DT 26268 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26268

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26268

Hints and tips by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

Another good puzzle from our Wednesday Wizard. Many of you will be please to know that this one is a lot easier than yesterday’s!

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.


Across

1a    Pet given oxtail? (7)
{BULLDOG} – this pet, which represents typical British spirit, is a charade of an ox and to tail or follow closely

5a    Signs of promotion for loading rubbish aboard ship! (7)
{STRIPES} – these signs of promotion as an NCO are derived by inserting some rubbish inside Crosswordland’s ubiquitous ship

9a    Break down in lane, say, undergoing repairs (7)
{ANALYSE} – a word meaning to break something down or separate into its elements is an anagram (undergoing repairs) of LANE SAY – Barrie ought to get this one easily!

10a    Listening to fresh track, one went away indifferent (7)
{NEUTRAL} – the first part sounds like new – add TRA(I)L without the I (one away) to get a word meaning indifferent

11a    People deputising to cover golf rankings (9)
{STANDINGS} – put these deputies (5-3) around G(olf) to get rankings

12a    Fear unloaded rifle being cradled by father (5)
{DREAD} – to get a word meaning fear put R(IFLE)E (unloaded / without the contents) inside (cradled by) father

13a    A bit of tranquillity on the radio (5)
{PIECE} – a bit that sounds like (on the radio) tranquillity

15a    Arranged pre-nup to include nothing advantageous (9)
{OPPORTUNE} – an anagram (arranged) of PRE-NUP TO around (include) O (nothing) to get a word meaning advantageous

17a    International leader, for example, says manage without half (9)
{STATESMAN} – this international leader is built up from a synonym for says followed by MAN(AGE) without half of the word

19a    Tip for putting oxygen into beer (5)
{POINT} – the tip of a sharp object is constructed by putting o(xygen) inside a quantity of beer

22a    Demand to be accurate (5)
{EXACT} – a double definition – to demand and to be accurate

23a    Poor people waiting at the hole in the wall? (9)
{BREADLINE} – people who are just about able to afford to live could possibly be said a queue for cash

25a    The allure of girl’s disheartened love for Parisian (7)
{GLAMOUR} – to get a synonym for allure put GL (girl is disheartened) in front of the French for love

26a    Generally finished in front of everybody (7)
{OVERALL} – a word meaning generally is a charade of finished and everybody

27a    Carelessly rest outside the ropes (7)
{TETHERS} – put an anagram (carelessly) of REST outside THE to get ropes or fastens

28a    Might they carry keepers across line? (7)
{SALVERS} – these trays or plates are derived by putting keepers or conservers around L(ine)

Down

1d           Stays cheerful enough to stand drink (5,2)
{BEARS UP} – a phrasal verb meaning stays cheerful enough is a charade of to stand (4) and to drink (3)

2d           A long time after lake disastrously lost water (7)
{LEAKAGE} – put a long time after an anagram (disastrously) of LAKE and you get, rather appropriately, lost water

3d           Sprite without alcohol starts to annoy drinkers (5)
{DRYAD} – this wood nymph is a charade of “without alcohol” (like Gnomethang in Qatar!) with the initial letters (starts to) of Annoy Drinkers

4d           Where’s the rest of the actors? (9)
{GREENROOM} – where the actors rest while waiting for their entrance on stage – Chambers gives the enumeration as (9) but the ODE has (5,4)

5d           Passage for star one’s raised (5)
{SINUS} – this passage, usually used for the one connected to the nose, is created from our very own star, followed by I’S (one’s) and then all reversed (raised, a down-clue only construct)

6d           Journey to the bar for drinks? (5,4)
{ROUND TRIP} – a cryptic definition of a journey to buy drinks for everyone

7d           One abandons poor Peruvian upstart (7)
{PARVENU} – an anagram (poor) of PERUV(I)AN without the I (one abandons) gives an old-fashioned term for one of the nouveau riche

8d           Spot the starting price and take accommodation (7)
{SPLODGE} – a spot or stain is a charade of Starting Price and to take temporary accommodation

14d         Current facilitator travelled to support elite (9)
{ELECTRODE} – a conductor by which a current enters or leaves a cell is built up from travelled on horseback preceded by those chosen or set apart (the elite)

