DT 30062 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30062

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30062

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ****

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

We have visitors staying this week and our crossword solving schedule is somewhat out of kilter. Managed to find enough time for the Wednesday blog though.

Quite tricky in places and a lot of fun right through for us.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Idiot might see new pay cut work both ways (10)
NINCOMPOOP : String together N(ew), then pay or salary without its last letter and the abbreviation for an artistic work written backwards and forwards.

6a     Murphy needs time to replace quiet boss (4)
STUD : A Murphy as a vegetable has its musical symbol for quiet replaced by T(ime).

9a     Hat could be attire designed by Balenciaga originally (7)
BIRETTA : The first letter of Balenciaga and an anagram (designed) of ATTIRE.

10a     Proposes yields (7)
SUBMITS : A double definition. Proposes or offers for consideration.

12a     Crazy girl going cool over biker boyfriend? (3,4,6)
OFF ONE’S ROCKER : A phrase that could mean becoming less keen on a 1950-60’s motorcyclist.

14a     Stupid reply, ignoring wife at home alone at last (8)
ANSERINE : Remove W(ife) from a reply, then the two letter ‘at home’ and the final letter of alone.

15a     Stick notice in this place (6)
ADHERE : A notice or poster and a word meaning ‘in this place’.

17a     Change sides? That’s weakness (6)
DEFECT : A double definition. The sides that are changed are often political.

19a     Make a rapid descent — or abandoning fight! (4-4)
FREE-FALL : A (4-3-3) phrase for a fight in which everyone is welcome loses ‘OR’ from the clue.

21a     Brief Encounter? At end, nothing’s changed (3-5,5)
ONE-NIGHT STAND : An anagram (changed) of AT END NOTHING’S.

24a     Left, say, not as much plastered (7)
LEGLESS : L(eft), then say or for example, and a word meaning not as much.

25a     Fix and save salon (4,3)
NAIL BAR : Fix using a tack and then save or exclude.

26a     Information gleaned from bid at auction (4)
DATA : A lurker, hiding in the clue.

27a     A shy criminal will import wild garden shrubs (10)
HYDRANGEAS : An anagram (criminal) of A SHY contains an anagram (wild) of GARDEN.

Down

1d     He might be important if following his points (4)
NIBS : ‘His …’ could be a way of referring to an important man.

2d     Missiles located below northern straits (7)
NARROWS : N(orthern), then missiles fired from a bow.

3d     A doctor who’s sacked must be so rusty (3,2,8)
OUT OF PRACTICE : A way of describing a non-functioning doctor.

4d     Town hall department Liberal employed in looking for gold? (8)
PLANNING : L(iberal) is inside a way of looking for gold using water and a dish.

5d     Spring may see a sibling depressed by love (5)
OASIS : ‘A’ from the clue and a female sibling follow the tennis score love.

7d     What a star does if wife interrupts telephone call (7)
TWINKLE : A slang word for a telephone call includes W(ife).  (The wife that was ignored in 14a can be used here if you like.)

8d     Chaotic detective’s military assistant (10)
DISORDERLY : Detective inspector with ‘S and a military assistant like Baldrick perhaps.

11d    Initiate story for grandson, perhaps (5,8)
BLOOD RELATION : Initiate in a sense that comes from duelling, and then a story or recounting.

13d     Too tough for soldiers to invade? (4-6)
HARD-BOILED : A cryptic definition. We need to think of a breakfast item and toast soldiers.

16d     Dr Crippen perhaps losing love for right inmate (8)
PRISONER : Dr Crippen, described by his modus operandi, has the first tennis score love changed to R(ight).

18d     Father figure’s cost of transport (7)
FREIGHT : A religious father and then a number.

20d     Bail due to be fixed in hearing (7)
AUDIBLE : An anagram (to be fixed) of BAIL DUE.

22d     Rough — one goes to mush! (5)
HUSKY : The answer could also be something urged to go by the command ‘mush’.

23d     This will cut danger cycling! (4)
KRIS : A word for danger has its last letter moved to the beginning (cycled).

Hard to pick a favourite again. Several here could have made the cut, but we chose 12a.

Quickie pun    fare    +    reek    +    wean    =    fairy queen

75 comments on “DT 30062

  1. Very enjoyable.
    23d a new word for me but couldn’t have been more sympathetically clued.
    I thought the anagram at 21a was well disguised and liked the DD at 17a but my favourite was 13d.
    Many thanks to Jay and the Ks.

