DT 29626 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29626

by Kath  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29626

Hints and tips by Kath

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating — Difficulty ** — Enjoyment ***

Hello everyone. As they go I thought this was a straightforward Ray T Thursday crossword. It has almost all his trademarks – short clues, very few anagrams, and the Queen and the sweetheart both popped in to say hello.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on today.

In the hints the definitions are underlined and the answers are hidden under ANSWER so only do that it you need to see one.

Across

7a        Wretched depression’s solved firstly taking exercise (8)
HOPELESS — a depression or a crater, with the ‘S, and another S (the first letter of S[olved] all of which going round (taking) the usual two letter abbreviation for P[hysical] E[ducation]

9a        Great Asian nationalist died helping India initially (6)
GANDHI — the first letters (initially) of the remaining words of the clue

10a       Terror of supporter with extra time (4)
BRAT — not ‘terror’ as in fear but a small child who regularly throws wobblies – a piece of underwear worn by women (supporter) followed by the abbreviation for T[ime]

11a       Occasionally Boursin and drink with partner initially (10)
ORIGINALLY — the even letters (occasionally) of Boursin, a drink that goes nicely with tonic water and lemon, and finally a partner or an accomplice

12a       Local is unaffected about temperature (6)
NATIVE — a synonym for unaffected or genuine containing (about) the abbreviation for T[ime]

14a       Periodical is copied irregularly (8)
EPISODIC — an anagram (irregularly) of IS COPIED

15a       Empty discharge channel to create dock (6)
DEDUCT — the first and last letters (empty) of D[ischarg]E and a channel or a passage

17a       Connected to internet, single describes rejected love (6)
ONLINE — another word for single or only contains (describes) a reversal (rejected) of a love score in the game of tennis

20a       Father’s facing high jump perhaps for papers (8)
PASSPORT — an affectionate way of referring to your father, with his ‘S, is followed by something of which ‘high jump’ is just an example, indicated by perhaps. I was a bit distracted by thinking that ‘facing the high jump’ meant being in big trouble.

22a       Worried good person married, embracing sweetheart (6)
STEWED — the usual two letter abbreviation for a saint (good person) is followed by another word for married or hitched – between the two you need the middle letter or heart of ‘sweet’

23a       Hostility rose and gang is disbanded (10)
AGGRESSION — an anagram (disbanded) of ROSE and GANG IS

24a       Ceremony is proper for the audience (4)
RITE — a homophone (for the audience) of proper or appropriate

25a       Humble of French chap accepting English (6)
DEMEAN — the French word for ‘of’ and a chap or a bloke which contains (accepting) the abbreviation for E[nglish]

26a       Attack family about son and hide (8)
GOATSKIN — an attack split 2,2 as in ‘have a ** **’, is followed by another word for family or relatives – in between the two (about) there is the abbreviaton for S[on]

 

Down

1d        A little pig, our man devoured pig (8)
GOURMAND — the first lurker or hidden answer indicated by “a little” – I didn’t see this one for ages

2d        Queen seen in Court? Sure thing! (4)
CERT — the regnal cipher for our Queen goes inside (seen in) the  two letter abbreviation for C[our]T

3d        Relax with record penned by Pink (6)
REPOSE — an old kind of vinyl record – the one that had two tracks on each side – is inside (penned by) a kind of pink

4d        Some sign it ionised, creating spark (8)
IGNITION — the second lurker, indicated by the first word of the clue – I’d only just recovered from the first one!

5d        Turning one against needle (10)
ANTAGONISE — an anagram (turning) of ONE AGAINST

6d        Dish which is hot and cold, reportedly (6)
CHILLI — a homophone (reportedly) of cold or a bit nippy

8d        Shaving small organ (6)
SLIVER — the abbreviation for S[mall] is followed by a large abdominal organ

13d      Entire CID’s mobilised lacking diplomacy (10)
INDISCREET — an anagram (mobilised) of ENTIRE CID’S

16d      Passage of old ship entering cold belt (8)
CROSSING — one of those ‘do as your told’ clues with lots of one letter abbreviations – start with the one for C[old], follow that with another word for a belt or circle and in the middle of that you need the abbreviations for O[ld] and S[team] S[hip]

18d      Charged vote for Republican in charge (8)
ELECTRIC — vote for or choose followed by the abbreviations for R[epublican] and I[n] C[harge]

19d      Series is smart to cover run (6)
STRING — smart or tingle, like when you’ve walked into a nasty patch of nettles, contains (to cover) the ‘crickety’ abbreviation for R[un]

