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DT 26704

by Gazza  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26704

Hints and tips by Gazza

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

Some easy clues today, but some requiring a bit more thought. Your views, as always, are welcome.
To reveal an answer highlight the space between the brackets under the clue.

Across Clues

1a  Casual tuna Nicoise salad with no end of mayonnaise (10)
{INSOUCIANT} – an anagram (salad) of TUNA NICOIS(e) without the final letter of mayonnaise gives us an adjective meaning casual or nonchalant.

6a  ‘Wrack’ is Emerson, Lake and Palmer touching rock bottom (4)
{KELP} – wrack is a coarse brown seaweed which may be seen on the shoreline as evidence of how far the tide comes in. If you put the initials of the quoted band after (touching) the last letter (bottom) of (roc)K you get another word for the same thing. Wrack can also mean vengeance, punishment or torture so I suppose this is how we’re meant to read the surface, but it’s not very smooth.

ARVE Error: need id and provider

10a  Gold coin in circulation (5)
{ORBIT} – a charade of the heraldic term for gold and a coin.

11a  Rail about peers turning out criminal (9)
{DESPERADO} – a dangerous criminal comes from a waist-high moulding or rail around the walls of a room containing an anagram (turning out) of PEERS.

12a  Loud organ gets a little frightening (8)
{FEARSOME} – the musical abbreviation for loud is followed by a bodily organ and a synonym for a little (as in “Would you like a little cheese?”) to make an adjective meaning frightening.

13a  Always available for panto performance (2,3)
{ON TAP} – a phrase meaning always available is an anagram (performance?) of PANTO.

15a  Silly me sing badly? By gum, that’s got about (7)
{MUGGINS} – a term for a foolish or gullible person, normally applied to oneself (silly me!) comes from an anagram (badly) of SING after (by) a reversal (got about) of gum.

17a  Transport service following in sudden movement (7)
{TRAFFIC} – this word means the movement of vehicles (transport). Put one of our armed services and F(ollowing) inside an involuntary sudden movement of the face.

19a  Grandad dropping cold stern exterior (7)
{OLDSTER} – drop the exterior letters of ‘cold stern’ to leave someone who’s getting on a bit (grandad).

21a  Commotion involving amateur sailors ordered about in hurricane (7)
{TORNADO} – the definition here is hurricane so what we want is another word for a violent storm. An informal word (2-2) for a commotion or fuss contains (involving) A(mateur) and the abbreviation for our sailors, but in reverse order (ordered about).

22a  Palate manifesting refinement (5)
{TASTE} – double definition.

24a  Fish go to the bottom to devour last of krill (8)
{FLOUNDER} – a verb meaning (of a ship) to fill with water and go to the bottom has the last letter of (kril)L inserted (to devour) to make a small flatfish.

27a  One with overriding tendency to pry creating clamour (9)
{NOISINESS} – start with I (one, in Roman numerals) and around it (overriding) put a tendency to pry into other people’s affairs to make a clamour or din.

28a  Incumbent’s first good look round White House (5)
{IGLOO} – white house is falsely capitalised to try to make you think of a building in Washington DC whereas the one you want is to be found further north. String together the first letter of I(incumbent), G(ood), the usual Crosswordland word for look and a round letter.

29a  ‘Repast’ is regularly ‘nosh’ (4)
{EATS} – regular letters from the clue provide another informal word for nosh.

30a  The orchids flourish in a part of London (10)
{SHOREDITCH} – an anagram (flourish) of THE ORCHIDS produces an area in the London Borough of Hackney.

Down Clues

1d  One old-fashioned star (4)
{IDOL} – start with I (one) and follow this with an anagram (fashioned) of OLD.

2d  Underwater mud grebes churned up (9)
{SUBMERGED} – an anagram (churned up) of MUD GREBES.

3d  Absolute lunatic losing head (5)
{UTTER} – it’s old chestnut time. Drop the initial N (losing head) from an informal name for a lunatic to leave an adjective meaning absolute or out-and-out.

4d  Trendy parties — outside or not outside (7)
{INDOORS} – the definition here is not outside. An informal word for trendy or fashionable is followed by another word for parties or social gatherings, then all that goes around (outside) OR.

5d  New advancement starting to develop (7)
{NASCENT} – an adjective meaning starting to develop or showing signs of potential is formed from N(ew) followed by an advancement or rise.

7d  Practise extortion to be precise (5)
{EXACT} – double definition.

8d  Firm taking time to go into profit for speculator (10)
{PROSPECTOR} – put T(ime) inside the usual abbreviation for a firm or company then put all that inside (to go into) a verb meaning to profit or make money. The whole thing is someone who speculates on finding something valuable.

