Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26685
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A usual Monday crossword from Rufus that should be enjoyed by most. My only niggle is that its a bit of a cornery grid. I will not try to comment on what happened in the semi-final on Saturday, but even in France, the French think the wrong team won.
Highlight the space between the curly brackets to reveal the answer.
Across
1. Reward of mature reflection (13)
{CONSIDERATION} – A double definition, payment given in exchange for a service rendered or careful thought or deliberation:
10. Salesman’s untruthful answers (7)
{REPLIES} – Another word for responses is REP (salesman) plus a word for deliberate false statements.
11. It’s the custom at home (7)
{HABITAT} – A customary manner or practice has AT added to get an area in which something exists or lives.
12. A word of approval for those in favour (4)
{AYES} – The opposite of NOES is also A plus a word used as an affirmative.
13. Salary increased to get out of debt (3,2)
{PAY UP} – A term that means to discharge or settle a debt could also describe what happens if you got a rise in your salary.
14. Mean to be bottom (4)
{BASE} – Double definition. Lacking values or ethics or the lowest part.
17. Pardon sailor’s love affair (7)
{ABSOLVE} – AB’S (sailor’s) and an anagram (affair) of LOVE.
18. Wayward boy about to betray one’s trust (7)
{ERRATIC} – A word that means having no fixed or regular course is a boys name placed around (about) RAT (to betray one’s trust).
19. A palindrome immortalised (7)
{DEIFIED} – A word that can be read backwards and forwards means to make a god of or raise to the condition of a god
22. Period of maritime decline (3-4)
{EBB TIDE} – A cryptic clue that is describing the period at sea between high water and the following low water.
24. Some of the film is true to life, we hear (4)
{REEL} – A word that sounds like (we hear) real.
25. Keep away from a gaping hole (5)
{AVOID} – The definition is keep away. A plus a word for an empty space.
26. Toiletry any local chemist may supply initially (4)
{TALC} – Take the initial letters of the first four words.
29. Be best, getting gold in some type of sports (7)
{OUTDOOR} – A word that means to surpass or exceed in performance is followed by the heraldic term for gold. Result the type of sports that take place in the open air.
30. Necessitates mending net before setting sail (7)
{ENTAILS} – An anagram (mending) of NET followed by an anagram (setting) of SAIL.
31. Master pleaded for change of ship (6,7)
{PADDLE STEAMER} – An anagram of MASTER PLEADED is a ship that is propelled by wheels.
Down
2. Clamp down on work force (7)
{OPPRESS} – A word that means to subjugate by force is the abbreviation of the musical term for work and then another word for to urge into action or impel.
3. Depth of beauty (4)
{SKIN} – “Beauty is only **** deep.”
4. Medical problem for seaside resort (7)
{DISEASE} – An anagram (resort) of SEASIDE.
5. Give someone another occupation (7)
{REHOUSE} – To accommodate someone in a new building.
6. Man in jug? (4)
{TOBY} – A drinking mug in the shape of a stout man wearing a three-cornered hat.
7. Striking appearance of one expelled from society (7)
{OUTCAST} – Split the answer (3,4), the first part could be another word for being on strike, then follow this with a four letter word for the outward form or appearance of something to get a person who is rejected from society or home.
8. Hit or miss affair resulting in wrongful conviction? (5,3,5)
{TRIAL AND ERROR} – Experimenting until a solution is found could also be a court case that results in a mistake.
9. He may get carried away without realising it (9,4)
{STRETCHER CASE} – A person who is sick or wounded may be considered as one.
15. Gift is just about a pound (5)
{FLAIR} – Put L (pound) inside a word that means equitable for another word that means having a natural talent or aptitude.
16. They are used for cheating and lying (5)
{CRIBS} – Double definition, a list of answers illegally used in an exam or a child’s bed.
20. Show sluggishness, i.e. train sloppily (7)
{INERTIA} – An anagram (sloppily) of I.E. TRAIN
21. A split in the union (7)
{DIVORCE} – The legal break up of a marriage.
22. It’s obvious I’ve turned up to make an impression (7)
{EVIDENT} – Reverse I’ve and then add a word that describes a depression in a surface perhaps caused by another car to get a word that means easy to see or understand.
23. Think one enigma may be resolved (7)
{IMAGINE } – I (one) and an anagram (may be resolved) of ENIGMA.
27. Common complaint of many of advanced years (4)
{COLD } – A viral infection is C (the Roman numeral for 100 – many) and a word that means having existed for a relatively long time.
28. Cause of many deaths in Vietnam (4)
{ETNA } – The name of a Sicilian volcano can be found in the word Vietnam.
The Quick crossword pun: {collie} + {flour} = {cauliflower}
Good Pleasant staedy start to the week.Thanks to R & L.
