DT 29260 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29260

by 2Kiwis  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29260

Hints and tips by KiwiColin

BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ****

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

Flying solo this week.

A beautiful fine summer day and the extended forecast suggests that it will stay this way for quite some time. Hope they have got it right.

Jay has supplied the goods once again.

 Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Place to keep one good plug (6)
SPIGOT: Put the Roman numeral one and g(ood) inside a place or location.

5a     Free trader should cover empty college houses like this (8)
TERRACED: An anagram (free) of TRADER contains the first and last letters (empty) of college.

9a     Cleaner range kept by nameless woodworker (6,7)
CARPET SWEEPER: Range that is often indicated by a horizontal movement of the arm, is inside another word for a woodworker once N(ame) has been removed from within it.

10a     Male ego of Scot confronting his doctor (8)
MACHISMO: A three letter Scottish name that setters use when they don’t use Ian, then HIS from the clue and an often military doctor.

11a     Short temper (6)
SPIRIT: Double definition. The first is a term often used in a bar.

12a     Recall ignoring case of role for elected representative (6)
MEMBER: Start with a synonym for recall and remove the two outside letters (case) of ROLE from the beginning.

14a     Generosity of types accepting needs intermittently (8)
KINDNESS: The first, third and fifth letters of NEEDS are inside another word for types.

16a     Arrange again to incorporate first of cases for part-time judge (8)
RECORDER: A word meaning ‘arrange again’ contains the first letter of CASES.

19a     Wife gives aid to impudent youths (6)
WHELPS: W(ife) plus a word meaning ‘gives aid to’.

21a     Shut as result of muggy day (6)
CLOSED: A word used to describe muggy or humid conditions and the abbreviation for day.

23a     Substitutes put up with error (6,2)
STANDS IN: Split the answer 5,3 to get words meaning ‘put up with’ and error or indiscretion.

25a     Statement church intended for broadcast by me, for example (13)
PRONOUNCEMENT: Firstly we have the type of word that ME in the clue is an example of. Next the two letters for the Anglican church and finally a homophone of a synonym for ‘intended’.

26a     Make another judgement about girls going topless in front of son (8)
REASSESS: The two letters meaning about, then remove the first letter (going topless) from a word for girls, and finally S(on).

27a     Quality of magazine about Britain (6)
TIMBRE: The US magazine first published in 1923 contains the two letter abbreviation for Britain.

Down

2d     Sort of deal cards on time (7)
PACKAGE: The collective term for a set of playing cards and a long period of time.

3d     Sort out right measurement for trousers? (5)
GIRTH: An anagram (sort out) of RIGHT.

4d     Step across certain to be appreciated (9)
TREASURED: A synonym for ‘certain’ is inside a step or pace.

5d   Bit of grass scouts lost on summit of Kilimanjaro (7)
TUSSOCK: An anagram (lost) of SCOUTS and the first letter (summit) of Kilimanjaro.

6d     Hears about birds unable to fly (5)
RHEAS: An anagram (about) of HEARS.

7d     Husband leaving chain rattling in fruit machine (9)
APPLIANCE: The fruit studied by a pomologist surrounds an anagram (rattling) of C(h)AIN once h(usband) has been removed.

8d     Regularly repair rugs, finding bugs (7)
EARWIGS: The second, fourth and sixth letters of repair and the articles of headwear sometimes called rugs.

13d     Charges on skips for such retail outlets (9)
BOOKSHOPS: Charges as an arresting police officer might do and skips using just one leg.

15d     Supplier of fresh green nuts ignoring us (9)
NEWSAGENT: A synonym for ‘fresh’, a green plant used for flavouring and what is left of the word nuts once ‘us’ has been ignored.

17d     Obscure European Community borders with Spain (7)
ECLIPSE: The two letter abbreviation for the European Community, borders or rims, and the IVR code for Spain.

