DT 29188 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29188

by Mr K  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29188

Hints and tips by Mr K

+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +

BD Rating  -  Difficulty ** -  Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone.  It’s looking like it’ll be a nice day in London.  Today we have a solid Tuesday puzzle requiring almost no general knowledge. 

In the hints below most indicators are italicized and definitions are underlined.  Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers.  In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background.  Clicking on a picture will enlarge it.  Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

 

Across

1a    Those in university hospital department following boss -- head of surgery (8)
STUDENTS:  Chain together a boss or projecting knob, a usual hospital department, and the first letter of (head of) Surgery 

5a    Country dancing needs to include wife (6)
SWEDEN:  An anagram (dancing) of NEEDS includes the genealogical abbreviation for wife

10a   Extraordinarily announce boom? Lie -- bust! (4,2,1,4,4)
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON:  An anagram (bust) of ANNOUNCE BOOM LIE 

11a   Low-quality films -- they're traditional at Christmas (7)
TURKEYS:  Some food traditionally eaten at Christmas also means, in the US at least, films or plays that are failures 

12a   Realise that is very concealed by pain (7)
ACHIEVE:  Abbreviations for “that is” and “very” contained in (concealed by) a dull pain 

13a   I ate crabs endlessly at sea -- they can cause illness (8)
BACTERIA:  An anagram (at sea) of I ATE CRABs with its last letter deleted (endlessly) 

15a   Repurchase agreements calm no end (5)
REPOS:  A synonym of calm with its last letter deleted (no end)

18a   Compass needle moving right to start (5)
RANGE:  A word for needle or irritate has the single letter for right moved to the start 

20a   High gate cost for properties (8)
COTTAGES:  An anagram (high, as in excited) of GATE COST 

23a   Ointment from social gathering first removed (7)
UNCTION:  A social gathering with its first letter deleted (first removed) 

25a   Best drink concerned with this writer (7)
SUPREME:  Link together a verb meaning drink, a usual short word for concerned with, and a pronoun the setter would use for himself

26a   Harm electoral bid, wickedly? Not hard for politician (7,8)
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT:  An anagram (wickedly) of hARM ELECTORAL BID with the pencil abbreviation for hard deleted (not hard) 

27a   Fantasises a lot after diamonds (6)
DREAMS:  Many or a lot comes after the playing card abbreviation for diamonds 

28a   At home, looked after fiance (8)
INTENDED:  The usual short word meaning at home with a synonym of “looked after” 

 

Down

1d    Photographs capturing Queen's clothing (6)
SHORTS:  Some photographs containing (capturing) the Latin abbreviation for Queen 

2d    Can I turn around without energy? Not sure (9)
UNCERTAIN:  An anagram (around) of CAN I TURN containing (without) the physics symbol for energy 

3d    Clear I've got over depression (7)
EVIDENT:  The reversal (got over) of I’VE with a depression in a sheet of metal, for example 

4d    Cuts the hairs so oddly (5)
TEARS:  Odd letters (oddly) of THE HAIRS SO 

6d    If rainy outside hospital, that man runs (7)
WHETHER:  Put together a synonym of rainy containing (outside) the map abbreviation for hospital, a pronoun for “that man”, and the cricket abbreviation for runs

7d    Hum uplifting bit of Beethoven or Debussy (5)
DRONE:  The answer is hidden inside the reversal of (uplifting bit of) the remainder of the clue 

8d    Working after noon and feeling rubbish (8)
NONSENSE:  Stick together the abbreviation for noon, working or operating, and feeling or perception 

9d    Inviting agricultural worker to enter lake? On the contrary (8)
PLEASANT:  Inverting the wordplay (on the contrary), the map abbreviation for lake must be inserted in (to enter) a person who works on the land 

14d   Coin in bank not long ago (8)
RECENTLY:  The lowest value US coin inserted in bank or depend 

