DT 26572 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26572

by Gazza  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26572

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

We have another entertaining pangram from Shamus today. Let us know how you got on with it.
To see an answer just highlight the space between the brackets under the clue.

Across Clues

5a  Amount of bread in store? (4,3)
{NEST EGG} – bread here is being used in its informal sense, so this is the amount of money that you’ve managed to save.

7a  Subject, say, featuring in story (5)
{LIEGE} – the subject of a feudal superior in medieval times is formed by putting the abbreviation of for example or say inside (featuring in) an untrue story.

9a  Knight, criminal fiend, receiving pointed attack? (6)
{KNIFED} – a knight on a chessboard is N but what we want here is the letter used for a knight of the realm. Add an anagram (criminal) of FIEND to make a word meaning is subjected to an attack with a pointed weapon.

10a  Kitchen item exciting a twee lot (3,5)
{TEA TOWEL} – an anagram (exciting) of A TWEE LOT.

11a  Files, perhaps, not changing for hearing (10)
{STATIONERY} – a word for files and other office supplies sounds like (for hearing) another word meaning static or not changing.

13a  Wartime group proving a big hit on reflection (4)
{AXIS} – this is not an old musical combo but the name given to the Berlin-Rome alliance and later extended to include Japan in WW II. It’s A followed by a big hit in cricket reversed (on reflection).

14a  Mad Dickensian character pursuing drinks with tea in Paris (5,3,5)
{ROUND THE TWIST} – this is an informal phrase meaning crazy or mad. Put the name of a hungry Dickensian juvenile after (pursuing) an order of drinks in a pub and the French word for tea.

16a  Fat fellow fronting political party (4)
{FLAB} – the sort of fat that Terry Wogan used to fight every morning is made up of F(ellow) followed by (fronting) a political party.

17a  Economical sort taken in by dodgy deals for sauce (5,5)
{SALSA VERDE} – this is an Italian green sauce. Put an economical person (possibly someone building up a 5a) inside an anagram (dodgy) of DEALS.

19a  Bill is enthralled by extremely hardy and unusually thin flower (8)
{HYACINTH} – the abbreviation for a bill or account comes between (enthralled by) the outer (extremely) letters of H(ard)Y and an anagram (unusually) of THIN.

20a  English queen favoured stable’s latest horse (6)
{EQUINE} – another word for a horse is made by stringing together E(nglish), one of the abbreviations for queen, a short word meaning popular or favoured and the last letter (latest) of (stabl)E.

22a  Reside with daughter before spring (5)
{DWELL} – put D(aughter) in front of a synonym for spring.

23a  With greater bottle — what heavy drinker may have before rise when tipsy? (7)
{GUTSIER} – bottle here is being used in its informal sense of courage. What a heavy drinker may carry before him goes in front of an anagram (when tipsy) of RISE.

Down Clues

1d  A riddle almost producing expression of disbelief (2,2)
{AS IF} – start with A and the sort of riddle used to filter out large lumps, then remove (almost) the final T to leave an expression of disbelief.

2d  Useless material from poster overlooking court retained by Dutch journalist (8)
{DEADWOOD} – an abbreviation for a poster goes in front of (overlooking, in a down clue) a verb meaning to court or try to attract. Then all that goes inside (retained by) D(utch) and the usual abbreviated journalist to make useless material. In Chambers the useless material is shown as either (4,4) or (4-4) but not as (8).

3d  Squalid son getting idle consuming drug (6)
{SLEAZY} – join together S(on) and a synonym for idle then insert (consuming) E(cstasy).

4d  Disparaging outsider’s first to take part in unfortunate jeer at VIP (10)
{PEJORATIVE} – we want an adjective meaning disparaging (one that I’m always tempted to spell with a second R). Put the first letter of O(utsider) inside (to take part in) an anagram (unfortunate) of JEER AT VIP.

5d  Musical composition derived from a faulty web connection? (5)
{NONET} – a composition for nine players or singers could also, cryptically as (2,3), be a shorthand way of saying that you’ve lost your web connection.

