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DT 27037

by Gazza  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27037

Hints and tips by Gazza

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

It’s a bright, crisp but cold morning here (much better than the horrible rain of the last couple of weeks) and I was cheered by a very enjoyable puzzle from our usual Friday maestro, Giovanni. Let us know how you got on.
If you want to see an answer you’ll need to highlight the gap between the curly brackets under the relevant clue.

Across Clues

7a  One group wants attendant around to provide guidance (8)
{PILOTAGE} – this is the sort of guidance provided to ships’ captains to allow them to get into and out of harbours safely. I (one, Roman numeral) and a synonym for group have a young male attendant placed around them.

9a  General as fellow going after blood, no end (6)
{GORDON} – Giovanni’s trademark academic fellow follows a word for blood without its end letter E to make the surname of the British general who was killed by the forces of the ‘Mad Mahdi’ in Khartoum.

10a  Some duffer mathematically? Yes and no! (6)
{FERMAT} – yes because his name is hidden (some) in the clue; no because he was anything but a duffer, being a famous French mathematician.

11a  Wicked king‘s army destroyed sultan (8)
{TANTALUS} – this is a mythological Greek figure (a king in some versions of the legend) who was punished for his misdeeds by being placed within sight of food and drink but never quite being able to reach them (his name being the origin of the verb to tantalise). Start with the abbreviation for our part-time army (soon to be renamed) and follow this with an anagram (destroyed) of SULTAN.

12a  Magnificent residence with fantastic ambience a help, including lake (8,6)
{BLENHEIM PALACE} – this is the residence, near Oxford, of the Dukes of Malborough (given by a grateful nation to the first Duke for his victories on the battlefield). It’s an anagram (fantastic) of AMBIENCE A HELP with a L(ake) inserted.

15a  Injury requires member to be seen by hospital (4)
{HARM} – a bodily member follows (to be seen by) H(ospital).

17a  Fielders making mistakes (5)
{SLIPS} – double definition.

19a  Bird — young cat gets the tail of one (4)
{KITE} – a word for a young cat (and various other small furry creatures) is followed by the tail letter of (on)E.

20a  Diversion  that could put the sewer temporarily out of action (4,3,7)
{HUNT THE THIMBLE} – this is an old children’s diversion (unlikely to rival the attractions of Xbox and Wii this coming Christmas). Cryptically it’s what someone planning to do some sewing might have to do before they can start. Nice bit of misdirection to make you think that sewer is an underground channel.

23a  Rare boat fashioned in various woods specially cultivated (8)
{ARBORETA} – an anagram (fashioned) of RARE BOAT.

25a  Dormant a short time in period before Easter (6)
{LATENT} – insert A and T(ime) in the name for the forty days leading up to Easter.

27a  Design of trendy shelter (6)
{INTENT} – a charade of an adverb meaning trendy or hot and a canvas shelter.

28a  ‘Left on ship’ is about right! (8)
{LARBOARD} – this is a lovely all-in-one. An old word for the left or port side of a ship is built from L(eft) and an adverb meaning ‘on ship’ containing R(ight).

Down Clues

1d  Religious tome’s heartless anger (4)
{BILE} – the main religious tome among Christians loses its central B (heartless).

2d  Person with little time for Cornish town (6)
{BODMIN} – combine two abbreviations – firstly an informal word for a person, then a short period of time to make the Cornish town best known for its moor and its beast.

3d  Attack making one hide (4)
{PELT} – double definition, the first a verb to attack by hurling missiles.

4d  Business programme in information carried by a US lawyer (6)
{AGENDA} – an informal word for information goes between (carried by) A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for a state prosecutor in the US.

5d  Bird featured in what is dull lecture for listeners (5,3)
{GREAT AUK} – this extinct flightless bird sounds like (for listeners) grey talk.

6d  Finish with copper getting mad, giving description of written evidence (10)
{DOCUMENTAL} – a verb meaning to finish (as in ‘Make sure you ** your homework’) is followed by the chemical symbol for copper and an informal adjective meaning mad or insane.

