Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26566
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **
I found this pretty straightforward today except for two plants that I’d never heard of and those two are the reason for the third difficulty star. Let us know what you thought of it in a comment.
If you need to see an answer just highlight the space between the brackets under the clue.
Across Clues
1a Work hard to get an advertising phrase that’s memorable (6)
{SLOGAN} – a verb meaning to work hard is followed by AN to make an advertising phrase that the seller hopes, and the agency prays, will be memorable, such as “Beanz Meanz Heinz”.
4a At Naples? That might be enjoyable (8)
{PLEASANT} – an adjective meaning enjoyable is an anagram (that might be) of AT NAPLES.
9a Fighting lawsuit (6)
{ACTION} – double definition.
10a Huge area required for a climbing plant (8)
{MONSTERA} – this is a climbing plant with shining perforated leaves (totally new to me). It’s an adjective meaning huge followed by A(rea).
11a Sight provided by glasses, limited (9)
{SPECTACLE} – if you limit another word for glasses, by dropping the final S, you’re left with a sight.
13a Steps taken by one graduate skipping dessert (5)
{RUMBA} – start with a dessert (3,4) and remove (skipping) just one instance of an arts graduate to leave a rhythmic dance (steps).
14a One thing done to achieve another with antenna made so crudely (1,5,2,2,3)
{A MEANS TO AN END} – an anagram (crudely) of ANTENNA MADE SO produces a phrase describing something which, in itself, is not important but which guarantees something else which is.
17a Old lady and son, clergyman, manage badly (13)
{MALADMINISTER} – a verb meaning to manage inefficiently or dishonestly is a charade of an affectionate term for one’s mother (old lady), a synonym of son and a type of clergyman.
21a Sneak’s blunders (5)
{SLIPS} – double definition, the first a verb meaning to move unobtrusively followed by the ‘S.
23a Shock when peeper gets key (3-6)
{EYE-OPENER} – string together alternative words for peeper and key to make something startling.
24a Tavern cooking feeds the Italian for a spell (8)
{INTERVAL} – put an anagram (cooking) of TAVERN inside (feeds) the Italian definite article to make a spell or breather.
25a Distant meteor disintegrated (6)
{REMOTE} – an anagram (disintegrated) of METEOR.
26a Bride from Welwyn confused journalist (5-3)
{NEWLY-WED} – an anagram (confused) of WELWYN is followed by the usual Crosswordland journalist to make a bride.
27a Cheers for model (6)
{PROSIT} – combine a preposition meaning for and a verb to model for an artist or photographer to make a word, from latin but used extensively in Germany, meaning “Cheers!” or “Your health!”.
Down Clues
1d Poles and English, thinly dispersed (6)
{SPARSE} – these poles are not north and south but rails or masts. Add E(nglish) to make an adjective meaning thinly dispersed.
2d Where a girl may apply varnish at once (2,3,4)
{ON THE NAIL} – literally where a girl may apply varnish is used as a phrase, usually in relation to a payment, to mean at once or without delay.
3d Advocate having job holding drink? Just the opposite! (7)
{APOSTLE} – just the opposite means that what we want is not job holding drink but (alcoholic) drink holding (containing) job or position.
5d Plant, least restrained, abounding (11)
{LOOSESTRIFE} – this is the second botanical name that was new to me today. Join together a superlative meaning least restrained or most free and an adjective meaning widespread or abounding to make a plant of the primrose family.
6d A Latin leaving one country for another (7)
{AUSTRIA} – remove A and L(atin) from a southern hemisphere country to leave a European one.
7d Group of elite soldiers in state (American) (1-4)
{A-TEAM} – hidden in the clue is an elite group.
8d Leaves here, maybe (3,5)
{TEA CADDY} – a weak cryptic definition of where you may keep your leaves in the kitchen.
12d Kind of desecration involved (11)
{CONSIDERATE} – an anagram (involved) of DESECRATION means kind or thoughtful.
15d Mistaken, certainly over duplicating machine imported (9)
{ERRONEOUS} – reverse (over) an interjection meaning certainly and inside this (imported) put the trade name of an old duplicating machine to make an adjective meaning mistaken.
16d Lack of oxygen on space expedition? (8)
{OMISSION} – the definition is lack, i.e. something lacking. Put the chemical symbol for oxygen in front of (on, in a down clue) what a space expedition is an example of.
18d Wreck new store in outskirts of Derby (7)
{DESTROY} – a verb meaning to wreck has an anagram (new) of STORE put in the outer letters of D(erb)Y.
19d Best clobber — one may drive in it (3,4)
{TOP GEAR} – double definition and old chestnut.
20d Forest close to Parkhurst is burning (6)
{ARDENT} – the definition is burning or passionate. Shakespeare’s forest in “As You Like It” is followed by the last letter (close) of (Parkhurs)T.
22d Accompanying enthusiastic wife (2,3)
{IN TOW} – this phrase means accompanying (in the way that a caravan accompanies the car which is pulling it, or children accompany a parent round a supermarket). Start with a preposition meaning interested in or enthusiastic about and add W(ife). I don’t see how the first word means enthusiastic on its own, but it does mean “enthusiastic about”.
The clues which I liked best today were 27a and 3d. Let us know which ones you liked.
Today’s Quickie Pun: {MASS} + {TICK} + {EIGHT} = {MASTICATE}
I’m back – Didja miss me ???
Not too tricky today, but had to resort to my Big Boys Book of British Flowers. Not sure that I agree with putting flower names in crosswords (there are just too many and each flower has about five different names, not to mention the local dialect names).
