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DT 26560

by Gazza  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26560

Hints and tips by Gazza

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **

This is a fairly straightforward puzzle and it shouldn’t pose too many problems. My greatest difficulty was in working out how some of the answers matched the definitions. Let us know how you got on in a comment.
If you want to see an answer highlight the gap between the brackets under the clue.

Across Clues

1a  Captain finally catches fish (7)
{SKIPPER} – a less formal name for a captain comes from the final letter of (catche)S followed by a cured herring.

5a  Rustic worker’s after vegetables (7)
{PEASANT} – the usual six-legged worker goes after green vegetables to make an unsophisticated country person (rustic).

9a  Nuisance for the French, getting caught by leaders of British Marines (7)
{PROBLEM} – this nuisance is made from a prefix meaning for, followed by the French definite article inside (caught by) the initial letters of B(ritish) M(arines).

10a  Eccentric former lover, male, hiding in box, for example? (7)
{EXTREME} – an adjective meaning far from normal (eccentric) is formed from the abbreviation for a former lover, followed by M(ale) inside (hiding in) what box is an evergreen example of.

11a  Sixteen reforms before Church of England’s survival (9)
{EXISTENCE} – an anagram (re-forms) of SIXTEEN precedes the abbreviation for Church of England.

12a  Maybe Oliver Stone’s beginning to be taken in by fool (5)
{TWIST} – a bit of lifting and separating is required here. The definition is maybe Oliver, so we want the surname of someone whose forename is Oliver. Put the first letter (beginning) of S(tone) inside (taken in by) a synonym for fool.

13a  Each golfer, oddly, gets a good score (5)
{EAGLE} – this is a score of two under par on a hole in golf so it’s not just good, it’s outstanding. Start with the abbreviation for each and add the odd letters of GoLfEr.

15a  Urgent — I’m to intercede (9)
{IMMEDIATE} – an adjective meaning urgent or rapid is formed from I’M and a verb meaning to intercede or act as peacemaker.

17a  Returned cross after European caught and executed (9)
{EXCHANGED} – the definition is returned, as you might have done with a faulty item that you’d purchased. Put the letter signifying a cross after E(uropean) then add C(aught) and a synonym for executed (in the manner that we used in this country until about 50 years ago).

19a  Bank books might be here (5)
{SHELF} – a sandbank is also something that you might line up your books on.

22a  Measure length of totem pole (5)
{TEMPO} – the measure or rhythm of a piece of poetry, for example, is hidden (length of) in the clue.

23a  Incite blow almost in anger (9)
{ENCOURAGE} – put a blow without its final P (almost) inside a verb meaning to make someone very angry.

25a  Lady in mature years is mean (7)
{AVERAGE} – put a women’s forename (the latest female detective to hit our screens, perhaps) inside a synonym for mature years to get a mean.

26a  Finding fault with trap, German led by horse (7)
{NAGGING} – the definition is finding fault with. Put a trap (now illegal) used for catching wild animals and G(erman) all after an informal word for an old horse.

27a  Hesitates to disturb setter penning clue at last (7)
{TEETERS} – an anagram (to disturb) of SETTER goes around (penning) the last letter of (clu)E to make a verb meaning wobbles or hesitates.

28a  Fancy cups set out (7)
{SUSPECT} – a verb meaning to fancy or imagine comes from an anagram (out) of CUPS SET.

Down Clues

1d  Resume novel — gripping page is outstanding (7)
{SUPREME} – an anagram (novel) of RESUME goes round (gripping) P(age).

2d  Evening out — or in, with gin (7)
{IRONING} – the definition is evening, in the sense of making flat. It’s an anagram (out) of OR IN and GIN.

3d  Biggles, possibly, is initially captured in story (5)
{PILOT} – Biggles is a fictional example of someone who was this. Put the initial letter of I(s) inside (captured by) the scenario or story told in a book, play or film.

4d  Giving someone a cue, tending to follow last bits of snooker game (9)
{REMINDING} – this means giving someone a cue, if they’ve forgotten their lines for example. Put a synonym for looking after or tending after the final letters (last bits) of (snooke)R (gam)E.

5d  Share food caught by European (5)
{PIECE} – a share (of the action, perhaps) is made from a baked dish (food) followed by C(aught) (as in cricket) and E(uropean).

6d  Duet? Sit at different positions (9)
{ATTITUDES} – an anagram (different) of DUET SIT AT produces positions or stances.