16d   Promoted before female made a mistake (9)
PREFERRED:  Glue together before or prior to, the abbreviation for female, and “made a mistake” 

17d   Anxious time with currency beginning to drop (8)
TROUBLED:  Cement together the physics symbol for time, the Russian currency unit, and the first letter of (beginning to) Drop 

19d   Saw farm animal trapped by rearing horse (7)
EPIGRAM:  A farm animal that makes bacon contained by (trapped by) the reversal (rearing, in a down clue) of a female horse 

21d   Be pleased with a positive test (7)
APPROVE:  Join together A from the clue, the single letter for positive, and a verb synonym of test 

22d   Commit adultery? Conservative's out and editor's excited (6)
HEATED:  Commit adultery has the single letter for Conservative deleted (Conservative’s out) and the abbreviation for editor appended

24d   26 guy? (5)
CABLE:  The former leader of the 26a party is also a guy that might steady something 

25d   Small bird's tail (5)
STERN:  The clothing abbreviation for small is followed by a seabird 

 

Thanks to today’s setter.  I quite liked 18a, 7d, 8d, and 19d.  Which clues did you like best?

 

The Quick Crossword pun:  MAY + COR + BRAKE = MAKE OR BREAK

46 comments on “DT 29188”

  1. I agree with Mr. K’s 2*/3* rating for a pleasant but undemanding puzzle. My favourite is a toss up between 18a & 19d.

    Many thanks to Messrs. R & K

  2. A nice Tuesday puzzle which is complemented by today’s Toughie by a popular setter. All went in nicely thank you very much mister setter. Thanks for the review from our globetrotting Mr Kitty. I’m globetrotting to South Leicestershire where I was hoping to be wrestling tree stumps and washing line props but my wrestling partner doesn’t get half term until next week so it’s just a stand next to Saint Sharon visit where I wonder how one person can spend so much money

  3. A conventional set of answers, some ubiquitous ones (9D), all, except 10A, make regular appearances over the years. Best thing today were the hints, thanks Mr K, loved the pictures, none of which (except perhaps 11A) gave the answer. The suntanning meerkat was very cute.

    1. Thanks, Chris, glad that you liked the pics. Even 10a has appeared a few times. I have 18 entries for it in my database, including an appearance in DT 28787 from last year (which I had forgotten I hinted until I looked up the relevant blog).

  4. I can but agree with RD’s “pleasant but undemanding” verdict. All done in **/*** time, with no particular favourites.

    Thanks to all.

  5. I would agree with you, Mr K, **/***. The long anagrams at 10a and 26a were good fun as was 19d. Thanks for the hints and the animal pictures. Thanks to the setter.

  6. The clever and topical 26a gets my nod for COTD from this fun and undemanding Tuesday crossword. Not sure who the setter may be, but thanks to him or her for the challenge and to Mr K, who, as always, has provided an entertaining and interesting blog.

  9. Not a lot of brainpower required for today’s pleasant walk in the park. Never heard of 11a in the film context or 15a abbreviation although that had to be. No Fav. Thank you Messrs. Ron and K.

  10. easiest for a while for me, but a high quality puzzle with nothing obscure and no questionable synonyms, so a big thumbs up and thanks to all….

  11. As others have said, a fairly straightforward solve. There seemed to be a lot of single letter deletions/additions/movements which the setter obviously enjoys. I thought the wordplay for 9d was interesting and it took me longer than it should have done to work it out.
    2.5/2.5*
    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for his crystal clear explanations.

  12. Nothing to demanding today as other have commented on,completed well within proscribed time, this is ruled by coffee consumption and or dogs looking meaningly at door. If crossword particularly demanding a morning pupe. Thanks to Mr K and setter.

  13. All done and dusted in reasonable time this morning, just a slight pause where 6d was concerned and a worry about the answer to 4d actually equating to ‘cuts’.
    No particular favourite amongst the clues but I did laugh over Mr K’s pic of the cultured 13a.

