Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30428
Hints and tips by 2Kiwis
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Kia ora from Aotearoa.
The election process still has another three days to run so once again this blog is being put together at the end of day spent issuing ballot papers.
Another enjoyable solve for us.
Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Respect wizard after half an hour (6)
HOMAGE : The first two letters of hour and then a wizard or sorcerer.
4a Currently playing well, Arsenal’s wingers relaxed (8)
INFORMAL : A 2,4 phrase meaning currently playing well is followed by the first and last letters of Arsenal.
9a Sharp article, material for The Scotsman? (6)
TARTAN : Sharp as a taste may be, and a version of the indefinite article.
10a New trend in consuming very convenient food (2,6)
TV DINNER : An anagram (new) of TREND IN contains V(ery).
11a Triple drink for a dance (3-3-3)
CHA-CHA-CHA : Britain’s favourite national non-alcoholic drink written thrice.
13a Dealing with sound German car heading for Osnabruck (5)
AUDIO : The German car with four rings as a symbol and then the first letter of Osnabruck.
14a Cooler product used by cockney coiffeuse? (3-11)
AIR-CONDITIONER : A product used by a coiffeuse without the letter that cockneys tend to drop.
17a Gossips trashed lead congressman dropping ecstasy (14)
SCANDALMONGERS : An anagram (trashed) of L(e)AD CONGRESSMAN without one of its E(cstasy)s.
21a After beer, kiss a helper for computer users (5)
ALEXA : Three letter beer, then the letter used in a message to represent kiss, and ‘A’ from the clue.
23a Person generating much interest left Noah’s rebuilt boat (4,5)
LOAN SHARK : The abbreviation for left and an anagram (rebuilt) of NOAHS and the appropriate boat.
24a Force out and criticise group of freemasons (8)
DISLODGE : Criticise or pan, and the collective noun for a group of freemasons.
25a Trouble afoot, The Pilgrim’s Progress author said (6)
BUNION : A homophone of the name of the author of Pilgrim’s Progress.
26a Ponder nature rambles around big road (8)
RUMINATE : An anagram (rambles) of NATURE contains UK’s major thoroughfare.
27a Typically, mere jokers to some extent backing Corbyn? (6)
JEREMY : A reverse lurker, hiding in the clue.
Down
1d Like complex gadgets, with problem conserving energy (2-4)
HI-TECH : A problem or snag contains E(nergy).
2d Cocktail and kind of pizza picked up (9)
MARGARITA : A homophone of a common type of pizza.
3d Very vivid, good hip-hop which gets uncovered (7)
GRAPHIC : The abbreviation for good, then an alternate name for hip-hop music and the central three letters (uncovered) of ‘which’.
5d Sporting legend bats at Oval, vain when bagging runs (11)
NAVRATILOVA : An anagram (bats) of AT OVAL VAIN contains the cricket abbreviation for runs.
6d Asian art found in Thai mag I rolled up (7)
ORIGAMI : A reverse lurker, hiding in the clue.
7d The setter’s diamonds extracted from the earth (5)
MINED : A word meaning ‘the setter’s’ and then D(iamonds).
8d Sailor’s left pig covered in fat (8)
LARBOARD : Clarified fat surrounds a male pig.
12d Romantic illumination may please nursing student (11)
CANDLELIGHT : A synonym for may and then please or enrapture contains the student driver letter.
15d Local banks arranged account (9)
NARRATIVE : Local or of the region contains (banks) the abbreviation for arranged.
16d I make defamatory remarks about Brit, for example (8)
ISLANDER : ‘I’ from the clue and a word meaning make defamatory remarks.
18d Force someone like Milligan or Sellers to follow doctor (7)
DRAGOON : The title for a doctor, then what Milligan, Sellers or even Secombe are examples of.
19d Greet us excitedly, giving wave, perhaps (7)
GESTURE : An anagram (excitedly) of GREET US.
20d Lean runner by North American city (6)
SKINNY : A snow runner, then N(orth) plus the Big Apple.
22d Surrey location English Premier tours thus (5)
EPSOM : A synonym for thus is enclosed by E(nglish) and a premier or government leader.
