DT 29529 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29529

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29529

Hints and tips by Mr K

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BD Rating  -  Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone. The NW corner of today's puzzle exhibits some interesting symmetry, but it doesn't lead anywhere that I can see.  Perhaps, as is so often the case with patterns observed in crosswordland, it's just a coincidence. Other than that it's a standard Tuesday puzzle.  Nothing wrong with that of course. 

In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it or display a bonus illustration and a hover (computer) or long press (mobile) might explain more about the picture. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

 

Across

1a    Mark was first to be amused (7)
TICKLED:  A mark indicating a correct answer with a verb meaning "was first" 

5a    Skilled Liberal Democrat keeping answer quiet (7)
CAPABLE:  Vince the Liberal Democrat containing (keeping) both the single letter for answer and the musical abbreviation for quiet 

9a    Mate -- a kind of tea (5)
CHINA:  Some rhyming slang for mate is also a kind of tea (as is mate

10a   Next to a lengthy border (9)
ALONGSIDE:  Follow A from the clue by synonyms of lengthy and border 

11a   Feeling fast current -- no going back! (10)
EXPRESSION:  Link together a fast train (perhaps), the physics symbol for electrical current, and the reversal (going back) of NO

12a   Heehaw, heehaw, showing indication of delight? (4)
WHEE:  The first two words of the clue are hiding (showing) the answer 

14a   Doctor has ointments for shock (12)
ASTONISHMENT:  An anagram (doctor) of HAS OINTMENTS 

18a   Emir enters, confused about queen's demands (12)
REQUIREMENTS:  An anagram (confused) of EMIR ENTERS containing (about) an abbreviation for queen 

21a   Male help? Female help! (4)
MAID:  The single letter for male with help or assistance 

22a   Without thinking, really, chess moves husband's ignored (10)
CARELESSLY:  An anagram (… moves) of REALLY CHESS minus the genealogical abbreviation for husband (husband's ignored

25a   Rat swallowing dairy product, squealing (9)
SCREAMING:  Rat or inform on containing (swallowing) a dairy product supposedly beloved of cats 

26a   Perfect view by loch (5)
IDEAL:  A thought or view with the map abbreviation for loch 

27a   One supposedly intelligent policeman unkindly rejected short clue (7)
DOLPHIN:  A derogatory (unkindly) word for policeman is reversed (rejected) and followed by all but the last letter (short) of a clue or tip   

28a   Observed insulted learner leaving (7)
SIGHTED:  A synonym of insulted minus the single letter indicating a learner driver (learner leaving

 

Down

1d    Watch blood-sucking mite by eastern river (6)
TICKER:  A blood-sucking mite is followed by the single letter for eastern and the map abbreviation for river 

2d    Conservative politician surrounded by the man's creatures (6)
CHIMPS:  The single letter for Conservative is followed by an abbreviated member of parliament who's been inserted in (surrounded by) a pronoun for "the man's".  Click on the image to see the full Banksy painting   

Detail of Banksy's painting "Devolved Parliament"

3d    First vessel following the queen's command (10)
LEADERSHIP:  Cement together first or primary, the Latin abbreviation for Queen Elizabeth, and a marine vessel 

Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud

4d    Trade also includes business agreements (5)
DEALS:  The first pair of words in the clue hides (includes) the answer 

5d    Reptile picked up monster fish that is squeezing tail in channel (9)
CROCODILE:  Join together the reversal (picked up, in a down clue) of a monster popularised by Tolkien, a common food fish, and the Latin abbreviation for "that is" containing (squeezing) the final letter of (tail in) channeL 

6d    Servant mellow under pressure (4)
PAGE:  Mellow or mature comes after (under, in a down clue) the physics symbol for pressure 

7d    Be purchasing correct clobber, finally getting smarter (8)
BRIGHTER:  BE containing (purchasing) a synonym of correct is all followed by the final letter (…, finally) of clobbeR 

8d    Blokes cutting forged steel parts (8)
ELEMENTS:  Some blokes inserted in (cutting) an anagram (forged) of STEEL 

