Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26547
Hints and tips by Libellule
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
I thought this was straight forward stuff from Rufus today, but not quite up to his usual high standard. Some of the clues today seemed to be struggling to be cryptic. Overall, it was still a pleasant solve though.
If the hint doesn’t help, just highlight the spce between the curly brackets.
Across
1. Plant part is said to be regenerated (10)
{ASPIDISTRA} – An anagram (to be regenerated) of PART IS SAID is also the cast-iron plant.
9. Fight a spell of illness (4)
{BOUT} – Double definition, a contest and a period of illness.
10. Key worker in preparations for a musical concert (5,5)
{PIANO TUNER} – The sort of person who would make adjustments to the tensions of the strings inside a “Grand” for example.
11. Choose one mother — the best! (6)
{OPTIMA} –A three letter word to make a choice or decision, then I (one) and MA (mother).
12. Affected types from the Paris model agency (7)
{POSEURS} – People who affect attitudes etc to impress others could at a push be French fashion models. However you would probably use the terms modeles or mannequins.
15. Sharing out a bit of parsley, perhaps (7)
{GARNISH} – An anagram (out) of SHARING is a decoration that is added to a plate of food for example.
16. Settle without recourse to law (5)
{SQUAT} – To sit in a crouching position or to occupy a house illegally.
17. Administer a beating — at Westminster? (4)
{WHIP} – A person who enforces party discipline is also a word that describes striking someone with repeated strokes.
18. We are disheartened, or used to be (4)
{WERE} – Remove the central letter from we are…
19. One who believes in British industry (5)
{HINDU} – A religious person can be found between the two words of British and industry.
21. Cleric angered about being screened (7)
{RIDDLED} – Put another word for annoyed around DD (Divinitatis Doctor – Doctor of Divinity) to get a word that means coarsely sieved.
22. Shrink from any last resolution (7)
{ANALYST} – An anagram (resolution) of ANY LAST gets you another word for a psychiatrist.
24. It may be buttonholed or rebuked (6)
{ORCHID} – A flower that you might wear in a button hole is constructed from OR and the past tense of a word that means to scold mildly.
27. Crispbread put out for sea creature (6,4)
{SPIDER CRAB} – An anagram (put out) of CRISPBREAD is the sort of sea creature that has very long legs and a small triangular body.
28. Inform against a place of business (4)
{SHOP} – Double definition, a small retail store and a slang term that means to betray.
29. Pay attention or get warning of dismissal (4,6)
{TAKE NOTICE} – A phrase that means to observe with special attention could also be a formal announcement that you are about to lose your job.
Down
2. Make progress by crawling, perhaps (4)
{SWIM} – The sort of progress you might make in a pool…
3. It’s natural for hotel to have tea break (6)
{INNATE} – A three letter word for a place that serves food and drink to travellers is then followed by an anagram (break) of TEA for a word that means inborn or inherent.
4. Plainly distressed, but retains composure (2,5)
{IN TEARS} – An anagram (composure) of RETAINS.
5. In a UK city near a river (4)
{TYNE} – Hidden in the clue between the words city and near, you can find a river that runs through Newcastle.
6. Man devoured by a lion, perhaps — a circus performer (7)
{ACROBAT} – Someone who is skilled in feats of balance and agility is constructed from a mans name, ROB which is then put inside (devoured) by A feline.
7. Misguided love is pity, really (10)
{POSITIVELY} – An anagram (misguided) of LOVE IS PITY is also a synonym of really.
8. Love sent by e-mail? (10)
{ATTACHMENT} – An electronic document you might send via email is also a feeling of affection.
12. Hotshot taking authority over Parliament? (10)
{POWERHOUSE} – Someone who possesses great force is a charade of a synonym for another word for authority and another word commonly used to describe Parliament.
13. Turn on physician, one likely to misrepresent account (4,6)
{SPIN DOCTOR} – Alistair Campbell was one of these, for example.
14. Point to a pound of fish (5)
{SQUID} – S (South – a point of the compass), plus another term for a pound sterling is a “a marine cephalopod of the order Teuthida”.
15. The Irish Bill? (5)
{GARDA} – What is the name of the Republic of Ireland police force?
19. School principal to order a hearing aid (7)
{HEADSET} – Another term for a couple of earphones can be made up from someone who is in charge of a school followed by a word that means to “put in a specified place”.
20. Relation is given article that’s soiled (7)
{UNCLEAN} – The brother of your mother or father and then the form of “a” used before words beginning with a vowel, is also a word that means dirty or soiled.
23. Surgeon’s paper knife? (6)
{LANCET} – A surgical cutting instrument is also one of the oldest general medical journals.
25. Church of Scotland (4)
{KIRK} – A Scottish word for a church or the original captain of the USS Enterprise.
26. Turned over stuff left over from wine-making (4)
{MARC} – A word that describes squeezing something into a small space when reversed is also the remains of grapes or other fruit that have been pressed for wine-making.
The Quick crossword pun: {horror} + {scope} = {horoscope}
A lot to do to day, so I looked at the hint for 21a to finish the puzzle. Still can’t see the relevance of ‘screened’. 26d was new to me – though easy enough to work out. Liked 8d, but I thought 25d was hardly cryptic. Thanks to all, and have a good day.
