DT 29213 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29213

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29213

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

We’ve been rather busy lately as we decided it was time to re-stain our house. Last time we did it there were two sprightly 60yr olds up the ladders. A bit more of an effort for 75yr olds but slowly, with lots of coffee and crossword breaks, seems to be doing the trick.

We know what to expect each week from the ever reliable Jay.

 Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     European Parliament talks at length about right vegetables (8,7)
BRUSSELS SPROUTS : The location of the European Parliament and then R(ight) is inside a word meaning talks at length in a gushing way.

9a     Importance of current tally (7)
ACCOUNT : The two letters for alternating current and then tally or add up.

10a     Lives dangerously initially in new series (7)
RESIDES :The first letter of dangerously is included in an anagram (new) of SERIES.

11a     Bowled, completely smothering fine stroke (9)
BUTTERFLY : The cricket abbreviation for bowled and then F(ine) is inside a synonym for completely.  The stroke is one a swimmer might use.

12a     Run away, liberated, having changed sides (4)
FLEE : Start with a word meaning liberated and change its R to L (right to left).

13a     Turn, almost unable to see mischievous imp (6)
GOBLIN : A turn that each person in a game will have is followed by unable to see minus its last letter.

15a     Inspires friends to follow Aeneid, oddly (8)
ANIMATES : Alternate letters from Aeneid and then friends or pals.

18a     What a defender does for shooter? (8)
MARKSMAN : When the answer is split 5,3 one finds what a football defender does.

19a     Pursued — and reportedly innocent (6)
CHASED : A homophone of a synonym for innocent or pure.

22a     Ineffectual type sees king in depression (4)
DRIP : The single letter abbreviation from the Latin word for a king is inside a hollow or depression.

23a     Removes works by Pollock, say (9)
ABSTRACTS : A double definition.

26a     School tests content of sumac fruit (7)
SATSUMA : A type of UK school test (that we learnt from previous crosswords) and then the central letters of sumac.

27a     Motivate one part of church after end of sermon (7)
INSPIRE : The Roman numeral one, the last letter of sermon and then the sticky-up bit of a church.

28a     Shy girl dressed in silk overnight (9,6)
SHRINKING VIOLET : An anagram (dressed) of IN SILK OVERNIGHT.

Down

1d     Runner perhaps needing to reserve somewhere to sit (7)
BEANBAG : A vegetable runner and then reserve or claim.

2d     Rough as a diamond? (5)
UNCUT : How a diamond is before a jeweller gets to work on it.

3d     Criminal is nervous, seeing relics (9)
SOUVENIRS : An anagram (criminal) of IS NERVOUS.

4d     Release upper-class type supporting the French (3,3)
LET OFF : A French definite article and then an upper class type or posh person.

5d     Going off fish netted in swindle (8)
STRAYING : A flat shark-related fish is inside a targeted swindle.

6d     Recklessly courting danger of skin infection? (4)
RASH : A double definition.

7d     Makes waves, seeing mostly improper evening shifts (9)
UNDULATES : Another word for improper without its last letter (mostly), and an informal word for evening work shifts.

8d     Nuns stress terribly crossing Italy (7)
SISTERS : The IVR code for Italy is included in an anagram (terribly) of STRESS.

14d     Lawyer may see obstruction placed across street (9)
BARRISTER : A seven letter obstruction contains ST(reet).

16d     Religious teacher with degree needing his hair restyled (9)
MAHARISHI : A Master of Arts degree and an anagram (restyled) of his hair.

17d     Damage in French port reduced such seafood (8)
CALAMARI : Remove the last letter from the French port commonly accessed from Dover and insert a three letter word for damage.

18d     Jellyfish assumed to be wobbly (7)
MEDUSAS : An anagram (to be wobbly) of ASSUMED.

20d     Head of state taken in by respectable pedigree (7)
DESCENT : Respectable or seemly contains the first letter of state.