16d         Think, love, America is massive (9)
{PONDEROUS} – a charade of to think, O (love) and US (America) leads to a word meaning massive – it’s interesting that the Latin root means a weight, and its use as “to think” comes from “to weigh up”

17d         Sounds like an insult, but it’s not what it seems! (7)
{SLEIGHT} – a word that sounds like an insult is actually the use of dexterity or cunning, especially so as to deceive – typically associated with magicians

18d         The first male worker was most insistent (7)
{ADAMANT} – the first man is followed by a worker to get a word meaning most insistent

20d         Copy? One friend swallowed it! (7)
{IMITATE} – to get a word meaning to copy put I (one) and a friend around (swallowed) IT

21d         Tillers dancing to provide framework for growth (7)
{TRELLIS} – an anagram (dancing) of TILLERS gives a framework of light wooden or metal bars used as a support for fruit trees or creepers, typically fastened against a wall.

23d         Extras, for example, include right to neat housing (5)
{BYRES} – put some cricket extras (runs scored without the ball hitting the bat or the batsman) around R(ight) to get housing for cattle) – neat is an archaic term for a bovine animal (an ox, cow, bull, etc.)


24d         Live with daughter, in good health (5)
{DWELL} – to abide or reside (live) is a charade of D(aughter) and in good health

Another enjoyable Wednesday puzzle that sets the standard for all Telegraph daily puzzles.

59 comments on “DT 26268

  1. A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle from Jay. Favourite clue was 25a. I liked 4d as well – if you added “Shipwrecked!” you could have had ‘Castaway’. Favourite word in the puzzle: 8d.
    Thanks BD and thanks to Jay for the entertainment.

  2. Very good – I found this a bit harder than yesterday, but was held up in the NW corner by 4d appearing on CluedUp as (9), which may be technically correct, but (5,4) or (5-4) would have been preferable.

    1. Just read Chairmans comment and if its harder than yesterday, think i’ll just go shopping :)

      1. Mary, I found this much more straightforward than yesterday, certainly worth a go for everyone. Everyone has slightly different solving strengths and maybe that was the reason for the_chairman’s comment. Horses for courses!

      2. Mary, I agree with gnomethang. This is much better than yesterday’s. You won’t have much dificulty.

  3. Agree with all said but am for some reason frustrated by 23d – I just can’t see it at all despite its brevity and having all checking letters in. Gimme a clue!!

      1. Thanks, Dave – but still lost! I now know the answer (I think) but don’t see the connection with extras – I guess the rest of the downs will be up soon!

        1. Touchwood, Kath gives the rest below.
          |
          V

          THere was also an article on the excellent Crossword Unclued site (in the toolbar on your right) from the 15th May discussing this. Also KINE is another but you only really see it in things like KINETIC ( Nearly a fast Cow Pest!)

            1. Please do, and soon! One on football terms wouldn’t go amiss either but perhaps not for a little while – am all “footballed out” at the moment!

        2. OK got it now thanks – didn’t have the answer when I thought I had, I was thinking of another agricultural storage building! Heaven knows why I found it so difficult, I do occasionally lose a word completely from memory, or so it seems, and this time it was the cricketing term I lost. Thanks all.

    1. I hope that I’m right – not sure that I have the experience, yet, to be dishing out clues! I think you need to think of a cricket term meaning extra runs and stick an “R” in the middle of it giving you somewhere neats might live.

  4. I am definitely having a bad crossword week – will be awarded the CC dunces hat this week, have only done 1/4 of it, will be back later :(

          1. Mary, I’m with you. How Breadline relates to a hole in the wall queue is beyond me!
            Overall this is a bit better than most we have had recently but the left side had some very tricky clues like what had ‘piece’ got to do with radio and to get ‘salvers’ from the clue requires a leap beyond me.
            However, at least there were sufficient encouraging clues to hold your attention and lead you into the more difficult ones. And thanks Dave I did get 9a without any problem!! :-)

  5. I thought that this might be more of a 3* but maybe I’m just having an off day. I couldn’t do 3d and had to look at the answer in the brackets – have never heard the word(s) before so feel a bit better about not managing to get it. Neither could I do 28a and still don’t understand it – what have “keepers” got to do with “savers”? My favourite clue was 1a.