7d  Camera shot capturing one’s country (7)
{AMERICA} – this is a country (it’s a continent really, but the name has been commandeered by a single country). It’s an anagram (shot) of CAMERA with I (one) inside (capturing).

8d  Mad Hatter with Alice ultimately creating drama (7)
{THEATRE} – a drama comes from an anagram (mad) of HATTER followed by the last letter (ultimately) of (Alic)E. Seven out of the last ten clues have been anagrams!

14d  Busy? Drink up, bishop, and preach (9)
{ELABORATE} – the definition here is busy, in the sense of cluttered with a lot of detail (in a description of a picture or design, for example). Start with the reversal (up, in a down clue) of an alcoholic drink and add the abbreviation used for a bishop in chess and a verb meaning to preach.

16d  Disorder is endemic — these may help (9)
{MEDICINES} – an anagram (dis-order) of IS ENDEMIC.

17d  Passage from book’s absolutely correct about leaders in Telegraph, recently (7)
{EXTRACT} – put a word meaning absolutely correct or spot-on around the initial letters (leaders) of T(elegraph) R(ecently).

18d  Liberal stays out of entire conflict (7)
{COMPETE} – remove (stays out) the L(iberal) from an adjective meaning entire or whole to leave a verb meaning to conflict or clash.

20d  Look at main turns in river (7)
{EXAMINE} – this is a verb meaning to look at carefully. Put an anagram (turns) of MAIN inside a Devon river.

21d  Panic — class A drug’s found inside shipment (7)
{FREIGHT} – start with a noun meaning panic or alarm and insert (found inside) E(cstasy) to make a shipment.

23d  Blades in tents? Pointless (5)
{EPEES} – these blades are duelling swords. Remove the first letter (pointless, i.e. missing one of its ends) from Native American tents.

24d  Advises wash, head to toe (5)
{URGES} – this is a verb meaning advises or encourages. Start with the powerful rush of waves onto the shore (wash) and move the first letter to the end (head to toe).

I liked 2d today, but my favourite clue was 12a. Let us know what you liked in a comment.

Today’s Quickie Pun: {SUMMER} + {RISE} = {SUMMARISE}

43 comments on “DT 26560”

  1. Morning Gazza, I think I agree today on the 2* maybe verging on a three, not too easy and I still needed my ‘help’ for two or three, I didn’t need the blog for the answers but I did need it for some explainations, I always find it amazing when I can work a clue out but it turns out to be entirely the wrong way! Fav clue today 2d, thanks once again for explanations and hints :-)

    1. On looking at 2d again where does it tell us that ‘gin’ is an anagram, surely the ‘out’ applies to ‘or in’ then the clue says with ‘gin’ so it doesn’t really tell us to change ‘gin’ around does it???

  2. Yes, not too testing today. My biggest struggle was having established the answer to 23a, I couldn’t figure how COU related to shortening of BLOW. Thanks for the explanation Gazza. Also struggled to see why SURGE = WASH and BANK = SHELF. Although I did get them I thought they were slightly tenuous but it’s probably just me. Thanks to setter and to Gazza for an enjoyable puzzle and concise hints/explanations.

  3. No real favourites for me today and as gazza said most of the work was figuring out the synonyms in some of the definitions. All in all a good puzzle. THanks to the setter and to gazza.
    in the absence of crypticsue I will siggest that the Toughie is worth a go for everyone – It took me 2 seconds longer to solve than this one!

  4. I found this puzzle gentle and doable but for me it lacked any wow factor. It was all a bit samey ( I can use that word now as it appeared in Sunday’s quickie I think. Too many anagrams and a lot of juggling with meanings. Any coincidence that the answers to 1d in cryptic and quickie are identical? Sorry setter, Didn’t much care fore this one. Thanks anyway and of course to Gazza.

  5. Yes, not really a ‘wow’ one for me, and rather too many anagrams too. thanks to setter and to Gazza.

    Going out so will take the Toughie with me.

  6. Thought this was a doddle – until I came to 23d! Spent as long musing over this as on the rest of the puzzle. Favourites 2d and 12a. Thanks to compiler and blogger.

  7. I didn’t find this one very difficult so 2* is about right, for me anyway. I wasn’t very sure that I particularly enjoyed it while I was actually doing it but, looking at it again, maybe I did! I think ‘indecisive’ must be my middle name!! I started off putting ‘ledge’ for 19a but changed it pretty quickly. I took a while to understand 23a – got the ‘endless blow’ bit but thought that the ‘rage’ was the ‘anger’ which left me with a couple of spare letters at the beginning. I liked 9 and 17a and 2, 21 and 24d. Thanks to the setter and Gazza.