Quickie pun made + marry + Anne = Maid Marian
Another wonderful guzzle. We are being spoiled this week but perhaps we will be clobbered tomorrow and Friday. I had ticks all over the paper with two being in the running for COTD, 14a and 8d, with the winner being 8d because of being misdirected for a while by a left pig.
Many thanks to the setter for the fun and another unaided finish although 10a nearly tripped me up. Thank you, 2Ks for the hints.
Rain in The Marches so Mrs. C and I are off to The Red Lion in Myddle for lunch.
10a was my last one in. Was it really so difficult?
Not difficult, Merusa just a tad archaic. Do we have them anymore? Anyway, having a two letter word with the second being “v” was quite a poser.
Friendly and enjoyable
Haven’t heard the term at 10a for quite a few years, I suspect it’s fallen out of use and “the sailor’s left” was new but worked out from the wordplay.
I’ll highlight 4&21a(the first time I’ve seen her in a puzzle) plus 5d (one of my all time favourite players) but top spot shared by 23a and 15d.
Many thanks to the setter and the Ks.
For those that don’t normally have a go check out today’s Toughie, it’s a back-pager in disguise but great fun.
I also thought it was a first entry for 5d – I wonder will anyone tell her? I always try the toughie but usually at bedtime so it’s a bit late to comment. I’ll make time this evening.
One of my faves too, and I’m gutted to say that was the only one I needed ehelp for … hangs head in shame.
A really enjoyable puzzle!
Thanks to compiler.
I found this guzzle a bit harder than last Thursday and Friday’s and it was quite tricky to parse, at times. In the end, I ig nored much of the wordplay in fa vour of finding the definition and using the checkers to guess the answer. There were still a few clues that I couldn’t parse with reverse engineering. However, the 12d lego clue was pretty good, as were the two anagrams at 17a and 5d and a couple of good lurkers. Thanks to the Kiwis for the hints, which I will now read to see if i can understand the parsing. Thanks also to the compiler.
Just about right for the middle of the week – 2.5*/3.5*
Candidates for favourite – 14a, 23a, 1d, and 3d – and the winner is 3d.
Thanks to the setter and the 2Kiwis.
P.S. StephenL’s comment on today’s Toughie seconded.
Thirded
2.5*/4.5*. Excellent stuff – nicely challenging and very enjoyable despite a potential candidate for THE LIST at 8d. Chambers describes this as obsolete, so presumably that should have been indicated.
I’ll go along with SL’s top two of 23a & 15d.
Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks.
Because 8d sounded too similar to its counterpart starboard (right) the Royal Navy, in 1844, ordered port (left) to be used instead. So quite obsolete generally, but not in Crosswordland! It crops up fairly often in cryptics.
You’ve got to love a bit of Lionel Jeffries…Port out starboard home. Posh with a capital P O S H….posh.
Robert Helpmann still gives me the heebie-jeebies.
”Come on children. Come and get your lollipops.”
Very enjoyable indeed – many thanks to the setter and 2Ks (your elections seem to last a long time!).
I’ve selected 4a, 14a and 15d for my podium.
Official election day is Saturday 14th but Advance Voting is open for 2 weeks before this. These days most voters prefer to use this option. Saves the mad rush at the last moment that used to be the case.
Pretty gentle and great fun.Loved 25a because the word “ author “ conjures up high culture and the answer was more like low trouble. Runner up was 14a. We have had some great misdirection this week but all has been fair. Thanks to Kiwis. I can never work out the setter but send thanks . Would rate as 2 star difficulty but a def. 4 star for enjoyment.
I absolutely refuse to have a bunion. It is such an old lady word. It will have to be a slightly enlarged joint.
What a wonderfully rewarding puzzle for a miserable wet morning, with some outstanding clues and subtle misdirection. I particularly enjoyed 4a and 15d.
Thanks to our setter and the 2Ks. It feels like our own election season has already started in the UK. I saw a brilliant quote in a novel recently, along the lines of: politicians, like babies nappies, should be changed regularly, and for the same reason.