(today)
Screen – A coarse sieve used for sifting out fine particles, as of sand, gravel, or coal.
Screened – To separate or sift out (fine particles of sand, for example) by means of a sieve or screen.
Fair enough! Thanks.
Nice start to the week. Thanks to Libellule and Rufus.
I struggeld a bit with this one but managed to get there in the end – except for 2d which just didn’t occur to me – doh!
So, I would have said it was a harder solve than a normal Monday – but that could be because I’m suffering with hay fever!
Thanks To Rufus and Libellule. ….aa…..aa….choo…..!!….
Thanks.
This was my reply to a comment from BD, which now has disappeared (presumably because it is duplicated above?)
I did!
Thanks anyway.
Fairly gentle start to the week. No particular favourites today, but I did quite like 8D and 15D. Can’t say I really enjoyed 21A though, funny sort of clue and funny sort of answer. Incidentally, I liked the use of the letter Q in 16A and 14D, not something that can be achieved easily in two 5 letter words.
Didn’ t enjoy this puzzle much this morning. :( No real favourite but quite liked 10a. Thanks setter and Libelule
I liked 16a best. I have never heard of 26d.
Just couldn’t see 2d or 26d and had convinced myself 21a was a combo of red and duce = reduced. Otherwise I enjoyed it and thought many of the clues were very smooth..takes allsorts I suppose. Thanks to RFS and Libellule.
Another puzzle of two halves. The RH side plus a few more went in fairly easily, but needed nearly all the hints for the LH side and for 26d, new word for me. Don’t understand how 12a comes out the clue.
Geoff,
I think “poseur” is meant to be the French word for a model e.g. Kate Moss etc. Unfortunately according to my French dictionary, it isn’t. So unless somebody has a better idea how this clue works, I can only suggest giving it some latitude.
Poseur and Poser seem to be interchangeable. The french verb poser … can mean a variety of things but a couple of them are “to put on airs” and also to pose as a model.
Thank you, I’ll go with the latitude. Thanks for the hints, very much needed today. Thanks to Rufus too, of course.
I found this harder than usual for a Monday. I took a long time to get 12a and 12d – have never heard of that word – and so the bottom left hand corner was a bit of a struggle. Liked 22a and 2, 7, 8, 14 and 15d.
Thanks to Rufus and Libellule.
I wrote everything in quite quickly and then came to a grinding halt at 2d – a penny-dropping moment if ever there was one. Thanks to Rufus for the extremely gentle start to Monday and to Libellule for the review.
I found the Guardian Rufus slightly tougher than this one.
The SW was the only slight hold up in a fun puzzle. Thanks to Rufus and Libellule.
I found this one slightly more difficult than usual though not as tricky as the Rufus in the Guardian. Favourite clue was 16a. Thanks to Rufus and Libellule for the crossword and blog respectively.
Not a great deal of fun or much of a challenge, still there’s always the Times. Am I allowed to say that?
Thanks both.
I don’t think that Big Dave has any superinjunctions on the go, so you’re probably safe.
Oh good! I won’t be outed on twitter then or placed in the stocks.
The right side went in so quickly and then I really slowed down… last one in was 26d. I enjoyed it! :)
Oh good – am pleased it wasn’t just me who found it a bit more difficult that most Mondays – was afraid my brain had gone into limbo! Needed quite a few of the hints to-day to finish. Don’t like 24a as normal usage past tense is surely “chided” – no? Also very late starting it to-day and usually manage much better first thing. But thanks to setter and hinter, as always.
The usual pleasant start to the week from Rufus.
Best for me :10a, 21a, 24a, 6d, 8d, 13d & 23d.
Re 1a – memories of Gracie Fields!
Re 26d – there are many good French and Italian versions which are excellent digestives.
I thought it was a lovely crossword today. I do like Rufus very much, and I thought this one was much more fun than the last couple of weeks.
I liked 12a 15a 16a 18a 28a 2d 4d 14d. 26d new for me.
Thank to Rufus and to Libellule.
Nick
(probably last in today, got in late!)
A nice gentle start to the week from Rufus, apart from 21a which for some reason I just couldn’t see. Doing the puzzle in the bar before start of bridge afternoon so I couldn’t throw in the towel and look at Libellule’s hints. Penny dropped after a while with a big D’OH! Shows that persevation works.
Anyway, thanks Rufus and also Libellule for the hint that I probably would have used if I’d had my computer with me and wasn’t left with persevation as my only option!
BTW, had a crap afternoon at bridge and came last out of 8 pairs! ( I blame pommette)!!!! Sometimes we don’t do too well but we’ve never actually been bottom before!!!
I Couldnt’t get 23d and 26d.
Now 10:45 on Tuesday, and have yet to start Thursday’s puzzle……….
23d is somewhat misleading, since The ****** isn’t specifically a surgical publication, and a ****** only just about qualifies as a knife; it wouldn’t be used for cutting, but for puncturing.
26d is one that you either know or don’t (or look up).
Qix,
I did wonder about that when I wrote the blog, but one definition I found of lancet is:
” A surgical knife with a short, wide, pointed double-edged blade, used especially for making punctures and small incisions. ”
But I do agree re. your comment on “The Lancet” as a journal, although founded by a Surgeon, it was not specifically a surgical publication, rather one concerned with medicine in general.