DT 29282 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29282

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29282

Hints and tips by Elsie Longstaff

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

I felt that I was being transported back in time to meet a former Prime Minister from a couple of centuries ago. Then a playwright, a pair of dancers and a singer from way back in the last century.

Overall another Mondayish puzzle.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Which frames work for picture? (3,3)
TOP HAT: Place a pronoun which means used to identify a specific person or thing observed or heard by the speaker around the abbreviation for a musical work to find a motion picture released eighty five years ago

4a    Modern refurbishment of auto dept (2-2-4)
UP-TO-DATE: Anagram (refurbishment of) AUTO DEPT

10a    Vindictive correspondent scrapping second page (5)
PENAL: A correspondent who you exchange letters with as a hobby, but usually have not met needs one of its abbreviations for the word page removing

11a    Be ready to attack untrue statement during delay (3,2,4)
LIE IN WAIT: A falsehood is followed by two words that signify a delay

12a    Lively tot in pen in rural dwelling (7)
COTTAGE: An anagram (lively) of TOT sits inside a pen. The sort of pen one might keep a chicken or a Parrot in

13a    Godparent may bring fancy spoons, right? (7)
SPONSOR: Anagram (fancy) of SPOONS followed by the abbreviation for right

14a    Former PM with detailed scheme involving one military training area (9,5)
SALISBURY PLAIN: Golly Bongs. You need your time machine again here. Set the controls for one hundred and five years before the release of the motion picture at one across and you can be present at the birth of this prime minister who was in office one hundred years before the release of the film. The geezer in question was also known as Viscount Cranbourne and Lord Robert Cecil. Following the name of this ancient Prime Minister you need a scheme with the letter that looks like the number one inserted. I’m off for a lie down now

17a    Play with great guy on island (3,3,8)
MAN AND SUPERMAN: Fire up the Tardis again. Set the controls for 1905 so we can watch an early performance of this play by George Bernard Shaw. As for the wordplay you need an island from the Irish Sea. A conjunction meaning with. A synonym of the word great and another word for a guy

21a    Power of politician installed in fancy suite (7)
IMPETUS: An anagram (fancy, as used in the clue for 13 across) of SUITE surrounds a most senior politician

23a    Hold water for comedian (5-2)
STAND-UP: A double definition. The first lacks the hyphen. The second being the likes of Sara Millican

24a    Fungus frog-like creatures also left (9)
TOADSTOOL: Begin with a frog like creature. Add a word meaning also. Add the abbreviation for left

25a    Runt finally spots litter (5)
TRASH: Begin with the final letter of the word runt. Add a spotty skin complaint

26a    Musician given awful roasting (8)
ORGANIST: Anagram (awful) of ROASTING

27a    Bill, having little money, shows stress (6)
ACCENT: An abbreviation of account (bill) needs a small coin adding. One hundredth of a dollar will do

Down

1d    Class actors always given similar roles? (8)
TYPECAST: A synonym of class followed by a group of actors appearing in the same production will give a word matching the underlined definition. You never see a Dalek playing anything but a Dalek

2d    The old man accepting an order, and a cigar! (9)
PANATELLA: An endearing term for one’s father sits around the word an from the clue. This is followed by a verb meaning to order or instruct. Finish off with the letter A which is also from the clue

3d    Listening intently, a student attached to King’s (3,4)
ALL EARS: Begin with the letter A from the clue. Add the letter signifying a learner driver. Add a Shakespearean king together with his apostrophe S

5d    Worrying profusely about rent? I don’t care! (6,8)
PLEASE YOURSELF: An anagram (worryingly) of PROFUSELY sits around a synonym of rent

6d    Action that backfired? Individual shot a line (3,4)
OWN GOAL: begin with a word meaning particular to the person or thing mentioned; individual.