        1. Hi Kath, love football but still didn’t get that answer, haven’t a clue about cricket though zzzzzzzzzz

  6. ok have finished with lots of blog help today, on a good day i agree this is a 2* but today for me it may as well have been 6* my brain has taken a few days off, nothing there really that i shouldn’t have been able to figure! actually liked 1a and 6d :) ‘cheers’ everyone

    1. sun, sun, sun, here I come (sunshine that is not newspaper) now what song is that from, was it good vibrations by the beach boys???

        1. thanks Gnomey, sorry Dave, told you I was braindead this week, my fav group of all time, how could I!!! my ex husband must be the biggest Beatle memorabillia collector in the UK, Oh dear

          1. I have quite a few Beatles albums and I don’t even like them that much!

            At a guess probably about 100 – 150 in various boxed sets. Dwarfed by my Elvis collection of 500+.

  7. I tend to agree with Mary on this. It’s the first crossword I’ve done this week, and if it’s easier than yesterday’s I may just forget the whole thing and do something else for a while. I simply could not do this one, got five words and then needed the blog — only two stars! — and I still was getting nowhere.
    Greetings from the bottom of the Clueless Class :-(

  8. Finally caught up with the puzzles after 2 weeks away. Solved Tuesday and Wednesday today, and enjoyed them both. Favourite clued 23a, and 23d. Was about to move onto the Toughie, but reading Gazza’s review, I won’t bother!

  9. Much better than yesterday! But needed the blog and LOTS of help. Finally failed on just a few, including the cricket and football refs – how would I have got those ???

    Good, enjoyable puzzle and thanks for the review.

  10. Ok Mary lets go shopping had a late start today but just could not get started very very tough

  11. Excellent explanation on 3d BD but as stated in the email I am currently enjoying a pointy pint in the Oasis that is the Sheraton Hotel in Doha.
    The steak was pleasant too!
    Cheers all!

      1. Its the capital of Qatar. Currently 38 DegC and 66% RH – real feel temperature approx 55 (weighted for moisture content). Lucky I am indoors!

          1. Its OK when you can get it!. We hit the town last night and it was fine (albeit Fosters – I couldnt stomach a guiness). 4 of them, 1 Mohito and a big minute Steak baguette with chips’n’salad was 220 Qatari Rial – about 40 quid (food 70, Fosters 30 odd and Mohito 30 odd). Mind you this was a top hotel so…

            Wouldn’t go there every night but might return for Friday;s footy (it is a genuine Blimey O’Reilly Irishes-que bar)

  12. An enjoyable puzzle from Jay today. I found this much easier than yesterday’s crossword from Shamus. Indeed I had complete this and the Toughie in less time than it took me to solve Shamus’s puzzle! Many thanks to BD for the notes and to Jay for the entertainment.

  13. This puzzle was more enjoyable than yesterday’s for me! I still required this blog to help me complete it, although that’s probably more to do with my inexperience than crossword being especially difficult today. In particular, I did not get 3d and 23d that were both new words to me, and I also failed to finish the NW corner too. Overall though, a much nicer puzzle and one set at a level that I hope to be able to complete unaided soon.

    1. budoc

      Two out of three of your comments have been intercepted by the spam filter. It’s possibly because of the email address that you are using. I am happy to fish them out of the filter, but there may be a delay before they are published.

  14. Tried this one in an periodic look at what the Telegraph daily puzzle is up to. One clue troubles me a bit – in 23D I can’t see why “for example” is in the clue. ‘Extras’ is a category that includes byes as well as wides and no balls (and others if my memory of cricket is poor). If ‘pet’ in 1A can define a particular pet, why can’t ‘extra’ on its own define ‘bye’? “For example” is used by many setters when the word in the clue is a member of the category in the answer – “Byes, for example” could be used to indicate EXTRAS. This clue seems to use this approach the wrong way round. I think it should have been “Extras include right …”.

  15. Thought I was being a bit smug having finished this in a record time for me. Like a few of us I put an alternative word for a farm building in 23d despite knowing that “neat” is a crossword favourite & having the checking letters. Serves me right for being so hubristic!

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