DT 29037 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29037

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29037

Hints and tips by A Jersey Girl

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BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment **

Good morning from the Bailiwick of Jersey where Saint Sharon and I are spending a few days after watching Coventry Rugby Club beat Jersey in a thrilling game played in the warm sunshine, the rain, the hail, the biting cold and a very strong wind. Four seasons in one game. Gwarn Cov!

Today’s puzzle was a fine wake up moment. All fell reasonably easily but for the girl who didn’t remain artless for long and the gooniest of The Goons who appeared to be hiding in an anagram but wasn’t

These hints and tips have been created lovingly to help those of you who may need help to solve a couple of clues or to understand why an answer is what it is. Usually a clue consists of two parts. 1. A definition, which is usually at the beginning or end of a clue. 2. Wordplay which tells what to do to solve the clue. The hints and tips help with the wordplay of the clues. Definitions are underlined. Some hints are illustrated. These illustrations may or may not have a bearing on understanding the clue.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Vile prison meal, cold (10)
IMPERSONAL: An easy anagram (vile) of PRISON MEAL to start the week.

6a    Heather wanting a boy (4)
ERIC: Remove (wanting) from the Latin name for the plant Heather. Reading the clue again and knowing a couple of Heathers in my time made me smile.

9a    On the way out, collared by class first off (2,5)
EN ROUTE: The word OUT from the clue is encircled (collared) by a class of art, music or literature minus its first letter

10a    Renowned mathematician not keeping quiet inside the French opera house (2,5)
LA SCALA: This renowned mathematician died in 1662. His first name was Blaise. Remove the musical symbol denoting quiet from his surname (clued by the words not keeping quiet). Place what you have left inside the French word for the (feminine). Alternatively, just put the name of the only Opera House that readily springs to mind

12a    Breaking a law? Indignity for royal attendant (4-2-7)
LADY-IN-WAITING: I am reasonably sure that this is an anagram (breaking) of A LAW INDIGNITY

14a    Deliriously happy on end of line in call-box? (8)
PAYPHONE: An anagram (deliriously) of HAPPY is followed by the word ON from the clue and the final letter (end of) of the word line

15a    Reportedly dispose of second Scottish club (6)
CELTIC: A homophone of two four letter words. 1 To dispose of in return for money. 2. A second, a moment, a trice, named after the sound of a clock. Put these two letters together to form a Scottish Football Club

17a    Refinement in French resort city? Not western half (6)
NICETY: A resort on the French Riviera needs the first two letters (western half) of the word city from the clue to be dropped

19a    Changing of editor becomes highly desirable (2,3,3)
TO DIE FOR: Anagram (changing) of OF EDITOR

21a    See Welsh girl Gracie, perhaps, in a state of perfect happiness (7,6)
ELYSIAN FIELDS: The final resting place of the great and good in Greek mythology can be found by completing the three-part charade in the clue. 1. A see or bishopric in Lincolnshire 2. A Welsh girl’s name. 3 The surname of a well-known Gracie from Rochdale Lancashire

24a    Domestic cock and duck in list (7)
ROOSTER: The duck in question is the letter that looks like the zero score in cricket. Place it inside a synonym of the word list

25a    Artless young woman‘s true home at the beginning (7)
INGENUE: Find a word meaning true, authentic or real. Move the two letters meaning home to the beginning of the word.

26a    Difficult losing second pet (4)
TIFF: Remove the abbreviation for second from a word meaning difficult or tough or severe. The resulting pet is best not fed

27a    Hot air not circulating in London station (10)
PADDINGTON: Begin with verbal diarrhea and add a reversal (circulating) of NOT.

Down

1d    Couple I came upon going north (4)
ITEM: Begin with the word I from the clue. Add a verb meaning came upon or encountered. The resulting word is used to denote that two people are stepping out together

2d    Speak with another about southern herb (7)
PARSLEY: This type of speaking with is usually a meeting of opposing sides seeking an armistice. Place it around the abbreviation for southern

3d    Nuts and drinks for all in group before dance (5,3,5)
ROUND THE TWIST: A set of drinks bought for all present is followed by a dance made popular by a hit song by Chubby Checker

4d    Submissive, one during depression, following order (8)
OBEDIENT: Place the letter that looks like the number one inside a depression such as on your car after a bump. This goes after an order such as awarded in the New Year’s honours list

5d    Tolerate fat? Not initially (5)
ALLOW: A type of fat used by candle makers has its first letter removed (not initially)

7d    Practical type is later converted (7)
REALIST: Anagram (converted) of IS LATER

8d    Means of buying goods vehicle loaded outside (6,4)
CHARGE CARD: the most common of vehicles is surrounded by (outside) a synonym of the word loaded. As in a battery or machine gun perhaps