Add an attempt or shot. Add the letter A from the clue. Add the abbreviation for line

7d    Accumulate a large amount (5)
AMASS: Use the letter A from the clue. Add a word meaning a great amount

8d    Complete collection of religious books discovered in Ireland (6)
ENTIRE: An old name for Ireland contains the abbreviation for what the latter books of the bible are collectively known as

9d    Sad material, female’s arresting love song (4,5,5)
BLUE SUEDE SHOES: A four-part charade will solve this clue for you. 1 a word meaning sad. 2 a soft leather material. 3 A female pronoun together with its apostrophe S. 4 The letter that represents a zero score in tennis. This letter needs to be inserted inside the female pronoun. The result is a fine song written by Carl Perkins in the nineteen fifty’s

15d    I’m to intercede without delay (9)
IMMEDIATE: Start with the I’m from the clue. Add a synonym of the word intercede

16d    Photograph crack after crack (8)
SNAPSHOT: A synonym of the verb crack meaning to break is followed by another synonym of the same word. This time an informal noun meaning an attempt or go

18d    Skilled worker from Stuttgart is a nurseryman (7)
ARTISAN: The answer lies hidden within the words of the clue as suggested by the word from

19d    Flexible European to carry on in charge (7)
ELASTIC: Start with the abbreviation for European. Add a word meant carry on or endure. Add the abbreviation for in charge

20d    Restaurant in street covered by writer (6)
BISTRO: A make of ballpoint pen sits around the abbreviation for street

22d    Phoned following parking accident (5)
PRANG: A word meaning phoned sits after the abbreviation for Parking

Quickie Pun: crow+Kaye+lorne=croquet lawn


 

72 comments on “DT 29282

  1. As usual gentle kick-off to the week. 5d was a bung-in as I stupidly failed to realise it involved a synonym and last in was 9d as the material didn’t occur to me. Fav 3d. Thank you Mysteron and MP.

  2. Was thinking that this setter certainly has a penchant for ancient songs/films/plays etc but they were all fairly clued so no complaints. All in all a very gentle but relatively enjoyable Monday puzzle, just the ticket after the weekend tempest.
    I’ve ticked 23a and 5d as possible favourites.
    1*/2.5*
    Many thanks to the setter and to MP for his usual witty but crystal clear blog.

  3. Fairly straightforward if you were fortunate enough to be knowledgeable about t19th century prime ministers, 20th century plays and early films. Probably a lot tougher if you weren’t. Some clues were a bit clumsy but there were a few good ones like 9d and 1d. My rating was **/**. Thanks to MP for the hints and to the setter.

  4. A nice satisfying Monday offering. We need something relatively easy to kickstart the week.
    No problems with the PM, the GBS play or the Astaire film. It’s an age thing!
    Thanks to setter and Elsie.

  5. This was an easy ** for me, but the 17a play was left uncompleted. I bunged 1a in, vaguely remembering the film, but really can’t see how ‘which’ = ‘that’, the former seems to be a question whilst the latter is the answer.

    In the Quickie pun, I have eaten a 9a, but was told it was ‘a sausage’.

    Thanks to all.

    1. That and which when used as relative pronouns are perfectly interchangeable Malcolm.
      Eg…I like the one which/that my wife doesn’t.

    2. I’m with you MalcolmR re 1a clue – not keen on that/which always being interchangeable and Op as an abbreviation grates.

      1. …but that and which don’t need to be always interchangeable, just in particular contexts; that’s what makes the clue cryptic rather than straightforward.

  6. All in all a satisfyingly gentle start to the crosswording week with no delays during its completion. I’m sure the GK element will elicit a few moans, but personally I like to test my own GK and as long as the wordplay is sound I have no complaints. 5d was my favourite.

    Thanks to our mystery setter and to MP for his usual fun review.

  7. A most enjoyable and uncomplicated start to the crosswording week. Favourite clues included 1a, 14a, 9d, but main ‘chuckle’ moment for me was 5d. Thanks to the setter and of course to Miffy Longstaff (or Elsiepops) ;-)

    1. My problem was that I mixed up the cigar with that horrid cake you get at Christmas if you are unlucky

  8. A gentle start. No difficulty with the old stuff – it’s an age thing. I’d worked out the second part of 14a before the first which became obvious as both a former PM and a military training area.Favourite 5d.

