DT 30162 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30162

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30162

Hints and tips by pommers

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

Hola from the Vega Baja.  Another chilly morning but at least it’s sunny with no wind.

Campbell appears to have taken a leaf out of RayT’s book this week and stretched a few of his synonyms a bit.  Still, it was the usual Monday elegance and not too difficult. Seven clues involving anagrams should give you a good start if you don’t have the general knowledge required in 24a the answer is easily guessable from the checkers.

As usual my podium three are in blue.  The definitions are underlined in the clues and the answers are under the “click here” buttons so don’t click on them unless you really want to see the answer.  Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

3a           Tree died after onset of blight — wood rot (10)
BALDERDASH:  Start with a B (onset of Blight) and after it you need a tree, a D(ied) and then another tree (wood).

8a           Tense  time to come (6)
FUTURE:  A not very cryptic double definition.

9a           Gift — no charge — be my guest (4,4)
FEEL FREE:  The first word of the answer can just about mean gift.  If you are said to have a gift for something you could be said to have this for it. The second word means no charge or gratis.

10a         Snail races curiously received (8)
ESCARGOT:  Anagram (curiously) of RACES followed by a word meaning received or obtained.

11a         Bully husband, clergyman heading off (6)
HECTOR:  H(usband) followed by a clergyman but without his first letter (heading off).

12a         I recalled novel about knight in rags-to-riches story (10)
CINDERELLA:  Anagram (novel) of I RECALLED around an N for knight in chess notation.

14a         Understood he’d one line in play from start to finish (2,3,8)
GO THE DISTANCE:  A word meaning understood or twigged is followed by the HE’D from the clue. After that it’s the letter that looks like number one and lastly a word meaning your line or viewpoint.  Put that lot together and split (2,3,8) to get the answer.

20a         Small beer following fish, or gammon (10)
CODSWALLOP:  This is gammon with its meaning of 3 across.  Start with a fish commonly sold in fish and chip shops follow with an S(mall) and then a slang term for beer.

22a         Case is located in valley (6)
VALISE:  Start with a word for a valley and insert (located in) the IS from the clue.

23a         Girl I courted, originally in Italian city (8)
VERONICA:  This girl’s name is obtained by inserting (in) the I from the clue and a C (Courted originally) into an Italian city.  Shakespeare wrote a play about two gentlemen from the place.

24a         Bill Sikes’s dog’s sweet (5-3)
BULLS EYE:  Bit of general knowledge required here.  This sweet is also the name of Bill Sikes’ dog in Oliver Twist.

25a         Divisible by two, therefore all the same? (4,2)
EVEN SO:  A word describing a number which can be divided by two followed by a word for therefore.

26a         Common sense of former PM facing question (4,6)
GREY MATTER:  A Prime Minister from the 1830’s followed by a word for the question or topic.  I know the answer can mean brains or intellect but I’ve not come across it being used for common sense before.

Down

1d           Short interrogation, then hang traitor (8)
QUISLING:  A word for an interrogation without its last letter (short) and then a word for to hang gets you a Norwegian traitor.

2d           Tutor playing around with opera (8)
TURANDOT:  Anagram (playing) of TUTOR placed around a word meaning with.  You didn’t think I could resist this did you . . .

3d           Down-and-out given something for breakfast perhaps in pub (6)
BEGGAR:  Place something you might eat for breakfast inside (in) on of the usual pubs.

4d           Pulled out the French newspaper (4)
LEFT:  Pulled out as in went away.  It’s a French definite article followed by a two letter newspaper, the pink one.

5d           Large animal confused the panel (8)
ELEPHANT:  Anagram (confused) of THE PANEL.

6d           Desert  bug (6)
DEFECT:  Double definition.  Bug with its meaning of fault.

7d           Ouse winding across English county, lastly, is so long (3,3)
SEE YOU:  Anagram (winding) of OUSE placed around (across) and E(nglish) and a Y (countY lastly).

13d         One landed in Scotland from Bel Air, delayed (5)
LAIRD:  This Scottish landowner is hiding in (from) Bel Air delayed.

15d         Greek character describing labyrinthine Crete, and the like (2,6)
ET CETERA:  Start with an anagram  (labyrinthine) of CRETE and around it (describing) put a Greek letter.

16d         Name lake in Oregon, sadly not now as it was in the past (2,6)
NO LONGER:  Start with N(ame) and then an anagram (sadly) of OREGON with L(ake) inserted (in) and split the result (2,6)..

