DT 27233 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 27233

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27233

Hints and tips by Big Dave

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

This was comparatively easy, as long as you are wearing the right hat!

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a    Time right to wear this knitted garment (1-5)
{T-SHIRT} – T(ime) followed by R(ight) inside (to wear) an anagram (knitted) of THIS

5a    Violent reaction disheartened slanted character (8)
{BACKLASH} – start with a slanted character \ then remove the middle letter (disheartened)

9a    I dust a loft to be converted in restrictive accommodation (6,4)
{STUDIO FLAT} – an anagram (to be converted) of I DUST A LOFT

10a    Defective work taking place in railway (4)
{ROPY} – a musical work inside the abbreviation for R(ailwa)Y

11a    Crack Northern priest in US city for retirement (3-5)
{ONE-LINER} – a crack or short witty remark is derived by putting N(orthern) and an Old Testament priest inside the reversal (for retirement) of a US city

12a    Earl excited around house in Asian city (6)
{LAHORE} – an anagram (excited) of EARL around HO(use)

13a    Depressed
college athlete (4)
{BLUE} – two definitions

15a    Former student thus allowed close to college and past it (8)
{OBSOLETE} – a charade of a former student, a two-letter word meaning thus, a verb meaning allowed and the final letter of (close to) collegE

18a    Romantic novelist showing craft in family with daughter (8)
{CARTLAND} – a three-letter word for craft inside a family, followed by D(aughter)

19a    Noise from boxer, say, giving natural protection (4)
{BARK} – two definitions – the boxer is an example (say) of a type of animal

21a    Bad diction encapsulating compulsive fan (6)
{ADDICT} – hidden (encapsulating) inside the clue

23a    One’s happy to have shed habit? (8)
{NATURIST} – a cryptic definition of someone who practises communal nudity

25a    Star member of Python team mentioned (4)
{IDOL} – this star or xxx sounds like (mentioned) the surname of Python team member Eric

26a    Fur needed when getting cold in populous country (10)
{CHINCHILLA} – a cold that causes shivering inside a populous country

27a    March round lots possibly in obscure conditions (8)
{FOOTSLOG} – the round letter and an anagram (possibly) of LOTS inside obscure weather conditions

28a    Love shown by Anglican group for wild cat (6)
{OCELOT} – O (love) followed by some Church of England people (Anglican group)

Down

2d    Demonstrated shiny material (5)
{SATIN} – split as (3,2) this means demonstrated or protested

3d    Popular lord backing fellow that’s easy-going (9)
{INDULGENT} – a two-letter word meaning popular followed by the reversal (backing) of a slang word for a lord and a posh chap (fellow)

4d    The Thunderer covering city in brief may be problematic (6)
{THORNY} – the Scandinavian thunder god followed by the abbreviated form of a US city

5d    A morning call bod made in recreational activity (8,7)
{BALLROOM DANCING} – an anagram (made) of A MORNING CALL BOD

6d    Tom, say, getting a set of items, we hear — engineer of change? (8)
{CATALYST} – the creature of which a tom is an example (say) followed by the A from the clue and what sounds like (we hear) a set of items

7d    Tree and lake overlooking curved structure (5)
{LARCH} – L(ake) followed by a curved structure

8d    Part’s sure to be rewritten for celebrity (9)
{SUPERSTAR} – an anagram (to be rewritten) of PART’S SURE

14d    Inn loud lad disrupted I abandoned in Welsh place (9)
{LLANDUDNO} – an anagram (disrupted) of (I)NN LOUD LAD without (abandoned) the I

16d    Dissolute character in family cut by warring tribe (9)
{LIBERTINE} – family or heritage around (cut by) an anagram (warring) of TRIBE

17d    Strategic conversation almost about part of play I caught (8)
{TACTICAL} – almost all of a conversation around part of a play, I and C(aught)

20d    Decorative work from firm after reversing economy measures (6)
{STUCCO} – a two-letter abbreviation for a firm after the reversal of some economy measures

22d    Coastline feature favoured by rental property (5)
{INLET} – a two-letter word meaning favoured or popular followed by a rental property

24d    Discharge some proposal voluntarily (5)
{SALVO} – hidden (some) inside the clue

My money is on the “slightly mad” setter today – what do you think?

