DT 29073 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29073

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29073

Hints and tips by Peter Piper

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BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

This was another fine Monday morning puzzle solved in the lovely village of Nunney in Somerset. I was only held up by the four longer clues and the older person. Not to worry though. It’s only a crossword and I got there eventually. A pen or pencil might have helped at 3d but that’s not going to happen. It is Double bubble Quickie Pun day too.

I have always said that I do like a bit of food in a puzzle. Apparently 27ac is edible but 27ac 7d? The mind boggles.

It’s has been sunny in Nunney but it looks like we will be driving home in the rain. Such is life.

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.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Two teams filing past, shoulder to shoulder (4,2,4)
SIDE BY SIDE: One team alongside another

6a    Reckless prang, not chauffeur’s first (4)
RASH: A prang involving two vehicles minus the initial letter of chauffeur

10a    Debauched old man pinching Morag’s rear, the scoundrel (5)
ROGUE: An elderly libertine or rake surrounds the last letter of Morag

11a    Disconnected without any electronic devices (9)
UNPLUGGED: Not connected to an electric socket. Of music, performed or recorded with acoustic rather than electrically amplified instruments

12a    Indefinite number on street work continuously (3-4)
NON-STOP: A four-part charade. 1. The mathematical indefinite number. 2. A term referring possibly to an electrical device. If it’s not working it’s off. Therefore, if it’s working it’s **. 3. The abbreviation for street. 4. The abbreviation for a musical work

13a    Delay around middle of journey, so leave Orient Express, perhaps (7)
DETRAIN: A word meaning delay or hold back sits nicely around the middle letter of the word journey

14a    Ostensibly promote excitement by winning flight (4,8)
KICK UPSTAIRS: Split your answer thus 4,2,6. Begin with a term meaning the excitement gained from a reckless pleasurable act. Add a term meaning winning particularly used to describe one’s financial state when winning whilst gambling. Add the flight you climb when going to bed.

18a    Devious oarsman framing London college for lots of money (1,5,6)
A KING’S RANSOM: An anagram (devious) of OARSMEN sits around a College whose address is Strand London. There is a better-known college with this name in Cambridge where my brother was studied after his death and where I have chosen to go after mine

21a    Ill at home, receiving special type of delivery (3-4)
OFF-SPIN: A three letter word meaning ill and a two-letter rd meaning at home are separated by the abbreviation for special to provide a cricket delivery

23a    Vast new semi accommodating soldiers (7)
IMMENSE: An anagram of SEMI includes a general term for soldiers

24a    Upright canons hit out (9)
STANCHION: Anagram (out) of CANONS HIT

25a    Scare, leader being missing? Correct (5)
RIGHT: A scare has its first letter removed. I cannot make this any easier

26a    Abandoned port (4)
LEFT: A double definition. Although nautical the port is not a harbour. Neither is it a fortified wine.

27a    Viola showing courage with what sounds like kidnap (10)
HEARTSEASE: This plant split 5,5 has a first word synonymous with courage and a second word which sounds like kidnap or take by force.

Down

1d    Stumped band in series (6)
STRING: The cricketing abbreviation for stumped is followed by the type of band worn on the finger

2d    Butt and mutt close? (3-3)
DOG-END: A cigarette butt (nasty things) can be formed by placing together a mutt or canine and a verb meaning bring to a close

3d    Brief respite from working nights in busy bar — peace! (9,5)
BREATHING SPACE: Anagram (working) of NIGHTS inside an anagram (busy) of BAR PEACE

4d    Boss overlooking fire-raiser’s game? (4,5)
STUD POKER: A synonym of the word boss is followed by an iron rod used for stirring up a coal fire

5d    Information on daughter, drugged (5)
DOPED: An unusual (outside crosswordland) word meaning information is followed by the abbreviation for daughter

7d    Greek tucking into a tuna I cooked, baked with a coating of breadcrumbs (2,6)
AU GRATIN: The abbreviation for Greek sits inside an anagram (cooked) of A TUNA I

8d    Pleasure-seeker, fellow enthralled by spectacular theft (8)
HEDONIST: A university fellow is surrounded by a robbery. A robbery is a robbery. I see nothing spectacular in any kind of robbery.