18d     Begrudges lack of parking in awards (7)
RESENTS: Remove the letter found on signs that show parking is allowed from the beginning of a verb meaning awards.

20d     Indication of complex protein (7)
POINTER: An anagram (complex) of PROTEIN.

22d     Go on and on in given order travelling north (5)
DRONE: A reversed lurker hiding in the clue.

24d     Hope to have drive and energy in the morning (5)
DREAM: The abbreviation for drive that might be seen on a street sign, E(nrgy) and the letters meaning before midday.

Top prize to 25a from me.

Quickie pun    putters    +    hock    +    innit    =    put a sock in it

60 comments on “DT 29260”

  1. Another thoroughly enjoyable, if not very difficult offering from Jay. It took me a little while to get a foothold but then it all came together rapidly.
    Because I was born in a 5a house and my father was a 15d I’ll mention those but top spot in a very strong field is shared by 10a (such a great word) and 3d (such a clever surface)
    1.5/ 4*
    Many thanks to the Wednesday maestro and to Colin for his excellent review.
    Great Quickie pun too!!!

  2. Another solid puzzle from Jay completed in my ** time. My favourite was 5d simply because the answer is such a wonderful word. Many thanks to Jay and our solo reviewer

  3. Most enjoyable; definitely more so than Sunday’s! Only needed two hints from KiwiColin and completed in xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

    So glad I found this site; I’m learning more every time I attempt a crossword and read the hints.

    1. Hi Richard – the convention here is that we do not post or discuss actual solving times – ‘no hold-ups’ or similar is enough info

  4. Definitely a start with the Downs day, but all flowed well after that

    Thanks to Jay and the One K

  5. The usual Wednesday masterclass from Jay proving once again that a puzzle doesn’t have to be overly difficult or complex to be hugely enjoyable. No particular favourite just quality throughout.

    Many thanks to both birds.

  6. I found this pretty tricky but completed in just shy of 3.5* after a very slow start. I only managed 5 answers on the first read through but things started to reveal themselves after the first cup of coffee. 5d was a new word to me and completion was considerably delayed by 1a, 2d & 22d.
    Thanks to Jay for a challenging & thoroughly enjoyable offering & to Colin for his review which I required to parse my 15d bung in.

  7. I can pnly endorse the comments from others. A fairly straightforward but immensely enjoyable puzzle (**/****) with so many good clues it’s hatd to pick a favourite. 1d, 15d and 25a are all great. Thanks to the Kiwis and toJay.

  8. Brain definitely not functioning well, winds took my sky dish into another garden – a true flying saucer. hard to get started and struggled a bit – making it a 3.5/3. Alan Sugar made the first sky dishes by going to a dustbin lid manufacturer (he said it was appropriate for the quality of programming at the time 😁)
    Thanks to 1K (not to be confused with the 2Ks or Mr K….)

  9. 2*/5*. Apart from, very unusually, a Quickie pun which doesn’t cut the mustard, Jay is on absolutely top form today.

    Favourite short clue: 11a
    Favourite long clue: 25a

    Many thanks to Jay and Colin.

  10. I had to start with the Acrosses today, the Downs, in either direction, did not reveal anything to start with. However, no hold ups for completion at a fast gallop – **/****.
    Favourite – 25a – which I am sure is an oldie but goodie.
    Thanks to Jay for another delightful Wednesday puzzle and thanks to Kiwi Colin for another very good blog.

  11. Jay always sets good puzzles, but this one was exceptionally good.

    Thanks to him, and to Kiwi Colin.

  12. Made a slow start but this turned out to be one of our setter’s very best puzzles with plenty of smiles along the way.
    Top two here were 25a & 24d, mostly for the surface reads with a mention for the Quickie pun which, whilst not strictly accurate, made me laugh.

    Thanks to Jay and to ColinK for a great solo effort with the blog. Sunshine here as well today but doubt that the temperature is anything like as warm as yours!

