DT 28533 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 28533

 

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28533

Hints and tips by Deep Threat

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

Good morning from South Staffs.

The top half of today’s puzzle from Giovanni went in at high speed, then I slowed a little before completing the bottom half, but still finished in ** time.

Solvers using the paper version of the puzzle will have been confused by an error in the printed clues, where the clue for 17d was published as the clue for 17a, while the clue for 17d was slightly different from the on-line version.

In the hints below, the definitions are underlined. The answers are hidden under the ANSWER buttons, so don’t click if you don’t want to see them.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Volunteers, Europeans, housing five hundred little creatures (8)
TADPOLES – The acronym for the former name of the Army Reserve, and some East Europeans, placed either side of the Roman numeral for five hundred.

Image result for tadpoles

9a           Picture of central American country in which gold is found (8)
PANORAMA – A central American country noted for its canal, wrapped around the heraldic term for gold.

10a         Coastal location offering Beethoven’s Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth (4)
HOVE – Letters 5 to 8 of BeetHOVEn.

11a         Support not about to be given by individual better than the rest (6,2,4)
SECOND TO NONE – Put together the support given to the proposer of a motion, the reverse (about) of NOT (from the clue), and an individual.

ARVE Error: need id and provider

13a         Arty cad, I fancy, getting female made of stone for support (8)
CARYATID – Anagram (fancy) of ARTY CAD I.

Image result for caryatid

15a         Perplexity? Time to get perspective (6)
TANGLE Time followed by a perspective or point of view.

16a         In Home Counties, see type of fruit (4)
SLOE – The abbreviated compass direction of the geographical area where the Home Counties are found, wrapped around ‘See!’ or ‘Behold!’.

Image result for sloe

17a         Type of thoroughfare and what it probably isn’t (5)

Paper version: Risky enterprise — two chaps duped (5)
BROAD – Split this (1,4) and you get the designation of a type of highway. Since it isn’t a major route, it probably isn’t what the unsplit answer is.

The paper version is simply wrong.

18a         Regular occupants of eery site at one time (4)
ERST – Alternate letters of EeRy SiTe.

20a         Characters stuck in class — is teacher giving help? (6)
ASSIST – Hidden in the clue.

21a         Friend left as one disinclined to work and showing no vitality (8)
PALLIDLY – Put together a friend, Left, and an adverb describing the state of disinclination to work, and you get another adverb describing the state of showing no vitality.

23a         System accounting for the enemy in a locality (8,4)
STANDARD TIME – Cryptic definition. The enemy here is the enemy of all humanity, the fourth dimension.

26a         Green enthusiast set about protecting island (4)
NAIF – Reverse (set about) an enthusiast, and wrap the result around an abbreviation for Island.

27a         Lion in trouble with awkward mule — such may be on the floor (8)
LINOLEUM – Anagram (in trouble) of LION, followed by an anagram (awkward) of MULE.

Image result for linoleum

28a         Looking at country, celebrate (8)
PERUSING – A South American country, followed by another word for praise or celebrate.

Down

2d           11, most importantly (5,3)
ABOVE ALL – Double definition, the first being a synonym of the answer to 11a. A touch of déjà vu for those who did yesterday’s Toughie?

3d           Bet sin could be destroyed with prayer for this worshipper (12)
PRESBYTERIAN – Anagram (could be destroyed) of BET SIN and PRAYER.

4d           Operator’s instrument in window (6)
LANCET – Double definition: a surgical instrument; or a tall, narrow window.

Image result for lancet window

5d           PR stuff is what a twister provides (4)
SPIN – Double definition, the first a politician’s type of PR.

6d           A student in trouble? It’s not made explicit (8)
UNSTATED – Anagram (in trouble) of A STUDENT.

7d           Distant circle in gambling game (4)
FARO – Another word for ‘distant’ followed by a circle-shaped letter, giving us a card game popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Image result for faro game

8d           Ben and mates mingling in garden flat? (8)
BASEMENT – Anagram (mingling) of BEN and MATES.

12d         No set dinners arranged for hotel visitors not staying the night? (3-9)
NON-RESIDENTS – Anagram (arranged) of NO SET DINNERS.

14d         Sink has very little liquid? There’s nothing in it (5)
DROOP – A very small amount of a liquid with the letter which looks like a zero inserted into it.

