Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26605
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **
Today’s Giovanni is not the most difficult Friday puzzle ever and it has lots and lots of proper names. Let us know how you found it in a comment.
If you want to see an answer highlight the space between the brackets under the clue.
Across Clues
1a Nice request to perform on stage? (8)
{PLEASING} – a double-bluff to start with. Nice, as the first word of a clue, very often indicates a French word but here it is simply the definition. Put together a request and a verb meaning to perform musically (the question mark signifying that this is just one way to perform on stage).
5a Lacking debt, as young whelp receiving help (4-2)
{PAID-UP} – a young dog contains (receiving) a synonym for help.
9a Communist register includes a number heading west (8)
{LENINIST} – this is a communist who favours the ideology of the first premier of the Soviet Union, born Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov. Reverse (heading west, an across-only construct) a number inside a register or inventory.
10a Conqueror could create a scare (6)
{CAESAR} – the invader who conquered after he came and saw is an anagram (could create) of A SCARE.
12a Old lover getting mention brings thrill (6)
{EXCITE} – the informal word for a previous lover or partner is followed by to mention or quote to form a verb meaning to thrill.
13a Worried Irish politician holding money in Russia (8)
{TROUBLED} – the abbreviation for Teachta Dála (one of the 166 members of the Irish Parliament) contains (holding) the Russian currency to make a past participle meaning worried.
15a Excuse trick performed (7)
{CONDONE} – an informal word for a trick or deceit precedes a synonym of performed to make a verb meaning to excuse.
16a Book agreements not needing introductory page (4)
{ACTS} – remove the initial P(age) from formal agreements to leave the short name of one of the books of the New Testament.
20a First gardener to make an embankment (4)
{ADAM} – the name given to the first gardener in Eden (I’m not sure where he got his seed potatoes from) is, as (1,3), an embankment.
21a Some examiner valued as a wise female (7)
{MINERVA} – hidden (some) in the clue is the name of the Roman goddess of wisdom.
25a Two men meeting somewhere in Essex (8)
{BASILDON} – the name of an Essex town (probably most famous as the birthplace of Denise van Outen :D ) is made up of two male forenames.
26a Oil film (6)
{GREASE} – double definition.
28a One mathematical shape of holy symbol? (6)
{ICONIC} – a single mathematical shape (1,5) means, as an adjective, relating to a religious image (holy symbol), especially one used ceremonially in Eastern Churches.
29a Protest about despicable person, American politician (8)
{DEMOCRAT} – a member of one of the two main parties in the US is a charade of a protest (possibly in the form of a march), C (circa, about) and a metaphor for a despicable person.
30a Eager journalist with drab clothing (6)
{GREEDY} – the colour associated with being drab or dull (the colour that John Major was always given in Spitting Image – nobody knew then what he was getting up to with Edwina!) goes round (clothing) the usual abbreviated senior journalist.
31a Rose can’t work out who might be great-grandmother? (8)
{ANCESTOR} – the question mark indicates that great-grandmother is a definition by example. It’s an anagram (work out) of ROSE CAN’T.
Down Clues
1d Sharp shower? Hide with little hesitation (6)
{PELTER} – a word (which I’ve never seen in use) for a shower (of rain or missiles) is formed from a hide or skin and the sound you make when you’re trying desperately to think of something to say (little hesitation).
2d English university enjoyable for a girl (6)
{EUNICE} – the abbreviations for E(nglish) and U(niversity) are followed by a synonym for enjoyable (see 1a) to make a girl’s name.
3d Authorise punitive action (8)
{SANCTION} – double definition.
4d Architect establishing name with a second hospital (4)
{NASH} – the name of the architect who designed Regent Street and many other parts of central London is constructed from N(ame), A, S(econd) and H(ospital).
6d A public vehicle can accommodate a hundred — you can count on that (6)
{ABACUS} – a device used, mainly in the East, for counting is A and a public service vehicle around (can accommodate) A and the Roman numeral for hundred.
7d Relocate short parade before church (8)
{DISPLACE} – a verb meaning to parade or expose to public attention loses its final Y (short). This is followed by the abbreviation for the Church of England to make a synonym for relocate.
8d Despair unusual round a land of bliss (8)
{PARADISE} – an anagram (unusual) of DESPAIR goes round A.
