DT 29254 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29254

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29254

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

We have been having a lot of windy days lately. The same winds that have been adding to the ferocity of the huge fires in Australia, blowing some of the smoke right across the Tasman, has also stripped the last of the blossoms off the Christmas flowering Pohutukawa trees. It has been much calmer in the last couple of days though and people are able to make the most of the summer holiday conditions.

The usual top quality puzzle from Jay.

 Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Staff in the habit of sleeping (5,5)
NIGHT SHIFT : Double definition. The ‘habit of sleeping’ is an item of clothing that might be worn when going to bed.

6a     Complaint of charge rejected by British (4)
BEEF : The reversal of a charge or cost and B(ritish).

9a     Embarrassment of King George during succession (7)
CHAGRIN : The regnal cipher for King George is inside a succession or series of linked events.

10a     Auntie maybe going topless — what joy! (7)
ELATION : Remove the first letter from what an auntie, or even cousin, niece etc are all examples of.

12a     Ignoring Right, poor Thatcher’s cue to skip the preliminaries (3,2,3,5)
CUT TO THE CHASE : An anagram (poor) of THATCHE(r)’S CUE once the abbreviation for right has been removed.

14a     Examines source of protein found in bugs (8)
INSPECTS : The first letter of protein is inside a very large group of creatures sometimes called bugs.

15a     Brilliant material rejected in advance (6)
SUPERB : A three letter financial advance surrounds the reversal of a crossword favourite material or fabric.

17a     Maybe ladies and footballers will need hard scourer (6)
LOOFAH : The facility often found under the sign ‘Ladies’ and the two letters for the footballers’ association plus H(ard).

19a     Poem from minister shortly cut (8)
CLERIHEW : Another word for a religious minister loses its last letter (shortly), and then a synonym for cut.

21a     Somehow mastered deal on pressure vessel (6,7)
PADDLE STEAMER : Firstly the physics symbol for pressure and then an anagram (somehow) of MASTERED DEAL.

24a     Book rock band (7)
GENESIS : A double definition.

25a     Discharges from the army? (7)
GUNFIRE : A cryptic definition relating to the use of heavy weapons.

26a     Old sailor‘s cure? (4)
SALT : A double definition. Cure is a way to preserve fish or bacon.

27a     Family member needing followers after boycott (5,5)
BLACK SHEEP : The colour associated with a boycott and then the animal proverbially described as a follower.

Down

1d     Condition of prison (4)
NICK : A double definition. Two informal uses of this word.

2d     Looks good with jousting weapons (7)
GLANCES : G(ood) and then weapons used by knights on horseback.

3d     Troubled hunter battles to get the upper hand (4,3,6)
TURN THE TABLES : An anagram (troubled) of HUNTER BATTLES.

4d     Haunts German chap having problem with foot inside (8)
HANGOUTS : A common German first name (not Otto this time) surrounds a foot problem often associated with high living.

5d     Meat that’s right for line is extra (5)
FRESH : Start with a synonym for meat and substitute R(ight) for L(ine).

7d     Go and live overseas with no golf in Abu Dhabi perhaps (7)
EMIRATE : Remove the letter represented by golf in the phonetic alphabet from going to live overseas as our ancestors did.

8d     Digital input facility offered to diner? (10)
FINGERBOWL : A cryptic description of an item of tableware that can be used after eating without the use of cutlery.

11d     Equipment developing no rust, etc, came (13)
ACCOUTREMENTS : An anagram (developing) of NO RUST ETC CAME.

13d     Quiet a long time after championship and start of book (5,5)
TITLE PAGES : The musical symbol for quiet and a four letter ‘long time’ follow the honour associated with a championship.

16d     Sort of reaction from the French in cooking garlic? (8)
ALLERGIC : An anagram (cooking) of GARLIC contains a French definite article.

18d     For example, first racket during exam (7)
ORDINAL : An exam that does not need pen and paper contains a loud noise.

20d     Leading lady and heir one upset (7)
HEROINE : An anagram (upset) of HEIR ONE.

22d     Fibre claimed by cereals is a laugh! (5)
SISAL : A lurker, hiding in the clue.

