DT 28411 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 28411

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28411

Hints and tips by KiwiColin

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

 

Kia ora from Aotearoa.
      Just one Kiwi on blogging duty this week. We have both been away in Wellington assisting with our daughter’s house moving. This was completed yesterday without too much drama (it was only a short distance so multiple car trips achieved most of it) and I came home last evening. Carol has stayed on to help with the sorting out and finding a place for everything. I think that doing the blog is the much softer option, certainly more fun.

It felt pretty much like a typical Jay puzzle to me and he has sent us all a cheery greeting with his Quickie pun.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Hard to accept end of summer, causing depression (6)
TROUGH: A word meaning hard or difficult contains the final letter of summer.

4a     Contents of handbag has them horrified (6)
AGHAST: A lurker hiding in the third fourth and fifth words in the clue.

8a     Festival of flesh — four must be eaten! (8)
CARNIVAL: A word meaning ‘of flesh’, sometimes used as an adjective with ‘desires’ contains the Roman numeral for four.

10a     Films like this will be rejected after struggle to accept daughter (6)
VIDEOS: A two letter word for ‘like this’ is reversed and placed after a word meaning to struggle which has the abbreviation for daughter inserted.

11a     Mark left from short neckwear? (4)
SCAR: The neckwear could be a muffler and needs its last letter removed.

12a     Revealed to be signed up (10)
REGISTERED: A double definition. (I found it a bit tricky to find a sentence where one could transpose the answer and ‘revealed’ and came up with “Her face ********** surprise”, which seems to fit the bill.)

13a     Emotions of this stranger in turmoil (12)
HEARTSTRINGS: An anagram (in turmoil) of THIS STRANGER.

16a     Investment leaving highlander so transformed? (12)
SHAREHOLDING: An anagram (transformed) of HIGHLANDER SO.

20a     Magic broomstick? (10)
WITCHCRAFT: When the answer is split 5,5 you could find a vehicle for a coven member.

21a     Raised dough with no advice, initially (4)
BRED: What dough becomes when it is baked, loses the first letter (initially) of advice.

22a     One is kept in farm buildings for kids (6)
BAIRNS: Large farm buildings contain the Roman numeral one.

23a     See drain burst here if in car? (8)
NEARSIDE: An anagram (burst) of SEE DRAIN. The wordplay explains where one would be in a car to be close to a drain.

24a     Scrooge-like, ignoring core of all unhappiness (6)
MISERY: The core of all is its central letter. Remove this from a word that describes Scrooge.

25a     Well up in poetry? (6)
VERSED: How poetry is usually formatted.

Down

1d     Parts of American farms subject to start of tenancy (8)
TRANCHES: The first letter of tenancy is in front of what Americans call farms.

2d     Fellow nervously accommodating person with title deed (5)
OWNER: A lurker hiding in the first two words of the clue.

3d     Good cookers will incorporate right controls (7)
GOVERNS: The abbreviation for good and cookers that are used for baking contain the abbreviation for right.

5d     Admits defeat but survives, leaderless, in spirit (5,2)
GIVES IN: The spirit that is usually flavoured with juniper berries contains a word meaning survives or exists that had lost its first letter.

6d     Directed commercial in costume? (9)
ADDRESSED: A two letter commercial and a word for in costume or attired.

7d     Drier across river — this is needed by a gardener (6)
TROWEL: The drier that is an essential possession for Galactic Hitchhikers contains the abbreviation for river.

9d     Remained confused after supporter’s skilful deception (11)
LEGERDEMAIN: The supporter is one of the two that you stand on and is followed by an anagram (confused) of REMAINED.

14d     Others curse where there’s a late change, getting such treatments (4,5)
REST CURES: A synonym for others or the remainder and then the word curse has a late change by having its last two letters reversed.

15d     Designated home care for needy oddly cancelled (8)
INTENDED: The two letter ‘at home’, a word meaning care for and the second and fourth letters of needy (oddly cancelled).

17d     Prosecutor‘s bill underwritten by Conservative employer (7)
ACCUSER: A two letter abbreviation for an account or bill, the one letter abbreviation for Conservative and an employer.

18d     Dated fashion shock (7)
OUTRAGE: Dated or no longer popular, and a fashion that is adopted enthusiastically.

19d     Win over new barmaids, not given first degree (6)
DISARM: The word barmaids contains two arts degrees. Remove the first one and make an anagram (new) of the remaining letters.

21d     Last of granite laid in deep foundations (5)
BASES: The final letter of granite is placed inside a deep singing voice.

Prize for the day goes to 20a.

Quickie pun     Havana    +     stay     =    Have a nice day

 

46 comments on “DT 28411

  1. The SE corner held me up for a short while, so this was 2.5*/4* for me. I remembered 9d from another backpager in the last year or so, and that was my favourite until I came to 20a, which took over top spot.