9d  Carefree broadcasting under leadership of Digital European Bureau (8)
{DEBONAIR} – a phrase (2,3) meaning broadcasting goes after (under, in a down clue) the leading letters of Digital European Bureau to make an adjective meaning carefree or urbane.

14d  Note that is about 40% of Mancunians consuming fortified wine (10)
{IMPORTANCE} – note is the definition and here it means significance or distinction. The abbreviation for ‘that is’ goes round the first four letters (that is four out of ten) of Mancunians, then that goes round (consuming) a fortified wine.

16d  Fearless Republican getting lukewarm reception after putting home first (8)
{INTREPID} – the definition is fearless or daring. R(epublican) goes inside (getting … reception) a synonym for lukewarm, then all that is preceded (putting first) by a word meaning at home.

18d  Pulse of unfinished Follett novel capturing era (9)
{FLAGEOLET} – this is a pulse or type of kidney bean. Put an anagram (novel) of FOLLET(t) without the last letter (unfinished) around (capturing) a synonym for era.

20d  Take drink in silence after umpire deducted two points (7)
{REFRESH} – a verb meaning to take drink is formed from a call for silence following a synonym for umpire after two points of the compass (both the same) have been removed (deducted).

21d  Appropriate time to wake up — right? (7)
{TROUSER} – appropriate is the definition and it’s not an adjective but a verb. String together T(ime), a verb to wake up and R(ight).

23d  Naïve beginner appearing in sketch is poor (5)
{SKINT} – the first letter (beginner) of naïve goes inside (appearing in) a comedy sketch to make an informal adjective meaning having no money.

25d  Some of old A1 a nightmare going north in a Sprite (5)
{NAIAD} – hidden (some) and reversed (going north, in a down clue) is a sprite or water nymph.

26d  Could be goat starts to meander over the heath (4)
{MOTH} – a flying insect of which a goat is one type (could be), apparently because it smells like a goat, comes from four initial letters (starts) in the clue.

The clues which I liked best were 19a, 4d and 21d. Let us know what tickled your fancy.

Today’s Quickie Pun: {CHAR} + {LEA} + {PAR} + {CUR} = {CHARLIE PARKER}

57 comments on “DT 26704”

  1. All the hallmarks of Petitjean in an enjoyable crossword today. Thanks to the setter and to Gazza for the review.

    Messinae makes a rare appearance in the Toughie today with a crossword that is on a par with the back-page in terms of difficulty.

  2. Enjoyable Xword today. By far the best clue for me was 21d. Had to look up the meaning of 18d.
    Thanx to Compiler and to Gazza.

  3. I thoroughly enjoyed this morning’s puzzle. It brightens up a really dreiche morning here in Northumberland. Fav clue 15a. Thanks setter and Gazza. :D

    1. I’ve just used the same word to describe the weather here in the East Midlands to my wife! Dreich & Mizzly!

      1. I’d not heard of the term before but it seems to perfectly describe what it’s like here in Peterborough!

  4. Well, must admit to never having heard of 26D, but was fairly easy to work out. 27A and 21D took a bit of working out, but the rest seemed pretty straight forward and a lot of fun again. Needed something to brighten the day up, its ‘orrible here,thanks to the setter for bringing a little ray of sunshine into the dull, grey day that is the far North East of Somerset.

      2. I’m having trouble with this. Is it an anagram of MOTHS inside UK, or of QUITE inside UK? ;)

        The xword was pretty simple, but enjoyable.

  5. A few tricky ones today I thought. I enjoyed the puzzle; thanks to setter (could it be Shamus today?), and to gazza for the notes.

    Back to complete the last couple in the Toughie from Messinae, which is also quite enjoyable.

  6. Goos morning Gazza, I enjoyed this one, although I didn’t find it easy, lots of googling answers to see if they were correct and ‘help’ from my ‘electronic friends’ ! fav clues for me were 4d and 28a, lots of clues today involving taking letters off or adding on, parts of words etc. I don’t normally like this, but I thought all the clues were ‘workable’ even though the reading wasn’t great in all of them eg 6a, a three star all round for me today :-D

  7. Not too difficult today, but very enjoyable. Several favourites including 11a, 28a, 4d, 14d & 21d. The one I couldn’t work out the reason for was 8d. I knew it had to be the answer but just couldn’t see how the clue worked. Many thanks to Setter and to Gazza – particularly for explaining that one.