8d  Performer in a cape with long hair (7)
{ACTRESS} – A and C(ape) are followed by a long lock of hair.

13d  Thrashing could make hate linger (10)
{LEATHERING} – an anagram (could make) of HATE LINGER.

14d  State with sea to east (5)
{MAINE} – this US state is formed from a word for the open ocean followed by E(ast). Since the state does have sea (the North Atlantic) to its east this is a great clue.

16d  Fellows embarrassed, about to get counselled (8)
{MENTORED} – a synonym for fellows and an adjective meaning embarrassed contain (about) TO.

18d  Theologian perhaps affected by the sun when going outside church (7)
{SCHOLAR} – an adjective meaning related to or affected by the sun goes round one of the abbreviations for church.

21d  Go short on food — nice things like chocolates? (6)
{TREATS} – a word for a go or attempt without its final letter (short) is followed (on, in a down clue) by an informal word for food.

22d  Poet‘s change of position (6)
{MOTION} – double definition, the first the name of our previous poet laureate.

24d  Supporter is silly guy losing head (4)
{ALLY} – an informal name for a silly or inept man without (losing) the initial W. One of the theories for the origin of the slur on people with this forename is that one such became separated from his companions at a pop festival in the 1960s and his name was announced many times over the loudspeakers, with the result that the crowd started chanting the name.

26d  Agent may have hurried up when getting cold (4)
{NARC} – an informal name for an (often undercover) US law officer working to enforce the drug laws comes from reversing (up, in a down clue) a verb meaning hurried and following it with C(old).

I thought that there were some very good clues in this one. I particularly liked 10a and 14d but the standout clue for me was 28a. Let us know what you liked.

Today’s Quickie Pun: {PERCEIVE} + {HEARS} = {PERSEVERES}

64 comments on “DT 27037”

  2. Another Friday another wonderful offering from The Don. Not too tricky (IMHO) but required a bit of thinking about (kept trying to use MO for the little time in 2D).
    An excellent anagram in 12A which I was actually able to spell correctly the first time (IE or EI ?).
    Too many good clues to have a favourite today and I guess the only answer I wasn’t overly happy about was 22D as I’m not a great fan of his work.
    Freezing here, will be glad when summers here.

  3. Got stuck with the long one about the sewer by putting in ‘lose the threads’. Otherwise, nothing too much to worry about. As always a brilliant puzzle by Giovanni. Thanks to Gazza for the run-through

  4. What a cracker .Favourites 22d ,11a,and particularly 5d which I am still smiling about
    Pierre was not famous in our house but I thought the yes and no might relate to his occupation as a lawyer and part time mathmetician
    Only minor gripe 26 d.
    Really enjoyable as was the review.
    Thanks

  5. Struggled with this one. Hunt the needle(s) didn’t help. Favourite 5d.

    A tantalus is also a decanter (lockable)

  6. A few in the bottom right took a little while to crack. A little more than 3* difficulty for me judging by my solving time, but at least 4* for enjoyment. Thanks to Giovanni, and to Gazza.

  7. Excellent Friday puzzle,thanks for the review Gazza, goingto score it 3.5*/4*.Did anyone else put in GORMAN for 9a ? as he was a 4* us general,and man =fellow =don.This threw me for a bit and naturally complicated 6d! apart from this ‘blip’things went smoothly.Liked 20a and 7a, and agree that the all in one 28a was a cracker.

  8. Very enjoyable thank you Giovanni and Gazza for your review. Had to laugh at 5d – Mrs SW and I are keen birdwatchers – yet to see one of these !

      1. Well I never ! We thought they bred in Lancashire and have wasted years trying to track them down. We’ll call off our search immediately ! I have advised the RSPB accordingly !

          1. Blast ! Mrs SW and I thought that we had enjoyed the last 2 at L’Enclume 3 weeks ago – with oyster pebbles, buckwheat, foam etc ! and a glass of Ch. Petrus !

