DT 29165 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29165

by 2Kiwis  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29165

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

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

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

We have passed our vernal equinox. Our clocks get moved forward an hour this coming weekend. The whitebait season is well underway with keen people in waders lining the banks of many rivers and streams. The first godwits have arrived back after their non-stop migration from Alaska. But still the weather feels more wintry than spring-like and we are still lighting our fire each evening.

Good fun as ever from Jay.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Conservative must have consent to hoard silver for separation (8)
CLEAVAGE : The single letter for Conservative and then the chemical symbol for silver is inside consent or permission.

5a      Millions invested in bags for fishing vessels (6)
SMACKS : Bags that could be used for carrying coal contains M(illions).

9a    Include case for European navigation device (9)
ENCOMPASS : The first and last letters of European, and then the navigation device that might be found in a binnacle.

11a     Discover King John’s end (5)
LEARN : A Shakespearean king followed by the last letter of John.

12a     Sickly aspect of everybody into mostly fortified wine (6)
PALLOR : A synonym for everybody is inside a fortified wine from Portugal with its last letter removed.

13a     This offers protection from developing rubella with the onset of measles (8)
UMBRELLA : An anagram (developing) of RUBELLA which includes the first letter of measles.

15a    Current level of technology required by country frequently needing courage (5,2,3,3)
STATE OF THE ART : A country or nation, a three letter poetic word for frequently, and then courage or bravado.

18a     Equipment Cameron set cut out (13)
ACCOUTREMENTS : An anagram (out) of CAMERON SET CUT.

22a     Brave going topless with swim being a chancy affair (5,3)
LUCKY DIP : Remove the first letter from a word meaning brave or game and then a swim or a plunge.

23a     The colour of one doing wrong? (6)
INDIGO : The Roman numeral one and an anagram (wrong) of DOING.

26a     Joint legal document protecting son (5)
WRIST : S(on) is inside a type of legal document.

27a     Particles of stone ruin at sea (9)
NEUTRINOS : An anagram (at sea) of STONE RUIN
.
28a     Agree to put down roots (6)
SETTLE : A double definition. Put down roots as a pioneer might do.

29a     Tense examination of the countryside (8)
PASTORAL : A grammatical tense and then an examination that does not require written answers.

Down

1d     Parrot kept in container that’s most tacky (8)
CHEAPEST : A different creature that is a synonym for ‘parrot’ meaning to imitate, is inside a container that might be full of treasure.

2d     Better church line supporting European vote (5)
EXCEL : Four separate elements to string together here. E(uropean), the mark put on a voting paper, the Anglican Church, and then L(ine).

3d     Elk to the south of Virginia leave in a hurry (7)
VAMOOSE : The two letters signifying the state of Virginia and then an alternative name for an elk.

4d     Nanny perhaps understood about area (4)
GOAT : The abbreviation for area is inside understood or twigged.

6d     Disease of higher degree student on song (7)
MALARIA : The degree that follows a Bachelor of Arts, the letter displayed by a student driver, and then an operatic song.

7d     West coast city featuring in map and article is a cheat (9)
CHARLATAN : A possibly maritime map contains a Californian city and finally, an indefinite article.

8d     Muslim ruler has name for student and effect of exposure (6)
SUNTAN : Start with a Muslim ruler and replace the letter for a student with the abbreviation for name.

10d     Plant a politician in county (8)
SAMPHIRE : ‘A’ from the clue and a Member of Parliament are inside a county where you might possibly find a hobbit.

14d     Flipping racket about very loud university outflow (8)
EFFUSION : The musical instruction for very loud and U(niversity) is inside the reversal of a racket or din.

16d     Revolutionary shifting cash in art (9)
ANARCHIST : An anagram (shifting) of CASH IN ART.

17d     Adoption of America splitting poor Poles (8)
ESPOUSAL : The three letter initials for America is inside an anagram (poor) of POLES.

19d     Stop short after shout for such glass (7)
CRYSTAL : Shout or yell, and then remove the last letter (short) from stop as a learner driver might do by letting the clutch out too quickly.

20d      Tower needing airmen to be trained on time (7)
MINARET : An anagram (to be trained) of AIRMEN plus T(ime).

21d     Fools from summits changing sides (6)
CLOWNS : Begin with a synonym for summits and replace the letter signifying one hand with the letter signifying the other.

24d     Begin, nervously keeping secret (5)
INNER : Today’s only lurker hiding in the clue.

25d     Reporter potentially has answer for nation (4)
CUBA : The reporter potentially is somebody learning the trade, and then A(nswer).

We put today’s biggest favouritism tick beside 15a.

Quickie pun    sigh    +    kicks    =    psychics

64 comments on “DT 29165”

  1. Jay on top form today with a very comfortable and enjoyable solve. I really liked 13a as the pick of several excellent clues. Great stuff.

    Thanks to all three birds.