17d         One used to lift one’s spirits? (8)
EXORCIST:  Cryptic definition of someone you might call upon to drive out evil spirits from someone or something.

18d         Quarrel involving silver upper-class car (6)
JAGUAR:  A word which can mean to quarrel has inserted (involving) the chemical symbol for silver and a letter meaning upper-class.  Never come across this word meaning quarrel before but it’s in Collins as American.  Here’s one for Kath if she’s watching . . .

19d         Lose minutes approaching Hebridean island (6)
MISLAY:  M(inutes) followed by a Hebridean island famous for its malt whisky.

21d         Conflict with the German prison officer (6)
WARDER:  A word for a conflict, there’s one going on in Ukraine at the moment, followed by the German word for the.

23d         Transvestite’s undergarment? (4)
VEST:  Cryptic definition.  The undergarment is hiding in transvestite.

My podium three today are 3a, 1d and 13d for its quirky definition.  13d on the top step.


Quick crossword puns:

Top line:   MILL     +     TUN     +     ESK     =     MILTONESQUE

Middle row:     OFFA     +     TREE     =    OFFERTORY

Bottom Line:    BAY     +     BIN     +     ALMS     =     BABE IN ARMS

67 comments on “DT 30162

  1. Nice start to the week.
    Very satisfying as resolution just flowed to completion.
    Especially liked 3a and 17d.
    Many thanks, Campbell and pommers, Pavarotti always a joy.

  2. Enjoyable with smiles throughout the grid. I do have one complaint however. Doesn’t 17d have two possible solutions, both valid? Surely the “T” at the end of the solution would work equally well with an “M”?
    For some reason 21d reminded me of a Fawlty Towers sketch and 3&26a are great words but my podium is 8a, a “perfect” example of that clue type, plus 9a with top spot going to 15d.
    Many thanks to Cambell and Pommers.

    1. I agree about 17d. In fact I put the M in at first and it was only when the website said it was wrong that I realised.

    2. I did dither over the last (annoyingly unchecked) letter of 17d deciding, logically or illogically, that ‘One’ was indicating the person more than the process.

        1. For me it’s a poor clue as “one” can equally apply to a person or thing.
          I met an exorcist last night, he was a good one.
          I attended an exorcism last night, it was a good one.

    3. While I opted for the “t” version in 17d, I quite agree: a poor clue to allow for two equally valid answers and no checker to confirm which was being called for. Not in the “spirit” of the game!

  3. It’s Monday :good: It’s Campbell :good: and back to ‘normal’ after last week’s ‘excursion’ – **/****

    Candidates for favourite – 3a, 23a, 24a, and 6d – and the winner is 23a.

    Thanks to Campbell and pommers.

  4. If this sets the standard for the week, bring it on! I agree with Pommers that sone of the synonyms are a little stretched but nothing too way out. I loved all of it, especially the ‘rubbish’ clues at 3a and 20a. It’s difficult to pick any favourites as there’s so much to like but I’ll go for 12a, 26a, 1d and 17d. Thanks to Campbell and Pommers. whose podium three are not in blue!

  5. A pleasant Monday outing – thanks to Cambell and pommers.
    Clue of the day for me was 13d.

    I think there’s a typo in the 21d hint.

  6. Well, we just won the test match but it’s not done my blood pressure any good at all ! What a match!

    1. A quite astonishing victory for England, and one that appeared unlikely for much of the last two days. England have been tearing up the test match rule book, and while not without risk, this new approach may be the salvation of the five-day format.

  7. 1.5*/3*. The usual light, Monday fun with 14a my favourite with 20a & 15d joining it on my podium.

    It took me while to figure our 26a which was my last one in. I had entered “warden” instead of “warder” for 21d as both “den” and “der” can mean “the” in German. I was intending to point out in my comment that “warden” as a prison officer is an American term but eventually I realised that I had used the wrong German “the” so I changed my answer to the UK prison officer, However, I will mention that in my book 10a is a French word, which should perhaps be indicated.

    8a seemed a bit weak as both definitions are rather “same-sidey”.

    Many thanks to Campbell and to pommers.

  8. Just nicely challenging and eliciting no quibbles. A bit of foreign language application was called for. Wasn’t sure about 6d but bunged in then afterwards discovered software relevance. Apart from always liking 3a as a word it was my Fav clue. Thank you Campbell and pommers.

  9. A typically light and enjoyable start to the crosswording week. I love a lurker, and 13d was a cracker.

    My thanks to Campbell and pommers. Might there be a third pun in the middle row of the Quickie?

