DT 29456 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29456

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29456

Hints and tips by Falcon

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

Greetings from Ottawa, where the weather pendulum has swung to the other extreme. Whereas July was hot and dry with record-setting high temperatures, August has been cold and wet with below normal temperatures. I am reminded of a professor’s explanation of the concept of average; if you were to position yourself with your head in the oven and your rear end in the ice box, on average you would be comfortable.

I found today’s puzzle from Campbell to be the usual entertaining solve. I’ve made allowance in my rating for the fact that a couple of bits of British geography pushed up the difficulty level for me.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.

Across

5a   Drink a party knocked over onto suit (4,4)
CLUB SODA — a reversal (knocked over) of the A from the clue and the usual party follow a playing card suit

8a   Nervously trail a rope (6)
LARIAT — an anagram (nervously) of the two words in the middle of the clue

10a   Customer‘s legal right in court (6)
CLIENT — a legal right to hold property pledged as collateral inserted into the abbreviation for court in street addresses

11a   Old British ruined castle, something standing in the way of progress (8)
OBSTACLE — string together O(ld), B(ritish), and an anagram (ruined) of CASTLE

12a   Old poet’s taken round important north-eastern town (6,6)
MILTON KEYNES — the 17th century poet who penned Paradise Lost together with his associated S wrap around an adjective denoting important (like the top stone in an arch) and the abbreviation for north-eastern

15a   The two in Cabot House (4)
BOTH — a lurker hiding in the final two words of the clue

17a   Took part in boat race, perhaps, and argued (5)
ROWED — a double definition, both verbs

18a   Store for later use in bar (4)
SAVE — another double definition, this time a verb and a preposition

19a   Obey top management, or be overlooked (2,2,3,5)
GO BY THE BOARD — according to a literal reading of the solution, comply with the dictates of the group responsible for the management of a company

22a   Crowd carried east for rally (8)
JAMBOREE — a three-part charade; the first, a word meaning crowd to the point of blocking movement; the second, a word meaning carried (a flag, perhaps); the third the abbreviation for east

24a   Outstanding, a Parisian apartment I secured (6)
UNPAID — a French indefinite article followed by a hippy’s appartment in which the letter I is secured

25a   Primate beginning to bestow a blessing (6)
BABOON — the initial letter of Bestow, the A from the clue (as Miffypops might say, a blessing bestowed by the setter), and a blessing or something to be thankful for

26a   Bank associated with the Spanish nonsense (8)
DOGGEREL — a sandbank under the North Sea followed by a Spanish definite article

Down

1d   Miserable thing — article has nothing going for it (6)
ABJECT — start with a material thing; then remove the letter that looks like a zero or nothing and replace it with an indefinite article

2d   Hold rude cartoons found in B&B (6,4)
BOSTON CRAB — place an anagram of CARTOONS between the two Bs of B&B to get a manoeuvre executed by a wrestler

3d   Additional matter written about lake (4)
PLUS — matter produced by an abcess or wound covers the map abbreviation for lake

4d   A Republican state, one of the old Confederate ones (8)
ARKANSAS — link together the A from the clue, R(epublican) and Dorothy Gale’s home state to get a southern US state

6d   Sucker, having tablet during game, flipped (8)
LOLLIPOP — place a medicinal tablet into a table game and then reverse the lot

7d   Frazzled, make amends before cards put in post (2,4,4,3)
AT ONE’S WITS END — start with a verb meaning to make amends; follow this with some cards or wags inserted into a verb meaning to dispatch by post

9d   Partner‘s second to leave girl (4)
ALLY — remove the abbreviation for second from a girl’s name

13d   Good entering with nothing on — twice a sexual innuendo implied? (5,5)
NUDGE NUDGE — embed the abbreviation for good in a synonym for naked; repeat

14d   Pay for extra work during an unspecified period (8)
OVERTIME — splitting the solution (4,4) produces an expression meaning ‘during an unspecified period’

16d   Intellectual argument in support of very important bishop (8)
HIGHBROW — an argument or quarrel follows (in support of in a down clue) an adjective meaning very important (often found paired with mighty) and the chess symbol for bishop

20d   Bird in consequence rising over quarry (6)
OSPREY — join together a reversal (rising in a down clue) of a conjunction meaning in consequence or therefore and a quarry or victim

21d   Mostly happy to host a social event (4)
GALA — place the A from the clue inside most of a word meaning happy

23d   Rotten trick deleting page (4)
RANK — remove P(age) from a playful trick or practical joke

Podium places go to 1d, 6d, and 7d with gold awarded to 1d.


