DT 29175 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29175

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29175

Hints and tips by Chris Evans

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty *Enjoyment **    

Good morning from the heart of Downtown L I. (Long Itchington for those who want to know) All seems well with the world. The promised biblical downpour failed to materialise and a rather pleasant weekend was the outcome. England got through a tough game against Argentina but Coventry lost to Ealing Trailfinders on Friday night. Honours even at three tries apiece.

I think there are four anagrams in today’s puzzle. Solve them howsoever you wish. Where anagrams are concerned there are no rules.    

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.    

Across    

7a    Apricot tart contains soft cheese (7)
RICOTTA: We kick off today with a hidden word concealed and congealed within the words of the clue. The word contains indicates the hidden word    

9a    Theatrical company rented playhouse, finally full (7)
REPLETE: The shortened name of a type of theatre which presents different plays from a stock of plays is followed by a word meaning rented and the final letter of the word playhouse    

10a    Waterway shown in plan, a channel to the west (5)
CANAL: Our second hidden word of the day. The words shown in tells us that the answer lies hidden within the words of the clue. The words from the west tell us that it is reversed    

11a    One responsible for arranging rare song, I suspect (9)
ORGANISER: Anagram (suspect) of RARE SONG I    

12a    Deliberately ignore the alternative method after search (4,3,5,3)
LOOK THE OTHER WAY: An alternative method follows a word meaning search    

13a    Perhaps Ulster‘s best film (7)
TOPCOAT: An Ulster is a type of men’s garment worn over other clothing. Split 3,4 it suits the last two words of the clue     

16a    One feels queen should be repelled by insect (7)
ANTENNA: The world’s most populous insect is followed by the name of a former queen. This name is reversed (repelled)    

19a    This may prove a comfort to one who’s just retired (8,7)
ELECTRIC BLANKET: A clever cryptic definition of a device that one plugs in before retiring to bed and which provides a warming glow to the user.  Stop smirking at the back there.     

23a    Spirit of leading investor (9)
ARCHANGEL: A prefix meaning chief or principle is followed by the name used for an investor in a new theatrical production     

24a    Piece of furniture, one skirted by cleaner (5)
CHAIR: The letter that looks like the number one is surrounded by your daily Mrs Mop    

25a    A male aboard pilot ship (7)
STEAMER: The letter A from the clue and the abbreviation for Male sit inside a word meaning to pilot, guide or control the direction of    

26a    Order to economise is to no avail (7)
USELESS: Split 3,4 The answer is an order to cut down on consumption     

Down    

1d    Pair allowed in band (8)
BRACELET: A pair (of pheasants perhaps) is followed by a word meaning to grant possession    

2d    Knife fight about it upset student (8)
STILETTO: There are three acts to this charade. A fight. 3,2. The  reversal (upset) of the word it. The usual letter denoting a student. Place in the order suggested by the clue.     

3d    Old man having part to play in prisoner’s conditional release (6)
PAROLE: an affectionate name for one’s father is followed by a part played in a theatrical production     

4d    Bum in boozer (6)
SPONGE: A double definition. The word bum here is an informal word meaning to get from asking or begging    

5d    Whingers disconcerted US composer (8)
GERSHWIN: Anagram (disconcerted) of WHINGERS 

6d    Courage shown by last in convoy in sound (6)
HEARTY: Some courage followed by the last letter of convoY

8d    Against having party in flat (5)
CONDO: Against as the opposite of pro followed by our regular crosswordland party    

9d    Great at manoeuvring in series of yacht races? (7)
REGATTA: Anagram (manoeuvring) of GREAT AT    

14d    Representative turned up, ringing about a church minister (8)
PREACHER: The abbreviation used for a representative is reversed (turned up) and filled up with three words. The usual suspect for about or concerning. The letter A from the clue. The abbreviation for church    

15d    Provoke tense scaffolder? (7)
TRIGGER: The abbreviation for Tense is followed by a person who erects and maintains scaffolding     

17d    Not this dear French stateswoman (8)
THATCHER: Begin with an alternative word to this and add the French word meaning dear     

18d    Star in East, twinkling, seen by chance (8)
ASTERISK: An anagram (twinkling) of STAR and E(ast) EAST is followed by a potential chance or danger    

19d    Undergraduate ultimately failing to pass (6)
ELAPSE: The final letter of the word undergraduate is followed by a a brief or temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgement    

20d    Shock finding uniform inside streetcar, American (6)
TRAUMA: Place the abbreviation for uniform inside a streetcar that runs on rails and add the abbreviation for American. The surface here is somewhat clunky     

21d    Remark addressed to a back-seat driver that’s double-edged? (4,2)
BELT UP: What a driver may say to his passengers to make them safer might also be what the driver may say to his passengers to make them stop commenting upon his driving skills     

22d    Jack, deceitful man (5)
KNAVE: A double definition. The first referring to one of a deck of cards

Quickie Puns:
Top line: eye+ask+queue=I ask you    

Bottom Line: Not this week folks 


 

52 comments on “DT 29175

  1. Enjoyed the gentle kick-off to the week and sailed through the North whilst the South was a bit more problematic. Don’t think I had heard of the Ulster in 13a and at the moment can’t figure out where sound comes into 6d. My Fav was 17a but possibly inclusion of French word will not be acceptable to everyone. Thank you Mysteron and MP.