13d   Having a rabbit worried the cat clique (10)
CHATTERING:  An anagram (worried) of THE CAT is followed by a clique or band 

15d   Aida perhaps not about to retain international job (9)
OPERATION:  What Aida defines by example (perhaps) is followed by the reversal (about) of NOT containing (to retain) the single letter for international 

16d   Reshuffle so dire PM swore (8)
PROMISED:  An anagram (reshuffle) of SO DIRE PM 

17d   Animal gentleman captures right over lake (8)
SQUIRREL:  A country gentleman who contains (captures) the single letter for right is followed by the map abbreviation for lake 

Squirrel

19d   Starts to experience complete terror after snake's appearance (6)
ASPECT:  Initial letters of (starts to) the next three words in the clue come after a venomous snake 

20d   During forty winks it's still -- or moving forty times (6)
EYELID:  Cryptic definition of something that’s still if "forty winks" is interpreted informally or moving if the phrase is taken literally 

23d   Editor, for example, turning up with small skirts (5)
EDGES:  Put together the abbreviation for editor, the reversal (turning up, in a down clue) of the Latin abbreviation for "for example", and the clothing abbreviation for small 

24d   Every seaside place is topless (4)
EACH:  A generic seaside feature minus its first letter (topless

 

Thanks to today’s setter for a fun solve. I liked 13d of course, but my favourite today is the clever 9a.  Which clues did you like best?

 


The Quick Crossword pun:  END + SIN + TIERS = ENDS IN TEARS


70 comments on “DT 29529

  1. Pleasant enough Tuesday puzzle (with a few animals popping up here and there) but extremely gentle.
    I thought some of the surfaces weren’t the smoothest but enjoyable nontheless. Joint favourites 13&20d.
    1/3*
    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

  2. As I flew through this puzzle, I began to wonder when the last time was that I had completed a backpager in * time. Pride comes before a fall. I was left with two downs in the SE, 13d and 20d. After a little thought, I got 13d, I always struggle to spot partial anagrams, but 20d had me fixated on ‘CYCLED’. Eventually the penny dropped, but by then it was ** time. A real sting in the tail.

    I did like 9a, very clever, but because it held me up for so long, I have to award COTD to 20d.

    Many thanks to the setter and Mr K.

  3. Some of the clues were less than smoothly worded and I wasn’t keen on the synonyms in 11a and 15d but 27d was good fun and it was a moderately enjoyable puzzle (2*/2*). Thanks to Mr K and to the compiler.

  4. Agree with Stephen’s opening comment & also his choice of clues. Perhaps a tad trickier than yesterday but all over a bit too quickly. Leaves plenty of time for the Toughie. No idea who the setter is but I’ve ground to a halt with little over half complete so will need to return to it later with fresh eyes.
    Thanks to the setter & to Mr K

  5. I could pretty much copy and paste yesterday’s comments to cover today’s very straightforward and accessible puzzle. 20d was my favourite. Fun while it lasted.

    Thanks to both Misters Involved.

  6. A replica Monday puzzle for me ,somewhere around Mr Ks **/***.
    Took a while for the penny to drop on the moving part of last in 20d, a steady solve for the rest.
    Liked the surface of 1d and favourite was 27a.
    Thanks to Mr K for the pics-liked the squirrel.
    Proper Quickie Pun today.

  7. 1.5*/3*. A light and pleasant puzzle for a Tuesday. I suppose the symmetry in the NW corner to which Mr. K refers is one way for the setter to ensure he gets lots of ticks from the solvers. :wink:

    I spent a little time trying to fit an anagram of “dairy” inside “sing” for 25a but fortunately soon gave up on that.

    27a was my last one in and, while pondering what word might fit the checking letters, I glanced at the top of the page and, lo and behold, the answer appears in the headline of the nature column.

