DT 29094 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29094

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29094

Hints and tips by pommers

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

Hola from a warm and sunny Los Alcázares. Our last clients went home early Tuesday morning and the next ones don’t arrive until this evening so pommette and I get a to have three day holiday. The only problem being that it’s been windy enough to blow a dog off its chain.  As to the crossword I’m certain it’s a RayT production and one I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble with.  There’s a few gimmes and some anagrams to give a good start but watch out for some quite clever bits of misdirection.  I really enjoyed it and thought it the best RayT for some time so have given it a fifth star.  However it might just be that I’m in an exceedingly good mood ‘cos I’m on hols.

As usual the ones I liked most are in blue.  The definitions are underlined in the clues and the answers are under the “click here” buttons so don’t click on them unless you really want to see the answer.  Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Brainwash idiot in trance stupidly ignoring one (12)
INDOCTRINATE:  Anagram (stupidly) of IDIOT IN TRANCE but without one of the I’s (ignoring one).  A fairly straightforward one to start.

9a           Banker in more elegant clothes? (9)
FINANCIER:  You need to take the IN from the clue and around it (clothes) put a word meaning more elegant or more ornate. For once the banker isn’t a river but a real money man.

10a         Ceasefire reportedly leads to scrap (5)
PIECE:  This will become clear when you realize this scrap has nothing to do with fighting, it’s a small bit of something.  So, another word for ceasefire sounds like (reportedly) the small bit.

11a         Pressure from smear surrounding Republican (6)
STRAIN:  Another word for a smear or mark around an R(epublican).

12a         Student deserving education (8)
LEARNING:  L for student followed by a word meaning deserving or meriting.  A bit of a chestnut perhaps but an elegant clue.

13a         Head of state worried and anxious (6)
SCARED:  Head os State is an  S so follow it with a word meaning to have worried about something.

15a         Undermine engagement taking pressure for stone (8)
SAPPHIRE:  Start with a ord meaning to undermine or drain (3) and follow with a type of engagement, of a Car perhaps on your hols, and insert P(ressure) to get a precious stone.

18a         Conservative helping to describe European establishment (8)
CREATION:  C(onservative) followed by a helping or allowance put around E(uropean) gives a word meaning the establishment of something.

19a         Principally member of nation Genghis originally led (6)
MONGOL:  First letters (principally) of the other six words.

21a         In truth, lesson’s getting hard (8)
RUTHLESS:  A lurker lurking in (in) the second and third words.

23a         Smooth member facing action on a regular basis (6)
LEGATO:  A musical term for smooth.  It’s a member in your lower body followed by the alternate letters (on a regular basis) from AcTiOn.

26a         A lawsuit cut short in courts (5)
ATRIA:  These courts have nothing to do with what’s going on this week in SW19 but were the main open courts of Roman houses.  You also find them nowadays in hotels and shopping malls.  Take the A from the clue and follow with a lawsuit or court case without its last letter (cut short).

27a         Anticipation of cheers in woods with sweetheart (9)
FORETASTE:  The usual two letter word for cheers as in thankyou inserted into a very large woods followed by the middle letter of sweet (sweet heart).

28a         Guts admitting strangely generic aggression (12)
BELLIGERENCY:  Take another word for your guts or stomach and insert (admitting) an anagram (strangely) of GENERIC.

Down

1d           Hip trouble absorbing electronic implants (7)
INFUSES:  This one has nothing to do with Mr Murray’s problems.  It’s a word for hip as in fashionable followed by a word for trouble or ado with E(lectronic) inserted (absorbing).

2d           Capital of Tunisia? (5)
DINAR:  To answer this you simply need to know what is the currency (capital in financial terms) of Tunisia.  

3d           Seasoning is minced, not ground (9)
CONDIMENT:  Anagram (ground) of MINCED NOT.

4d           Topless undergarment on girl lifted bust (4)
RAID:  The bust here is not the girl’s chest but a bust by the police. You need the undergarment associated with the girls bust and remove the first letter (topless) and then a reversal (lifted in a down clue) of a shortened girl’s name (think Princess).

