DT 29133 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29133

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29133

Hints and tips by Winnie The Pooh

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BD Rating – Difficulty *Enjoyment ** (by BD)

Good morning from The Hundred Acre Wood. Piglet and I enjoyed this puzzle which produced smiles and groans along the way. How strange to begin at the end. We both agree that it is only a crossword puzzle, a pastime, a mere bagatelle, a fleeting moment in life that will be soon forgotten.

And so it was when Eeyore came along and told us that…….

……Diego Maradona had decided to come out of retirement and play for Coventry City, he went into the changing room to find all his teammates looking a bit glum.
“What’s up?” He asks.
“Well, we’re having trouble getting motivated for this game. We know it’s important but it’s only Villa. They’re crap and we can’t be bothered”.
Maradona looks at them and says “Well I know I’m a bit fat and old, but I reckon I can beat them by myself, you lads go down the pub.”
So Maradona goes out to play Villa by himself and the rest of the Sky Blues team go off for a few beers. After a few pints they wonder how the game is going, so they check with the BBC Sports app. A big cheer goes up as the screen shows
“Coventry 1 (Maradona 10 minutes) – Villa 0”
He is beating Villa all by himself! Anyway, a few more beers later and the game is forgotten until someone remembers It must be full time so they check again.
Coventry City 1 (Maradona 10 minutes) – Villa (A El Ghaazi 94 mins) 1
They can’t believe it, he has single -handedly got a draw against Villa! They rush back to the Stadium to congratulate him. They find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, sat with his head in his hands.
He refuses to look at them. “I’ve let the side down. I’ve let you down”
“Don’t be stupid Diego, you got a draw against Villa all by yourself. And they only scored at the very very end!”
Maradonna says “No, No, I have, I’ve let you all down! I got sent off after 12 minutes!”

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Deceptive impression given by female, one having received notice (6)
FACADE: The abbreviation for female and the playing card numbered one surround the abbreviation for an advert or notice.

4a    Christian, perhaps one bringing about goodwill, ultimately (8)
FLETCHER: A bringer of things sits around the final letter of the word goodwill. The Christian here went on an ill-fated boat trip in 1787

10a    Room in Greek region vacated by second American (5)
ATTIC: A region of Greece has the letter A twice. Remove the second A(merican)

11a    Below, pass is shady (9)
UNDERHAND: A word meaning below is followed by a verb meaning to pass something from one person to another

12a    Stylish member wearing neat pants (7)
ELEGANT: An anagram (pants) of NEAT sits around a member or limb

13a    Sound surprised US painter’s not finished (7)
WHISTLE: Find an American painter. He painted his mum. Remove his last letter (not finished)

14a    Post agreement (14)
CORRESPONDENCE: A double definition. If it doesn’t jumpoutatcha wait for some checkers

17a    Flower looked at by girl after dark (5-4,5)
BLACK-EYED SUSAN: Place a word which means looked at before a girl’s name and after the colour of the night

21a    Bring out one pound back in drive (7)
PUBLISH: Begin with the letter that looks like the number one. Add the avoirdupois abbreviation for a pound weight. Reverse these and insert them into a word meaning drive

23a    China importing revolutionary weapon (7)
MACHETE: Insert our favourite Bolivian revolutionary into the Cockney rhyming slang word suggested by China plate

24a    We, pairing off, in literary location (5,4)
WIGAN PIER: Anagram (Off) of WE PAIRING

25a    Old region producing gas (5)
OZONE: Begin with the abbreviation for Old. Add a region or area

26a    Guard, head of security, unusually lenient (8)
SENTINEL: An anagram (unusually) of LENIENT follows the initial letter (head of) of Security

27a    Bother about religious instruction? I have a duty to (6)
PRIEST: A bother or nuisance sits around the school lesson abbreviation for religious instruction

Down

1d    Guys from US city, in fine company, dance (8)
FLAMENCO: Place some guys (males) after a US city known by its initials (it is America’s third most populous city) inside the abbreviation for fine and the abbreviation for company

2d    Car halted, unexpectedly, leaving place of worship (9)
CATHEDRAL: Anagram (unexpectedly) of CAR HALTED.