The Quick crossword pun: (tusk} + {canny} = {Tuscany}

73 comments on “DT 27233”

  1. I thought that this was going to be so very, very easy after spotting all the obvious anagram indicators. But, the Setter took his revenge when I ground to a halt on the last few! Thank You, Mr Ron.

    Now what to do? Cricket or Golf?

      1. I’m hoping you are both talking about watching not doing!

        Steady now, chaps – we don’t want any paramedic attendance.

        1. Definitely not the cycling – Alpe d’Huez TWICE . I think I might need a few drugs to even watch it!

          Where’s my Domestique? Another drink, please.

    2. Cricket until 1 pm (if England’s innings lasts that long) then the Tour de France. The only drawback of watching the Tour is the terrible afternoon adverts – endless parasitic lawyers and countless repeats of Michael Parkinson flogging his life insurance (‘you get a free pen’!).

      2. I can’t believe you get those horrible lawyer ads in UK. I thought it was exclusive to here in the US. Well, you live and learn. All I can say is that I’m glad we are not the only sufferers. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

  2. This had the feel of a Petitjean puzzle, although definitely one of his easier ones (if one of his).
    Thanks to setter, and to BD for the review.

    The other puzzle by Beam/RayT was a most enjoyable workout that kept me busy for a while.

  3. **/*** – I agree with you, Dave. I must have been “wearing the right hat” (in the sun) as I found this simple but good fun. 11a amused me. Thank you setter for fun in the sun!

  4. Has anyone else noted how often “espy” crops up in x-words? It’s here again today in the Quick. Bit outmoded innit?

      1. My Wordsearch program gives EBPP, ESPE, ESPN & EPPS in addition to yours as ‘common words’ – eh?

  5. I agree with the rating but was cross with myself for not getting 4d which interfered with 11a. To be honest Reno would not pop up in my first 100 US cities, but still……

    I was so convinced that the thunderer was The Times, together with my belief that ‘covered’ meant surrounded by that I couldn’t see beyond the end of my nose!

    Pretty good though.

  6. I enjoyed this offering liking 11A & 23A 27A.Managed to finish without resorting to the hints, thanks to the setter & BD for the review.Cricket not going well at the momment.

  7. Not too difficult I thought, but disturbed by England’s start in the cricket which caused some delays ! Better stick with the sunshine and the golf ! Thank you setter for an enjoyable puzzle and BD for your review.

  8. I too put the ‘right hat’ on this morning, far better going than I normally expect on a Thursday.

    Many thanks to the setter and, of course, to BD for the hints (though I didn’t need them for a change)

    Just yesterday’s to do on my way home later…

  9. Lots of fun and given the heat today not too much of a stretch for the poor old brainbox. Some nice straight forward clues and anagram indicators. Didn’t fall into the Thunderer (Times) trap as my grandfather sculpted Thor for the front of the Naval Training College in Plymouth. The college has gone by the statue remains as a feature in the housing development that replaced the college. Thanks to the setter and BD. Stay cool everyone.

  10. Fairly straight forward today. I was held up for a few moments with 4D wondering what The Paper Who’s Name Will No Pass My Lips’ had to do with it and then toying with Sousa, but had a slight D’Oh moment as he was always my favourite Marvel Comics character. Managed to finish before the cricket started although with the way thing are going, I may need to switch to the glof (off to wash my mouth out with soap).

    1. ‘Glof’ sounds as if you’ve already got soap in your mouth and a bit of sponge too!

      1. Always called it Glof – not sure why, probably an old Goons thing or something similar

  11. What a difficult day – Golf on BBC2 – Cricket on Sky – and you’ve got to do the Crossword! (i forgot about the Tour De France – there’s another distraction!)

    England losing a couple of early wickets gave me the impetus to get on with this – a nice gentle one for the first day of the Lords Test.

    The only citicism I had was 19a being able to be solved by General Knowledge without working out the cryptic bit!

