Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28507
Hints and tips by 2Kiwis
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment ****
Kia ora from Aotearoa.
Another rainy week here.
It took us a little while to get a toehold on this one and we enjoyed the challenge so we have given it good ratings for both difficulty and enjoyment.
Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Loving and loyal, but disenfranchised? (7)
DEVOTED : If the answer is split 2-5 we get what could be a negation of the right that Emmeline Pankhurst and others campaigned for.
5a Flower offered by son in bovine insolence (7)
COWSLIP : The abbreviation for son separates a bovine animal and a word for insolence or cheekiness.
9a Excessive returns by Home Counties creating argument (3-2)
SET-TO : The geographical area of England, defined by compass points, where we find the Home Counties, then the reversal of the three letters meaning excessive or over the top.
10a Old and tired argument overturned before workers accept serving of tea (4-5)
WORM-EATEN : Reverse a word for an argument or tiff and then an anagram (serving) of TEA is inside male workers.
11a What the cobbler did after spring, being flush (4-6)
WELL-HEELED : A synonym for a spring or water source and then what a cobbler might have done to part of a shoe.
12a Area for sitting limited by means of access (4)
SOFA : A lurker hiding in the last three words of the clue.
14a Cover pan with a lid, mostly for this dish (6,6)
JACKET POTATO : A word for a cover or outer garment, then a cooking pan, ‘A’ from the clue and the first two letters of a word for a lid.
18a Go in quietly, getting up daring (12)
ENTERPRISING : A word meaning go in, then the letter used in musc indicating quietly, and getting up.
21a Nation working around higher degree qualification (4)
OMAN : A Master of Arts qualification is inside working or in action.
22a Belief man is so put out (10)
ASSUMPTION : An anagram (out) of MAN IS SO PUT.
25a Big cat doctor on this is missing plane (5,4)
TIGER MOTH : A striped big cat, a military doctor and then the word ‘is’ is removed from the word ‘this’.
26a Lights perhaps out — school’s ending on the 2nd of March (5)
OFFAL : A word for out or not working, then the last letter of school follows the second letter of March.
27a Supervision that leaves people in the dark? (3,4)
DAY CARE : A cryptic definition of the type of looking after that does not apply overnight.
28a Beams, seeing post delivered in the outskirts of Ravenglass (7)
RAFTERS : A word meaning post or at a later time is found inside the first and last letters of Ravenglass.
Down
1d Refuse to acknowledge racket pinching pig (6)
DISOWN : A racket or loud noise surrounds a female pig.
2d East European lifts and carries Italian organs (6)
VITALS : The abbreviation for Italian is inside the reversal of an East European people.
3d Visitor bringing comfort to a child who’s down in the mouth (5,5)
TOOTH FAIRY : A cryptic definition of the night visitor who comes to children who have had a recent dental loss.
4d Look for water trapped in window seals (5)
DOWSE : A lurker hiding in the last two words of the clue.
5d Spanish parliament may include check for warships (9)
CORVETTES : A word for the Spanish parliament (something we did not know) includes a word meaning check or examine.
6d Shed tears, seeing little parking (4)
WEEP : A three letter word for little and then the abbreviation for parking.
7d Word for word heard along the coast (8)
LITTORAL : A homophone of a word that means word for word.
8d Write sticker about military HQ (8)
PENTAGON : A three letter word meaning to write then another three letter word for a sticker or label and one meaning about or concerning.
13d Bar racket giving healthy measure of alcoholic strength? (10)
SOUNDPROOF : Bar racket here is a verbal phrase. Healthy or robust and the scale for describing alcoholic strength.
15d Repair broken set that’s set by the road (9)
KERBSTONE : An anagram (repair) of BROKEN SET.
16d Left during action, and despatched overseas (8)
DEPORTED : Left as applying on board a ship is inside a word for an action.
17d In pen, tabloid girl with no heart is rambling (8)
STRAGGLY : A pen where you might find a pig is outside a derogatory word for a tabloid newspaper and the word girl without its central two letters.
19d Two females occupying country mansion? Nonsense! (6)
PIFFLE : The abbreviation for female is repeated inside a word for a substantial country house.
20d Ways of approaching old Germanic tribespeople (6)
ANGLES : Double definition. The old Germanic tribespeople were involved with Saxons in the early settlement of Britain.
