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DT 30278

by 2Kiwis  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30278

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

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

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

The rain forecast for today was late arriving so we were able to have our regular beach and estuary walk before settling down to solve and blog.

We found today’s puzzle quite gentle but heaps of fun to solve.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Argue son needs to get into puzzles (5,6)
CROSS SWORDS : Puzzles, like the one you are working on now contain S(on).

7a     Favouring Miss Doone, almost without hope (7)
FORLORN : A three letter word meaning favouring, then the first name of R.D. Blackmore’s Miss Doone loses its last letter.

8a     Overkeen supporter in fact heading for Arsenal ground (7)
FANATIC : An anagram (ground) of IN FACT and the first letter of Arsenal.

10a     Leaving out nothing, given important task (8)
OMISSION : The letter that looks like zero or nothing and an important task or assignment.

11a     Choice of work not holding one back (6)
OPTION : A two letter artistic work, then the reversal of ‘not’ from the clue contains Roman numeral one.

13a     Chap releasing cry of pain took a tumble (4)
FELL : Start with a synonym for a chap and remove a two letter cry of pain from this.

14a     Speculator in futures has awfully large torso (10)
ASTROLOGER : An anagram (awfully) of LARGE TORSO.

16a     Most miserable in Spain, het up when travelling (10)
UNHAPPIEST : An anagram (when travelling) of SPAIN HET UP.

18a     Great bronze picture frames (4)
EPIC : A lurker, hiding in the clue.

21a     Singers sounded out notes (6)
TENORS : A homophone for a denomination of folding money.

22a     Detective inspector arresting country’s old statesman (8)
DISRAELI : The abbreviation for a Detective Inspector surrounds a Mediterranean country.

24a     Vagabond‘s foot less damp on the outside (7)
DRIFTER : The abbreviation for foot as a measure is inside a word meaning less damp.

25a    Figure boy must admit current stress (7)
TENSION : A figure or number, then a male offspring contains the physics symbol for current.

26a     Oddly, German’s someone buying a little green jumper (11)
GRASSHOPPER : The first, third , fifth and seventh letters of German’s, then someone making a retail purchase.

Down

1d     I’m surprised face is friendly (7)
CORDIAL : A three letter expression of surprise and then a clock or watch face.

2d     Musician loves catching prelude from Bach first (6)
OBOIST : Two appearances of the letter representing tennis score love surround the first letter of Bach, then ‘first’ written as a Roman numeral and two letters.

3d     If you don’t succeed, you’ll fail — as you may in the pools? (4,2,4)
SINK OR SWIM : These pools are literal rather than betting ones.

4d     Yarn in The Telegraph and another newspaper (4)
WEFT : A pronoun suggesting association with The Telegraph plus the pink newspaper.

5d     Can opener call on kind of cricket shot? (4,4)
RING PULL : Call on the telephone, then a type of ungainly cricket shot.

6d     The compiler’s work environment (7)
SETTING : A double definition.

7d     Went wrong when serving cooked tofu with old feta (11)
FOOTFAULTED : An anagram (cooked) of TOFU and OLD FETA.

9d     Legal agreement, one dealing with labour movement? (11)
CONTRACTION : A type of legal agreement, then Roman numeral one and a two letter word meaning dealing with.

12d     Working out script with old ham from Italy (10)
PROSCIUTTO : An anagram (working) of OUT SCRIPT plus O(ld).

15d     Tailor to repeat light work (8)
OPERETTA : An anagram (tailor) of TO REPEAT.

17d     People get suspended receiving this punishment? (7)
HANGING : A rather grisly cryptic definition.

19d     Leader about to interrupt Sunak? That is right (7)
PREMIER : The two letters for about or referring to are inside the post held by Sunak. Then the abbreviation for the Latin ‘that is’ and R(ight).

20d     Cases of player even winning in deal made before match (6)
PRENUP : The outside letters of the third and fourth words of the clue, then winning or ahead.

23d     Flag Alexa’s competitor raised (4)
IRIS : The reversal of Alexa’s Apple equivalent.

Quickie pun    know    +    grate    +    sheikhs    =    no great shakes

84 comments on “DT 30278”

  1. Pretty plain sailing for a Wednesday. Had to look in the dictionary to check if my answer to 12d was kosher, and pleased to say it was.
    Other than that, a fairly vanilla puzzle with the only standout for me being the diminutive 4d, very clever. Thanks to our setter today.

      1. People working for the Daily Telegraph could perhaps describe themselves as ‘we’ – we people who work for the DT

        1. As in the setter works for the DT? Still struggling to make the jump from pronoun to newspaper. I am sorry to be so dense – I do actually remember weft and warp threads from waaaaay back in time so I got the answer quickly, but it bugs me when I can’t parse things properly!