21d      ‘Points of View’ for old people? (6)
ANGLES — these ‘old people’ aren’t your Nans and Pops or Grannies and Grandpas – they were around even longer ago than that at about the same time as the Saxons

22d      Nearly everybody supports beach footwear (6)
SANDAL — the first two of a three letter word meaning everybody follow (supports) stuff that is on some beaches and gets used by children to make castles

24d      Career in rugby’s hard (4)
RUSH — career as in ‘get a move on’ – the two letter abbreviation for R[ugby] U[nion], with the ‘S’ is followed by the abbreviaton for H[ard]

Clues that particularly stood out for me included 9 and 26a and 8 and 21d.

The Quickie Pun:- GHOST + RATE = GO STRAIGHT

102 comments on “DT 29626”

  1. 1*/4*. I dropped onto the right wavelength from the word go and didn’t look back. This was great fun with all RayT’s hallmarks in evidence. Her Majesty even found time to put in an appearance despite needing to look after Prince Philip who is happily back home now.

    9a was my favourite with 15a & 21d joining it on the podium.

    Many thanks to RayT and to Kath.

    1. Hopefully, Prince Philip’s first question wasn’t, “What have I missed while I’ve been in hospital?”

  2. This was an enjoyable Ray T puzzle, with the NW slightly more difficult than the rest (2.5*/4*), but straight forward on the whole. 16d gave me pause for thought but the word play got me there and I liked the misdirection in 21d 26a was cunning but my COTD was the lurker, 1d. Many thanks for another great puzzle to Ray T and to Kath for the hints.

    1. Agree with all that, saves me some typing!
      1d brought back memories of our yellow Lab being described as such by a French vet before he put her on a diet

  3. Mr T very much in kid gloves today I thought but still as entertaining as ever
    I’ve chosen 22&26a plus 2d as worthy of special mention but top spot goes to the trademark 10a
    1.5/4*
    Many thanks to Ray T and Kath for the top notch entertainment

  4. I was held up in Cumbria for a while, as, like Lovely Kath, I didn’t see the lurker at 1d. Otherwise a cheery, steady puzzle solved over the toast, and orange juice with bits in it. I know it is first world problems but we never order ‘bits in it’ orange juice and this error in our supermarket delivery is most unwelcome. On Monday I tried sifting the bits out with a rice strainer thing but made such a mess that I am having to live with this ‘bits in it’ outrage all week. Honestly, it is endurance beyond human suffering.

    Today’s crossword soundtrack: Joni Mitchell – Hejira (Joni sur Jeudi)

    Thanks to Ray T, and Lovely Kath.

    1. I feel your pain Terence. Maybe Bob Dylan’s ‘Orange Juice Blues’ from The Basement Tapes will cheer you up

    2. Now you see, I only like it with the bits IN. It makes its seem more authentic! Or am I being rather ‘innocent’?

          1. Your quite right Bluebird so I don’t have it very often. I usually have cranberry juice with no added sugar as I feel that is better for me. Sometimes beetroot juice as that is meant to be good for one although its pretty disgusting.

            1. Yes, and rather frightening when you later spend a penny….
              I like Montmorency sour cherry juice which is good for you and I buy in bulk….but Amazon has just doubled the price!?

      2. Me too. But I have to buy the low acid version, and sadly that doesn’t come with “bits”, while Peter happily gets his with “lots of pulp”.

        1. I peel and eat a whole orange too, Merusa. My dentist suggested eating the whole fruit rather than the orange juice because it was causing pain in my teeth.

    3. The combination of (a) our being so near to Booths we can see it from the upstairs windows and (b) our general disorganization, means we’ve never really used online supermarkets, but we placed Sainsbury’s order for the first time last month.

      The reason was to get some Red Nose Day red noses, lockdown meaning no leaving town to visit a Sainsbury’s in person. We added a few other products not available elsewhere, and bulked up the order with other things we’d be buying that week anyway.

      The delivery arrived. No red noses — out of stock.

      I was emailed notification of that first thing in the morning. I asked if the order could be held until those (and some other Sainsbury’s-specific treats we’d been looking forward to) were back in stock, and was told I should’ve done that by 23:00 the previous night, before they told us what was out of stock! I don’t understand how the system is supposed to work.

      Anyway, thank you to Ray T and Kath.

