
21. His mark was made in India (7)
{KASHMIR} – Another anagram (was made) of HIS MARK is a region in the north-west of India.
25. A tree for future scrutiny, perhaps (4)
{PALM} – A clairvoyant may read this, or you might get dates from it.
26. Courage needed on icy roads (4)
{GRIT} – Aka a film starring John Wayne.
27. He goes down or rises in play (4)
{HERO} – HE followed by a reversal (rises) of OR, the principal male figure in a drama.
Morning Libelulle, another lovely one from Rufus, I actually thought I would get a day out of the CC today but not to be! 19a stopped me getting there!!! ( to qualify for a day out, I have to complete the crossword without any ‘aids’) My aim is to have a day out before my first blog entry which I think was at the beginning of June, I will then have been doing these for just about a year, never mind, I think if I succeed it will be on a ‘Rufus’ day
good luck fellow CCs a good one for us today (hopefully)
I’m with you on 19a, Libellule. It was the last to go in for me too. I twigged 18a early on fortunately. The preponderance of 4 letter words (12 of them) made this feel a little unbalanced as a puzzle but they were fairly clued and I loved 27d. Favourite clue though was 10a. Many thanks to Rufus for an amiable Monday morning treat and to Libellule for the hints.
Ditto Prolixic – 19a and 9a were last but 18a was OK (Once I got the Sea out of my head!). I couldn’t convince myself of the homophone at 9a – Still can’t! as I would pronounce it with it two syllables.
Favourites were 30a and 13d.
Thanks to Libellule and Rufus.
I think Rufus is correct on 9a!
Saith
Thanks BD – then I am thoroughly Beastly and stand corrected.
Yes a good start to week. My last in was 25d & favourite 7d.
A nice puzzle for a Monday morning. As gnomethang mentions above, I also would pronounce 9a as two syllables. Thanks to Rufus, and to Libellule for a comprehensive review.
Just read BD’s comment… I too stand corrected.
Yep – me too on 19a – tried everything but the actual answer – thanks Libellule! Apart from that just what was needed to wake up the old brain this morning. favourite clue 15d
I really enjoyed this puzzle APART from 18a which was just plain stupid! The whole bottom left corner I thought was quite tricky but my personal fav today was 5d, only a short one but clever.
Barrie,
Why do you say that 18a was “just plain stupid”?
Yep. 19a was last one for me and I needed the hint. Ditto 28a. Favourite was 25d. Really enjoyable crossword.
By the way, as a Richard Dawkins fan, I really appreciated the lack of religious clues today.
I was also dubious about the pronunciation of the homophone in 9a, but the famous red book agrees with Rufus.
19a was also the last to go in for me, but I got 18a very early on.
It would be nice to have some consistency with the “A on B” situation for down clues. The application for 27d is opposite to that in 20d.
Maybe it’s just me, but although I completed all but 19a, there was much about it I just didn’t enjoy – too many anagrams and 4-letter words perhaps. Guessed 18a as soon as I had the L in place. Very confused by 20d; I was sure of the answer quite quickly, but waited for some across letters to go in as it seemed the wrong way round.
Didn’t get 19a either, apart from the obscure geographical reference, even if you knew it to be a headland the clue still doesn’t work for me. Is it a play on a cape being ‘shown’ or worn on a head?
bigmacsub
Re 19a, the first is a reference to a place in Northern Scotland, and the second is a synonym for a promontory into water, such as head, ness…
bigmacsub
Head (headland) is a synonym for Cape/Peninsula/Ness
Yes, I know, as I said above.
If the head is just headland the ‘possibly shown by a head’ bit doesn’t work because
the ‘cape’ is the head.
I’m not wishing to say that it is a particularly good clue, but I think the “possibly” belongs with Wrath – Wrath, possibly – as this is a typical way of giving a “definition by example”.
Cheers BD, I see your point. I think I’m just bitter at not getting it.
Things I thought it might have been included RAGE, HATE, PATE etc,
lost focus in my frustration I think.
Two of hose were aongmy initial thoughts, until I remembered Cape Wrath, which I’m sure has come up before (perhaps not in a Telegraph puzzle).
Like so many others, 19a was the killer for me – needed the hint but now it’s a clear as day. I liked 18a and 12d
I liked 5d best, 10a and 25d also good.
I’m with geoff on this one – too many fours and not a lot of laughs. About as enjoyable as being forced to read 28a all those years ago…
Completed todays with the same 19a clue being the stickler.I have seen this clue before and as I mostly only do the DT it must have been in said paper.
This new pc is proving a bit of a struggle with screen resolution. I have fiddled for hours trying to get the size right to be able to see the clues and get the crossword the right size. Windows 7 eh! be careful people.
After a few days away I hope that this has helped ease me back into the swing of things. I do find it a bit easier to think crossword thoughts if I can have a go at it every morning. If I miss one it’s like losing my way half way through a long sentence and having to go back to the start again.
Zipped through but could not get the name of the book! DOH! Have never read it.
I too was stuck on 18/19 – as well as 28 (literature isn’t my strongest subject – and 13D – though having seen *that* answer just now I’m kicking meself. Thought I was back on form after sorting out the Sunday one in reasonable time. Evidently not!
Welcome to the blog James
Thanks Dave – been lurking for some time.
18 especially was a git (can I say that in this forum?) – I thought Lion but it never twigged. 19 I might have got if I’d been left w/crozzie in a padded cell for a few months…
Cheers – J.
A pleasant & steady introduction to the week I thought . No reference tools needed so felt a little smug when I finished it. Unless I’m mistaken I have always thought that in the case of 18a it should be spelt “MANE”
The lion’s share is the main share – the homophone is a fortunate coincidence!