          2. The competing newspaper organizations would think of each other as “we” and “they”. In the answer, the setter refers to the organization to which he belongs as “we”.

  3. Light but quality through and through, starting with the clever 1a which is joined on my podim by 15d with the excellent 9d taking top spot.
    Many thanks to the setter (Robyn I’m guessing) and The Ks.

  4. Very pleasant and well within the remit for a BP. Last in was 4d because I could not see the association with the DT and still not sure I fully get it.
    Thx to all
    **/***

  5. I’m a happy bunny today as I managed this one unaided despite initially panicking that I would need to know something about cricket and a name for a football stadium. For me this was easier than the last 2 days to get into. I needed to check the hints for 4d which I am still not exactly sure about.
    22a reminded me of my many visits to Hughendon Manor, the home of Disraeli, which also has an interesting section all about the secret map making that went on there in WW2 to aid the RAF with their attacks. My favourite was 1a and I always like having a few anagrams!

    many thanks to the 2kiwis and the setter

  6. Just what the doctor ordered for a back pager, Brian, as you say. It was most enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed 14a, 26a, 1a and 7d. Thanks to the Kiwis for the hints and to the compiler.

  7. Lots of amusing solves here including 1a (my COTD as well) 1d and 6d. The six anagrams and the lurker helped. Gentle for a Wednesday but that is never an issue for me! Sun peeking out now in Tavistock. Thanks the 2K’s and the setter for £3 well spent although there isn’t much news of interest these days so just as well our puzzle is worth it.

  8. So, a Thursday lite.
    Pleasing nevertheless.
    Wavelengths in sync.
    Many a smile eg 1 and 7a
    And especially, the clever 4d.
    Only hesitation 7d, but the checking letters greatly assisted a correct guess.
    In many dictionaries it is a two letter word.
    Thanks to the setter and to the 2Kiwis.

  9. Whew, how nice to get one finished after the last two days of DNF. Although did refer to my BRB, I didn’t need the hints and finished in good time to get other things done around the house, which will relieve my DH no end! Many thanks to the compiler and the 2Kiwis.

  10. Completely disagree with Tipcat’s ‘fairly vanilla’ assessment. Ok it was gentle but like Stephen thought it quality from first to last. Pips yesterday’s Dada puzzle as best of the week thus far for me & wouldn’t be surprised if it is a Robyn production. Like Brian I’m not entirely sure I get the DT bit at 4d either but the answer was obvious unlike the spelling of the delicious 12d which always gives pause for thought. Ticks aplenty – 2,7,12&23d plus14a particular likes. Thought the Quickie a wee bit tougher than normal.
    Thanks to the setter & 2Ks

  11. Enjoyable puzzle although I wasn’t sure about the seemingly mixed tenses used in 10a. 26a always reminds me of the old TV series with the novice learning from his tutor and 9d reminds me of something I’d prefer to forget!
    Top three for me were 1&7a plus 1d.

    Thanks to our setter and to our 2Ks for the review – hope you saw all the expected avian friends on your estuary walk?

    2. Hi Jane

      I think 10a works okay. ‘The leaving out of Harry Kane was controversial.’

      A perfect midweek challenge that was lots of fun with a nice grid. It’s pretty hard to see past 9d for the top dog (an excellent clue) with 7d and 9d making up the podium.

      3*/4*

      2. See where you’re coming from, Tom, but surely the definition would have to be ‘the leaving out’ rather than just ‘leaving out’?

        1. If you substitute ‘leaving out’ with the answer to 10a in the example I gave, it works…

          The leaving out of Harry Kane was controversial.

          The 10a of Harry Kane was controversial.

          1. But you still have to get a ‘the’ into the equation and that isn’t given in the clue.

            1. There isn’t a ‘the’ in the answer though, Jane, so they balance out.

              If “the X” is a synonym for “the Y” then a clue for just X yields an answer of just Y, surely?

  12. Solved in a bit of a brain fog at the end of a very busy day (they don’t happen very often these days) – **/***

    Favourite – a toss-up between 7a and 1d – and the winner is 7a.

    Thanks to the setter, I’m sure it should have been more enjoyable than I thought it was, and to the 2Kiwis.