3d    Broadcast first from Devon, English county (7)
DECLARE: A county follows the first letters of the words Devon and English. Do not look for an English county. This one is in Ireland as our clever setter well knows. Nice misdirection matey boy.

5d    Character in play reminded lawyer, foolishly (4,10)
LADY WINDERMERE: An anagram (foolishly) of REMINDED LAWYER will yield a character from a play. A quick glance at the letters making up the anagram might throw out the name MARY. The only characters called Mary that I can think of are Poppins and the little girl in the book The Secret Garden. So ditch that thought and think of a fan.

6d    Word, Italian, third in thesaurus for ‘insect‘ (7)
TERMITE: a word or phrase used to describe a thing is followed by the abbreviation for Italian and the third letter of the word thesaurus

7d    Runs in preliminary round, showing courage (5)
HEART: the word used to describe a preliminary round in a sporting contest has the cricketing abbreviation for runs scored included

8d    More robust handling dinghy’s original steering device (6)
RUDDER: A word meaning more robust (usually referring to one’s health) has the initial letter of the word Dinghy (Dinghy’s original) inserted

9d    Like some quiz questions, complex and well put (8,6)
MULTIPLE CHOICE: The definition gave this away. A word meaning complex, varied, made up of several parts is followed by a word meaning well put or of very good quality

A student statistician was sitting a such a test with the answer either A or B. He decided to flip a coin for the answers. The stats professor watched the student the entire two hours as he was flipping the coin…writing the answer…flipping the coin…writing the answer. At the end of the two hours, everyone else had left the final except for the one student.
The professor walks up to his desk and interrupts the student, saying: “Listen, I have seen that you did not study for this statistics test, you didn’t even open the exam. If you are just flipping a coin for your answer, what is taking you so long?”
The student replies bitterly, as he is still flipping the coin: “Shhh! I am checking my answers!”

15d    Bag containing small part for dish (9)

CASSEROLE: A bag (for luggage) contains the abbreviation for small. This is followed by a part in a theatrical performance.

16d    Concern about interrupting wearing trial (8)
INTEREST: Our regular term for about sits inside a two-letter word that suggests that you are wearing something and a word for a trial or exam

18d    Greek character opposed to wine (7)
CHIANTI: The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet is followed by a word meaning opposed to or against

19d    Help person who’s easily deceived, reportedly (7)
SUCCOUR: Find a term describing a gullible person (one easily led) now change the spelling but not the sound of the word to find a different word meaning to help.

20d    Produces and hands round note after close of business (6)
SPAWNS: Place a word for your hands around the abbreviation for note and place what you have after the final letter of the word business

22d    Start being silly (5)
BEGIN: Anagram (silly) of BEING

Quickie Puns

Top line: threw+bawl=through ball

Bottom: tray+knees=trainees


 

44 comments on “DT 29133

  1. Nice and that thing I’m not supposed to say (but it was!)
    Thanks to the Bear of Little Brain and the Setter with Two Quick Puns

  2. I thought this was standard Monday fare, until it dragged into *** time. It was the NE corner that did it fot me, I wasn’t too happy about 5d; “Character in play” is really far too wide ranging in my opinion, even with the anagram fodder so easily spotted. And does anyone these days really 13a when surprised? I don’t think so.

    Many thanks to WtP and the setter.

  3. First glance at the across clues gave me the impression that this was going to be a toughie but then everything started to fall into place and the finishing line arrived quite quickly .

    My COTD 22D for its simplicity.

    Thanks to everyone.

  4. An enjoyable start to the week although I too thought 13a a bit old fashioned but then so am I. My COTD was 17a.

    Many thanks to all concerned.

  5. Bit of a mixed bag for me. Is moving one letter really an anagram? (22d) Irresistible surface i suspect
    By the way, I can’t find another anagram that isn’t either in the clue or the hint…
    Thanks to setter and WtP

  6. I found this quite difficult for a Monday, probably caused by an excessive weekend !
    Anyway going for a ***/***.
    Nicely misled by 4a and liked 17a.
    Enjoyed the solve once my parsing head got into gear-thanks all.

