DT 30525 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30525

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30,525
Hints and tips by Shabbo

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ***Enjoyment ***

Good morning and welcome to February. A glorious morning here in Hertfordshire and I woke up (always a good start to the day) to the sound of a great spotted woodpecker drumming on the oak tree at the end of our garden. Spring cannot be too far away!

The sweetheart in 18a gives away the identity of today’s solver and the brevity (5.3 words per clue – without a single double definition) means that every word counts and should be read on its own merits. 8d was my LOI and my COD. Very elegant.

In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined and anagrams are CAPITALISED. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.

Across


1a River Test used for business (10)
INDUSTRIAL: a river in India/Pakistan + synonym of test. A much loved chestnut that is well worth seeing again.

6a Stopper of drink twisted (4)
PLUG: word meaning drink upside down (twisted).

9a Delete from server, as expected (5)
ERASE: a hidden word clue (from). Words 3, 4 & 5 are concealing the answer.

10a Dish left in hacienda, cooking (9)
ENCHILADA: anagram (cooking) of HACIENDA + L.

12a Starts over outfits keeping fashionable (7)
ORIGINS: abbreviation for over (as in cricket) + synonym of outfits outside (keeping) two-letter word meaning fashionable.

13a End possibly giving cold comfort (5)
CEASE: abbreviation for cold + synonym of comfort.

15a Male levelling weapon causing injury (7)
MAIMING: abbreviation for male + synonym of “levelling weapon” (as in preparing to fire).

16a Somewhat prudent is tooth doctor (7)
DENTIST: another hidden word clue (somewhat). Our tooth doctor is lurking in words 2, 3 & 4.

18a Delay sweetheart acquiring tattoos for relationship (7)
LINKAGE: my first thought was liaison, but that didn’t work. Take a three-letter word meaning delay, put it outside (acquiring) a generic term for tattoos and add the heart of swEet.

20a Pentecost week ran into Sabbath? (7)
WHITSUN: abbreviation for week + three-letter synonym of ran into + abbreviation for “the day of rest”.

21a Canine, often royal, growls intimidatingly, initially (5)
CORGI: initial letters of the first five words of the clue.

23a Gold rush’s start absorbing fellow enthusiast (7)
AMATEUR: the chemical symbol of gold + the first letter (start) of rush outside (absorbing) a synonym of fellow.

25a Start living downing drink before noon (9)
BEGINNING: synonym of living outside (downing) a clear spirit + abbreviation for noon

26a Expert fitting round edges of device (5)
ADEPT: synonym of fitting outside (round) the edges of DevicE.

27a Ends day oddly in whirl (4)
EDDY: every other letter (oddly) of “ends day”.

28a See trident at sea getting curious (10)
INTERESTED: anagram (at sea) of SEE TRIDENT.

Down

1d Almost perfect clue (4)
IDEA: a synonym of perfect without the final letter (almost).

2d Cheat one in tax? It’s cruel (9)
DRACONIAN: dare I say that our esteemed setter may have made a mistake on this one? It looks like the parsing is a three-letter synonym of cheat + I (one) inside (in) a synonym of tax (as in exhaust), which doesn’t quite work. I am prepared to stand corrected on this and have already asked the current Mrs Shabbo to start making a humble pie for my lunch.

3d Revolutionary tonic pacifies condition (13)
SPECIFICATION: anagram (revolutionary) of TONIC PACIFIES.

4d Swimming fish caught by crew (7)
REELING: three-letter fish inside (caught by) a synonym of crew (as in gang).

5d Top detective’s first admitting copper’s charged (7)
ACCUSED: a synonym of top + first letter of detective outside (admitting) chemical symbol of copper + S.

7d Pack animal hit bearing load unevenly (5)
LLAMA: a three-letter synonym of hit inside (bearing…?) the odd letters (unevenly) of load. I’m not sure about this one.

8d Memorial service’s opening in serious mood (10)
GRAVESTONE: my COD. Initial letter (opening) of service inside synonyms of serious and mood. A beautifully smooth surface read.

11d Careless being imprisoned copping criminal charge (13)
INCONSIDERATE: synonym of “being imprisoned” outside (copping) a three-letter noun meaning criminal + a synonym of charge.

