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DT 30210

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30210

Hints and tips by Falcon

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BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Ottawa, where we are awaiting the arrival of the blast of frigid weather that Senf mentioned yesterday. Thankfully, it is forecast to have moderated considerably by the time it reaches us.

Today’s puzzle from Campbell progressed fairly rapidly until slowed by a handful at the end.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.

Across

7a   Fling with hard short unscrupulous type (7)
SHYSTER — fling or throw (where the target might be a coconut) and a word meaning hard or severe without its final letter (short)

9a   What mountaineer may seek to maintain crossing face of Everest (7)
TOEHOLD — TO from the clue and another term for maintain or assert bookend the initial letter (face) of EVEREST

10a   Part of a film about British anti-establishment figure (5)
REBEL — a physical portion of a motion picture (from the days when they were actually produced on film) wrapped around the single letter for British

11a   Idols sang high for musical effect (9)
GLISSANDO — an anagram (high) of the first two words in the clue

12a   Filming golf spectators in range (8,7)
SHOOTING GALLERY — another term for filming a motion picture and the name for spectators at a golf tournament

13a   Away representing Millwall, initially not playing well (3,4)
OFF FORM — a charade of away or out of the office, a word meaning representing or on behalf of, and the initial letter of MILLWALL

16a   Prize wine shattered when shared out (7)
ROSETTE — a light pink wine and what remains after SHARED is stripped from SHATTERED

19a   Unrestrained and violent action amazingly handled — no doubt by director, ultimately (5-3-7)
BLOOD AND THUNDER — an anagram (amazingly) of the following three words beside (by) the final letter of DIRECTOR

23a   Natural at spinning, tropical spider (9)
TARANTULA — an anagram (spinning) of the first two words in the clue

24a   The King altered lives (5)
ELVIS — an anagram (altered) of LIVES

25a   Beginning or ending of mountain climb (7)
NASCENT — the final letter of MOUNTAIN and a noun meaning climb

26a   Source of wisdom, underground worker, Victor, with answer (7)
MINERVA — an underground worker (a collier, perhaps), the letter represented by Victor in the NATO alphabet, and the single letter for answer

Down

1d   English crowd inside like this coffee (8)
ESPRESSO — the single letter for English and then another name for a crowd inside a word meaning like this (‟I want it done just **‟)

2d   Knife fight about it upset learner driver (8)
STILETTO — a fight or argument containing a reversal of IT and the usual symbol for a learner driver

3d   Imaginary creature — draw one missing tail (6)
DRAGON — draw or pull and ONE with its final letter deleted (missing tail)

4d   Stand below with sly type (6)
WEASEL — a painter’s stand following (below in a down clue) the single letter for with

5d   Pessimistic county defeated (8)
DOWNBEAT — a county in Northern Ireland and another word for defeated

6d   Hostile about Diane, Oscar shows extreme foolishness (6)
IDIOCY — coldly hostile enveloping the diminutive for Diane and the letter represented by Oscar in the NATO alphabet

8d   Old boy imprisoned by silly boy, lout (5)
YOBBO — the abbreviation for old boy contained in an anagram (silly) of BOY

9d   Set off in time, ahead of scaffolder (7)
TRIGGER — a physicist’s symbol for time preceding a worker who erects scaffolding

14d   Wave when tea’s ready across lake? (8)
FLOURISH — the approximate time for the serving of tea containing the cartographer’s abbreviation for lake

15d   Search staff nurse, at first in cabin (7)
MANHUNT — to engage or deploy personnel followed by the initial letterof NURSE inside a humble abode

17d   Dessert wine and nuts are dished out on base (8)
SAUTERNE — an anagram (dished out) of NUTS ARE followed by (on in a down clue) the usual mathematical base

18d   Eastern celebrity catching our cracking train (8)
EUROSTAR — start with the single letter for Eastern and another term for a celebrity; then wrap this around (catching) an anagram (cracking) of OUR

19d   Important to keep can very cold (6)
BITING — a word meaning important or major contains (to keep) a can one might find on their pantry shelf

20d   Fellow leading ass (6)
DONKEY — a university fellow and leading or vital

21d   Seeing union’s leader boarding streetcar, a shock (6)
TRAUMA — the initial letter of UNION contained in (boarding) the word sum of a streetcar and the A from the clue

22d   Daughter having extra port (5)
DOVER — the genealogical abbreviation for daughter and extra or surplus

I will award clue of the day to 16a for holding out to the end.