5d           Rising reputation’s right concerning Viking (8)
NORSEMAN:  Take a word which can mean reputation, the ‘s from the clue, an R(ight) and finally a word meaning concerning or about.  The you have to reverse the lot (rising in a down clue).

6d           One might record hit with Queen (5)
TAPER:  A word meaning to hit lightly followed by the usual two letters for Her Majesty. Any excuse – here’s one from Queen . . .

7d           Going to bed,  shrinking (8)
RETIRING:  Double definition.  Shrinking as in a shrinking violet.  Where does that phrase come from I wonder?

8d           Struggle to swallow poultry product? One would! (6)
VEGGIE:  Start with a product laid by poultry and around it (to swallow) put word meaning to struggle or compete.  The answer certainly would have a struggle to swallow the poultry product.

14d         A forward with United about to make opening (8)
APERTURE:  A (from the clue) followed by a word meaning forward or cheeky the a U(nited) and finally two letters for about.

16d         Annoyance about rubbish over Queen objector (9)
PROTESTER:  An annoyance placed around a word for rubbish and finally the Queen again.  I had to check whether the penultimate letter was E or O.  If an O the clue still works because the O would come from Over with just an R for Queen.

17d         Cocky hum before fault’s resolved (8)
BOASTFUL:  The sort of hum someone has when they haven’t bathed for some time followed by an anagram (resolved) of FAULT.

18d         Erotic passage involving Romeo (6)
CARNAL:  A passage, there’s one for ships between Liverpool and Manchester, with R(omeo) inserted (involving).

20d         Facilities really missing odd characters, generally (7)
LOOSELY:  Some facilities where you can relieve yourself followed by alternate letters (missing odd characters) from rEaLlY

22d         Rent large facility (5)
LEASE: L(arge) followed by a word for facility as in not difficult rather than the facility in the last clue.

24d         Crime that sounds like larceny, avoiding extremes (5)
ARSON:  Take the L and Y away from larceny (avoiding extremes) and what’s left, if pronounced, sounds like a crime.

25d         Dress up to show off (4)
BRAG:  A word for dress as in clothes reversed (up in a down clue).

My favourite puzzle for some time so very difficult to pick out a single clue.  If pushed I would have to go for 21a or 19a but it’s not really fair


Quick crossword pun :     SPAY     +     SAGE     =     SPACE AGE

35 comments on “DT 29094

  1. 3*/4.5*. This was nicely challenging and very enjoyable indeed from Mr T today with all his usual trademarks.

    The girl in 4d can be forgiven as the clue made me smile. The surface reading is so good, and, in any event, there are only three possibilities of a two letter girl’s name ending in I that I can think of.

    With plenty of choice for my favourite, my podium comprises 9a, 19a, 4d & 8d with the last of these getting the nod.

    Many thanks to Ray T and to pommers.

  2. Nice and friendly Mr T – Lots to enjoy and hard to pick a favourite so I’ll go for 15a because my engagement ring does contain one of these stones

    Thanks to Mr T and Mr P – we have a gentle breeze here and some lovely sunshine

  3. Apologies for the erratic behaviour of the website. The hosting company have recommended that I stop using Cloudflare as they have been experiencing problems.

    1. No need to apologise, Dave. You do a sterling job to keep this site running for our enjoyment. Many thanks for all your efforts.

  4. I have to admit to having resorted to electronics to solve 15a, I had parsed the clue wrongly and led myself up a ginnel.

    Otherwise very enjoyable, rating *** from me.

    Many thanks to Ray T and Pommers.

    1. I had trouble with that one too. It was ages before I realised that the definition was STONE and not UNDERMINE.

      1. Was that because you were drinking the contents of the bottle in your illustration?

    2. A predilection for Samuel Smith’s beers and the use of the very Yorkie word ginnel makes me wonder if you are planning on attending the York S&B in October?

  5. Thoroughly thoroughly enjoyable puzzle from Mr T, nothing at all obscure (maybe 26a but got it from the wordplay), just elegant and concise cluing using misdirection for the challenge.
    I think it would be difficult to overpraise it, I’ve picked out 9a, 4 and 14d for special mention but giving clue of the week to the brilliant 8d.
    3/5*
    Many thanks to Mr T, and to Pommers for taking the time for the review.