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K for not letting the distractions that London has to offer deter him from bringing us his usual Tuesday gem of a blog!
    Yippee – another Silvanus Toughie to tackle this afternoon.

  14. Thanks Mr K and setter.

    N was going in as well as a Johnny May try before the S section held me up over the line for a good ten minutes.

    A tale of two halves, let’s hope Saturday brings the same result (sorry the 2 Ks) 😉.

    I’m sure future setters will have some ‘rugbytastic’ clues before November 2nd.

  15. I wasn’t very impressed with the surface read of 12a, but apart from that I enjoyed it and agree with the general consensus that it was not too taxing.

    Many thanks to the setter and Mr. K

  16. No great problems today except for parsing 18a so thanks Mr K for the explanation. Could see the answer but the wordplay is clumsy.
    No stand-out clues today but enjoyable nonetheless.
    Thx to all
    **/***

  17. Great fun. Liked the long anagrams. 7d clever as was 19d. Last one in was 22d. Needed the hint, loved the picture. Thanks setter and Mr. K.

  18. It’s tipping down here, but surprisingly warmish.
    I enjoyed this one though the clues for 1a and 1d! My eyes! You realise I can’t unsee (I don’t think that is a real word but you get the drift) those images. Eeewwww. LOL There again the image for 22d made up for it.

    Thanks as always to BigDave, the setter and Mr. K.
    P.S. A very proud looking member of the 11a family just crossed the top of our driveway with half a dozen adoring hens trotting after him. Not destined for the Christmas table though. Apparently the wild ones taste absolutely awful, never tried it.

  19. Thanks to the setter and to Mr Kitty for the review and hints. I enjoyed this, but found it tricky in places, which took me into 3* difficulty time. Last in was 9d, took me ages to think of the farm worker, as did 1d in thinking of another word for photographs, could only think of snaps for ages. Favourite was 24d. Was 3*/3* for me.

  20. This was a once in a blue moon crossword for me. By that I mean I needed no aids, no hints, and no looking at answers. So it was */**** for me with 10a the favourite obviously. Thanks to Mr K and especial thanks to the setter.

  21. Nice puzzle which I completed on my iPad which is not my favourite device but given I’m between Taiwan and Japan so it must be, Thanks to Mr K and our setter for a relatively gentle challenge.

  22. No real problems met while solving.
    The abb for positive was new to me. Don’t think I saw it before.
    Favourite is the double def in 11a. So true.
    Nice to see Vince again in 24d.
    Thanks to the setter and to MrK for the review.

  23. Early on parade today. Workmanlike steady interesting enjoyable. Totally agree with MrK therefore
    2*/3* no particular favourites
    Thanks to our setter & MrK for his review

  24. I whizzed (well, whizzing for me with the tiny brain) through this until I got to the SE corner, I think I took as long there, with copious electronic aid, as the rest of the puzzle.
    I never did get 22d, and 15a was a bung in; to me that’s an abbreviation for repossess, as in someone not making car payments.
    Fave was 10a, but liked lots more. Once I had the checking letters, I seemed to vaguely remember him at 24d, a quick google confirmed it.
    Thanks to our Tuesday setter and to Mr. K for his hints and pics.

  25. No probs today! Over too soon for sure. Pleasant while it lasted. No favourites.
    Thanks to the setter, and to MrK for the review.
    Ps. Has the DT i-Pad problem been fixed yet?

  26. It fell into place quickly which left me plenty of time to check out the birds on the Thames estuary. Beautiful day here in Kent.
    Thanks Mr.K and the setter for the hints and an undemanding, but enjoyable puzzle.

  27. The long anagram 26a took us longer than it should have as we initially assumed we were looking for a person who might be unfamiliar to us. Once we had that sussed then the person in 24d was someone we had heard of.
    A pleasant solve.
    Thanks Mr Ron and Mr K.