    1. 23a. That picture looks like an umbrella, with a decorative handle, that’s been run over by a steamroller on a cobbled street! :-)

      1. Your previous comments used an alias. Both your name and the alias will work from now on

  2. Top entertainment from our regular Wednesday setter that had a great clue mix, some innovative clueing and the excellent 13d to top it all off. 23d was my final entry, and 22d deserves a mention in dispatches.

    Many thanks to the three birds.

  3. Very enjoyable throughout, many thanks to setter and 2Ks 19a or 21a could have been winners any other day, but 13d takes the honours. Thanks again!

  4. Thought this a bit too tricky to be a Jay production but I must say it was really excellent. My stand out favourite was 13d somewhat followed by 1d — also 19a now that you have explained it. The toughie started to yield fairly easily but came to a halt with 5 to go. Thank you Jay and the 2K’s :)

  5. A very cleverly constructed crossword with lots of well-disguised anagrams and some knotty cryptic definitions. I quite enjoyed it, although I needed help parsing 1a ( insanely complex wordplay). 14a was a new one on me but the wordplay and a knowledge of Latin helped to the answer it it was joint COTD with the cryptic definition 3d. There were so many clever clues that I have to mention the anagram at 21a and the cryoptic definition at 12a too. Thanks to the compiler and to the Kiwis for the hints.

  6. One of the most enjoyable solves I can remember. Totally spiffing!

    So many clues had me chuckling when the penny dropped it would be difficult to pick a favourite, but 22d gave me the biggest chuckle. 😀

    Thanks to all.

  7. Strolled enjoyably through today’s fun puzzle with no hiccups. Liked 3d but 13d was my amusing Fav. Thank you Mysteron (somehow doubt it’s Jay) and the 2Ks.

    1. My goodness it is indeed a Jay product – much more enjoyably lighthearted than he usually serves up.

  8. An enjoyable if slightly trickier than I’d expected start to my Wednesday solving. The clues I really liked were 1d, 13d and 22d

    Thanks to the setter and the 2Ks

  9. Excellent puzzle with a well clued new word and some super clues inc 16d, 22d and my favourite 13d.
    My last in was 23d, I am no fan of clues that require you to solve the clue then anagram it, way too complicated.
    Shame as for me as that cost it a *.
    **/***
    Thx to all

      1. And if it was meant to be an anagram and “cycling” was supposed to be the indicator – it would be a verboten indirect one anyway!

    1. And if it was meant to be an anagram and “cycling” was supposed to be the indicator – it would be a verboten indirect one anyway!

  10. The already much acclaimed 13d was my COTD and made me smile. Some other real gems too including 24a and 18&22d. 3a, 14a and 23d were all new words to me but fairly clued and achievable. All in all ***/**** with thanks to the setter and the 2K’s.

  11. Super puzzle, absoutely tremendous. Very straightforward but so wittily compiled and smiles/chuckles aplenty – proof that a top-notch puzzle doesn’t need to be hard. 14a new to me but very fairly clued and couldn’t be anything else. The cryptics were excellent.

    Ticks all over the place – 19 & 21a; 11, 13 & 16d, with COTD to the wonderful laugh-out-loud 23d.

    2* / 5*

    Many thanks indeed to the setter, and of course to the 2Ks

  12. A most enjoyable puzzle that was more of a challenge than usual on a Wednesday, probably Jay once again being influenced by his Toughie alter ego – ***/*****.

    Candidates for favourite – 6a, 24a, 2d, 13d, and 16d – and the winner is 13d.

    Thanks to Jay and the 2Kiwis.

  13. Most enjoyable apart from 23d, which I couldn’t get. I seem to recall the answer being somewhere in the windmills of my mind but it decided not to show itself. As for the rest, it was a joy from start to finish. Just the right amount of pondering required and great penny drop moments. Once again, I have ticks all over the paper so it is difficult to chose one as COTD and I ended up with two – 1a and 13d and I give it to the latter.

    Many thanks to Jay for the fun and to the 2K’s for the hints.

      1. Yes indeed Jose “memories are made of this” for me too remembering seeing several times the splendidly laid-back (like his father) Noel Harrison at the Blue Angel night club or was it the Café de Paris perhaps.

          1. Yes indeed and he was definitely a chip off the old block. Sadly Noel died in 2013 aged 79. RIP.

      2. Thank you, Jose, for this wonderfully nostalgic song by Noel H, one of the very few ‘pop’ songs, post-Gershwin and post-Porter, that has ever moved me…and stuck with me.

