Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27512
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
We have a fairly typical Tuesday puzzle with nothing very obscure. I quite enjoyed it – how about you?
You can see an actual answer by highlighting what’s concealed between the brackets under the relevant clue.
Across Clues
1a Sparks flying across centre in Montgenevre, before one social event there? (5-3)
{APRÈS-SKI} – Montgenèvre is a winter sports resort in the French Alps so what sort of social event would you expect there? It’s an anagram (flying) of SPARKS containing (across) the central letter of Montgenèvre, finishing with the Roman numeral for one.
5a Notice only change (6)
{ADJUST} – a charade of an abbreviated notice and an adverb meaning only or barely.
9a Yellow invertebrate? (9)
{SPINELESS} – two meanings – yellow here means lily-livered.
11a Composer: he wrote nonsense about Hungary’s capital (5)
{LEHAR} – the name of the English writer of nonsense verse contains the capital letter of Hungary.
There was an Old Lady whose folly,
Induced her to sit on a holly;
Whereon by a thorn,
Her dress being torn,
She quickly became melancholy.
12a Bad storm around northern end of Quebec (6)
{RANCID} – put a verb to storm or assault around N(orthern) and the end letter of Quebec.
13a Healing ointment said to come from a royal residence (8)
{BALMORAL} – a charade of healing ointment and ‘said’ (as opposed to written).
15a English inside eat hot scones prepared as a snack (6,2,5)
{CHEESE ON TOAST} – an anagram (prepared) of EAT HOT SCONES with E(nglish) inserted in it.
18a Threaten to turn up with broken nose and choppers (4,4,5)
{SHOW ONE’S TEETH} – a charade of a verb to turn up or appear, an anagram (broken) of NOSE and choppers or gnashers.
22a One may help you along the way (8)
{SIGNPOST} – cryptic definition of a more traditional aid to navigation that you may need if your satnav goes on the blink.
23a Caught, sadly, bringing in illegal, originally from ferry port (6)
{CALAIS} – the abbreviation for caught, as it appears on cricket scorecards, is followed by an exclamation meaning sadly with the starting (originally) letter of I(llegally) inserted.
26a Join one by end of esplanade (5)
{UNITE} – a word meaning one or an individual thing is followed by the end letter of esplanade.
27a Wagner opera long confused with Rhine (9)
{LOHENGRIN} – an anagram (confused) of LONG and RHINE.
28a Synopsis to think over (6)
{DIGEST} – double definition, the second a verb to assimilate information and mull it over.
29a Budding team up in hospital unit (8)
{EMERGENT} – a verb to team up or join forces goes inside the usual hospital department.
Down Clues
1d Summary difficult to understand (8)
{ABSTRACT} – two meanings – the first a summary or précis and the second an adjective meaning conceptual or, in the case of art, non-realistic or in many cases totally incomprehensible.
2d Rule, then abdicate, not having son (5)
{REIGN} – a verb to abdicate or give notice without the abbreviation for son.
3d Description of a design that is second class (7)
{SPECIES} – string together a) an abbreviation for the detailed description of the design and materials used to make something, b) the abbreviation for that is and c) S(econd). In non-scientific terms the answer and class may be synonyms but in the hierarchy of biological classification the two are quite distinct.
4d Hold the fort? (4)
{KEEP} – two meanings, the second a fort or stronghold.
6d Cover that’s turned up on Austen novel causes a quandary (7)
{DILEMMA} – reverse (turned up, in a down clue) a cover and follow it (on, in a down clue) with the only one of Jane Austen’s novels to feature the heroine’s name in the title (she was probably dissuaded from using Fanny instead of Mansfield Park).
7d Cinema worker is lax he utters — energy needs to be conserved (9)
{USHERETTE} – an anagram (is lax) of HE UTTERS with E(nergy) put inside it (conserved).
8d Reptile to go off, briefly let out (6)
{TURTLE} – a verb to go off or become sour (e.g. milk) without its last letter (briefly) is followed by an anagram (out) of LET.
10d Jumped across opening in lane and caused a surprise (8)
{STARTLED} – a verb meaning jumped or twitched contains (across) the opening letter of lane.
14d Great local’s so in need of renovation (8)
{COLOSSAL} – an anagram (in need of renovation) of LOCAL’S SO.
16d Relaxed, getting simple summons to meal about lunchtime? (4-5)
{EASY-GOING} – a synonym for simple followed by what the butler will bash (the next time you’re staying in a stately home) to summon you to a meal, with the traditional hour for lunch inserted.
