DT 29115 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29115

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29115
Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

We’ve had a little blogger shuffle this week so here we are working with a Monday puzzle while Miffypops will be doing our usual Jay puzzle on Wednesday.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Wet, head of wretched mischievous child (4)
WIMP : The first letter of wretched plus a mischievous child.

3a     Chimney workers win lottery (10)
SWEEPSTAKE : People like Bert in the original ‘Mary Poppins’ and then win or gain possession of.

9a     Call engineer about rear of contraption (4)
RING : The last letter of contraption is inside engineer or perhaps manipulate.

10a     Certain top celebs holding original of René Magritte, say (10)
SURREALIST : A synonym for certain contains the first letter of Rene and then a 1-4 word for top celebs. 

11a     Acknowledged salesperson was economical with the truth? (7)
REPLIED : A commercial traveller (salesperson) and then a word for ‘was economical with the truth’.

13a     Pineapple in syrup, not popular (7)
GRENADE : Remove a two letter word for popular (which coincidentally also appears in the clue) from a syrup usually made from pomegranates.

14a     Final: win after grabbing unexpected lead (11)
VALEDICTORY : Final here is an adjective. Another word for a win contains an anagram (unexpectedly) of LEAD.

18a     Briefly follow one looking to purchase a jumper? (11)
GRASSHOPPER : A synonym for follow or understand loses its last letter, and then a person who might be considering a purchase.

21a     Dismiss member producing a gun? (7)
FIREARM : Dismiss or sack and then a member or limb.

22a     Quietly tell high-ranking ecclesiast (7)
PRELATE : The musical letter for quietly and then tell or narrate a story.

23a     Mathematician rang during a short break (10)
ARCHIMEDES : ‘A’ from the clue and a break or respite without its last letter (short), surround ‘rang’ as a large clock might have done on the hour.

24a     No more than minutes before (4)
MERE : The abbreviation for minutes and then a poetic word for before.

25a     Got smaller car inside one outhouse by end of yard
DIMINISHED : Start with the last letter of yard, and then a small 1960’s car is inside the Roman numeral one and a garden outhouse.

26a     Small Scottish river? Check (4)
STAY : S(mall) and then the longest river in Scotland.

Down

1d     With artist going over important burial place (3,5)
WAR GRAVE : The abbreviation for with, the reversal (going over) of Royal Academician and then important or serious.

2d     Beginning to moan about old former college game (8)
MONOPOLY : The first letter of moan, then a two letter word for about or concerning, the abbreviation for old and an informal former name for a technical training institute.

4d     Cut down drastically to accommodate university (5)
WOUND : The abbreviation for university is inside an anagram (drastically) of DOWN.

5d     For example, US soldier coming in changing Euros is shocking (9)
EGREGIOUS : The two letters from Latin indicating ‘for example’ and then an anagram (changing) of EUROS contains the usual US soldier.

6d     Clever housing gallery in Chatsworth, perhaps (7,4)
STATELY HOME : A three letter word for clever or arch contains a London (and other places) gallery, and then ‘in’ or at one’s place or residence.

7d     Plate turned up depicting beast (6)
ANIMAL : The reversal of a type of plate that might be found in geological strata.

8d     Eastern power heard showing respect (6)
ESTEEM : The abbreviation for Eastern and a homophone for power produced by heating water.

12d     With it, excavation on land brings anger (11)
INDIGNATION : A short word for ‘with it’, an excavation that could be archaeological and then land or country.

15d     Unattractive, like some bracelets? (9)
CHARMLESS : Some bracelets contain little figures and ornaments. These ones do not.

16d     A page guardian readily understood (8)
APPARENT : ‘A’ from the clue, the abbreviation for page and then a guardian such as a mother or father.

17d     Leaves lines supporting English author (8)
GREENERY : The author of ‘Brighton Rock’ and then railway lines.