        1. And it was a perfect soundtrack to the glider sequence in Norman Jewison’s The Thomas Crown Affair (not a bad remake but not a patch on the original with the chemistry between McQueen & Dunaway). Jose Feliciano performed it at the ceremony when it won Best Original Score.

          1. You can’t be serious. We watched the original recently and couldn’t believe how full of smartarse60sfilmtricks it was ; and all to its detriment. I had commented before I rewatched the original about how the remake couldn’t compare with it. How wrong I was. Wooden and tricksy.

            Mind you everyone is right about the song.

  14. A cracking puzzle! A little above average difficulty, so a reasonable challenge with really good clues providing a very enjoyable tussle. I’ve ticked quite a few but will have to pick 13d as my favourite. 3*/4.5*.

  15. Best puzzle in ages as far as I’m concerned, all clues were clever and a lot of fun often giving a smile on completion. Last for me was 1d ( funny how I’m always caught by a small word)
    Impossible for me to give a favourite as they were all so good.

  16. A tricky little fellow to solve. 14a completely new to me and I ‘think’ I’ve come across 23d before but had forgotten it. Some lovely clues and a real stretch of the remaining fragments of the Terence brain today (Oh no, I’m doing that irritating thing where people refer to themselves in the third person. Note to self – don’t do that again; it jars).

    Thanks to the setter and The TwoKays

    To celebrate 19a:

  17. First review from me for some time, but this crossword was so enjoyable, I feel I just have to leap into print. Packed with witty and clever clues. Personal favourites 1a ( took me a while to work it all out’) and 13d. Really made me smile. You once told me that Jay is a regular Wednesday setter. Some comments would indicate that it may be someone else. All I know is that it one of the most enjoyable crosswords I have come across for many a day. Thanks to the setter ( whoever you may be)

  18. If this is from Jay then he was definitely wearing his Logman hat – which translates as ‘I found it quite hard’!
    14a was a new word for me, struggled to get beyond ‘mushy peas’ with 22d and cycling clues always get me quite discombobulated.
    Having said all that, there was a real sense of satisfaction when I finally completed it and I had a good laugh at the likes of 12a & 13d.

    Thanks to Jay, if it be him, and to our 2Ks – hope your friends enjoy their stay with you.

  19. Great fun puzzle – thank you! COTD 1a, and 14a a new word to add to my vocabulary….but not too sure when the occasion will arise to use it!

    1. You need to visit Port Meadow in Oxford to use the occasion to use 14a – more of the “cacklers and hissers” then you’ll ever see in one day.

      1. Thanks for the info. – looked Port Meadow up online, definitely somewhere to visit when in the area…….these puzzles just keep on giving!!

  20. One of the most enjoyable back-page puzzles we’ve had for some time – many thanks to Jay (presumably) and 2K.
    From a very long list of excellent clues I’ve selected 19a, 1d, 13d and 22d for special mention.

  21. Fabulous !
    Many great clues, I’ll pick 3d as my favourite.
    14a is new to me, I had to google it to find out what it meant.
    Thanks to Jay and both Kiwis.

  22. A sublime event, this rich, clever, humorous, & top-notch Jay masterpiece, among the best of his I’ve ever worked. Took me a bit longer than usual perhaps but that just extended the joy of solving, especially with such gems as 14a, 22d, 21a, & 12a. So glad I learned about British breakfast soldiers on this blog some months ago; otherwise, I’d have sat here until Doom’s Day with 13d, which is my COTD. Thanks to the Kiwis and to Jay. 2.5* / 5*

    A really lovely, doable Stick Insect Toughie today, which I very much enjoyed last night.

  23. Not sure this a Jay puzzle but if it is it is more Logman than Jay IMHO.
    2.5*/3* for today

    Had a hard time with several words that were unknown to me in 9a & 14a … or maybe I am just a 1a … or maybe 12a, or both … not quite sure.

    Favourites include 1a, 12a, 21a, 1d, 3d & 11d with winners tied with 1a & 12a

    Thanks to setter (Jay??) and the 2 Kiwis

  24. Raised a giggle when I realised the answer to 13d. Had to check the blog to see if others thought it their COTD. Very enjoyable puzzle all round. Thanks to the setter and the 2 Ks.

