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DT 28820

by Senf  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28820

Hints and tips by Senf

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***/****

A very good Sunday Friday morning from Winnipeg.  Deep Threat is unavailable today so I get another opportunity to solve and hint a complete puzzle and it is Day 2 of the Best 4 Days of the Year as I am volunteering at a professional golf tournament where the best golfers in the field will be rewarded on Sunday afternoon and, more importantly, funds will be raised to support worthy causes in the local area.

Another Giovanni puzzle, with perhaps some oldies but goodies, providing a very enjoyable end to the work week.

Joint favourites – 10a and 2d.

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

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Both comrades sadly out of action (4,2,6)
HORS DE COMBAT: An anagram (sadly) of BOTH COMRADES.

9a    Fellow producing article in Paris about our country (4)
LUKE: One of the definite articles used in France (in Paris) containing (about) the abbreviated form of our country.

10a    Involve troublemaker, one Conservative entering after time (9)
IMPLICATE: The usual young troublemaker followed by the single letters for one and Conservative contained by (entering) a single word for after time.

12a    Minister of religion is beginning to embrace change (6)
REVISE: One of the abbreviations for a minister of religion, IS from the clue, and the first letter (beginning) of Embrace.

13a    Loyalist to begin tackling man and wife (8)
STALWART: A single word for begin containing (tackling) a two letter abbreviation of a man’s name and the single letter for wife.

15a    Essential lodger, type who can type (10)
KEYBOARDER: Synonyms of essential and lodger.

16a    Model to disapprove of, not given work (4)
POSE: A single word for to disapprove of with the (musical) abbreviation for work removed.

18a    Observe one in a bar? (4)
NOTE: A double definition – the bar in the second is musical.

20a    More than one celebrity is unreal — I’m knocked for six (10)
LUMINARIES: An anagram (knocked for six) of IS UNREAL I’M.

23a Stones thrown by mere lads (8)
EMERALDS: An anagram (thrown by) of MERE LADS.

24a    Maybe worker on paper pursuing beast is presented dramatically (6)
STAGED: Our favourite abbreviated form of a worker on a newspaper following (pursuing) a male member of the deer family.

26a    Socialists wanting fruit mostly and fish (3,6)
RED SALMON: A four letter term for socialists followed by a (nutty) fruit with its last letter removed (mostly).

27a Spies looking both ways (4)
SEES: A palindromic (both ways) synonym of looking.

28a Animal husband kept in nasty old pen running free (8,4)
SHETLAND PONY: The single letter for husband contained by (kept in) an anagram (running free) of NASTY OLD PEN.

Down

2d    Maybe maidens, getting passionate, went too far (8)
OVERSHOT: Crickety maidens and a three letter synonym of passionate.

3d    Attractively thin in general (4)
SLIM: The surname of a General who served in WW1 and WW2.

4d    English politician vigorous, putting out line expressing fellow-feeling (10)
EMPATHETIC: The abbreviations for English and a politician followed by a synonym of vigorous with letter for line removed (putting out).

5d    Bird with yellow part, one concealed (6)  Clue revised online to “Bird with round part, one concealed” as the original version had an R ‘left over’
ORIOLE: A type of the colour yellow followed by a theatrical part containing (concealed) the single letter for one –  The revised version gives us the ’round letter’ and a theatrical part, into which is inserted (concealed) the single letter that looks like a number one

6d    A daughter in shout of acclaim shows bluster (7)
BRAVADO: A shout of acclaim (often heard, for example, at an opera) containiong (in) the letter A from the clue and the single letter for daughter.

7d    One’s opponents in a land beyond? (3,5,4)
THE OTHER SIDE: A fairly obvious double definition.

8d    Scrutiny of nasty loveless voyeurs (6)
SURVEY: An anagram (nasty) of VoYEURS with the letter that can represent love removed.

11d    What Lothario leaves behind? He’s rat, possibly! (6,6)
BROKEN HEARTS: A description of an anagram (possibly) of HE’S RAT.

14d    Worker on field has nasty dung on arms (10)
GROUNDSMAN: An anagram (nasty – Oops! – second use of nasty as an anagram indicator) of DUNG ON ARMS.

17d    Quiet worker is devoted to a cause (8)
PARTISAN: The musical letter for quiet and a type of (skilled) worker.