6d  Show unqualified commitment with summary dismissal for entirely selfish person? (2,3,5,3)
{GO THE WHOLE HOG} – this is a phrase meaning to show unqualified commitment. Start with a succinct term of dismissal and follow this with another way of saying entirely (3,5) and a metaphor for a selfish or greedy person.

8d  One responsible for mournful work on island in eastern Thailand (7)
{ELEGIST} – we want a writer of a lament for the dead (one responsible for mournful work). Join together another word for the “on” side in cricket and one of the abbreviations for island and put those between E(astern) and the International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Thailand.

12d  Small man’s staff requiring digital device? (10)
{THUMBSCREW} – a cryptic way of describing the employees (5’1,4) of the famous tiny general is actually a rather nasty torture device for crushing digits.

14d  Radical touring US university promoted in broadcast (7)
{RELAYED} – a verb meaning broadcast or passed on is formed by putting the colour associated with a radical around a very famous US university which has to be reversed (promoted, in a down clue).

15d  Hear about a very awkward set for mockery (8)
{TRAVESTY} – put a verb to hear (in the judicial sense) around A, V(ery) and an anagram (awkward) of SET to make a distorted representation of something (mockery).

17d  Home Counties river showing sign of decline? (6)
{SENILE} – join together the abbreviation for the part of the country where the Home Counties are to be found and an African river to make an adjective meaning showing evidence of the decline of mental faculties due to advancing years (a decline which a daily tussle with a crossword will, we all hope, postpone).

18d  Half-hearted meal in small restaurant (5)
{DINER} – remove one of the double letters at the heart of a daily meal to leave the name of a small restaurant in North America.

21d  Single instruction given to crocheters, we hear? (4)
{UNIT} – the definition is single and the answer sounds like (we hear) a peremptory instruction to crocheters to get on with their work (3,4).

The clues I liked today included 1a, 14a and 12d, but my favourite was 13a. Let us know what you liked in a comment.

Today’s Quickie Pun: {HAUL} + {MARQUE} = {HALLMARK}

82 comments on “DT 26572”

  1. I managed to race through this which meant that I didn’t really have time to stop and smell the flowers. Looking back I think that 12d was my favourite. Thanks to Shamus for what was an entertaining puzzle and to gazza for the review and a rare glimpse into his private tea-towel collection.

  2. OK – I admit I don’t know cricket terms (8d) but I do know that knitting and crochet are totally different types of craftwork! 21d just doesn’t work! Rant over. Otherwise a challenging but enjoyable puzzle. Favourites 14a. and 12d. Thanks Shamus and Gazza.

    1. I ageee Patsyann – didn’t make sense to me and needed Gazza’s help. (I hate 4 letter words anyhow but when they are wrong it is even worse)

  3. A very enjoyable and challenging crossword pitched right on the limit of my ability. Last in was 8d.
    Thanx to Compiler and to Gazza for his review.

  4. Would have completed this a lot earlier if I hadn’t tried to force THEME into 7A. Otherwise, very enjoyable (much better and smoother than yesterday’s). Nice to see 4D making an appearance. Favourites today were 14A and 19A.

  5. Foul play! 13a crossing with 8d! :-) thought it a bit unfair, to be expected to get ‘leg’ from ‘on’ in that clue, never heard of 4d but could work it out and then looke it up, afree with Patsyann about 21d, you just wouldn’t tell a crocheter to knit! also other quibble 17d shouldn’t senility be the sign of decline not senile?? OK moans over, good morning, just, Gazza, spent a lovely week in your part of the world last week, I found todays crossword at least a three star for me, not one of my best days, thanks for hints and explainations wouldn’t have done it without you :-)

      1. Of course, I just took ‘showing’ as leading to the defnition and not part of it! but I still stand by 21d :-) also once again in 8d (showing my vast knowlege of cricket here) you would need a hawk eye to spot the ‘leg’ in that clue :-)

    3. Nice to have you back Mary.

      Strrangely enough I got 13a but didn’t get 8d without help. Not on wave length today.

