Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30452
Hints and tips by 2Kiwis
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Kia ora from Aotearoa.
This is the time of the year when New Zealanders have the chance to vote for their favourite Bird of the Year.
This year the organisers, NZ Forest & Bird, are celebrating their centenary by making it Bird of the Century. This means that some iconic species that are now extinct can also be in the mix. We have placed our votes and will now wait patiently for the results.
Meanwhile another Wednesday cryptic to deal with.
Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a One may be suspended for relaxing (7)
HAMMOCK : A cryptic definition.
9a A source of light — and forces panicked outside (8)
ALFRESCO : ‘A’ from the clue, the first letter of light, and then an anagram (panicked) of FORCES.
10a Criticise Conservative guarantee (7)
CENSURE : C(onservative) and guarantee or make certain.
11a Inappropriate and drawn out, after a fashion (8)
UNTOWARD : An anagram (after a fashion) of DRAWN OUT.
12a Puzzle of party held by partners in special relationship going west (6)
SUDOKU : A party or function is contained by the reversal of two transatlantic allies.
13a Furry animal may be cold in far-eastern country (10)
CHINCHILLA : A huge far-eastern country contains a synonym for cold.
15a Wake up cooler? (4)
STIR : A double definition. Cooler is slang for prison.
16a Simple men thinking about tool (9)
IMPLEMENT : A lurker, hiding in the clue.
21a State origins of open hostility in Oxford (4)
OHIO : The first letters of four words in the clue.
22a Fruitless campaigns having mislaid bags outside university (4,6)
LOST CAUSES : Mislaid or overlooked, and then bags or luggage contains U(niversity).
24a Go green, after cooking with yoghurt initially (6)
ENERGY : An anagram (after cooking ) of GREEN plus the first letter of yoghurt.
25a Enormous deficit in fossil fuel (8)
COLOSSAL : A deficit or shortfall is inside a solid fossil fuel.
27a Heartless Nero has obsession that’s trivial (7)
NOTHING : The first and last letters of Nero and then obsession or fixation.
28a Shy engineers had their uses (8)
RESERVED : Army engineers, then ‘had their uses’ or were adequate.
29a Capability of a Ford designed for work on the farm? (3-4)
OFF-ROAD : An all-in-one. The wordplay is an anagram (designed) of OF A FORD.
Down
2d Notice pair with enough (8)
ADEQUATE : A notice or publicity and then pair or match up.
3d Feel the loss of our island state (8)
MISSOURI : A word meaning feel the loss of, then ‘our’ from the clue and I(sland).
4d Wow! A coin up for exchange, that’s riches indeed (10)
CORNUCOPIA : Wow, or goodness me, and an anagram (for exchange) of A COIN UP.
5d Devise a scheme that’s ordinary without one (4)
PLAN : Remove Roman numeral one from ordinary or unadorned.
6d Open with nothing to replace a pin (6)
BROOCH : Open, as you might a cask of beer, has its ‘A’ replaced with the letter that resembles zero.
7d Uniform worn by American partner in the normal course of events (7)
USUALLY : The two letter abbreviation for American, then U(niform) plus a partner or associate.
8d Warm heart (mostly) and face (7)
CORDIAL : Remove the last letter from a heart or centre and then the face of a timepiece.
11d General shift in values surrounding Republican (9)
UNIVERSAL : An anagram (shift) of IN VALUES contains R(epublican).
14d Disappointed after Derby tip, perhaps (7,3)
CHEESED OFF : What Derby can be an example of, and tip as one may do with one’s hat.
17d Measure of warmth there after renovating stable (8)
TOGETHER : A measure of warmth used for fabrics, duvets etc, and then an anagram (after renovating) of THERE.
18d Tobacco plant that’s a creeper? (8)
VIRGINIA : A double definition.
19d Notice vehicle protected by youth under pressure (7)
PLACARD : The physics symbol for pressure, then a youth or boy contains an auto.
20d Make economies? That’s no good (7)
USELESS : Split the answer 3,4 to make these economies.
23d Target identified among America’s troublemakers? (6)
CASTRO : A lurker, hiding in the clue.
