Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29792
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty ** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Tuesday. I enjoyed the neat misdirection in today's puzzle where words looking like they should be part of the definition turned out to be part of the wordplay. Nicely done, setter.
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 Instruction from teachers, perhaps workers at university (5,2)
HANDS UP: Some manual workers with a short word for "at university"
5a Job in the morning going round neighbourhood, primarily? (7)
POSTMAN: Link together a synonym of job, the reversal (going round) of an abbreviation meaning "in the morning", and the first letter (primarily) of NEIGHBOURHOOD. So the entire clue is wordplay. Since the entire clue can also serve as the definition this is one of those rare &lit or "all-in-one" type of clues
9a Animal hit with anger, almost (5)
TAPIR: Hit lightly with all but the last letter (almost) of another word for anger
10a Where camper might be if female's abandoned on purpose (9)
INTENTION: Put together a (2,4) word pair for where a camper might be, IF from the clue minus the abbreviation for female (female's abandoned), and ON from the clue
11a Exaggerated where Tommy had to go? (4-3-3)
OVER-THE-TOP: Being both foreign and (I like to think) not that old, I had to visit the dictionary to understand fully how to parse this clue. Tommy is an old informal term for a private in the British Army that I did know from somewhere. But I didn't know before today that the answer to this clue can also describe where said soldier had to go, perhaps in one of last century's World Wars
12a Second best bar (4)
STOP: The single letter for second with a synonym of best
14a Pause at home and print route out (12)
INTERRUPTION: The usual short word for "at home" with an anagram (out) of PRINT ROUTE
18a Excellent alcohol and Edward's cheerful (4-8)
HIGH-SPIRITED: Chain together another word for excellent (score, perhaps), a synonym of alcohol, and a contraction of Edward
21a Buffoons regularly picked out flying saucers (4)
UFOS: Alternate letters (regularly picked out) of BUFFOONS
22a Number hurry after the tailless bird (4,6)
SONG THRUSH: Putting the ingredients in order, we are told here to combine a musical number, THE from the clue minus its last letter (tailless) and a synonym of hurry
25a Stop this writer's influence (9)
DETERMINE: Stop or discourage with "this writer's" from the perspective of the writer
26a Over time gathering ten tonnes (5)
EXTRA: A significant period of time containing (gathering) both the Roman ten and the single letter for tonnes
27a Reading unsettling article (7)
RECITAL: An anagram (unsettling) of ARTICLE
28a Earn editor's backing and be good enough (7)
DESERVE: The reversal (backing) of the abbreviation for editor with a word that can mean "be good enough"
Down
1d Trendy party with good food (3,3)
HOT DOG: Cement together trendy or fashionable, a usual word for party, and the single letter for good
2d Expression of relief after one leaves old relative (6)
NEPHEW: An expression of relief comes after ONE from the clue minus the abbreviation for old (… leaves old)
3d Doctor cures nits accepting I go over with a fine-toothed comb (10)
SCRUTINISE: An anagram (doctor) of CURES NITS containing (accepting) I from the clue
4d Satisfaction from parking on trip (5)
PRIDE: The map abbreviation for parking with a trip by bike or horse
5d Port I pour out -- it might have a nice bouquet (9)
POTPOURRI: An anagram (out) of PORT I POUR
6d Wrong king's flag (4)
SINK: A serious wrong with the chess abbreviation for king
7d Keep most important article in metal container (8)
MAINTAIN: Follow "most important" with a grammatical article that's been inserted in a metal container
8d Hot, upset with new record in son's game (8)
NINEPINS: Concatenate the reversal (upset, in a down clue) of hot or fashionable, the abbreviation for new, the abbreviation for a record between a 45 and a long player, IN from the clue, and the genealogical abbreviation for son
13d Dumb -- like a forgetful politician? (10)
SPEECHLESS: The answer, meaning dumb or lost for words, could also describe the fate of a politician who forgets their notes
15d I tailored new item from a rag (9)
EDITORIAL: An anagram (new) of I TAILORED. The rag here has nothing to do with fabric
16d Bear ought to run after European (8)
SHOULDER: Assemble a word meaning "ought to", the single letter for European, and the cricket abbreviation for runs
17d Tango is bubbly and cold? One's doubtful (8)
AGNOSTIC: An anagram (bubbly) of TANGO IS followed by the single letter for cold
19d Sailing vessel, say, with 100 on (6)
CUTTER: Say or speak preceded by the Roman 100 (with 100 on, in a down clue)
20d Expression from Romeo entering stage (6)
PHRASE: The letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by Romeo inserted in (entering) a stage or step
23d Grand English actor's gluttony (5)
GREED: The single letter for grand with Oliver the English actor
24d Worry about appearing in newspaper (4)
FRET: About or concerning inserted in (appearing in) the abbreviation for a pink newspaper
Thanks to today’s setter. My favourite has to be 5a. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: TAY + CAR + WEIGH = TAKEAWAY
If yesterday was the best Monday puzzle for a while I thought this was its Tuesday equivalent, a top puzzle with any difficulty coming from cunning cluing and misdirection only. I thought 16d&26a epitomized this and I also liked the very clever &lit at 5a. Big thumbs from me.