    13d was my favourite (lovely picture, Mr. K) and it reminded me of an incident many years ago when I was living in a top floor flat in London. My landlords lived on the ground floor and their daughter owned a very large black rabbit who was able to roam freely in their walled garden. One day I spotted a small tabby cat on the wall watching the rabbit intently. The cat leapt off the wall into the garden and a cartoon-style chase began round and round in circles on the lawn. Eventually the rabbit got tired of this, stopped, turned and advanced towards the cat restarting the chase in reverse. This time the cat, realising it was about half the size of the rabbit, decided to bail out, jumped back onto the wall, and sat there washing its whiskers while assuming an air of nonchalance.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

    1. Rose is reminded of a similar incident in the Welsh hills in the 1980s when a ( local) friend just grinned when his dog went off to chase the sheep, only to emerge, yelping, seconds later pursued by a very large sheep …

  8. I felt like Speedy Gonzalez whipping through this enjoyable puzzle, almost directly, numerically from 1a to 28a. Most pleasant, but can’t we finally retire the 9a connections for a while? I did know your LibDem but it took me a moment to make that adjustment. I particularly liked 5d, 13d, and 27a. Thanks to Mr K (those lovely dolphins!) and to today’s setter. 1*/3*

    Still missing two in today’s Toughie….

  9. Solutions almost filled themselves in today hence quickly accomplished but for me not a lot of fun along the way. No Favs. Thank you Messrs. Ron and K.

  10. Kept thinking I had stumbled on the crossword of a less erudite publication. Was able to start this and complete it in my morning coffee break. Thanks to the setter and Mr K for the pictures. Favourite 27a, because of the school I was fortunate enough to attend in Hammersmith, I am an Old Dolphin.

  11. Enjoyable over too soon, liked the clues.
    I too became obsessed with putting the wrong word in 20d until the penny dropped.
    2*/3*
    Thanks to setter & MrK for review

  12. Very enjoyable solve today, I was also in the cycled camp until the penny dropped… Still it was all over in 1* and 3* for enjoyment COTD must go to 20d with 13d and 27a on the podium.
    Thanks to Mr K and the setter.

  13. Nice start to the day. Enough to puzzle me a bit but not enough to bamboozle me. Just what I needed on this dull day.
    Favourite clues 6d and 21a.

    Thanks to Mr K…..loved the cat and rabbit/hare picture…..and to the setter.

  14. A gentle stroll through this morning. **/*** I’m not sure where you’re all finding cycled in 20d! It’s a good clue but my favourite is 27a. Thanks to all.

      1. NW was last in. Just the way I did the puzzle today. I was misdirected trying to find ways of putting j and z in. Now I guess we try the toughie

  15. No need to write the letters in a circle for today’s anagrams as they came readily.
    Nice to see Vince again. Missed him.
    Good laugh at 27a.
    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the review.

  16. Several animals to help us on our way this morning and three of those contributed to my podium list – 27a plus 13&17d.
    Enjoyed a memorable meal at the 1a trout some years ago but can’t recall its location, just the excellent food!

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K for the review – the 10a pic made me smile (did she dare?) and I loved the reminder of Kitty being a tree, seems such a long time ago……….

      1. L Millet, A Children’s Bible
        J McBride, Deacon King Kong
        M O’Farrell, Hamnet [wonderful book; I recommended it some months ago]
        A Akhtar, Homeland Elegies [just ordered]
        B Bennett, The Vanishing Half

        1. Having glanced briefly at the write-ups, I think I might try The Vanishing Half first. I did order Hamnet when you first recommended it but the paperback edition isn’t available until early next year so I’m on the waiting list.

    1. Perhaps it was The Trout – a great restaurant in Oxford near the river. Enjoyed many visits there in the 60’s

        1. There’s a Tickled Trout on the Ribble, just off the M6 near Preston that was well known for food, but that was perhaps 20 years ago. It’s part of the motorway services complex now.

  17. Just my sort of crossword puzzle, elegant clues which made me smile and not requiring the wet towel.
    I particularly liked 10a and 27a (my years of working with the police have taught me that although it is how the police often refer to each other it is guaranteed to upset them if used by anyone else). My real fav was 20d a laugh out loud clue.
    Thx to all
    **/****

  18. Mainly straightforward for me, with a handful of trickier clues to keep me on my toes, like a heavy footed ballerina.

