DT 26304 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26304

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26304

Hints and tips by Crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty ***Enjoyment ***

A fairly straight forward mid week offering from Jay, with the usual number of interesting anagrams and a couple of clues to give you pause for thought, hence my awarding it three stars for difficulty. Although it took me the longest to work out, I am going for 23a as my favourite clue today.

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    Deposit now empty and being redeveloped (4,7)
{DOWN PAYMENT} – A synonym for deposit can be found in an anagram (being developed) of NOW EMPTY AND

9a    Stationery article found in the Telegraph magazine (5, 4)
{PAPER CLIP} – a much used stationery article is obtained by the five letter description of the Telegraph and a word for a container of bullets attached to a gun.

10a     Supplement for modern-day university teacher (3-2)
{ADD-ON} – a synonym for supplement can be found by putting the two letter abbreviation for Anno Domini (is it stretching it a bit to call this modern day?) with another word for a university teacher, especially at Oxbridge universities.

11a    Noise that might disturb quiet stream (6)
{SHRILL} – You are looking for a word meaning a high pitched sound. Take the two letter exclamation for requesting quiet and add this to a noun for a small stream or brook.

12a    Restricts dog ends (8)
{CURTAILS} – A charade to make you smile – a three letter term for a surly mongrel dog followed by what usually appears at the end of dogs!

13a    Put a lower value on degree in seed production (6)
{DEBASE} – An anagram (production) of SEED with the abbreviation for Batchelor of Arts inside (in) gives you a verb meaning to lower in value.

15a    Penalty point written into second lawsuit (8)
{SANCTION} – A synonym for penalty is easily obtained by putting a compass point (N) into S for second and another word for a legal case.

18a    Some foreign aid is bought back as a result of volcanic activity (8)
{OBSIDIAN} – The commonest type of volcanic glass is a reversal hidden inside foreigN AID IS BOught back.

19a    The way expert adopts new attitude (5)
{STANCE} – A charade of the two letter abbreviation for street (the way) a three letter term for expert, with N for new inside gives you a synonym for attitude.

21a    Suggest prisoner swallow note (8)
{INTIMATE} – A synonym for suggest is easily obtained by putting variant of the spelling of the musical note TE inside another word for a prisoner.

23a     Care with money leads to traumatic and hurtful separation (5)
{THRIFT} – This was the last clue I solved this morning and almost led to an appeal for help from a fellow blogger or two. You are looking for a word meaning to be careful with money and you need the first letters (leads) of Traumatic and Hurtful with a word meaning a break in friendly relations.

26a    Links protecting river levels (6)
{TIERS} – A synonym for levels is obtained by putting R for river inside a synonym for links.

27a    Doctor able to speak and explain in detail (9)
{ELABORATE} – Wasted a bit of time here trying to put an abbreviation for doctor somewhere in the answer but the ‘doctor’ in this case tells you it’s an anagram of ABLE and a synonym for to speak (mainly in the way of public speaking), giving you a word meaning to explain in detail.

28a    Agreed decisions for brews to be given to soldiers (11)
{RESOLUTIONS} – In this instance the soldiers are the much favoured in crosswords Royal Engineers. A charade of their two letter abbreviation with another word for brews gives you word meaning ‘agreed decisions’ mainly used at large meetings etc.

Down

1d    Lodged without it and got forced out (7)
{DEPOSED} – People in high office can often be forced out in this way – Take IT (without) from the past participle of a verb meaning, amongst other things, to put down a down payment.

2d    Women have one for each type of blade (5)
{WIPER} – The blade found on a car is easily found from a charade of W (women) I (one) and a three letter term for ‘for each’

3d    Arrangements for a rep sadly unable to move (9)
{PARALYSED} – ‘Arrangements’ is an unusual anagram indicator . A REP SADLY gives you a synonym for being unable to move.

4d    Losing day, postpone returning from college (4)
{YALE} – One of the Ivy League university colleges is obtained by taking a word meaning postpone – DELAY, reversing it (returning) and taking away D (losing day).

5d    Poles, worried, accept America’s support (8)
{ESPOUSAL} – Another anagram (worried) of POLES around USA giving a noun meaning the adoption or support of a cause.

6d    Celebratory drink that’s perhaps served at breakfast (5)
{TOAST} – A nice double meaning here. Some cooked bread usually eaten at breakfast time or a celebratory drink, at Elgar’s wedding perhaps?