19d    Lever altered, made loose (7)
TREADLE: An anagram (made loose) of ALTERED.

21d    Fires created by one beginning to end (6)
INGLES: A synonym of one with its first letter moved to become its last letter (beginning to end).

22d Actress giving bishop a visit (6)
BACALL: The single letter for bishop, A from the clue, and a synonym of visit (said actress was married to Humphrey Bogart).

25d Lose temper with little son needing sleep (4)
SNAP: The single letter for son followed by (needing) a synonym for sleep.

The Quick Crossword pun: MINER+CANNON=MINOR CANON

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, passed away yesterday, aged 76, after a ‘battle’ against cancer.  Here, to pay tribute to her, is Respect with a nice picture montage:

48 comments on “DT 28820”

  1. A gentle Giovanni today in my opinion which didn’t hold me up for too long.

    Thanks to Senf and Giovanni */***

  2. The clue for 5d has been amended online as the original version had an R left over with nowhere to go. The new clue says: “Bird with round part, one concealed”

    2. Interestingly, I came up with the answer based on the original clue. ‘I’ into ‘role’ gave me the second part, but I was left with ‘yellow’ to give an ‘o’ – which left me puzzled (ignoring the reference to gold – which didn’t work). My addled brain came up with ‘yell-ow’, with ‘yell’ being used to indicate a homonym for the letter ‘o’. I thought it was a bit of an devious clue at the time!

  3. Another fine puzzle from G, not his most difficult but very entertaining/enjoyable. 22d: I wonder, just what was the actress saying to the bishop during that visit? 3* / 4*

  4. Enjoyable and a smidgeon less tricky than some Friday inside back pagers. I had several clues marked for ‘favouritism’ but I think I’ll settle on 25d as I had ‘one of those’ and regularly got quite grumpy due to severe lack of sleep

    Thanks to Giovanni (shame about the spare R) and to Senf

  5. 26a raises the ‘Which nut is a fruit and which isn’t?’ question which is a always a hoot.

  6. A good work out with some interesting clueing. 3*/4*
    Favourites 26a,25d&6d

    I think the answer to 16a( under the shading) should have 4 letters not 6 ?

    Thanks to Giovanni and Senf

  7. More good Friday fun with DG. Lots of great clues but particularly liked 2d and 18a. Thank you Giovanni and Senf.

  8. Apologies for original ORIOLE clue ( still in the paper alas). My checking notes had ‘or + i iin role’. Truly there are none so blind as those who cannot see!

  9. Spent a while looking for an alternative bird before accepting that 5d was an error and also trying to make more of a pun out of the Quickie pun.
    I could also hear the Silvanus radar bleeping from here over the repeated use of ‘nasty’!

    Not to worry – life’s rich tapestry and all that. I did rather like 2d so that got my vote for favourite.

    Thanks to DG and to Senf for the overtime. Good of you to slot in a tribute to the Queen of Soul.

  10. A gentle offering today, but pleasant enough. I didn’t have a particular favourite today. My normal grouse when there are too many anagrams(7 today, I think). But, just because they are not my favourites, others seem to welcome them – so no real complaint.

  11. Apart from the 5d misclue, I thought this was a reasonably tricky, but very enjoyable and rewarding Giovanni offering. Some nice anagram indicators, with 1a my favourite.

    Thanks to The Don and our reserve blogger.

  12. Very gentle today. The anagrams filled 40% of the grid. They gave 13 initial letters. They left only seven words with no checked letters. I do fee that is too much but what do I know.? I went to Birmingham by train yesterday. I took a blank grid to fill in to pass the time with a view to maybe setting another Rookie puzzle. On the way home the two young ladies opposite kept asking how I knew what to put where with no clues. They were baffled. “How do you know that goes there”? “How can you do a crossword with no clues”? When said I would write the clues later one girl said “Thats stupid. You have to have the clues first so you know what to write in” There is no reasoning with people who are in drink.

    2. Talking of anagrams, Miffs, and forgive me if I have got this wrong, but are you not a fan of writing the letters in a circle to solve the anagram?

      2. I used to write them out in a line in the margins of the newspaper. Now I solve on the ipad. I have not used pen and paper for years. Saint Sharon wouldn’t get up to fetch me a pen so that was that. The more you do it mentally the easier it becomes. Not being able to read my own writing (see avatar) made it all the more difficult. I can read what i put into the ipad.

