DT 28545 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28545

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28545

Hints and tips by Deep Threat

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BD Rating – Difficulty *Enjoyment ***

Good morning from South Staffs on a damp September day.

I fairly rattled through today’s puzzle from Giovanni, with the four long anagrams around the outside providing lots of checkers. The bottom half took a little longer than the top, but still only * for difficulty overall.

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

6a           Authorisation for investigation coming from chaser around with battle cry? (6,7)
SEARCH WARRANT – Anagram (around) of CHASER followed by something which, split (3,4) could be a battle cry.

8a           Form of cruelty — unhappy maiden is being imprisoned (6)
SADISM – Another word for unhappy and the cricket abbreviation for a maiden over, placed either side of IS (from the clue).

9a           Reasonable declaration looks phony with December passing (8)
RATIONAL – Anagram (looks phony) of (dec)LARATION with the abbreviation for December removed.

10a         Male or female head, not English (3)
PAT – A short name that can be either male or female. Remove the English from the end of a word for head (especially a bald one).

11a         Fellow looking forward to the match (6)
FIANCE – Cryptic definition of the male half of an impending set of nuptials.

12a         Severity of mess around road — I start to protest (8)
HARDSHIP – Wrap a mess or type of stew around an abbreviation for road, then add I (from the clue) and the first letter of Protest.

14a         Like something a poet’s written or the opposite (7)
INVERSE – Split this (2,5) and you have the way a poet writes.

16a         Advertise concert with note that has name missing (7)
PROMOTE – One of the series of concerts held at the Royal Albert Hall in the summer, followed by (n)OTE (from the clue) with the abbreviation for Name removed.

20a         Provincial giant has one belief to fight for — against wife always! (8)
CAUSEWAY – A belief to fight or campaign for, followed by Wife and a poetic word for always.

Image result for giant's causeway

23a         A source of inspiration, daughter venturing a smile? (6)
AMUSED – Put together A (from the clue), one of the nine sources of artistic inspiration from Ancient Greece, and Daughter.

24a         Theologian embracing a member of the family (3)
DAD – The letters after the name of someone highly qualified in theology, wrapped around A (from the clue).

25a         Flag of monarch placed by watercourse (8)
STREAMER – A brook or beck followed by the regnal cypher of our monarch.

26a         It includes humour? Some miss it completely (6)
SITCOM – An all-in-one clue, where the answer is hidden in the last three words.

27a         I love routines, indisposed to change completely (13)
REVOLUTIONISE – Anagram (indisposed) of I LOVE ROUTINES.

Down

1d           Report of people in A&E? What they’ll need, waiting! (8)
PATIENCE – The answer is a homophone (report of) of the word for people undergoing treatment in hospital.

2d           Agent set up to probe mean tricks moves quickly (8)
SCAMPERS – Reverse (set up) a short word for a commercial agent, and put it inside some mean tricks or cheats.

3d           Why rats could be dark-looking (7)
SWARTHY – Anagram (could be) of WHY RATS.

4d           Lecturer maybe in laboratory (6)
ORATOR – Hidden in the last word of the clue.

5d           Ministers soon restricted by Civil Service (6)
CANONS – A somewhat archaic word for ‘soon’ with the initials of the Civil Service wrapped round it.

6d           Railway official resorting to steam trains (13)
STATIONMASTER – Anagram (resorting) of TO STEAM TRAINS

7d           I ate hot old hen, nasty dish (4-2-3-4)
TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE – Anagram (nasty) of I ATE HOT OLD HEN.

Image result for toad in the hole

13d         Party in which to see upper-class couple (3)
DUO – One of the usual crossword parties wrapped around the letter signifying upper-class.

15d         Regret Aussie beast being heard (3)
RUE – This word for regret is a homophone (being heard) of a short name for an Australian marsupial.

17d         A moving sort of entertainment? (8)
ROADSHOW – Cryptic definition of an entertainment that may travel to various places.