14d Heartless devil, the French guy (10)
IMPLACABLE: our usual three-letter synonym of devil + “the” in French + synonym of guy (think rope).

17d Ruin Gents, trashed, being revolting (9)
INSURGENT: anagram (trashed) of RUIN GENTS.

19d It’s so naive altering excuse (7)
EVASION: another anagram (altering) of SO NAÏVE.

20d Argue with row about Labour’s leader (7)
WRANGLE: abbreviation for “with” + synonym of row (as in string or series) outside (about) the first letter (leader) of Labour.

22d Republican deteriorated and went mad (5)
RAGED: abbreviation for Republican + a synonym of deteriorated.

24d Boss could give you endless work (4)
STUD: a five-letter word meaning work (think education) without the final letter (endless). Purists might argue that this clue is “definition for wordplay” rather than “wordplay for definition”, i.e. the clue would be technically more correct as Endless work could give you boss, but that, of course, would ruin the surface read. Pedant? Me??

 

Quickie Pun: KNOT + RED + ARM = NOTRE DAME

80 comments on “DT 30525

  1. A good solid Mr T challenge, but I felt lacking his usual sparkle. A step up in difficulty from the last few days and – having tackled this at about 6.30am – a good wake-up exercise for the LGCs. Completion delayed by the excellent 8d, my COTD, which had me going round in circles.

    2..5* / 3*

    Thank you to RayT and to Shabbo

  2. Some nice long early starts gave a good number of checkers. Three anagrams gave up without putting up a struggle.
    No notables or originals and nothing to object to either!
    Thanks to compiler.

  3. completed and much enjoyed but couldn’t parse several – including 2d! – so a huge thank you to Mr Shabbo
    Also many thanks to the clever setter

    1. Sorry but what’s wrong with 2d? Anagram of IN A CONRAD and good way to use “novel”. Draconian is cruel. What other parsing do you need?
      Amateur Annie

      1. Hi Annie
        The original clue was: Cheat one in tax? It’s cruel (9), but this doesn’t quite work, as noted in the comments. It looks like the DT have now changed the clue on the on-line puzzle, which I presume was the version that you were solving.

  4. Not as difficult as I first thought and a typical Ray T, withvery brief clues, a sweetheart and a fair number of oblique synonyms. It was a doable guzzle and I quite enjoyed it especially the anagrams and lwgo clue.The best of the clues amongst the latter, were 2d, 18a and the geographical COTD, 1a. Thanks t Ray T and to Shabbo for the hints.

  5. 2*/4.5*. A typically superb RayT puzzle!

    2d was my last one in and favourite closely followed by 8d.

    Many thanks to Mr T. and to Shabbo.

    1. :oops: I missed the error in 2d possibly because I had taken too long to solve it and, as it was my last one in, didn’t forensically parse it. It is hereby knocked off its perch and 8d gets the accolade of favourite!

  6. Like you, I couldn’t see the parsing for 2 down unless A is substituted for one but still doesn’t really work. Overall I enjoyed this one especially 8D.

  7. Another day, another challenge.
    Some clues fell easily into place, but 14d was a struggle as the French guy looked as though he was a chap who came last. Topical confusion over misplaced gender?
    I share Shabbo’s thoughts about 2d, for which I needed E-help, and still couldn’t parse it.
    The sun is shining, the sheep are grazing happily. All’s well that starts well.

  8. Ray T taking it easy today (to me™Senf)
    16a made me smile as I was due a scale and polish today but it’s all over now and I am off for a booze up in York with Elgar et al
    Thanks to Shabbo and MrT

  9. Thanks to Ray T for another good puzzle, I always enjoy them.
    Like Shabbo I could not get 2D to work.
    With the current dearth of Queen inclusions I was pleased to see her dog making an appearance.
    Apart from that I also double ticked 18A and 8D.
    Thanks also to Shabbo who on this occasion did not solve my parsing difficulty.

  10. A typically enjoyable Mr T puzzle – thanks to him and Shabbo for the entertaining review.
    Pity about 2d – even Homer nods!
    My podium contains 8d, 14d and the (possibly topical) 22d.