11d    Goon in lace factory I find fault with on the way up (5,8)
SPIKE MILLIGAN: One of the four goons (comedians from the last century) can be parsed thus. To lace as in lace a drink (5) A factory with machinery for grinding corn or making cloth (4) The word I given in the clue. A word meaning to find fault with (as a wife will with her husband or a husband rarely might with his wife) but reversed as indicated by the words on the way up (3)

13d    So pretence is ridiculous, if this? (4,6)
OPEN SECRET: Anagram (is ridiculous) of SO PRETENCE

16d    Supposing I put in condition daughter tweaked (8)
MODIFIED: Place the two-lettered conditional word together with the word I from the clue inside a condition or manner. Follow all of this with the abbreviation for daughter

18d    Burst into tears upon tide rising, and give a false alarm (3,4)
CRY WOLF: Do as the clue suggests. To blubber or weep is followed by the reverse (rising) of a word that describes the direction of the tide

20d    Fleet clear to find shipping forecast area (7)
FASTNET: Begin with a four-letter word meaning fleet or rapid. Add a word meaning clear in the financial sense. The result is a shipping area named after a rock off the southern tip of Ireland

22d    Opera embraced by Cameron or May (5)
NORMA: The answer lies hidden within the words of the clue indicated by the words “embraced by”

23d    Poor show (4)
MEAN: A double definition the first being most accessible


The Quick Crossword pun: pennon+dink=pen and ink (Cockney rhyming slang for stink)


66 comments on “DT 29037

  1. All fairly straightforward for a Monday. The SE corner was the last to fall, the culprits being 25a and 23d.

    Many thanks to the setter and AJG.

  2. First run through led me to believe this was going to be killer but not so. It gradually yielded and good fun was had 9a. 11d bung-in needed some help to fully parse. 10a was nicely ambiguous and then 12a and 19a mixed their letters amusingly. Well remember 3d dance. Thank you Mysteron and MP.

  3. At the start of solving, I thought that this was going to be a real head scratcher but very soon it turned into completion at a fast gallop – **/***.

    Favourite – 11d – an excellent charade.

    Thanks to the setter and GMoLI.

  4. As JG/MP said a pleasent(ish) start to the week. LOI was 21a as I’m not big on Greek mythology (who is these days) and not conversant with female singers circa 1920’s. Strangely I’d never heard of 8d either but got it from the checkers and wordplay. I thought 27a and 3d were clever but my favourite simply for the doh moment when the penny dropped was 15a.
    Gratitude to the setter and to our Monday reviewer for his usual excellent work.

    1. Cooo – thought everyone had heard of “Our Gracie” – for her war efforts for the troops

      1. I had heard of her pommette as my paternal grandparents hailed from Rochdale but it was said (slightly tongue in cheek) to make a wider point. 😉

  5. 1*/2.5*. Pleasant and very straightforward apart from 23d, which I still don’t understand. The answer could be MEAN or LEAN both of which can be synonymous with “poor” but I can’t see how either equates to “show”.

    My favourite is a toss up between 25a & 11d.

    Many thanks to Mr Ron and to MP.

    1. Replying to you here ‘means’ that I must have an internet connection

      Replying to you here ‘shows’ that I must have an internet connection

  6. Not difficult but i thought 9a was a bit of a a stretch,
    Lots of phrases to keep Mrs B happy.
    Thx to all
    */***

  7. Although it was not as difficult as I first thought,(**/***), I found a few of the clues in today’s puzzle vague and unsatisfactory. I agree with Rabbit Dave about lean or mean in 23a. Although it was ot as enjoyable as some puzzles (**), I did enjoy 11d and 15a. Thanks to the Jersey Girl and the setter.

  8. Why are four letter solutions so awkward at times? Perhaps it’s me. I did enjoy 25a when MP had fully explained it to me.
    Thanks to all involved and congratulations to Coventry RFC for putting the Crapauds to the sword 😎

    1. I think there are two main reasons.

      Firstly, most of the obvious wordplay for four-letter words has been done before, forcing the setter into trying out new, more extreme, ideas.

      Secondly, if it’s only the even letters that are checked it can be much more difficult to visualise the answer than it is with longer words.

  9. Confession time here – I solved 10a via MP’s second suggested option and parsed it later.

    1&19a took the podium places today although I would stress that I don’t actually feel that way about our crossword editor!

    Thanks to our setter and to MP for the blog from overseas.

  10. Nice Monday fix Put in 9a because it was the name of a text book I had at school and it seemed to fit. the definition. Glad of the real explanation. Thanks to all involved.