Quickie Pun (Top Row): CELLAR + FEIGN = CELLOPHANE

Quickie Pun (Middle Row): APP + RAISE + KEY = APRÈS-SKI

Quickie Pun (Bottom Row) : BRAKE + STEPPE = BREAK STEP


69 comments on “DT 30210

  1. 1.5*/4*. This provided a gentle and fun start to the week with 14d my favourite along with the top and middle Quickie puns.

    Many thanks to Falcon and to Campbell.

  2. For me the best Monday for quite a while, very enjoyable indeed……but was Campbell feeling a bit 5d when he set it I wonder? There are some pretty negative characters in there, 23a plus 3,4,8&20d.
    Puzzle was top-notch, if a little straightforward, with my winners being 9&25a plus 14&15d.
    Many thanks to the setter and Falcon

  3. Got there in the end after a couple of parsing issues.

    **/****

    Fav 23a, LOI 14d.

    Thanks to Campbell & Falcon.

  4. A very good start to the week. 9a, 24a and 14d were my favourites although as a trombonist 11a also warrants a mention. Thanks to today’s setter and Falcon.

  5. A very enjoyable start to the week – thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
    I ticked 16a, 3d and 4d but my favourite has to be 14d.

  6. Friendly Monday.
    Neatly clued.
    Last in 17d, inexcusable as it was an anagram, added the .5 to my 1.5* time.
    Smiled at 14d
    15d my Podium winner.
    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  7. Top notch Monday offering, with some excellent clueing. No real hold-ups, but, for me, just enough head scratching to make it enjoyable. I especially liked 9a, 19a, for the cleverly disguised anagram, 6d, 14d and my LOI 4d, for the misleading word play and therefore my COTD. Thanks, as always, to Campbell and Falcon

  8. Nice puzzle to start the non-working week with no problems to report.
    Tops for me were 12a & 14d.

    Thanks to Campbell who I guess must be due back home very soon and to Falcon as he prepares for a dose of Senf’s bad weather.

  9. A eell-balanced, approachable puzzle with a few head scratchers to titillate the kittle grey brain cells. Favourites were 9a, which was a nicely sneaky ceyptic definition, 14a, which had great misdirection and 7a, a nice construction. Thanks to Campbell for an enjoyable crossword, and to Falcon for the hints

  10. It’s Monday :good: It’s Campbell :good: 1.5*/4.5*

    Candidates for favourite, plenty to choose from, but I will limit myself to these – 12a, 26a, 4d, and 22d – and the winner is 12a.

    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  11. That was so satisfying to fathom and good fun too. I am learning all sorts of new musical terminology thanks to DT Cryptic with another acquired today. Bunged in a completely wrong 18d solution which took no account of train so thanks Falcon for putting me straight on that one. North won over South. My Fav was 14d – tee hee! Thank you to Campbell for the amusement and to Falcon mainly for 18d.

  12. The best Campbell in some time, I think, with some nicely devious clueing throughout, perhaps a bit tougher than the usual Monday fare but all the better for that. 14d quickly rose to the top of the podium with 9a, 25a, 16a, & 4d jockeying for the other big prizes. I really enjoyed this one, so thanks to Campbell for the entertainment and to Falcon for the review. **/****

  13. Super puzzle – indeed both cryptic and quick were a cut above the average, I felt – to accompany a late morning double 1d. Not duff clue in sight, with a myriad ticks on the page afterwards: MIDs to 7, 9, & 19 (great surface for an anagram) across, 4, 9, and 21 (a real laugh out loud moment for that surface!) down. Cannot decide between 16a and 14d for COTD.

    1* / 4*

    Many thanks to Campbell for a wonderful and amusing challenge, and to Falcon for the review

  14. Enjoyed this one but felt it slightly trickier than recent Mondays. Stand-outs include: 9a and 16a were clever, 19a was well disguised but my winners-16a goes to 14d for originality.

    TY to Campbell and Falcon **/***

  15. Lovely crossword to start the week. I enjoyed the deliciously Wodehousian 14d. The north east corner on the Scottish borders were the last couple to go in (9a, and 6d).