  11. The usual tussle with RayT which I found tricky, especially the North West. But, once I got 1a, everything else fell nicely into place.

    Brother Ian is going to have kittens when he sees 20a!

    My podium is 1a, 25a and 11d.

    Many thanks to RayT and Shabbo.

    3*/4*

  12. East came first in this rather dry guzzle. 2d and 14d don’t parse for me. No Fav(s). Thank you RayT and Shabbo. I like the Quickie pun.

  13. Some slightly wonky surfaces, eg 16a. I don’t see the point of the “possibly” in 13a, I always (unfairly) baulk at aged for deteriorated and 1d surely deserves a rest. But 8d was neatly done, 20a too. Surprisingly straightforward for a Thursday, I thought, but solid enough. Thanks to RayT and Shabbo.

  14. Re 2d, Cheat and one don’t have to connected and “one” may be represented by the first letter “a”. Don’t count on pies yet
    Thanks to BD and The Shabbo couple

    1. In an attempt to parse the clue I too tried “a” for “one”, Shahriar, but conventionally it would be odd for the “cheat” and “one” not to be connected within the answer given the phrasing of the clue, and I still found it an unusually clumsy clue for MrT.

  15. A very enjoyable challenge from the Thursday maestro at the more difficult end of his spectrum slightly spoiled by 2d but enough has been said about that already – ***/****

    Candidates for favourite – 12a, 25a, 8d, and 14d – and the winner is 25a.

    Thanks to Mr T and Shabbo.

  16. Really came here to check my feeling about 2d, pleased to see that Shabbo and others agree. I don’t have a problem with 7d, apart from spending ages finding something to put in ‘od’ until the penny dropped and some checkers came to help! Also agree with Shabbo’s COD, 8d. So v many thanks to him and to Ray T.

  17. Enjoyable as Ray T always is for me. My only problem ( apart from the parsing of 2d ) was of my own making. Having placed the wrong word at 1a, in haste, even though I knew it was the incorrect part of speech, I then couldn’t make sense of 5d. The ‘it’s’ in 19d seemed superfluous and held me up for a moment too. What a wonderful anagram at 10a and fantastic surface reads at 8d and 20a. Favourite today is 14d joined on the podium by 18a and 23a. Thanks to Ray T and Shabbo.

  18. My usual struggles with a Ray T puzzle resulted in a dnf this time as I needed Shabbo’s hint to unravel 14d and confirm 26a. Tomorrow is another day. Thanks to Ray T and Shabbo.

  19. An interesting guzzle. I popped in to get help from Shabba Ranks in relation to 2d which I ‘got’ but couldn’t parse and that gave me the heebie-jeebies. I thought 20a and 8d were very smartly devised.

    Today I am 4d after watching my Chelsea tumble to a 4-1 defeat at somewhere called Liverpool. Truthfully we could have lost 8-1. My team is in disarray.

    Thanks to RayTee and Shabba-dabba-doo

    Regarding 27a – here’s a really lovely song:

    1. Disappointing result for you but I thought the young boy Bradley was so good and showing a positive side of football rather than the bad press it’s getting at the moment.
      I’m now going to finish, hopefully, today’s guzzle!
      Thank you to the setter and hinter.

    2. I like that. Am just playing some of her stuff now. See that she’s worked with Richard Hawley.

  20. Found this one tricky. 2d and 12a last ones in. Have to say I didn’t parse 2d in detail – my tablet telling me I had eventually finished – so didn’t notice the dodginess therein.

    Faves were 6a and 18a. ***/***

  21. Ray T beat me today with about half a dozen to go. Try as I might, I could not get them and had to resort to the hints. I have no idea what makes 2d work even with the explanation but I’m probably being thicker than usual. Naturally, I managed 16a despite it being well hidden. My head would be hanging in shame hard I not solved it. Making the last two letters of 1a “es” help me up for a while. No real favourites today.

    Thank you Ray T for the thrashing – I must try harder. Thank you, Shabbo for the hints and making sense it for me.