23d Guide from America is standing on there without protection (5)
USHER : The abbreviation for the United States and then the word ‘there’ without its first and last letters.
24d A run on first-class when promoted for a song (4)
ARIA : ‘A’ from the clue, then the cricket abbreviation for run and the reversal of the two letters signifying first class.
It took us a while to correctly identify the definition in 13d so that is today’s favourite.
Quickie pun sigh + fund + doff = siphoned off
Another very enjoyable Jay Wednesday puzzle completed at a canter with quite a lot of head scratching and some electronic assistance – ***/****.
Candidates for favourite – 11a, 25a, 3d, and 4d, although several more could also be considered – and the winner is 3d.
Thanks to the Jay and the 2Ks.
2.5*/5*. Another first rate puzzle as we have come to expect every Wednesday. The first three quarters slid in very smoothly but the SE corner put up quite a fight with 20d my last one in.
Another of those “coincidences” sees an answer from yesterday repeated today, and it also appears as part of the wordplay in one of today’s Toughie clues. (Yes, as predicted by Gazza yesterday, it’s another Petitjean, and although it’s not particularly tough I can highly recommend it).
To define the answer to 12a as an area for sitting seems a bit of stretch to me, but no more of a liberty than a lot of setters take.
3d was my favourite, closely followed by 27a & 13d.
Many thanks to the three birds.
Quite difficult, it took me ages to get going – I had only done about half a dozen before lights out last night. I’ve just sat down this morning and rattled it off – it just needed a bit of cogitation.
My anagram program didn’t find 22a, I had to resort to the old pen and paper method, which came up trumps again!
A very good puzzle – very enjoyable!
The anagram took me longer as I decided it had to end in ISM. Got thee with the checkers in the end.
Ditto. Went for ism too at first.
Gosh did I make a mess of that , I had straggle not straggly , wept not weep and that put the kibosh on other clues.Oh dear.
I liked 1a and 18a and 8d .
Thanks to both Kiwis and Jay.
Took a bit of starting but then a steady solve. I really enjoyed this puzzle, lots of lovely very logical clues with my favourite being 14a, favourite in all senses of the word esp with cheese or baked beans. 😀
Had a whiff of Giovanni I thought. For me ***/*****
Thx to all esp the Setter for a lovely puzzle.
Another most enjoyable Wednesday puzzle with a nice smattering of humour.
No problems to report beyond the fact that I don’t think I knew the meaning of 7d – something else to store away for future reference.
Top slots went to 27a plus 3,4&19d – the latter just because I love the word. I also liked the Quickie pun.
Thanks to Jay and to the 2Ks – what a delightful close-up of a 5a.
PS I’d second RD’s comment that the PJ Toughie isn’t at all daunting.
So nice to have time to not only do the cryptic but actually comment before most folks in the UK are tucked up in bed. I liked this a lot, of course. I always enjoy Jay’s offerings. My favorites are 1A and 25A. Thanks Jay and the 2 Ks.
After a very hot and dry July that saw my water bill rise to keep the garden alive, August has so far been wet, warmish and humid. More rain expected for the rest of the week, too. The weeds and toadstools are flourishing nicely.
The hurricanes are lining up across the Atlantic, from the coast of Africa to our shores. I just hope, if we must get one, that they’re not too powerful. I can’t tell you how much I dread them.
I believe you’re in Virginia, I hope not too close to Charlottesville?
I, too, found this one a little on the tricky side, but I found it a steady solve and hugely enjoyable.
I needed the hint to know the “why” of 27a, and 14a is not used here, I don’t think so anyway. Usually they’re just called “baked”.
Pat on the back for me, I remembered 7d. Fave was 25a, runner up 20d.
Thanks to Jay and to 2Kiwis for the fun.
They will always be of the jacket variety for us, old habits die hard.
Very enjoyable but didn’t like 10a ; never heard this expression . Just teetered into *** /**** Thanks to Jay and the 2K’s 27a my favourite .
Lovely puzzle from Jay, once again. Only 7d held me up – I can never seem to remember that word.
Many thanks to Jay and to 2Ks for the review.
There was no a lot to savour in today’s puzzle. I did not find it particularly difficult. Must have been on the same wavelength as the setter. I have come across the expression moth xxxxx but not 10a. I liked 25a but 3D was my top clue.
Me too with the moth.
