DT 29199 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29199

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29199

Hints and tips by Failed of Twickenham

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

I suppose I am over the disappointment of Saturdays Rugby World Cup Final where the better team on the day took the spoils. Maybe next time.

I thought this an excellent Monday puzzle with a couple of laughs and just enough of a twist to stretch out the time taken. I hope you all enjoyed it too

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Close to centre, from memory (2,5)
BY HEART: Close to followed by a word meaning centre gives how an actor learns his lines

5a    An object enthralling male in a Disney location (7)
ANAHEIM: Begin with the word AN which our setter has donated. Now wrap an object, purpose or intention around the personal pronoun for a male. The answer is apparently a Disneyland venue. I cannot see me ever visiting but I hope you enjoy it if you do so.

9a    Vignette of eccentric with small sailing boat (9,6)
CHARACTER SKETCH: An eccentric person is followed by the abbreviation for small and a two masted sailing boat

10a    List of competitors in lobby (5)
ENTRY: A double definition. The lobby may be found in a hotel

11a    Scamp with fruitcake, and something else to eat (6,3)
MONKEY NUT: Another name for a scamp or a rascal is followed by a term for a fruitcake or odd person

12a    Cover a wider area — might that be suggested by padres? (6,3)
SPREAD OUT: The answer here suggests and describes an anagram of PADRES

14a    Theatre scene (5)
ARENA: Another double definition

15a    Conscious of a conflict close to home (5)
AWARE: Begin with the letter A from the clue. Add a conflict between nations. Add the final letter of the word home.

16a    Emblem in house, mounted (5,4)
TUDOR ROSE: The house here is a historical Royal house. It is followed by a somewhat stretched synonym of the word mounted

18a    Result of bumpkin being caught by a belt? (1,5,3)
A THICK EAR: Begin with the letter A from the clue. Insert Another name for a bumpkin into a word meaning belt when used to describe speed. Split what you have to suit the enumeration of the clue

21a    Floor of drain in need of repair (5)
NADIR: Anagram (In need of repair) of DRAIN

22a    Where bandits are likely to take your money? (9,6)
AMUSEMENT ARCADE: A cryptic definition of a garishly lit, noisy venue usually found at the seaside which is designed to deprive you of your hard-earned money.

23a    What climber may need to carry crossing face of Eiger (7)
TOEHOLD: Begin with the word To from the clue. Add the initial letter (face of) of Eiger. Add a word meaning carry.

24a    Irregular soldiers tense? A bit (7)
ODDMENT: Begin with a word meaning irregular or uneven. Add a collective term for soldiers. Add the abbreviation for tense

Down

1d    Large amount in pails (7)
BUCKETS: A synonym of pails is also a synonym of large amounts

2d    Play organ before holiday audience (10,5)
HEARTBREAK HOUSE: A three parter. 1 A vital organ. 2. A holiday or period of leave. 3 The audience at a theatre. The answer is a play written by George Bernard Shaw and first published one hundred years ago

3d    Scoffed about a new tray, new if nothing else (2,3,4)
AT ANY RATE: A word meaning scoffed or dined sits around the letter A from the clue, the abbreviation of new and an anagram (new, not the first new, the second one) of TRAY

4d    Symbol, from time to time, put up (5)
TOTEM: The answer lies hidden amongst the words of the clue. The word in tells us so. It is reversed. The words put up tell us so

5d    Football team in Scotland are untidy, in disarray (3,6)
AYR UNITED: Anagram (in disarray) of ARE UNTIDY. This club’s greatest servant has to be John (Spud) Murphy who played for the club 459 times between 1963 and 1978

6d    Cause anger blowing top in joint (5)
ANKLE: A word meaning to cause continued annoyance needs its first letter removing

7d    Informal alliance Alec entered into unwisely (7,8)
ENTENTE CORDIALE: Anagram (unwisely) of ALEC ENTERED INTO

8d    Mother holding headgear for religious sage (7)
MAHATMA: An informal name for your mother is split by a type of headgear

13d    Recovering, continuously injecting them (2,3,4)
ON THE MEND: A phrase 2,3 meaning continuously has the word THEM inserted. (I’m not sure this works. The first word needs a reversal indicator)

14d    High priest’s staff producing novel (6,3)
AARON’S ROD: This Brother of Moses and his bit of wood are also the name of a book by D H Lawrence

15d    Inflexible, a guy surrounded by detailed facts and figures (7)
ADAMANT: Begin with the letter a from the clue. Now find some facts and figures and a guy or Male person. Insert the guy into the facts and figures which need their last letter removing (de-tailed) Thank you Andrew and Wahoo for pointing that out.