26d Top answer with Times supporting exercise (4)
APEX : The abbreviation for answer and the letter for mathematical ‘times’ surround physical exercise.
pollen + easier = Polynesia
A bit of a poser today but quite doable with some head scratching. My brain wanted to put “flamenco” in at 9a but it would not, of course, parse. Took a while for the real answer to appear so I was held up in Northumberland for a while. Similarly, 2d refused to appear despite having all the checkers. I had to resort to going through the alphabet letter by letter until the penny dropped. Favourites are the relationship at 12a, the disappointed Derby at 14d and the no good economies at 20d. After consideration, 12a is my COTD.
Thank you to the setter for a really great workout today. Thank you, 2Ks for the hints, which I will now read.
The shingles is rather sore today but Mrs. C. and I are going out for lunch so that should take my mind off it.
SC, hope your shingles clears up a.s.a.p. Anyway enjoy your lunch.
Thank you, Angelov and, yes, lunch was lovely. It always is at The Red Lion in Myddle.
🙂
I’m so sorry you are suffering like this – and with your medical complications it cannot be easy. George’s rash seems to be going down but he is still very tired, although frankly (he never reads this) it seems as soon as he sits in his reclining chair he’s off in the land of Nod. I don’t think you would want his Devious Quiz, you and the rest of the gang would probably get it finished before you have even poured the coffee, let alone drunk it. But it seems to be popular amongst the people who come back year after year and it raises about £100 for the upkeep of the church fabric, and keeps him out of mischief.
An annual quiz fundraising on behalf of a local Cottage Nursing Home raises stunning amounts and indeed we all look forward to working on it en famille over Christmas. It does however take someone like George to have the energy to organise it.
Did the doctor prescribe you anything? Peter was prescribed Lyrica the first time, but something else the second time – I forget what it was.
I have been Rx’d Aciclovir tablets, BL. 800mgs five times a day. I’m also on codeine for the pain and it does control it. The main problem is I feel rather spaced out and I’m not sure it is because of the medication or the virus. To be fair, my GP told me I would feel rough for a while.
There is an upside to it all, though. I seem to be able to solve cryptics better! Not that I advocate getting shingles in order to improve solving abilities but I have finished all those this week without aid. 😀
Steady solve today, very enjoyable. The only one I had trouble with was 8d in spite of having all the checkers in, resorted to electronic help, then of course when one gets it, it’s obvious. Two favourites today – 4d and 27a.
A solid midweeker.
It wasn’t an easy grid but I managed to work my through each quadrant at a steady pace. The parsing of 12a was out of my grasp. A goodie.
I always have to think twice when spelling 6d as the middle vowels are rarely pronounced that way. In fact, is this the only word where that is the case? I’ve just looked up its etymology and it’s us silly Sassenachs mucking around with a French word. Why do we butcher such a beautiful language?
My podium is 3d, 14d & 23d
Many thanks to Le Touquet and setter.
3*/3*
Reasonably straighforward (coffee still quite hot) and no requirement for any arcane or specialist “g”k. Surprised to notice notice reappearing towards the foot of the Downs. Some lovely surface reads, almost but not quite too many anagrams, a couple of great lurkers, and all in all a nicely constructed puzzle. Hon Mentions to 22a, 3d & 14d.
1.5 / 3
Thank you to the 2Ks (good luck with your nominees!) and to the setter.
I mentioned a hot drink once as a measure of the puzzle’s difficulty and got absolutely slated for it, good luck!
I think that was me Tipcat, though I wouldn’t say it was an absolutely slating, more of a calling out. It is a bit of a bugbear of mine, but not worthy of getting overly upset about, I must have been in a bad mood that day. My apologies if it upset you.
Hi GJR, no need to apologise, I never really get upset. I used the term slated because I received lots of comments that I felt were rather needless, as I only used the hot drink analogy to indicate that I felt the puzzle was rather easy that day.
Best idea is drink wine instead, then it won’t get hot or cold 😋
I start the crossword after I have made the toast and marmalade and Peter has made us a cappuccino each. If I am not done by the time my coffee gets cold, I give up or set aside.
