DT 29015 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29015

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29015

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

It is that time of the year again when we have to adjust our puzzle solving schedule. It is a two stage operation for us. One when UK clocks are moved forward and another when we finish our daylight saving time. This week falls in the gap between these changes. We don’t need the clock changes to remind us though as there is a real autumnal feeling in the air despite some gloriously fine sunny days.

We found this at the gentler end of Jay’s spectrum.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Amount charged must include a court for training (8)
PRACTICE : ‘A’ from the clue and the abbreviation for court are inside a word for amount charged.

5a     Some oddly stuffing face must be miserable (6)
DISMAL : The first and third letters (oddly) of ‘some’ are inside a face that might be seen on a clock.

9a     Beggar working in tandem with head of charity (9)
MENDICANT : The first letter of charity is inside an anagram (working) of IN TANDEM.

11a     Match score (5)
TALLY : A double definition.

12a     Destiny of king is satisfied (6)
KISMET : The chess abbreviation for king, then ‘IS’ from the clue and satisfied or fulfilled the conditions.

13a     Look to include unusually bitter words to score (8)
LIBRETTO : An old-fashioned two letter word for look contains an anagram (unusually) of BITTER.

15a     Job in the dark for an astronomer? (5-8)
NIGHT-WATCHMAN : The wordplay describes the time and activity of a male astronomer.

18a     Tarantino line rewritten for test, perhaps (13)
INTERNATIONAL : An anagram (rewritten) of TARANTINO LINE.

22a     Understands broadcast by mistress losing head abroad (8)
OVERSEAS : Remove the first letter from a mistress or paramour and then a homophone (broadcast) for understands or comprehends.

23a     Water jump? (6)
SPRING : A double definition.

26a     Island republic a prince tours (5)
CAPRI : A lurker, hiding in the clue.

27a     English tombstone with line replacing one name as compensation (9)
EMOLUMENT : Start with the abbreviation for English, then a synonym for a tombstone has one of its constituent abbreviations for name replaced with the abbreviation for line.

28a     Look at soldiers and pull back (6)
REGARD : Engineering soldiers and then the reversal of a word meaning pull.

29a     Old-fashioned chap having precedence is given authority (8)
MANDATED : A word meaning old-fashioned or passe has a synonym for chap in front of it (having precedence).

Down

1d     Squashes questions about 2 for example (8)
PUMPKINS : Questions or interrogates vigorously surrounds a collective noun that includes people such as the answer to 2d.

2d     Pleasure trips must start late for these relations (5)
AUNTS : Remove the first letter (must start late) from pleasure trips or escapades.

3d     Weapon that’s free, wrapped in canvas (7)
TRIDENT : A shelter that was traditionally made of canvas surrounds free or eradicate.

4d     Stuff credit — a source of misery! (4)
CRAM : The abbreviation for credit, then ‘A’ from the clue and the first letter of misery.

6d     Meanwhile at home, call about investments, initially (7)
INTERIM : The two letter ‘at home’ and then the first letter of investments is inside call or name.

7d     Hormone present in rampant Latino men? (9)
MELATONIN : An anagram (rampant) of LATINO MEN.

8d     Provides drama ignoring quiet lad (4,2)
LAYS ON : Remove the musical notation for quiet from a stage drama and then lad or male offspring.

10d     Commanding Officer captured by Attila ordered such a jacket (4,4)
TAIL COAT : An anagram (ordered) of ATILLA contains the abbreviation for Commanding Officer.

14d     Posture adopted by coach? (8)
CARRIAGE : A double definition.

16d     Pet subject of experimentation (6,3)
GUINEA PIG : Another double definition.

17d     Offended, being able to see across lake (8)
SLIGHTED : The abbreviation for lake is inside a word meaning being able to see.

19d     One sheltering in canopy is more irritable (7)
TESTIER : A canopy that might be found on a four-poster bed contains the Roman numeral one.

20d     Seize contents of limo and crush (7)
IMPOUND : The two central letters of limo and then crush as one might with a mortar and pestle.

21d     Absurd score — around 100 — for such a game (6)
SOCCER : An anagram (absurd) of SCORE contains the Roman numeral for 100.

24d     Useless writer held up by Italian (5)
INEPT : A writing implement is inverted inside IT(alian).

25d     Prices of admission will include seating (4)
SOFA : And we finish with our second lurker of the day.

1d was our favourite today.

Quickie pun    wart    +    uppity    =    what a pity

49 comments on “DT 29015

  1. Very friendly Jay but full of the usual high level of enjoyment.

    Thanks to all three birds

    There’s also another treat from the Petitjean legacy in the middle of the paper – do give it a go.