23d     Profound river pilot’s leader (4)
DEEP : Any of the various rivers named for the fourth letter of the alphabet, plus the first letter of pilot.

4d is our favourite this week.

Quickie pun    chew    +    terse    =    tutors

69 comments on “DT 29254

  1. 1*/4*. Jay is being very kind to us today, but without reducing the enjoyment level one iota.

    Even though I have suffered with the very painful foot problem in 4d for nearly 50 years (thankfully controlled with a daily tablet), that one gets my vote as favourite.

    Many thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  2. Completed in bed with my early morning tea! 19a a new word for me. Very enjoyable puzzle so thanks to all.

      1. Thank you

        I have posted here a fair bit in the past but not so much recently.

        I may have used another e mail address before. I can’t remember.

    1. I’m with you, Mr E. I can’t think what it can be.

      Something that is extra-curricular is ‘beyond the scope of’ which, I suppose, means ‘new’ that could therefore be ‘fresh’ but I’m clutching.

      1. In “additional information has come to light”, ‘additional’ could be replaced by either ‘fresh’ or ‘extra’ … but I’m not convinced they really have the same meaning.

    2. We’re not keen on 5d either. But Collins says
      “A fresh thing or amount replaces or is added to a previous thing or amount.
      He asked Strathclyde police, which carried out the original investigation, to make fresh enquiries.”

  3. No problems with this one today, apart from thinking that maybe it’s about time that 6a was pensioned off – oh and initially filling in ‘food’ for the second word of 8d but I soon had to rethink that.

    Last one in was 19a and, although I got the “all correct” message I still felt the need to look it up in the BRB for some unknown reason.

    Many thanks to Jay and the 2Ks

    1. I was quick with the finger food (although I suspect two words) until I realised I could not find across answers to match those endings. Incidentally the spellchecker also gives me two words for the right answer.

  4. Agree this is easier than most Jays — because I managed to complete it before the hints were published. Thank you, 2Kiwis, for explaining the ones I didn’t quite understand.

    Also a belated thank you to whoever a couple of weeks ago advised remembering the material in 15a — wise advice.

    My favourite was 18d, for its definition.

    In honour of 19a:

    Two Kiwis
    Write hints sure to please
    Solvers of puzzles by Jay,
    Each and every Wednesday.

  5. As 10a states, “what joy”. I only wish I hadn’t bunged “lucent” into 15a. I saw the word “brilliant” and had the “u” and “e” as checking letters. Oh dear, if you can’t parse it don’t put it in. How many times have I heard that? 19a was new to me, but I worked it out then googled it to check. Many thanks to the setter and to the 2ks.

  6. Strange how the mind works isn’t it? I found this trickier than most Jay puzzles, although I just managed to complete it in ** time. I too suffer from the nasty foot problem in 4d so it was my favourite clue too. Thanks to Jay and the Kiwis.

  7. I didn’t find this quite as much fun as is usual for a Wednesday puzzle but Jay does set the bar extraordinarily high.
    Like the 2Ks, I too liked 4d but it is nudged off top spot by 9a as it’s such a great word and it was neatly clued.
    2/3*
    Many thanks to Jay and to the 2Ks (slight 6a about the lack of a clip from the brilliant 24a 😉) for their excellent works.

  8. Completed on good time, slightly easier than most Jay crosswords, well at least I thought it easier.
    Thanks to 2Ks and Jay

  9. A gentle Jay, methinks, but very enjoyable nonetheless. I’ll agree with RD and go for 4d as my pick of the day. Off to the Toughie now – wish me luck!

  10. Another Wednesday treat with 4d my last one in – that type of ‘haunt’ was far from my mind!
    26a amused but I think the honours go to 1a which really made me laugh, particularly with the 2Ks cartoon figure.

    Thanks to Jay and to our 2Ks – pleased to hear that your weather has settled down a bit, enjoy your summer sunshine.