21d     Inviting when family has gone without one (6)
ASKING : A synonym for ‘when’ then a word for family or relatives and what is left when the word ‘one’ is removed from gone.

24d     Cool approach to climbing mountain (5)
CHILL : The first letter of climbing and then a rather small mountain.

25d     Manage to catch one for bankruptcy (4)
RUIN : The Roman numeral one is inside manage or control.

 

Quickie pun    mince    +    horse    =    mint sauce

 

51 comments on “DT 29213

  1. Another Wednesday, another gem from Jay. Not difficult, but beautifully clued and enormous fun to complete. 18d may be something of a chestnut but it was still my favourite, just ahead of 11a.

    Many thanks to all three birds.

  2. Usual Wednesday excellence.
    I did not know the jellyfish, so I had to visit Google for that one.
    I missed the anagram for 28a, but once there were a few checking letters it was obvious.
    Toughie not too toughie today.
    Thanks all.

  3. Really enjoyable, as usual with a Jay crossword (**/****). Favourite clues were1a, 11a, 28a and 7d. Thanks to Jay and the 2 Kiwis (you must be exhausted).

  4. 1.5*/4.5*. A light delight which was a joy from start to finish.

    I’m not convinced that a mountain is a hill and even the BRB is somewhat contradictory:
    HILL – a high mass of land, smaller than a mountain
    MOUNTAIN – a high steep hill

    11a was my favourite.

    Many thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  5. I’m walking the dog at present, but would like to be one of the first to comment that I thought the puzzle a cracker. ***-*****.

  6. The teacher and the jellyfish were new to me, other than those two, this was a quite enjoyable little outing. Completed in *** time.

    Many thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  7. It’s Wednesday – nothing more to say – **/*****!
    I do agree with RD over Hill vs. Mountain, below or above 1,000 feet elevation is often taken as the distinction – Hugh Grant had problems in a 1995 film – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvDHZZjAiq0
    Candidates for favourite amongst some oldies but goodies – 1a, 11a, 1d, and 14d – and the winner is 1a.
    Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  8. Wish I’d taken the time to look up the jellyfish – that way I wouldn’t have finished up with 28a having to start with an ‘A’. A really dim moment!
    Plain sailing elsewhere although I did share RD’s reservations about the mountain.

    Favourite here was 11a with 1a sliding into second place. One of the delights of living alone is that I don’t feel compelled to cook the latter on Christmas Day – can’t stand the smell of them.

    Thanks to Jay and to our two energetic Ks. Do be careful on those ladders!

    1. I agree with you, Jane, re 1a.
      Curiously, absolutely no one in my extended family ever liked these things, despite the odd compulsion to provide them one day a year.
      Equally weirdly, once I discovered that if you keep them away from boiling water, shred and stir fry them. they are amazing and even better if you use the cross variety known as Flower Sprouts. Who knew?

      1. I like them roasted and with a cheese sauce. If you painstakingly separate the leaves, they are surprisingly good raw in a salad.

  9. Off to a good start with 1a going straight in and then no real pain from there on – unusual for me with Jay. North beat the South to the post. Lots to like with 4d and 18d surfaces particularly amusing. Thank you Jay and the 2Kiwis (take care on the ladders – I am a little senior to you but whenever I go up a ladder to prune roses, etc. the neighbours passing by always say “do be careful)!

      1. Thanks for rescuing me BD however I can’t understand why I now continue to have to fill in my alias and email every time even though I check “save my name …..etc.”

  10. Went in fine apart from 11a which I would never have solved without the hint (and picture of course). Favourite 1a. Thanks to Jay and the 2ks. Good luck with the staining!