17d The sort of stale joke that might get a roasting! (8)
{CHESTNUT} – double definition – I’m sure I don’t need to say more.
19d Her opus excited entrancing poet (7)
{ORPHEUS} – an anagram (excited) of HER OPUS gives us the poet in Greek mythology who could entrance wild beasts with his singing and playing.
20d Rough terrain for a coach (7)
{TRAINER} – an anagram (rough) of TERRAIN.
21d Published, and gets prosecuted? (6)
{ISSUED} – if split as (2,4) this can mean gets prosecuted in a civil court.
24d A nearly new suit (5)
{AGREE} – A (from the clue) followed by an adjective meaning new or inexperienced without its final N (nearly).
25d First to sell meat paste? (4)
{SHAM} – the first letter of S(ell) followed by a type of meat makes an adjective meaning imitation or fake which can describe jewellery, for example, made of paste.
My top clues today were 18a and 16d. How about you?
Today’s Quickie Pun: {REEL} + {AILS} = {REAL ALES}
A pleasant solve completed while watching my wife swimming in the pool in sunny South Devon. Thanks to setter and to Gazza for the review.
Dog got his walk very early today. I see Gazza shares my taxonomical unease over 3D, and 25D is a bit strained IMHO, otherwise a very pleasant start to the day.
Needed help on 2d apart from that fairly straightforward , agree **|*** thanks to setter &Gazza for help on 2d
@Dave Hartley – spot on! Very enjoyable solve until 3d which I might have guessed, but would never have solved by deduction. Not too keen on 25d either!
However, I enjoyed 1a, 15a and 13a in particular. Thanks, setter and Gazza.
A gentle canter with no real problems encountered although there did seem to be an abundance of anagrams which always makes solving easier.
Thanks to Mr Ron & to Gazza.
My puzzle isn’t loading today. Is anyone else having the same problem.
Gaza, could you send me a copy?
Sorry, I’ve got it
Mine hasn’t loadedeither so its back to the mess of pen and paper. I know that it is solved and the words are what I say they are. It is a complete mess though. I prefer the ipad. I never could write reading.
What’s an ipad MP?
My crossword handwriting tool. I can understand what i have written with it.
I share the opinions of Gazza , Dave Hartley, Bifield and Clarkey.Thanks to all concerned.
Thank you setter. No real hold-ups, but 24d and 25d were the two trickiest for me. Had the answers, but took a while to get the wordplay. Thank you Gazza for your review and hints.
Thanks to the setter for a pleasant wee crossword and to Gazza for the excellent review. The toughie today is certainly worth a go also.
I agree this was straightforward – 2* difficulty – but I enjoyed it very much so 4* for that.
I was slightly held up by a couple in the top left corner and tried to make 8d an anagram but apart from those I didn’t have any problems.
Lots of anagrams or part anagrams – I made it nine but my counting doesn’t always work.
I had to look up the spelling of 27a.
I liked 9a and 2 and 16d. My favourite was 18a.
With thanks to the setter for the crossword and to gazza for his hints and pictures.
Lots of answers that needed fully explaining. Ones I still don’t get:
24d, why ‘suit’ for agree? 29a where is the team?
Never heard of the resort in 1a so had to Google it, and fully agree with Gazza, the setter is confused re class and species, very sloppy!
Not difficult to get the answers but the wordplay was tricky in places I thought.
Thx to all..
24d e.g. As a colour green doesn’t suit/agree with me.
29a It’s not a team (noun) but a phrasal verb (team up) so, e.g. the two companies teamed up to form a conglomerate.
Pleasant puzzle today with one or two which needed an explanation. Not sure that I like 24d which I think is a little iffy, but, we enjoyed it. Thank you Gazza, and the setter.
I didn’t finish this, missing 3d and 15a. I had spelt 14d incorrectly, so had an “a” as the first letter of the two-letter word. Shot myself in the foot again. Some of it went in very easily, but others took forever. I, too, had to look up the spelling of 27a. I am going to choose 8d as my fave, but must give honourable mention to 18a, 1a and 13a. Thanks to setter and to Gazza for review and help finishing today.
A pleasant enough puzzle today without any real problems. I must thank Gazza for his review because 3D was totally eluding me.
I found this a real slog and didn’t enjoy it much. I got a lot of answers but didn’t know why which is very unusual although at least they were right!
I looked at 1a and thought I’d ended up in a different language as I couldn’t make head nor tail of it. Went straight to the hints for that one.