    Thank you Daisy – we did indeed have a splendid luncheon, at the Plough in Eastbury, just outside Lambourn. We are both vegetarian (and vegan when we can), and we enjoyed the best nut roast ever. A lovely experience and we would definitely go back again.
    Lovely to hear you had such a smashing time with your family.

    Thanks to the splendid Campbell and the equally marvellous Bird Of Prey From Canada

    Farewell to Tom Verlaine.

  16. A **/**** for me too, nicely clued throughout and like others my stand out clues were 9a and 16a.
    Remembered 26a from somewhere.
    Top draw from .our setter and Falcon

  17. A great start to the week although the NE corner caused a holdup for quite a time. Sp many clues to like I couldn’t pick a favourite so I will just mention a few. 1a raised smile as did 9a. I thought 22d was especially neat and concise. %d beat me for quite a time for the simple reason I did not consider Irish counties and must have gone through all the English ones before a huge circular metal object crashed to the kitchen floor.

    Many thanks, Campbell for the fun. Huge thanks to Falcon for the hints.

    Perks has discovered the bird table outside the kitchen window and spends a lot of time sitting on the window sill watching them. He’ll get a shock if he jumps up at them and hits the glass!.

        1. Most definitely, Merusa. He has even pushed Hudson out of his favoured spot. Mind you, Hudson is planning revenge!

  18. An enjoyable start to the week with a number of clues that required a bit of thought but ultimately didn’t hold me up too much. Listening to an artist new to me today – Chantel McGregor – who has immediately struck a chord with covers of Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer and one of my fav Fleetwood Mac tracks, Gold Dust Woman. Highly recommended for background crossword solving music. Never heard of my LOI 11a which was an obvious bung in from the letters but having googled it I suspect that Chantel utilises the technique. COTD for me 12a.

    1. She’s double headlining with Elles Bailey (also excellent) on Sun Feb 5th at the Stables in Milton Keynes. Have seen them both a number of times & would have gone if not away.

      1. And also appearing at The Half Moon in Putney at the end of March. Hence why I am giving her a listen. Have been to The Stables btw – comfy seats!

  19. A most enjoyable and satisfying solve that was just on the right side of tricky to keep the interest going throughout the solve. I did not have to look beyond the excellent 14d for a favourite clue.

    Many thanks to our triple punner and Falcon.

  20. Enjoyed this more than this rather cold climb in Torquay on Saturday – recalled due to the mountain clues within. Managed it as a */*** whereas Diamond Rib was more of a ****/*!

    Thanks to Falcon and Campbell for steady Monday fare.

      1. No – Meadfoot Quarry about a mile South of Redgate where the routes are a tad harder at Anstey’s Cove.

        1. That brought back memories! I climbed Diamond Rib a while back but it was on a rather more balmy June day!
          I have found memories of Meadfoot Beach, my grandparents lived in Torquay and my grandfather would fill water bottles for his daily glass of spring water from the spring in the wall by the beach. All dried up last time I was there (probably capped for health and safety reasons!).

  21. Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, the top half went in quickly, but got held up with the bottom half for a while. Had “bitter” for 19d initially, but once corrected, all fell into place. I liked 14d & 25a, the latter was LOI. Favourite was 20d. Was 2* /4* for me.

  22. Good start to the non-work week with this Campbell puzzle. Relatively straightforward with no words to scare the horses.

    2*/3.5* for me

    Favourites include 9a, 12a, 19a, 24a, 6d, 14d & 15d — with winner 24a.
    My wife, (girlfriend at the time), and I got to see him in 1976 in Seattle for the princely sum of $15.00 a ticket. I was able to take my SLR film camera into the Seattle venue and take pictures. So awesome! We had stage side seats too.
    A concert I will never forget.

    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon for hints.

      1. Super photograph, conveying atmosphere in a way that ‘footage’ captured on a mobile phone rarely achieves. And with the SLR limiting the number of possible pictures, you got to enjoy the concert rather than being one of the many who today would be concentrating much harder on holding their phone screen stable. What a wonderful memento to have.

  23. Also thought this the best Monday puzzle in a while. Certainly far more enjoyable than the rubbish golf I played earlier which failed to match even my low expectations. Another vote for 14d as pick of a fine bunch with 25a runner up & ticks for 5&12a plus 6&15d.
    Thanks to Campbell & Falcon

    1. Just caught up with your last two comments from Joburg. Glad your 1st C flight was so enjoyable! We have a new HBO series over here, ‘The Last of Us’, which you must try to watch at some point. Last night’s 3rd episode just rewrote television history, I would opine, and the early reviews are something to behold. Jimmy and I had to watch it a second time to believe what we had just seen the first time around.