    Many thanks to he singular Kiwi, and to Jay for an entertaining puzzle.

  2. Very easy today. I knew the magician at 9d so that went in without any thought. Ta to all.

  3. 2*/4*. Nothing too taxing but full of enjoyment from start to finish.

    What a lovely word 9d is and beautifully clued too. However it just misses out as my favourite to the wonderful 20a.

    Many thanks to Jay and the lone Kiwi.

    P.S. As Colin has pointed out, the Quickie pun is a work of genius as well.

  4. Nothing very difficult apart from 9d, had heard the word before and not too difficult to work out. Very enjoyable offering from Jay. Many thanks to Jay and KiwiColin

  5. Ditto RD’s comments with regard to 9d & 20a but would also give a mention to 8a & 1d.
    I’ll be interested to read Kath’s remarks about 23a!

    Most enjoyable – thank you, Jay, and thanks to the lone Kiwi who certainly got the better end of the house-moving deal!

    Quickie pun greeting to all of you (even if it is an Americanism!).

  6. My last one in was 20a, but easily my favourite….
    Although I did like the lurker at 4a.

    Thanks to Kiwicolin anyway and to Jay for the fun.

  7. Steady, satisfying and pleasant. 20a great clue but think there has been something very similar not too long back. So the lovely, if little used, 9d gets COTD for me.
    Like Jane I wonder what Kath thinks of 23a, at least it should be fresh in her mind.
    Thanks to Jay & 1Kiwi.

  8. It may be that I only have the electronic version of the BRB but 13a is not listed as a word let alone one meaning emotions, sloppy. Should 17a be singular and why is outrage in18d a dated fashion?
    However, those niggles aside I loved 20a, made me smile😀
    For me 2.5/***
    Thx to all

    1. The office Collins dictionary has 13a and defines it as (often facetious) deep emotions
      Do you mean 17a?
      Split your solution for 18d 3,4 ;)

      1. Ah I wondered if that might be the case. Disappointing that Chambers has decided to abbreviate the online version given that one has to buy it but it is convenient if you are not home.

    2. B. 17a? Presumably, you mean 17d: Yes, the answer should be singular because the possessor (and also definition) in the clue is singular (Prosecutor’s). To trigger a plural answer, the possessor would need to be plural (Prosecutors’). Sometimes with an apostrophe S (‘s) you take the S from the clue and put it straight in the answer – but not in this case.

  9. What a delightful puzzle and I finished it without help, for a change, although I had to crosscheck a couple of answers. It was 9d for me. Many thanks to Jay and the Kiwi singleton. 2*/4*.

  10. Pleasant solve today but had to resort to Thesaurus for a couple.
    No real favourites but 9d must be in there somewhere.
    Thanks to Kiwi Colin and setter.

  11. Lovely crossword today 😄 **/**** Favourite was 20a with 22a taking silver 😜 A big thank you to Kiwi Colin and to Jay (Mr Consistantcy) 🤗

  12. Thanks to Jay and to Kiwi Colin for the review and hints. A nice puzzle that I thought was going to be very tricky, only a few answers on the first pass. I managed to whittle them away, and all fell into place. Last in was 25a, my favourite was 20a, brilliant. Was 3*/3 * for me.

  13. Another excellent example of Jay’s elegant cluing style, he so rarely disappoints.

    The delightful and Rufusesque 20a, plus the lovely anagrams in 13a and 9d were all on the podium for this solver.

    Many thanks to Mr. Mutch and to KiwiColin.

  14. No quibbling with Kiwi Colin’s **/**** today, most seem to agree on the enjoyment front.
    20a the universal favourite-I’m sure I’ve seen it before some time ago, but still a stand out clue.
    Not seen 13a in print for a while, remember it in the Trolly bus song rhyming with zing !
    Anyway thanks to all ,and for once didn’t think the quickie pun worked.

    1. You’re right about 20a:

      Thu 25 Sep 08 DT 25731 Magic broomstick? (10)
      Sat 15 Nov 14 DT 27648 Broomstick? (10)
      Wed 23 Mar 16 TOUGHIE 1573 Magic broomstick? (10)
      1. Thought it wasn’t long ago (#7) must have been a day I dipped my toe in the Toughie. I certainly wouldn’t remember 2008 although I increasingly suffer from “memory foreshortening” as I call it these days.

        1. Apologies, LrOK. When I skimmed through the comments I missed that you were the first to point out that 20a has appeared before. I should have replied to your post.

          1. Mr K,
            No problem my wife ignores my ramblings all the time so I am used to it. Just glad it wasn’t one of my imaginings.
            What shows how this site benefits us is that I remembered it nearly straightaway.

  15. */**** – a most enjoyable puzzle completed at a gallop, I am reasonably certain that there is a sprinkling of oldies but goodies including 9d.

    Ditto on 20a as favourite.