Quickie Pun (Top Row): HIGH + RACKS = HYRAX

Quickie Pun (Bottom Row) : FORCE + ACHE = FORSAKE


92 comments on “DT 29456

  1. A gentle start to the week, with nothing that frightened the quadrupeds; all finished in ** time. 7d was the last to fall, it took me a while to figure out where each of the S’s came from.

    Why is it that we cruciverbalists love to analyse the clues down to the last letter? Instead of accepting a bung-in, we have to parse every single character.

    Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

    1. Perhaps because if we didn’t it would be easy to fall into a potential trap like that in today’s 12a and complain that the town in question isn’t situated in the North East!

      1. Yes, Mr BL advised me of that after I asked him about NE towns, after I told him the answer.

          1. I was in that trap for a while also I “knew” that the ending of 4d was pronounced differently but that and 18a were my last ones.

  2. I stared at this puzzle for some 10 to 15 minutes unable to even start it. Then slowly and surely I began to unravel it and eventually finished in quite good time. In fact I really enjoyed it so thanks to all.

  3. I made a slow start too. Then it all fell into place and became one of the most enjoyable Monday puzzles for a while. There were lots of clever clues to choose from. I particularly liked the misdirection in 12a and also enjoyed 22a, 1d and 7d. The geographical clues appealed to me as a retired Geography teacher but I can see that they would be a stumbling block to many on the GK front. Thank you to Falcon for the hints and to Campbell for an entertaining puzzle.

  4. One of the cleverest Campbells in a while, I thought, and most enjoyable. Even though I had never heard of 2d, I had no trouble solving the anagram; the rest of the puzzle went smoothly and entertainingly. I especially liked 19a, 1d, and 12a. LOI was 22a, a runner-up to the podium winners. Thanks to Falcon and to Campbell. 2.5* / 4*

    Enjoy your Bank Holiday, everyone, and stay safe.

        1. I don’t think the omission really detracts from your CV Robert.
          However it does show the unlikely sources of reference we have to dredge up for answers that are attributed to “GK”.
          In its defence the Queen, Prince Phiilip & Mrs Thatcher apparently tuned in to wrestling on TV.

  5. Another fun offering from our regular Monday setter with the long ones at 19a & 7d taking the honours here along with 1d. Reserve places went to 26a & 13d – the latter could have made the leader board with a slight tweak to the surface read.

    Thanks to Campbell and also to Falcon for the review – so now I know what a 2d looks like, very painful is my verdict!

  6. I hadn’t heard of a 2d since wrestling used to be on the television way back when. Lots to enjoy so thank you to Campbell and Falcon

    1. Yes, 2d took me back to the days of Kent Walton presenting on a Saturday afternoon with the likes of Mick McMannus and Jackie Pallow competing.

      1. Not to mention The Jim Breaks Special and Kendo Nagasaki (real name Peter Thornley from Telford)

    2. We could only watch the wrestling when a Dad was out. As I got older I realised how right he was.

  7. Enjoyable cryptic but the top Quickie pun was a new one for me. Glad I looked it up – really cute, can’t think how I’ve never heard of it.

    1. I’ve always known them as dassies – they are pretty cute but very timid.
      We play a course in the Drakensburg mountains that has loads of them.

      1. We used to see the dassies on Table Mountain – they were quite bold. It’s amazing that they are close relatives of elephants!

        1. By the way I told the schnauzer story to junior daughter and she thought it was hilarious ( so did he husband and mother-in-law so I am the only dim one in the box!

          1. No, Daisygirl, you got it in the end. It wouldn’t have helped having the punchline 24 hours later!

    2. Thanks, Maggie. That inspired me to look them up, too. Interesting that for such small creatures, their nearest relatives are elephants!

      Thank you to Campbell and Falcon.