Still sunny this morning In northumberland cannot Last..must get the washing out !!
cheers
Good morning Libelulle, I like your comment above, re Saturday
, enough said! Another lovely typical Rufus crossword which restores confidence, too many clues that I liked to mention, just one very slight quibble, I don’t know about the reast of the country but here in West Wales 24a, reel and real do not sound at all the same! thanks for hints Libelulle though didn’t need them today, afraid all the sunshines gone away today, never mind lots to do, grandson no 2 has 14th birthday today and is coming here for tea, pizzas and cakes ordered all round!
Hope that the birthday party goes well. All our sun has gone too – really quite grey and chilly.
Thanks Kath, not only grey here but pouring with rain!
Not sure if I’m allowed to say this, but here goes; I had a different answer to 16d. I put in a noun depicting people from an area around N.Africa and the Middle East typically which used to be commonly used after the words “cheating” and “lying” as a derogatory term for someone caught doing either of those things. Not used these days for very good reason I’m sure. Did anyone else think the same as me? Thanks to R & L.
I didn’t think of that for 16d which, now that you’ve mentioned it, is a surprise – both versions were regularly used by my Dad!
Well, if I wasn’t already feeling my age…………LOL
I’m REALLY sorry – hadn’t thought of it like that!
If it makes you feel any better, he was absolutely wonderful!!
Don’t worry Kath, I was only joking. I’m sure he was wonderful. So was mine who also used the phrase on a regular basis.
I thought exactly the same but couldn’t believe it would be correct…not these days!!
Morning all. Good start to the week, nothing too taxing and a chance to clear the head after spending all Sunday and most of Saturday drowning my sorrows and complaining about heavy handed referees. Some fun clues today, but no particular stand-out favourites I’m afraid.
Save me a cake Mary
All OK except I struggled with South East corner having put LOW at start of 22a.
As ever, thanks to Libellule..
As Mary has already said, a good crossword to restore confidence, although it took me ages to get 8d – really can’t see why now! 18a took a little while too because I’d decided that the “boy” was bound to be “Ed” with a five letter word in the middle – that, in turn, really messed up 9d! Oh dear! Once I’d sorted out those minor problems it was pretty much “plain sailing”. No particular favourites today. With thanks to Rufus and Libellule.
One of those odd days when seemed to take ages to get going, not to mention the age it took to get the first part of 9d but I ended up only a smidge longer than usual for a Rufus. Thank you to him for a nice start to the week and to Libellule too.
Did anyone think that 19a is a bit odd, with palindrome being spelled out rather than cryptically alluded to?
It certainly made me stop and think twice.
I wondered if it was going to be a red herring of some kind – maybe I just have a suspicious mind.
I just thought it was clever
Very enjoyable crossword, thanks to Rufus and to Libellule.
Off topic but just to say don’t forget to watch our Tilsit and the other members of the Listener Team on Only Connect on BBC4 at 8.30 pm tonight.
thnx Sue will record it
Yes, I put the same middle eastern gentlemen down as my answer. It was my last one in and I was congratulating myself on getting what I thought was a clever (if slightly racist on reflection) clue. Didn’t even check hint, so confident was I. I’d put a red face in here if I could find one on the phone I’m using type this.
Sorry, the comment above should have been in reply to Roland’s comment #3
Last one in for me too – similar self-congratulation……………
Thanks Rufus for the usual gentle start to the crossword week.
Faves : 1a, 19a, 29a, 31a, 8d, 16d, 21d & 27d.
My son has just left to go to the house in The Var as he has to do a bit of window-frame painting before finally going home across the Drink.
I enjoy reading the comments as, after being expatriate nearly half a century, one’s mother tongue becomes outdated!
It was a nice crossword today but for some reason, well stupidity actually, I needed the hints for both 8 and 9 down. Doesn’t augur well for the week ahead. Thanks for the tips Libellule. I really liked 18 down for its lightbulb moment.
Thanks to Rufus for a nice puzzle to start the working week (even if I was off today!). One or two to think about, and I enjoyed it.
Thanks to Libellule for the review.
Thought this was going to be a tough one but apart from the NE corner it was ok. The NE corner did prove tricky though and I needed the hints for it. So thanks to Libellule.
The NE was where I ended up too!
All done without too much angst – last one in was 8d which should have been a giveaway! 29a my favourite for the day.
8d took me ages too – really can’t see why now.
A nice simple solve tonight – not a “Duennas” in sight! Favourite clue was 31a as I like a good anagram. I have to agree with Mary – “Reel” and “Real” do not sound the same where I come from either! Thanks Rufus and Libellule.
Tonight’s dram was a 15-year old Glenlivet.
Thanks to the setter & Libellule, I had feeling it was a 2* for difficulty because I went straight through it. Some nice clues, favourite was 16.