Lol 💩
Not heard that one – love it & very true
Isn’t ‘playing well” ON form not IN form (4a). Very enjoyable puzzle- thanks to compiler and reviewer.
I think ‘in form’ is okay, PA.
I use it quite often.
Agreed. It’s always “in form” for me.
A handful of chestnuts and a couple of strange surface reads but still a nice Wednesday puzzle.
Tops for me were 4&14a.
Thanks to our setter and to our 2Ks for the review.
What a belter! Really enjoyable. It smacks of Jay but hoo nose.
Some excellent constructions and the surfaces are giving Silvanus a run for his money.
It’s a shame that 8d isn’t used so much these days, though a couple of my sea-faring muckers still use it. If the term was around, it would help you remember that it is left as it’s initial is L. Port being left is fine, i.e there’s no ‘red Port left’ in the bottle. (port is red and the other one is green)
Very difficult to pick the medal winners but I’ll go with 27a, 5d with the gold going to 23a.
Many thanks to Le Touquet and Jay (?)
3*/5*
TDS65. From about 1970, my mnemonic (if you can call it that) for remembering port = left is simply that they both have 4 letters.
Can’t argue with that one, Jose.
I made up lots of mnemonics yonks ago and it is interesting to hear the efforts of others.
It’s the best way to commit something to memory.
I haven’t heard ‘muckers’ for years. My father used to refer to his 17/21st Lancer friends as old muckers.
Muck is a splendid word as is filth. Very onomatopoeic.
Pop!
I often refer to my ex work colleagues/friends as “me old muckers”.
I agree with Patsyann, ‘on’ form distracted me for a while. Great puzzle. My favourite – 8d which having worked it out but failing to find the ‘l’ in the word, looked definition up in the BRB which meant it fell neatly into place. Amused by TomDisappointingSturgess65’s connection with the stuff in the bottle.
Quite simply the best puzzle in ages, loved it.
Great to see the word at 8d in use here. Favourites today were 17a and the brilliant 23a
Well done to our compiler, great work.
Thought I was going to struggle a bit with this one but once underway it proved otherwise and was fun.
Some v clever clues such as 10a and 12d.
Thx to all
***/****
Nothing to strain the grey matter too much today, but lots of fun nevertheless. Completely missed the point of 28a so that was the LOI. Not convinced the “picked up” was really necessary in 2d, but it didn’t hold me up. **/****
G. In 2d the “picked up” (a homophone indicator) is necessary because the answer isn’t a pizza but just sounds like one.
Ah, thanks Jose. Apparently I missed the spelling difference between the two items concerned!
It doesn’t sound like any pizza I know, what is that? It may be Britspeak that I’ve not heard yet.
Ignore that, I’ve just googled it and see there is a pizza by that name. I’d never heard of it!
A very enjoyable puzzle today.
Many thanks to the setter (Jay would be my guess, as it seems as if he has signed it off at 27a) and to the 2Kiwis.
What a good idea – I hadn’t noticed that Jay had “signed off”!
I’m probably way off track Kath – I normally am!
When I saw 1a mentioning Wizard, and then the answer to the last across clue, my first thought was Jay. One of my favourite setters anyway…
Thanks for your reply – I always loved his crosswords too.
I remember you moving to Spain and your daughter and her lovely name – Isabel or Isabella – very rude if I’ve got it a bit wrong!!!
We moved to Valencia 8 years ago. My daughter is called Sophia. I wouldn’t say your choice of name was rude… I’ve had to apologise on a couple of occasions for calling her something far more insulting!
Rats!! I knew it was a name I really liked – trusted me to get it wrong!!
Hope the move to Spain was a good decision for your family.
Good luck!!
Jay, perhaps? He is Mutch (stet) missed … or maybe he is today’s setter?
Excellent puzzle. 16d my cotd
A nice Wednesday puzzle with fine clues of medium difficulty providing an enjoyable solve. I have ticked a few and will pick 15d as my favourite. 3*/4*.