That sounds like an ideal MO, Lizzie – and ensures one can still get on with other plans that have been made for the day, rather than staring blankly at a clue or three!
Only just a 3 maybe? For some reason I got stalled with last in 6d but at la st the penny dropped.
Favourite 16a because I spotted it right away.
Thanks to compiler.
Very enjoyable indeed! Nicely cryptic and nice to have one that involved a bit of thinking after yesterday’s write-in.
Virtually every clue a winner but top three,1.9 & the super 12a.
Many thanks setter (it has to be Robyn) and the Ks.
I seemed too find the setter’s wave-length more easily than usual today and found the guzzle quite enjoyable, with some great misdirection. I liked the cryptic definition at 1a and two clues with clever misdirection, the 4d lego clue and the 3d geographical clue. The latter was my COTD. Thanks to the setter for an approachable guzzle, which still had an element of challenge. Thanks also to the Kiwis for the hints. Bird of the 20th century for me was the Golden Eagle, which saw take flight in the Lake District, when a pair were nesting there for a brief period.
A steady solve today, only pause to think was for the 3rd State today With my Turophile head on (see Sundays Blogs passim) I have to favour 14d
Thanks to Kiwis and setter
This puzzle started off r e a l l y slowly, but like the falling body in Newton’s equation, it just got faster and faster. Last one in for me was 2d, as it took a while for the second bit of the clue to click. No real favourites today as all clues were top class. Off to dry out now as I’ve just walked in the rain to our local polling station only to realise that voting is tomorrow, oh well… two miles of good exercise and my weekly wash all in one!
Thanks to our setter today, top drawer stuff.
A good Wednesday cranial work-out but lacking some sparkle – 2.5*/3*
I am beginning to wonder how many ways there are to clue 20d; it is becoming a real ‘frequent flyer.’
Favourite – a toss-up between 22a and 14d – and the winner is 14d.
Thanks to whomsoever and the 2Kiwis.
2.5*/4*. I enjoyed this a lot. I took myself over my 2* time by spending too long over my last few clues searching in vain for the two missing letters needed to complete a non-existent pangram.
My podium choices are 12a, 25a & 14d.
Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks.
Great fun guzzle today done in two halves. The second half was tricky until it wasn’t. Had the second of our three treats for Restaurant Week yesterday – terrific value and delicious, 2 courses £16. Final one tomorrow – Wells Crab House. My COTD 14d but there were many clever ones. Had the two middle vowels the wrong way round in 12a – not a puzzle I often do but I did get Wordle in 2 today, have never got it in one. Thanks to the setter and 2 Kiwis. Be interesting to hear what bird wins your competition, seem to remember that it wasn’t a bird last year?
Given the word, I’m very impressed that you got Wordle in 2. well done!
I was cross with myself because n—-a popped into my head but I dismissed it and entered pizza. Then I put in my first thought and it was right – so three for me today. We puzzlers keep on tormenting ourselves don’t we?
Looking forward to your report on Wells Crab House – hope it’s as good as it sounds! Our own Shabbo is booked in for a meal there in a couple of weeks time so he’ll doubtless be interested as well.
Really looking forward to our visit to the Wells Crab House during our week long stay in Wells in 10 days’ time. I’m glad I booked a while ago, as I hear that it appeared on a Channel 5 programme quite recently.
My favourite bird also has to be the magnificent golden eagle. I remember being quite emotional when we finally saw our first one up in the Highlands many years ago. Majestic.
As for the puzzle…it was most enjoyable. Difficult to choose a favourite, but, if pushed, I would probably go for the nicely worded 24a.
Thank you setter and the Kiwis.
Funny that you should mention 24a – I can’t abide yoghurt and the thought of its inclusion in a recipe really does turn me green. I always substitute a dollop of double cream!
Despite the undoubted majesty of your bird choice, my favourite bird remains the Avocet.
Very elegant.
I used to feel like that about yoghourt because I felt it was a bit like junket from my childhood but somehow I changed my mind and it is now an enjoyable daily breakfast component.
What was your first word? My regular start of ‘sepia’ took me to ‘villa’, but It could very well have given me the right answer in 2 if my guess had been luckier.