11d Eleanor, perhaps the last character to get sun-tanned (7)
{BRONZED} – the surname of Eleanor the comic actress (whose voice you may hear saying “The number you have dialled has not been recognised” if your fingers are too big for your telephone keypad) is followed by the last character of the alphabet.
14d Tot, one boy to become a writer (7)
{ADDISON} – the surname of Joseph, the poet, playwright and co-founder of The Spectator magazine, is a charade of a verb to tot up, I (one) and a boy child.
17d Twisty stuff put on cheap jewellery (8)
{RAMBLING} – the definition here is twisty. Put a verb to stuff forcibly ahead of (on, in a down clue) a slang word for cheap and flashy jewellery.
18d Space not properly allocated for top bit of structure (8)
{CAPSTONE} – the top bit of an architectural structure is an anagram (properly allocated) of SPACE NOT.
19d Maiden? Funny performer not half emotional (8)
{OVERCOME} – a synonym for emotional comes from what may be a maiden in cricket followed by the first half of an entertainer who tries to make you laugh.
22d Capone was dishonest in partnership (6)
{ALLIED} – the abbreviated forename of the American gangster is followed by a verb meaning “was economical with the truth”.
23d Vegetable rubbish under vehicle (6)
{CARROT} – put rubbish after (under, in a down clue) a motor vehicle to make a vegetable.
24d Character who makes provision for tenants? (6)
{LETTER} – double definition.
27d Understood part of play through earphones (4)
{SEEN} – “through earphones” points to a homophone so we want a word meaning understood or grasped which sounds like a section of a play.
The clues I liked best today were 9a and 17d. Let us know what you liked in a comment.
Today’s Quickie Pun: {JUSTICE} + {HIGH} + {WORSE} + {SAYING} = {JUST AS I WAS SAYING}
I normally find there are a few to think about on a Friday, but today they went in without much of a struggle.
Re 1a, whenever I see the word Nice in a puzzle, I immediately start thinking in French! :)
Thanks to Giovanni, and to Gazza.
I always start thinking “French” when I see “Nice” too but s’il vous plait didn’t really fit.
Moi aussi
Et tu, BeeDee.
Morning Gazza, not my favourite Giovanni puzzle, too many GK clues for my liking and personally a 3* for me today, fav clues 6d and 15a, looks like the sun is in hiding today, done the crossword, done the cleaning ready now to read my book outside, change of plans methinks, oh well at least school sports are over :-)
Very difficult for me: and therefore not much fun
I think it was Cicero who said ” It is commonly held that the achievement of difficult labours are in themselves rewarding”. I forget the Latin but you get where I am coming from!
I found this quite easy – for a Friday! Lots of names but the only one I hadn’t heard of was 14d which was possible to work out from the clue. I didn’t know the Irish politician in 13a but the answer was fairly obvious (and the hint explained it – thanks Gazza). I never know if a full stop goes inside or outside the bracket if it’s at the end of a sentence!! I wasn’t sure if 1d was a word so had to look it up and I didn’t know 18d. I liked 1, 9 and 31a and 11, 17 and 23d. With thanks to Giovanni and Gazza.
Not too tricky for a Friday I thought. Some good clues (5A, 12A, 16A, 28A, 2D, 17D). My favourite has to be 4D – not really for the clue, but just from the fact that having worked out the answer, I sat there thinking ‘An architect called Nash?’ then it suddenly hit me that he designed most of Bath – 5 miles down the road from me D’OH (and it deserves capitals, especially as I’m considered a bit of a history buff, especially when it comes to Bath).
Oh, and Kath, the full stop should come outside the bracket.
The general rule is that the full stop should come outside the bracket, except where the brackets contain a complete sentence. I.e. He wore a new shirt (it was blue). He wore a blue shirt. (My shirt was red.)
Thanks Skempie and AtH1900 – now that I know I will TRY to remember! Whichever I do it looks wrong!!
I mentally jotted ACT in for the end of 1a before twigging. I’ve never heard 1d used either, but it was obvious. Indeed, too many answers were obviousl today.
Unfortunately, I’ve no time to look at the Toughie until later tonight.
Nice gentle CW today ,no problems & no really fav clues……. back to cleaning windows before it rains !