  11. Agree with all that this was an enjoyable though very gentle challenge. 19a & 25a vied for COTD for me. Now for the battle with the Toughie which despite slow improvement (a first unaided completion yesterday) is a contest where it is becoming increasingly apparent that I am hopelessly inadequate……

  12. Excellent as always from Jay. As RD (almost) said at #1, benevolent but without reducing the fun and enjoyment for the solver. I had 19a as my favourite of many fine clues.

    Thanks to all three birds.

  13. Wednesdays always bring joy and this morning was no exception. Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks

  14. As with most of my colleagues today I found this enjoyable/ a 1.5*\4*. Liked 8D, 19A, 27A. Thanks to all.

  15. Must have been a very benevolent Jay as I managed to finish it without hints. The anagrams were a great help. Thanks to Jay and the two Kiwis.

  16. A good start from going up the downs for completion at a gallop – **/****.
    19a was new to me both as a word and as a poem ‘format.’
    Candidates for favourite – 1a, 25a, and 8d – and the winner is 1a.
    Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

    1. Appropriately, it was in The Daily Telegraph where I first encountered 19As: during one of the General Election campaigns in the 1990s the paper printed a daily 19A on a relevant politician or public figure, by humorist Craig Brown.

      I haven’t found those online, but here are some he wrote from the 2015 election. (I think they each had more impact when eked out at one a day, though, rather than binged in bulk.)

      1. I enjoyed the few I managed to read before I was asked to accept cookies. I do not want to accept cookies as you get more and more adverts! What does anyone else do? Data Protection is getting out of hand. I sent my sister in law a hamper from M & S and when it didn’t turn up at the allotted time I rang M & S for over an hour. They refused to negotiate a new time direct with my S i L despite the fact I had had to give her number on the order – it was against Data Protection! I yelled like a fishwife until they relented. By then my mobile had just about run out of battery and we needed the AA to sort out the car. My blood pressure doesn’t need this sort of nonesense.

  17. I always look forward to Jays offerings and this was up to his normal high standard, how does he manage it week after week. Needed hint for 19A, think I’ve heard it before back in the mists of time. Thanks to all.

  18. What a lovely puzzle, one that I completed with very little help but with much enjoyment. Like mre above, I can’t understand the connection between “fresh” and “extra” (5d) and had to resort to 2Ks’ “click here” facility to complete the grid, which I hate doing! Favourite clue was 17a (perhaps due to lavatory obsession, or so my husband would say). As a result of 19a I’ve just wasted 10 minutes of my life reading funny little poems. Well done Smylers for your contribution!
    Many thanks to Jay and 2Ks.

  19. Agree this was a fine puzzle despite yielding fairly easily. Wish I hadn’t written 6a backwards though. Fav was 16d, because it’s perfect, imho. Thank you 2🥝s and Jay.

  20. Another great offering from Jay today.
    1* / 4* for us with 1a being our favourite – but closely followed by 24a. I wanted some music too as they are one of my favourite bands.
    Thanks to the 2 kiwis and Jay

  21. **/****. Another enjoyable Wednesday. My favourites were 9&19a with the latter getting the podium by a nose. Thanks to all three birds.

  22. Hello its the first time I have found your site. It was great like solving a puzzle with a friend
    Thank you

  23. **/***. Very good and enjoyable. Just the right amount of solving time but not, for me, as much fun as yesterday. 17 26 and 27a and 4 8 and 16d are my favourites. I think I have heard of 19a but this was my last one in. I thought it was the second word that was shortened ie no “n” which made getting the minister difficult. Not entirely happy with 1a. Liked the clue but my answer to it would have “shirt” as the second word of that garment. Pleased to see that 27a has not (yet) attracted the attention of the politically correct squad. Thank you J and 2Ks. When wrestling with 19a I did uncover the surrounding answers to make sure my others were correct.

      1. Yes Bluebird so I eventually arrived at the right answer. However I have heard of nightgowns, nightshirts and other sleeping apparel but never nightshifts.

  24. I used to struggle with Jay but he is gradually growing on me and I found today really enjoyable. Had a tooth extracted this a.m. so taking things gently and the DT Cryptic exercise fitted the bill perfectly with 26a being particularly à propos as I carry out saline rinses! Had one painful episode of the 4d problem sometime ago and never want a repeat but I see I have fellow sufferers. Anyway enough of my maladies! Think I have previously come across 19a but I needed a bit of help there. Favs were 17a, 1a and 25a. TVM Jay and 2Ks.