My first word was JOINT so I had 3 letters in the wrong order. Just luck getting the second word.
I took 5 goes to get it! I had to work the last letter all through the grid to get it to the end, then I had my epiphany!
That fun exercise helped to cheer up a depressingly wet and grey morning. East off the blocks first. Last in 26d – can’t believe I missed the indicator but where does target come into it? Fav 14d. Thank you Mysteron and 2Kiwis.
I think you mean 23d. The leader pictured was the target of some rather inept CIA assassination plots.
Falcon I did indeed mean 23d but still not keen on the vague clue.
I agree, I only pencilled it in when I had all the checkers.
Me too!
On wavelength from the off today. I think this may be a Robyn production – one of my favourite setters, but whoever it is I enjoyed all of it. Apart from completely missing the lurker at 16a, even though I had the answer ( when will I ever learn!) there were no hold-ups.I could have an overfull podium today but I’ll rein myself in and go for 1a, 12a and 19d. I also like the lovely word at 3d, even though it’s an anagram with a strange surface read. Thanks to our setter and the 2Kiwis. Looking forward to the results of your bird vote.
Very enjoyable despite making a bit of a Horlicks of solving it – anyone else go down the parliamentary route & bung sitting in at 1a? All sorted in the end despite brain fog at last in 18d which extended the solve to *** time – like MG my coffee was still hot but it was the second one & had been preceded with a cup of tea. If it is one by Robyn (money staying in pocket) I didn’t think it on par with his last 2 Wed guzzles but then he does set such an incredibly high standard. Top 3 for me in no particular order – 12a + 2&14d.
Thanks to the setter & to the 2Ks
Solving this over 1 cup of tea and 1 cup of coffee (but no Horlicks) sounds more reasonable/realistic to me. But did you include trips to the loo in your appraisal? :-)
Robyn has now left a comment on yesterday’s Toughie blog which includes:
(Just for the record, Huntsman’s had yet another financially shrewd day by not betting on me for today’s excellent back-pager, which indeed isn’t one of mine!)
😀
All OK except for getting stuck on 9a when I put in the wrong answer that in turn messed up 8d. Should have checked my letters – took a while for the proverbial penny to drop. Loved 12a which is my COTD. Overall a fun Wednesday work out. Thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks. Think my birds of the century are (domestic) the Osprey and (international) the Hornbill but I’ve probably overlooked loads of contenders.
A good, solid, steady Wednesday puzzle; for me a tad above average difficullty for a back-pager. Fine clues provided an enjoyable interlude. Fav: 14d. 3*/4*.
*I started off with a full pint mug of completely boiling coffee – but when I finished, the last half-inch still in the bottom was stone cold! But then, I’ve never been a fast solver. :-(
Ah, pint mugs! My uncle, a Yorkshire farmer, always had a pint mug of tea – “Tha needs summat ter sup proper, lad!”
I think I’ll bring back the tradition in the Cowling household.
Saves making another cup or two! 😎
A good Wednesday challenge – certainly a significant step up in difficulty versus yesterday.
Apart from misspelling 12a, this was a steady solve with LOI at 9a.
COTD 14d for me
Thanks to all
A top-notch puzzle – many thanks to our setter and 2Ks.
I’ll install 12a, 22a and 14d on my podium.
Enjoyable Wednesday puzzle with just a slight hesitation over entering the lurking target in 23d – thanks to Falcon for the explanation.
Podium places for 15&29a plus 14&17d with a mention for 4d just because it’s a great word.
Thanks to Robyn (?) and to our 2Ks – hope your nominations turn out to be winners, do let us know.
Very enjoyable Wednesday fare with a good mixture of clues. 9 a was last one in and I cannot think why. Incidentally BL, Huntsman’s hunts and hintsman are a nod to the lovely CC who is gradually changing our vocabulary into cruciverbalese. I liked the misdirections and clever lurkers – 19d is a word we do not hear often these days. It is cold and very damp here and we were very late last night having been once again to Queens’ , this time George’s Charter Night and we had the enormous pleasure of taking our eldest grandson. Sadly his wife was teaching and could not get away. Many thanks to the setter – I did wonder at one point if I should be looking for a pangram! And salutations to the wonderful KW’s and your illustrations.
