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DT 30025

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30025

Hints and tips by Mr K

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BD Rating  -  Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Tuesday. I reckon that today’s fine puzzle could be the work of X-Type. It will appeal to fans of cryptic definitions and/or double definitions, and, perhaps, readers interested in learning new words. I expect that most of us fall into one or more of those categories.

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

6a    Pope, perhaps, is able to be a friar? (10)
FRANCISCAN:  The current Pope with a word meaning “is able to” 

8a    Repetition from speech organiser (4)
ECHO:  The answer is hidden in (from) the remainder of the clue 

9a    Rebuilt as top grub venue? (9)
GASTROPUB:  The wordplay is an anagram (rebuilt) of AS TOP GRUB. You could take as the definition either the last word or the entire clue

11a   Clever  self-supporting structure (4)
ARCH:  A double definition. The self-supporting structure relies on gravity to keep everything together

12a   Universal senior service vessel (3)
URN:  The single letter for universal with the abbreviation for the branch of the armed forces known as the senior service because it’s the oldest 

13a   Whale, first of rorquals etc, jumping in somersault (9)
CARTWHEEL:  An anagram (jumping) of WHALE, the first letter of RORQUALS and ETC.  The rorqual whale is also known as the finback

16a   Assurance of girl, fifty (4)
GALL:  An informal form of girl with the Roman fifty 

17a   Avoid duty, with receding gums and broken leg (7)
SMUGGLE:  The reversal (receding) of GUMS with an anagram (broken) of LEG 

18a   Economise on resources? It's futile (7)
USELESS:  The answer split (3,4) could mean economise on resources 

20a   Spice  island (4)
MULL:  A double definition. The island is in Scotland 

21a   Summarised contents of sailors' leaflets (9)
ABSTRACTS:  Some usual sailors are followed by a synonym of leaflets 

23a   A pound for such garment (3)
ALB:  A from the clue with the abbreviation for pound as a unit of weight. Read about the garment here   

24a   Note seen in apartment (4)
FLAT:  A rather straightforward double definition 

25a   Condemned in pub for swallowing ecstasy tablet? (9)
IBUPROFEN:  An anagram (condemned) of IN PUB FOR containing (swallowing) the single letter for ecstasy 

29a   Stag arranged in jelly? Just the opposite (4)
AGAR:  The just the opposite instructs us to read the clue as “jelly in stag arranged”, which leads us to a jelly hidden in the remaining two words of that cluelet 

30a   With urgency and cunning, put spear into it (10)
STRIDENTLY:  Put a sea-god’s spear into an adjective meaning cunning 

 

Down

1d    Dress up and show off (4)
BRAG:  The reversal (up, in a down clue) of dress or clothing 

2d    Antelopes cosy having swapped ends? (4)
GNUS:  Swap the end letters of an adjective meaning cosy 

These are of course not antelopes

3d    A certain stage in hippie revolution? (4)
PIER:  A type of stage is hidden in the remainder of the clue 

4d    Supply initially with Charlie (drug): that leads to ruin (7)
SCUPPER:  Link together the initial letter for SUPPLY, the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by charlie, and a stimulating drug 

5d    These deserve a good ticking-off (10)
CHECKLISTS:  A cryptic definition of something expected to end up full of ticks 

7d    Very little drops from this? (9)
NEBULISER:  A cryptic definition of a device for making tiny droplets 

8d    Glean vice in translation of the Gospel (9)
EVANGELIC:  An anagram (in translation) of GLEAN VICE 

10d   Impatient sound from old king? (3)
TUT:  Double definition. The old king is Egyptian 

13d   Disguise with patchy colours? I don't see it myself! (10)
CAMOUFLAGE:  A cryptic definition of a disguise for blending in with one’s surroundings 

14d   Regal tour arranged for governor? (9)
REGULATOR:  An anagram (arranged) of REGAL TOUR 

15d   Animals with young losing head, going under barrier (9)
WALLABIES:  Some generic young minus their first letter (losing head) come after (going under, in a down clue) a type of barrier 

19d   A particular sort of English coming from this mouth? (7)
ESTUARY:  A double definition. The mouth is wet 

22d   Publicity gets nothing -- bother! (3)
ADO:  A short information word for a type of publicity is followed by the letter representing nothing 

26d   Trotted in the highway, reportedly (4)
RODE:  An homophone (reportedly) of a synonym of highway 

27d   A penalty? Good (4)
FINE:  A straightforward double definition 

28d   Would this Scandinavian whisper sweet nothings? (4)
NILS:  A Scandinavian first name that could mean nothings in English

 

Thanks to today’s setter. Top clue for me was the smooth 17a. Which clues did you like best?