This was a little stinker I couldn’t get a start so took dogs out on the cliffs cleared head and still struggled. Once I’d cracked a couple of the longer clues the rest fell into place except for 7d even at my advanced age you learn something every day.
My mother was in the ATS so 25a well remembered, she flew into her sixties.
Many thanks to the 2ks and to Jay for the brain ache.
A steady solve completed in average time but I felt lacked a bit of sparkle. By the comments of others, it could be me that lacks the sparkle today.
I’d go for 2.5*/3*
Thanks to Jay and the Two Ks. (btw: I just Googled Aotearoa and learned a bit more).
I’d come across 7d for work-related cross-Channel co-operation purposes so I’ve always pronounced it the French way so for me the homophone didn’t work.
2*/5* for this excellent puzzle from Jay. Very enjoyable, beautifully clued as ever, with just the right amount of head-scratching to complete it. Like RD at #2 I was torn between 3 and 13d and 27a for my favourite, with the winner (just) 27a.
Many thanks to Jay for another in an increasingly long line of top crosswords, and to the 2Ks.
Hi all, been a while but just had to ask the question, what does the answer to 26a have to do with the clue other than clue explaining what the answer should be, as well as 2Kiwis explanation being the same ?.
I took it to be that Jay was using lights in the cooking/butchery form of the answer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lights_(offal)) with the parsing as shown by the 2Ks. I am not sure if perhaps is part of the definition or not.
Thanks for that Senf.
I think that the definition “Lights perhaps” is just another way of saying “Lights, for example”. The clue would be fine without the “perhaps”, wouldn’t it?
Lights is a definition by example so ‘perhaps’ or similar is needed to show that lights is just one of many types of offal.
Yes, I think you’re right. Offal is a generic term, whereas lights are just the lungs from a slaughtered animal. My grandma used to get lights from the butcher to feed to her cats.
What has littoral got to do with ‘along the coast ‘?
You’ve expanded your alias so your comment went into moderation. Both varieties will work from now on.
Littoral means ‘relating to the coast or the shore’.
I’t a well known word amongst biologists – but probably a bit obscure otherwise (my good lady wife had never heard of it!).
Hi All. Can someone explain 26 across for me please? I get the parsing but not the definition…
Lights means the lungs of some animals, so it’s an example of offal.
Temperatures still above 30 Celsius but brain still functioning perfectly.
Right hand has done her back in, a couple of days in hospital and stop working for a month or so. Fourth person away from work this summer but I’m getting used to it.
Good thing the crosswords are getting easier at the moment.
No hold up.
Liked the jacket potato in 14a.
Thanks to Jay and to 2ks for the review.
Usual Wednesday excellence. So many good clues. Last in were 17d & 27a.
Thanks to the setter and 2Ks.
Been away for a few days so not been doing the crossies. Now back and just done all three of this week’s over a couple of glasses of lunch in the local. I can safely say that this one is by far the trickiest of the three and also the most enjoyable so I’ll go along with the ***/**** ratings.
5a doesn’t really need the son reference as cow’s lip is OK for bovine insolence in itself. Nice clue though but favourite for me has to be 13d as it just about describes my local bar where the puzzle was solved – a lot of bar racket and very healthy measures
Many thanks to Jay and the Kiwis.
P.S. We noticed with surprise that Monday’s wasn’t a Rufus. Wonder why as he was there on parade in both the Grauniad and the FT.
Very enjoyable today, but I must admit I’d never heard of the term ‘lights’ for offal. Enjoyed 25A and 5A in particular. Not often I do the crossword so early, but I’m sat waiting for the wallpaper stripper to reach boiling point. I’m beginning to think it’s no longer working!
A steady solve for me today. I had to check the Spanish parliament of course but otherwise no real holdups encountered. Having said that 12a took me a while. As Kath says on occasion ‘Dim’. So 12a is therefore my favourite.
2/4* overall.
Thanks to Jay and to the 2Ks for their review.
Some very clever clues today, in particular 26a and 13d, which are joined by 17d and 19d on the Silvanus winners’ rostrum. Another excellent Jay offering.
Like RD, I spotted the recurrence of 9a, and was reminded by 25a of seeing the first Jersey Tiger Moth in my garden a couple of weeks ago. Over the past decade they are being seen more frequently in Southern England apparently and are very pleasant on the eye.
Many thanks to Mr Mutch and to Colin and Carol.
Really enjoyed his weds puzzle (three weeks on the row)
I’m sure the pleasant lunchtime Pint of Landlord by the canal may have helped.