7d    Worker has possible heir with practical experience (5-2)
{HANDS-ON} – a term for someone who has practical experience is made up of a synonym for a manual worker and their *** and heir (the slight feminist in me did wonder why daughters couldn’t be heirs!), with the first letter of the ‘heir’ moved the other side of the hyphen.

8d     What might be a plus for idiot – and otherwise (8)
{ADDITION} – ‘Otherwise’ is the anagram indicator this time. IDIOT AND, gives you the mathematical term for combining two numbers, or as we used to say at infants’ school ‘plus’.

14d    Live with one such as me, a person constantly harassing (8)
{BESETTER} – A nice charade here – a two letter word meaning live and a term for someone who compiles these wonderful puzzles gives you a noun for someone who constantly harasses.

16d    Model court that became ruthless (3-6)
{CUT-THROAT} – Yet another anagram (with possibly two indicators – model and became) – a synonym for ruthless is obtained from COURT THAT.

17d    Braid attached to rug – nap on it (8)
{MATTRESS} – Another one that took me a little time as I always associate braid with plait. Here you need another word for rug followed by (attached in a down clue) a word meaning a long lock or plait of hair.

18d    Drugs one took in during operations (7)
{OPIATES} – A group of drugs derived from opium is easily obtained from the three letter abbreviation for operations, I (one) and ATE (took in).

20d    Gets very angry, reportedly, after Spain shows respect (7)
{ESTEEMS} – Reportedly tells you that you need a homophone for a word meaning to get very angry or excited, after the IVR letter for Spain, giving you a word meaning to value highly or have respect for.

22d    Gentleman accepting employment is a deep thinker (5)
{MUSER} – Someone who reflects or ponders is easily obtained by the two letter abbreviation for Mister (gentleman) with a three letter word for employment inside (accepting).

24d    State for which one possessed rising love (5)
{IDAHO } – Where would crossword compilers be without those nice four or five letter American states to call on. If you possessed something you would say I ***, reverse this (rising) and put O (love) at the end. Easy really.

25d    Quietly be sick in bucket (4)
{PAIL} – A fairly old-fashioned word for a bucket (think Jack and Jill) is quickly obtained by the musical abbreviation for pianissimo and an equally old fashioned word for being in poor health.

Apart from one clue, this didn’t take long to solve and I hope you will agree that it is a nice mid-week puzzle. Apologies for the lack of pictures, but I must, sadly, now return to the day job! (Guess what I’d rather be doing?)

37 comments on “DT 26304

  1. 23a was the last in for me too! I agree this was a nice puzzle – well clued and a few clues to make you stop and think. Many thanks to Jay and to Sue for the notes.

    1. Because it’s the word I live by, 23a was one of my first in! I was very pleased to get 18a – I knew the word but not its meaning, but I do now.

    1. The word “some” I think. Sorry, I just saw it was a reversal and didn’t really think what the indicator was.

    2. Collywobbles,

      SOME (wordplay) BACK (equals) THE DEFINITION
      indicates that the definition appears backwards in the piece of wordplay

  2. Todays puzzle was a good work out and more enjoyable for that.
    2d,5,9a my favs today.
    Thank Jay and to Sue for the blog

  3. Ditto on 23a!
    Up to Jay’s usual high standard and very enjoyable too!
    Thanks to crypticsue for the review and Jay for the puzzle.

  4. I concur with all of the above. 23a was penultimate, as I somehow couldn’t see 18d – trying to work in “EE” for drugs, but got there in the end. A very nice mid-week puzzle and review – thank you both.

  5. I can rarely do a Wednesday puzzle; obviously don’t think in the ‘right’ way. Managed a few and then read the review and, of course, then it was annoyingly obvious!

    Good puzzle and fine review, with just one minor and probably pedantic quibble: the abbreviation for pianissimo is pp, it’s not quite that quiet here.

    1. Have you tried looking at the puzzle in the morning and then leaving it for a couple of hours – what I refer to as cogitating – it surprises me every time how things you thought were impossible earlier suddenly appear in your mind the second time round. Apologies for p for piano – it was a more haste less speed thing.

      1. I do do that Sue, ever since you first mentioned it. But every time I put down this puzzle, it was in complete frustration! I don’t seem to think on the right lines for some setters. Hope I’m learning something along the way though …

        1. I am still doing it and I am entering my 41st year of doing the Cryptic so its an ongoing learning curve!

          1. Probably started doing these about the same length of time ago – my Mum (now 88 and, although not great physically, has still got all her marbles) used to do them – I learnt from her. I remember my Dad coming home from work and Mum showing him a crossword with a clue that had stumped her – she probably had alternate letters in by then. Dad would just say “then the answer is ” ……”! He had no idea of why – he had just seen a word that would fit – but Mum would say “oh, of course, it’s because ….”!