    I’m having more trouble with the Quick Crossword – can’t get 20a or 17d – big sigh!

      1. Is the answer supposed to be between the brackets? If so, it doesn’t work on Ipads!

        1. It does. You have to put your finger on the space until you get the ‘copy’ box. Click that, then go to the address bar, touch after the last forward slash and hit ‘paste’. The hidden word will appear in the address bar.

        1. 14A – think of a seal in a car engine that ‘goes’ and costs a fortune to repair – usually known as the Head ________

            1. Definitely not gusset. Rhymes with something you might be buried in (and not coffin, avalanche or sand)

          2. Thank you, skempie, for a bit of sense! However didn’t I see that? :roll:
            Have to admit that gusset was my first thought too if only because it was the only word I could think of that fitted with the letters I had – knew it wasn’t right though! Trust gazza! :smile:

  12. All very straightforward and enjoyable. Not convinced about ‘close to’ in 15 implying the last letter. Tenuous, I thought.

    1. ‘Close’ as in end of not near – it’s used quite often to mean the last letter of something.

  14. I was a bit worried when the first thing I noticed was that 1a pointed to an anagram of THIS.

    I must have been on the setter’s wavelength today as I breezed through this in less than 1* time. Nevertheless I really liked a lot of the clues and found the whole thing very enjoyable (3*). I especially liked 5a, 23a (no photo, BD?), and 2d. 5d is one of Mrs RD’s and my favourite recreational activiites.

    Two little quibbles. I’m not keen on using Lud for Lord, and Strategic is not a synonym for Tactical. Strategy is a long term plan; tactics are short term actions for implementation – at least in business and various games, particularly chess.

    Many thanks to Mr. Ron and BD.

    1. Yes, I get irritated when answers aren’t quite exact or proper. But then I remind myself that a crossword isn’t a Thesaurus but a game. Then I calm down…..

      1. You are right, but I have been an English Language, Grammar, Punctuation pedant for too long to stop now :wink:

  15. Enjoyed this one, rushed through about two thirds and then bogged down, retired for bfast, and on return all came together.

    Thanks to BD for the review, hints not needed, but there was some wordplay I’d missed in the initial rush.

    Thanks to the setter, PJ possibly…but no obscure contemporary music clues.

  16. This puzzle took ages to get going, but in the end we got there without hints, although with some electronic cheating!! Hurrah. What’s the matter with our opening batsmen? Perhaps Root should have been left lower in the batting order, he seemed to do better without the pressure of opening.

  17. Agree with BD ‘S **/***not too taxing .Couch potatoes nemesis today, think of all that build up of stress wondering what to watch! Settled for the crossword outside with the cricket on inside, isn’t playback a great invention, every wicket available at the touch of a button ,and in colour.

    1. Assuming you are not Australian, Beaver, we don’t want to see any more wickets on playback today…

      2. Please forgive this question, and don’t let the wrath of the Gods rain down on me, I thought the Aussies lost the Test ? What was the weeping and wailing about if they are still playing?

        1. The Ashes is a series of five Test Matches each lasting five days (I can hear a gasp of horror from a non-cricket lover!).

          Today is the first day of the second Test! English nails are being bitten again already.

          1. Thanks. I do seem to remember something like that but it’s been so long. My brother was mad for cricket and, of course, being in Jamaica, played it at school. Jamaicans are still crazy about cricket and you just need a clearing in a village and the boys are playing cricket with coconut boughs.

  18. I wouldn’t argue with **/***. Pleasant accompaniment to the golf (watching rather than playing today).

  19. I agree with the **/*** today. Fairly easy but required some thought. Stupidly missed the anagram in 16d and needed hint for the last one in 27a. Battled with 3d because of the lud for lord. Got the answer without knowing why until I wrote it in. Shall try to remember that for future use. Sometimes struggle on Thursday so thanks to both setter and BD

  20. Nice puzzle today, not too taxing which given the heat is no bad thing.
    Wish England found batting and Tory found golfing as easy!
    Thx to all.