  13. Very difficult, rare to need hints these days.
    Not heard of the definition for 27a.
    I’m not sure how green = sage, on that basis it have been about a million things.
    Thanks for the hints and Jay.

      1. Sage is a shade of green, that’s how I justified it. Didn’t think it was anything to do with the herb.

        1. Ahhh, now that does make sense…never heard of that shade of green, but happy with that…one to remember

          1. Yes, I got hung up on that too – as it happens, looked in the garden this morning for some sage to go in the casserole !

        2. Except that the shade is named after the herb – being a cool, greyish sort of green. In fact, as I write, I am currently looking at the remains of the plant outside the window and a wall painted that colour and other items in the room. Very familiar to people who decorate, notice garment labels and descriptions of household items.
          Nothing whatsoever to do with gender of course.

          1. Even my allotment shed is painted that shade – not that I’m obsessed with that colour in any way.

        3. My favourite eye shadow is called ‘sparkling sage’ so I had no problems there – although I do have a problem with Clinique who have now stopped producing it! Costs me a fortune to get one on- line from overseas and it’s a tiddly size one at that!

      2. “A synonym for ‘fresh’, a green plant used for flavouring and what is left of the word nuts once ‘us’ has been ignored”, so ‘green’ = ‘sage’, or am I being very thick?

  14. At first I seemed to have a sprinkle of answers all over but it all came together well there after. Not too challenging but very pleasant solve. 2*/3* for me.

  16. The usual witty offering for a Wednesday, so enjoyable it can be quite sad when completed 😳 ***/**** Favourites were 10 & 16a and also 8d 😬 Big thanks to Jay and to Colin 😃

  17. Highly entertaining. 1a last to go in. I thought a spigot was more of a tap than a plug but it couldn’t really be anything else. Favourite 19a. Not a word that you hear very often outside the context of puppies and their mothers but it sounds beautifully insulting somehow!

    1. I, too, only know it referring to puppies, can’t imagine how you’d use it with reference to impudent youths!

      1. I’ve never understood Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, isn’t it strange, they completely passed me by.

  18. As ususual a well-constructed and entertaining puzzle fom Jay – thank you. I liked 5d, but despite it being anagram (not immediately obvious, to me, anyway), my top spot goes to 3d.

  19. Not too many problems with this first thing this morning and completed in my normal Wednesday time.

    Like others, the quickie pun made me laugh even though it doesn’t quite work.

    Many thanks to Jay and the solo K

  20. Thanks to Jay and KiWiColin, and particularly for the hints, as unlike those above I found this decidedly tricky. Like pulling teeth in fact. I am rarely on Jay’s wavelength and only filled in 3 answers at first pass. Then I needed hints to verify my answers in a lot of spots. I can see they were not hard or obscure, just my feeble brain wouldn’t cooperate today. Perhaps I should have left it until after my second coffee 😊

  21. I enjoyed this, seemed tricky on first reading but quickly fell into place. Thanks to all as usual. Such fun.

  22. Read all the clues before getting a foothold but once I got started, the crossword was conventionally solved from top to bottom.
    The usual excellence from our Wednesday setter.
    Thanks to Jay and to Kiwi Colin.

  23. I’m usually on Jay’s wavelength and today I was right on. I loved it all, particularly the lovely words like 10a, 5d and 27a.
    Strangely, my last in was 13d, probably one of the most straightforward – how do you account for that? As Kath would say, dim or what?
    Thanks to Jay, and to KiwiColin for his review and explaining how 9a works.

  24. Morning all.
    Happy to report that the missing team member, (she has been to a wedding in Auckland) returned overnight so we will be back to 2Kiwis again. My hunt and peck typing does stretch out the blogging process when it is a solo flight, and it is more fun as a shared activity.
    Cheers.

  25. I haven’t posted for a good while so Happy New Year everyone. Having had a miserable few weeks with flu (or a bad cold) which has even affected what I laughingly call my brain I’ve been really struggling and losing interest in the crossword. Today’s offering from Jay was a pure delight, just what I needed and hopefully, as I finished it without help, a sign that I’m on the mend. Many thanks to Jay and the one Kiwi, and to all the bloggers, movers and shakers in this fantastic site.