16d         Boxes, see, not in close-packed configuration (8)
SPARSELY – What a boxer does in training, followed by an ecclesiastical see in East Anglia.

17d         Risky enterprise — two chaps duped  (paper version: let down)(8)
BETRAYED – Put together a risk taken and the short form of two male forenames.

19d         Sort of mixture is what you are looking for (8)
SOLUTION – Two definitions, the second being what you (the reader) are looking for to complete this puzzle. The first is what you might get if you put copper sulfate crystals into water and stir, though I don’t think my chemistry teacher would have approved of calling it a mixture.

22d         One in group with hesitation gets to hang around (6)
LOITER – Put the roman numeral for one into a colloquial term for a group of people, or perhaps a group of articles being sold together at an auction, then add a two-letter hesitation.

24d         Soon to be deprived of love, a woman (4)
ANNA – An old-fashioned word for ‘soon’ (think Juliet on her balcony putting off her nurse so she can carry on talking to Romeo) with the letter which looks like a love score at tennis removed, followed by A (from the clue. The answer is a woman’s name.

ARVE Error: need id and provider

25d         Soft slime heaped up in rubbish tip? (4)
DUMP – The musical symbol for soft followed by some slime, the whole lot then reversed.


The Quick Crossword pun SELL + DUMB = SELDOM

63 comments on “DT 28533

  1. The clue for 17a in the paper version is ‘Risky enterprise – two chaps duped’ which makes the answer pretty hard to work out.
    Thanks for the hints and to the setter.

    1. You’ve shortened your alias since your previous comment (exactly 12 months ago today!). Both varieties will work from now on.

  2. In my copy the 17a clue is 17d, while 17d is almost the same with let down substituted for duped. Hence my inability to finish this morning😡

    1. Welcome to the blog, David. Every cloud has a silver lining, however – the cock-up means that you’ve introduced yourself. Now you’ve done that I hope you’ll continue to comment.

  3. This was ruined by an incorrect clue at 17A in the paper editions (Risky enterprise- two chaps duped) how can such a cock up happen?

  4. Add me to the list of people extremely confused about how the 17a clue in the paper related to the solution – given the almost identical nature of that clue to the clue for 17d, I think the editor must have wielded his blue pencil in the wrong place!

  5. 13a is interesting to me. I’ve seen this answer many times over the years, but I can’t remember seeing it’s male equivalent – atlante/atlantid (from Greek) or telamon, the Roman term. Could you have a quick search please, Mr K.

    1. These are the Telgraph appearances of the lady since 2001:

      Date Puzzle Clue
      Tue 8 Jul 2003     Telegraph Cryptic 24101     Women carrying building materials (9)
      Fri 22 Oct 2004     Telegraph Cryptic 24505     Detectives taking in a tray perhaps for a female supporter (8)
      Tue 10 Mar 2009     Telegraph Cryptic 25872     Female pillar of support? (8)
      Wed 2 Mar 2016     Telegraph Toughie 1561     It always turns up in eccentric sort of column (8)

      The male forms have been seen in the Telegraph only once, in a Giovanni Toughie:

      Date Puzzle Clue Answer
      Tue 21 Oct 2014     Telegraph Toughie 1278     Supportive figure, male turning up carrying weight around (7)     TELAMON
  6. Thanks to all those who have pointed out the confusion. The clue I give above for 17a is the one that appears on the Telegraph Puzzles site. The paper version is simply wrong and makes it impossible to solve the puzzle.

    The clue for 17d given above is again the online version. The paper has ‘let down’ instead of ‘duped’. Fortunately, that does not affect the solution.

      1. Thanks CS, the frequency with which errors, typos and online discrepancies now occur in the Telegraph backpagers is very depressing. Today’s one has made trying to solve 17a in the paper version an impossible task, so I think it is possibly the worst I can recall.

        When Val Gilbert was Puzzles Editor, errors were extremely rare, but then she didn’t have Sudokos, Killer Sudokus, Codewords, Mind Gyms, Kakuros and Toughies to distract her!

        1. It is there, albeit not easy to spot!

          It’s tucked in after the answers to yesterday’s Quick Crossword.

  7. Thought this blog would centre around 17a, must have been everyone’s ‘ last in ‘I did think of the answer and even the 1-4 split, but obviously could not fit this to the clue, must have been something to do with 17d as this was so similar.
    Anyway DT s **/*** was about right and a well constructed puzzle with a nice variety of clues.
    Going to a birthday treat later, champagne tea in Chester-will avoid the B roads !