        1. Interesting.

          Solving anagrams in your head isn’t easy but, as you say, practice makes perfect.

          I love looking at the DT’s polyword for the anagram as it very often takes less than a second which I find fascinating and a real buzz. It’s amazing how the brain works.

          It seems a fun and quicker way to solve anagrams.

          Horses for courses and all that…

        2. I did notice the avatar. No wonder you solve on the iPad, surely you can’t read that? Speaking of which, mine is on the fritz, am saving credit card points to get another one!

          1. I was blessed with handwriting nobody could read Merusa. My solving times reduced very quickly once Saint Sharon bought me an ipad.

          2. By the way, if you look carefully you will see that the puzzle is unfinished. I never write the last letter in. If I realise i am on the last clue I never fill the squares.

            1. Sorry, I need to check this……you always leave one square blank?

              If so, I have to ask….why?

              1. I try never to write the last answer in but sometimes start. If I realise this I stop as in the avatar. The world’s supply of ink is not infinite. The scribes of the future willl be grateful to people like me who conserved their resources. I have blogged unfinished Monday puzzles for a few years now. Also when I solved on the back page without writing in the last clue it gave random people the chance to “finish” it for me and feel superior.

                1. ….and sure enough
                  you didn’t disappoint.

                  You are clearly bonkers, Miffington Popsiclesand that’s why I luv yer!

                2. Anagrams in your head….Not finishing crosswords…..got any more gems like that?

                  Everything comes in threes….

              1. He will be, if he doesn’t answer the question.

                I’m dying to find out.

                Oh, I do sooooooo hope it’s a goodie…

            3. My brother, who does various quick and cryptic crosswords in newspapers each day, only writes in the letters that are checkers/intersecting with other clues. So his finished puzzles are littered with empty squares. He reckons it saves effort/time/ink. Takes all sorts, I suppose…

  14. I found this puzzle difficult to start with but it all fell in place once I had solved 1a-thought that the clue should have had ‘ in France’ appended.
    Liked11d and 21d.
    Remembered 3d, was he a field martial too ?.Thanks to the setter and Senf.

  15. Well knock me down with a feather, a Friday puzzle I half enjoyed. Before “consulting” Senf I couldn’t understand why 3d was cryptic, or parse 13 and 16a or 21d so thanks for the explanations, the stunning picture of Lauren Bacall and the review in general. Thanks also to the setter.

  16. I bunged in 5d thinking I’d missed something – I always get the paper!. Not til I checked here did I realise the reason!
    A nice steady solve nonetheless with 11d my clue of the day.
    Thanks to Giovanni and Senf

  17. */***. I enjoyed this puzzle but hadn’t connected the general in 3d although it had to be right. Thanks Senf. My favourite was 21d. Thanks to DG for a pleasant solve. The skies are clearing here but I fear that doesn’t help many to the east.

  18. Slow start but once the anagram checkers were in things got a little easier. Got 5d anyway, but 1a took a good while even with the checkers there and I was using pen and paper for that anagram unlike some? Last in 9a again once the light came on fairly obvious.A good puzzle a bit more difficult for me than other bloggers but a very pleasant solve.

    Clues of the day: 15a / 7d

    Rating 3*/ 4*

    Thanks to Senf and Giovanni.

  19. I found this fairly benign until I got to the SE corner where I came to a halt and had to get a hint to get going again. I think that corner took as long as the rest of the puzzle.
    I always like when I get 1a on first read through, very encouraging.
    Fave was 11d, but lots of enjoyment with this one.
    Thanks to Giovanni and to Senf for his review and his help getting to the finish line.

    1. P.S. Forgot to thank Senf for the Aretha, Queen of Soul clip. She was such a talented lady, what a voice!

  20. Thanks to Giovanni and to Senf for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, that I found very tricky. Needed the hints for 21d. Had a guess at 5d,as I only had the newspaper clue. Favourite was 15a. Was 4*/3 * for me.

  21. No wonder we could not parse 5d. Following on from our struggles with MARIGOLD in the previous puzzle, we eventually decided that ‘O’ must be the brand name for a yellow coloured product that is only available from a small village in Wiltshire and moved on to the Toughie.
    Another enjoyable Friday puzzle.
    Thanks Giovanni and Senf.

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