    1. Me too – did it feature a small boy with a name something like Toto? I remember everyone translating canne a peche as can of peaches. We all thought it was a strange thing to take on holiday but it was a fishing rod!

      1. Possibly yes but like most things in French lessons of yesteryear I’ve forgotten nearly all of it. I have however retained just enough of it for most crossword references. Merveilleux!

  11. Nice puzzle to start the week. 21a my fave and I hope to be there to see the finish of the TDF in July. I made a poor show of parsing 23d but got there in the end. I should have had a bet on Cov with a double on the song that Jersey Girl was going to start the blog with today! But Bill Hills wouldn’t give me a quote😋

  12. A fairly straightforward start to the solving week with some fun clues, most notably 11d. 23d still has me scratching my head despite many offers of help above.

    Thanks to our setter and MP.

  13. Just returned from riding shotgun on another shopping expedition and yet to see the hints/comments on today’s crossword .
    In my opinion this is a tricky little blighter but very rewarding and enjoyable.
    My COTD 11D just ahead of several others , with 23D my nemesis.
    Greetings and thanks to everyone .

  14. The only problem I had was with 23d. I convinced myself that the answer was MIEN. It is a show, and sounds poor. Oh well!

  15. Again a nice start to the week, but for 10a I always thought La Scala was in Milan which I remember is not France. Otherwise all good.
    Congrats to Exeter Chiefs thanks to Miffypops and setter

    1. You are right about where La Scala is, but “the French” is not part of the definition.

      1. Agreed but fir one glorious moment I thought I had caught them out. Put it diwn to old age.

    1. Welcome to the blog Barbara

      It’s recommended that you look in the Usual Suspects before asking questions – it’s in there. tiff = tantrum = pet

  16. 17 across western half of ‘city’ is surely the right side – east is left on my map!

  17. Wotta lotta fun! I loved this. First, 11d, memories of huddling round a shortwave radio (do they still have those?) with my Dad and giggling with the Goons. Long after they ended, we had long play records (oh yes) and passed them round to other fans. Secondly, our Gracie. What more could a girl want?
    Of course, 11d is my fave by streets, but 25a deserves mention for cleverness.
    Thanks to our Monday setter, a perfect puzzle (maybe 23d ???) and to our Jersey Girl for the fun review.

    1. I so remember the sketch where one of them says ‘what, what,what, what’ and one of the other goons replies ‘Only 4 watts, your not very bright!’. I ‘got it’ about 2 hours later and then found it very funny. They don’t make em like that any more do they?

  18. A nice start to the week and thanks to all. Am confused about 26a as I can’t fathom tiff with pet. Is tiff short for mastiff? Am I being a dunce?

  19. Pleasantly straightforward, but not over easy like some Mondays. 9a, 19a, 25a, 3d and 16d all worthy of mention. Top spot, though, to 11d. .

  20. 10a,3d and 18d were favourites but there were others that came close. Thank you setter and Miffypops. Not sure if I’ll have time to sign in tomorrow. I’ll be picking my new car up. Yippee!

    1. It does seem to take you ages to sort your cars out Florrie. I hope you like the new one

      1. You’re right, it took me ages to sort my last car out. I had lots of test drives. I guess that was the fun part. Especially when on one occasion the car salesman would only talk to my husband. He had no idea who his customer was. I thought, I’ll show him. When we came back from the test drive he was as white as a sheet. Said that he’d never seen a woman drive like that, and called me a female Lewis Hamilton. I’m sure that I’m not the only female that can drive. I loved my car, but it was a case of needs must. I drive into London a lot, and my old mini wasn’t Euro6. I didn’t want to keep having to pay the extra charge. Bad enough to pay the congestion charge without that on top.

  21. There’s lots to like about this puzzle. 15a made me laugh.
    I do feel, however, that references to last century’s popular culture (21a, 3d, 11d) only really work for solvers over a certain age. Do Telegraph setters assume a target audience of retirees? That would be a pity as solving would become a dying art.
    I guess I’m throwing down the gauntlet to encourage the introduction of some contemporary references, or at least something relevant to this century!

    1. As a crusty old septuagenarian retiree, I have to say that the singer referred to in 21a was a favourite of my parents’ generation not mine. Alas, they are no longer with us and would be over 100 years old, so I don’t think the setter is favouring many retired people here, Debbiedob.

    2. I’m with you on most of that. We should all teach our children – not that they’re ‘children’ any more if we are of the age that most of us are – how to do cryptic crosswords. The problem is how to get them interested.