  10. Campbell has continued his upping of the difficulty of his Monday puzzles and I blame all of those who have posted how easy it is in the past. I found it quite challenging and visiting for the poor relations in Crosswordland to this manorial blog has become rather less inviting.

  11. Well I thought this very enjoyable & pretty tricky for a Campbell production if not on last week’s level. Last in was 19d – ironically the only Hebridean island I’ve ever visited (golf & whisky) but I always forget it’s part of them as there’s Inner & Outer. 3&20a my joint favs with ticks for 13d&26a.
    Thanks to Campbell & Pommers

  12. Didn’t much like this one, thought some of the clues were rather vague. Found that I quite often got the answer and then had to work out why, sorry compiler, just not my thing today.

  13. Fine start to the week, the stables are trouble free. I’ll go along with pommers’ pick of the bunch including 13d as tops. As noted elsewhere, 26a had a new description for me.
    Thanks all round, keep ’em cummin’!

  14. 3a made for an excellent start to this one and the smile it elicited remained on my face throughout the solve.
    Particularly enjoyed 13&17d plus the second Quickie pun but the gold remained firmly with 3a.

    Thanks to Campbell for a great start to the non-working week and to pommers for the review.

    1. Hi, Jane. I must apologise for being much too pre-emptive in my ‘meh’ comment about Lessons in Chemistry on Friday. Having now finished the novel, I’ll admit that the second half–in its unkinking of all of those biological relationships, and the humanising evolution of Elizabeth Zott, who actually shows that she can smile and cry–goes a long way in redeeming the clinical stiffness of the earlier sections. Not my Book of the Year, but a most worthwhile read. There’s a lot here to admire, and Six-Thirty deserves plenty of treats for his own ‘humanising’ role!

  15. Difficult for me but gettable with a bit of effort. I loved 26a because when I was a child my mother would berate me with “where’s the common sense God gave you?” As a five year old, I spent ages worrying and trying to find my common sense. 3a made me laugh as did 20a -two terrific words. I might have clued 25a as “Short service, nevertheless” but no doubt something is wrong with it. My COTD goes to 6d because it had me looking for insects and vast areas of sand.

    Many thanks to Campbell for the fun and pommers for the hints.

    I agree with YS at #8 – there is a middle Quickie pun but the bottom one was superb.

    After my saying yesterday that all our winters are cold and wet I see we are in for an Arctic blast.

  16. Like Steve my ticks went to 3a and 20a. Used to enjoy a pint of Davy’s Old W. after a day in the office. Thanks to Campbell & Pommers.

  17. A very good Campbell puzzle (with the exception of 17d!) which I found more tricky than usual for a Monday morning. It took a while to get into and rather than progressing smoothly in any particular direction, at first I hopped about much as a demented frog! Quite unfamiliar with gammon as a synonym for 20a, but it could hardly have been anything else. Hon Mentions to 3a, 12a, 23a and 18a.

    2.5* / 3*

    Many thanks to Campbell and to Pommers

    1. Am sure the gammon synonym cropped up last week but can’t remember if it was in one of the DT puzzles.

  18. Very enjoyable Monday fare with 3a top of the festive tree for me.
    Which reminds me…our two children (aged 38 and 36) admitted for the first time last year that they had not realised over nearly four decades why the fairy on top of our Xmas tree was called Nuff.
    Back to the puzzle and, at the risk of getting shouted down, is the first definition in 8d not a “definition by example” which should be indicated accordingly?
    Good fun. Thank you setter and Pommers.

    1. Presumably you refer to 8a? I agree that a purist might want a question mark after the word tense but I’m not too bothered.

  19. Some nice old words in this today. My grandfather would say 20a and I’m surprised Grandma Angus allowed that! Verona always makes me feel cold, because George always had to go there in November and I would sometimes accompany him. On one occasion everywhere was closed for a religious festival and I went from church to church to keep warm. Happy days. Many thanks to Messrs Campbell & Pommers.

  20. Lots of good British slang to keep me on my toes this morning but a delightful lark nonetheless. Glad I remembered my Oliver Twist or I might had been held up the longest in the SW, especially since we don’t have that ‘sweet’ over here, as far as I know. Also, I’ve never heard a quarrel referred to as a ‘jar’ over here, even if your Collins says it’s American, but I like the idea. Still, some terrific clues, with 3a, 13d, & 1d nosing out several others for my podium. Thanks to pommers and Campbell. **/****

    1. Now, yes, ‘to quarrel’ meaning ‘to jar’–both, as Jose suggests, verbal–does make a lot of metaphoric sense to me.

  21. Great crossword for a dank and dreary Monday in the Peaks. Favourite had to be 20a – a word rarely heard these days but much favoured by my dear old dad in respect of certain TV programmes – that was a long time ago so I dread to think what he’d make of much of the present day offering! Many thanks to Campbell and to Pommers.