Brilliant. Loved the lurker at 27, 8d, 12d but favourite is 17a as we have a fair few of them in the village. My long ago next door neighbour was known as The Fount of All Knowledge. We live opposite the church. When the wedding bells rang out (they did so every Saturday in the old days – it’s all barns and hotels now) I would walk down the drive to find Flora leaning on her gate. “If that girl is wearing white she ought to be stuck by a thunderbolt” she would say. And when the poor girl got out of her limousine/horse & cart/tractor and was seen to be virginally veiled she would be apoplectic. Happy days. Many thanks to The Setter and to the 2 Kiwis, I shall now look and see where ‘arr’ comes into 15d.
My first ever straight-in result (and comment). Much easier for me than Monday’s puzzle, which most posters seemed to consider 1* at best. Shows how different minds work. I’m an occasional puzzler, btw, and pretty new to it so often struggle.
COTD was 23a, but many could have been. Excellent puzzle.
Re on-form vs in-form, for me the former is more general (to do with mood etc) and the latter more specific to a skill or game.
Welcome to the blog.
Welcome from me, Woody! 👍
Congratulations on your first unaided solve and please keep commenting!
I agree with Brian that on first sight this seemed more difficult than it proved to be. I loved it. Far too many ticks for a podium today. I liked 10a, even though it was an anagram, for the brilliant surface read. Similarly 14, 23 ,26a with 8 and 18d for the misdirection and clever clue construction. Favourite is 12d. Thanks to our setter and the 2Kiwis.
Thought this Wednesday puzzle was a tad easier than most have been recently. No obtuse words and lots of good parsing to work out. A few old chestnuts in this one too.
1.5*/3.5* for me
Favourites today include 14a, 21a, 23a, 3d & 18d — with the winner, with a chuckle(!), being 14a.
I love it!
Also got smiles from 10a, 23a, 24a and of course 18d
Thanks to setter & 2K’s for hints/blog
Like several others have stated, this excellent puzzle proved easier than I originally thought so it’s **/**** for me. Liked 6d – worked out the answer from the clue but had never heard of the word. So I now know that the term larboard was changed to port in the 1840s to avoid confusion! Other favourite clues included 10a (although spent far too long trying to fathom out a 2 letter word ending in v) 25a and 12d. Many thanks to the setter and 2Ks for the hints.
Truly great puzzle
But hard work.
Got there unaided apart
From checking the spelling of
8d, a new word for me.
All clues deserve
A rosette,
Many thanks, indeed ,to
The setter and to the 2Kiwis.
Very good clueing, interesting and amusing to boot. Finished in pretty quick time.
Needed hints for parsing on 15d I didn’t know or guess that “arr” is short for arranged and felt that local was to small an area to mean “local”. I struggled to spell the tennis star’s name and couldn’t find the extra n in 20d thinking the North American City was NY. Too many good clues to mention. Particularly liked 14a and 8d. Thanks to the 2ks and J
Lovely puzzle which, like some others, I finished unaided but without being able to parse some (12d and 15d for example).
14a was my favourite. I asked our answer to 21a what the answer to that clue was and she didn’t know.
An obsolete naval term and an ancient name with a modern IT twist. The DT crossword certainly keeps the brain cells working.
Thanks to the setter and also for the very helpful hints.
I really enjoyed this guzzle a lot and found it pretty friendly. I’ve nearly finished the Toughie too but now see it only has one star for difficulty so not so clever as I thought I was! Very frustrating morning: trying to get my ‘extra’ hub to boost the internet upstairs to work. It flashes all sorts of colours and then remains stubbornly on orange. I’ve looked at countless UTube videos and they are beyond me although the last one suggested poking a pin in the hole marked re-set! Dare I do it? Thanks to the setter and 2Kiwis.
That’s a bit daring but, if in doubt, I’d hit it with a hammer – husband is never keen on that idea . . . .
Your helpful comment couldn’t help but make me laugh! Though sorry for Manders dilemma.