  2. 2*/4*. Brilliant! Light and great fun. A Jay/Petitjean double day is always going to be extremely enjoyable and today certainly is that.

    15a was my favourite closely followed by 1d.

    Many thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  3. The hardest part of today’s puzzles was sorting The quickie Pun. Indeed this was one of my quickest solves of a Jay puzzle. Sometimes I wish for the pre blog days when a puzzle like this would last all day. Thanks to all concerned. Jay. The 2Ks and our crossword editor Mr Chris Lancaster. While i in a thankful mood. thanks to Big Dave and thanks to all who contribute to this blog. Gosh. Where did all that come from?

    1. I reckon it came from this place being an oasis of sanity and civility in a world gone mad..

    2. Wonderful Wednesday crossword LOI was 27a, a new word for me. **/**** Thanks to all.

  4. I got a lot of satisfaction from this as I found it quite testing but (all be it with some electronic help) I was eventually able to sort if out with the exception of 13a, even though I knew there was an anagram of bitter in there!
    As usual with Jay, lots to enjoy with podium places going to 15a, 16 and 17d, with 15a taking top spot.
    3.5/4*

    Thanks to the 2Ks, I needed help parsing a couple, and to Jay.

  5. Our second bright and breezy puzzle of the week – much enjoyed here.

    The guy working in the dark and the rampant Latino men get my votes today!

    Thanks to Jay and to our 2Ks for the blog. Make the most of your Autumnal sunshine – we’re back to Winter here with snow on the mountains.

  6. As with most Wednesday puzzles, I got off to a good start by going up the Downs and finished at a gallop – **/****.

    Favourite – 15a, at least a furlong ahead of the field..

    Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  7. **/**** Very enjoyable puzzle, started at a gallop but only a trot for the SE corner.

  8. Well it looks as though **/**** is the most popular rating so far today, a cure for Theresaitis !
    I have to go for 15a as my favourite followed by 1d for misleading me so nicely.
    Thanks to setter and 2K’s for the pics, isn’t 27a a lovely word.

  9. It all went in and, eventually, parsed.

    But please tell me I’m not the only person a bit held up by trying to get an anagram from “the Hun” to fit around CO?

    This is what happens when you faff about instead of going at it in order…….. although sometimes that helps.

    Thanks to our NZ friends anyway!

      1. Ha Ha!

        Jay is clever, so I reckon this was a double bluff?

        That’ll learn us not to try to be clever ourselves…….

    1. Wouldn’t that make it an indirect anagram, which is verboten (to continue the Germanic theme)?

      1. I don’t know what that is….
        Is it where you first have a synonym ( or some sort of GK suffix) and then form an anagram from that?

        Tricksy!

      2. It would indeed. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop ‘verboten’ ideas popping into one’s mind from time to time!

  10. Another pleasant offering from Jay,19d was a bung in as I have not heard of that particular canopy. Thanks to the 2Ks and Jay.

    1. I’ve only slept under one of those a couple of times………they make me nervous….

      At best, something unpleasant (dead or alive) might drop on you….at worst, it could be the whole thing.

      1. I too am not keen on four poster beds. Golly bongs what if a spider appeared. My screams would awaken the nation. Not for me thanks

        1. I don’t mind 8 legs – after all, they abseil from the ceiling anywhere, anytime.

          But 4 legs and a long tail?
          In the absence of proper housekeeping?

          One 4 legged UNDER the bed is enough for me. I once slept through an earthquake because my subconscious must have thought it was the resident canine.

  11. Am I getting better or are the puzzles getting easier? Two days in a row of straightforward solves.

  12. A fun run in the North followed by a couple of minor hold-ups in the South but those too soon fell into line. Fav was 15a and liked surface of 21a. As is not always the case 1a noun of course has to be correctly spelt here. Thank you Jay and the 2Kiwis.

  13. 9a and 27a were both new words for me, so that’s my education done for the day.
    Very enjoyable puzzle, loved the Latino men especially.
    Thank you Jay and 2Ks.

    1. I must try and remember that anagram, because I have one of them several times a week…………

        1. Something over which I shall draw a veil…….except to say that it does help me sleep…….

          They’re on the NHS after the age of 55, you know.

  14. It was a two stage operation here too. I did reasonably well at work but 15a and 18a wouldn’t come to me. When I got home they were inserted in the dead tree version by Mammy Bee. With that help I was able to romp through the rest. 9a and 13a both pleased me today with 27a on the podium too.
    Ditto MP and Stephen’s thanks to all concerned here.
    Especially Jay and 2K’S.
    Little Johnny bee is off to have a go at the Petitjean.