2/4.5*
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the good work all round.
2*/3.5*. Light and good fun with nice smooth surfaces.
5a was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
P.S. Today’s Donnybrook Toughie is relatively light too and good fun.
Yes it is, and up to his usual very high standard RD.
An enjoyable puzzle, with a lot of straightforward clues and some more demanding ones, particularly in the East. I loved the charade in 1d and the bird in 22a (all too rare nowadays) but the COTD for me was the intricately constructed 8d. Thanks to Mr K for the hints and the cat pictures and to the compiler.
I agree with Mr K to whom thanks about the clever misdirections in this Super Tuesday **/*** offering. I thought 2d 8d and 22a all really good with the latter being my COTD. Thanks to the setter.
Satisfying puzzle and excellent blog (thanks MrK) — as for 11a, I think OVER THE TOP is exclusively associated with WWI (just saw “1917” apropos) — WWII was rather more dynamic.
Even this early in the context of the blog, pretty much everything has been said about this puzzle, with a high degree of continuity from the commenters. I will only differ in my selection of favourite, which was 11a.
My thanks to both Misters.
A tad trickier than yesterday though still pretty straightforward & very enjoyable indeed. All done & parsed in just under ** time. At the risk of straying into forbidden political territory I wonder if I was the one to immediately think Angela Rayner at 13d.
Thanks to the setter & to Mr K
Ps Just been notified of a negative PCR test result having been pinged by test & trace on Sunday night & have managed to get fuel this morning so am feeling considerably chirpier than yesterday. Happy days…..
If only they all were 13d.
This giveaway fun was all too brief. SE corner brought up the rear. Came near to bunging in a board game for 8d as it fitted with a couple of the crossers. So many clever surfaces but no particular one stood out. Thank you Mysteron and MrK.
All seem to agree on an amusing light hearted straight forward puzzle, Agee with Mr K’s **/***
Plenty of charades, liked 8d and 26a, favourite was 1a, thanks for Mr K’s cat pic-looks like the weights are missing!
Easily completed in ** time, but a couple of the parsings took me a while longer, 2d and 8d in particular.
COTD was 18a.
Many thanks to the setter and Mr K.
Started quickly but then a few short hold ups. My favourites were 5a, 3d and 13d.
Thanks to today’s setter and Mr K.
Nicely constructed puzzle offering several ‘smile’ opportunities for solvers.
Pick of the bunch for me were 22a & 2d.
Thanks to our setter and to Mr K for another of his greatly appreciated pictorial reviews. Don’t know how long you must spend hunting out appropriate illustrations but they’re always just right!
Meant to ask – have any of our busy bloggers got time to post the NTSPP review, it would be much appreciated.
I’d have to solve it first
I’m with you on the pics! I look forward to those almost as much as the puzzle, but then, I’m a cat person!
Congratulations, and apologies, to blog lurker Peter Langer of Cambridge, Mass. Congratulations because his very first-ever entry won this week’s DT clue writing contest. Apologies because due to formatting ambiguity in the email I sent Chris Lancaster submitting Peter’s entry, credit was given to Pam’s son Ned Whalley. The culpa is all mea for denying Peter his 15 minutes. Now the correction has been punlisted where it matters — in the blog of record. No doubt he will enter the winners’ circle again, but also no doubt he will submit his entries directly instead of relying on a weak link!
As others have said, some lovely misdirection in this one. **/*** Favourite 16d. Thanks to all.
Even with multiple setters, is it two or three, Tuesdays have become as consistent as Mondays for puzzles of quality and entertainment value – **/****.
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 13d,and 24d – and the winner is 13d, with what is in the news at the moment perhaps more politicians should be.
Thanks to the setter and Mr K.
I needed the excellent hints for a couple but, otherwise, a most enjoyable solve with some great misdirections. As usual, the two I consulted the hints about (5a and 19d) were obvious and I wondered why I did not see them. Plenty of clues are starred by me but my COTD is the rather neat 2d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr. K. for the hints and kitties.