  2. Jay was in mellow mood today and I too, felt it was ** for difficulty and **** for enjoyment. I enjoyed 15a, the 18a anagram and 10d. Thank you to the Kiwis for the blog. It brought back happy memories of deep- fried whitebait eaten at a Loire valley restaurant 50 years ago. Thank you to the consistently enjoyable Jay as well.

  3. After few few recent ‘head-scratchers’ I found this a most pleasant, uncomplicated solve. Lots to enjoy and very well clued. Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  4. All done in a straight ** time. I thought I might have to resort to electronic means for some of the anagrams, but when the checkers fell in place, I managed without.

    COTD is 1a, because I’m a teenage boy at heart.

    Many thanks to Jay and the 2 Ks.

  5. Pleasant and not too exacting but possibly not memorable. 27a solved via “at sea” plus Google. 23a probably Fav after working on sinner synonyms. Thank you Jay and 2Kiwis.
    Wonder why these days I need to fill in my name and email each time in spite of ticking “save my name, email etc. “

      1. Do you have an internet security bundle (eg Norton, McAfee) installed? They can sometimes block cookies or other stored data
        Otherwise, it could be the same setting, but in the browser itself
        Lastly it could be that the browser is clearing the cache on exit
        Hope that helps

  7. Another Wednesday, another Jay puzzle with all the usual superlatives completed at a fast gallop 1.5*/4.5*.
    Favourite – a toss-up between 12a and 19d – and the winner is 19d.
    Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  8. Thanks to the 2Ks for the hints , not really needed today , and for yet another excellent/enjoyable offering from Jay .

    COTD the clever 15A , last in 27A as trying to fit in a similar word .

  9. Everything we’ve come to expect from this setter on the enjoyment front, perhaps at the easier end of his spectrum?
    Particularly liked the cleverness of 23a and the use of ‘stop short’ in 19d.

    Many thanks to Jay and also to our 2Ks – oh, how I love whitebait!

    1. Yes I agree a very nice puzzle **/**** 😃 27a was a new word for me and I too have to enter name and e-mail every time despite ticking the “save” box 😟 Favourites 22a & 8d 👍 Thanks to the 2 x Ks and to Jay 🤗 Glad to hear that the godwits have returned safely

  10. Agree with the 2K’s **/**** and everyone seems to be happy on the enjoyment front.
    Lots of clever surfaces-liked 3d,22a23a21a.
    Plaudits to Jay for making compiling look easy!

  11. Great stuff. No hints used, although needed explanation for 21d – couldn’t think of synonym for summit. Thought 29a was clever. Had to Google 8d, never heard of him. Thanks to setter
    and 2kiwis. New Zealand sounds a lovely place.

    1. NZ is stunningly beautiful on both islands. Well worth the long and somewhat arduous journey from the UK.

  12. Very pleasant puzzle today I thought. My only problems were parsing 21d (thx for the explanation) and 24d – can’t believe I missed a lurker, Grrr!
    Thx to all.
    **/***

  13. A very relaxed solve today with no difficulties encountered. I liked 22a so that’s my favourite.
    Thanks as always on a Wednesday to Jay, and to the 2K’s for their review.

  14. I’m in agreement with nearly everyone elose. Very enjoyable, but not too challenging. The Toughie today is on the benign side as well.

  15. Whilst it is very solvable from the wordplay, does anyone else think 2d is a rather dodgy synonym for the definition? I’m really struggling to think of a sentence where the two could be used interchangeably.

    That aside, there were quite a few smiles in this puzzle with 23a being my favourite. Thanks to both Jay and the 2Ks for today’s entertainment.

    1. Yes, we too found the synonym over- stretched ( not the only one recently!). Also not for the first time, lots and lots of anagrams …. but hey, a fun crossword we could do, what’s not to like …. 🙂

    2. In 2d the synonym works when you read ‘better’ as a verb instead of a comparative adjective. That’s how we interpreted it anyway.

  16. **/****. Enjoyable solve. There’s something about Jay’s puzzles which always appeals. Thank you to Jay and the 2Ks for another crisp review.

  19. What a great puzzle today – almost like a Monday! The SE corner stalled me for quite a while and it was the last one to be filled in. I too missed the lurker in 24d. A very enjoyable solve and, for once, I did not need hints and tips.

    Many thanks to the setter and 2Ks.

  20. Lovely crossword from Jay today, restored my confidence after a few batterings recently.
    I don’t usually do COTD, but definitely 1a – for the photo…
    Thanks all…

  21. Today’s was an enjoyable solve. I had a few chuckles along the way. I needed Mr Google’s help to confirm my parsing of 5a. Hadn’t heard that term. Some good anagrams too. 15a was a ‘jump out’. Favourites, 1a and 10d. Thanks to J and 2Ks🦇

  22. Needed some electronic help with 3 clues today, so didn’t find it as straightforward as some.
    Wavelength thing I suppose.

    Thanks to Jay and to the 2 Kiwis.