    4. Haven’t used on line here, we’re there when they open at 7am, split the list, and out in 20 minutes. But back when I was a new Mum our village shop delivered every Friday. I called the order in and they delivered it in boxes, which they even brought into the kitchen. Didn’t realize how spoilt we were then.

      1. Ordered online today, clicked the “send” button at 10:00am, the driver delivered to my front hall at 12:10pm where it now sits until my young lady arrives and puts it away for me.

  5. Enjoyably solved while watching an old episode of Lewis in which he was imitating Morse by solving a murder case while listening to Wagner – 1.5*/4.5*.
    Candidates for favourite – 17a, 26a, and 8d – and the winner is 28a.
    Thanks to Ray T and Kath.

    1. Lewis obviously proved a bit of a distraction Senf as your “winner” 28a doesn’t exist! 😉

      1. You are correct, but more likely because my eyes and brain aren’t properly connected yet before 7:00am on my morning – my winner is (28-2)a. :smile:

  6. Rare for me to switch onto this setter’s wavelength quite so quickly but this one was done & dusted inside 1.5* time so guess it was, as SL says, a case of kid gloves. Still enjoyed it while it lasted & clued with beautiful economy throughout. 1d was my pick of the bunch – good word, neat surface & a lurker I spotted. Today’s album: Brother (Ruarri Joseph)
    Thanks to Ray T & to Kath

  7. Made a note on completion that this was a clearly clued straightforward puzzle with no obscurities just a lot of fun and Kath seems to be of a similar opinion, what about a */** ***/**** !
    My favourite was 26a for an excellent surface from Mr T, thanks Kath for the 21d pic, bet most of us were thinking of grown ups.
    Found an alternative spelling for 13d with ete instead of eet at the end which threw me a bit until last in 25 dawned.

    1. I think your alternative spelling of 13d is probably a completely different word with a different meaning rather than an alternative spelling.

      1. A very entertaining Ray T puzzle. All the usual goodies and it was good of Her Majesty to take the time to visit. Difficult to choose a COTD out of so many good clues but I will opt for 16d because of the use PDM it gave me.

        Many thanks, Ray T – I don’t know how you manage to remain so consistent but I’m pleased you are so. Thanks to Kath for the great hints and I did not see the lurker for ages, either.

        Sorry, Kath. This was not supposed to go here but since it has, you are right about the alternate spelling. It means not separated into distinct parts.

  8. I didn’t notice the lurker in 1d until I’d finished and wondered what the answer had to do with the pigs! Oh dear. 16d took me a while to unravel too. ***/*** On the whole this was a relatively benign Ray T. Just me having an off day or trying to overthink the answers. Favourite 26a. Thanks to all.

  9. Straightforward, well-clued, enjoyable and fun to solve. 21d was my top clue from a long list.

    My thanks to Ray T and to Kath.

  10. Puzzle of the week so far for me. So much to enjoy. Thanks to Kath for the review and to Mr RayT for the puzzle. We are going away for two nights. Saint Sharon has it all in hand. Can anybody recommend a team of Sherpas to assist with the luggage please?

  12. Amazes me that Mr T invariably manages to fit in all his trademarks without his puzzles becoming in the least bit dull or boring. This morning’s compilation was an excellent example of his art.
    So many to choose from for the favourite slot but I think I’m happy to go along with Kath and nominate 9&26aplus 8&21d for podium places.

    Devotions as always to Mr T and many thanks to Kath for her delightfully illustrated review.

  13. A straightforward puzzle today, although I decided that 5d was Antivaxing before I spotted the anagram!

  14. ““In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost.”

    It would take more than Virgil to help me through this puzzle. I will return to read Kath’s hints when the more important tasks of the day have been finished in the garden.

  15. Just like Beaver I got my spelling wrong on 13d which then held me up on 25a (I think I have spent too many years in data analytics). As of this morning I am pleased to be hosting 5×10^10 viral particles of replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vector encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein.

    Thanks to Kath and today’s setter.

      1. He’s just had his jab. One of the side effects seems to be obsessive compulsive technological verbosity.

    3. I always enjoy the notion of “hosting” in a medical context. It conjures up a bit of cocktail party vibe, or maybe just a knees-up down the pub?
      I wonder which would be Chadox and which would be mRNA? Or maybe the former would be the PGTips tea party from the 60s.

    4. That should ensure your CD4 and T cells are nicely primed and should you encounter the beast no danger of IFN1 and IFN2 going into overdrive.