    1. I agree. Got it straightaway as soon as I got the correct ending for 2d. It seems to have become a sin to have knowledge of anyone anything which/that happened before the 1960s

  9. Very gentle start to the week but enjoyable nonetheless. Had it not been a brief delay for the penny to drop with the wordplay (agree with MalcolmR) in 1a I’d have completed in under * time for the first time. Toss up between 5 & 9d for COTD. The Grauniad cryptic is similarly gentle today – must be a Monday thing.
    Many thanks to MP for the usual excellent review.

    1. Agree about the Guardian cryptic, even I could do it, an improvement on the Guardian prize last saturday (Paul) where I could only get one!

  10. For me a gentle start to the week with no real hold ups. Dunce’s cap back under the stairs and I am hoping it can stay there for a few days. Thanks to Elsie and the setter. As with others 5d is my favourite.

  11. No need for the Boomtown Rats today although hadn’t heard of 17a. 19d was my favourite clue today. */**. Thanks to MP and setter.

  12. Agree with everyone else that this was a great start to the week. There were many clues that gave great satisfaction once solved. My favourites are 24a and 16d but the gold medallion goes to 10a, which I loved because of its simplicity.

    Grateful thanks to the setter and to EL for the hints.

    Hope everyone came through Ciara safely with little damage to property and soul.

  13. Going for a **/*** today , struggled with a few clues- on first read through wanted to put Hamstead Heath for 14a but of course it would not fit ! Last in was 17a, easy with the checking letters.
    So an enjoyable start to the week, liked 9d.
    Enjoyable quickie too with a good pun, thanks to Elsie for the pics.

        1. I do have fond memories of a Fort William hotel that served a cracking breakfast with Lorne sausage. They were even amenable to putting squares in white bread with mustard so we could take them up Ben Nevis for lunch.
          If you like sausage there is nothing to dislike as they are mainly sausagemeat with a bit of pepper.

          1. I either make my own or I get a large block of it sent down from a butcher in Moffat and then cut it into slices to freeze. They’re lovely . . . . IMHO

  14. Nothing to frighten the horses but not much to entertain them either. All a bit stodgy I thought. Fast too many ancient clues and too many highly involved ones as well.
    Not my favourite
    Thx for the hints
    **/*

  15. Thanks to the setter and to Elsie for the review and hints. Quite straightforward with a bit of GK required. Just right for a Monday. Last in was 20d. Favourite was 9d. Was 1*/3* for me.

  16. Needed the hints to parse 1a. They are three different spellings for 2d all sound the same but the only one I could remember was Panama so that didn’t help. Got it in the end. Some quite good clues.

  17. Fun puzzle, nice to see the great playwright’s name mentioned. Love his plays. This one is odd in that a whole section on Don Juan (Act 3) is left out (at least on the versions i have seen).Pity.
    Also enjoyed 9D and several other of the multiple word clues. A1.5*\4* for me. Thanks to Elsie and setter, some amusing hints.

  18. A gentle start to the cryptic week … now off to attempt the 3 prize puzzles that are on offer if you subscribe to the puzzles.telegraph site.

    Thanks to the setter for the puzzle and thanks to the Good Companion who provided the blog.

    1. Agreed that this was a gentle start but nonetheless enjoyable. Cryptic 590 is just as much fun and notable because they have found a new way to clue 18/17d. Here it is coming round quite often and usually as a lurker the 590 version is a change.
      The old stuff here wasn’t a problem as fairly clued and checkers were helpful. Thanks to the setter and the Good Companion.
      10a 8d tied for me.
      Brian should try Lorne sausage it is a treat looked forward to on Scottish breakfasts.

  19. Completed quickly but thought it a bit meh due to lack of head-scratchers. Thank you to setter and to Elsie Longstaff (whom I had to look up).

  20. Monday is good for gaining confidence and in this case a walk down memory lane.I had more difficulty with the quick as laid not know the sausage and had put rook at 1a which still left a sort of pun of rookie but no answer to 1d.As ever Thankyou for the help.How did you resist putting Carl Perkins up for us to listen to.

  21. The only one I couldn’t get in a fairly easy puzzle was 1A, and I still don’t get it, even after the explanation. I knew it was TOP HAT but not why.

  22. Haven’t started yet but love to come here for the sheer enjoyment. That video clip! ‘If I could fasten it like that I’d be in a bloody circus.”‘ Oh thank you for that.
    Best wishes to all.