  22. Tricky for a Monday, quite right pommers, stretched synonyms galore. I miss my Monday fun, such a shame, I just hope that others enjoy it. I did like 3a and 20a, I wonder if Campbell is sending a message about this offering?
    Thanks pommers and Campbell, but very disappointed.

  23. Sorry just don’t understand 20a. The hints refers to 1 across but there isn’t a 1a.
    The rest is OK but I did like 24a.
    Thx to all
    **/**

    1. Just looked up gammon in the BRB and is give a definition after the obvious of nonsense which I suppose refers to the answer to 20a. A new meaning for both Mrs B and myself. Is it some form a dialectal slang?

      1. You are of course correct. It’s probably too late to matter now but I’ll correct the hint for posterity.

  24. A nice puzzle, which I thought was a little more challenging than the average Monday offering, bringing it up to about medium difficulty. Good clues and an enjoyable enough solve. Fav: 13d, mainly for the very smooth air-travel themed surface. 2.5*/3*.

    *26a. In these parts, if you make a silly mistake/suggestion it could evoke a retort such as “Use a bit of common sense” or “Use your brains [grey matter] a bit”.

    *18d. For the 3-letter word the BRB has: to quarrel. All verbal.

    1. 26a and 18d. I don’t have a problem with either. Just never come across the meanings before.

      1. Yes I suspected that, Pommers. As often, my comments aren’t necessarily aimed at the blogger-of-the-day or regulars on here but towards the hundreds of others who read this each day. Plenty of whom will be inexperienced solvers or complete novices:

        26a. Just two examples to illustrate.
        18d. It’s been mentioned twice that it might be an American meaning. Just confirming that it isn’t.

    2. Actually this is what BD calls Thesauritis

      If A is a synonym of B and B is a synonym of C then A must be a synonym of C. Not true.

      Here you have common sense = brains = grey matter. Perfectly OK but common sense does not equal grey matter. This is how RayT works, which is fine for later in the week, but I expect better on a Monday.

      1. I can see where you’re coming from, but I don’t rely on that ABC stuff too much – it can be conveniently/subtley manipulated. Here, I reckon it is simply A (common sense) = B (brains/grey matter). As in (informally) “use a bit of common sense/grey matter” or “haven’t you got any brains/common sense” (or just “sense”). For me, it’s OK in a cryptic clue (or anywhere else for that matter) for the following reasons. Chambers Thesaurus, for brain, gives: sense, common sense; plus (colloq.): grey matter, brains, nous, savvy. Also, the experienced setter has used it and the editor has allowed it. It’s fine if you’re not convinced.

  25. It’s all too much for me – football AND cricket on the blog in one day. Thank goodness for John Thaw!
    Thanks to Campbell and pommers.

  26. I enjoyed tussling with today’s crossword. It gave my 26a a happy workout. I didn’t know Bill Sykes had a dog, as I’d only ever done the stage version at secondary school – I played the part of a strawberry seller. Thanks Campbell and Pommers.

  27. Found this Campbell on the tougher side this week …. Campbell in a ‘Logman’ alter ego.
    3*/3.5*

    Favourites include 3a, 20a, 25a, 13d & 17d with the co=winner 3a & 20a … such wonderful words.

    Thanks to Campbell and pommers

  28. I agree about 17d, unfortunately my newspaper does tell me that I’ve chosen the wrong option so technically a dnf but I’m not changing it because I feel my answer was equally valid. Did anyone else notice that the answer to 14a was also the answer to the bottom solution to the prize crossword printed below and to the right. Another own goal in my book. Favourite was 23a as it’s the real name of my girlfriend, I’ve only put that in case she reads the blog, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Thanks to Pommers and Senf.

    1. You’ve shortened your alias so this comment needed moderation. Both versions will work from now on.

  29. Generally straightforward but fun ALTHOUGH I felt 3a and 20a in one puzzle was somehow overdoing it…

  30. My problem was in the NE largely because I inserted the second word of 9a I. First place. Once I corrected that I solved 6d and 11a. How I forgot that clergyman I don’t know!

  31. I don’t get 23d – where is the indicator it’s a lurker etc? It’s written purely as a double definition?

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