  22. Shabbo. RE 7d
    It is 3-letter informal word for hit inside (bearing) the odd letters of load

      1. My slight query with this clue is whether “bearing” can indicate that L and A go outside the word meaning hit.

        1. I suppose it depends on what is bearing the load. For a boxcar, the load goes inside; for a flat car, the load goes on top; and for a llama, the load is draped around.

          1. Crikey I’d have never considered that having had precisely the same reservation as Shabbo.

  23. Bit irritated by 2d, but only because I enjoyed the rest of it so much.

    I cannot quite see what all the fuss is about with 8d. I must be missing something. My personal favourite was 18a.

  24. Was too busy writing them in to spot the parsing problem in 2d, it seemed fine at pace. 25a very apt for Feb 1.

    Thanks to Shabbo and RayT.

  25. Started on cue with the 1a chestnut, there are a few varients available following the river but still a top clue anyway.
    Liked the surface of 10a and the tax drain in 2d.
    Favourite and last in was18a followed by 18a,going for a **/****- I think I had a good day!
    Spot on Quickie pun-last in was 25a!

  26. I agree entirely about 2d. Hoped to get an explanation from BD. I just can’t get it to work and so it was the last clue in and I gave up.

  27. Well, this puzzle is our fortnightly RayT offering and I enjoyed this very much. Not to say it was a walk through, but it was at the gentler end of his spectrum. Several tricky clues that took a while to get around, but all’s well.

    2*/4* for me today

    Favourites include 18a, 20a, 27a, 1d & 8d — with winner 18a
    Smiles elicited from the two lurkers as well as 21a, 27a & 22d

    Thanks to RayT & Shabbo for hints/blog

    1. I think that’s almost it, except that one has to be A,.as there are two As in the solution but only one I

      1. Perhaps tax is ‘a drain’. It certainly will be in Scotland come April!
        Thanks to the compiler and Shabbo

  28. Typical Ray T puzzle, I finished it and understood about half the clues!
    Never really got to grips with his mindset, it’s usually very weird.
    Thx to all
    ***/***

      1. You’ve changed your alias again so this needed moderation. All the aliases you’ve used will work from now on.

  29. Good afternoon

    Another epic 20d with the Mighty Mr T! One that, I’m pleased to say, I managed to complete, but by crikey, it took some doing.

    I notice that I’m not the only one to have issues with the parsing of 2d. I also had to consult the esteemed Shabbo to check my workings with 11d. 18a came to me just as I was about to click REVEAL!

    My thanks to Ray T and to Shabbo.

  30. Enjoyable and challenging with cold comfort being the last one in. Thank you RayT and Shabbo

  31. This beat me, I was DNF for 18a and 2d, so the parsing didn’t bother me! We’ve had the “ink” before but I didn’t remember it, maybe because I have a blind spot when it comes to tats. Why people mutilate themselves like that beats me. Sorry to anyone who has them, I don’t mean to offend. Lots to like, however, 8d is a standout, but I liked Pentecost and HM’s fave canines.
    Thank you RayT for the fun, you can’t win ’em all and it is Thursday after all. Thanks Shabbo for your help to the finish tape.

  32. Found this puzzle quite difficult 😬 ****/*** Favourites 1a, 20a Thanks to Shabbo and to Ray T
    Lovely sunny day here in the East 🌞

  33. Just half a* less
    Than Shabbo’s assessment
    And, like many others,
    Took some time to
    Fathom 2d.
    Completion also delayed by
    Experimenting with the
    Letters of 10a, a new
    Word for me.
    Certainly 8d my COTD.
    Thanks for the enjoyment, RayT
    And thanks Shabbo.

  34. Evening all. My thanks to Shabbo for the decryption, my apologies for 2 down and thanks to everybody for your comments.

    RayT

    1. Thanks for a great puzzle Mr T. With your track record, no apologies required for this humble solver. Long may you continue.

    2. Very relieved to learn that the 2d problems weren’t down to that bottle of wine at lunchtime!
      Thank you for popping in, Mr T, and for another great puzzle. I did wonder whether you’d be out on a tractor blockading Paris but apparently not………

    3. Just finished this but was confuddled by 2d. Relieved to see it wasn’t me.

      Chuffed to have solved a relatively not hard RayT!

