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DT 30200

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30200

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

Beautiful summer weather has returned. The same area that was hit by last week’s rogue storm Hale is about to have a brief glancing blow from one of Hale’s young relations but it is not expected to be very severe or widespread. Most of the country can expect the same perfect weather that we are having for the final week or so of school holiday time.

Felt like a Jay puzzle to us. We had a slightly slow start and then a smoother run once we were into it.
Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Roman’s XX is a con (6-5)
DOUBLE-CROSS : No biblical verses involved here. We just need another way of expressing XX.

10a     Slanderous attacks must keep them oddly subdued (5)
MUTED : The first and third letters of ‘them’ are enclosed by what is metaphorically thrown in slanderous attacks.

11a     Enclosed area may be risk with wagon reversing (9)
COURTYARD : To risk or unintentionally invite, often with reference to disaster, and then the reversal of a farm wagon.

12a     Seafood could be good in a blend of tuna and sole (9)
LANGOUSTE : An anagram (blend of) TUNA and SOLE which includes G(ood).

13a     Language of American stealing gold from Cortez, drunk (5)
AZTEC : Replace the heraldic gold in C(or)TEZ with A(merica) and then make an anagram (drunk) of this.

14a     Attribute of one saying nothing about power (6)
IMPUTE : The Roman numeral one, then a word meaning saying nothing contains P(ower).

16a     Surveillance due to small gate receipts away from home (5-3)
STAKE-OUT : S(mall) then a word meaning the money received for entry or gate receipts, followed by away from home or not in.

18a     Favour running to ground (4,4)
GOOD TURN : An anagram (running) of TO GROUND.

20a     Experienced in non-believer’s education (6)
VERSED : A lurker, hiding in the clue.

23a     Friend shot by friend from Paris (5)
AMIGO : The French word for friend and then a shot or turn.

24a     Without warning, Trump gets twitchy keeping nothing on Independent politician (9)
IMPROMPTU : I(ndependent), then a Member of Parliament followed by an anagram (gets twitchy) of TRUMP which contains the letter that looks like zero.

26a     Philosopher on time for union collection (9)
TROUSSEAU : T(ime) and a French philosopher.

27a     Amount of flair on switching clubs (5)
IRONS : A lurker (amount of) hiding in the clue.

28a     Patriot song composed for champion (11)
PROTAGONIST : An anagram (composed) of PATRIOT SONG.

Down

2d     Temper — losing head regularly! (5)
OFTEN : Remove the first letter from temper or adjust the hardness of.

3d     Graduate teacher with job as support for the retired (7)
BEDPOST : The qualification held by a graduate teacher and then a job or situation.

4d     Apology from retired copper on case of sabotage (6)
EXCUSE : A prefix meaning retired or old, then the chemical symbol for copper and the first and last letters of sabotage.

5d     Rent out during studies — risky game … (8)
ROULETTE : Studies, a course, or a way forward contains a three letter word meaning rent out. (We pondered a lot about the wordplay here. Any better ideas?)

6d     … bet lost in fire is a disappointment (7)
SETBACK : An anagram (lost) of BET is inside fire or dismiss.

7d    High ratings could be an aid to recovery (8,5)
SMELLING SALTS : High or malodorous and then a possible expression used for naval ratings.

8d     Warnings from police caught up during sales (8)
CAUTIONS : Start with a type of bidding sales and move the cricket abbreviation for ‘caught’ up a couple of places.

9d     A hazard of learning? (8,5)
EDUCATED GUESS : A cryptic definition for what could be a considered conjecture.

15d     Stipulations — or VIPs must be moved thus going north (8)
PROVISOS : An anagram (must be moved) of OR VIPS and the reversal of a synonym for thus.

17d     Most delicate female realist upset (8)
FRAILEST : F(emale) and an anagram (upset) of REALIST.

19d     Pocket found in short pants! (7)
TROUSER : Another word for pants or slacks with the last letter removed.

21d     Feeling Germany should avoid relegation (7)
EMOTION : Remove the IVR code for Germany from relegation or lowering of seniority.

22d     Engineered prison breakout and pounced (6)
SPRUNG : A double definition.

25d     People paid to secure parking for supporters (5)
PROPS : A word for people like sportsmen who are paid to perform contains P(arking).

Lots of ticks once again. Too many this week to pick out one for special mention.

