Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26532
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Another excellent helping of Ray T today. I have a busy day and am going out to lunch, so this will be brief!
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 Place to find girl’s company? (5)
{DISCO} – this semi-all-in-one clue is a charade of a girl’s name, the S from ‘S and CO(mpany) – read the whole clue for the defintion
4a Prophetic spectre in play (9)
{PRESCIENT} – a word meaning prophetic comes from an anagram (play) of SPECTRE IN
9a Where iron may be cast (9)
{SCRAPHEAP} – a cryptic definition of a place where old iron is collected – I wasted time by putting “yard” as the last part of the answer
10a Animal belonging to cattle drive (5)
{STEER} – a double definition – a young ox and a word meaning to drive
11a Jobcentre attacked holding petition (7)
{ENTREAT} – hidden inside (holding) the first two words of the clue is a verb meaning to petition
12a Enliven a new husband, capturing his heart (7)
{ANIMATE} – a word meaning to enliven is built from A, N(ew) and a husband/partner around (capturing) the middle letter (heart) of hIs
13a Pious man admitting perjury’s most underhand (6)
{SLIEST} – put the abbreviation for a pious man around (admitting) perjury or falsehood, not forgetting the ‘S, to get a word meaning most underhand
15a One using Latin? Using it in translation (8)
{LINGUIST} – in this semi-all-in-one clue as person using Latin comes from L(atin) followed by an anagram (in translation) of USING IT
18a Romps and rolls embracing single (8)
{ROISTERS} – a word meaning romps or frolics is created from rolls or lists around (embracing) I (single)
20a Control care of Queen taking Rook and Knight (6)
{CORNER} – a word meaning to control or monopolize is created from the abbreviation for “care of” and the other person with a birthday today around (taking) the chess notation for R(ook) and (k)N(ight)
23a One with bent note’s solvent (7)
{ACETONE} – a skilful person (one with bent) is followed by a note or pitch a playing card with one spot is followed by an anagram (bent) of NOTE to get a powerful solvent – thanks to all who pointed out what I missed in my haste today!
24a State decline is normal (7)
{AVERAGE} – a charade of synonyms for to state and to decline gives the normal or mean
26a Respond about article before court (5)
{REACT} – a word meaning to respond is a charade of a two-letter abbreviation for about, A (indefinite article) and the abbreviation for C(our)T
27a Exhale in public showing boob (9)
{OVERSIGHT} – put a word meaning to exhale or produce a long, deep, audible respiration inside a word meaning public or open to get a boob or omission
28a Turn off ‘News Time’ following soap (9)
{DETERGENT} – a charade of a word meaning to turn off or discourage, news or information and T(ime) gives a soap product
29a Record from Queen? Terrific! (5)
{ENTER} – A verb meaning to record, log or input (e.g. Data) is hidden inside (from) the last two words of the clue
Down
1d I press end roughly for its contents (9)
{DISPENSER} – an anagram (roughly) of I PRESS END gives something you press to access its contents
2d Row around river for fish (5)
{SPRAT} – put a row or argument around R(iver) to get a fish like the herring, but much smaller
3d Very big quarry pursued by small birds (7)
{OSPREYS} – a charade of the clothing size for very big, a quarry or victim and S(mall) gives these birds
4d Quite nice (6)
{PRETTY} – a double definition
5d Conservative MP has issue concealing accent (8)
{EMPHASIS} – cleverly hidden (concealing) inside the first four words of the clue is this accent
6d Tossing about on fiddle (7)
{CASTING} – a word meaning tossing is a charade of a two-letter abbreviation for about (not the same one as in 26 across) and a fiddle or swindle
7d Rise, even half in rapture (9)
{ELEVATION} – a rise or promotion is created by putting the first half of EV(en) inside a word meaning rapture
8d ‘Brief Encounter’ secretly grips (5)
{TERSE} – a word meaning brief is hidden inside (grips) the middle two words of the clue
14d Wandering from point in one sermon (9)
{ITINERANT} – a word meaning wondering is derived by putting a point, of a fork or a deer’s horn, inside I (one) and a sermon
16d Bully flipping rubbish teacher (9)
{TORMENTOR} – to get this bully reverse (flipping) some rubbish and add a teacher or adviser
17d Grisly, shot up say, a good deal (8)
{GRUESOME} – a word meaning grisly is a charade of a homophone (say) of grew (shot up) followed by a good deal or several
19d Trigger’s beginning to top rogue Del Boy? (7)
{TROTTER} – put the first letter (beginning to) Trigger on top of a rogue to get Del Boy’s surname
21d Inspect poetry in Old English (7)
{OVERSEE} – a word meaning to inspect is created by putting some poetry inside OE (Old English)
22d Invalid, after heart’s removed, lying open (6)
{PATENT} – start with an invalid and remove the middle I (heart’s removed) to give a word meaning lying open or obvious
23d Cold is masked by dry burning (5)
{ACRID} – put C(old) inside an adjective meaning dry to get one meaning burning or caustic
25d Jargon, endless jargon by Tory leader (5)
{ARGOT} – this word meaning jargon or slang is created by dropping the ends from (j)ARGO(n) and adding the first letter (leader) of T(ory)
Off to lunch – will catch up later!
The Quick crossword pun: (diced} + {rates} = (Dire Straits}
Another fun crossword today, bit tricky at times trying to get into it, but as everything slowly clicked into place, things became clearer. Loved the answer to 4A following on from yesterdays 19A (?).
Enjoyed 9A, 13A, 20A, 5D, 14D and my favourite was 17D
Very enjoyable. Last two in were 17d and 22d.