Thanks for the hints.
**/*
Enjoyed today’s offering but 12a eluded me. Don’t really know why. Guessed 3d but needed Gazza’s help to parse it correctly. My favourite clue was 18a. 2*/4* for me. Thanks to Gazza for enabling me to complete this puzzle and to setter for a very nice start of my day. Very hot today in Hyères, the heat is upon us.
Provided an enjoyable distraction to the rather hot chilli con carne in the staff restaurant at lunchtime. I too raised an eyebrow at the dubious definition in 3d even though the rest of the wordplay was clear.
2*/3* seems about right to me.
Thanks to the setter and to Gazza for the review.
I reckon **/**** for this enjoyable work-out which, thankfully, didn’t keep me for too long from gentle gardening/planting in such glorious sunshine. Fav was 9a. I wonder whether 7d is politically correct in these days of chairpersons, actors, etc.? Thank you setter and indeed Gazza .
Got done nice and early so I could get on with planting the smallest cherry tomatoes in the hope I’ll avoid triffids this year. And, Kath, they’re in proper light this time! Anyway, thank you setter for some fun, and Gazza for clarifying why sme of my answers were correct. 25d was my last in, but don’t know why I stuck on it. Greetings to all. Andy, do hope the worst is soon over – roll on Friday and freedom, so hang in there & know we’re thinking of you and wishing you speedy recovery from the woes which seem a bit multiple for you at present…
Glad that the tomatoes aren’t terrorising you this year.
Thank you Poppy
I enjoyed this, and also agree with **/***. No problems, other than incorrectly thinking 17d was an all-in-one when it is a double definition. Tie first-choice goes to 11a (love Gazza’s choice of limerick for this) and 18a. I also particularly liked 9a, and, begging to differ from some, I did like 25d.
Appreciation and thanks to the setter. And the same to Gazza for a very entertaining and clear review.
Needed a couple of hints to keep things going but found it fairly straightforward and enjoyable overall. Thanks to setter and to gazza for the review and hints – **/*** for me
I enjoyed that but was stuck on 3d so thanks gazza for the hint & thanks to setter.
This one all went together very smoothly for us. Toyed with the possibility of ‘BARE’ as the first word of 18a but soon sorted. Good fun that kept us smiling.
Thanks Mr Ron and Gazza.
Just a quick thought – is anyone in touch with Mary or have we lost her for ever? It would be such a shame if we had.
If you’re reading this, Mary, come back – we miss you. A little flower to entice you
I had been wondering also. I know from calls to my friend near her that they’ve been having super weather, maybe she is too busy enjoying the outdoors?
Mary said on Facebook this morning that she was missing all her crossword pals and the fun of the blog. I replied that we were missing her too and that you had queried whether the pink leave form she submitted should have stretched as far as last week!
Mary wrote: “I’m away nxt week again sue just can’t get settled back into routine!!! Tell Kath she must have missed the yellow form I put in for extended leave!!!!! Love to all xx”
Thanks Sue – don’t do Facebook – no room or time for any more addictions in my life!
Please tell her that I certainly missed the yellow form and that when she returns she can not pass GO and can go straight to the naughty corner.
Hi Kath just popping in quickly to reiterate how much I’m missing you all, the yellow form was submitted honest!!! Once the next couple of weeks is over I hope to be back with you all … thanxx for missing me and thanx for the flower
xx
OK – you’re forgiven. See you soon.
The top left proved difficult for me. Without Gazza’s help 3d and 25d would have eluded me. I also need this with a few where i had the correct answer but did not really understand why.
Favourites are 9a 15a, 16d and 17d
Thank you setter and Gazza
Thanks to the setter and to Gazza for the review and hints. I quite enjoyed this one, but it lacked humour and penny drop moments for me. Favourite was 18a. Was 2*/2* for me. Went on the London cable car this morning in Docklands, some great views. Wind getting up now. Glad I’m on Terra Firma.
1.5*/2* for me. I usually enjoy this setter but this one was a bit too obvious to engage my enthusiasm. 3d was my favourite (although so is 15a in a different context!). I think 25d is a bit of a strain, but perhaps l’m just not in the mood. Still, thanks to Mr Ron, and to Gazza for the review.
Straightforward, although, like others it took me while to see why 3d was what it is. I too spent too long looking for the team in 29a and never saw until Gazza pointed it out to me, so thanks for that and to the setter for what proved only a minor challenge. 2*/2*