  6. I foundd 17d to be the hardest until I got the cross checking letters. Wasw okay with 23a (I like money in all forms!!) but my favourites were 9a and 21a.

    Thanks for the review Sue – excellent and thanks for the puzzle Jay.

  7. Nice puzzle – my favourite clue was 25d because it made me laugh. Thanks to Jay and Crypticsue (did you know that Crypticsue is an anagram of PC Security?)

    1. ..you could also have ‘circus type’, but that might be considered unflattering!

      1. Enough of the anagrams, please. My husband laughed so much at the idea of circus type that his dinner wont now be as exciting as I originally planned. I have two other things to say: firstly you are both jealous because its very difficult to make anagrams out of your names and secondly you obviously don’t have enough to do.

    2. 25d didn’t make me laugh as I completed the crossword just after finishing my lunch, and the thought of vomit was not conducive to a happy digestion.

  8. Thanks to Jay for another great crossword and to Sue for a great review, my favourite was 27a simply because I wasted so much time looking for a doctor and laughed when the penny dropped.

  9. Didn’t have too much trouble today although on the first quick read through I thought that it was going to be difficult. Took ages to understand why 18a was what it was – just didn’t notice that it was in the clue backwards. Not having 18d at the time didn’t help – don’t quite know why that one took some time. Was going to quibble about 11a and say that ‘noise’ is a noun and ‘shrill’ is an adjective but have since looked it up so had better shut up!!

  10. I did this in two sessions, first thing this morning and just now when I managed to finish with a little electronic help. Last to go in, for some reason was 26a. I’m still getting used to the idea of ‘model’ and ‘doctor’ being anagram indicators. 4d made me groan and I thought 25d the funniest clue, so I guess that’s my favourite today. :-)

    Thanks to Jay and Crypticsue — I hope your day job won’t prevent you giving us your comments.

  11. Hi Crypticsue and thanks for blog, a lovely crossword today with lots of favourites but still couldn’t finish as i had never ever heard of 18a and put in the wrong word which left me failing to get 18d!! also failed with 20d, as i thought Spain was Esp! Other than that thoroughly enjoyable weds afternoon crossword :)

  12. 26a and 14d scuppered me today, I struggle with hidden synonyms but learning more each day from blogs and posts here. Thanks everyone…

  13. 12a was easily my favourite today, although Mrs Tub did grunt approvingly at 6d. 18a is a new word for me to learn.

    1. Usually setters take care not to do this sort of thing, particularly when the clues and/or answers are likely to be so close together. I would be surprised if it was deliberate.

    2. Setter here -unusually, this was actually deliberate, as 1d could have been a fairly tricky “subtraction” clue, and both editor and I thought sticking with the near repetition might help. Thanks to Sue for the review and to all others for comments. Apologies to Nora for the upset digestion.
      J

  14. This blog and all the ensuing comments are absolutely brilliant. I have had a REALLY bad day today and am now home. Supper is finally in the oven, husband is home and I have just had to delay things for a few minutes to read what people have written ….

  15. Late to the puzzle today and after yesterday much more relaxing. 18a was a new word for me despite everything that has been said recently following the Icelandic eruption. Would not have managed it and even after reading Gnomethang above not sure I would recognise a similar clue in future.

    1. Sorry Pete!. BD has pointed out to me a couple of times that part of the site strapline is “crossword clues explained in plain English”

      What I mean is that “SOME” in this clue indicates that there is a hidden answer. by convention the answer should be hidden in the next few words (defined here as the WORDPLAY) and that BACK after said wordplay indicates a reversal i.e. the word is found in the wordplay backwards or reversed. The definition should be entirely separate from this ‘cryptic indication’ in the clue (as is the case here). Hope that helps and if it is any consolation I miss hidden and reverse hidden answers an awful lot!
      As demonstrated in the Times today at 7down:
      Double centenarian accepted by French opinion = CHOPIN (it is the bicentennary of his birth today)

  16. Perfect puzzle today. Put the last clue in just as my lunch hour was finishing, plus a word which I’ve never heard of – 18a – but which I was able to get from the wordplay.

  17. hi all. Apologies for absence but great to be back in swing of things and always good company to catch up on blog chat. Still got a couple to do…….fresh Guiness to attack 18d…….I hope!

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