    Such excitement here – the window cleaner has just departed, and now I shall bring the bins back in (my regular Tuesday task). It is a lifestyle that the Great Gatsby would have envied.

    Thanks to the setter and the celebrated Mr K.

    1. It’s bin day here too. I had the excitement of putting away the large green recycling bins, which are collected every other week for myself and two of my septuagenarian neighbours (myself being the youngest septuagenarian of the three). At least it’s a beautiful sunny day.

      1. Lovely, sunny day here too Chris – though a bit chilly. I’m aiming to get out for a cheery stroll this afternoon.

        1. Bin day for us also, but because we have a very long gravel drive going down to the road (a slight slope is a hill in Cambridge) we have a bin fairy who does it for us. So kind of them to look after the old folk!

          1. We’re lucky, we have access roads at the back and our bins live out there. Twice a week a big truck with arms comes along and picks up the bin and empties them into the truck. The only one who is aware of their arrival is Sadie, how dare they come to the back of her house!

    2. I’m convinced bins are only collected on Tuesdays. My bin day today in West London too, and when I used to drive to Essex to work it was bin day there too. What do the binmen do on the other days I wonder?

  19. Nice easy to solve crossword 😃 **/*** Favourites were my last two in 19 & 20d Thanks to Mr K and to the Setter 👍

  20. I didn’t find this as easy as others have but it was quite doable and enjoyable. However, I had to drag the answers out of a number of clues such as 1a and 27a. When I finally sussed the answers I wondered why I had struggled. Isn’t that always the way? My COTD is 2d and the wonderful Banksie that goes with it.

    Many thanks to the setter and also to Mr. K for the hints.

  21. First pass very unpromising but then things fell nicely p, NE, SE, SW finally NW. I finished just on ** time. Pleasant without a lot of fun.
    The clever 20d gets my COTD.
    Thank you to setter & Mr K, consistent as always.

  22. A pleasant solve, although I made a complete mess of the anagram at 18a – those dratted queens! Got it eventually. 20d was my favourite.
    **/***
    Thanks very much to the setter and to Mr K.

  23. Favourites 21 25 and 27 à and 13 17 and 20d. I think most people’s go to word for 20d would be cycled but obviously did not fit the clue. I actually solved it on the first 5 words without thinking about the rest. Also narrowly missed putting in chatterati for 20d whe looking for a clique! My last two in were 7d and 11a. I had the 11a answer but took me longer to work out why. I agree with most others. Took about same length of time as yesterday which was fortunate as I only gave myself a limited time due to neglected chores

  24. I agree with everyone that this was another fairly easy ride – I wonder what tomorrow holds for us?

  25. I’ll go for the quickie pun as my favourite, mainly for its aptness today with the announcement of lockdown finishing next week.

    This took me a smidgen over twice as long as yesterday’s, with noticeably far fewer answers entered on my first pass. But I did know all the words and completed it without hints. 12a was my last in — I forgot the golden rule about all else failing …

    Thank you Mr K for explaining the couple I’d bunged in, and for the hints which were a delight to read anyway.

  26. After yesterdays romp through the puzzle this came as a bit of a shock to the system, pretty tough for me with several trips to Roget and the BRB.
    Thanks to Mr K and setter

  27. 1/3. Enjoyable while it lasted although for reasons I can’t fathom I got held up in the NW corner. No standout clues for me today. Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

  28. Straightforward, but none the worse for that.
    A very prescient Quick Crossword pun today, signalling the new rules for next week after Lockdown 2?

  29. No real problems apart from my last two which were 12a and 20d.
    I liked 25a and the clever (I thought) and simple 21a and my favourite was 20d even though I had trouble with it.
    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

    1. PS – I have no idea what people are talking about with the ‘interesting symmetry’ but since I never notice themes, pangrams or Ninas that’s probably not surprising.

  30. Please elaborate on your opening remarks, Mr K, for those of us not in the know! Nice flow today but struggled with fully understanding 20d, but now I do (thank you) i think it’s ingenious.