  16. As others have said the somewhat easier end of Ray T’s spectrum, just into ** time but **** enjoyment.
    COTD 21d. Anyone else with “fogies” as their first stab after a couple of checkers?
    Thanks to Ray T and Kath for the usual entertaining review.

    1. I nearly bunged in “dotage” on the first pass, but paused as I couldn’t quite parse it

  17. I found this a really enjoyable crossword with no major issues.
    I was not very keen on the answer to 14A, but I liked 12A and 15A.
    I was struggling to figure out how the first half of 26A when some screaming girl tried to sing something on
    the radio and that focused my mind and I could leave the room
    Thanks to all concerned.

  18. People often mix up the spellings referred to in 13a.

    Just remember that the ‘eet’ of the word ‘meet’ is at the end of the root word *****eet.

    So….

    Lovers sometimes have to be *****eet when they meet.

  19. Back to my silly mistakes again. 1d was last in, as I missed the lurker and googled lots of pigs. I am now the world expert on pigs. I did eventually spot the lurker before I checked the review. 9a I spotted straight away, then incorrectly spelt the answer when I filled in the grid, and put the h next to the g. This gave me problems with 6d, which I thought from the outset was what it was, but I now had a “d” as my second letter. No excuse. It only got worse. I had “bearskin” in 26a, because I had the right to bear arms in my head. I managed to unscramble all of my errors, and still had a smile on my face, though I think I could be described as 7a still when it comes to RayT. Many thanks to him for the puzzle and to Kath for the review.

  20. A straight-forward solve with one or two clues that stretched the grey-matter. Particularly 21dn and spotting the lurker in 1dn whilst trying to equate “gd” to a pig. So my clues of the day.

    Thanks Kath and RayT

  21. Always easy when you need the hints but I found it as unenjoyable as reading the The Inferno. Thanks to Kath for the hints and review and to Ray T with whom I seem to have a deteriorating relationship.

  22. What happened to tricky Thursday? I thought this was a delight and I think 16d was my biggest headache. I just wanted to hug the little horror at 10a – a granddaughter of yours Kath? She’s gorgeous. Horrid weather here today, cannot bring myself to go for a walk I am such a wimp. Many thanks to Ray T and Kath for explaining 16d. I thought there was an old ship called Ross!

  23. Another excellent Ray T puzzle. Podium winners: 1d, 7a, 9d. Thanks to Kath and Ray T. ** / ****

    Gearing up for tornadic conditions in the SC Lowcountry, Schools and businesses already closed. Shutting down here too.

  24. I got 26a but did not know why; thank you Kath for the explanation and RayT for a fine and smooth puzzle

  25. A gentle Ray T. puzzle for this Thursday. Enjoyable whilst it lasted. **/***** Really enjoy the short, concise and precise clues Ray T provides. Favourites are numerous, but top ones for me today are 10a, 15a, 25a, 1d, 2d & 8d with 2d winner for simplicity and 8d runner up.

    Thanks to Ray T and Kath for a couple of the hints to confirm my 2 bung ins.

  26. Ray T gave us a smooth ride today with mainly straightforward clues and no real hiccups. Can’t believe I failed to parse the old people in 21d. Good fun all round. Thank you RayT and Kath.

  27. I found this difficult, as nearly always, with Ray T 😳 but they are always very satisfying when competed 😃 ****/*** Favourites 17a & 21d. Thanks to Kath and to Ray T👍

  28. Apologies for being late on parade today but we have been over to Wallington House to see the spring crocuses, very impressive.
    Today was certainly Ray T at his most benign and I for one was most grateful. Lots of nice clues, no bizarre words and finished without hassle.
    Thx to all for a pleasant wander through this puzzle.
    **/*****

  29. It was a kindish Ray T, but a bit of fun to be had.
    8d made me laugh as a surface, particularly as the organ in question is big.

    Thanks to him and Kath for the 20 picture. We keep forgetting to renew ours. Will we get maroon or navy?

    1. You’ll get navy – husband got his new blue one today (goodness knows where he thinks he’s going) and when I asked why (being a bear of very little brain) he said it’s because the maroon ones are EU. I have to confess that his explanation was accompanied by a slightly scathing look as if I really should have known that! If he keeps that kind of thing up he’ll need his passport!!

  30. Good fun today and only spotted the lurker in 1d at the very last minute so last in. Our poor gardener is doing a sterling job in the pouring rain. I am doing a sterling job watching TV with my leg up – off to be dressed again tomorrow. Thanks for all the continued support, I will shut up now as its rather taking over my life and becoming boring. Thanks to Ray T and Kath – loved the picture of the cat!