  6. Didn’t take long to solve but a very enjoyable crossword – my favourite was 12d. I agree with Patsyann about 21d – definitely not the right word for crocheters. Thanks to Shamus for the fun and Gazza for the explanations.

    I highly recommend the Toughie – it doesn’t take that long for a toughie, albeit with a couple you have to think about, but is great fun. The Guardian is a real tough challenge today as is Loroso (Anax) in the FT. (And yes, before anyone starts, I have been working for some of this morning too!)

  8. The help of Gazza was much needed today! I am just not on the right wavelength, found it frustrating! Liked 12d and 13a but my likes stopped there.

  9. Many thanks to Shamus for a most enjoyable crossword, I found the NW corner tricky but the rest straightforward, fav. clue was 14a. Thanks Gazza for the hints.

  10. Well I can’t say I was on the wave length today – too many seemed contrived to me – not an enjoyable one for me – sorry. Did enjoy 17d though.

    Thanks for the review Gazza – needed it for a few.

  11. I was hopeless…ho hum, maybe better tomorrow.

    I thought 12d was a clever clue. Thanks to all – back to the dunce’s corner for me :)

    2. Shrike you are much too clever for ‘dunces corner’ you can take the chair by the door in the ‘clueless club’ but dunces corner, definitely not! :-)

  12. For the first time ever not only did I think “pangram” but it also actually helped – would never have got 13a if I hadn’t realised that I was missing the “X”! Got a bit snarled up by making 3d “sleaze” which made 11a a bit of a problem. Also managed to convince myself that 23a started with “gin” – not helpful. Agree with Mary about the two cricket clues overlapping being a bit unfair. Liked 14, 16 and 19a and 1, 6 and 12d. Also liked picture clue for 10a – daughters gave me a fridge magnet with a similar picture saying “Drink coffee – do stupid things faster with more energy”!! :grin:
    Thanks to Shamus and Gazza.

      1. Thanks Mary – Mum has been out of hospital for less than 24 hours and I’ve already had to call an ambulance once – she fell out of bed and I can’t get her up on my own (and actually wouldn’t dare try for fear of doing more damage) so ‘social secretary is having a similar day to yesterday.

  13. Needed a lot of help (again) with this one. Thx to the Gazza for the help and tips. Can’t agree or disagree over the knitting clue, don’t understand either, give me cricketing clues any day :-). Must be me but I am finding this weeks crosswords very difficult, for me yesterday’s was 5 star and today a 4. Some very complex clues in both. No favourite today I’m afraid.

    1. Me too, although I have to say that today my brain was reading flies instead of ‘f’iles’ for 11a which makes life a little trickier. I liked 19a though ….nice piccy Gazza!

  14. Agree with brian today ,brain not working but as at same time Baking some nice goodies for hubby & Great nephews think have an excuse .Now finished both so nice cuppa! Thanks

  15. After a very, very, very slow start I was about to abandon ship in favour of something more productive when 4&6d suddenly fell into place. A game changer as they say nowadays on the BBC and the rest followed without too much of a scrap. A good 3 star difficulty though. Thanks to G&S.

  16. Enjoable puzzle and not too taxing. Pommette agrees with the other ladies about 21d but as a mere man with no knowledge of either craft I got it straight away!
    Thanks to Shamus and Gazza

    1. As someone who couldn’t tell a knitting needle from a crochet thingy I just assumed that Shamus was well versed in this area. Perhaps he isn’t, or, then again, perhaps he will drop in later and explain to the ladies why they’re all wrong :D

      1. I suspect the ladies are correct! If I were Shamus I’d keep a low profile!

  17. Not too difficult today – much quicker for me than yesterday. I agree with everyone else about 21d, although I hasten to add I have little personal experience of either knitting or crocheting! 12d was the pick IMHO – I was trying to fit THUMBWHEEL in there for a good while before realising. Thanks to Shamus and Gazza – most enjoyable.