  28. Big thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle, and to Mr K for amusing pictures. A puzzle I could solve without any electronic help, so very satisfying. Although comments such as “not a lot of brainpower” did somewhat lessen my enjoyment, and surely would not be very encouraging to newcomers and those still shy of commenting. Again, thanks to the setter for making this solver very happy today.

      1. Me too! But sometimes I find just putting it down for a while helps. I am a bit of an insomniac (understatement of the year) so I get great enjoyment out of taking at 2 or 3 in the morning, tiptoeing out of the bedroom so I don’t wake Alan and having another go. I surprise myself at how often the answers suddenly pop into my rather vacant head. BTW Merusa, you mentioned you were from the West Indies I think, apologies if I am wrong. I lived all over the place when I was young including a few islands there. It was very different back then of course.

          1. My Dad lived there for a long time, my stepmother is from montego Bay. I lived for several years in Barbados and Guadeloupe and also spent time on a few other islands. Nice to meet you.

  29. Not only Did I discover what is a geodesic dome and the whereabouts of Maramon ON but I also much enjoyed today’s puzzle and my thanks to all concerned for an improvement in my knowledge.

    1. Me too with the geodesic dome – my curiosity got the the better of me! I suppose we should have asked Carolyn who apparently lives in one.

      1. I do! It is a bit Tardis like. It is bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside :-) I tried a link but got blocked by a capcha (?) thingie. Which I get, BD doesn’t want nasty spam popping up on here.

        1. Hi, Carolyn. I’m also curious. If you post a comment containing the link with the http:// at the start deleted (so it doesn’t look like a link), I should be able to convert it into a proper hyperlink.

          1. Thanks I’ll give that a go. Nope still can’t get past the block. I’ll try an edit

          2. Nope still not able to bypass. If you have access to my e-mail address do feel free to drop me a line.. Or if you google Carolyn Canadian immigration I pop up there. That was why I set the thing up in the first place because back then there was very little information online. I have now pretty much removed the old info but left our story.
            BTW it is still tipping down here. Oh I just thought, I could do a very feeble crossword attempt

            First word, all one word, combine
            the type of lady who flies around on a broom with a spider’s home
            followed by a full stop.
            followed by a thing you use to catch fish or the thingie that kept the late and lovely Ena Sharples hair in place.
            LOL!

              1. Lovely! I am so glad and really all welcome. We get black bears through here about twice a year too, usually around first week of June and again in mid September…. guests are welcome to camp but make sure you bring your brown trousers. OK enough smut Carolyn. Try to act your age. Heheh

      2. BTW we are roughly half way between Toronto (the capital of Ontario) and Ottawa(the capital of Canada) – save that for pub quizzes! – and we have a guest bedroom with en-suite, queen-size bed, plenty of parking space though the driveway can be a bit like the north face of the Eiger in the middle of winter and if any of you ever need a bit of a base to go exploring you are more than welcome. NO charge! I hasten to add, though I might ask for help with the crossword!
        Seriously, really mean it.
        If you are here during hunting season it can be quite amusing, every year at least one orange clad twerp manages to shoot his hunting buddy or his own toe. A couple of years ago I woke at the crack of dawn to hear gun shots, ah duck hunting season has opened.
        Quack Quack Quack Quack Quack
        Followed by Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!
        Followed by Quack?
        Actually made us both laugh out loud.

  30. no still can’t get past the block………… I will reboot…… maybe I have tried too many times.

    1. I’m afraid that I don’t know how the site decides when to require the captcha, so I can’t advise on how to avoid it. I think I have only ever seen it once.

  31. The second day in a row in which I have been completely in sync with the setter – or, perhaps, my mental capacity is improving with age??? Thanks to the setter, and, of course, to Mr K – especially for the wonderful pictures!

  32. 3*/4*….liked the pictures to the hints !
    COD 17D “anxious time with currency beginning to drop (8)”

Comments are closed.