      1. I learned how to do cryptic crosswords aged 16 from a kind old lady on a music course where the bigger kids wouldn’t talk to me. Much later it became a daily constituent of our marriage, 30 years and counting … 🙂

  22. Very pleasant romp to get the week going, nothing to over stress as I ran round doing necessary Monday tasks. Runaway favourite was 21ac for personal reasons…2*/3*
    Grateful thanks to setter & Jersey travellers for the review.

  23. Horses for courses…. today’s crossword was a bit of a battle for me. I got there eventually and I’m not sure why I found it difficult. Most unusual for a Monday!
    Oh well. 21a was my fave.
    Thanks to the setter, and to the Jersey Boy for the review.

  24. Found this really difficult for some reason. Thanks for the hints MP

    Just to be pedantic the see is in Cambridgeshire

    1. For many years now Toni I have promised myself a trip to see the cathedral and its lantern. I have also promised myself a trip to see the cathedral in Lincoln. Somehow I mixed the two of them up. You are quite correct. There is also an error in the hint for 15ac where I have used the word letters when I meant words. I’m on holiday and clearly in holiday mode which is very similar to work mode. It is very nearly Gin and dinner o clock. Life is a peach

      1. Have a great holiday and leave cathedral visits for another day. Cheers
        🍷🥂🍻🍺🍹🍸🥃

      2. Sorry, when I replied above I hadn’t read the hints. Yes Cambridge! For 25 years we had a Broom Skipper boat moored near Ely. Wonderful experience, except took a shortcut through the cathedral grounds to get to our boat as we had moored there for an anniversary dinner. Probably an earlyish anniversary. To my acute embarrassment got ‘caught short’ and had to find a bush! Felt really bad about where I was at that moment in time but think if there is a God, he/she would understand! Hope so, a great foot has not trod on my head , yet.

  25. Can’t help feeling the setter missed a trick in not including Dame N**** Major as a further hint in 22.

    Not strictly necessary, but a fun extra hint (she’s an opera buff) and a third PM who might get an embrace………

  26. I found this more difficult than 2* and more enjoyable too.
    Several of the answers had to be what they were but took a while to see why – 27a and 16d in particular.
    17a was hindered by my inability to tell east from west! :roll:
    26a nearly made my cry. :sad:
    I thought it was all a lot of good fun – apart from 26a.
    I particularly appreciated 15a (a Scottish football club that I couldn’t help having heard of!) and 21a and 3d.
    With thanks to our Monday setter and to MP for taking the time to do the hints while he’s on holiday.

    1. The hardest part was getting a lot of fresh tea and a jug of fresh milk just before seven o clock in the morning.

  27. My first in was near the bottom of the grid at which point it appeared I was in trouble, but from then on the clues fell steadily with a little tussle at the close in the NW corner. A little more than a ** for difficulty, but not quite a ***. Can we award half stars? Good fun throughout, nevertheless.

    1. pet2
      /pɛt/
      noun
      noun: pet; plural noun: pets
      a fit of sulking or ill humour.
      “Mother’s in a pet”
      synonyms: bad mood, mood, bad temper, temper, sulk, fit of the sulks, ill temper, ill humour, fit of pique, huff, tantrum; More
      mard;
      informal grump;
      informal paddy, strop;
      informal blowout, hissy fit;
      Paddywhack , wax;
      , miff, the pouts
      “Mum’s in a pet”

    2. tiff
      /tɪf/
      nounINFORMAL
      a petty quarrel, especially one between friends or lovers.
      “Joanna had a tiff with her boyfriend”
      synonyms: quarrel, squabble, row, argument, fight, contretemps, disagreement, difference of opinion, dissension, falling-out, dispute, disputation, contention, clash, altercation, shouting match, exchange, war of words; tussle, conflict, fracas, affray, wrangle, tangle; donnybrook; informalset-to, run-in, shindig, shindy, stand-up, spat, scrap, dust-up; informalbarney, slanging match, bunfight, ding-dong, bust-up, ruck; informalrammy; informalrhubarb; archaicbroil, miff; archaicthreap, collieshangie; archaictracasserie(s)
      “she had had a tiff with Mr Carson”

      1. Hope you got your tea and milk early enough this morning to help you choose your next pseudonym – the Jersey Lily perhaps?
        Enjoy your holiday.

  28. Yes, I know what a tiff is. How does that make it a synonym for “pet”? I believe “in a pet” means having a moan or grumble, not a synonym for any definition of tiff.

  29. 3*/4*…..
    liked 25A (artless young woman‘s true home at the beginning).

  30. It’s been such a hectic April with the holidays and the fashion festival that I can’t remember which crossword I did.
    But I have just finished (ished) this one failing on 23d.
    Reading the blog I wonder if the Jersey rugby team is called “the toads”. If so, it’s a great name. I love it.
    Thanks to our monday setter and blogmaster.

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