  13. My comment was displayed as requiring moderation & now vanished altogether. Can’t be bothered to rewrite so suffice to say quality puzzle (Robyn I’m guessing)
    Thanks setter & 2Ks

    1. No Huntsman, it is there at no 10. Or should I say in Cruciverbial manner ‘in Sunak’s residence.’

      1. That’s probably because I did something in the background to ‘unapprove’ and then approve them again.

    2. I’m not sure what is going on with your comments – all the details match your previous comments so I don’t understand why you are vanishing. I’m hoping replying to this one will put it back on the page

  14. Loved this one, obviously I finished it or would not have made that remark, too many likes to choose a favourite. Thanks to all

  15. Wednesday’s child is full of woe, but that is due to attending Stamford Bridge last night for the last spark of Chelsea’s awful season to be extinguished by the workmanlike performance of Real Madrid. Poor old Frank Lampard must wonder what he has let himself in for…

    I’m standing alongside Brian and Chris today in feeling this was a fun puzzle/guzzle to solve.

    Thanks to the setter and The TwoKays.

    1. At least they went down fighting which is all you can ask. The last title was on the back of a Europe-less season so you never know what’s round the corner!!

    3. I thought they played well in the first half. What they need up front is man with urticaria crossing a river!
      I agree about the crossword, a good Wednesday treat. Thankyou Kiwis and setter.

  16. That was nicely challenging. Liked 11a, 3d and 19d in no particular order. We in 4d just parsable. Thank you Mysteron and the 2Kiwis.

  17. A very enjoyable puzzle (with the possible exception of 17d) – thanks to the setter and 2Ks.
    My plaudits went to 8a, 5d and 9d.

  18. Decent Wednesday fare with no cause for delay other than fathoming the anagram in 7d – such an ungainly word, I think I’d rather have the tofu and old feta, thanks! Otherwise pretty solid, with special mentions to 3d, 5d, 12d and COTD 7a.

    2 / 3

    Thank you to the setter and to the 2Ks

  19. Managed to complete this one, though had to resort to Big Dave for four of the clues which, thanks to the blogger, I was able to solve after reading. A few things I was puzzled by: Flag=Iris and “pull” being a cricket term. I have not heard of footfaulting. I have also never heard of Lorna Doone. I’m assuming it’s one of those so called “Classics” that people only claimed to have read to make themselves appeared more cultured. You know, like Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Give me Stephen King any day. 🤣

    A nice puzzle that I rather enjoyed.

    Difficulty **/***
    Enjoyment ****

    1. The garden plant Iris is also referred to as Flag. Don’t knock the classics – during WW2 and beyond very few new books were published and if you were a bookworm you devoured everything, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, The Wide, Wide World, all of Dickens, Harrison Ainsworth – The Tower of London etc etc.

      1. I also read Lorna Doone and loved it. The son of good friends of mine went to Blundells, so interesting to see the school of a teenager’s book in real life. I had thought it was fiction.

        1. My mother loved Lorna Doone and, as a late 60s child born near Exmoor I was very nearly called ‘Jan’ after young Rydd. Phew, bullet dodged.

          Wonderful book, and there was a cracking BBC radio adaptation a while back. Nowt wrong with the classics – after all, they’re classics for a reason!

            1. I do know a chap called Carver… a big bruiser from a farming family, stands his ground and fond of a drink or three!

        2. Mama Bee is named after RD Blackmore’s heroine, and as a long retired midwife she was familiar with the 9d labour movement too. It was almost a crossword for Lorna!

    2. Footfault is a tennis term when the server’s foot crosses the line (also used in other sports). Lorna Doone is a classic but nothing like Crime and Punishment, more like a Thomas Hardy novel. I read it as a teenager, so not hard work to read at all, but maybe a little too femine for a young lad

      1. We had to do Thomas Hardy at school, and it put me off him for life. When staying in a delightful B&B in West Stanford, Dorset one year the locals were very proud of him, and I couldn’t bring myself to say I didn’t like his books. But did enjoy seeing Julian Fellowes and his wife enjoying lunch in the local pub there.

  20. A DNF for me as I have never heard of the word in 4d, and I couldn’t work out the wordplay, so ending up bunging in “waft”.
    Like Mike above I’m also struggling with Flag = Iris, so any further explanation of that greatly received.
    Aside from those blips, I found this an enjoyable solve, with 9d being my favourite.
    Thanks to all

  21. 1.5*/4*. A nice, fun, not too taxing puzzle with 8d my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks.

  22. Very pleasant exercise today – almost as good as one of Terence’s Lovely Walks – a stroll in the park. 1d is my favourite. I was slightly unnerved thinking I needed to know where Arsenal play, if I were on Mastermind I think I would say Emirates but as it began with an F from weft (goes hand in hand with warp to produce cloth) I would have entered Fulham. I’m just a girl. Now do I bestir myself to go to a U3A lecture on Tesco packaging or potter? Big decision. Huge thanks to Messrs Setter and Kiwis.