      Billy bonus was that it was an enjoyable solve.

      Thanks to all.

  35. Very late in today – my ex-next-door neighbour came over for lunch and we had a great time reminiscing. She’s 95 and as bright as a button – makes me very envious!

    Thought Mr T gave us quite a toughie today but maybe the shared bottle of wine has something to do with that? Top clues for me were 20&25a plus 8d.

    Devotions of course to Mr T and many thanks to Shabbo for another excellent review.

  36. I thought this was a crossword with two different sides.
    The right side was fine, and t’other wasn’t so good – ie not as easy rather than less good!
    I did have quite a few problems – possibly because of the scarcity of anagrams – I admit that I rely on anagrams as a way into a crossword if I’m in trouble.
    I liked 13 and 20a and 1 and 20d, my favourite was 21a.
    Thanks to RayT and to Shabbo

  37. Even later than Jane having had my first full round of golf since renewal on Nov 1st. Shoulder sore & the golf predictably rusty but it was a beautiful day & the course wasn’t quite in as bad nick as I’d feared.
    Enjoyed the puzzle. Probably wouldn’t have noticed the 2d blip pre blogging duties but pay more attention nowadays. I did smile that the first two words of the puzzle were River Test having failed to twig the context of test in Serpent’s Toughie yesterday. Top 3 for me today were 8d + 18&23a in what was a brisk solve.
    Thanks to Ray T & to Shabbo.

  38. Gosh I made heavy weather of that needing hints to finish the last 3. It’s been stop start all day as packing to go away tomorrow , so think my lateral brain was not on top form. Hopefully I can get the Friday puzzle done but may have to come to terms with losing my streak 😱Thanks to Ray T and Shabbo .

  39. I got there in the end, certainly a struggle in places and I could not parse 2d but can see I was not alone. I8d was my favourite. I was pleased that I managed to finish although I would not have done without the check answer feature,

    Many thanks to Mr T and to Shabbo for the hints.

  40. Better late than never! Another excellent puzzle from Ray T. Great clues, a decent challenge and an enjoyable solve. Didn’t see the problem with 2d till I read the blog just now, Fav: 8d. 3*/4.5*.

  41. I see Rayt has popped in to apologise for 2d, I justified the extra ‘A’ as ace. Well it seemed reasonable to me. A step up in difficulty from last time but not that much. Enjoyable as always. Favourite was 8d. Thanks to Rayt, I hope you still haven’t told the other setters that you’re my favourite, and Shabbo, my predictive text still won’t predict your name, then again it doesn’t predict the word predict!

  42. For a Thursday Ray T puzzle this was by no means easy, but not as tough as some weeks. I struggled to justify a handful of my answers while others conveniently presented themselves. Was very late starting and only just found time to fill in the stubborn empty boxes. Whatever, I am sure it is more benign that whatever is in store for us tomorrow. Thanks to Ray T and Shabbo.

  43. Just completed todays puzzle on the website where 2d appeared as ‘2. Cruel in a Conrad novel? (9)’

    1. Welcome to the blog, Matt.

      The revised clue has now appeared on both old and new Puzzles sites.

  44. Surprised and pleased to have actually finished a RayT puzzle. Last one in was 18a, didn’t see the problem with 2d as I thought the one was an A, as in a man instead of one man, but who knows🤷‍♂️. Thanks to all.

  45. I was in a knot too about 2D. I tried 50 ways to parse it and then decided Homer had nodded. I’ll plump for 8D for the podium, just a nice simple construction that helped to restore the equilibrium disturbed by 2D.

  46. Another one I enjoyed . About my level I think. I did not struggle at all with 2d. My favourite was 8d. The one I found difficult was 14d

    1. You’ve used a new alias so your comment required moderation. All the aliases you’ve used to date will work in future.

      Under ‘implacable’ Chambers Crossword Dictionary lists: cruel, pitiless, ruthless, heartless and merciless.

      1. Thanks. I had tried several dictionaries!!

        Couldn’t remember my ‘name’ or alias, sorry

        sue

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