18d         Horse at home eating a huge quantity (8)
MOUNTAIN – What a horse is when you sit on it, and ‘at home’, placed either side of A (from the clue).

19d         Slow up, being restricted by explosive chemical (7)
HYDRATE – Reverse (up) a word for slow or belated, then wrap a two-letter abbreviation for some explosive around the result.

21d         The female wanting love but denied love is put off (6)
SHELVE – Put together the female pronoun and L(o)VE (from the clue), then remove the letter which looks like a love score at tennis.

22d         Tennis tournament Don avoids — it can be boring (6)
WIMBLE – Remove the DON from the end of a famous tennis tournament, to get the name of an unusual boring tool like a gimlet or auger.


The Quick Crossword pun CACHE + OOZE = CASHEWS

48 comments on “DT 28545

  1. Very friendly Giovanni indeed – I hadn’t heard of the boring item in 22d but I feel I really should get one if only to drop ‘would you like to borrow my 22d?’ into a conversation

    Thanks to Giovanni and Deep Threat

  2. The four long anagrams really made this very straightforward – I got it all done and dusted well before lights out last night, no real problems.

    Only 23a and 26a made me pause for thought!

  3. I am not in the read and write camp, but nonetheless this was at the easier end of Giovanni’s spectrum. My last one in was 9a with 20a taking the prize for my COTD. Overall this was 2*/3.5* for me, with many thanks to The Don and DT.

  4. A very enjoyable puzzle which by Giovanni standards was a R&W – */****.

    Candidates for favourite – 20a, 23a, 1d, 17d, 19d, 22d, and probably a few more – and the most likely winner is 22d (for the personal reference).

    Thanks to Giovanni and DT.

  5. I thought this was a very entertaining puzzle with well thought out and diverse clues, I liked 6d and 20a particularly- must see it one day.I am going for a **/**** .
    Many thanks to Giovanni and DT for his blog- I was hoping to see a ‘bunnie’ somewhere! if the opportunity presented itself !

  6. Nothing too daunting today but plenty to amuse. Framework of four 13-letters certainly helped to get me off the mark. Bunged in 19d as an unparsed verb but failed to think of the chemical. Fav was 22d which had to be although I was unfamiliar with the boring tool. Thank you Giovanni and DT.

  7. Like some of you the 4 long framework answers went in straightaway making the rest of the puzzle very straightforward. 22d a new word for me but easily deducible.
    05*/***. 26a held me up for a couple of minutes, didn’t spot the lurker immediately. Even listening to Metallica at the same time didn’t slow me down. No particular favourite today. I shall now go and crash and burn with the Toughie I suspect.

    1. Metallica. Jeeps, I think you might be in a minority of one there – on this blog at least. That must be like trying to repair a watch in an earthquake.

  8. 1*/2*. A few in the SW corner prevented this from being a total R&W. Nothing obscure here but nothing too inspiring either with a few iffy surfaces to boot (particularly 6a).

    Thanks to Giovanni and to DT.

      1. Angellov, I am happy with the wordplay, it’s the surface reading of the clue that appears to me to make no sense.

  9. This one could very well have been a 1*, but for a failure to spot a few obvious answers in the bottom half – including yon lurker (for which latter, second half of the clue describes my situation precisely!). Friday’s crossword can be a bit of a slog, but there was plenty of free reign in this one. Didn’t pick up on the parsing of 20a until I saw D.T.s picture. 22d favourite.

  10. Much of this was R&W. The bottom right quadrant held me up until I spotted the lurker in 26a. The boring tool was a new word for me to stow away in my faulty memory bank along with miscellany such as dashpot and drupe which I know only because of the crossword. 23a was my favourite clue.

  11. Well that was all over quicker than a usual Friday. Top half was a r/w with the bottom just pulling it into the “stars” for me. */** and thanks to all, but where do i go for more crosswords of a similar level to the back pager? I only usually have a go at the Toughie if someone (usually CS) gives it an “approachable” heads up or the blogger awards a single star?