Enjoyed 17A, 27A and 16D my personal favourite was 8D but am a bit worried that the younger generation will never have heard of such a thing.
Wedding went very well indeed (excellent weather), honeymoon was good but weather there not so good. Didn’t help that the hotel changed their WiFi servers half way through the week requiring us to get new login codes and reset the computers, etc, etc. Luckily we had other things to do
I agree about the flower names. I had heard of 10a, but the other one is very obscure and I don’t think it could even be guessed at by the linking letters and the clue.
Skempie – why would you want access to computers on your honeymoon???
Maybe Skempie needed pictorial instructions?
Times they are a’changing. We wanted to see what photos had been posted on Facebook. Sad isn’t it.
Welcome back – glad that wedding and honeymoon were good.
I’m not doing these to widen my botanical knowledge……
“roses” or “petunias” would be ok, but, come on…….
Welcome to married life………
I’m with gazza and Skempie (welcome back). The flowers held me up at the last as they are both pretty improbable names (although the wordplay gets you there). I always called 10a a ‘Cheese Plant’ and was done with it!. No real trouble apart from that.
Thanks to gazza for the review and to the setter for the puzzles.
Held up for ages with the two plants – although I have heard of them, just couldn’t get them – and with 8d, rather stupidly – no excuse there. Also took a while to get 14 and 17a and the 6d country – kept trying to make it Algeria but it clearly wasn’t going to be. Didn’t know the 27a word but worked it out and looked it up. I think because of those hold-ups the 3* is about right, for me anyway. Liked 1a and 3 and 20d. Thanks to the setter and Gazza.
Maybe be Skempie needed step by step instructions?
Sorry, should have posted under No:1
You did, but it was mysteriously dumped in the spam folder, from whence it has been recovered!
Perhaps the odd memory jogger
Surely any such instructions finish with “Repeat if necessary”?
Glad all went well!.
I got more of this right than normal! I must be getting better.
Still, without this web site I would still be looking at more blank than filled squares.
But “prosit”? Never would have got that without help
Hi MisterG – welcome to the blog.
I assumed that Prosit is in as an answer under a new European Directive aimed at integration crosswords throughout the state – each crossword must contain at least one answer in a language of another member country. Could be interesting when we start getting Polish and Romanian answers.
That must be it!…. HWYL was in the Times yesterday!
Not too bad today & certainly helps with some nice sunshineto cheer us up for achange. . had no trouble with the plants as our garden is one of my favorite places to be. thanks to all
Some don’t like cricket; for me it’s flowers that take the hard work to puzzle out.
Give me cricket any day ESP after yesterday’s amazing result!
Agree with everyone else (except AnnB) – very straightforward except for the 2 plants. Favourite was 20d, not difficult – just clever.
Not bad, agree with those not happy with flower clues – not an area I am very familiar with. But the hardest for me was the dessert clue, just what is that a photo of??
Just let your cursor hover over the photo.
Its a Rum Baba – delicious
Thanks guys, new version of Firefox doesnt have the status bar so I couldnt see the pic’s URL.
Well I found it hard work regardless of having no knowledge of gardening.
Thanks to the Setter and Gazza for the review – I did have to check 27a and 10a.
I’ll have 1d as a favourite because it misled me in a few different directions but was perfectly fair when I ‘saw’ the answer.
Nick
Getting on better today than I did yesterday.
Cheese plants are SO 1980s!!!
Like 22d —- I see so many older men carrying the basket and being trailed aroung the supermarket while wife is gathering all the stuff and (sometimes) nagging on as well!!!
Cheese plants…..I know- I’ve got a massive one (fnar fnar) but I STILL couldn’t get this answer.
I had no trouble with any of this including the plants. No special favourites – just a nice Tuesday crossword. Thanks to setter and to Gazza.
It may be that my mind is in last day of holiday mode – but I found the Beam Toughie slightly trickier than some of his past offerings.
I am with Crypticsue on this, no real problems and quite enjoyable, I still have a couple to do in the toughie but it too is good fun.
I find more often than not our views on particular crosswords seem to coincide – great minds???
I think yours is the great mind whilst I’m more likely the fool who seldom differs.
An otherwise enjoyable crossword spoiled today by obscure botanicals in 10a & 5d
A bit desperate when setters have to resort to that sort of thing
I didn’t think the “botanicals” were all that obscure, they turn up fairly often, particularly however, in the weekend gk crosswords both.
I wish I paid a bit more attention at the Chelsea Flower Show last week! A little harder than some Tuesdays in my humble opinion… And there was no way I would get anywhere near 27a. Thanks to the setter and Gazza for his help: invaluable as always.
In agreement with the majority on this one, though I’ve heard of the plants neither came to mind immediately. Otherwise quite straitforward. Favourites are 11a,13a and 17a, 15d and 18d. Thanks to setter and Gazza.
Nice to see some horticulture in the crossword today, just as the rain is pouring down and freshening up my mediterranean garden.
Didn’t like this one at all. Too many words that were very obscure – 10a, 5d and 27a for example. Nothing today excited me in any way, all in all very dull I thought.
Sorry!
In case anyone was wondering (which they’re probably not), this was NOT one of mine. I’m in next Tues!
Thanks for letting us know, Shamus.
Completed after a bit of a tussle. Endorse views re plants and preferences for cricket, otherwise a good 3 star puzzle. Liked 3&16 d. Thanks all.
Late on duty with this one but had to do Beamer first This was a really good puzzle from our mystery person. I really liked 8 17 and 26. I wonder if the mysteron will come out of the closet.