  8. Oh dear!! It would seem that I’m the only one to have found this really difficult. Have finally finished without needing the hints but it’s taken a while. I got myself into a terrible pickle with various bits but mainly the top right hand corner – 6a was the last one and I just couldn’t see 8d for ages – thought about the bulls and stags and all the other animals but they didn’t seem to help much. I enjoyed today’s “offering” but it’s pretty close to my limit. I liked 12, 15 and 19a and 21 and 22d. With thanks to whoever set this one and to Gazza for the hints.
    Miserable day here – grey and drizzly and barely even light. :sad:

      1. So glad that it’s not just me! :smile: I agree about Big Dave and his friends – where would we be without them?

  9. Quickly-solved, enjoyable puzzle today.
    Faves : 1a, 15a, 24a, 27a, 14d, 18d, 21d & 26d.
    11a had me puzzled for a while as dado is a new word for me!

    Sun still shining in this neck of the platteland!

  10. A lovely start to Tuesday. Thanks to the Mysteron – my favourite was 21d. Thanks to Gazza too.

    The Toughie is good too today, Toughness wise a cross between a harder back pager and an easier Toughie.

  11. A fun solve for my train journey down to London today! Had not heard of 18d before and I thought 6a was a bit iffy (why are we talking their initials?), but, that aside, it was enjoyable.
    Fave clue? Has to be 28a – just brilliant! :)

      1. Thanks Sue – not heard of them personally, but it didn’t really hold me up as I’d heard of that type of seaweed and the ‘K’ gave it away! I still think an ‘initially’ or something would have been more helpful. :)

  12. Finished this for first time in ages with no help but don’t understand the meaning of 21 – I formed the word from the clue but don’t se how it means appropriate or am I on the wrong track ?

        2. Now you see Mary, if you and Collywobbles got out of the habit of mentioning the word in the solution in your weekday comments, you wouldn’t spend so much time eating cake at the weekend :D

            1. Thanks very much – completely new one to me – add it to the list – although how long they stay there these days is debatable :)

              1. Same here, lists have to be written these days, the problem then is remembering where they are! :-)

                1. Mary – your lists are wherever your husband has put them!! In our house whatever HE has lost is where I’VE tidied it away to! :smile: In fairness he’s usually right – whatever he has lost is always found somewhere only I would have put it.

    2. both appropriate and the answer to the clue mean to steal or take from, the solution means to embezzle.

  13. Two days on I am still getting trouble renewing my ‘clued up’ subscription, if it wasn’t for some kind friends I wouldn’t have been able to do yesterdays or todays crossword!

    1. At last success, they made me cancel my old membership and take out a new one! At least it means I get a seven day free trial :-) , I might just try the toughie now

  14. Excellent puzzle today.bthx to the setter and.to Gazza for explaining 1d. Never occurred to me that fashioned was an anagram indicator. Best clue for m was 18d, love my pulses :-)

    1. SO nice to hear a tad of enthusiasm coming from you Brian!! Are you getting better at doing the crosswords or just a bit more tolerant? :smile:

  15. Overall I thought this was best described as a workman-(or woman)-like puzzle, with no real stand-out clues. But no complaints either. Thanks pJ (?) & Gazza.

    1. I agree. I like this sort of puzzle, you write down what the clue says to do and sometimes have to look up a word to see if it exists and learn some new words. 18d and 21d were new to me.

  16. Well I thought i was progressing well with my crosswords but I’ve been pretty rubbish over the last few days

    2. Hi Mystic Meg – if you can do as BD suggests and look into your crystal ball you could just throw a few answers in my direction – judging how badly I did today I could need them!

  17. All done except 15a which goes down as a DOH! moment. Found this much easier than yesterday’s. Thanks for the review.

  18. I couldn’t see 15a either. Or that goat. Liked 11a, and 28a. 3d was enjoyable, if a little dubious. I liked 29a too, for some reason. 9d – is there such an org? 16d was probably the best clue, by traditional standards, though I think I enjoyed 19a the most. Sweet and simple.

    1. Your comment had to be moderated because you’ve changed your handle – both the old and new ones should work from now on.

  19. Thanks to Gazza and the setter. I found this a real struggle, so didn’t really enjoy it. Needed 3 hints, 2 of which I had to look up. Favourites were 11a & 6 a.

  20. Could someone ask the puzzles editor on my behalf:
    (1) Will the puzzles.telegraph.co.uk page become available again soon to overseas subscribers?
    (2) In the meantime could pdfs be made available again, as they were on bigdave’s site for a while?
    (Cryptic_Quick_2023566a.pdf on the telegraph site is not updated?)

    1. Welcome to the blog petereck

      The site is impossible to use between the hours of 11.00pm and 06.00am GMT – even for UK subscribers.

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