  23. Good fun today, I thought 1a was very clever once the penny dropped.
    I think I have heard of the GBS play, but it was back in the days of ten bob notes and Harold Wilson, so long since vanished from the forefront of my memory, apart from that, nothing to outre to confuse me.
    Thanks to MP and the setter as usual.

  24. Agreed – a relatively straightforward and enjoyable typically Monday ish crossword.
    As always happens I came to grief with the general knowledge – never heard of the 1a film or the 17a play.
    I liked 14 and 23a and 3d.
    Thanks to the setter and to Elsie.
    Still terribly stormy in Oxford – very windy, intermittent torrential rain and cold – one of the main roads in to the city is shut because a big tree came down.

  25. Big thanks to setter for a really enjoyable start to my week, and to Miffypops for the hint for 17a, having no recollection of the play. I had bunged in the last word, but still couldn’t come up with the first two, duh. Anyway, needing just half of one clue is good in my book.

    Hope you are all safe from the storm. Sad to hear of yet another death of someone who was out and about at the height of the storm. Staying home is the best policy.

  26. */***. Very fair clues revealing some old films and songs. My favourite was 5d. Thanks to the setter and our Good Companion.

  27. 9 Down -Blue Suede Shoes -is one of those things you get in seconds or it takes you ages.For me it was the latter.Enjoyed it.Good to get some confidence back after trying Elgar in Fridays Toughie where I got one and a half answers if you are prepared to be generous.

  28. Straight forward and fun but needed Elsie’s hint for 9 down. Shouldn’t have really because that’s my generation. Loved the clip re 23 across.Thanks to the setter and Miffypops.

  29. I hardly ever say this but it was pretty much a read and write in for me. But I’m not sure I enjoyed it as much as the trickier ones!
    The only two I couldn’t get, even with all the checkers in place, were 1a and 27a as I’d never heard of them.
    So a */* from me with no real stand out favourites! Weirdly, will appreciate those Friday puzzlers a bit more now on!

  30. I loved this! I solved it earlier but several interruptions and then WiFi failure, so late commenting.
    Last one in, 1a, no excuse as I remember it well. I had no problem with the GK, but I did question why Elsie didn’t give us a clip of Elvis at 9d, not my fave Elvis song I admit, but still love him.
    I find it hard to choose a fave, there was so much to like, maybe 5d for its cheek!
    Thanks to our setter and to Elsie Longstaff for the fun review.

  31. An enjoyable crossword. As I spent the first 16 years of my life on 14a, that’ll be my clue of the day! Thanks to MP and the setter.

  32. All straightforward up to the North West corner which held me up and though I suspected 1a I couldn’t work out why. I’m not sure the film rings any bells although I saw Man and Superman at the National Theatre (I think) a few years ago and very dull it was too. (My dad loved Shaw so will be turning in his grave at that comment.)

  33. Just had a go at the Monday bonus cryptic 590. It was very enjoyable and gentle enough that I was able to complete with just help on two. Worth a shot if anyone is looking for another puzzle.

  34. I agree with most on here, relatively straightforward, but fun. Last in 9d, which surprises me as I love my music. Put the paper down, looked again 10m later, and it jumped right out. I too, like a bit of GK if it is well clued. Favourites 5d & 26a. Thanks to MF as ever, and the setter. PS touch and go with Ciara in our part of Cumbria, but we were very lucky. My heartfelt thoughts go out to those who were not.

  35. Thanks for the comments and thanks to Big Dave for underlining definitions which I forgot to do. Put it down to my inexperience. Storm Ciara messed with the fences at our new house which we planned to replace in the summer. They will be replaced sooner now. However the Hawthorn hedges surrounding the pub stood up to Ciara. The hundreds of yards of hedging that I have nurtured, grubbed out and replaced, laid, and looked after over the last thirteen years show no signs of damage

  36. Late to the party but thoroughly enjoyed. NE last to crack. Favourites 4 and 24a and 3 9 and 19d. Thanks setter and Elsie

  37. Anyone else think 7D was TOTAL ? Accumulate (TOT) A Large . . . Hence last in were 4A,11A,13A after a huge sigh . . !

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