I can only echo what most of you have said–an excellent, entertaining puzzle. Hard to pick winners from so many good clues but I’ll pick 5a and 8d as outstanding.
The Toughie is relatively gentle today for anyone who’s interested.
I enjoyed this a lot and loved the cat lying across the keyboard. We have a song thrush that sings all summer, wonderful. Rain threatens and we are off to a funeral soon. Thanks to the setter and Mr K.
Two successive days of great crosswords, with not a Chinese dynasty in sight!
A couple of times I was confused by the parsing in today’s puzzle, but then looked again and saw the clever wordplay.
Locally, news filters through of a petrol delivery at a nearby garage – huge queues form and we’re told people are lining up for over an hour to obtain their liquid gold. Luckily, we don’t need to go anywhere remotely distant so we are avoiding the angst of it all.
Today’s crossword soundtrack: The Waterboys – Good Luck, Seeker
Thanks to the setter and The Celebrated Mr. K.
Yesterday Saint Sharon persuaded me not to drive to a nearby village to enjoy a pint with a mate. Today she has driven 58.4 miles for a haircut. The plumbing is fine but the wiring is all over the. Place
Are you talking about her hair!?
It’s a man thing Manders
Of course, he doesn’t have any!
A pleasant diversion made easier by a number of easy anagrams and the absence of the sainted creature. Thanks to the setter and to Mr Kitty. Although I found today’s Toughie a tad harder than previous commenters I still think it is solvable by most of those who contribute to this blog. Congratulations to Peter Langer (comment 13) on winning a recent clue writing competition at his first attempt. With friends like his who needs enemies?
Lots of logic today plus clever misdirection with 5d being a terrific clue. Thank you setter and Mr K
Absolutely brilliant. For me this was the perfect puzzle. Solved without help in reasonable time. Lots of clever misdirection. Enough straightforward clues to get going but enough to get you scratching your head. And lots to raise a smile. I don’t think there was a clue I didn’t love! So pleased I picked up today’s DT, thanks setter and hint master.
Another excellent Tuesday offering. 5a and 11a get my highest honours. Thanks to Mr K and today’s setter. **/***
Yesterday, we heard a BOOM! and the house shook. Thought it was a jetplane but it turns out to have been a 2.5 temblor here in the S C Lowcountry.
I didn’t know you had those in SC! Now, those scare me.
Update: Local seismologists have now reported that there were actually three quakes, the first two (2.5, 2.8) followed by the ‘big’ one at 3.3.
Excellent crossword puzzle 😃 ***/*** though must confess to time wasted in NE by having a wrong letter in 1a 😬 Favourites 5
& 18a and 16d 👍 Thanks to Mr K for the blog, the lovely photo at 22a and the bears video and of course to the Setter
This was a gentle Tuesday offering, but the excellent clues made it a very enjoyable solve. 3d stirred up memories of bygone days at infant/junior school. We all had to line up and the “nit nurse” came behind to have a good rummage through our hair, looking for nits or similar parasites – and I think the clue definition is how you could clear them out. Fav: 13d. 2*, 3.5*.
Another fun day in crossword land. Due to lots of books and films, I had no problem with 11a, other than the sad history of all those men who died doing that. Lots of workable clues. Thanks to setter and Mr K. Loved the bears in the pool clip.
Lots of fun while it lasted, a very gentle Tuesday challenge. As with other posters, 8d my COTD.
1* / 3*
Many thanks to the setter, and to MrK.
We’ve had such a run of enjoyment, one wonders how long it can last. My only question was the synonym of “pride” in 4d, I looked it up in my thesaurus and it’s first on the list! I really need to get my brain in gear. There were so many that could be top of the pops, hard to choose a fave, I think I’ll pick 22a for his looks.
Thank you setter for the fun, you’re a star, I wish I knew who you are, and, of course, much appreciation to Mr. K for the hints and pics, I’m always glad to get my cat fix.
Found this puzzle a bit of a struggle today for some reason. ***/*** Hard time getting on setters wavelength today.
Some good clues though once I figured them out.
Favourites 5a, 11a, 18a, 20d & 24d with winner 18a with 5a runner up
Thanks to setter and Mr K
I can only agree with all the above comments. Top half straightforward bottom half a little trickier without frying the grey matter. Favourite was 8d. Thanks to thr setter and Mr. K.
11a
Such a poignant ending to a series. If not War. Thanks for reminding us.
Going against the grain here because while this started well I got bored after a while and didn’t finish. Too many charades for my liking. Sorry to be a damp squib. ***/**
2*/4*…..
liked 5A “Job in the morning going round neighbourhood, primarily? (7)”