  25. Needing too many of the 2Kiwis to finish, so low on enjoyment for me. 19a was totally missing from my education, never heard of the chap. Thanks to Jay and aforementioned hunters.

  26. Hmmm. Two grumps from me today. Surely 5d could have L as the 2nd letter, as in Meat gives the definition, followed by “substitute R for L and it becomes a synonym (at a stretch) for Extra”. Secondly, the problem in 4d is not confined to the foot – I had it in a little finger joint some years ago. Notwithstanding the above, thanks to Jay & 2Ks.

  27. Another happy Jay Wednesday! I am usually on wavelength, rare for me not to understand the answer, as in 5d.
    I liked 9a, I’ve got friends who live in 9a Falls in Ohio, who knows where that name came from.
    I had to look up 19a, hope I remember it. Fave was 17a, like the sound of it.
    Thanks to Jay and the 2Kiwis for their hints and tips.

  28. I enjoyed this puzzle with the exception of 15a which I thought was a poor clue. Best clue for me was 17a, made me smile.
    **/****
    Thx to all

  29. Morning all.
    We knew that people would have problems with ‘fresh’ for ‘extra’ in 5d. We did too and even checked that we had not missed something there.
    Looks like a calm fine day dawning here so we will have to make the most of it by going for an early beach walk.
    Cheers.

  30. Thank you

    I have posted here a fair bit in the past but not so much recently.

    I may have used another e mail address before. I can’t remember.

  31. Usual nice Wednesday puzzle which I found more difficult than most! ***/*** 😳 Favourites 9 & 17a 😃 Thanks to Jay and to the 2 x Ks

    The 2 Ks who live in NZ
    Do the blog whilst we’re still abed
    With its wit and effusion
    They aid our solution, I think it had to be said!

    Probably not a 19a 🤔

  32. What a wonderful puzzle today. I do agree with the comments with regard to 5d, though. I put in “flesh” at first (well, it is meat) but it didn’t really feel right. I had to look at the hints for that one to check it and could not work out why it meant “extra”. Even after reading all the comments, I still cannot “square the circle”.

    I likes 25a and 4d but my favourite was 24a because of its simplicity.

    Grateful thanks to the setter and to the 2K’s for the hints

  33. Jay at level excellent for me today,,, and very benevolent, hence finishing in a time that is rare for this setter.
    2*/4.5*
    Grateful thanks to Jay & 2KWs for review

  34. Didn’t have to question any of the answers as Jay is always impeccable and never incapable.
    A few old chestnuts in 14a, 2d and 20d but very enjoyable nonetheless.
    Thanks to him and to 2ks for the review.

  35. Ahh, Genesis. Mark Lamarr once said on Never Mind The Buzzcocks :
    Peter Gabriel decided to leave, to follow a solo career, thus paving the way for drummer Phil Collins to take over as the band’s lead singer…………….. so thanks a lot, Peter.😂

  36. After struggling horribly on Sunday, what joy to have three fine crosswords so far this week! Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  37. Oh I’m loving these puzzles this week, I think I must have got a new brain for Christmas as I’ve hardly needed the hints. Just a couple beyond me today , including the infamous 5d . I’ve learnt a new word in 19a, but unsure of the material in 15a .
    Favourites today 4d and 8d.
    Thanks to Jay and the Kiwis 🥝

  38. Another lovely puzzle, thanks to the setter!
    I believe I’ve heard 19a before, somewhere.
    Thanks to 2K for the usual great hints – I needed them only to check after completion.
    Lovely day in Christchurch, too – about to go for a swift walk!

  39. I think it’s all been said by now which isn’t surprising given how late it is.
    I’ll leave it at that so thanks to Jay for the usual brilliant crossword and to the K’s for the usual brilliant review.

  40. Had to use the blog for 17a, because I had put final pages in 13d. I read championship as final, then it worked for me that the final pages were a long time after the start of the book. Hey ho, can’t win’em all.

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