Quickie pun    crust    +    Asian    =    crustacean

125 comments on “DT 30200

  1. That’s better! Far more enjoyable than yesterday’s offering with just the right amount of straightforward and thoughtful clues. I thought 1a was a great clue given that it sent me down the path of the card game pontoon with the second word being “trick”. Great misdirection. I always thought 12a ended in “ine” but I assume that must be the plural of the answer. I still can’t get used to 19d meaning to pocket. Talking of pockets, they were banned on clothing during the French Revolution to prevent the concealment of revolutionary material. My LOI was 7d, which caused a huge grin when the coin finally dropped and is my COTD.

    Many thanks to the setter (Jay) for the fun. Thanks also to the 2Ks for the hints, which I will read now.

    The roads are treacherous here in The Marches. I felt the car slide a couple of times on the way to the village shop for the papers. Take care everyone.

  2. The sun is streaming down on Sandhurst today, and hopefully the temperature
    will rise above freezing by dinnertime.
    Certainly a markedly tougher puzzle today, but very enjoyable because of it.
    Took some time to get the hang of, but once away it was steady progress until
    the last few which seemed to take just as long as the beginning ones.
    Standout favourites today for me were 1a and the lovely 8d.

  3. An interesting puzzle with a good number -7 – anagrams and two lurkers. I struggled to understand the studies aspect of 5d although the answer was clear. I see the 2Kiwis are also head scratching a bit on that one. Favourite today was 9d although I don’t completely understand that one either! Thanks to our Antipodean friends and the setter.

          1. I don’t think that works, I think it’s as the Kiwis have it with the studies being a schedule or timetable

            1. Having thought about it further, I think it’s missing an indicator for my parse to be correct. I agree the 2Ks have it

              1. It probably doesn’t and I’m trying to justify the unjustifiable but at least the wordplay works unlike the other suggestions above. I’ve seen “studies” as a synonym of schedule which isn’t a million miles from route but Gazza’s take on it is probably the most accurate.

                1. SJ. That doesn’t work. As RD explained at #13 below, all the components are there, for sure, and if you use “risky” as an anagram indicator (which would be in the wrong position anyway) you still end up with a (verboten) partial indirect anagram (the letters for LET aren’t on view in the clue).

                2. To get all the elements in sequence without involving an anagram (which I think is what you and some others were getting at) would require something like this:

                  Rent inside out during studies – risky game … (8)

                  Which gives: R (OU [LET] T) E

                  *That clue would work but the surface isn’t great!

  4. A smooth and enjoyable solve for me with a few that required a bit more thought. If it was German week last week, this one had a Latin feel. COTD goes to 1a which had me guessing most of the solve but finally got it with a big penny-drop. Lots of contenders though.

    Was it me or was there an extra “u” in 26a? A minor quibble

    TY to the setter and 2Ks

      1. It was me, 2Ks set me straight – I was including the u from union at the end in the wordplay, but actually that was part of the definition!

  5. Sunny and frosty in Witney- blanket needed maybe!
    Found today’s puzzle a lot easier than yesterday’s.
    Really enjoyed today’s!

    1. Witney Blankets used to be one of my accounts when I worked for Hewlett Packard as a field service engineer. If I remember it was near a very bleak pub near the top of a hill which looked like an asylum! Is the factory, or indeed the pub still there?

  6. Very enjoyable indeed and largely straightforward.
    Fortunately I’d come across 26a (only in crosswordland) but the setter hasn’t really left a way into the solution from wordplay if one hasn’t, relying on the solver knowing the philosopher, so not the best clue in my opinion.
    Plenty of podium contenders but I’ll mention 10,23&24a(lol) plus 2&8d
    Many thanks to the setter and 2Ks.

  7. Thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle with so many clever and diverse clues.
    1d brought a smile.
    Last in 11a, my COTD.
    So, 2*/4*.
    Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Kiwis for the colourfully illustrated review.

  8. Bit of a slog but I got there in the end, I should stay quiet about two similar words in 10 and 14a!

  9. Unlike others, I found this puzzle slightly more difficult than yesterday’s, although there was just as much guesswork involved. Both wordplay and synonyms caused much head scratching but once a few checkers went in things speeded up. The witty 7d was my COTD andc9d was runner-up. Thanks to the Kiwis for the hints and to the compiler.

  10. I did much better on this one than yesterday’s but it was still on the tough side for me.

    I was held up for ages on 26a as I had sprAng for 22d. Sprang is the past tense , sprung is the past particile………ever the pedant.

    Otherwise a lot of nice clues.

    Baltic up here still but no snow or any sign of it. The roofers have abandoned us with a bit of the job still to finish….some special coping thing which will make the roof even more weathertight. Hope they come back soon, but am secretly quite glad they are not scrambling about up on my roof in this weather.

    1. Sorry, should have said thank you to the setter and to the 2 Kiwis

      And of course I meant participle not particile…..