17d    Intensely serious article penned by Hemingway, perhaps (7)
EARNEST: Insert the letter A into the first name of the writer Hemingway

19d    Cardinal, say, breaking firm set of beliefs (5)
CREDO: The colour associated with cardinal sits inside an abbreviation for a firm or company

20d    Proportion of allowance reduced (5)
RATIO: a fixed amount of a commodity officially allowed to each person during a time of shortage, as in wartime needs its last letter removing

Quickie Pun:

Top line: Bill+Double=Buildable

Bottom line: Plaice+Cool=Playschool


 

66 comments on “DT 29199

  1. Enjoyable puzzle, agree with the 2*/3*. I counted 13 multiple word clues (I like these). 22A was a favourite (lots of those here in Southend). Bit of a hmm over 13A, but saw it as a haha eventually.
    15D also good as I remember the 1966 series before I moved to the US – it was Gerald Harper I think that was frozen in the block of ice…to be dug up by workmen in the first episode- highly unlikely – but I believed it at the time.
    Thanks to FoT for some nice hints

  2. Took me a little while to get a 23a in this but once I did I enjoyed it. In some ways it felt like Friday lite but with an injection of humour. Mr Google helped with the rather obscure 5a and 14d but the rest was plain sailing.
    I particularly liked 5d (aren’t all Scottish teams in permanent disarray!) 18a and 12a, the parsing of which I thought was very clever.
    2.5*/3*
    Many thanks to FOT for his excellent review and to the setter.

    1. * Just to confirm “on end” = continuously. From Collins Online:

      on end in British
      a.
      upright
      b.
      without pause or interruption

      Chambers 21st CD also has same definition. My BRB is at home at mo.

  3. Thank you for all your hard work. Think 15d should be anagram of facts and figures word plus man. Else too many a’s

    1. An anagram of ‘facts and figures word’ would be indirect, i.e. anagram material not directly available in the clue, which is not allowed in DT, and many other, puzzles.

  4. An OK puzzle but spoilt for me by some sloppy clueing and obscure book and play.
    24a – no indication that you just need the letter T, 16a mounted is so poor as a definition, 2d – obscure play, 14d obscure book.
    Not my my favourite although I did like 5a (liked it when we went there too albeit 4 days post 9/11, it’s so much better than Florida).
    ***/**
    Thx for the hints

      1. 24a – “A bit” is the definition.

        As Miffypops has indicated in his hint … the T is the abbreviation for tense.

        1. It must be somewhat discouraging for the bloggers when certain people obviously never read the hints!

          1. Actually, I did read the hint and understood it. It’s just I thought Brian didn’t get it and I was only trying to help. Again, apologies if my attempt was misconstrued.

      2. The definition is “a bit” so it’s not part of the wordplay – as MP says in the hint T is a recognised abbreviation for Tense

      3. Surely “a bit” refers to the answer to the clue?
        Tense is often represented by the letter T.

    1. The obscure play and obscure book were authored by two of the most famous writers in the English language – surely obscure is a misnomer!

      1. No – something ‘obscure’ is only a misnomer if you (one) has never heard of it. I hadn’t heard of either the play or the book. You just have to work it out from the clue and ask the nice helpful Mr Google to confirm it. Then you have to remember it . . .

  5. Hadn’t a hope with 5a. Did expect something less obscure. I wonder how many of us remember Gerald Harper? As I recall the series just faded out and ended in a most unsatisfactory way.
    Quite a literary puzzle too what with G.B.Shaw and D.H.Lawrence. So educational!

    1. I remember Gerald Harper as, in 1969, I sat opposite him in the waiting room of an Earls Court optician. I was 19 and spending 3 weeks wages on a pair of contact lenses.
      I didn’t get on with them in the long run, but the vision as I walked out of the place at the end of the day was phenomenal and similar to when I had cataracts done this year……..