  26. There are days when l need to look at the hints and having done so am unable to see why l could not have solved without them. This was such a day.Thanks to the setter for a lot of wit and to Kiwi Colin for making my deficient wits get the answers.

  27. **/****. Another rewarding puzzle from Jay. 27a was my favourite as I just like that word. Thanks to all. Unusually cold weather (-8C) and snow.

  28. A finely assembled puzzle from Jay tonight that got me going well, but pushed me over time wise …
    2.5*/4*
    Favs 9ac & 15d
    Thanks to Jay for another corker & KWColin for review

  29. A wonderful reward after spending a day doing the fiddly bits of kitchen fitting ready for the big push after I fit skirting boards. Thanks to Jay for an amusing solve and to solo Colin for a well illustrated review. I have several brass spigots like the one pictured at 1 across and my grandmother had a Bex Bissell sweeper like the one pictured at 9 across. The Quickie Pun made me smile as Jays puns often do.

    1. I’m that stupid that I thought the spigot was wood, who has a wooden spigot thought I? I might as well retire now.
      Love the pic!

      1. I think the spigot in the pic is a wooden one. That’s what Google Images called it anyway.

        1. Morse tapered barrel taps. I’ve used brass, wood, black plastic and now red plastic. I wonder just how many barrels I have tapped over the years. It is quite a few. The one pictured does look like wood.

    2. Surely not! My mother’s was a Ewbank which I think we still have now. It was a British product and I think the photo with the hint is a Ewbank.

      1. Your comments all went into moderation. Have you changed your email address by any chance?

  30. Well that was hard work for me, especially the top NW corner. Got there with a lot of help. No particular fav, but I do like the word 5d.
    Thanks to all

  31. Today was the reverse of yesterday as the South presented fewer hold-ups than the North but I enjoyed it all with 3d my Fav. Thank you Jay and KiwiColin. Dreadful Quickie pun! Thank you Jay and KiwiColin.

  32. Finally managed to finish this one! For some reason I have been struggling all week, bit of a brain fog I think. I find it helps to treat some of these crosswords like being at an all day party and just wander over every few hours and have a little nibble rather than trying to pile on all of it onto my plate in one go.
    Thanks as every to BD, the setters and everyone here in this lovely community.

  33. Lots of smiles today, and completed without any hints! Loved 10a, and 25a.
    Weather down here cloudless and sunny too, although a cold wind from the east, which I have christened “the beasterly”!
    Thanks to Jay, and KiwiColin.

  34. Morning all, pleased to see some welcome rain along the East Coast that will help douse some fires. A bit more needed though. Anyway…an excellent offering by J. A few words not in common usage threw me, EG spigot (in fact, never heard of it) and ‘close’ for muggy. COTD, 22d. Took an age to find that one. Hopefully a RayT Thursday. Thanks J and K x 1🦇

  35. Started early evening then had to go out and play skittles, we lost 4-3, came home expecting to finish the sw corner in no time and struggled probably due to too much beer. I then fell asleep but on waking filled all the answers in except 25a which I found incomprehensible but shoved the only word that fitted in anyway. Me = pronoun yes I get that but, dear me, obscure or what and by for in front of? Not in my book. I’m surprised no-one else commented, perhaps it’s just me, or the beer or the hour. Rant over. I’m off to bed.

  36. I found 25a difficult to parse too although “noun” jumped out at me once I had written. Last one in, having slept on it, was 11a although I cannot think why. Favourites 9 and 27a and 4 and 7d. Thanks all.

  37. Just looked at 25a again. Silly me – pronoun not noun. Some misdirection in this clue as pro appears as either pro or me could have been part of the answer. Although I got the answer the only bit I properly parsed was the church!

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