  23. Well, it would seem Wednesdays are a mix of setters still, but I have no idea who it may be this week. Overall a nice puzzle to tackle.
    No real difficulties other than a new word for me in 4d, but I managed to work it out with Mr G. with the two letters I had from the across answers.

    2.5*/3.5* for me.

    Lots to choose from for favourites including 1a, 21a, 22a, 6d & 23d with winner 23d and with 22a a close runner-up, even though a regular chestnut. I still like it.
    Laughs from 1a, 21a, 26a, 3d & 5d

    Thanks to setter and the 2K’s

  24. When I first looked at this I found it almost impenetrable (think that is wrong spelling) but slowly it came together. LOI 12d as I was looking for a very bad Italian actor. COTD 1a. Many thanks to the setter and 2 Ks

  25. A workmanlike solve whilst sunning myself in the garden. 26d caused most angst, as to me that’s more of an abbreviation, and even with checkers didn’t look like any word fitted. Thanks to all.

  26. I felt I might have seen 1ac before somewhere, or indeed in several places elsewhere! However it was a fun solve. Very easy, but with the quality we have come to expect from the DT’s daily offerings.

  27. Another happy bunny here, with the perfect puzzle for me. A little difficult to get into, but once I had a handful penned in I was off and running. In the end I was stumped with just three, and then bingo, they revealed themselves. Big thanks to the setter, keep them coming!

    Talking of bunnies, we seems to have a resident Peter Cottontail who visits each evening for his dinner. So far he is only eating the grass or groundcover plants (which need trimming every 5 minutes anyway) so we are enjoying watching him through the kitchen window. He’s rather more attractive than the iguanas or armadillos 😊.

    1. I rather like the idea of iguanas and armadillos wandering through the garden – it would certainly make my spaniels sit up and take notice!

  28. I’m just getting into doing cryptics and pleased that I got almost all of this one without assistance (and I missed a pretty standard lurker which unlocked the remaining clues). Definitely more beginner-friendly than yesterday’s was with clues that were easier to unpick

    1. Welcome to the blog, Matts.
      Now that you’ve introduced yourself I hope you’ll become a regular commenter.

  29. A really excellent puzzle with such neat clues – the Alexa one got me though! Thanks setter and 2Ks

  30. Good fun today, made up for the last couple of days. I shot myself in the foot with the wrong ending of 9d, so 25a was a DNF. I had never heard of the 15d work, I googled and found it easily enough. So much to enjoy, I liked 22a, that was the name of my house at school! However, I’m choosing 7a because of the lovely book.
    Thank you setter, may we have more? Thanks to 2Kiwis for unravelling some, particularly 4d!

  31. I solved this after breakfast this morning before driving to Birmingham for a concert. Now in Worcester for the first home game of the new cricket season starting tomorrow. I cannot remember too much about the puzzle other than it didn’t take long, yet still very entertaining.

    Thanks to our setter and the 2Ks.

  33. Morning all.
    Looks like most people coped with this one much as we did.
    Hope the setter pops in to acknowledge authorship.
    Cheers,

  34. Well I’ve been absent for a while with dreadful cold – not Covid- also granny duties in the Easter holidays so am struggling with this crossword- thanks to 2ks and setter. I’m hoping RC is feeling better- haven’t seen a comment from you in a while. I’m not reading at the moment- although I’ve started Hot Water by a favourite author Christopher Fowler – can’t seem to absorb information- very upsetting but will persevere with cryptic crosswords and fingers crossed that I revive the little grey cells sooner rather than later!

  35. As straightforward as the come although I did have to check 12d as it seems to me that there are nearly as many types of Italian ham as there are types of pasta. Enjoyable diversion from the toughie which I’m not faring as well on. Favourite was 14a. Thanks to the setter and 2K’s.

  36. A straightforward one today. Faves 1a and 26a.
    9d Daisygirl comment 😂😂
    Thanks all.

  37. Knocked myself out today at the Antiques Fair and at the gym so was glad of a straightforward puzzle. Many thanks to all it must be very hard work .

  38. Thank you to the setter for such a fun and accessible crossword. I had help with a few of the anagrams, but otherwise straightforward with no obscure vocabulary or stretched synonyms. I think that I’d recommend Wednesdays (or at least every other Wednesday?) over Mondays to somebody getting into cryptic crosswords.

    I did like the 4 long ones round the edge of the grid, a couple of which went in straight away, with the others requiring crossing letters. My favourite was 7a, though I’m not sure why I’ve heard of Miss Doone — I’ve certainly never read it! Thanks to the Kiwis and the commentors above.

  39. 2*/5* …..
    liked the grisly 17D “People get suspended receiving this punishment? (7)”

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