19d     Scared, female caught in a foray (6)
AFRAID : F(emale) is inside ‘A’ from the clue and a foray or incursion.

20d     Ancient silver coin dropped, initially, on forced march? (6)
DRACHM : The first letter of ‘dropped’ and an anagram (forced) of MARCH.

22d     Report of armistice in newspaper article (5)
PIECE : A homophone for armistice or end of hostilities.     

17d was our last one in today so that is our favourite.   

Quickie puns   tore    +    kit    +    ova    =     talk it over

and the bottom row     ate    +     sum     +   real    =    eightsome reel

35 comments on “DT 29115

  1. A pleasant, easy-going start to a Monday morning. No real problems apart from 13a, but that fell in when the checkers were in. Lots to smile about, 8d was my favourite.
    Thanks to setter and 2Ks.

  2. 2*/3*. What a lovely surprise to find the 2Ks in the blogging chair on a Monday. I agree with KFB: straightforward but fun with 18a my favourite.
    Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks.

  3. As others have said, a nice easy start to the week. Favourite was 3a. Puzzled by 20d because Chambers doesn’t give that spelling. Thanks to setter and 2Ks.

    1. Bryngwyn, in my BRB (Revised 13th Edition), the answer is included as the prior entry to the more usual spelling.

    2. On line I found the answer to 20d as an ancient silver coin which I think it distinguishes it from the coin that had an “a” at the end which was in use until Greece adopted the euro in 2002.

  4. Yes, definitely a straightforward and very enjoyable start to the work week with the nag just slowing down to a gallop towards the end – **/***.
    Candidates for favourite – 3a, 23a, and 6d – and the winner is 3a.
    Thanks to the setter and the 2Ks.

  5. Just pen to paper, so to speak.
    Only stumble 18a
    So, * for difficulty.
    Many thanks to the setter and the 2Kiwis

  6. An enjoyable, straightforward puzzle (**/****). Thank you to the two Kiwis for stepping in to do the hints and to the setter. Favourite clues were10a, 18a and 23a. Enough said back to weeding the garden.

  7. A very pleasant way to start the working week – a satisfying puzzle and a surprise appearance by the 2Ks in the blogging chair.
    Just two slight hold-ups today with the spelling of 20d and an attempt to make an author the full answer to 17d.

    18a gets my vote with a mention for the lucky chimney sweeps and the Quickie pun double.

    Thanks to our setter and to our 2Ks for bringing us the review.

  8. I’ll concurr with our reviewers rating. 20d and 13a needed electronic verification but little else. All in all very enjoyable with the very clever 23a my COTD.
    Seems strange not to be thanking Jay along with the 2Ks so I’ll just say thanks to the latter and to the setter for the entertainment.

  9. Raced through this leaving 4 and 17d and 13a till last. Managed to parse 4d followed by 17d. More headscratching for 13a until I went through the alphabet. Needed the hint (thank you 2ks) as did not know that nickname. Favourites 14a and 5 12 and 17d

    1. There’s a typo in your email address in both your comments which I’ve fixed for you.

  10. A pleasant puzzle – thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks for their usual excellent review and crystal clear hints.
    The clues I marked for promotion to the podium were 3a, 10a and 23a.

  11. Yes, a likeable spree today with just 13a and 20d needing to be clarified. Not sure about use of abbreviation in 17d. Quickie pun amused. Thank you Mysteron and 2Kiwis – will await Wednesday for probably yet another MP alias.

  12. A nice gentle start to the week, got held up in SE corner got stuck on authors. Thanks to the 2Ks and setter.

  13. A lovely straightforward Monday crossword – thank you to the setter(the one who does top and bottom Quick Puns) and the 2Ks

  14. Yes I know it was a gentle Monday crossword but boy, did I make hard work of it! I had to give myself a break at about a third of the way through. Thankfully that solved the problem (me) and I completed it fairly easily.
    Favourite clue was 26a.
    Thanks to the setter, and to the 2k’s For their review.