      I see that you’re not very far from Eswatini. Care to give us an update? Well maybe not. Anyway, enjoy your golf!

  24. Founds parts of this very tricky. Needed the hints to explain my answers to 4d, 5d, 14d and 19d none of which made much sense to me. Not much fun as far as I was concerned, far too wordy and clumsy.
    ***/*
    Thx for the hints

  25. I read the comments expecting to see nothing but ‘how easy was that’, since unusually for me I completed it with a few struggles but without any help. Very heartening to see I was not alone.

    I don’t usually record a favourite clue but 14d shone out, and made me laugh.

    Many thanks to setter and Falcon

  26. Last one in was 17d. I struggled because I had always thought the correct spelling had an ‘s’ on the end.

    1. You and me both with 17d, Trigger. Welcome to the blog and I hope we see more of your comments. :good:

  27. Just right for a Monday for once. Add us to the 14d list for favourite, there were other candidates. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  28. Trickier than the usual Monday, but enjoyable too. I thought this was harder than Dada yesterday. South didn’t present any problems, but the NE was my downfall. I also had the wrong answer in 8d, so that held me up for a bit. Last in was 16a, and I had to use e-help for 9d, I had all the checkers so that was a bit dim. I have to mention 24a, all right, I date myself, but I melt when he sings ballads with his bedroom voice, “for the good times” comes to mind, I must play it again on utube. Fave was, along with everyone else, 14d!
    Thank you Campbell for the fun and Falcon for unravelling a few.

  29. Managed to do this one, but found it a but if a struggle, as I often do on Mondays. Didn’t need the excellent hints .

    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon…..I do not envy your temperatures…..feeling it chilly here at +6C.

  30. I really enjoyed today’s puzzle and a brilliant start to the cross-wording week. Liked so many clues. My only hold up was 25a which I hadn’t fully parsed until reading the hints. Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  31. I’m very late because I was at lunch with Mary Archer. How’s that for a name drop? We are related by cat – there were four Somalis in the litter, we had two and Mary & Jeffrey had the other two. Big Bond, but sadly all four long gone. Some very nice clues here, too many to mention but I think I have to say The King was favourite. So simple. Many thanks to the setter and Falcon.

    1. I trump your Mary Archer, DG with my interview of Lord Archer in his penthouse overlooking the Thames. 😎

    2. I acted for her husband once when I worked in London as lawyer on a property purchase and very much enjoyed visiting his pad overlooking Westminster. He gifted me a rather special Krug which I can still recall the taste of🍾🍾!

      1. Krug, NAS? All I got was orange juice!

        Terence, I’m sorry but it had bits.

        Mind you, when I interviewed Cliff Michelmore he told me about Lord Archer’s “Shepherds Pie and Krug” parties. The first glass was Krug but the rest was Sainsbury’s own. 🍾

  32. Great puzzle today, I will join the chorus in praising 14d from a very strong field. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  33. Very easy this one for me, but a nice solving experience. Loved the ‘surround’ element in 14D.

    Many thanks setter and Falcon.

  34. Good evening
    DNF, I’m sorry to say, so thank you Falcon for the answers to 9a, 16a, and 9d. My “Crikey! Of the Day” had to be 14d!

  35. Top notch yesterday. Only just got round to reporting. I never commented on Saturday’s which was sublime. This one went in smoothly with only a little hesitation in the NE. No trouble with the parsingg save for 7 an and I didn’t know the word for golf spectators. Fav ou rites 13 and 16a and 4 6 14 and 18d. Thanks Campbell and Falcon.

  36. It’s about time I commented after a year of stalking this incredible blog. I am learning so much. At 73 this is keeping the brain cells from disappearing! In 21d not sure about ‘sum is a streetcar’. Isn’t this just ‘TRAM’?

    1. Welcome to the blog, Nigel. Now that you’ve de-lurked I hope you’ll become a regular commenter.

      Falcon is using the term “word sum” to mean a charade or a joining together of elements, in this case joining TRAM (streetcar) and A.

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