    1. If you find out, let the rest of us know. I too only venture into Toughie land when my mentor (CS) gives me the nod.

      1. I am sure it’s only me that didn’t know this, but with a bit of googling, i found the Independent, FT and Guardian cryptics can be accessed free (and then straight solutions and a sort-of blog for them on fifteensquared), but are these all Toughie standard or (unlikely) too simplistic? I have printed off the Independent and will give it a go later, but would appreciate any opinions available.

        1. I, FT & Graun are comparable to mild Toughies, I find the Times the next best thing – rarely will you find a R&W.
          Rookie Corner is always interesting, too – they tend to push convention and divide opinion, which is always interesting.

          1. Managed about half of the Independent before conceding defeat. Reading through the explanations on fifteensquared left me mostly baffled. It was full of GK and slightly stretched conventions to what I am used to (even with the DT Toughie). I usually have a look at the Rookie, but they do tend to try for fiendish first. I suppose pitching a crosswords difficulty level correctly takes great skill and practice.
            Nice chat. Apologies if it’s a bit away from where we should be. I did think of raising the matter in Comments, but didn’t know if anyone would reply.

            1. Broadly, the Independent has gentler puzzles on Sunday and Monday (~back pager), gentle-ish on Wednesday (back page/ toughie borderline), themed on Tuesday, Phi (usually with a theme) on Friday, and difficult puzzles on Thursday and Saturday. You can go back through past ones for free, perhaps pick days (or setters) that suit you.

      2. Toughieland can be very daunting. When they are on the easier end of the spectrum, I can do most of them. Yesterday I had a look at the Beam puzzle, and couldn’t get a single answer.

          1. Lol, the hardest thing with the toughies is convincing myself that I can do them. I have had most success when I try the toughie before the back pager

            1. Yes – I agree – we have to get beyond, ‘This is called a Toughie so I can’t do it’. I’ve been trying for ages – it’s all getting a bit better but still the little chappie sits on my shoulder telling me that it’s a Toughie. Oh dear.

              1. I agree mostly, but when you look up a solution to a clue you’ve been staring at all day and think “I would never have got that in a million years”, the little chappie on my shoulder says “see what I mean” and giggles. It won’t stop me from trying occasionally (when one or two stars that is :-) ).

  12. More than 1* difficulty for me – probably nearer 3*.
    I couldn’t believe there was any such word as 22d but thought I’d look it up anyway – there it was.
    3d made me go a bit funny – I do so hate rats.
    My last answer was 26a – the less said about that the better. :roll: Good clue, though, and when I finally saw it it made me laugh.
    I liked 8a and 22d. My favourite was 26a.
    Thanks to Giovanni and to Deep Threat.

  13. A nice end to the working week with a challenge that didn’t require too much cranial agitation. 20a was my favourite and overall 2/4*
    Thanks to Giovanni for being gentle with us and also to DT for his review.

  14. Fully agree with the rating, even the weird word was easy to get. A nice end to a distinctly tricky crossword week.
    Thx to Giovanni and DT for the hints.

  15. Every fourth week on a Monday the OH makes the best 7d in East Anglia using Musk of Newmarket’s sausages and his own carefully honed batter recipe. Great way to end the eeek with some super anagrams and a sneaky lurker. Thanks to DT and the Don. Hope weather holds over weekend as Chris our gardener is due tomorrow, he had to cry off two weeks ago as it was teeming with rain.

    1. Haha – yes, 7d is always a job for me, too. I have got the hang of part cooking the sausages, cutting them up into thirds and making 12-16 mini TITH’s in a muffin tray. Great with stuffing, honey-glazed carrots (julienne), sauteed potatoes and a blob of herby gravy (and a glass of Cotes Du Rhone, or two… or three)

      Lady LbR is cooking tonight for a change; we’re almost certainly having fish finger sarnies.