  8. Solved on my iPad so I can sit smugly here in the sunshine having had no problems with 17 across or down other than they were in the latter part of the solve. As usual the anagrams and the gimmes filled quite a lot of the grid leaving just a little thought to finish off. It’s been another very enjoyable puzzling week spoilt only by the fact that Toughies are not available online to Daily Telegraph subscribers. Thanks to Deep Threat for the review and Mr Manley for the excellent puzzle. See you all on Monday if I survive the journey home.

    1. Maybe consider purchasing Stand Alone inc app – one-off purchase for around a tenner. You can then simply set it up to import the daily cryptic, quick and the Toughie. You can also get the Indy puzzles for free. It’s what I’ve been using for about 3 years with very few problems – it’s an app that’s well supported if any updates cause trouble.

      1. Thanks. I have had a look and made a note. The internet here is too slow and bitty to trust that it will complete a download before cutting out.

        1. I’d also add that a DT puzzle subscription is likely to be needed – I don’t think your DT online paper subscription would be enough.

  9. Enjoyed the North including learning 13a word but most of the South was messed up thanks to the 17a/d error 😡. I did in the end manage to sort things out thanks to help from another place. Fav was 23a. Presume Mr. McNeill will be appropriately taken to task. Thanks to Don Giovanni together with Deep Threat.

  10. Even with the ‘unconfused’ on-line version, a lot of head scratching and thumbing through the Chambers resources resulted in completion at a trot – ***/***.

    Reasonably certain that it is the first time I have seen 13a, but with three checkers in place, some guesswork, and Chambers verification I managed to avoid using electronic resources.

    Favourite – a toss-up between 11a and 28a.

    Thanks to Giovanni and DT.

  11. I thought this was tricky, and I did need in internet hand with 13a, a new word for me.
    I was unconvinced that 17a = thoroughfare
    I still have no idea what 23a is all about, even after the hint.
    Fav was 15d.
    Thanks DT and Giovanni.

      1. Is one of them a thoroughfare though?
        Btw the DT online site has the Toughies and is only £5/montb

        1. My beef is that having already paid a subscription to receive the paper online why should I pay more to get something that should already be included? As I also get a hard copy of the paper I can solve with pen and paper if I choose.

          1. Agree. I’ve had a subscription to the puzzles for years and naively thought I wouldn’t need that when we signed up the the online version of the newspaper. Well yes and no. Then discovered I needed to continue puzzle subscription to be able to print.

    1. I took 23a across as being an all in one reference to the system of time zones ie the time in a given location. ‘Tis a bit odd, though…

    2. “How goes the enemy.?” Instead of”What’s the time?” was a very familiar phrase at one time

      1. A B road is what the clue is suggesting. The Broafs as in Norfolk are not what the setter is referring to.

  12. ‘Whata mistaka to maka’ (I did originally enter some stronger language but I’m a bit fed up with being picked up!) – 17d was repeated as 17a in the Newspaper – unbelievable – heads should roll!!

    Having said that, I used the on-line version and only picked up the error when I got my Newspaper this morning!

    I enjoyed the puzzle and the only one that caused me any grief was 26a – I got hold of the wrong end of the stick and was trying to find a four-letter island beginning with ‘n’ -very enjoyable!

    But, the puzzle itself was overshadowed by the typesetting error or wharever caused the ricket!

  13. This detained me longer than it should have, partly because I missed the lurker in 20a and put linger forward 22d. Was able to sort out these out in the end. I am glad I did the online version and not the paper one which I also get. No outstanding clue today

  14. I think the subscription issue is nonsensical and needs to be reviewed.
    With regard to the paper/online cock-ups, something is plainly going wrong somewhere on a regular basis.

    As for the rather marred puzzle, thanks to The Don and to DT

  15. Pleased there was an explanation for 17a as we had given up on that one.
    Agree with others 23a still a bit of a puzzle.

  16. Having ground to a halt on 17a, as ever the Blog came to the rescue and revealed that it was actually impossible, as based on the paper version. I suspect that BD may notice a significant spike in the average number logging on today to pursue a similar line of enquiry!

    From the kosher clues, my favourite was 16d.

    Thanks to Giovanni and to DT, and a good weekend to all.

