DT 26577 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26577

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26577

Hints and tips by Libellule

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ***

Standard Monday fare from Rufus, although I think this one is a bit tougher than normal, 23d is my favourite clue and definite “doh” moment.

You can reveal the by highlighting the space between the curly brackets.

Across
1. Another bloody hold-up! (10)
{TOURNIQUET} – A cryptic definition that describes a tight bandage used to temporarily stop bleeding.

9. Money for some tobacco (4)
{QUID} – A pound sterling or a cut of tobacco.

10. Dance with sailor before everyone retires (10)
{TARANTELLA} – A lively Italian dance is constructed from three elements. A three-letter word for a seaman, a prefix that means before and finally ALL reversed (retires).

11. Frisk doctor entering prison (6)
{GAMBOL} – Put Medicinae Baccalaureus (Bachelor of Medicine) inside another word for jail to get the sort of frolic usually associated with lambs.

12. In poor condition, we’re heard to ask for sympathy (7)
{PITEOUS} – A word that means miserable or misfortunate sounds like a group of people asking for sympathy.

15. Speech might indicate where one’s home is (7)
{ADDRESS} – Double definition, a formal speech or the place where you live.

16. Why so unusually ostentatious? (5)
{SHOWY} – An anagram (unusually) of WHY SO.

17. Lean Lothario? (4)
{RAKE} – Another double definition, to incline from the vertical or an immoral or dissolute person

18. Made out to be a lady (4)
{DAME} – An anagram (out) this time of MADE.

19. They guide Southern sailors (5)
{STARS} – S (Southern) and the plural of the same word for seaman used in 10a were used for navigation.

21. Outvotes? (7)
{UNSEATS} – Votes out – A reference to deposing someone from an office or a position.

22. Refuse to agree to a climb-down, we hear (7)
{DISSENT} – A sounds like clue. A word that means to disagree sounds like descent.

24. A man called for Australian port (6)
{SYDNEY} – Another sounds like clue, this time a mans name sounds like the capital of New South Wales, the for in the clue indicates the answer required.

27. Bolted after the horse — it’s too late! (6,4)
{STABLE DOOR} – Cryptic? A reference to a phrase that if someone takes action too late, then there is no reason to lock a place where a horse may have lived.

28. Six look back on a big fiddle (4)
{VIOL} – VI (Roman numerals for six) followed by the standard two letter word for look reversed (back) produces a stringed instrument.

29. Close to being an attractive watering place (6,4)
{PRETTY WELL} – A phrase that means nearly could also be an attractive place to find water.

Down

2. Curved shape in which square cuts are made (4)
{OVAL} – Surrey cricket ground is also named after this egg shape.

3. New aide or anyone responsible for kit on group tour (6)
{ROADIE} – An anagram (new) of AIDE OR is a person who transports and sets up equipment for a band or group.

4. This turns out to sum up Panama, for example (7)
{ISTHMUS} – An anagram (turns out) of THIS followed by SUM reversed (up) is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas of which Panama is an example.

5. Could such a description be fair comment? (4)
{UGLY} – Only if the object was displeasing or unsightly.

6. As an example King Lear grew old in the attempt (7)
{TRAGEDY} – Put a word that means advanced in years inside TRY (attempt) to get what Shakespeare’s King Lear is an example of.

7. Mixes drink for a fund-raiser (6,4)
{JUMBLE SALE} – A sale of donated articles could be a confused mass of beer is it was split (7,3).

8. A colt needs breaking as a youngster (10)
{ADOLESCENT} – An anagram (breaking) of A COLT NEEDS is a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity.

12. Supervise a review that is influential (10)
{PERSUASIVE} – Another anagram (review) of SUPERVISE A is someone who has the power to induce action or belief.

13. Agrees to a wage cut and drowns one’s sorrows (5,1,4)
{TAKES A DROP} – A phrase that describes having a decrease in pay could also describe having a drink.

14. Reports it’s very warm on board (5)
{SHOTS} – The sort of reports you might hear from a gun are constructed by using a word that describes being at a high temperature which is then placed inside the abbreviation for steam ship (on board).

15. Medal for conflict in our time (5)
{AWARD} – Put a word for armed conflict inside the abbreviation for Anno Domini (our time) to get something that is granted for merit e.g. a medal.

19. Puts off one’s retirement (5,2)
{STAYS UP} – What you might do if you decided not to go to bed.

20. One sort of shirt used as a vest (7)
{SINGLET} – Another word for a vest is made from a word for one (e.g. one run in cricket) followed by a type of short sleeved collarless shirt.

23. Sort of boxer dog? (6)
{SHADOW} – The sort of boxer who fights with an imaginary opponent is also a word that means to follow or trail somebody.

25. Tie up fifty-one (4)
{LACE} – A verb that means to bind or do up is L (fifty) followed by the sort of playing card that has one spot on it.

26. Charge for ring (4)
{TOLL} – Double definition, to charge for crossing a bridge for example or to sound a large bell.