The Quick Crossword pun:  BAT + ALL + STAY + SHUNS = BATTLE STATIONS


55 comments on “DT 30025

  1. I found this tough again at ***/** with two new words for me at 23 & 29a and needed Mr K to assist me with understanding why 19d’s answer worked. I enjoyed 15d most – probably because it was one of the easier clues! Thanks to Mr K and our setter.

      1. BRB defines “Estuary English” as A form of English influenced by Cockney, spoken in the Thames Estuary and surrounding areas. Does that help?

  2. Found myself on this setter’s wavelength from the off, with most of it falling into place while reading the clues – plenty of smiles, wonderful constructions, silk-smooth surfaces, all eminently fair, and for me, all was known. Nice to have a grid with a money’s-worth of clues, so the generous dollop of anagrams did not feel overpowering. Hon Mentions to 13a, 20a, 4d, 13d; COTD to 19d.

    1.5* / 3.5*

    Many thanks indeed to the setter, and to Mr K

  3. My rating is 1.5*/3* for a light enjoyable puzzle even though I can’t make up my mind whether I like 28d or not. 19d was my favourite.

    7d is potentially ambiguous as the answer can be spelt with an S or a Z, although the former was the more likely option as a checking letter for 18a.

    Many thank to the setter and to Mr K.

    1. Agree on 28d RD, I spent quite a while trying to justify Dane or Finn, and the word sweet is potentially superfluous but the surface read would be poor without it

    2. The BRB is silent on the subject but I’m sure the ‘Z’ spelling must have originated with our friends across the pond.

      1. Most -ize words were originally spelt that way in Britain, then that spelling was taken to the USA. Britain then changed from -ize to -ise, possibly following French influence.

        So it isn’t that Americans introduced Z spellings; it’s that they kept the original English spellings when Britain switched.

  4. 25a was my clear favourite. 23a was a new word. Most of this fell into place, but I was grateful for a couple of tips.

  5. After a late attempt at yesterday’s resulting in a DNF, this was a good confidence booster. I found it tricky, but very enjoyable and thus a satisfying completion.
    A new word for me in 23a but had to be from the wordplay.
    My favourites were 17a and 29a.
    Thanks to the setter and Mr K

  6. Like MG this one fell into place without any problems though 23a unfamiliar to me. Very enjoyable & with another vote for 19d as pick of a fine bunch.
    Thanks to the setter & Mr K.
    Ps not finding the Toughie terribly Tuesdayish & still half a dozen shy.

    1. When I finished the Toughie with bung in’s I was several short of parsings. Had fun figuring it all out though

  7. Enjoyed this fairly difficult puzzle.
    Many a smile eg 25a and 7 and 15d.
    Last in 5d and 28d.
    The former put me into 3* time
    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr. K.

  8. Good fun whilst it lasted. Add me to the 23’s a new word club. Thanks to today’s setter and Mr K.

  9. 1a Definitely clue of the day. But a bit misleading, perhaps. You see the Pope is a Jesuit, not a Franciscan – and this left me wondering – if the answer was Franciscan – was the clue a bit Jesuitical? Perhaps not!

  10. I have a feeling this week is going to be a tough one for me as far as crosswords are concerned. I managed today’s but with a little help from Mr. K. I have no idea why I stalled on 25a having dispensed it for years and a number of other clues were solved by good luck than judgement. Still, enjoyable in a teasing kind of way. My COTD is 15d because the barrier eluded me for a while. I must have gone through all of the other forms before hitting it.

    Many thanks to the setter for the challenge. Thank you, Mr. K. for the much needed hints and all the lovely pusskits.

  11. Typically Tuesdayish, although the plethora of three and four letter answers might cast some doubt on that opening comment – **/****.

    A significant groan for the PDM associated with 28d!

    Candidates for favourite – 6a, 21a, and 15d – and the winner is 15d.

    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

    1. Yes, it is I, once more… Thanks for the nice comments (mostly!) and the favourite clue choices. As to the “plethora of 3 and 4 letter words” – I have said this before, but we don’t get to design our own grids: we have to use “pre-done” ones, supplied to us by the DT, which we don’t always like (some of the ones for the Quick are far worse!). See you next month!