  15. Had a tricky doctor’s appointment so this was the perfect distraction.. Well done and many thanks

  16. Quite a lot of anagrams but enjoyable nonetheless.
    Thanks to Jay and to 2kiwis for the blog.

  17. Straightforward, great fun and a pleasure to solve. This was yet another in a long line of excellent Jay puzzles that are terrific examples of the setter’s art. I liked 1d the best from 16d.

    Many thanks to Jay and to the 2Ks.

  18. **/****. Very enjoyable puzzle with 15a beating 1d to take the gold medal. Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks. After the coldest February in years and one of the driest months of March for a long time (enough for our first forest fires of the year), we have now started our first “soaker”. I cut the lawns yesterday which shows some lucky foresight 😎

  19. Very enjoyable, and so is Petitjean’s Toughie. I will go with the majority and ,make 15a my favourite.

  20. Thank you to Jay and 2Kiwis for this delightful puzzle today. I squeezed in enough time to tackle this today, and was glad I did. Likewise yesterday, another great puzzle, and thanks to setter and Mr K. Got to that too late to comment. Packing is consuming all free time for our move, and sorting the patio, pots, orchids etc. Back to work.

  21. I was sure that 1d had to have “asks” in it somewhere for “questions”, and was sent way off track with the wrong “squashes”. I tried to put “H” into “rampant” for 7d thinking that there must be a group of Latino men Id never heard of before. I struggled to make anything then put it into an anagram solver. Fell on the floor with laughter. Thank you Jay for the fun, and thank you too 2K’s.

  22. Enjoyable and straightforward 😃 **/*** Favourites 15a & 20d Thanks to the 2 x Ks and to Jay 🤗 Let us see what tomorrow brings 😳

  23. Another Jay jewel, I really look forward to Wednesdays.
    All went swimmingly, how on earth does one choose a fave? Maybe 26a as I loved my visit there, so beautiful.
    Thanks to Jay and the 2Kiwis for the fun and pics.

  24. Feeling proud of myself having finished both Monday and Tuesday’s puzzles using only dictionaries and an online helpmate. Then I just got about two thirds through today’s and complained bitterly about how hard it was and turned to Big Dave only to see I had downloaded the Toughie by mistake. Obviously an easy one I thought to get so far.

    Proper puzzle today solved using help again before looking on here for the why of some. 15a a favourite too.

    Why when failing to complete one of the prize puzzles at the weekend are their no hints for the clues I can’t do? I find it a mystery.

  25. A great Wednesday crossword, as they always are.
    I didn’t think it was very tricky – I usually have real trouble with my last few answers on Wednesdays but not today.
    A fair number of anagrams which probably made it easier than it might have been otherwise.
    I particularly liked 29a and 4d. My favourite was 1d.
    With thanks to Jay and the 2K’s.

    1. PS I really liked the Quickie Pun – I think the Wednesday ones are nearly always the best of the week.

        1. As well as being one of the best cryptic crossword setters around, Jay is the master of excruciating puns, which is just what the doctor ordered! :yes:

  26. Not as easy as I first thought, but really good fun. Slowed right down from a fast run when I started on the SE section. But finding 27ac broke it open.
    3*/4.5*
    Fav has to be 27ac.
    Grateful to Jay for another fun tester & to the 2KW for their assistance!

  27. Morning all.
    Daybreak is still about an hour away here but the forecaster tells us we are in for another fine sunny autumn day.
    After reading all the comments it seems that Jay has produced another puzzle that has kept all the regular solvers happy. We find it amazing that he is able to do this week after week.
    Cheers.

  28. Lots of fun, and about average difficulty? Didn’t know the canopy, but did know the answer. Surprised myself by getting 27ac correct. Groaned on spotting 15ac.

  29. Oops! Nearly forgot to comment. Another fine crossword from Jay that was a pleasure to solve. 15a was good but 14d was my favourite.
    Thanks to Jay and to the 2K’s for their review.

  30. Last again and I don’t like to be the fly in the ointment, but I did the toughie earlier and found it easier than this! Perhaps a wavelength thing or maybe put off by watching the shenanigans going on in parliament! Dear me. Anyway I got there in the end. I’m not sure the wine helped either. Thanks to Jay and 2K’s for hosting the blog.

  31. 2*/4*….
    liked 15A (job in the dark for an astronomer?) and 7D ( hormone present in rampant Latino men?).

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