  8. NW corner did for me why is inexplicable, except 1d a bit too clever for me.
    COTD 20d, beautiful bird, not seen one for a week or so.
    Excellent puzzle though.
    Thanks to Campbell & Falcon

  9. I found this a good bit trickier than recent Mondays & got off to a laboured start but gradually teased the answers out. 6d was probably my pick as it took me a while to twig the right sucker. Never heard of 2d though the anagram was very gettable & Mr G confirmed.
    Thanks Campbell & to Falcon for the review.
    Ps Rookie Corner well worth a visit today.

      1. Me too. 13a wasn’t bad either. Did you do the Everyman yesterday? Don’t know if it was just me but found it far tougher than usual & am still half a dozen shy.

  10. Did anyone else get thou for 15a on first shot?
    Much enjoyed so thanks to Campbell and the Falcon

    1. Mark me down as a thou too. Needed 6d to put me right for which I was grateful ‘cos 16d was enough of a struggle without starting with a u instead of an aitch. Otherwise lots of fun as was the “extra” Monday cryptic on the puzzle site.

  11. Every time I complain about having useless information cluttering up the cortical filing cabinets, I will remember 2d, which I’ve not thought of for 50 years and which came straight to me with the 2Bs and the word ‘hold’. I even remembered late Saturday afternoons, watching with my dad.
    I always thought Kent Walton would have been more suited to snooker commentary.
    Enjoyed puzzle, slow start but fast finish.
    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  12. As usual with Campbell, a very enjoyable start to the (non-)work week, completed at a fast gallop – **/****.
    Favourite – a toss-up between 13d and 20d – and the winner is 20d.
    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

    1. Enjoyed laughing at your latest gravatar but rather thought a young 20d might have taken pride of place today!

  13. My first comment disappeared into the ether so I’ll have another go.

    Like others I was slow to start but it gradually revealed its secrets. I loved the misdirection at 12a. I wonder how many others spent ages trying to think of a North Eastern town? I found it slightly more difficult than other Monday puzzles but it was quite doable. My COTD is 20d.

    Many thanks to Campbell for the challenge and to Falcon for the hints.

    I also had not heard of the first Quickie pun.

    1. Yes SC, with the letters from 1 and 2 down, I wondered whether 12a was going to be one of the “Seatons” but only one of the ones I know had the right number of letters for the 2nd word. And it was quickly ruled out when I had solved 7 and 13d. The words “up the garden path” spring to mind!

      1. I was in Seaton Sluice for a while too but the Monty Python clue (13d) put me back on the right lines

  14. 2*/4* from me for the usual Monday fun despite a slight twitch of the eyebrow for 9d.

    My top two were 19a & 7d.

    Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.

  15. I, too, thought of a NE town but luckily didn’t waste any time looking fir it.
    Another GK clue but I did like 26 a.
    Never heard of 2d though the anagram gave it to me. It looks completely impossible!

  16. A cracking start to the crosswording week. Really enjoyable and great fun. The NE town was my favourite of many fine clues. Thanks to Campbell and to Senf.

    1. Having reread the blog I was mortified to see I had incorrectly thanked Senf, rather than Falcon. Apologies all round.

  17. A bit trickier than the usual Monday crossword – my brain is scrambled after a weekend with three year old grandson.
    I thought it was very enjoyable – not many anagrams though, and not many starting letters either.
    I had heard of the first quickie pun, probably from doing crosswords, but had to look it up.
    Never heard of the 5a drink and was looking a different meaning of outstanding with 24a so was slow with that one.
    I liked 12 and 19a and 13d. My favourite was 7d. Some friends of ours lived in Wits Lane – they had four kids all under five and their house was called Wits End.
    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon – off to have a go at Mr Rookie.

      1. To this day, 45 years later, I still have a problem with club soda. Just yesterday, filling out my grocery list, I was searching for soda water. As Kath would say, dim!

  18. Found this very tricky, probably because I tend to rely on anagrams to get me started and they were a bit thin on the ground. Possibly, also, because I usually use a printout of the crossword but my printer is refusing to play so I had to do it on the IPad which I found much more difficult. Like others, I’d never heard of 2d which looks to be a very painful move!
    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for the many hints to which I had to resort.

  19. This was a case of slowly slowly catchee monkey, a very enjoyable solve. After a trawl through the atlas looking for NE towns I accepted the fact that this was a bung in. Having read the hints I would have struggled to solve using my usual “logic”
    Thanks to Falcon and Campbell

  20. This was a nice steady solve for me and my favourite was 7 down, I was held up by 16 down and then it dawned on me, all in all a nice steady start to the week. Thank you to Campbell and Falcon for what they do.