  11. I though todays was a real gem, nothing too difficult but some super clues esp 18a and 18a. Even learnt something in 18d, not come across this jellyfish before, now to try and remember it!
    THx to all
    **/****

  12. Hats off to the 2 Kiwis for even attempting the job, at 71 I would not even contemplate anything that drastic.

  13. The only thing I had to check was that re-staining operation.
    Sounded to me as if you wanted to make it dirtier.
    Fastidious work by the looks of it.
    Don’t know if it is the whole house but good luck to you.
    Great crossword from our favourite Wednesday setter.
    Thanks to Jay and to the 2 Kiwis for the review.

  14. What a fantastic anagram at the bottom – I expect it’s been done a lot and well known to some, but not to me.

    It’s quite a while since I heard that phrase or the term at 22a. I wonder if they’re even relevant today?
    Notably, forensically and clumsily brought together by Ian McKewan in On Chesil Beach.

  15. Lovely Wednesday fare – although today for a change I appear to have started on the RH side rather than with the Downs!

    Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks

  16. Good puzzle **\****. Reminder to self that 1A should always start with an upper case B and that there is an ‘s’ on the end as it’s source is from the now EU ‘Capital’ city.
    18A 2D and most clues were very satisfying. Thanks to 2 K’s.

  17. Pleasant puzzle, nicely clued. Not too taxing. Top spot to 1d.

    Today’s Toughie is more like an average backpager if anyone’s interested.

  18. Wonderful crossword. I too had 28a beginning with a, but finally the penny dropped.
    11a and 7d were especially good.
    Thanks to all

  19. Managed today’s offering without resort to hints or electronic help, which happens rarely. Wonderful puzzle and I agree with others that it was well constructed. My particular favourites were 12a and 18a.

    Grateful thanks to the setter and the 2Ks.

  20. I think that this is my first * /**** solve, lots of fun and a high enjoyment level. I know how the 2K’s feel-I climbed the apple tree for the last time this year, not worth taking the risk anymore!
    Liked the surface of 28a and 13a
    Thanks to 2k’S for the pics-even the 17d looked edible-always resemble eating elastic bands in my experience.

  21. Good fun today, I liked the fact that no general knowledge was needed to solve 16d. And as Brian says, it is good going to tackle external decorating up ladders at 75!

  22. **/*****. What a pearler! Some pauses but some flashes of inspiration – 28a leapt out of the page to me as did 18d although I don’t know where I read about them. The hill vs mountain is ok by me – the US Geological Survey doesn’t officially define a difference but 1000 feet is commonly accepted to distinguish between the two. Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks – please be careful on the ladders!

  23. Elegantly clued and most enjoyable. No particular hold-ups, although I had to look up the jellyfish and the hill/mountain question also occurred to me. Many thanks to the 2Ks and Jay

  24. I loved it – every week I try to think of something more interesting to say about Jay’s crosswords . . .
    Not too tricky – usually on Wednesdays I end up getting a bit stuck with my last couple of answers but I didn’t today.
    18a made me go football/rugby blind until I discovered that it wasn’t much to do with it.
    The wobbly jellyfish made me laugh.
    Not sure what I think about the hill/mountain debate but if there was anything I would argue about, just a tiny little bit it would be that I don’t think 6d is a ‘skin infection’.
    Probably too many great clues so just a few were 1 and 11a and the long 28a (which I thought was a brilliant anagram) and 1d. My favourite was the jellyfish.
    Thanks to Jay and to the K’s – I echo everyone else and say, “Be careful”.
    Off to sort out supper now – Elder Lamb has been at a meeting quite close to us today so is coming here quite soon and spending the night. :smile: and :good:

  25. I love Wednesdays! I only had to google the jellyfish, but once I did, I realised I knew it anyway. Darn it, I missed a chance to say I solved a puzzle without having to look anything up.
    The top and bottom long clues were a great help, I loved it all.
    Last in was 11a, bad handwriting at fault.
    Thanks to Jay, wonder what tomorrow will bring! Thanks 2Kiwis for your hints and pics.