  15. As RD said, a nice surprise to see the 2Ks on a Monday.

    Agree with everyone about the gentleness of this offering which I completed early this morning so can’t remember very much about it now other than that I enjoyed it.

    Many thanks to all

  16. A confidence-building grid fill and parse. Top clues for me were 2d, 6d, and 12d.
    Thanks to our setter AS for the entertainment and to the 2Ks for their clear and concise hints.

  17. Thanks to the setter and to the 2 Kiwis for the review and hints. A very nice puzzle to start the week. Lots of good clues. 20d had me puzzled for a while, before I was able to dredge up the answer from my memory. I was completely beaten by 13a, as I’d forgotten the military connotation. I also needed the hints to parse 4d, I had no idea it was a partial anagram. Great fun. Was 3*/4* for me.

  18. I didn’t find this a walk in the park, and I came to a halt in the NE but I used a little electronic help to get back on track. I think some of my dim-ishness is brain freeze on my part; how many times does 7d have to appear before I can remember it?
    Anyway, finish I did. I liked 18a with 23a close behind.
    Thanks to our setter and to 2Kiwis for the fun review.

  19. I managed to eventually find the right syrup for 13a, and remove the two letter word for popular, to get to the answer. I just hadn’t got a clue as to how that related to a pineapple. My husband had to explain it to me. 18a was my favourite, closely followed by 3a. Thank you setter and the 2Ks.

  20. Got through this puzzle without hints etc so a happy day for me.

    Is 13a with this meaning in the BRB ? I couldn’t find it in mine, but perhaps I didn’t look properly.
    Have to say it threw me until I had the checkers in then I bunged in the answer.

    Thanks to the setter and to the 2 Kiwis.

  21. Great puzzle! Well, they always are when clues just slot into the mindset. A great start to the week but, knowing me, by Wednesday, I will be struggling. COTD for me was 7d.

    Thank you to all concerned.

  22. Morning all.
    It feels strange to be typing that greeting on a Tuesday morning (for us) instead of the usual Thursday. Light rain falling here so looks like a day of indoor activities coming up for us.
    We enjoyed the experience of writing the hints for a different setter and it all slotted together smoothly for us. The one answer we did need to check in BRB was the spelling for the 20d coin.
    Cheers.

    1. Thanks 2Ks for standing in today. That was a great help for Big Dave. I will look after Wednesdays puzzle and keep it in safe hands

  23. Lovely …. a straightforward puzzle which I enjoyed, completing almost without reference to the blog. Today’s puzzle was more to my taste than some recent ones, with convoluted clues that are not on my wavelength, and in which the dubious use of English is sometimes beyond my old fashioned understanding. I think the Setters are having a secret competition to see who can come up with the most obscure cryptic concoctions. Can they confine their extreme cryptic conundrums to the Toughie and let us lesser mortals enjoy a traditional backpage cryptic with satisfaction that our brains are not atrophied.

    1. “Some years ago I spent about three weeks struggling through a Beam Toughie ending up with one unsolved clue of four letters with two checkers. I puzzled over that clue several times a day for many weeks. In desperation I typed the clue into Google and found Big Dave’s Crossword Blog. I would never have thought that one day I would write the hints for a Beam toughie. Well that day has arrived and it is thanks to Big Dave and his team of bloggers that I can sit here confidently writing these hints and tips” – Miffypops

      The more one understands, the more intriguing and enjoyable they become
      See you on the ‘other side’ soon…
      Oh, and hello Lakesaver, like the name!

  24. Not quite finished on the day but I didn’t start until very late. I didn’t find it that easy but maybe because I’m tired. Well done to all who did and thanks to all.

  25. Lovely! Sped though the top half with lots of smiles – bottom half a fraction slower, but got there in almost record time.
    Favourite 23a. Thanks as always to 2Kiwis and the setter!

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