DT 26595 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26595

by Libellule  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26595

Hints and tips by Libellule

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

An entertaining themed (but not too difficult) crossword today from Rufus.

You can show the full answers by highlighting the space between the curly brackets.

Across

1. Police dog out quietly playing with President (8)
{COOLIDGE} – Take POLICE DOG and remove (out) P (quietly) and an anagram (playing with) of the remainder produces the thirtieth President of the United States.

6. Guard dog — watch out! (6)
{SECURE} – The definition is guard. A three-letter word for perceiving with the eye is placed around (out) another three-letter word for an inferior type of dog.

9. He takes charge temporarily, for example, during gap (6)
{REGENT} – Someone who acts as a ruler because the real monarch is too young, absent or has other problems is constructed from E.G. (exempli gratia – for example) inside an opening that is made by a tear.

10. Preacher has spoken in some obscurity (8)
{MORALIST} – The usual word for “spoken” is placed inside (in) a word for obscurity that is essentially a mass of fine droplets of water to produce a type of teacher.

11. Associates with swindling types? (8)
{CONSORTS} – Interesting clue, this could be read a couple of different ways. A word for partners or companions is made up from a word for a swindle or fraud, followed by another word for kinds or types. Alternatively it could be read as the type of people who keep company with the undesirable types.

12. Having one’s own transport somewhere in Alabama? (6)
{MOBILE} – Being able to move from place to place is also a city in south-west Alabama.

13. A1 student set out for the country (6,6)
{UNITED STATES} – An anagram (out) of A1 STUDENT SET produces a country directly associated with today’s theme.

16. US city that was gained by America in 1783 (12)
{INDEPENDENCE} – Just in case you had missed the theme, here it is again, a city in 23a is also what was granted on the 3rd September 1783 via the “Treaty of Paris”.

19. Turnover in coats (6)
{REVERS} – A word that describes a part of a garment, e.g a lapel, that is turned back to show the reverse side. Cryptic?

21. Queen to disembark in state (8)
{MARYLAND} – The name of an American State consists of the name of an English queen followed by a word for coming on shore for example. The State was actually named after the queen of Charles I.

23. Girl nymph loses her head in part of 13 across (8)
{MISSOURI} – Another State. A word for a young married woman is followed by one of the Koranic nymphs of Paradise with the first letter (head) removed.

24. President may appear as odd in brown (6)
{TRUMAN} – This time we have the thirty-third President. Put a three letter word for strange inside (in) another word for light brown.

25. May be grand study about some in deep depression (6)
{CANYON} – That three letter word for study (not den) is placed around another word for several to get a deep ravine between cliffs. An example of which is named Grand.

26. Around America, parking in schools raises doubts (8)
{SUSPECTS} – The usual two letter abbreviation for America, plus P (parking) is placed inside a word usually used to describe a subdivision of a larger religious group to produce a word that means to have doubts about or distrust.

Down

2. Roman emperor is up and about to depart for part of America (6)
{OREGON} – Yet another State. Reverse (up) the name of a Roman emperor (one who played the fiddle) and put inside a two letter word that means to move away from a place.

3. Foreigners lack initial rights (5)
{LIENS} – Remove the first letter (lack initial) from a word that describes foreigners or creatures from another world to leave a word that means “the right to take and hold or sell the property of a debtor as security or payment for a debt or duty.”

4. Decide to settle (9)
{DETERMINE} – To decide or settle an argument conclusively for example.

5. In a group, coming from France (2,5)
{EN MASSE} – A French phrase that means as a whole or all together.

6. Involved with swindle, right to get out hurriedly (5)
{SCRAM} – Put R (right) inside a word that describes a fraudulent scheme to get a word that means to leave a scene at once.

7. In 13 across, on 16 across Day, take car, beetle off — enjoy! (9)
{CELEBRATE} – An anagram (off) of CAR BEETLE is what people in America are doing today.

8. Found the solution again, having made up one’s mind (8)
{RESOLVED} – A word that means to make a firm decision about something could also describe what you might do if you did this crossword again.

13. American Lesley’s going out with, to no avail (9)
{USELESSLY} – Take the 26a abbreviation for America and then add an anagram (going out) of LESLEYS to produce a word that means being futile or ineffective.

14. Senator is involved with foreign girls (9)
{SENORITAS} – An anagram (involved) of SENATOR IS is the Spanish form of address for young women.

15. Very good article for cake decoration (8)
{ANGELICA} – Take a word that describes having a nature like a cherub, and then add A (an article) to get the stem of a plant that is candied and used as a decoration on cakes and desserts.