This is proud grandmother with very grown up grandson.
Looks like brother and sister to me :wink:
Were you in sales, Senf, you charmer, you?
The phrase in our family is smarmy crawler!
Nice.
Love ‘cruciverbalese; btw.
Me too! 👍
Wotta lovely pic Daisy! You must be so proud.
Lovely picture Daisy.
What a fabulous picture!
A big more challenging today but got there in the end, especially like the lurker at 16 across. Thanks for the tips.
Btw …. Kiwis voting for the Bird Of the Year .. is that not a bit like North Koreans voting for a President! 🤣
For me today this was considerably more difficult than the last couple of backpagers this week. Found some of the parsing hard to suss out. Needed my thinking cap on for this one as well as a few hairs pulled out.
Nonetheless it eventually came together between supper and then after the evening dog walk. I include a picture of Tucker sitting on the fallen leaves in the local park from yesterday in the sunshine.
3*/4* for me
Favourites included 22a, 25a, 7d, 8d, 14d & 19d — with winner 14d
Thanks to Setter and the 2K’s
Oh Tucker, you’re so handsome I’m in love!
What a lovely chap.
What a lovely trusting face!
Thanks for all of your nice comments
Three US states in this one. I found it difficult to get started and went for a swim. Returning they fell into place and it was a really good puzzle. It was one where getting a few letters really helped with lots of the answers. A lot of favorites, maybe all of them
I don’t know why I was so way off wavelength today, but I found this to be very tricky. I got 1a immediately and felt quite smug, only solving a smattering along the way, but enough to resort to word search for far too many. When I look back at the answers, I can’t think why I found it so hard; eg, 4d (lovely word) came to me right away but couldn’t parse it, why, it’s perfectly straightforward. Fave was 14d, that’s exactly what I was! I’ll try to put my brain in gear tomorrow.
Thanks to whomsoever set this, and to the 2Kiwis for unravelling so much. Let us know which bird wins!
After going round and round in circles for much of the morning, trying to activate a new secure key for online banking, this puzzle came almost as a light relief and helped me regain my sanity. I found it very enjoyable and a pleasure to solve. I liked 12a (although maths puzzles are way beyond my capabilities) and 22a raised a smile, my but favourite for today was a tie between 4d &16a. Thanks to the setter and the 2Ks.
Hi SSB
I am Maths man but a 12a has no appeal as there’s only one method and I learn nuffin. A crossy does it for me as it has many different clue constructions and it enhances my vocabulary with some of the words being mightily obscure.
How would El Tel get through the day without the latter?
As long as I have a calculator to hand, that’ll sort most of the maths I need, lol. Totally agree on your ‘crossy’ comments. :-)
I couldn’t agree more with you regarding 12a, TDS65. I love maths and the magic of numbers, but 12a leaves me cold. I solved one once and never again. A bit like smoking. I tried a cigarette just once in my teens, and that was enough to put me off for life.
One cigarette? You lucky thing. That saved you a fortune!
I smoked like a chimney in my yoof for about 10 years as did everyone else. I felt so sorry for my non-smoking pals when we were in a pub which, in those days, was like a bookie’s.
These days, I can smell a smoker a mile off and it’s gross.
Thank goodness the world has got its act together.
My world hasn’t and yes, it costs me a fortune but at least I live on my own (by my own choice, before you ask!).
As the kidz of today would say…..lol.
Smoking is by far the best thing in the world. I absolutely loved those 10 years.
I was such a big smoker that once, at work, I had three on the go, thinking – or hoping – that at least one of the two that were in the corners of the ash tray wasn’t mine.
Good times.
If someone said to me tomorrow that it is harmless, I’d be back on them in a heartbeat, puffing away.
Of all the things I have experienced in life, nothing can beat it…..other than extra thick double cream, of course.