  19. Had to resort to the hints to get started in the NW corner today – I’d sussed 5a was about money, but just couldn’t see the answer. No great problems with the rest of it once I got going, except for 13a of course! Favourites were 14a and 18d. Thanks to Shamus & Gazza.

  20. Not too hard, not that enjoyable (as a result). I had no favourite clues (probably as a result) but I do agree with others about knitting and crocheting.

    1. Whenever I see a comment from you it always makes me think of a sneeze – it’s very nearly “atchoo” – or at least that’s what my brain tells me! :smile:

  22. Late starting today and after a flying start came to a grinding halt in the top left section. Actually found the answer to 17a but couldn’t see how it applied and went on and on searching for something more applicable! I think there were a number of really good clues, I liked 14 and 17a, 5 612 and 18d Thanks to Shamus and Gazza whose efficient hints led me to the finish

  23. 3* for difficulty is 1* too many. A bit of a romp really. The fact that it was a pangram didn’t really help as most of the answers were quite obvious. That being said I really enjoyed this puzzle. Fave probably 11a which held me up for a bit.

  24. OH NO!! It’s all changed. Can’t cope after the kind of day that I’ve had!! Will just have to learn to find my way around the new look bit of writing a comment.

  26. Thanks to Gazza for his blog and all for comments – and thanks to female solvers in particular for keeping me up to the mark on 21d. I must have got my needle and hooks in a twist – I’ll definitely stick to football and cricket in future (much safer territory!)

      1. At the risk of sticking my head in the firing line I,for one, wouldn’t mind a few more knitting/sewing/ crochet/plant type clues!

      2. Nice to see a man admit he’s wrong Shamus, well done you :-) whats gone wrong with the comment box???????????

    2. Brave to poke your head above the parapet in the face of all those ladies with sniper rifles!
      Thanks for a great puzzle – bring on the next, pangram or not is fine by me!

            1. Hi Gnomey, sorry to have suggested you were ever in a closet – God forbid!
              ‘Gnomethang’ is by far the more interesting name and I’ve been meaning to ask for ages where it comes from. Soumds like a character from Lord of the Rings but I can’t remember it (20 years since I read it and never seen the films). Also like the alternative ‘ Wizened Gnome’ on COW!

  28. BD Am I doing something wrong here – when I write a comment and then post it it stays in the “leave a reply” box. I mean that it comes up in the list of comments but is still sitting in the box after I’ve posted it.

    1. I hate it when they change things to make it easier and it just makes everything worse, why do we need to log in via ‘other things’ weren’t we all quite happy as we were?

      1. I hate it when they change things to make it easier and it just makes everything worse, why do we need to log in via ‘other things’ weren’t we all quite happy as we were?
        mine is still sitting there now!

  30. Oh no! Too much new fangled stuff going on. I used to understand this. What’s a f log in?

  32. Thanks to Shamus & Gazza, quite entertaining today. Struggled a bit, looked up a couple, got them from Gazza’s clues. Then all fell into place, although I must confess I got 8d, without spotting the on-leg connection, thanks again to Gazza for the explanation.
    Favourites were 23,19,17 acrosses with 23 the best.
    Is there any way of spotting a Pangram before it’s finished ?

    1. If you see two or more of J, Q or Z, it’s worth being on the lookout for a pangram.

  33. Cash bag for 5a didn’t help & was trying salty something for 15a so NW & SE both needed clues. for which many thanks.

  34. I only went to the pub…….. and look at what happened to the interface while I was away………… Please don’t start me off on a rant about social networking sites…….. apart from this one of course, which is ace!

    1. OK, read that and it looks as though it was written in English but somehow makes no sense! I think I’ll ask pommette!

      1. I think that it allows you the ability to have your words of wisdom cross-referenced on multiple sites. Yay!

        It seems that everything has to be linked to Facebook these days. “…no man might buy or sell save that he had the mark…of the beast…” or something.

  36. Trying out the new comment set up.

    Found this very hard today but learnt a lot from the blog. Thanks to all.

  38. Crocheting and knitting are two completely different crafts, so the clue doesn’t work for me at all.

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