17. Two thousand and one in fees? They’re not real (7)
{DUMMIES} – MMI (Roman numeral for two thousand and one) is placed inside a word for amounts owing. Result, the sort of mannequin used in crash tests for example.

18. Not wholly employed on the stage (2,4)
{IN PART} – A phrase that means “to some degree” could also describe working as an actor.

20. Show disdain for bad puns about royalty (5)
{SPURN} – An anagram (bad) of PUNS around R (royalty).

22. See purpose of parasite (5)
{LOUSE} – A wingless biting or sucking insect, is LO (see) and also a word that means to put into service or employ.

The Quick crossword pun: {conch} + {hence} = {conscience}

66 comments on “DT 26595”

  1. I was looking for something more cryptic in 19a, which held me up. Otherwise a typical Rufus offering, with a liberal smattering of The Fourth of July. Happy “British Thanksgiving Day” to all our American readers! 6a probably my CotD. Thanks Roger and M. Libelulle

    2. Agree about 19a. It’s crypticness is probably the fact that it isn’t cryptic at all. Should be confined to the Quiptic in the Graunian.
      Didn’t like this clue at all.

    3. Huh!
      19a.
      I’ve never heard of it- and I used to work for Austin Reed!
      Suit You!

  2. 19a did for me as well – I was toying with REBELS as ‘turncoats’. As it turns out (!) I have not heard of the word before. No troubles besides that – I was alerted to the date significance via email but would have spotted it in any case. Thanks to Libellule and to Rufus.

    1. I’d never heard of that one either – that clue took almost as long as the rest of the puzzle!

    3. I’m intrigued that I appear to be the only person who knew the word and its meaning. Surely there must be more than just me and Rufus?

      1. Sue
        In my youth I spent two years working in a “Gentlemens’ Outfitters” so I am very aware of the word – just don’t ask about the number of times I was asked to measure inside legs – all sorts of damage can be done with the brass end of a well handled tape to those gentlemen who persisted in this request…

        1. I wouldn’t say that I “knew” it but, now that I’ve seen the answer, I have at least heard the word before – it just wouldn’t come to me when I needed it – have a feeling that this word has done it to me before – never again!

      3. I knew the word – but I tried REFERS as in REEFER jacker but without and E and could not see why.
        I didn’t get this one at all in the end and had to resort to Libellule’s hint

  3. I liked this one. I thought it was a little more ‘meaty’ than normal for a Monday.
    Thanks to Rufus, and to Libellule for the notes.

  4. 19a had me stumped too. Initially had the second part of 5d wrong which threw the North for a while. Many thanks to Libellule and Rufus

  5. Yeeee Haaaah. Having said that, not too difficult today. As most have said, 19A wasn’t a particularly good clue IMHO, can’t see anything cryptic in it at all. Today’s favourite was 23A, thoroughly enjoyed this clue (or should that be thoroly ?)

  6. Took a long time. Had the electronic maps and lists of presidents on the screen to help me on my way. Liked 1a. Was eventually beaten by 19a though. Thanks to Rufus and Libellule.

  7. Pretty easy themed puzzle today. Best clue was 10 but all others were OK apart from the dodgy 19.

  8. Good morning Libelulle from once again sunny West Wales, after about five minutes and beginning to think that there were too many American clues I suddenly remembered the date! apologies to my family in the US :-) although a Rufus I didn’t really enjoy it today and 19a was definitely not cryptic unless Rufus know something we don’t, even if I’d got the right answer I wouldn’t have put it in, as you say looking for somethiing more cryptic! I like Gnomeys answer best, thanks for review Libelulle and Rufus for crossword, enjoy todays weather everyone, forecast is rain for rest of week!

  9. Although the answer was obvious, I didn’t like using the figure ‘1’ for the lettter ‘i’ in the anagram at 13a. Apart from that and the same opinion as others on 19a, this was an enjoyable exercise. Always enjoy themed puzzles. Thanks Rufus and Libellule.

  10. Yea-ha! Goddarn it. Y’all in the same state of confusion. 19a stumped me until I shook my brain out of (overly) analytical mode.

    #1 son is currently working in USA, so I told him to tell the Yanks that we celebrate 4th July in the UK.

    Only, we call it, “Thanksgiving”!

    Well, it got a laugh when I told it years ago to a Texan wearing a 20 gallon (US) hat.

      1. No problem – I lived in Virginia for 3 years in the 70’s when on an exchange with the US Navy. We held a “BTD Party” (see Comment #1) every year – I think our friends thought that we were serious!