  21. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the review and hints. No major problems, but couldn’t parse 5a, needed the hints to explain. No real favourites was 2*/3* for me. Sweltering in Central London, come on England.

  22. I was obviously, as per BD, wearing the right hat today. I galloped through this, with my only real sticking point 4d, I wanted Thor to have a city INSIDE, covering, then the penny dropped and I realised that Thor sat on top of the city. What a duh moment! My many trips driving to Lampeter made 14d easy peasy as passed through it many times.

    Good start to another rainy, flooding day. We had something like five inches yesterday and the pool is full to the brim. Thanks to setter and hinter, but didn’t need you today.

  23. I think it sounds as if we were all wearing the right hat today – is it one of his? I usually really enjoy them but find them more difficult than I did today. 2* difficulty and 4* for enjoyment. Maybe he’s letting us off lightly because of the hot weather.
    No real hold ups today apart from 4d – same problem as Merusa. I also wanted 23a to have something to do with a nun – oh dear!
    I liked far too many to write them all down – it would bore you all rigid.
    With thanks to whoever set this one and to BD.
    It’s not my week – yesterday lost phone – today some swine has made a huge dent in my car while it was parked at Homebase. :sad:

  25. I,too,was wearing the right hat today & what a relief after yesterday’s slog. What , all you men not boycotting the golf at the. ‘men only ‘ club?!!!!

    1. Things have improved a lot as far as male dominated golf clubs are concerned. In the 70s the company I worked for held a customer golf day at a club just outside Bristol, and the sign on the clubhouse door read “No Dogs or Women”. I haven’t been back since, but I assume they have removed it now.

      2. They haven’t removed the sign but it has been modified:

        It now reads “No Dogs or Women!”

        (ps! There are also Women Only golf clubs in this Sceptred Isle)

      3. I happen to be a women’s rights adherent, but a men’s only club, funnily enough, bothers me not at all. If they don’t want me, I’ll go elsewhere. I mind the “no dogs” more! Not being wanted in a club doesn’t seem too earth shattering.

        1. Agree with that, Merusa. And I have some appreciation of Groucho Marx’s saying: “I’d never want to belong to a club that would have me for a member” ! (even though the context of his quote was sad)…. But now keeping out Poppy would be a different matter entirely :-)

  26. I’m not wearing any headwear at all but I did set today’s crossword. Many thanks to BD for the blog and everyone for their comments. Greetings from a sun-bleached SW London.

  27. Very straightforward puzzle – meticulously clued. Thanks Shamus!

    Got my two-monthly haircut today to cope with the summer heat in my top level flat!
    Air-conditioner has packed in!

    Am 89 and a half y.o. today – shall celebrate with grilled slibtong (sole from the mud) and a drop of Vouvray.

    1. You put us all to shame, Derek!

      Note to self – don’t complain about ageing brain as an excuse.

      Congrats on your half year anniversary. Does your advanced age mean that you now like to celebrate twice as often? Good idea! I would..

      1. Many thanks Bluebird!

        Yes, I always celebrate bi-annually – after all remember – “here today – gone tomorrow”.

        On ne sait jamais. One never knows!

    2. Congratulations on your 89 1/2th. Think I’d rather order slibtong rather than mud sole. I’m on chilli (home made of course)

      1. Hi skempie!

        The fish was very good along with the rest of the trimmings!

        Here in NL it is damned hot and yet we still have to get to early August which traditionally is the hottest part of the year!

        Espérons!

        1. Happy half Anniversary Derek. Chilled Vouvray? Do hope your air con gets fixed soon…

          1. Thanks Poppy!

            Yes white wine is always chilled!

            Some people like Beaujolais chilled!

    3. Happy 89 and a 1/2 from me too, Vouvray on order for the weekend, as ever following your wine / food tips

  28. We had gone to bed before this one was posted last night so very late in commenting. We found it quite tricky but good fun. We pondered about who the setter might be and are now very glad that we need to ponder no longer. Like to think that we may have guessed correctly, but perhaps not.
    Thanks Shamus and BD.

  29. I left the paper on a train, now cannot remember where my dots were, but I know there were lots, so thanks Shamus and BD

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