  11. Thought at first that this was going to be a Logman creation but it turned out to be quite approachable. Like the 2Ks, I pondered over the wordplay in 5d but I reckon that Buzza has nailed it so thanks to him for that!
    Favourite here was 7d with a big smile going to 2d.

    Thanks to Jay for a most enjoyable puzzle and to our 2Ks for a delightfully illustrated review.

  12. Very slowly out of the stalls (maybe because I did it at silly o’clock this morning) but picked up pace & crossed the line in a shade under *** time. Like our reviewers the parsing of 5d the real head scratch & I didn’t split ROUTE so was none the wiser. 10,11&24a plus 7,8&9d my top 3 of each.
    Thanks to Jay (I reckon) & 2Ks

  13. 3*/4*. I found this a little tougher than usual for a Jay Wednesday but as enjoyable as ever.

    I still don’t quite understand 5d. All the elements are there: Rent = “Let”, “Out” and Studies = “RE” but not how they need to be assembled unless “risky” is an anagram indicator. However, if that is the case, we then have a partial indirect anagram. :unsure:

    The pants in 19d are American.

    My top picks were 16a, 7d, 8d & 9d.

    Many thanks to the three birds.

    1. My Mum was as Brit as they come, and she used to say that men wore pants under their trousers!

  14. Like others, parsing 5d was not obvious ,thanks to the bloggers for a variety of ways to achieve it.
    Enjoyable puzzle all round, 1a made me smile.
    Favourites were 26a and 7d- thanks to 2K for the pic!
    Going for a ***/****

  15. Difficult but doable. Some good clues and some of them solved electronically with the Word Wizard. 1a, 16a, 7d and 3d all get very honourable mentions.

    Thanks to the 2Ks for confirming most of my parsing but enlightening me on the rest. Thanks also to the setter for an interesting crossword.

  16. Anagrams helped to get foothold in this nice challenge, so an excuse to have another biscuit!

    ☕️☕️🍪🍪🍪/****

    Fav any of the 4 long clues LOI a d’oh moment for 8d

    Thanks to setter & 2Kiwis

  17. Quite tricky with several rather ‘old-fashioned’ answers. I wonder if any woman in the last fifty years has compiled a 26a?
    However I enjoyed completing it, of course.

    Lovely Daisy is dismayed that she is not referred to as ‘lovely Daisy’ despite the fact that I have been naming her thus for years. I attach but one example of many. Let there be no doubt – Daisy is lovely.
    The attachment is, in addition, a handy eyesight test.

    Thanks to the setter and The TwoKays.

    1. Here’s a bigger one:

      Daisygirl
      October 7, 2022 at 2:20 pm
      I never for one moment thought of you as a flouncer or a wobbler! But of course sometimes we do have to make a stand. Has MrsT taken you for any ‘lovely walks’ lately ? We went for one yesterday afternoon in search of sloes, of which there were squillions, now to get them into some gin. Nice to hear you are still here.

      Reply
      Terence
      October 7, 2022 at 2:49 pm
      Lovely Daisy – I continue to be encouraged to go for lovely walks in the Surrey Hills; interspersed with visits to Stamford Bridge. Difficult to say which of the two is more exhausting.

      1. Doh. You are all making me blush. Sorry for that untimely show of jealousy, it was ‘poorly done’ You have both smoothed my ruffled feathers and I will allow Jane to be lovely as well
        Thank you Terence. 🥰

  18. A very nice Wednesday puzzle. Good clues, about average difficulty and a pleasing solve. I have ticked a few but will mention 5d simply because it seems rather debatable. I think the 2Ks have the parsing correct but I’m struggling to get from studies to course/way to r***e – seems a bit indirect/once removed somehow. 2.5*/3.5*.

    1. I agree, Jose. If that is the explanation it is an example of what BD calls “thesauritis”. Just because A=B and B=C doesn’t necessarily mean that A=C.

      Talking of BD, we haven’t had any news about him for quite a while so I fervently hope he is doing OK.

      1. It is looking a bit like that, RD, but I’m very wary of actually invoking the “thesauritis” theory too early. Maybe SL has got it right at #3 above? I think I’ll remain vacillating on the fence for now, with the hope that the setter or another expert might pop in to explain definitively.