  26. I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle, it had some smashing clues and there was lots to smile about (not least that I could actually finish it without help – always a bonus). It’s difficult to chose a favourite but 18a and 28a are, I think, especially clever.
    Now that we are coming up to 1a season I have to steel myself for the family ritual, in which I have to eat one of the little blighters (yes, a whole one) while everyone else looks on to check I have not hidden it nor dropped it for the dog. Yuk. Absolutely, shudder-inducing yuk.
    Many thanks to Jay and 2Ks.

  27. Am I missing something? There is no mention anywhere of the DT/IOS recent hiccups; neither here or on the web. I know I’ve been absent for a while but I aint ‘alf tired of constant refreshing the page!
    To the crossie…
    It’s Wednesday, it’s Jay. It’s great fun. What more can one say?
    Thanks to him, and to the diy guys for the review.

  28. Morning all.
    We had an email from Miffypops in the middle of the night which we did not see until this morning. It told us we had miscounted the letters in the 14d obstruction. It is now fixed so apologies to anyone who was misled by this. Thanks Miffypops.
    Re 1a vegetables. Luckily for us they are totally out of season for our Christmas. Their only virtue seems to be that they make everything else on the plate taste marvellous by comparison.
    Well the sun is shining brightly here so after breakfast it will be straight back up the ladders with paint brushes in hand.
    Cheers.

    1. Great puzzle again from Jay as usual. A nice snack at 1ac to start us off. Lovely anagram at 28ac and the wobbly jellyfish amused me. Also a great blog from the 2Ks as always nicely illustrated. I meant to send a second email to excuse the terseness of the first. I was in the bank and about to take my turn so had. To keep it short. Thanks to all concerned

  29. Lovely crossword 😃 */**** lots of good clues but I have chosen 1 & 18 across as my favourites 🤗 Thanks as always to the 2 x Ks and to Jay 👍 Lovely Butterfly Picture I don’t know the species? 🤔 and go careful on those ladders!

    1. The butterfly is a Purple Emperor. It is a UK species that we encountered on an old QI programme that we happened to be watching recently. We thought it was lovely too.

  30. Such clever clues that played out superbly,,, leaves me stunned.
    2.5*/5*
    I regard this as one of the best Jay puzzles I have had the pleasure of solving.
    Most grateful thanks to Jay & to the 2KWs for their review

  31. A real cracker, say, *** for difficulty for me.
    New word for a jellyfish for me, fiddled around with possible spellings until I got it.
    Many thanks to Jay and to the 2Kiwis for the review.

  32. Another good puzzle. Loved 1a. Raised a smile.
    Managed to complete without resorting to Big Dave for the second day running.

  33. Late doing this today, but probably did better than usual. Thanks to Jay for a lovely puzzle and the 2Kiwis for hints, particularly jellyfish and the cricket related clues. Congratulations on the house restaining. Having totally renovated our house ourselves in our mid sixties, and having moved this year, and in our seventies, we find a gallon can of paint seems much heavier now! Thank goodness we don’t have any tiling or flooring to tackle this time.

  34. Brilliant! What fun! So many favourites – 1a, 1d, and 28a stood out for me! Thanks to Jay and 2kiwis – be careful up there!

  35. I have been solving DT crosswords for some months now. Is it a fairly recent technique for setters to invite solvers to select letters from a clue, by employing the words ‘regularly’ or ‘oddly’?

    1. Hi Hugh, no it’s not a new idea
      Occasionally, intermittently, on and off, patchy, ignoring odds etc – standard instructions to omit alternate letters

  36. Great puzzle but over far too soon. Quicker solve than Navy’s yesterday which was quick – so double quick. Most went in at first attempt starting with 1a which, bucking the trend, I love. Similarly with 28a. I finished in SE with 16d last in. I knew what I was looking for but had to check the spelling. Paused a little with 24d but decided it must be right with the checkers in place. Favourites 23 26 and 28a and 1d. Thanks Jay and thanks to the 2Ks for helping me to parse 11a.

Comments are closed.