Never stick a pin in a hole, Manders. It only leads to trouble! 🤣
On first read through I thought this slightly odd, but once I got some checkers it fell into place nicely, well, most of the time. I don’t get the pizza reference at 2d and needed help with 5d. I bunged in a word at 24a and it was wrong, BD used to say if you can’t parse it, it’s probably wrong, and it was. Add to my disgrace, I’m the daughter of a very devoted Freemason, who was a Past Master and I have all his regalia here. I had no problem with 8d, I’ve heard it many times before, or 6d. There was lots to like, too many to choose a fave.
Thank you setter for all the fun and 2Kiwis for unravelling some for me.
My father joined the Freemasons when I was a callow youth and I remember being very suspicious of his disappearing every Thursday evening with a small leather case. It all seemed very secretive to me but, as he explained more and I saw the charity work that was done, I came around to the idea. They also has great barn dances!
I really enjoyed today’s crossword.
Everything was going well, and then I got to the bottom right corner – less the said of that the better . .
Jay as the setter hadn’t occurred to me – what a good idea – I always used to notice that he had clues with a financial leaning, as has today – 23a.
I liked 14 and 25a and 12 and 16d. My favourite was 24a, (or it might be 5d)!
Thanks to whoever set today’s crossword and thanks too to the 2K’s for the hints.
Another enjoyable puzzle and I got off to a good start. Dithered over 15d despite having all the checking letters but eventually decided to go ahead with it anyway. LOI was 4a after reading the hint. I thought by relaxing ‘Arsenal’s wingers’ it meant remove the outer letters of the two words. Doh! Many thanks to the setter and the 2 Kiwis.
We’ve been served up a treat today with this & the tremendous Hudson Toughie. Thought this an excellent guzzle. Gentle but great fun & a real challenge to pick a podium. I’ll go for 14,23&25a with 3&15d narrowly missing out.
Thanks to the setter & to the 2Ks
Another lovely puzzle ***/**** after two lovely days the weather has become wet and dreek 😟 Favourites: 11a, 26a and 2d. The only clue I found difficult was 1a 😳 Thanks to the 2x Ks and to the Compiler
Morning all.
We did consider putting in a pic for the answer in 25a but when we looked at the options we decide that the homophonic author was a better option.
We wondered whether the old term in 8d would trip some solvers. Easy to see why it was changed as instructions shouted in a storm could often lead to confusion between left and right.
Nice to see that others enjoyed the solve as much as we did. The setter will be pleased with a job well done.
Cheers.
Breezed through this despite being legged over by my dog last night, not for the first time I might add, and face planting the ground. There was quite a lot of blood unfortunately all mine. Off the lead he’s a paragon of vitue, on it he’s a nightmare. Any road up I’ll survive. Great puzzle and hard to pick a favourite but I’ll go with 23a. Thanks to the setter and 2K’s.
Oh dear, TG! I do hope you are not too badly injured.
Dogs! Don’t you just love em? 🐶
Good evening
One of those days when a forgotten word resurfaced – 8d. And when, while struggling to get a table-top computery type thing to recognise and play a radio station, look what pops up: 21a!
Many thanks to our compiler and to 2Ks
I refuse to have a 21a in the house! 😁😏
Very enjoyable, 8d a new word for me. No real favourites as it was all good fun.
Many thanks to the setter and the 2 Kiwis
2*/4* …
liked 18D “Force someone like Milligan or Sellers to follow doctor (7)”
‘‘Twas a cracking clue …. Took me a while!!
Well firstly I’ll apologise for my late completion on this one I thought it was high time I tidied the papers and realised I hadn’t done it at all! But what a reward! My absolute fave puzzle in ages particularly because there were so many (as I like to call them ) forehead slappers!🤣 if I hadn’t accidentally misspelt 5d then 10 would have been a given …. 14a deffo my fave cotd you should have seen my face when the penny dropped ! 🙈 23 a is up there too … 25a I should have known better as I read literature … but the biggest forehead slap went to the lurker in 27a …. The award for I never would have got it goes to 8d a new word for me!!
Any way after a most enjoyable relaxing day in sunny Northumberland thank you to the 2ks for helping on that last clue in and the setter for what I said earlier …. Great fun!! 🎷