9d    Tender points, in inverted commas (9,5)
QUOTATION MARKS: A financial tender followed by points or scores in a competition or exam lead to what used to be called speech marks in more simple times

15d    Writer’s one embraced by Irish senior citizen (9)
PENSIONER: Begin something one writes with. Add the S from ‘S. Then the abbreviation for Irish sitting around the word one from the clue

16d    Musical song about exploit (8)
CAROUSEL: A verb meaning to sing something happily sits around another verb meaning to exploit

17d    Constantly repeated phrase about fine female artist is rubbish (4-4)
RIFF-RAFF: A short repeated phrase in popular music sits around the abbreviations for the three abbreviations for fine, female and artist, a member of The Royal Academy. Solving and parsing this clue is complicated by the fact that what surrounds the abbreviations is also the first word of the answer.

19d    Puzzle in mag cracked after second of sessions (6)
ENIGMA: An anagram (cracked) of IN MAG follows the second letter of the word sessions

20d    Focus, and this may follow 26, 25 (6)
CENTRE: The answers to 25ac 26 ac and 20d make a common phrase. The third word of this phrase means to focus on something

22d    Inexperienced local inhabitant losing time (5)
NAÏVE: An indigenous person minus the letter T could be considered green

Top Line Quickie Pun: lapped+answer=lap dancer

Bottom Line Quickie Pun: terror+firmer=terra firma


 

32 comments on “DT 29073

  1. I found this very difficult and not very enjoyable, but I appreciate the setter’s work and MP’s hints. Thanks.
    Chucking it down in London.

  2. A fine start to the week to get the brain cells working , nothing obscure today.
    Agree with PP’s **/***.
    14a took a while to parse and 1d- more abbreviations !, liked 16d.
    Quickie pun amused-why aren’t the clues italicised when there is a bottom line pun?

  3. What great fun for a Monday morning. Like our blogger, a couple of the long clues held me up but otherwise it was a straightforward and delightful puzzle.10a made me smile and became my favourite.

    Thanks to our setter and PP. Still sunny here in the Marches as we await the promised meteorological Armageddon.

  4. Quite an intriguing, witty puzzle, although it took about average time to complete it (**). I did enjoy it ( ****) and my favourite clues were 16d, 20d and 27a. Thanks to the setter and MP.

  5. Rainy day = coffee and crossword. Lovely. I liked this puzzle for a Monday with some fun clues. **/***
    Pondering whether to visit the new Wisley or will the crowds be too much?

    Thanks to setter and MP.

  6. Does two in a row make a trend of more tricky Monday puzzles? I wonder if next Monday will confirm the trend.

    Anyway, quite enjoyable for completion at a gallop – 2*/2.5*.

    No outstanding favourite(s), although I did like 21a and 27a.

    Thanks to the setter and GMoLI.

  7. What a cracking start to the solving week. I needed electronic help for the plant at 27a and 18a took a bit of prising out but other than that just the odd bit of head scratching was all that was required. I was thankful for the lack of illustration re 2d, yuk yuk yuk! I liked 16d and 18a in particular.
    2.5/3*
    Many thanks to PP (fine photo) for the excellent review and to the setter too.

  8. Really enjoyed this puzzle and had it completed before the hints and tips arrived – very pleased with myself as still a relative newbie. Thanks to setter and PP. Horribly wet and dreary here – staying in and catching up on some more puzzles.

  9. Really enjoyed today’s offering 😃 **/**** (this was no peck of pickled peppers 🌶🌶 😬 No Sir) Favourites were 17 & 20d 🤗 Thanks to MP and to the Setter. For once Cambridgeshire is bearing the brunt of the wet weather 😟 🌧🌧

  10. 14 & 27 across were the only tricky ones in a thoroughly enjoyable start to the week.