Thanks to the 2 G’s
A very nice Friday Giovanni which didn’t give any problems. I did wonder how many people might have heard of Eleanor in 11d in, say, ten years’ time. Thanks to Giovanni for the nice start to the day and Gazza for the nicely illustrated review.
The Notabilis Toughie is very good today too. I can also highly recommend Paul in the Guardian. The other available cryptics aren’t bad either. A quiet morning? – how can you tell??!!
Many thanks to Giovanni for a fair and gentle challenge this morning. Favourite clues were 9a and 21a. I see that our setter makes another appearance as Bradman in today’s FT but I am saving this for the journey home tonight.
Thanks too to Gazza for the review.
Not too difficult today but enjoyable nonetheless. I notice that 31a is very similar to a clue in the Toughie today, which I also thoroughly enjoyed, especially the wonderful clue at 5d. I also loved the quickie pun. Going off at a tangent, could somebody tell the people at Feedjit that Sunninghill is in Berkshire, not Surrey, thank you very much :)
Excuse me! Thanks to Gazza for the review.
Many thanks Giovanni for a most enjoyable crossword and to Gazza for the usual wonderful picture, oops, sorry, review.
A rather easy puzzle from the Don today.
I liked 9a, 20a, 14d & 17d.
Weather still magnificent in PACA!
A bit tenuous using DvO to illustrate 25a, Gazza. But opportunites to satisfy the red-blooded male bloggers a bit scarce today (11d perhaps?) so you’re excused. Thanks to you The Don.
Thanks for the clue to 11d – meant nothing to me at all – although I had one of 2 answers pencilled in – I didn’t know why
I guessed what 11d would be from the definition and then typed ‘Eleanor’ into Google and one of the search options it gave me was ‘Eleanor Bron’ (I like predictive searches!), so I selected it and then went ‘Oh, her!’. I know her face, but didn’t know her name – I must try to remember, as I’m sure she’s come up before, not that long ago… Also, I put ‘pleasant’ into 1a but couldn’t justify it – read the hint and went d’oh! Fortunately, that didn’t effect anything else. SW corner was slow to go in, but I got there in the end. Thanks to the 2 G’s for their efforts.
I had a great time at the festival last weekend (I have been back since then, just been too busy at work to post!) – the weather was pretty decent after it chucked it down Friday afternoon and the music was great. I don’t think there were any ukuleles this time, Gnomey, but there was a bouzouki and at least two hurdy-gurdies! :-)
I also put “pleasant” in for 1a to begin with although couldn’t explain it and, as you say, it didn’t affect anything else – then realised – how silly! :oops: (I love the blushing face and have to use it whenever an opportunity presents itself – am also practicing putting the full stop in the correct place.)
I too put pleasant in for 1a, couldn’t justify it – but hey what’s new?!!
Enjoyed the puzzle, four stars for me!
Glad I wasn’t the only one to fall into the trap!
Excellent Giovanni but again for me at least a 3 star for difficulty. Needed this super blog for some clues and for the explanation of some answers. Never heard of 14d but the wordplay makes sense. Best clue for me was 26a, very clever. Not sure about 30a meaning eager but I have no doubt chambers would disagree :-)
Much thanks to the Maestro for an entertaining if tricky puzzle and to Gazza for the invaluable explanations.
I’d have done better if I hadn’t put Stansted at 25a !
Oh dear – that must have made things really tricky!! :grin:
Not Goivanni’s finest. Bit easy (bit dull) but worth doing. The review was good though, not seen dvo for a while.
I enjoyed this a lot!. Sorry Giovannii but I enjoy all your other puzzles so much more than your Toughies!. Thanks to Gazza as well.
Sorry – I forgot to mention the ongoing competition between bloggers for the Flimsiest most Tenuous Positioning of a Torso in a Blog Competition. Open to men and women. I will forgive anything for your Van Outen!.
Thanks to Giovannni & Gazza for an entertaining puzzle, i’m late blogging, having just returned from sandwich after watching the golf. Maybe because of the early start, i finished this just after Ebbsfleet, a quick time for me. Lots of nice clues, favourite was 1d. Had a few beers and a meal in Sandwich, but no sandwich ! Improved the dental health of my kitchen by spilling half a bottle of Listerine on the floor :-)