  21. Very pleasant and not , for me at least , as tricky as some Mondays.
    Thanks to all concerned.

  22. I am going to be contrary today, and admit I didn’t enjoy this very much. I found it tougher than all of last week. Must be a wavelength thing. Although I am finding this something of a pattern lately, where I struggle with the main cryptic, and then do well with the Monday bonus one. So hope I do better with 619. Thanks to setter and Falcon.

  23. Thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the review and hints. I enjoyed this one very much. Got held up in the NW corner for ages, until I solved 2d & 5a. Last in was 17a. Favourite was 13d, I wonder if the setter is a Python fan? Was 3*/4* for me.

    1. Welcome to the blog, Fiona.
      North-eastern is part of the wordplay, not the definition. Note that Falcon has just underlined ‘town’ as the definition.

  24. Completed this on the way back from a very distressing visit to my elder daughter at her care home in the midlands. She has deteriorated a lot since we last saw her at the end of February and it is heartbreaking to see what dementia can do to a previously highly qualified nurse. If only there was more provision for young dementia sufferers so she could be with people of her own age. So grateful for the diversion of a lovely crossword many thanks.

    1. Poor you – how difficult it must be. A friend once said to me that as a parent you can only be as happy as your least happy child – I often think about it. :rose:

    2. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you and your family. Sending cyber hugs.

    3. Can’t imagine what you are having to bear DG.
      You must have amazing resiliance to get through.
      Best wishes don’t help much but it’s all I can offer.

    4. So very sad for you Daisygirl. We all dread that we will go down that road one day, but for one of our children to get there before us must be so much harder to bear. I can still remember as a young Mum thinking that once they were grown up we would stop worrying about them. Then I found out it doesn’t work like that. Much sympathy and best wishes to you and your daughter.

    5. So sorry to hear of the deterioration, Daisy. A very difficult time for you all, especially for her two sons.

    6. Unimaginable. Even harder to bear with the lockdown and that she is far away from you geographically as well as mentally. Something that a parent or children should not have to bear.

  25. What a lovely start to the week. Not too easy, not too hard, just right. Favourite is definitely 13d.

    We have had quite the week. The greenhouse finally arrived and it is up and looks like it always belonged in that spot, though hubby is planning to reuse and old bathroom extractor fan for next year because it certainly warms up to sauna levels in the full sun.
    Our other news is we have a new member of the family. After our lovely old dog died some years ago and last year our cat we decided we would have no more pets because losing them is so heartbreaking. Well……. got a text asking if we would take a cat. 7 years old. The lady owner died 6 months ago and the gentleman had died 2 days before the text and his apartment had to be cleaned out and if no one took Maggie she would be put down. We have no willpower so of course we took her. She is tiny, the smallest full grown cat I have ever seen. Purrs like a car engine though, incredibly loud for such a little body. She is such a delight. I am still waiting for next operation, 3 months now, so Maggie is a wonderful companion as I can’t/don’t go out. The ONLY downside is I constantly seem to have Rod Stewart living in head warbling Wake Up Maggie…….

  26. Sounds as though Terence’s Lola might have another feline star cropping up in cruciverbal Blogland. She will be a delightful companion.

  27. No great problems except for 21d which threw me completely and 26a which i never associated with nonsense rather than bad poetry.
    Because of those two it put the difficulty rating up for me
    ***/***
    Thx to all

  28. For some reason this took me an age to complete but eventually did without any help.For that reason l rate it highly.Good traps for me to fall in and good humour as well.Thanks to all

  29. Nice start to the week 😃 **/**** apart from 12a where I stumbled and had to use Falcons excellent hint 👍 until then it had been very straightforward 😳 Favourites were 25 &26 across. Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon

  30. Well I found this one a tad tricky! Didn’t spot the anagram in 2d and still struggling to find the indicator. Surely not “rude”? But some excellent clues for the ones I did solve so enjoyment was had. Thank you Campbell and Falcon for your colourful blog.

    1. I. too, did a double take at the use of “rude” as an anagram indicator.

      Collins English Dictionary lists one sense in which it might work — approximate or imprecise “a rude estimate”.