  9. What an excellent puzzle. Mind you I did need my electronic help for 11a, knew it was a device to stop servants helping themselves to the spirits (Ken Follet – Fall of Giants) but didn’t realise it was a wicked king. Many great clues but must pick out 28a, 20a and 5d for special mention. Thx to Giovanni for the exercise (even with that dreaded grid!) and Gazza although today I managed without his excellent hints.

    1. PS enjoyed yesterday’s Ray T (am I at last beginning to understand his mindset?), but I was out all day and didn’t get a chance to look at it until very late so didn’t comment.

  10. Agree with Gazza about the misdirection in 20A. It drove me round the bend until I solved 18D – which gave me the letter ‘h’ in the last word. It all fell into place then, with a really obvious answer I might have seen much earlier, had I not fallen into Giovanni’s clever trap.

  11. As I nearly always seem to say on Fridays, I found this tricky while I was doing it but can’t see why now. A bit more than 3* for difficulty and at least 4* for enjoyment.
    There were lots of answers that I got but took a long time to work out why and I ground to a halt in the top left corner – the Cornish town was the problem – managed to convince myself that it had to be ***man and couldn’t think of anything.
    Even though it’s only about six miles from us I spelt the first word of 12a wrong. It certainly has an enormous lake – many years ago I swam in it very late one night – one of life’s slightly less than good ideas!
    I liked 10, 12 and 23a and 21 and 24d. Favourites 28a and 5d.
    With thanks to Giovanni and gazza.
    Arctic here but dry and sunny.

  12. If you are allowed to have 2.75 difficulty then that is what I would award this one but I agree with gazza’s 4* entertainment. Lots of nice clues and I didn’t have any trouble with the hunt in 20a. Thanks to both the gs.

    Elkamere appears to have taken over Elgar’s hob-nailed boots but I have just managed to fill in the final solution.

      1. There are some great puzzles around today. As you say the Elkamere is excellent and the Paul in the Grauniad is a corker.

      2. We shouldn’t really discuss the Toughie on this page, but “pink fluffy slippers” for me today!

  13. Towards the end of a very busy week by my standards. Enjoyed today’s offering and I go with the BD rating. Don’t normally like homophone clues but 5d was an exception. Regards to all

    1. Just edited your comment as I was initially confused by the sort of clue you thought 5d was and then realised that your predictive text had put a ‘b’ where you needed an ‘n’. :)

  14. Very happy with 10A as a great fan of Simon Singh’s book and a fascinating story about the travails of British Mathematician Andrew Wiles. Was a little foxed by the yes/no business and not sure whether is this is a case of more is less?

    1. I totally agree Big Boab and happy St Andrew’s day – although my avatar suggests otherwise I am of Scottish descent and will enjoy a ‘wee drap of the hard stuff’ before retiring this evening. Slainte mhath as Angus Og used to say.

  16. Happy St Andrew’s Day to all of those North of the Border! (Seems to be quite a lot of them on this blog!)

    I notice that BD made an effort! But using Google Chrome the Saltire (?) / Thistle(?) disappears very quickly – overwritten by the “cookie” Thingy!

    A fine puzzle from Giovanni today! Thanks to gazza for explaining 28a!

      1. From my recollection I think I borrowed all four emblems from the relevant rugby teams. You’ll have to wait until next March/April to see the others!

        The heading is set up to appear automatically on the relevant date(s). Next stop Christmas, then Rufus’s birthday.

  17. Thanks to the two G’s. A very quite difficult puzzle, needed 5 hints, & looked up 3 of those. Was 4*/2* for me. Favourite was 10a. Nice sunny day at the Newbury races.

  18. Howdy folks – long time no post. Hope you are all well.
    I think I must have had the brain in gear today as I found this fairly easy. Solved all but 3 of the clues without help from pommers, so I would probably only rate it 2 or 2.5* . . . but definitely 4* enjoyment.
    My only quibble is actually 28a. As an all in 1 it doesn’t quite work. Yes you use all the clue in constructing the answer – but the whole clue is not a definition of the answer. Sorry – or am I missing something?
    Loved 10a – although pommers had to tell me who he was but that had to be the answer!