(I appreciate that I’m talking about a delicate subject. I hope it is taken in the right spirit)
By the time I was forty I was on sixty a day – I stopped smoking on October 1st 1983 and have never smoked since. I put aside the cash I would have spent daily and banked about £40 a month for the best part of a year, until the craving was well and truly over. My wife still smokes, but only sixty-ish a week, so based on her £39 for three packs a week, my sixty a day would be £273 – a positively frightening thought.
Well I am surprised Jane. I would never have guessed you are a smoker as am I. It’s an awful habit but it’s the only one of the 3Ws I’ve got left – wild women gave me up years ago & I’m not allowed whisky so the demon weed (ciggies) is all that remains. If I solve an Elgar puzzle unaided I might give up……
I still have one of the other ‘sins’ as well. Gave up the spirits but malbec still has me in its thrall.
I gave up 20 years ago, but I still miss a fag every now and again!
If you ever find yourself shopping in Bangor, the branch there has this very tasty drop
https://www.majestic.co.uk/wines/vialba-malbec-touriga-nacional-reserve-40084
I don’t get to leave the house these days but I’ll ask No.1 daughter to put a bottle on her shopping list. Thank you for the suggestion.
Love it (Hintsman)
Jeepers! (Salop)
I simply can’t do 12a puzzles. I understand how they work but I can’t fathom the maths required. Not for me, thank you.
There is no math required, Catnap. Such a puzzle could equally contain nine letters or symbols. However, I agree with you in that they are not my cup of tea.
Indeed! I was wondering what the12a answer has got to do with maths?
Bring back yesterday…. I started slowly, and continued slowly, and don’t really understand why I made such heavy weather of this one. Probably because I kept picking the wrong definitions, which definitely doesn’t help, even though I know they are usually at the beginning or end of the clues. Knowing little or nothing about tobacco, I wanted to put in nicotiana, but too long, and nicotine didn’t work with the checkers. Never mind. Tomorrow is another day. Oh wait a minute, that will be a Thursday challenge. Thanks to setter and 2Kiwis.
Morning all.
This blog had a somewhat challenging birth. When it was almost time to press the ‘schedule’ button for publication, a stray finger on the keyboard managed to delete everything. For some reason the site had not saved a draft so it was back to square one for putting it all together on the behind the scenes dashboard. It is a good thing that our time differences means that we do not have the deadline pressure that most other bloggers have, or the air would have been even bluer than it was. However all’s well that ends well and looks like no significant errors crept through.
Cheers.
How frustrating for you both! Rest assured it was not noticed by me with the blog seemingly as smooth as ever.
Oh dear, 2Kiwis! That was a frustrating setback you really did not need. You have my empathy as I have just accidentally lost my original comment!!! But this is small fry compared with a review.
Being on the right wavelength, I thoroughly enjoyed this crossword. **** for entertainment.
There was much to like. My fave clue was 13a. There were several others close on its heels — 12a, 22a, 25a, 9a and 14d.
Many thanks to the setter for an excellent puzzle.
Much appreciation to the 2Kiwis for the review with its lovely illustrations. Re your Bird of the Year / Bird of the Century. My friend’s daughter in Australia is a gifted photographer. She has sent me some wonderful pictures of the country and its exotic fauna and flora, including some of the beautiful birds: the greenish-coloured Bell miner; a handsome Zebra finch; the little grey Red-browed finch; and the Superb fairy wren, my fave.
Another busy day with rather too many distractions which seem to mean I am making heavy weather of the puzzles. I did finish but it was a struggle but with great satisfaction in the end. A lot of clever clues with misdirection, 13a my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and the 2 kiwis
Good evening
I started off on the way into work today, and rattled off the SW quadrant in no time, and then….stuck! So I left it until now (my breaktime) and I’m done – though not without several stop/start moments.
An enjoyable solve for which I thank our compiler. 12a is COTD, no doubt!
Thank you also to 2Ks
I made harder work of this than I should have, don’t I always. Later than usual as I had to go to an SGM which went on and on, anyway the eventual vote went the right way by a distance. 12a was favourite which I worked out, parsed and then entered the wrong second letter, it took me a while to notice and I do them most days. There is no maths involved in them just observation. Thanks to the setter and 2K’s.
2*/3* ….
liked 1A “One may be suspended for relaxing (7)”