          1. I’m not vacillating, dithering, undecided on the fence any longer! Gazza has given a technical/definitive explaintion below – “duff clue”. That’ll do me … :-)

            *But was it tautology? The phrase is “sitting on the fence”. I just replaced “sitting” with “vacillating” to emphasie extreme indecision rather than the mediocre indecision that might be inferred from merely sitting. I’ve got an answer for anything, I have! :-)

  19. Couldn’t parse 10a, but had to be with the checkers once 7d (my COTD) was in.
    Good mix of clues required plenty of head scratching, so top marks for a splendid puzzle.
    Freezing cold, but sunny with a clear blue sky on The Downs.
    Thanks to the 3 birds for the Wednesday fun.

  20. Definitely a soupçon of Logman mixed in with Jay today – 2.5*/3.5*

    Candidates for favourite – a toss-up between 15a and 26a – and the winner is 26a.

    Thanks to Jay and the 2Kiwis.

    1. How on Earth did you manage to get that twiddly thing under the c in soupcon on here? It didn’t work for me. :-(

      1. Press the “C” key and hold it – “ç” is shown along with others above the letter. Keep holding the C key down and press 1. Voila!

        1. Eh? Soupcccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc You mean like that? Is it supposed to work on a laptop keyboard?

            1. It works on my laptop – ç. Using a MacBook Pro. Perhaps it doesn’t work on an iPad.

              1. By doing the same thing on other letters I can get:-

                à á â ë é ï ñ ø š û ÿ ź among others. :grin:

              2. On the iPad just hold the C-key down for a few seconds, then you have a choice of č or ç or ć.

                It works for the rest of the keyboard letters that have diacritical marks e.g. ü ã œ ê š

        2. Thank you. Works perfectly on a MacBook Air too. Most enjoyable cryptic – thank you to ?Jay; the 2Kiwis; and all the bloggers.

    2. I ‘cheat’ – I created soupçon using Symbols in a MS Word document, which I maintain for other reasons, and copy and paste from there when I need to.

      Pressing and holding ‘C’ does not work on my laptop in MS Word or WordPress (as in adding a comment on a blog).

      (However, when I am creating or editing a blog I, and all the other bloggers, can access a table of Special Characters which is very similar to Symbols in MS Office.)

  21. A bit of Logman in Jay today, I thought, but crafty and clever as always. My last two in, 7d and 18a, pushed me into *** time, but I really enjoyed the solve. Still struggling with these old bones, but the pleasure of a JayDay event always bucks me up. My podium features 9d, 7d, and 13a (because it made me laugh). Thanks to the Kiwis and Jay. ***/****

  22. Enjoyable as ever from Jay but a bit trickier than he normally gives us – thanks to him and 2Ks.
    I’ve read with interest the various attempts to parse 5d but I don’t think any of them work – I think it’s just a duff clue.
    For my podium I’ve selected 1a, 2d and 7d.

    1. Gazza, I was okay with ‘studies’ = ‘course of studies’ = ‘route’. Seems a bit of a stretch but definitions often are stretched in cryptics.

      1. Hi Robert,
        I agree that route can mean course and that course can mean studies but I don’t think that route can means studies – unless you can come up with a sentence in which route/studies are interchangeable?

    2. I have spent far too much time trying to parse 5d … so I will agree with Gazza’s “Solution”.

    3. Well if you say it’s duff wordplay I’ll sleep easy with my inability to parse it satisfactorily

  23. I scribbled the answer to 26a in the margin, but didn’t put it straight in. I was thrown by the word “union ” and couldn’t get the thought of strikes and trade unions out of my head. Eventually the penny dropped. Thank you setter for such an enjoyable puzzle, and thank you 2ks.

  24. Not too difficult but with some weird and woolly wordplay and a new type of seafood for me.
    Thx for the hints
    **/**

  25. Enjoyable puzzle, a slight step up in difficulty from the last two backpagers, and as the 2Ks themselves found a bit of a slower start but then it all started to come good quite swiftly. Held up briefly by 11a (not parsed until coming here) with 7d my LOI, entered into the grid with a loud accompanying groan! All very fairly clued, no specialist GK required.

    2* / 3*

    Many thanks to Jay & the 2Ks

  26. Found this Wednesday puzzle much more approachable than the Tuesday puzzle.
    Still had some head scratching but things made more sense to me.

    2.5*/3* today for this one.

    Favourites include 1a, 18a, 24a, 4d, 8d & 9d with winner 1a

    Thanks to Jay and 2 Kiwi’s

  27. I thought this was super, just my cup of tea – very weak Earl Grey with a slice of lemon. I just love this blog, I have now learned how to insert a cedilla! Many thanks to Jay and the two Kiwis basking in sunshine. I’ll have to take the paper with me to Addenbrookes tomorrow, off to see the cardiologist so it will help to pass the time waiting around.