Re 23a, I thought it was one (ace), followed by an anagram (bent) of note.
Thanks to RayT and to BD. Enjoy the birthday lunch :)
That’s how I parsed 23a as well, Jezza.
I agree with the two of you.
Me too with 23a.
Ace puzzle – I foind it quite hard but kept kicking myself so perhaps I was having a bad day.
Thanks to RayT and the Birthday Boy – have a good lunch.
Agree with Jezza on 23a. 22d last in for me too. Thanks to Ray T and BD.
When I first looked I thought this was going to be almost impossible but eventually made sense of it all. 9a took a very long time as did 14d and I misinterpreted 23a – I thought that the ‘ace’ was the ‘one’ and the ‘bent’ bit was the anagram indicator for ‘note’ – oh well, never mind. Lots of lovely clues – favourite probably being 28a – but also 15 and 27a and 1, 3 and 25d.
With thanks to Ray T and thanks and happy birthday wishes to Big Dave – enjoy your lunch! :smile:
A slow start but everything soon fell into place. Thanks to Ray and happy birthday again to Big Dave – have a lovely lunch.
The other puzzle puts up a fight as it’s quite tough but is worth a go if you aren’t off enjoying yourselves.
Splendid stuff from Ray T. Thanks to him for the crossword and to the birthday boy for the review.
If you have done/cannot face the Toughie, then in a blatant piece of self-promotion, can I commend the Church Times crossword today:
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=110853
I recommend it too.
If it’s one of yours then definitely will give it a go – thanks for the heads up
Another good offering today. The point of a fork or deer’s horn is a new one for me and will go into the crossword memory bank for future – so needed the hint to understand why 14d had to be what it was! Thanks to setter and BD for the review. Enjoy your day BD.
I enjoyed it, although found it hard. I think my brain was a bit soft, had to be up very early to take my wife to the station.
Liked 15a best – was one of the last in and had misled me completely.
Thank you to RayT and to Big Dave (one year bigger).
Nick
Just as did our Big Birthday Boy (now presumably inflated by a tipple or two) I put YARD in at 9a, which emhatically made two down clues pretty hard to solve. A thouroughly entertaining puzzle, with several Doh moments, and not an Harumph in sight!
Many thanks to Jay and BD for a great crossword and review. ( By the way the answer to 29a in the brackets is wrong )
Thanks BigBoab – I have done the necessary on BD’s understandable absence – I might just go out for lunch myself now!
ON first run through the only one I could get was 1d but once I got on the wave length they fell in to place. Lasrt one in for me was 22d and it really produced a duh momentr. Think my favourite was 15a.
Thanks to Ray T and to BD for review. Hope your lunch is enjoyable
I got stuck at the end because of putting ‘yard’ as the second syllable of 9a. Once I sorted that out, the others fell into place. A very satisfying solve today.
Great stuff from Ray T. Any doubts about authorship were dispelled by the trademark 29A.
Good fun puzzle!
I second that….
You see I thought that 27a was the trademark!….
That as well :-)
Yes – I do too! :grin:
Why is that a ‘trademark’? I always think his trademark is something that sounds, on first reading, quite risque.
I think that the works of Messrs Mercury, May, Taylor and Deacon come into play.
I must have got over the grumps of yesterday as I really enjoyed this one! Been out on friend’s canal boat all day so solved it while watching the countryside go by! Very pleasant, and no traffic jams!
Thanks to RayT and Big Dave.
I missed yesterday’s puzzle as had family and friends for dinner chez moi.
Solved this one enjoyably quickly.
Favourites : 20a, 23a, 28a, 3d, 6d & 25d.
Nice topical banner at the top of your blog BD in place of the Malvern Hills etc..
… and another one in two days!
Best wishes to BD, and thanks once again for the review. Thanks also to everybody else for your input. It’s always very interesting to read the comments.
RayT
Thank you for today’s crossword. As compiler, do you have a favourite clue from today?
Nick
My favourite was 19d, which has been mentioned by…er, nobody!
It’s a funny thing, but I almost always fail to predict which clues will be popular with solvers!
RayT
Ooh! I meant to mention that. Although all you setters claim that there is no ‘secret list’ of clues for the month there is, nevertheless, this offering in the Times today:
At first, this cad is a bit of a swine (7)
I prefer the latter, only because I was never a fan of ‘Only Fools and Horses’.
Thanks again!.
I liked that one too. But, as you say, neglected to mention it.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Nick
Another great crossword, many thanks.
i do think it’s so lovely that you always “pop in” to comment and say “hello” when its your crossword. I always absolutely love Thursdays when it’s your week.
Did not settle down to this offering until late on and struggled to get into it for a long while. Thoroughly. Enjoyed it and all the kick myself moments.
Many thanks to Ray T and Big Dave for the review. Happy birthday and hope you had an excellent lunch. Enjoy the rest of your day.
V enjoyable, as one would expect from Ray T. Raced through the top half and then battled through the lower half Esp liked 1, 15, 27a and 1, 17 and 19d. Thanks BD hope you enjoyed your birthday lunch. Happy returns.
Forgot to say that I also loved the quickie pun – one of the greatest groups ever, in my opinion anyway!
Kath – Couldn’t agree more especially their first album. I bow to no-one when it comes to playing the air guitar with “Sultans of Swing” blasting out of the speakers!
By the way I thoroughly enjoyed this crossword today. Is it me or is Ray T getting easier on us? I seem to have no real difficulties with his offerings of late. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that….