7d required a look up to reassure.
COTD 26a – just enjoyed the three different way to think it out.
Tricky but enjoyable. Also educational as I’d never come across the Spanish parliament nor the use of lights in 26a. Favourite was 25a. Thanks to the setter and the 2Ks. Still no rain and pushing 1m hectares of forest gone.
Three in a row all, in their own ways, very good puzzles. Took perhaps a little longer than yesterday. SE last to fall but this may have something to do with the fact that it is usually the last I get to in my haphazard way. Haphazard is good because I find a clue I have not seen earlier which then helps enormously. Littoral did not cause me a problem – even the pronunciation. Last one in 20d. Easy when I thought about it – before I looked up remote long forgotten Germanic tribes. Favourites 1, 5, 11 and 18a and 3, 13, and 16d. Thanks Jay and 2Kiwis. However, best accolade is that Brian approved of it.
Thanks to Jay and to the 2 Kiwis for the review and hints. Another super puzzle from Jay. Was a bit on the tricky side, but very enjoyable. 26a was very clever, but my favourite was 14a. Was 3*/4* for me.
Got there in the end, but needed 2Kiwis hints for several, thanks. Not sure why I found it hard, just that I mostly took the wrong fork in the road. 5d was new to me also. 15d held me up as I am used to seeing kerb spelt as curb here in US.
Excellent fare from Jay. Enjoyed it very much. 26a was top of a very tall pile. Ta to the Ks and J. 2*/4*
I found this quite straight forward */**** 😜 Liked plenty of the clues 1 & 5 and 11 across. Big thanks as usual to the 2xKs for their nice blog and to Jay for a nice crossword 🤗 Our rain has gone away but I must not talk too soon!
Morning all.
Looks like we should have put in a picture hint for 26a but the options available did put us off doing that. Perhaps the word is not as well known with this meaning as we thought. We understand why people got on the wrong track with 22a, ISM does look like a perfect ending for a belief.
What a surprise, more rain forecast for today and the rest of the week but at least not hurricanes like Merusa is talking about.
Cheers.
Hurricane Gert is moving across the “Pond” and bringing some strong winds and thundershowers to us in the U.K.
It’s pretty powerful as well. When I was young, the U.K. didn’t get hurricanes, I can only apologise for sending them to you now. I suppose it’s global warming.
Lovely crossword but definitely a day for CS’s law – start with the down clues on Wednesdays – only had three answers from the across clues.
I agree with the numbers of the K’s difficulty and enjoyment *’s.
Only two anagrams – maybe I can’t count . . .
Like PLR I’ve only heard of moth eaten not worm eaten.
I didn’t know the Spanish parliament.
I know what 7d means but I get it mixed up with ‘sidereal’ so have to think about it.
Altogether brilliant and so many good clues that I should probably just leave it at that but . . . 1 and 14a and 4 and 13d. My favourite was 19d if only because it was one of my Dad’s expressions when he thought we were talking a load of tosh.
With thanks and appreciation to Jay and to the 2K’s.
For the most part solved at a gallop, but then down to a crawl for the last 3-4. Last ones in 20d, which I thought I wouldn’t know but did, and then 13d which was my favourite clue today, just for that well disguised definition. Edging out of ** time overall.
Very enjoyable, quite tough, but doable, unlike yesterday’s.
Lots of great clues, 20d my fav.
Thanks all.
I deserve some success, having just played some totally useless tennis, so am not at all embarrassed to say that l found this rather a doddle. I liked 25a (having been taken up in one as a small boy) and 26a. Thanks to Jay and the 2 Kiwis (what’s this l hear about you conspiring to bring down the Australian government?!).
Sorry, but can someone explain to me please the connection between 13D “bar racket” and the answer? Neither googling nor dictionary search makes any sense to me.
I just read it as you bar racket if you 13d?
Hi Kell,
‘bar’ is being used here as a verb – to bar (stop) and the ‘racket’ is a loud noise.
Stop noise equals bar racket equals sound proof.
Just noticed that my comment earlier in the day seems to have vanished into the ether or did I omit to post comment? I said something along the lines that the South presented no problems but the North was a different kettle of fish however I did come through in the end. I agree with RD re area in 12a. Can’t pick a Fav winner from 26a, 28a and 3d. Thank you Jay and the 2Kiwis.