    Thanks to Jay and Colin – blogging beats moving house hands down in my book.

  16. There was a touch of 20a about this one for me. Got there in the end after sticking on some of the clues others have mentioned. The clue witch was best crafted for me was 20a – it seems it was unanimous then but I too detect a whiff of familiarity about it. **/*** for difficulty and *** for fun-factor. C’mon Springtime, get your act together and warm up!
    Thanks to Jay and KC.

  17. Jay never disappoints – this was a fun solve with many smiles. Fortunately I remembered 9d from its appearance in January (DT 28318). I liked the drier in 7d, and the 4a lurker. The biggest smile came from 20a, which was new to me and is my favourite today. Thanks to Jay and to KiwiColin.

  18. I do like a Jay puzzle and this one’s no exception. Plenty of lovely surfaces, nice words and golden oldies. Agreed **/****
    Loved it all; many thanks to Jay and to KC
    PS – Yes the quickie pun made me smile, too – reminded me of JLC :smile:

  19. I’m really getting into Jay now and look forward to Wednesdays.
    I didn’t know 1d and had to google that, easy enough to solve though.
    Much to enjoy here, 20a was a winner, but I’m going to go for 9d as top of the pops today, I just like the way it sounds.
    Thanks to Jay for the super fun, and to KiwiColin for his hints and pics.

  20. A nice crossword although held up a bit by 12 ac which I have to confess even the one Kiwi’s hint didn’t solve for me at first. Clue of the day to 1ac which I thought was very clever and well constructed. ***/**** . Many thanks Jay and the solo Kiwi.

  21. Always a pleasure to do the Wednesday crossword and this was no exception. 4a was my favourite; I always admire a lurker spread over several words.
    I agree with the 2/4* rating.
    Thanks to Jay, and to 1K for the review.

  22. Enjoyed today’s crossword very much…and agree with everyone that 20a is favourite.

    Bunged in 2d having totally missed that it was a lurker….doh!

    Thanks to KiwiColin and to Jay.

  23. Enjoyed this one despite having to stop part may through to do some canal clearance. Will never see the canal fully open though as the current estimate is another 50 years if ever. SE held me up and had to resort to BRB to check words particularly for 9d which was new to me although with the first five checking letters in place it fell out easily enough. I liked 20d but thought that 15d was the most pleasing to solve. 25a was the last in as I needed all the checking letters to work it out. I agree with ** and ****.

    Thanks to KiwiColin and to Jay.

  24. Could someone please explain ” well up” in 25a . I can see the answer and put it in, but something is bugging me about this clue grrr .Didn’t know 9d and still don’t , I suppose I will have to google him/her . An interesting solve but not particularly enjoyable ** (which means I’m swimming against the tide ). 20a did make me smile though : favourite 4a .Thanks to Jay and KC

  25. My comment has disappeared, so I’ll just say thank you OneK and setter. Favourite was 20a

  26. Good game as Bruce would have said, although I had never heard of 9d. Although I needed KiWiColin’s hint for 20a, it is my favourite, just for being so cryptic. Everything else slotted in nicely.

  27. Good morning all. The sky is just starting to lighten in the East and it looks like a fine calm autumn day is in prospect for our Thursday.
    I’m rather intrigued by the the fact that 23a in this puzzle and 3d in the Toughie should appear on the same day. If it is just a coincidence it is a remarkable one.
    I agree that 9d is a delightful word and I can’t decide whether I prefer it to its synonym prestidigitation. They both roll off the tongue in a very satisfying manner.
    Today’s Quickie pun to everyone.

  28. ** for difficulty sounds about right, for an enjoyable solve. A large proportion of my time was spent staring at 20ac, which elicited a well-deserved groan when the penny finally dropped.

  29. I must have left my brain in Lewes last weekend, as these are now a complete mystery to me.
    Could do very little of this.
    Thanks Colin for doing the cossword for me.

  30. Enjoyable accompaniment to breakfast delaying yet more election fever on the news pages. Anagrams in 13a and 16a helped to get challenge off the mark. Find it strange to think of 9d as one word. Thanks to Jay and to KiwiColin for opting out of some removal chores on our behalf.

  31. The commentariat has (have?) by now settled on favourite and runner-up, so what I will do instead is highlight the first three across clues. What a standard to set for the rest of the puzzle – a standard met. Absolutely brilliant.

    I also thought 13a a very nice anagram and rated the core of all unhappiness in 24a.

    Thanks to Jay, to the Kiwi who landed the softer option, and also to the Kiwi who stayed behind to do the less glamourous share of the workload. All members of the team appreciated!

  32. Not at all hard for this solver, but beautifully put together by the master. I’ll go with the democratically elected members with 20a. Thanks to Colin for choosing the more onerous task and to Jay for a little splash of joy at the end of yet another gruelling day. I’m getting too old for this. 1*/4*

Comments are closed.