  31. This was loads of fun, hugely enjoyed. Count me among those who took to maps, looking for northeastern towns. I had a road to Damascus moment when I realised that it was part of the clue.
    I like multiple-word answers so I was in hog heaven. I solved 2d with the checkers I had but had to google it.
    It’s hard to choose a fave but I think 13d is giggle worthy, so I pick that.
    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for his hints and tips, love the gravatar!

    1. Yes I liked 13d as well. It made me smile as I recalled Eric Idle’s sketch in one of the Monty Python shows, a long long time ago.

  32. I found this quite tricky, one of those puzzles where studiously following the wordplay often led to the solution rather than the solution jumping out from the definition. A couple of tricky parsings too(10&26) I thought. I wondered about the preposition ‘in’ in 18a but no one else has mentioned it so I guess it’s ok.
    I had an inkling the town wouldn’t be in the NE so that along with the amusing 13d share top spot.
    2.5/3*
    Many thanks to the setter and to DT for his excellent review

      1. Thank you Falcon. I presumed that, and presumed it permissable in a double definition.

  33. I really enjoyed this and agree it was a bit tougher than normal for a Monday. 12a was my last in as the misdirection worked. Thanks to Falcon and today’s setter.

  34. I solved this over twelve hours ago but remember that the last three of clues took longer than enough. 2d 6d and 12 across. 2 down is a back breaker of a hold and very difficult to release oneself from. 6 down appeared many years ago when Saint Sharon and I went to Symonds Yat for a break and enjoyed lunch at Big Dave’s On the way. Any town in the North East beats 12 across into a cocked hat.
    Thanks to Mr Campbell for the puzzle and thanks to Falcon for the review. It is Sir Van Morrison’s birthday today. I have wrestled the smart TV remote from Saint Sharon to enjoy YouTube clips. She may never get it back.

    1. Last night’s Van at the Beeb compilation on 4 was very disappointing because of the surprising omission of any footage from the marvellous concert he did for BBC Four at LSO St Luke’s (fabulous Vanlose Stairway). Also hadn’t realised until last night that the 70th birthday concert on Cypress Avenue was actually 2 completely different sets & all we got was a compilation – don’t believe there’s footage of the complete sets available unless you know different. He’s sounding better now he’s kicked the fags…

      1. There are plenty of individual tracks on YouTube. It’s a nightmare trying to place them though.

  35. Thoroughly recommend cryptic 619 today if anyone is interested. I found it lots of fun, and only got stymied by an insect and a monster, both new to me. But loved 10a and especially 2d, clever clues. Thanks very much to setter. Strange how the bonus one always saves the day for me lately.

    1. I once had a physics teacher who resembled that monster; she continues to haunt my dreams.

  36. I’m in the “this was a crossword of four quarters” camp this evening. The NW taking far longer than the other three quarters put together, mainly due to never having heard of the drink in 5a. Even when it had to be the answer I had to Google it to make sure. It didn’t help the rest of that corner was a little obscure to day the least. So a Curate’s egg for me but I enjoyed the other three quarters. Favourite was not 5a obviously but 10a, a clever clue that at least have me a fighting chance of finishing. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  37. A pleasant Monday puzzle for the start of the week. **/***
    No real issues encountered but 2d I really needed the cheat on that. Not found in the BRB that I saw.
    Clues for favourites 12a, 19a, 26a, 6d & 7d winner 26a

    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon

  38. Very slow start, then got firing away but still needed Falcon’s help with a couple – in particular 2d!
    End of a very busy day here, that started with a supermarket delivery at 8am, and is only coming to an end 17 hours later. So:
    ‘Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed; the dear repose for limbs with travel tired…’

    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

    1. I stumbled across a modern version of that sonnet and it was awful! Why mess with my Shakespeare, the “translation” is just not necessary.

  39. A lot to like in this one. 9d was my bête noire. It had to be what it was but irritated me for some reason. Some went straight in eg 22a much loved by generations of Scouts and Guides. Somehow after a lot of dredging I found 2d and 5a in the recesses of my brain. Of the long ones 7d took ages and was the last in. Funnily enough when I read the hints afterwards Falcon had used the word I wanted to put in “wags “. Favs. 10 12 24a and 7 13 16 and 20d. Thanks setter and Falcon

Comments are closed.