  2. Finished alone and unaided…hurrah!

    Liked 17d best.

    Thanks to the setter and to Miffypops.

  3. Just right for a Monday – the only clue which really stood out for me was 21d as it did make me smile

    Thanks to the setter and the ever-changing blogger

  4. I thought this was a quality puzzle and a reasonable challenge. My COTD goes to 17d but several others were challengers including 16a plus 2,6 and 21d.
    Laugh out loud moment the bottom line “quickie pun”….brilliant!
    2*/3*
    Many thanks to the setter and to MP for their excellent works

  5. 6d got me today. On an unrelated matter; Traced my family roots to Long Itchington. Small world.

      1. Hi BD,
        In answer to your question from Saturday, yes, but not just now. I have just moved home and I am in the middle of a large restoration project, which is gobbling up all my spare hours, I should be done by next April, so perhaps then. Also that will give me time to improve my solving skills!
        Regards and as ever, thanks for all you do.
        Paul

  6. Almost a quick cryptic today (* for difficulty) but quite enjoyable (**/***). 13a and 16a were quite good clues. Thanks for the hints and thanks to the setter.

  7. Shouldn’t the hint for 18d be anagram of EAST followed by danger? Otherwise the R is used twice.

  8. My sort of cryptic crossword. I enjoyed this. No convoluted part words stuffed into part anagrams to give me brain ache.

  9. A most enjoyable puzzle to get the week started. Didn’t quite manage it all without electronic help but almost. My favourites were 12a and 17d. I took some time with 13a because I forgot the other definition of Ulster.

    Grateful thanks to the setter and Chris Evans.

  10. Comfortable after two brain strainers from the weekend. Pity no Toughie today.
    I didn’t know the snake, but the anagram was helped by the middle word.
    Nice anagram for the American composer.
    Thanks to the setter and MP, of course. Have never been a fan of your pseudonym.

    1. Which Chris Evans do you think I am today?
      Chris the pharmaceutical billionaire
      Chris the broadcasting millionaire
      Chris the ex car salesman, now a delivery driver with whom I had a pint yesterday in Bulkington

    2. Which snake?

      The one in Cryptic Crossword 572?

      It all becomes very confusing on Mondays. #TooManyCrosswords.

        1. Some might agree … especially for volunteering to do the Saturday morning hints & tips.

          Good Luck!

  11. A nice friendly puzzle for a Monday, I thought.

    Nothing too tricky, but I had to think a bit for 13A.

    I really liked 17D and 21D. Joint winners for the ‘Clue Of The Day’ award! :-)

  12. A very comfortable and speedy solve today. 5d my favourite ahead of 21d. Not keen on the construction of 20d. That apart, all good clean fun.

    Thanks very much to our Monday compiler and to MP.

  13. What didn’t help was that I kept reading 4d as “bum”……..

    I didn’t know that coat…kept trying to get NI in.

    My favourite was 19a.

    Thanks to Chris Evans.

  14. 18 Down. Is an anagram of East followed by a word for chance (risk) resulting in a star I.e. Asterisk.
    Sorry to be pedantic.

  15. Pretty straightforward, but am I the only one who had security blanket for 19a?
    Needless to say, this held me up for quite a while in the SW corner.

    1. Nope! I struggled in the SW for that reason, none of the letters fit the downs, until 20d sorted me out.

  16. I don’t care that it’s * for difficulty, I enjoyed it. Actually, I think it was more like *** , but I have to allow for the wrong 18a.
    I have to thank you, Mr. Evans, for the clip at 5d. I love Porgy and Bess, just glorious music.
    There were too many candidates for fave, 23a, 5d, 21d was giggle worthy, I could keep going on.
    Thanks to our Monday setter and to CE for his hints and pics.

  17. All was going well until i got to the NE corner which totally defeated me. What 4d has to do with boozer is a mystery or 6d to do with sound? As I never completed the puzzle it put the difficulty up to ***.
    Shame because up until then it was very enjoyable.
    For me ***/**
    Thx to all
    PS Just found in the BRB that sponge is an informal term for drunkard, new to me.

  18. A **/*** for me after the horrors of the weekend. No handholding needed today. 23a and 26a my favourites today. Thanks to setter and Chris Evans for an enjoyable start to the week.

  19. Another gentle start to the week. I don’t know where I dredged up the Ulster from. Thanks to the setter and MP.

  20. I’m with the “nothing wrong with a gentle start to the week” brigade. I’ve kind of caught up with my crosswords, well the weekday ones anyway. favourite 18d mainly because it took me so long to see why I had the right answer. Many thanks to the setter and CE.

  21. Didn’t get time to visit the blog over the weekend, but found them both Sat and Sun to be plain sailing. I found today to be a real challenge. So it sounds like I’m out of step with almost everyone, as regards the last three days. Just goes to show, sometimes you click, and sometimes you don’t.

  22. I read 19a and instantly thought of hot water bottle, but it didn’t fit the number of letters. Well, I was going along the right line of thought. At least it reminded me to go and find mine in readiness. Thank you setter and Miffypops. 21d was my favourite clue followed by 26a.

  23. Catch up time… I quite enjoyed this crossword in spite of the IT hiccups doing their best to disrupt things. 13a was my favourite once I realised…
    Thanks to the setter, and of course to Mr Evans for the review.

Comments are closed.