The Quick crossword pun: (warren} + {piece} = {War and Peace}

65 comments on “DT 26577

  1. Yes, no problem with this one today. It took me a few minutes to understand why the answer to 2d was correct, but a quick solve apart from that. Thanks to Rufus and to Libellule.

  2. I found this a lot simpler than the usual Monday Rufus; well under a two stopper. Perhaps having solved his Guardian crossword first meant I was on the right wavelength! Favourite clues were 10a and 6d.

    Many thanks to Rufus for the crossword and to Libellule for the review.

  3. A nice and gentle start to the week but I did struggle with 26d. :) Too many viable answers!.Thanks to Libellule and setter.

    1. Nestorius,
      I assume that is a reference to the pun in the Quick? BD adds that to the blog!

  4. Good start to week.better than the still poor weather here in wilds of northumberland .Drought …what drought! rained most of weekend!

  5. Harder than usual I thought, but got there in the end. Wasted a lot of time on 5d (I still think the answer bears little relation to the clue). Liked 12a and 7d though. Thanks to Rufus and Libellule.

  6. Good start to the week, not too difficult but a few head scratching moments. I 29A finished in one go, but mad a 12A cock up in 12D with a spelling mistake until I spotted 21A. enjoyed 10A, 22A, 4D and 26D. Favourite today was 2D (but then again, I AM a cricket fanatic)).

  7. A nice crossword to start the week. 24A threw me for a while as I put down Hobart, which seemed fairly descriptive of “A man called”

    1. Fairly easy today with some lovely clues. Liked 29a & 7d. Not sure about 5d? Although I did’nt need it thanks to Libellue for an excellent review.
      I purchased Chambers for my iphone gnomethang-it’s very good.
      Thanks to Rufus
      Regards

      1. I have found it excellent value and a real help for both solving and setting clues on Clue Writing Competitions. Whilst I try to use it only to check definitions I am not averse to crunching the occasional completely unknown words.

      2. Woops – sorry about the grammatical error in my message. It should read – didn’t.
        Fat fingers, small keys!!

  8. Needed some help today; so thank you to Libellule; once I looked at the hints the clues all seemed fair and the answers obvious, so a pretty good one from Rufus!

  9. Morning Libelulle, I thought this was a bit tougher than usual for a Rufus Monday morning crossword and have to admit I needed your help on 3 or 4 today, however lots of really clever clues once again and lots I like, even the ones I didn’t get, loved 7d,15a, 23d (one of my dogs is called Shadow) also liked 19a and 14d, not sure about 21a, is that cryptic? weather here slightly better than yesterday i.e. it is not actually raining at the moment :-) Thanks for help Libelulle and for another excellent crossword Rufus

  10. I often think that Rufus treats each clue in isolation rather than as constituents of a single crossword – an example of this today was the word sailor referring to the same word in two different clues. Both clues were fine in their own right, I just think that using them both in the same crossword is a little, dare I say it, lazy.

    Thanks to compiler and reviewer, as always.

    1. Freda, I know what you mean, but as Rufus spent many years as a “Flying Tar”, perhaps we can forgive him? 1a and 7d went in quite quickly, so I was on the lookout for a pangram, which didn’t materialise. But a nice start to the week, and thanks to Rufus and Libellule

  11. I have just had a nasty shock trying to google the answer to 18d in the Herculis. Brazilian and Wax produce some very strange results.

      1. Gnomey,
        Thankfully it wasn’t a theme, it just happened to be the one answer I had to look up….

        1. I knew it because it always intrigued me that it was (and may be still is) listed on the ingredients of Smarties – presumably to make them shiny :)

  12. Some great clues today. I loved 2d and 4d but unfortunately I entered ‘stays on’ for 19d which meant I was stymied ‘pretty well’ for 29a.
    Incidentally, should I feel ashamed if I use my electronic solver for anagrams?

    1. Not at all Harport when solving these it is sometimes difficult to recognise an anagram indicator, others can be obvious but having recognised them if you try and can’t work it out, there is no shame at all in using it, it means you can get on with the crossword I for one would often be struggling without mine :-)

  13. I thought this was a bit harder than usual for a Monday. I had never heard of 10a but it was workoutable from the clue. I really don’t get 1a, what is the purpose of ‘another’ in the clue and in what sense does it hold blood up? Am I missing something?
    Thanks to Rufus and Libellule

    1. I think 1a is meant to make you think of what you might say if you got stuck in a traffic jam.

  14. I found this slightly tougher today, being held up at the top. I think the word ‘another’ in 1a put me off a bit. Usual Rufus fare so thanks to him. I liked 2d as well as Libellule’s favourite d’oh 23d. Thanks to Libellule for the hints too.