  25. Took me a long time but well worth the effort. Approached the Toughie straight afterwards with trepidation but found it much easier than this little blighter!
    ****/****

  26. Enjoyed this a lot but took ages as my device keeps turning itself off and I don’t know why or how to fix it. Anyway thanks to the setter and the 2 Kiwis. My neighbour confirms we have a stoat as she sees it regularly. Will remove the rat box as, according to my gardener, stoats kill rats. Cley Harbour Day today, so just off to join the festivities but won’t stay long in this heat.

  27. It’s all been said above. An excellent puzzle. 1d and 23d were my last ones in. 1a, 1d, 3d, 5d, 7d and 13d were my favourites.
    The “cycling” technique in 23d has tripped me up in the past, so I was pleased that I managed to remember it this time around. Can anyone please explain why “cycling” should indicate “move the end letter to the start” and does it work vice versa?
    Ironically, my adult son has come of his bike today in spectacular fashion and is waiting in A&E to be stitched as I write!
    Thank you setter and the Kiwis.

  28. I was left with two 4letter words. 1d and 23d. I worked out the former but stumped by the latter. I am afraid I did not like 23f as I had never heard of the dagger and did not think of the synonym for danger. It spoilt for me an otherwise excellent puzzle. Favourites 1 21 24 and 25a and 1 3 4 16 and 18d. Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

  29. Wow!! That’s what I call a crossword! Love it – brilliant! Difficult though . . .
    Sometimes I think that if I weren’t completely hooked on RayT then Jay would be my favourite setter.
    It’s when he uses words like 1a and others like that (can’t think of any of them now) – it reminds of my Dad.
    I think it’s all been said now – perhaps I’ll allow two favourites today so 12 and 21a.
    Thanks to Jay and to the 2K’s – am I the only one who would like to know that he reads his comments?

  30. Yes one of the most enjoyable crosswords in a while . A tricky for me but satisfying solve eventually COTD 19a and LOI 22d
    Thanks to Jay for a pleasant diversion in this heat and the 2Ks for making sense of it all

  31. I found this quite a struggle.
    Brilliantly clued, eg 19 and 25a
    Two new words for me, 14a and 23d, the latter, last in.
    So, ****/*****
    Many thanks, indeed, Jay and the 2Kiwis.

  32. Enjoyable puzzle, **/***, with 13D as my stand out clue in a very good selection indeed.

  33. Fully agree with Gazza & Robert. Thought this an absolute belter of a puzzle. COTD had to be 13d as I was quite literally dunking my lightly toasted & liberally buttered multi seed sourdough soldier into an Old Cotswold Legbar (4mins into boiling water for optimum ease of invasion) earlier this morning when I came to the clue. Feared it may be an old chestnut but since nobody has said so I guess not. I thought 1a a great clue also with the surface immediately reminding me of grave misgivings I have about the economic policy of our likely next PM. 14a&23d both unfamiliar but sympathetically clued & requiring confirmation. Otherwise a brisk problem free & almost fully parsed solve (thought it was because the snow turned to mush..)
    Thanks to Jay & 2Ks

  34. Definitely tricky and three new words for me today, but very enjoyable nonetheless. I did manage to solve 14a from the clue, but had never heard of the word so didn’t pen it in. 23d completely new word for me. And Peter tells me my education was sadly neglected in that I had never heard of 9a – but then he was an altar and choir boy …. COTD for me is 12a as we both rode his motorbike in the 60s, clad in helmets and leather, me on the pillion of course. Happy days. But I don’t think we qualified as rockers 😊. Thanks to Jay and 2Kiwis.

  35. Cracking puzzle Gromit, thanks to Jay and 2K’s. If even Kath is picking two faves I will just praise them all. Even the cycling clue came up from a dusty neuron. I though the fool was asinine until the goose came from a second reading of the clue.

  36. Enjoyable but quite tricky in parts 😃 ****/**** Favourites 12a, 5 & 13d Big thank you to the 2 x Ks for their hints and for managing the blog despite having visitors 🤗 and of course to Jay

  37. Morning all.
    We certainly hope that the setter (who we think is most probably Jay) reads these comments. Cause for feeling very pleased with their work. Glad we weren’t the only ones to have found this one something special.
    Cheers.

  38. Your setter certainly does read (and appreciate) the comments, for which many thanks — not least to the 2 Kiwis for their due diligence every Wednesday!

    1. Thank you for popping in, Jay. Since having the pleasure of meeting you at one of the BD birthday bashes, I’ve never doubted for a moment that you always read the comments. Think you gained a gold star from many quarters today!

  39. 3*/5*…..
    liked 13D “Too tough for soldiers to invade? (4-6)” amongst others.

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