  6. I was reminded of a character from the past today – a rather serious person nicknamed ‘Earnest Ernest’. Blood on the Tracks will be the next CD to go in the car for a few days. Thanks to all.

  7. Not for the first time in recent history have I failed to complete a Monday crossword.

    I haven’t heard of 5a or 14d and with another perfectly good answer at 14a, also ending in A, the right hand side fell apart.

    Many thanks to the setter and MP.

  8. Nice combination of challenge and fun to start the (working for some!) week. Think 21a is a bit loose. Stupidly failed to parse the “e” in 23a and the last word in 12a. Thank you Mysteron and MP with whom I share bitter RFU disappointment but nevertheless very well played the Springboks.

  9. A fairly typical Monday puzzle, I thought, where if you just follow the instructions the answers fall nicely into place. 18 and 22a floated my boat today, and overall this was a reasonably undemanding yet fun grid to complete.

    Thanks very much to our setter and the disappointed MP.

  10. It took me a while to get into the swing of today’s offering but it gradually started to fall into place. Parsing skills were needed frequently and there were some really good clues, especially 2d. Mind you, this particular clue eluded me for a while because I couldn’t get a superb record by Elvis Presley out of my mind. I quite liked 24a but my COTD is 18a.

    Grateful thanks to the setter and to F of T for great hints. (What did you fail at?) :smile:

  11. An enjoyable puzzle with a well-balancedq selection of clues of different types and varying difficulty (**/****). I did appreciate 2d (well clued although I didn’t know the play) and the humour of 18a. Thanks to MP for the hints and commiserations on the rugby. I didn’t recognise the setter but thank you, apart from the obscure 5a and 5d, it was well-constructed.

  12. A nice Monday puzzle – thank you to the Setter with Two Puns and the Blogger with Multiple Names

  13. O dear – I struggled on several, made several mistakes on several, and have zero interest in things Disney. All I all, failed miserably all told.
    Never mind, another day tomorrow!
    Thanks to the setter (clearly on another wavelength), and to MP for enlightening me in such a pleasant way.

  14. Started off quick on the West Side, then bonked (cycling term for completely and suddenly running out of juice).

    I was so convinced that 14a had to be drama, that it interfered with many things on that side……oh dear.

    Reasonably completed but 14d had to be looked up and 23a resisted despite all relevant letters.

    I did go to 5a in the 70s. I don’t know how much it has changed. I preferred Universal Studios, with Jaws, the Psycho house and stunt cowboys falling off roofs.

    1. Never heard of that term describing cycling Bluebird, down here in Essex it still has its meaning which is related to the ‘birds and the bees’, to put it politely 😁

    2. When I was a teen, bonking meant something completely different, and definitely fell in the realms as described by Chris 😊

    3. Like Chris Rich I’d never heard of ‘bonked’ with your meaning but I clearly ‘bonked ‘with 14a which just had to be ‘drama’ – screwed up a couple of other answers but the ‘screwing’ fitted nicely with the bonking – OK – I’ll go away now.

  15. Right up my strasse, loved it. I like long, multiple-word answers and we had that in spades today.
    I did need to confirm 5d, guessing it and bunging it in.
    Such an enjoyable solve, any one could be a fave.
    Thanks chaps, our setter and to FofT for his fun review, for starting the week so well.

  16. I am another Disneyphobe and had to take the ‘click here’ walk of shame to get the answer. Thank you Miffypops but I am not sure it will lodge in the brain. I am always interested to read everyone’s comments!

    1. No walk of shame, believe me. I don’t think that Disney location is associated with the town as much as the Florida one.

      1. That is Disneyland in California, the very first one. Plus Orlando, Paris and Hong Kong and perhaps more. The first one being the destination in National Lampoon Vacation (and renamed Wally World for the movie). I’m not a huge fan either Miffypops, but visiting Orlando one time with small grandkids, we paid extra for the Character breakfast, where the likes of Pluto etc. walk around the tables and greet the customers. I was amazed how many tables were just adults, no children with them…

    2. Bob Dylan has played there. I have CDs of live concerts. No knowledge of the Disney connection though. My problem wasn’t solving but finding the aim that opened the clue up to writing an explanation.