    1. I originally thought that 1a was THROMBOSIS until I had the checking letter from 2d.

      1. I didn’t think of your answer or the real one – just left with a nasty bit gaping hole until I eventually gave in and read the hint. Quite like your answer! :smile:

  15. Standard Rufus Monday fare and none the worse for that, very enjoyable. Thanks Rufus and Libellule.

  16. Usual good stuff from RFS. 2d and 23d were the standouts for me, as others have said. Thanks again chaps.

  17. Good fun today. Although having got the last two letters of 21a I wanted the answer to be “howzats”! Not sure that cricket is a democracy, though…

  18. I liked 23d best. I did not like 5d – why not simply “Not fair comment”?, nor 22a but that might depend on one’s regional accent.

  19. Usual enjoyable start to week from Rufus – many thanks.
    My likes : 1a, 10a, 12a, 24a, 25a, 2d, 4d, 7d & 23d.
    21a was my last to go in as I spelt 12d wrongly – twiddled round the ua!

    Forgot to buy L’Équipe this morning for the full report on F1 at Montreal as the DT gives no details aside from ranting on about Hamilton!

    re 2d – did you get it Mary?

    Must now go out for a dook!

    1. No Derek thanks, I didn’t, I was arguing with my brother that you would no more call an oval a curved shape than you would call a square a straight shape!! :-)

  20. Hi. I did get 1a but I still can’t see why it has the word ‘another’. Can anyone explain please? And is 21a really cryptic?

    Thanks

    1. Gill,
      As I commented above, I think you are meant to take the phrase at 1a to mean what you might say if you got stuck in a traffic jam. In terms of the clue and defintion the “word” another does seem to be superfluous but it was probably put in to make the clue read better.
      With 21a the word outvote means the following, to outdo in voting, or to defeat (an opponent or proposal, for example) in voting, however if you read the clue as out votes or votes out, where out is to get rid of something then it does have a bit of cryptic ring to it, hence the question mark at the end.

    2. That was very odd!, I was just helping out with an email problem chez maman and have just forwarded a ‘Gill Smith’ email!. It was a combined email address so probably not yours!

  21. Also transposed letters in 12d so had “absents” for 21a – which seemed kinda reasonable – couldn’t vote because they were out – so thanks for putting me right Libellule. Otherwise finished in fairly record time – didn’t understand 2d (though got it) not being a cricket fan, but now understand – again, thanks to Libellule. Last in for me was 25d – so obvious once the penny dropped after I’d been struggling with LI.. for some time! Seldom do the Quickie but have just got the pun! A satisfying start to the week from Rufus.

  22. Lots of people have said that they found this one a “bit” harder than is usual for a Monday – well, maybe it’s just me but I found this a “very big bit” harder than usual and ended up with several in the top left hand corner that I just couldn’t do. The total failure in that corner was mainly down to my complete inability to make any sense of 1a so had no starting letters for all the downs up there – if that makes any sense at all! Managed 3, 4 and 6d. Couldn’t do 2d – having read the hints am now assuming that a “square cut” is to do with cricket. I don’t really like 5d and, along with others, am not keen on the “another” bit of 1a – although it makes the clue read better I thought it was a bit of red herring. Definitely not my finest day! :sad: Did like 11, 12, 16 and 29a and 7 (even if it did fool me into looking out for the Q, X etc) 8 and 23d. Thanks to Rufus and to Libellule for the badly needed hints.

      1. I’m with you on this, Kath. I think it took me about 50% longer than a usual Monday solve… and I found the top left corner difficult. But I took quite a while on 1a, couldn’t see it at all.

        Even as a cricket fan, I needed O_A_ to get 2d, but I did like it.

        Favourite was 21a, but I enjoyed 25d and 26d as well.

        Thanks to Rufus and Libellule.

        Nick

  23. Think I may have to resign from blogging!
    I really could not see 26d and it’s probably the easiest clue in the crossword! Otherwise I thought pretty good and solved (apart from said 26d) in near record time!
    Thanks Rufus and to Libellule (for putting me out of my misery)!

    1. Of the ones that I DID manage today 25d was the last and, having got it, what an easy (ish) clue. It’s always the little tiddlers that cause the trouble (and you definitely shouldn’t give up blogging, in my opinion anyway! :smile:

      1. Thanks for the vote of confidence Kath. I wasn’treally serious about giving up so you’ll just have to put up with my racing cars and boats for a bit longer!

      1. That’s when its time to work through the letters of the alphabet. Sometimes that doesn’t work either so I have to resort to Gnome’s Law.

        1. I suppose if I’d had time I would have done that and got there in the end but I was solving over lunch before bridge and the cards was about to start so I gave up in disgust at my ineptitude!

  24. Hi Libellule,
    re 17a, I’m sure your explanation is the correct one but there is another way of looking at this. Lothario/rake agreed but RAKE is also a thin (lean) person, as in ‘he’s a rake’, or ‘he’s thin as a rake’ – might be a regional NW England usage but it was my first thought on getting the answer, until the sailor’s brain kicked in and I thought of the ‘rake’ of a mast!

  25. Thanks to Libellule and Rufus for an entertaining puzzle. I knew 1a was to do with blood, but still couldn’t get it. Similarly with 21a. Had to resort to the hints for four more.
    Favourites were 27 and 29 across.

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