    1. Hi, Celia. My comment about symmetry was because I noticed as I started to fill the grid from the NW that 1a and 1d both start with TICK and 9a and 2d both start with CHI. I wondered if there was going to be more of that elsewhere in the grid, but there wasn’t.

  31. A steady solve on this Tuesday with a nice puzzle. 2.5*/**** Enjoyable doing this with the wet & windy weather outside.
    Clues of note 5a, 21a, 7d, 19d & 20d with winner being 20d followed closely by 19d.
    Last area completed was SE with 23d last in.
    Good entertainment whilst it lasted.

    Thanks to setter and Mr K for hints

  32. Plenty to keep us smiling and a pleasure to solve. 13d our last in and favourite.
    Thanks Mr Ron and Mr K.

  33. Gentle and pleasant for the second day running, I wonder if we’re going to be made to pay for it later on in the week like the lockdown free Christmas. Lots to like so hard to pick a favourite but I’m going for 20d, cycled never even entered my head. Many thanks to the setter and Mr. K.

  34. Very enjoyable, nice and friendly! Even the anagrams were friendly.
    My fave was 13d, remembered the rabbit bit. I bunged in 27a, never heard of the cop slang. I needed e-help for 20d, couldn’t see it but now that I do, isn’t it clever?
    Thank you setter for your kindness, and Mr. K for the usual fun review, I always look forward to that. Perfect pic at 10a!

  35. Now that’s the way to do it😊. Loved this puzzle that was a pleasant surprise waiting for me when we got back from a morning running necessary errands. Have to give 10a COTD for making me laugh. And didn’t find 20d difficult as “going to have forty winks” was commonly heard when I was growing up. Even heard of the mister in 5a, but only because we read the DT each morning. Last in was 5d, just because I was intent on channel being the definition. Big thanks to setter and Mr K for hints and pictures, particularly 10a.

    As an aside, expecting our Covid numbers to shoot up in a couple of weeks as so many are ignoring CDC guidelines and flying north to visit families for Thanksgiving. Oh dear.

    1. Causing our infection spike to occur at Christmas, then how many are going to travel for that holiday.

  36. Very pleasant Tuesday puzzle with a **/*** rating like Mr K. 27a and 20d were the ones I liked today.

    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

  37. I knew as soon as I’d completed the quickie without help that I was going to be able to do a lot of the cryptic crossword without help and hooray I’ve done it all on my own- except for 19 and 20 down when I needed extra help from MrK – drat! However many thanks to the setter and Mr K. I really enjoyed reading your hints and feeling smug that I was on the right lines – very important when you’re a ditherer like me!

  38. Enjoyable if gentle BUT I thought 27a was very poor (amusing wordplay and I could understand the logic but just not really any kind of definition….)

  39. Late as usual! At first glance thought this was going to be very tricky but then started darting around the clues, got 12A, which I thought was a tad weak, but it unlocked that corner and then the rest very quickly fell in to place. Thank you Mr K for the hints, I love the Banksie, and thanks to the setter.

  40. Two straight forward but enjoyable offerings to start the week. A bit of Google help was required for 5a as the LDP members are not household names in Oz, but wordplay helped anyway. Let’s see if Wednesday’s is a step up in division. My COTD contenders; 27a, 13d and 20d. Thanks to the setter and Mr K for the extras🦇

  41. Thanks to everyone who commented today with their thoughts and anecdotes. The long list of clues nominated as favourite indicates that this was viewed as a good puzzle, so I hope our anonymous setter is reading the blog today.

  42. A day late as I am still arguing with the DT about my puzzle subscription, which means I have to take yesterdays dead tree version to work. The puzzle was a nice one with just enough to stretch the brain cells. The SE corner was last as the cats eluded me and 28a was an anagram of insulted without its L for a long time. Loved the blog as usual and the commentariat gave their usual enlightenment
    I did like 9a as well I did appreciate the misdirection although Mate tea is not to my taste, I much prefer a good cup of Yorkshire tea.
    Thanks to Mr K and setter Here’s hoping I get my subs sorted soon and I can “catch up” with the blog.

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