    2. Mmmm – Musk’s sausages have been good for so many years and I remember them well from years spent living near Newmarket. However IMHO I think Powter’s Sausage shop in Newmarket produces even better bangers.

  16. Thanks to Giovanni and to Deep Threat for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, not too tricky. I did the four long clues first, and completed the top half quickly, but the bottom half put up some resistance. Favourite was 22d, which was a new word for me. Needed the hints to parse 9a, I missed the anagram, and 20a, didn’t know what the definition was. Rating was 1*/3* for me.

  17. I was breezing along with this crossword but came unstuck in the SW so **/*** 🙁 It was my own fault as I put the wrong answer for 19d 😬 I didn’t believe there was such a word as 22d but obviously there is 😳 Favourites 10, 14 & 20 across. Thanks to Giovanni and to DT

  18. Thoroughly enjoyable Giovanni today. Easy peasy except for a couple in the SW corner.
    Never heard of 22d, a quick google ensured there was such a thing.
    I needed the hints to “get” 9a, but I knew the answer had to be what it was.
    I thought 22d was super, but 7d beat it ‘cos it’s one of my favourite dishes. I wish we could get real bangers here, but as I no longer eat mammals, it’s a moot point!
    Thanks to Giovanni and to DT for the fun hints.

  19. In company with other commenters, 22d was a new word for me and it also took a couple of minutes to remember that 19d can be something other than a verb. Otherwise, a very straightforward puzzle from the Don.
    I did wonder whether 22d was the expression of a personal opinion!

    Several that I quite liked including 23&26a.

    Thanks to DG and to DT for the blog – disappointed not to get a pic of a 3d fellow in the review!

    1. I can guess which 3d fellow you were hoping for of a pic of! Oh dear – grammar, Kath, but it’ll have to do!

  20. Definitely on the easy side, with a an odd looking grid that gave us lots of crossing letters, which helped. This didn’t feel like a puzzle by the Don, but presumably is?

  21. Late to the party today as I am 8 hours behind UK time so I apologise for nothing.
    Two stars and three-and-half from this solver. Liked 6d and 3d and did not like 20d (in my notes, I wrote ‘what!’

    I don’t recall ever having tackled a ‘Toughie’ – maybe I should keep it that way. I do like The Times though.

    Love and kisses.

  22. Surprisingly comfortable for a Friday. Now stuck in the pub with my original mentor with all puzzles done for the week. Now back to 2002 from the Telegraph site for more puzzles that are before my time and outside the memory span of my mentor! Thanks to the setter and as usual an entertaining blog

  23. I agree with Kath, in that I found this tougher than its * rating. It was one of those days when the answers either jumped off the page at me, and some where I got the answer but couldn’t make it fit the clue with enough confidence to ink it in. The others I needed DT’s hints to finish, thanks.

  24. Last Friday was a *** Giovanni and I completed it in record time, while others struggled. This was a * and a complete mystery. I got 6 answers. For me, the hardest puzzle for weeks,some Toughies are easier than this.
    Can’t give it a star rating as I did not get that far.
    Looking forward to going through the hint, thanks DT and Giovanni.

  25. This was quite benign, which is unusual for G as we normally get a decent challenge. Enjoyable, though. 2*/3*.

  26. Finished this last night in bed relatively easily. It was relaxing after giving a two hour talk on Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom for our local Camera Club. I do this sort of thing in the hope that other people find it useful, unfortunately I’m not sure that I actually enjoy it!
    Having only got 4 clues in the top half prior to my talk I romped home with the rest afterwards. Needed hints to parse 20a, but it still seemed to fit in my brain without. Thanks to all, what would we do without you

  27. As others, I found the 4 long answers a tremendous help in completing the grid.
    Liked the anagram in 6d, the def in 20a and the lurker in 26a.
    Learned a bit more DIY in 22d.
    Thanks to the Don and to DT for the review.

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