  8. A gentle crossword from our Mysteron though I would have given it slightly higher marks for enjoyment. No real standout clues for me – just a pleasant diversion on the journey to work with the Toughie done as well before Waterloo. Many thanks to our setter and to Gazza for the review.

    A reminder for anyone in the London area that tonight is the Sloggers and Betters evening (see the post at the top of the home page). I hope to see some of you there!

  9. Gentle morning CW No hints needed on this one , now for lunch & the toughie this afternoon……Gentle CW was allot different to the wild winds we are still having here in Northumberland.
    Cheers to Setter & gazza

  10. Quite enjoyable but untaxing crossword from our ,mystery setter, thanks to him/her and to Gazza for the review.

  11. Didn’t like the SE corner.
    Favourites 12a, 26a and 23d. Least liked 19a, 23a and 21d. Thanks for the explanations!

  12. I think Prolixic has it right – “a pleasant diversion”!
    No real favourite but a nice crossword.
    Thanks to the setter and Gazza.

    P.S. Agree with Gnomey about the other puzzle, anyone wanting to break a Toughie duck should have a go today!

  14. This was a fairly easy solve for me today and fairly enjoyable, but, like Pommers, I had no real favourites.

    I was thinking of coming along to the Sloggers and Betters evening tonight, but we got 3 new cats on Saturday (from the local rescue centre) and now I’m torn between coming out and going home to see them! Never been good with choices…

    1. Alison – go to the Sloggers and Betters! The cats will still be there tomorrow!

      1. You’re right – maybe I’ll go for a bit. Hubby can look after the cats. :-)

      2. No!!! Stay with the new rescue cats – they really need to feel at home with their new ‘daddy’ AND ‘mummy’. I think that the first few days are really important, but that’s just me being a bit feeble and sympathetic to completely disrupted animals. There will be another Sloggers and Betters – you will only have your rescue cats at their most needy for a few days/weeks. :smile:

    3. Well, I did go to the Sloggers and Betters, but I didn’t stay that long and was home soon after 8pm – the cats were fine. Glad I went as it was nice to put some faces to names. Thanks for the link, Gnomethang – we’ve got 3 cats, but there are 2 of us, so does that make us 1 1/2 cats mad or 6 cats mad?! :-)

  15. Like the rest I found it straightforward. Not a single straight cryptic clue. Thanks Gazza and setter.

  16. Def a 3/4 star for me for difficulty, found this very tough. Finished eventually but really struggled. Didn’t have a fav clue, most were just too difficult but must say I really disliked 26d, ugh! Not my favourite puzzle.

  17. Completed without too much trouble in time available – unlike yesterday’s rascal which gave me much grief. Thought 2 & 23d were neat little numbers. Thanks to all.

  18. Didn’t find this too tricky, but thought 2d made the whole thing worth while. Thanks to the setter, and thanks to Gazza for the hints. Reading through them after I finished provided lots of ‘so that’s why…’ moments.

  20. Good evening everyone. I was tuned in today and go this done fairly quickly despite being stuck on a rather full Circle Line train. 15a was my favourite. Thanks to the setter and for the review.

  21. This was reasonable……. so why couldn’t I get 23d, even with all the letters in?
    [big sigh}

    And I STILL haven’t finished Sunday’s.
    {Even bigger sigh}

    1. Same problem here … I ended up pottering through the alphabet letter by letter (always a sign of desperation) … eae?s ??? ebe?s ??? ece?s etc…. at least it wasn’t a ‘z’ in there.

      Nick

    2. You need Mary to provide some positive persevation thoughts and Alison needs Mary’s advice on the cats – where is Mary?

    3. You couldn’t get 23d because it was quite tricky – Sunday’s I have now forgotten but seem to have lit bonfire with it or I would ask what you can’t finish – think that I had a couple that I couldn’t do and they were sorted out by helpful answers so try going back to the Sunday blog.

      1. ……finally finished Sunday’s……
        Now stuck on a single answer on Wednesday’s….
        arg…..

  22. Good evening.

    I’m with the majority here – quite straightforward. I found it quite an enjoyable crossword nevertheless.

    Having seen the explanation for 24d, I’ll nominate that as a favourite for the ‘head to toe’ reference. Very clever.

    Goodnight.

    Nick

  24. Fairly entertaining – thought some of the definitions and synonyms were a bit obscure in places, but twas OK…

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