    Thanks to Giovanni for a lovely crossword and Gazza for an great review.

    1. Hi Pommette – nice to hear from you. Like the avatar – is that new?
      I think that the whole clue in 28a is saying: ‘Left on ship’ is more-or-less correct (about right) for what this word means.

  19. Didn’t get to do much of this one as pommette was filling in the answers before I had time to think! Might have to start printing two copies if she goes on like this!

    Favourite was 10a.

    Thanks to the two G’s

  20. Enjoyed the puzzle though I couldn’t finish it without the hints. I have never heard of 20a and I have read a lot of Enid Blyton! Most satisfying answer for me was 17a as I got it and I know absolutely nothing about cricket! It was about cricket wasn’t it? :)
    Thanks to G and G.
    Sunny here with snow on the ground.

  21. Excellent puzzle with much enjoyment. I think that I may now have graduated to 3* crosswords if this one is anything to go by. Many thanks Gazza for the hints and the Don for an enjoyable crossword

  22. Thanks Gazza – hadn’t though of it like that – I was just thing it should just be Left on ship!
    I’ve had this avatar for a while – the fattest of my lovely “fat cats”. Although we now have a “thin cat” as well.
    Little girl dumped in the streets in a real state and 6 weeks pregnant.
    Now spayed and living with us although the “not so fat, fat cat” hates her and keeps attacking her. Oh dear!
    I’ll try and post a piccie of her. She’s so sweet!

    http://www.minimins.com/members/49842-albums3041-picture66457.JPG

    1. Hi pommette,
      Glad you’re back again! Something funny a bit like this happened with the comments/replies a few weeks ago. Wonder if this will come up as a reply to you or a new comment – shall we find out? Here’s hoping . . .

      2. These types of errors usually occur when a comment which itself has underlying comments is deleted, leaving the lower-level comments ‘orphaned’. But I can’t see that that has happened here.

  26. Forgot to say before but Happy St Andrew’s Day to all our Scottish brethren!

    It’s a public holiday today in our local town as San Andreas is the patron saint of Almoradi – any excuse for a fiesta :grin:

  27. Great puzzle, and I am ashamed I did not get 28a without the Gazza hints (for which thanks) – such a good clue too.

  28. Well 2d had us scrolling through the Wikipedia list of Cornish towns again, and this time we came up trumps. Really enjoyed the puzzle and agree with the ratings.
    Thanks Giovanni and Gazza.

    1. It’s worth remembering for future clues about Cornish placenames that there’s a village in Cornwall called Mousehole (pronounced Mowzel). :D

        1. There are some very weird people in Cornwall (obviously not your mum!). One of my favourite anagrams is A CORNISHMAN = ANACHRONISM.

          1. My mother’s parents had emigrated from Cornwall many,many years ago and my mother was given Cornwall as one of her forenames. Perhaps I have some excuse then for weirdness. Mr 2K.

  29. Just back from the pantomime in The Hague – it was Cinderella with an additional theme of Bond (007) written by a fellow who works at ESTEC here in NL.

    Very pleasant show.

    Solved 95% of the puzzle before being picked up by my son-in-law, daughter and family to go to the Thai restaurant near the theatre first – we each pick a different dish and then share them around. Tasty food!

    Thought this puzzle from the Don a shade easier than usual. Having said that I had a spot of bother with the SW corner as had put “Hide” for the first word of 20a!

    I love reading the blog as one of the problems of being a long-time expat is that you lose current, topical usage of your mother tongue as well as – at my age – impending loss of memory!!! After mid-January, I’ll be in my 90th. year.

  30. very enjoyable.I knew 9a was documents but couldn’t fit it with the clues! Much better than my usual friday efforts. Thanks Giovanni and Gazza

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