  12. Really enjoyed this one and fortunately did know both 23&29a from previous puzzles. Makes a pleasant change when the potentially pesky short answers slot in nicely!
    Think my favourite was 19d with 15d running in a very close second.

    Thanks to our setter – X-Type sounds like a good call to me – maybe we’ll get to find out later if he pops in to say hello. Thanks also to Mr K for the review and the video clip of the whale-watching cruise, how I wish I’d been there. Isn’t it strange how our reaction to a sudden shock is often to laugh. Anyone else notice that the chap in the 13d illustration has remarkably long toes – bet he takes a large size in shoes!

    1. Hi, Jane. Had not noticed the 13d toes, but now that you’ve pointed it out, they certainly do look long.

  13. Having spent an overlong time on the Toughie it was great to just steadily work my way though this.
    I’m not sure 13a is a true somersault. It was a bung in and I needed MrK to point out the anagram
    My COTD is 2d because it is so Flanders and Swan.

  14. I have found recent puzzles very tricky but today’s was right on my wavelength 😃 **/**** Favourites 6a, 18a and all of the 3 & 4 letter clues which helped a lot 🤗 Thanks to Mr K and to the Compiler

  15. Lots to enjoy in this puzzle and contrary to others I liked 28d which I thought very clever. As for the ‘nize’ endings look no further than the Oxford dictionaries. I too am in the 29a club.

    Thanks to Mr K and the setter.

  16. Mr K. I still need to sign in manually having lost your instructions in a reboot. Can you/ will you help please.

    1. Hi, JB. The remembering of sign-in details happens at your end when your web browser saves on your device a small file known as a cookie. If you have to enter details every time you visit the site it is likely because the cookie is missing. That can happen if your browser is using a private or incognito mode, or if it is set to either not accept cookies or to delete them when the session ends.

      1. The problem persists with the browser Chrome. If I use the browser Safari all is well but the site is declared insecure. Never mind, it only takes a moment to sign in manually

          1. You might not pick this up but your hint has solved the problem.Thankyou. I’ve written it down in case it happens again,

  17. Aha! We have replaced our Japanese apron with a Roman tunic (usually girdled with a cincture, I understand).
    *Googles ‘cincture’*
    Tricky, challenging, and all those words of a similar tone; however I completed this unaided, accompanied by three slices of toast and a lovely glass of orange juice with no bits.
    Thanks to the setter and The Celebrated Mr K.

    Paul McCartney – Bluebird

  18. I enjoyed doing this whilst doing this pesky and very boring Sibo test. And I am very hungry! Anyway, all went smoothly except for having to do a reveal for 4d, I was completely at sea there and for 5d I was thinking of animals and urchins who might have ticks so thanks againMr K – and I loved the camouflaged cat! Thanks to the setter also for the diversion, especially 17a which was obvious but funny and 19d. I didn’t really understand how I got 15d either. Maybe I am weak from hunger!

  19. A fine puzzle for a Tuesday. I’ve learnt not to look up the spelling of 13 down in the dictionary. You just can’t find the word it’s so well hidden. Thanks to setter and blogger

    I CAN’T FIND MY CAMOUFLAGE NET – Les Barker

    I don’t know where I’ve put it,
    I’ve looked, but I’ve not found it yet.
    It’s somewhere in the garden,
    I can’t find my camouflage net.

    It’s a sort of greeny colour;
    Very much like the lawn;
    It’s somewhere in the garden
    But I don’t know where it’s gorn.

    You can buy ’em in packs of a dozen;
    It’s not long since I had a set;
    You just put ’em down and they vanish;
    I can’t find my camouflage net.

    I ordered ’em last year from Wakefields’;
    I had to go back and remind ’em.
    They said they hadn’t forgotten;
    They said they just couldn’t find ’em.

    It’s a good job you don’t have to feed ’em;
    I suppose they’d make a good pet;
    Except they don’t come when you call ’em;
    I can’t find my camouflage net.

    I draped one over my Transit;
    That’s when the problems began;
    I’d go back to the shop for another;
    I would but I can’t find the van.

    It’s only a bloody tarpaulin,
    But I can’t find the little green get;
    I wish they’d make ’em bright orange;
    I can’t find my camouflage net.