  12. First time I’ve left a comment but not the frst time I’ve used the site. Finished quickly once I twigged the date – however still don’t really get 19a.
    Thanks for hints

      1. I needed not just the hint but the answer inside the curly brackets for this one. Welcome to a truly fantastic blog. :smile:

    2. It was my last one as well, Judy.

      Chambers gives this definition:
      Any part of a garment that is turned back, such as a lapel

      and the Oxford Dictionary of English (ODE):
      The turned-back edge of a garment revealing the undersurface, especially at the lapel

  13. I did enjoy solving this themed start to the American’s Special Day – thank you Rufus. Apart from it not being particularly cryptic, I had no problem with 19a as I had heard of the term (must be age-related, I think) A tie for favourite clues between 6a and 23a. Thanks Libellule for all the explanations.

    Now if you want a really tough challenge today, try Anax in the Indy.

    1. Now I often enjoy your recommendations, today … with medication and darkened room am slowly beginning to recover. And that’s on a Monday!! Phew.

      1. I didn’t say I hadn’t struggled with it or even finished it, just suggested it as a really tough challenge – didn’t need medication myself but the darkened room worked wonders :D

        1. I have seen a few Anax puzzles before but don’t recall them being quite so challenging. 3d made me smile, very clever. As for finishing, hmm, not a chance I fear. Will see if I can reverse engineer the answer to the clues tomorrow.

          1. The Fifteen Squared blog (see the link on the right) has a review of this one. The answers are in plain view though, not hidden like the ones on this site. You could always go and do the puzzle on line on the Indy website and use the reveal letter option

            1. Thanks ever so, forgot about fifteen squared, will try it on line first on Indy site and see how much further I than get.

  14. Very US oriented today and no surprise there. Not too difficult for me except for 19a and 3d which I did require an extra clue. Nice start to the week and thx to all concerned.

  15. I had not heard of 19a, and now that I have I don’t like the clue much. No favourite today, just an appreciation of the overall theme.

    1. Rufus has used the clue before – google shows:
      Guardian Cryptic crossword No 23,383 Monday 21 February 2005
      Financial Times crossword No 12,789 Monday 12 June 2008
      Not that that helps.

  17. As expected an American theme which rather makes things easier.
    Thanks to setter and Libelulle for the hints.

  18. Not too difficult once I caught onto the theme, which I have to confess took me a little while. Couldn’t do 19a at all and was slightly put off by the date in 16a – history was not a strong a point at school and the only two dates that stick in my head are the Battle of Hastings 1066 and American Declaration of Independence 1776 but clearly not. I only had one answer in having read all the across clues and was beginning to think that things were not looking good today and then just seemed to get going. I liked 1, 10, 12 and 23a and 15d (even though I hate the stuff) and 17d. Thanks to Rufus and Libellule. Very hot and sticky in Oxford today.

    1. Kath,
      The thirteen colonies of America were granted independence via the “Treaty of Paris” effectively on September 3, 1783, they declared independence as you correctly state on July 4, 1776. I have updated the blog to reflect this, thanks.

      1. Thanks – this proves just how sketchy my history is – have heard of the Treaty of Paris but didn’t have a clue what it was – information will be stored away for future use!! :smile:

  20. Well – got off to a flying start on this one and like Kath I was just thinking “a bit American today, Rufus” when I twigged the date. D’oh
    All went swimmingly except I couldn’t get 15d (never baked a cake in my life) but Pommers came to the rescue (he says he doesn’t have a clue how he knew of said cake decoration) plus the dreaded 19a – which neither of us got.
    Regarding 19a Sue – I never worked in a gentlemans outfitters but they were all the fashion on ladies “coat dresses” in the 70’s which had pretty big ones!
    Thanks Rufus for an ejoyable puzzle and to BD for helping me get 19a!

    2. I remember coat dresses in the 1970’s so that must be how the word remained in my memory banks.

  21. Well, well, well, all mystified by 19a? I thought that one of the best clues! Just goes to show, dunnit! I.m not so keen on a themed puzzle but got through this with no difficulty, apart from 15d which I admit to using my electronic friend and kicked myself for doing so afterwards

  22. 19a has achieved something – it has inspired my first post! Having exhausted my knowledge of financial terms, pastries, sporting terms, interior decoration and trying to find words which spelled types of coats in reverse, I resorted to this most excellent blog. Soon as I saw the hint I knew the answer. Bit frustrating really as the rest of the puzzle was entertaining. Thanks so much to all involved.

    1. I did wonder earlier today, especially given all the comments on 19a, whether Rufus had originally wanted to put REVERE but couldn’t find a word starting with E for 20d.

      1. Aah! The lowest form of wit!

        (Is this the record number of references to a single clue – 23 references from 57 comments?)

  25. Thanks to Libellule and Rufus for an entertaining puzzle, needed two hints to complete.
    Favourites were 21a and 23a.

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