  7. Fairly benign we thought although I hadn’t heard pf the 17a flower. In pre-pommette days I did have a girlfriend who could well have been described thus :grin:

    No real stand-outs but 27a deserves a mention in despatches. **/*** from us.

    Thanks to setter and the honey monster.

  8. All done in ** time in Porto de Galinhos (Brazil)….some knowledge of English literature required, but otherwise fair and amusing in places….thanks to all

  9. Thanks to the setter and Miffypops for the review and hints. I enjoyed this one, but found it very tricky. Needed the hints for 27a. Had never heard of 4a,17a & 5d, but somehow managed to get the answers. Favourite was 24a. Found the NE corner the trickiest. Was 4*/3* for me.

  10. NW corner was last in because it took a while for me to work out 1A. Lots to smile about but I wasn’t keen on 17A. I didn’t know the flower, not that that matters, it’s good to learn new things, and I’m not keen on having clues where you have to guess at the girl’s name. I could only solve the clue once I’d got enough down checking letters. I did, however have a good start to 23a by remembering the rhyming cockney slang. Many thanks setter and the bear with little brain. I’ll probably go into moderation for that comment. Thank you very much for the splendid review Miffypops.

  11. Still working on this, but have to say very disappointed with the new look to the on line DT this morning on my iPad. Everything in small, light print, articles moved around, ie Letters To The Editor (one of the best parts to read) now near the top, instead of further down. I’m not opposed to change, but this new look is just awful, IMHO.

    1. Oh no, when I saw it I thought it was just temporary. It’s awful, please don’t say it’s permanent!

  12. I found this very friendly and I enjoyed it. The only one I didn’t know was 24a, but easy enough to work out once I had the checking letters and knew it was an anagram; I’ll google it as soon as I’ve finished here.
    Blimey that movie about 4a was eons ago it seems. Christian gave me the first letter of 5d and help with the first word, so the second couldn’t be anything else.
    I liked a lot, hard to choose a fave, maybe 5d since I like the play.
    Thanks to whomsoever set this and to my dear friend Winnie the Pooh, my favourite person. Alas, I understood not one word of what Eeyore told you.

  13. Had a bit of trouble seeing 27a but maybe that is because I wasn’t paying attention in Religious Ed.
    I didn’t know the flower but checkers came to rescue.
    Thanks to setter and Winnie for putting light on my short comings.

      1. It was RE when i was at school. I get the RI in pest bit just struggled to see where the definition fitted in. I thought of lots of other vocations that had a duty. I am blaming my inadequate education not the setter or your excellent hints.

        1. Loved the pic of the stained glass at Coventry. I remember seeing it some time ago and much preferred it to the Sutherland Tapestry.

  14. I was delayed by the flower too, but because I was convinced that the girl’s name ended in ie rather than an…..

    Other than that, it all eventually slotted in.

    Thanks to the setter and to Winnie the Pooh.

  15. Totally beyond me how this could be rated * for difficulty, it was a wordy tricky little beggar! I understood about 1/3 of the wordplay but managed to complete it by teasing out the definitions and ignoring the dross.
    Not one for me I’m afraid.
    ***/*
    Thx for the hints

  16. As straightforward as they come I thought. Not much else to add other than my thanks to the setter and to MP for a typically amusing blog.