    1. I missed news of your accident. I fell down some stairs in town in November and cut shin badly on sharp edge. Having had strips put on to close it up as nothing to stitch I was at the GP twice a week for 8 weeks having it dressed until it held. Fortunately one of the nurse had been in the community for -5 years and she was ulcerated leg lead! Hence swab taken, antibiotics administered and utmost care. I too was careful and glad to say nothing left except a nasty scar which is unimportant. Get well soon.

  31. My goodness, a Ray T that I almost finished unaided. Very much enjoyed. Last in were 12a and 26a, but the rest all made perfect sense to me. Somehow I doubt that my ability has improved that much, more likely this was Ray T being kind, and thank you to him for that. Thanks also to Kath for helping with the two hold outs. Now if every Thursday was like this … 😊.

  32. Definitely a kindly RayT, BusyLizzie, I completed it! Full disclosure, completed with e-help. Fave 1d, lovely word.
    Thanks RayT, and much appreciation to Kath for unravelling some.

  33. Evening all. My thanks to Kath for the review and to everybody else for your observations.

    RayT

    1. Thank you for the visit Mr T and for the Thursday entertainment that is much appreciated by nearly all these days. Even getting ***** from Brian today! Just shows there’s a first time for everything.

    2. Good evening, Mr T. Nice to hear from you and many thanks for another great puzzle to help us through lockdown!

  34. A lovely canter round the grid after a busy day. Off to toughie land now.
    */****

  35. I am a bit wary of making a comment after what happened to Malcom R and his stretched synonyms remark, so I will just say thank you ,thank you thank you ,and retire in haste in case I have offended anybody.🥴

    1. Please don’t ever feel wary of making a comment here. I think Malcolm R was just asking a question really – it was one that was well and truly answered. Most people who comment on this blog are pretty hard to offend.

      2. I must admit I was being a bit facetious, I love this site and all the comments I just thought it was a bit of over reaction to his comment. Sorry if you took it the wrong way, you and the other regulars make this blog interesting. I am more of an outside observer who occasionally puts his tuppence worth in.

  36. I’m afraid I also spelt the wrong 13d, which held me up in that corner. Apart from that, it was a fun Ray T crossword. Thanks to Mr T and Kath, as ever.

  37. I’m in the “I missed the lurker in 1d and misspelt 13d” camp this evening like a number of others, I’m forgetting the correct spelling of 13d as I write, there’s no hope really. Oh well! Onwards and downwards towards life’s inevitable outcome. Having said that I enjoyed this as I always do a Rayt, happy days. Favourite was 1d despite my leg aching from kicking myself. Many thanks to Rayt and Kath.

  39. Zipped through this earlier today with only short pause while I got Mahatma right. Was left inexplicably with 15a which was remedied when I returned to it this evening. Favourites 12 11 and 26a. Thanks Ray T and Kath.

  40. Thanks to Ray T and to Kath for the review and hints. I enjoyed this one very much, quite gentle, but great fun. 6&8d, and 10a made me laugh, the latter was LOI. 1d was a great lurker and was my penultimate one in. Favourite was 26a. Was 2* / 4* for me.

  42. I love Ray T puzzles and raced through this, thinking it was on course to be my fastest ever solve. But then I got a bit stuck in the NW, and finally gave up on 12a and had to resort to the hints. Naive didn’t come up in my thesaurus search for unaffected unfortunately. I did take some time to spot the lurker in 1d – I got the answer before working out why it was right. Thanks to Kath and Ray T. Can’t we have his puzzles every week?? **/****

  43. Got this done at a fair pace last night before my 3D 😴
    Always look forward to Mr T’s puzzles – often find that I start slowly and then a couple suddenly fall into place and I can’t put it down until completion!
    Can get a bit late (especially at moment with only 4hr time difference) with Mrs H getting grumpy as the light stays on too long 😜
    Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed so thanks to Ray T and also to Kath for the excellent blog ‘n hints!
    Wonder who the setter is tonight??
    Cheers! 👍

  44. Thanks to Ray T for the very good and not too tricky crossword and for calling in this evening – always appreciated by all of us.
    Thanks too to everyone who’s commented today.
    I’m a bit chilly and tired now – off to bed in a minute to get warm and read my book so night night all and sleep well.

  45. Was confused by 3 down, as there is a pop group called Pink, and my wife looked up their songs, and one was called ‘Unwind’. This put us on the wrong track for quite a while!

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