  17. Hmm. Because of 17a this puzzle took ages. Spoilt my enjoyment and I did not like 23a, I filled in an insurance company’s name here! Not my favourite of the week, although 28a and 13a were clever.

  18. I am also in I-Pad smug brigade who had no difficulties with any if this. 2*/3* seems about right, and 16d surfaced as my favourite. Thanks to The Don and DT.

  19. Nice puzzle apart from 17a. I’ve been staring at it for a few hours without success of course. Would have been **/*** but for that error.

  20. I know I asked yesterday, apart from the mistake at 17a, why change duped to let down or vice-versa?

  21. More than 2* difficulty for me but Friday crosswords always are.
    I do the crossword in the paper and ended up getting very grumpy with the 17a and 17d balls up – got 17d and had no idea about 17a.
    I missed the anagram indicator in 6d – don’t know how – it’s not the most unusual one we ever see.
    I didn’t know that I knew 13a but it jumped out at me with only a couple of letters in so I must have seen it before.
    I didn’t think there were any stand out clues today.
    With thanks to Giovanni and to DT.

  22. My chemistry master dinned it into me that a mixture is something you can separate like a bag of sweets. The answer to 19d is certainly not a mixture to a scientist.

  23. ***/*** Oh dear ! Very early, fasting blood-tests left me 28a the crossword 22a all day !! 7a muddle didn’t help and 23a and 16d both foxed me …….Hope to be less anaemic tomorrow ha ha.

  24. Not bad but maybe not as good as usual….. but that could be me. I thought there were too many obvious anagrams which made for little challenge. Oh well, you can’t win them all. 2d was the only clue that stood out for me, and overall 2/3*
    Thanks to Giovanni and to DT for officiating.

  25. Difficult to judge on this one, due to confusion with 17a (I don’t feel so bad about having failed miserably on that one!). I usually avoid any criticism of clue structure, but can’t help expressing some doubt over 23a – perhaps just a wavelength problem? Favourite: 1a – lots of those in our unkempt garden pond this year! Thanks to DT for the hints – and of course, to setter.

  26. It all went together smoothly for us as we were lucky enough not to have had to deal with the 17a problem. The answer to 13a did stretch the memory cells a little but the word was in there somewhere. Pleasant solve.
    Thanks Giovanni and DT.

  27. An enjoyable, fairly breezy solve. 13ac I’d not heard of and gave me more than a little pause for thought, but the rest was solved in ** time with half a mind on other matters. A good end to the week.

  28. Having been absent for a week prepping for the Hurricane, and then 5 days since unprepping, my brain couldn’t cope today and needed too many of Deep Threat’s hints. Have been using DT crossword book, but knowing answers are in the back kind of hinders concentrated effort. But still relishing having power and AC back. Have not heard from Merusa so getting worried and hope it is a lack of power issue.

  29. I have been out. 17D in the paper is a slight modification of my original, which in the paper appears as 17A. The correct clue for broad at 17A appeared in the proof I saw (and the editor particularly liked it!). I am not infallible but it looks like a production error this time. As for solution, one dictionary describes it as a homogeneous mixture so I think my ‘sort of’ is OK. I applaud scientific purism but it is not actually easy to give an exact defintion of the scientific meaning more succinctly. Here’s to perfection next Friday!

  30. Good evening everybody.

    A nice puzzle but both 17’s eluded me I’m afraid. Also 23a which I figured must be the solution but couldn’t fathom why.

    Plenty of good clues otherwise and 16, 19, 24d and 28a appealed.

    ****/***

  31. Thanks to Giovanni and to Deep Threat for the review and hints. The solving of this puzzle was spoiled by the wrong clue in 17a, obviously nothing to do with the setter, but the editor. Luckily I thought it had to be an error, so I got the correct clue from the blog. 28a made me laugh, but my favourite was 25d. Last in was 16d. Was 3*/3* for me.

  32. For what it is worth, I prefer the newspaper version of 17d to the original draft. As to 17a – words fail me!

  33. Did not read this blog yesterday and was completely thrown by 17a and 17d. Now know why! Obviously the editor did not like the original and it was changed but 17d was changed rather than 17a. When I am back home I will have another go at finishing it!

  34. May I proffer an explanation for 23a?

    Standard Time…as in, say, Eastern Standard Time..is the time in that particular locality. We’d call it GMT or Greenwich Mean Time. And, as DT says, time is the enemy of humanity (Krishnamurti’s teachings).

Comments are closed.