  11. A most enjoyable start to the solving week with most of the clues getting answered very quickly. That said, I must have led a sheltered life, because I have never before heard the expression that’s the answer to 14 across. I needed electronic help after having guessed the longer second word. 8, 11 & 17 were my favourites today. Thanks to our Monday setter and to the ‘pickled pepper picker’.

  12. An incredibly wet day. We are enduring a power cut while our over head mains supply is replaced. It’s dark in the house and the internet connection is dependent on my son’s iPhone. Took me ages to log in but here I am!
    Not that keen on 21a but enjoyed 27a.
    Off to light more candles!

  13. No hassle today but overall a very pleasant challenge. Failed to work out 20d for myself. First thought was to read initial three characters of 21a as Roman three but then spectacles came to my aid! 10a was probably Fav for its amusement value. Thank you Mysteron and MP.

  14. **/****. Very enjoyable solve with a couple of pauses to look up the debauched old man and 27a. Thanks to the setter and MP.

  15. I think this is continuing the recent trend of Monday puzzles being a bit more of a challenge than of late. I had to resort to the hints for 14a and the dictionary to see if I was correct about 27a. All in all, most enjoyable. Special mentions for 13a, 14a (eventually), 1d, and 17d.

  16. A good crossword to start the week! Some interesting clues of which 3d was my favourite.
    Thanks to the setter, and to PP down in Somerset for the review.

  17. Nice stroll in the park. Didn’t know the viola
    Thanks to setter and peter piper
    Thoughtbyou’d be out picking pickled peppers😎😎

  18. Managed this in standard time for Monday but would have been galloping if I didn’t waste so much time on musical instruments for 27a.
    Thanks to setter and Peter Piper for reminding me of Grandma Bee’s favourite tongue twister that she taught her budgie to say (both long departed)

    1. Betty bought some butter, but the butter Betty bought was bitter, so Betty bought some better butter better than the bitter butter Betty bought before.

  19. Damn – just wrote lots and then hit the wrong key – oh well, here I go again.
    I thought that was a very good crossword which was quite tricky in places.
    I did wonder about moaning about the two ‘crickety’ clues in one crossword but maybe I won’t.
    I’d never heard of this meaning of 14a and finding the right London college in 18a took far too long which was silly as our younger Lamb was at the one I needed.
    Lots of good clues, especially the four long answers.
    With thanks to today’s setter and to PP aka MP.
    It’s been pouring with rain all day in Oxford – it’s 9C here at the moment.

  20. Late today as I had to leave in the middle. I like to do the puzzle in one sitting and this caused me some difficulty.
    Like Kath, I found the crickety ones way beyond my ken, so they were bung ins, as were 14a and 9d. I never got 27a nor 20d.
    Fave was 18a with 16d deserving honourable mention.
    Thanks to our setter and to Peter Piper.

  21. 27ac caused more than a little difficulty at the close, but the rest fell without too much ado. A surprisingly obscure answer for the Telegraph…

  22. A pleasant start to the week with this teaser.
    Two of the long clues fell straight in the other two had to wait until near completion.
    2*/3* , liked quite a lot of the surfaces of the clues favourites 14ac 18ac. Never heard of 27ac, but i could do with some of it on occasions!
    Thanks to setter & the PP for review.

  23. Back up to date on crosswords, if the weather’s anything like today I might do tomorrow’s during the day as I’m playing darts in the evening. Straight forward right up until the moment it wasn’t, stumbled on the same ones as everyone else. Favourite 18a. Many thanks to setter and PP.

  24. Good little teaser for this bank holiday Monday. Mind you, every Monday is a bank holiday as even our dear HSBC is now opening from Tuesday to Saturday.
    A trend that all the high street banks have adopted in the last year or so.
    Today, I fell on 27a. Would never have got it without the blog.
    I was looking for an instrument.
    Thanks to the setter and to MP for the review.

    1. What is s high street bank? In these parts they are rarer than hen’s teeth.

  25. Enjoyable thank you. Only problem for me was 14a although I do know the expression. I associate it with being promoted from the shop floor. 2a was a bit too obvious. Proud 24a came straight to me as did the London college in 18a. Those two are favourites together with 27a and 9 and 20d.

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