  20. Very late on parade today after struggling with a tough Toughie into the wee hours and finally conceding defeat, alas, but I did enjoy this unusual, rather tricky cryptic, which took me almost into *** time. There was nothing new to me, thanks to NYT puzzles over the years (for 23 & 29a, e.g.), just my ageing brain cells slow to respond. Top choices: 6a, 17a, 19d, & 13a. Thanks to Mr K and today’s wily setter. 2.5* / 4*

  21. A very enjoyable and pleasingly tricky in places puzzle for a Tuesday morning. I really liked 19d, with 17a my favourite. Like others, 28a had me wondering about the need for ‘sweet’ in the clue, although it would not have read well without it. Perhaps our setter can shed some light on the thought process behind it?

    Thanks to, presumably X-Type, and Mr K.

  22. A rather mixed bag of fairly straightforward 4- letter clues and quirky cryptic definitions, some of them more than a little tricky. A few fortuitous guesses, bunged in unparsed helped me finish the puzzle. Light it certainly wasn’t; in fact, I found it heavy going at times. It was satisfying to finish and mildly enjoyable at times. 1a and 20a were the best of the clues. Thanks to Mr K for the review (loved the cats). Thanks to the compiler also

  23. I found this quite heavy going but got there in the end – can’t say I found it all that enjoyable. COTD 15d by a country mile. Thanks to the setter and MrK for the pics

  24. Fun, and surprisingly straightforward. After reading Mr K’s introduction, I was concerned about the new words, and even more surprised to find I did know all of today’s.

    2D’s cosy antelopes and 21A’s sailors’ leaflets were almost my favourites, but that turned out to be 28D’s nothings. I also liked the unusual grid layout, with a different mix of word lengths to many backpagers’.

    27D appeared in a very similar form on … oh, actually I can’t say when, because it involves a naughty step. Thank you to the setter, and to Mr K for providing the safety net of knowing hints would be there if I needed them.

  25. Delayed start for me as out early for the funeral of an old friend.
    This went. in at a reasonable pace, with few hold-ups requiring only a couple of parsing checks from the review. As others have noted, the 3 and 4-letter clues didn’t involve the usual torment.
    Thanks to the setter for a smooth ride and Mr K for the help with parsing.

  26. 2/3. So much better than yesterdays trial by fire. This went in smoothly apart from 28d where I needed help, not my favourite clue. 6a was though. Thanks to x type and Mr K.

  27. Normal Tuesday type of puzzle for me. 2.5*/4*
    Thought I would have more trouble than I did with the many 3 letter clues, but most came easily
    Candidates for favourite today include 6a, 17a, 18a, 4d & 15d with the winner 15d but just as easily been either 17a or 18a

    A nice solve for a much cooler day after our 3 day heatwave on the South Coast

    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

  28. Apart from being unaware of the synonym in 16a I found this reasonably plain sailing. Favourite was 4d. Thanks to X-Type and Mr. K.

    1. My sentiments exactly – I needed to look that last one up – 16a, that is.

  29. Wonderfully on wavelength today. Just needed the hint for 29a as I have never heard of that jelly, and stupidly could think of nothing other than Dane for 28d, which clearly was wrong. Perhaps it was because we were sitting in the car dealership waiting while our vehicle was serviced, and I didn’t have my iPad with me. Thus making me think harder and longer. Best Tuesday I’ve had for a while. Thanks to setter and Mr K. On the way home we were listening to the January 6 hearings and were gobsmacked at the latest revelations. It was clearly a good day to be out in the car. (We usually have music on the radio at home, or news.)

  30. I thought this was a little easier than yesterday, but maybe it was just me.
    I have to like the Spice Island as it is the ancestral home of Clan Bee.
    28d was a slightly more cryptic name a boy clue.
    Thankst to X type and Mr K.

    1. BRB defines “mull” as a transitive verb meaning to warm, spice, and sweeten (wine, ale, etc.). Hence the pic.

      1. I’ve thought this over and I’m pretty confident that mull=spice, assurance=gall, I don’t think so..

        1. If Chambers Dictionary says they’re equivalent, which it does, then the definitions are allowed in a Telegraph cryptic crossword.

  31. Help! 25 crosswords have come and gone in a flash since number thirty thousand. Wow.

  32. 3*/2*….
    liked 19D ” A particular sort of English coming from this mouth? (7)”

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