  17. First look on Google did not produce the answer to the Disney location and as Disney faded in what interest it had when my youngest was about eight nearly 40 years ago then I didn’t bother about it. Only one suggestion fro the electronic aid which would have made a better clue. Not difficult otherwise but still very unchuffed and disgruntled about 5a which could only be knowledge for someone who had been there or a competitor on mastermind who had chosen Disney as a specialist subject. Thanks to setter and explainer for what would have been a very good puzzle. Ggggggrrrrrrrrhhhh

  18. As Malcolm, I failed on the same two clues.
    Found the rest quite tough for a Monday.
    Thanks to the setter and to MP for the review.

  19. Too much GK for me but last one in – 23a was a real corker !! . Thanks MP , but for F O Twickenham , still too painful to think about rugby.

  20. I drove through the answer to 5a on my way from LA airport to Palm Springs but didn’t call in to Disneyland. Some of the clues took a bit more working out than normal fro a Monday. 22a and 23a were favourites. Many thanks to the setter and to Miffypops.

  21. Failed only by not being clever enough to construct the Disney location from the clue. And, not helped by never having heard of it.
    Otherwise, plain sailing,
    So, ** for difficulty with above Mickey Mouse exception.
    Many thanks to the setter and to F of T for the colourful review.

  22. Thanks to the setter and Miffypops for the review and hints. I enjoyed this, but found it very tricky. Needed the hints for 1,5,23a and 2d. Had never heard of 5a&2d. Managed to guess 14d. Was 3*/3 * for me. Favourite was 12a, a good reverse anagram.

  23. Enjoyable Monday puzzle that came together steadily. Some of the clues required a bit of thought but nothing to strenuous.
    2*/3.5*
    Thanks to setter & MP for review

    1. **? Well not for me it wasn’t. I’ve done easier toughies and it’s a Monday for goodness sake. I wasn’t helped by never having heard of 1a, 9a, 2d or 14d. I felt 16a was a bit iffy too. All in all a bit of a slog. If I had to choose a favourite it would be 22a. Thanks to the setter and blogger. I hope this hasn’t set the standard for the rest of the week.

  24. Southwest corner went in first, but struggled a bit with this, primarily for the same reasons Brian mentioned. I’m not a fan of Lawrence or Hemingway (sorry to their fans) so I was up the creek without a paddle on those clues.

  25. A Mickey Mouse puzzle, which I didn’t much enjoy. I am concerned that I might be turning into a Brian clone as I seem to agree with his comments more and more often.

  26. Really surprised that no one else committed my faux pas at 11a, ie Ginger ***. Thought that had to be the answer hence 4d was a struggle. Otherwise great puzzle including the tricky obscure ones. Thank you to mystery setter and MP for hints.

  27. I think I must have been on reply instead of comment. There’s no hope for me really.

  28. Being on the other side of the world, I was already asleep while many of you were solving this one. Another enjoyable Monday solve with a few chuckles along the way. I’m not sure about the ‘detailed facts and figures’ in 15d. Favourites: 7d, excellent ‘ag’ and 23a, also my last to go in. On on with 29200

  29. Well I thought this was great so thank you setter whoever you may be. I’m amazed that so many have not heard of Anaheim a city near LA where Disney’s first resort is situated. Went there in 1978 with no great expectations but loved it. No-one can call G B Shaw or D H Lawrence obscure although the two answers are not the most well known of their works. Both were easily solved from the word play and a few checkers. So far as Hemingway is concerned all you needed to know was his first name.After my first work through I was left unsolved. When I went back to it I got 9 a straightaway and the rest followed. Favourites 9 11 and 22a and 2 and 17d. There are lots of things I don’t know but that is due to my lack of knowledge rather than their obscurity.

  30. These things are obscure if you’ve never heard of them so one person’s obscure is another person’s perfectly obvious, but we all live and learn.

  31. Had 2 down as Heartbreak hotel (wrong) therefore didn’t get 22 across amusement arcade (re bandit).
    Thanks to the compiler for what I found to be an enjoyable crossword.

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