  28. Didn’t get off to a very good start as none of the four outer clues fell on first reading. Once I had paused and 1a came to me I did much better and found the whole thing very enjoyable. As others, I struggled to parse 5d, eventually going with the ‘let and route’ team. Surprisingly the parsing of 21d also escaped me and I needed the 2K’s excellent hints. Lots to like today especially 26a, 3d, 7d and 9d. Favourite was the aforementioned 1a. Thanks to Jay and the 2Kiwis.

  29. Late coming to this today but worth the wait. A most entertaining puzzle. Having read the earlier discussion about 5d, I still don’t think the clue works. 7d, on the other hand, was brilliant and my favourite.

    Thanks to Jay and the 2 Ks.

  30. Hello everyone,
    I’m not really thinking straight today – our Younger Lamb had their second baby this morning – for people who’ve been on the blog for a long time it’s a very very long story . . .
    Understandably I didn’t make a very good stab at today’s crossword so apologies and thanks to Jay and the 2K’s.

      1. Yet another boy!! Our Elder Lamb and her partner have a boy (George – Georgie) who’s five. Our Younger Lamb and her husband have two boys now – Joseph is sixteen months and Dominic born today – I get the idea that they’re going to be busy . . .

        1. I remember when Georgie was born, great celebration! Yup, three boys, they’ll be busy, especially in 10 years’ time or so!

    1. Oh I am so pleased for you Kath. Hope mother and baby are doing well, new year, new baby – lovely.

    2. Congratulations, another grand baby, that’s wonderful. Our grandchildren are 18 and 20, so no little ones to buy clothes and toys for any more. Enjoy that little bundle before he grows up too quickly.

  31. Just my cup of tea too. Buider’s, white no sugar. A pleasing solve is praise too faint for me. Big smiles for 7 & 9d but other gems. I remember 26a previously being described as ‘the Yorkshire philosopher’s wardrobe’.
    It’s gladdening to see everyone else struggling with a duff (?) 5d. May I add 11a? I know one can c***t danger but does that equate with risk on its own?
    Nonetheless great enjoyment had.
    Thanks Jay and 2Ks.

  32. NE hung fire but the rest was largely pain-free. 1a and 26a Favs. Stupidly 7d was unparsed by me. Thank you Jay and the 2Kiwis – enjoy your warmth it’s Arctic here even down South in W. Sussex.

  33. Morning all.
    Obviously the talking-to our proofreader had last week did the trick and no gremlins sneaked through this time.
    Looks like our good weather is still holding and hope it continues for the weekend when we will be away.
    Cheers.

  34. This was not a walk in the park but I did enjoy the challenge. I had trouble with some unravelling, 5d in particular but enough said about that. My fave was 7d, “ratings” gave me the second word, then the first slotted in with a grin. Runner up was 26a, funny how many times that philosopher gets an airing. Honourable mention must go to 23a.
    Thanks to Jay and to the 2Kiwis for explaining so much.

  35. 2/4. Enjoyable solve with my favourite straight out of the gates 1a. A few pen sucking moments delayed me for a while but got there in the end. Thanks to the setter and the 2Ks.

  36. It took me a while to get going with today’s puzzle but I gathered speed along the way. Found it difficult to parse some clues and grateful for the hints. Many thanks to Jay and the 2Kiwis.

  37. Just a suggestion for the parsing of 5d …
    “rent” = let out, “out” = anagram indicator, “studies” = RE …
    and many thanks to the setter and the 2Ks.

        1. In your parsing ‘out’ is doing double duty and you’re also in ‘indirect anagram’ territory, i.e. your parsing requires an anagram of something that’s not in the clue.

  38. I think I did the best I’ve ever done on a Jay puzzle, so pretty pleased at this end. I couldn’t pull 12a out of my head even though it was an anagram. One of those puzzles where the checkers really helped. And yes, so much better than yesterday’s.

  39. Favourited 1a and 7d. Thanks all for the explanation of studies in 5d – had me confused for a while

  40. Another slog, this week is not looking good. I’m rarely on the same wavelength as Jay, today was no exception. Thanks to all concerned I’m of to stick my head under the cold water tap.

  41. Re 5down, and apols if someone has already suggested this as no time to read thru all comments above…
    The re,let and out bits are fine imo, so clue solved!
    ..the ‘risky’ part in the clue could be relating to ‘russian roulette’ maybe?

  42. Good evening

    D N F today, and had to rely on 2Kiwis here to put me out of my misery re 10a, 11a, and 8d. I could have guessed the answers to 10a and 8d but didn’t understand the workings-out!

    Thank you very much 2Ks and to our setter. Goodnight!

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