  6. Cracking crossword. Just the right balance (IMHO) of difficulty, humour and innuendo. Loved 8d and also the lurker at 21a.

    Many thanks to RayT and to Pommers for the blog.

  7. Very pleasant puzzle – thanks to Mr T and pommers.
    My podium has 9a, 19a and 8d on it.
    I see from the blog that I’ve got the penultimate letter of 16d wrong (good job it’s not a prize puzzle). Also, I had to wait for a checker before writing in 25d because I thought it could work either way round.

    1. I was lucky in that I already had a checker by the time I got to 25d but you’re right in that the clue could work either way.

  8. I see that, following her recent absences, Mr T decided to give HM two outings today – I do hope that she’s got enough energy left to attend the christening on Saturday! Then we had the upside down People’s Princess in 4d but I guess that if RD’s willing to forgive that, then I will follow suit.

    Podium places were hard to narrow down today but in the end I opted for 9&21a plus 8&14d.

    Devotions to Mr T and thanks to the relaxed Pommers for the blog.

    1. I understand that HM has declined the invitation to the christening as she is on holiday at Balmoral.

  9. Quite gentle for a Ray T with none of the ‘white space’ on my sheet of paper being needed for solving at a gallop – **/****.

    Candidates for favourite – 26a, 14d, and 24d – and the winner is 26a.

    Thanks to Ray T and pommers.

  10. Good fun, and just enough of a stretch in my opinion. Could not get ‘ruin’ out of my mind for 4d, even though I knew we were doubtless looking for ‘most of bra’. A bit dozy really. Thanks to all.

  11. Very select group today. Took me quite a while to get into the website. Puzzle most enjoyable, favourite clues 8d and 14d. Didn’t know 8ds couldn’t eat eggs.Thanks to Pommers and Mr T

    1. My vegetarian husband eats eggs – my vegan son No 2 doesn’t (unless he’s making an exception for his mother’s best home-made meringues :) )

  12. It just shows how lazy you can get! I wasn’t really enjoying it so decided to visit the sites and get some hints to finish it quickly.
    The site was down so I carried on and finished it without hints.
    Thanks to pommers and Ray T

  13. A great puzzle for Thursday but I struggled with it. I often find the Thursday puzzle beats me to a certain extent. i got off to a flying start with solving 1a immediately but it was downhill from then on.I had to have help from the hints for about a quarter of the clues. Still, very enjoyable and I loved 15a and 24d.

    thanks to all.

  14. Evening all. My thanks to pommers for the decryption and to all for your comments. Much appreciated.

    RayT

    1. Good evening, Mr T – glad that you managed to access the site to leave your usual greeting, much appreciated.

  15. Usual Ray T, he gives very little for free but great fun unravelling the clues.
    Very enjoyable.
    ***/***
    Thx to all

  16. This went well until I made a mess of the law court. Law Court cut short was bunged in as BRIEF!. I should have spent a bit more time thinking about it but c’est la vie. When I sorted it out the crosses were much easier.
    Thanks to the pommers/ette and Ray T. And a thumbs up to BD for keeping us going.

  17. Good fun from start to finish. Pleased to see that there were no multi-word answers this time and the clue word count in order too.
    Thanks RayT and pommers.

  18. Another great offering from RayT. He seems to have discarded one of his lurkers for an extra Queen. Two long anagrams as usual in a backie to get started. `My favourite was 15 for the misdirection and also liked 9 18a 19 21 4 5 8 18d and 20.

  19. It must have been a benign RayT, I solved it all bar two. The site stayed up long enough for me to get the answers.
    I liked the lurker in 21a, very smooth.
    Thanks to RayT and to pommers for his review.

  20. I’m seriously out of sync with crosswords at the moment but did at least do today’s today – think I’ll do yesterday’s tomorrow.
    I thought this was quite a tricky Ray T – I’m normally reasonably well tuned in to his crosswords.
    I spent a very long time trying to justify a wrong answer to 8d but got there eventually.
    !d also caused a spot of bother.
    I think my favourite has to be 8d but there were loads of other good clues.
    With thanks to Ray T and to pommers.

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