  23. Nice puzzle done in fits and starts waiting for cyclists on the time trial. Much dryer today with only an occasional mizzly rain.
    Puzzle was fine 21d caused most problems and although I got the all correct thingy didn’t understand it until I read the hint. I suppose I didn’t see the synonym.
    15a nice long one that wasn’t an anagram and 10d my favourites but are you calling me a hobbit? 😀
    Thanks to Jay and 2K’s

    1. I can’t find the race broadcast here – pity, but I did find some equine events on my search, a rarity here.

      1. Info here is that NBC have US broadcast rights but you may need a special pass to watch. The scenery may be nice but watching cycling is an acquired taste that may not be your thing especially as it may involve spending money.

        1. Yes, I saw that NBC are broadcasting but I don’t have that whatsit and not ready to spend more money, in view of the fact that my server just increased my bill 40%. I’ve done battle and it’s back to reasonable amount, one wonders for how long.

  24. Finished this before leaving the house this morning so have just had to remind myself with the Kiwis’ excellent blog.

    Agree with everyone that it was an enjoyable solve. Took me a while to sort out the correct order of letters in the 27a anagram and I agree with Owdoo above re 2d.

    Many thanks to the Kiwis and Jay

  25. Always pleased to solve a puzzle, without any electronic or old school help, and in reasonable time but all the anagrams were a bonus. Like others I did need the hint to parse 21d but after the previous exposure (clue) in 8d the penny should have dropped. Off to enjoy yet another sunny day in NJ.

  26. This was a definite 2* for me, until it strayed into 3* territory when I put “sallow” in 12a, which caused much pen sucking with 1d until I realised the error of my ways.

  27. I agree with everyone – very enjoyable and not tricky – perhaps Jay is giving us a rest so that we’re ready for tomorrow.
    I suppose there were quite a few anagrams but I didn’t notice while I was doing the crossword.
    Got in a bit of a muddle with 27a and did it only from the spare letters when all the checkers were in.
    Clues of the day for me were 1a and 3, 14 and 25d. My favourite was 22a.
    Thanks to Jay and to the 2K’s.
    I’m slightly confused by the pic for 8d – why has someone who’s clearly a bloke been sunbathing in a bikini top? :unsure:

      1. Must have ‘man-boobs’ then? Whale tail I don’t really get – never heard of it – can you explain or is this going to be something that is too much information and I really don’t need to know?!

        1. If you look at the lighter markings of white skin, it looks a bit like a whale’s tail – sorta, anyway.

  28. Whoop, whoop, Jay, Jay today! It seems I was in good company with 21d, so thanks for the hint.
    I had to use e-help for 27a, that stuff is out of bounds for me, very esoteric,
    I’ve only ever come across 10d in crosswords, has anyone tasted it? Fave was 15a, my first one in.
    Thanks to Jay for the fun and the 2Kiwis for hints, particularly 21d, and NZ tour, always look forward to that

    1. Very popular here recently, good with fish tastes a bit like asparagus but with a hint of the sea (it grows mainly in salt marshes)

    2. 10d is delicious – nice when you can get some locally wild grown 10d, but sadly the supermarkets round here import it from Israel

          1. Didn’t see your post, apart from everything else, I don’t see very well! I’ll make a note to start looking in June.

          1. Yes, a tad jealous, but I’m a hothouse flower, I’d never survive your winter – swings and roundabouts!

              1. He, he, that’s winter here! My Mum was a bit like that, she never really liked the Jamaican heat, my Dad, on the other hand, revelled in it.

              2. I’m in ‘agree with Jane’ mode it would appear – there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing
                Easy to warm up (!), needing to cool down is much more uncomfortable

                1. Hear, hear – anyone can get warm – go for a walk, chop some wood, light a fire but cooling down can be impossible.

          2. There used to be a proper fishmongers in Whitstable which had such fresh samphire it still had tiny whelks hiding among the ‘fronds’.

          3. Sadly I have moved South after years in East Anglia where we used to collect samphire from the salt marshes and mud flats all along the North Norfolk coast. Although not quite the same as cooked and served with butter I do remember buying jars of pickled samphire but nowadays the only pickled version I have found is made in Greece.

      2. They’re called sea beans here and, no, I can’t get them in Miami, at least from anyone who delivers. Boo!

  29. I was on wavelength yesterday but definitely off today. Needed the hints from the 2Kiwis for 27a, 10d and I couldn’t solve the anagram at 18a. Oh well I am a Wednesday’s Child, so woe is me. Otherwise enjoyed despite struggling through.

  30. Loved this puzzle as I managed nearly all of it on my own. 10d and 14d my favourites.
    Thank you Jay and the 2 kiwis.

  31. Morning all.
    Looks like general agreement that Jay has given us a slightly gentler puzzle than the last couple have been, but as much fun as usual.
    The very strong winds that we had yesterday have abated overnight so a pleasant morning walk in store for us soon.
    Cheers.

  32. 2*/3*….
    liked 13A ” this offers protection from developing rubella with the onset of measles (8)”

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