  17. A bit late – lots of catching up of ‘stuff’ to do after a few busy days – sister here for several days last week and in London with my Lambs yesterday.
    I enjoyed this and didn’t have too many problems – that sounds smug – I’m not really!
    I admit to having a spot of bother with 21a – it had to be what it was but I’d forgotten about the pound weight (to quote Winnie the Pooh talking about Tigger – “Whatever his weight in pounds, shillings and ounces, he always seems bigger because of his bounces”!)
    I particularly liked 13a, even thought others didn’t, and 19d. My favourite was 9d.
    With thanks to the setter and to MP aka Pooh Bear.
    I don’t understand the joke at the beginning – oh well, it’s “footbally” so no-one would expect me to. :unsure:

  18. I seem to be alone in having really enjoyed today’s puzzle – not especially for the cluing but for the literary and historical references, which had me thinking and learning about Orwell, Wilde, mutinies etc. I wish there were more puzzles that had such a broad reference base. So it’s FIVE STARS for enjoyment from me and big thank you to the setter. Thanks also to BD for the hints and I’m just sorry he didn’t enjoy the puzzle as much as I did.

    1. No, no, no, not alone! I enjoyed it as well. I am a little amazed at how many people didn’t know the flower, I’m wondering if it’s tropical.

      1. No – definitely not tropical – more a cottage garden perennial – Rudbeckia – lovely – lots of different colours.
        I particularly love it because a friend of mine has a daughter who’s a childhood friend of the Elder Lamb – she’s called Rebecca but is Becca. She’s lovely and has a great sense of humour, most of it is a bit rude so when I see a Rudbeckia I always think of Rude Becca!
        Shall I go away now . . .?

          1. The plant is all over the place at the moment. It is such a doer. A must have in a cottage garden

  19. A trickier than usual start to the week for sure. Lots of teasing out required which eventually enabled me to complete. I quite liked 21a so that’s my fave for the day.
    Thanks to the setter, and the to the bear of little brain for the review.
    Ps. I liked the anecdotes…

  20. I have completed easier Toughies than this.
    Thanks for the hints and the setter for the puzzle.

  21. An enjoyable start to the week where I found the lower half went in a lot easier than the top. Had not heard of 17ac, which held me up into 3* time…
    3*/3*
    Thanks to setter & the Honey Thief for review

  22. As Father Jack on Craggy Island might have said “one star, my *********!!” I thought that was really tricky and thanks MP, I had to look up the flower and the character in the play just to make some forward progress! I’d never have got the flower, never heard of it. So not my favourite ever crossword.

  23. By gum what a diverse bunch we are. I was only held up by two – 8d and 11a. The first five letters of the latter were easy but did not get the remainder until I got 8d. Thought of every other steering device before the answer. Loved 5d. The first word was easy but needed a few checkers. Had not heard of the flower only the Black Eyed Peas so had to look up for the girl’s name. Good Monday puzzle. Top marks for 4a. Thanks Setter and MP although did not have time to read your preamble between the Chainlocker and the StMSC.

  24. Glad to get through this without too much trouble as had lunch party to organise ….. now for the washing up – ugh! Not keen on ‘pants’ as anagram indicator. Spelling girl’s name wrong in 17a complicated 16d for me but in any case I needed help to confirm the concern synonym. 13a had to be but wherefrom “sound surprised” and likewise “I have a duty to” in 27a. Some obtuse surfaces with which I would have appreciated guidance. No Fav today. Thank you Mysteron and MP.

  25. Love the story about Coventry, Maradona and Aston Villa. Now that Coventry City are playing their home games at the home of Villa’s fiercest rivals (the mighty Blues of course!) it is particularly poignant. Raised a smile with me for sure. :-D

  26. I really struggled with this — as can probably be guessed from commenting on a Monday puzzle at Tuesday lunchtime. So different from last Monday’s, which I surprisingly completed unaided before breakfast.

    I reckon I needed Pooh’s hints for about half the clues (thank you so much; also, we’d just finished reading your book to our 5-year-old on Sunday evening!). Even so there were several that were beyond me till I had all the crossing letters.

    17a was my least-favourite, with the combination of ‘flower’ and ‘girl’s name’ being impossible to work out if you’d never heard of the former.

    However, for what I think is the first time, the wine in 18d is actually one I’d heard of (other than “red”)!

    22d made me smile. Yes, it’s only moving one letter, LetterBoxRoy, but the words are so different from each other that it somehow feels like more than that.

    I probably liked some other clues too, but I started this puzzle such a long time ago, I’ve forgotten what they were.

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