Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27009
Hints and tips by Libellule
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
After last week, this was more standard fare from Rufus, I thought.
The answer is hidden between the curly brackets
Across
1. It is difficult being sensitive (8)
{TICKLISH} – Double definition, a delicate or difficult situation or sensitive to being touched lightly.
6. Build new Northern capital (6)
{DUBLIN} – An anagram of BUILD and N.
9. Indian who may keep watch for you (6)
{PAWNEE} – A member of a native American Indian tribe could also be someone who lends money in exchange for personal property.
10. Pass, momentarily fail, and break down totally (8)
{COLLAPSE} – A word that describes a pass between two mountain peaks, plus a word that describes a minor or temporary fail to get another word that means to fail completely.
11. One drink that refreshes, but another will be a different matter (3,2,3)
{CUP OF TEA} – A hot beverage, is also used in an idiom that might mean something altogether distinct from something else.
12. A ship taking trouble to attack (6)
{ASSAIL} – A SS (steam ship) and a word that means to trouble or afflict. Definition “to attack”.
13. Put a foot wrong and he may bail you out (12)
{WICKETKEEPER} – If you were a batsman and stepped out of your crease… For cricket aficionado’s to discuss, even allowing for cryptic licence does removing the bails means the batsman is bailed out?
16. A religious point to follow in secular pursuit? (12)
{STEEPLECHASE} – The sort of “religious point” you might find on a church plus a word that means to follow rapidly in an attempt to catch something is also a type of horserace.
19. Deprived — due to faulty beer measure! (6)
{BEREFT} – An anagram (faulty) of BEER, plus an abbreviated imperial measure.
21. As an occupant, I’d resent being put out (8)
{RESIDENT} – An anagram of (being put out) of ID RESENT.
23. Swirling mist hides way forward (8)
{IMMODEST} – An anagram (swirling) of MIST is placed around (hides) a word that means a manner or way, or a method of doing or acting.
24. Open prison was adequate (6)
{CANDID} – The definition is open. A three letter slang word for prison or jail plus another word that can mean was sufficient.
25. Stop and take into custody (6)
{ARREST} – Double definition, to check or stop, or to detain in legal custody.
26. Held back, being shy (8)
{RESERVED} – Another double definition, to keep back or set aside, or a word that means restrained or reticent.
Down
2. Suffering dreary routine, I will take a turn for the worse (2,1,3)
{IN A RUT} – I and then an anagram (for the worse) of A TURN.
3. Oriental bamboo fencing (5)
{KENDO} – The Japanese martial art of fencing with bamboo swords.
4. I’d upset a client, just the same (9)
{IDENTICAL} – ID and then an anagram (upset) of A CLIENT.
5. Teacher confused by a metric unit (7)
{HECTARE} – Another anagram (confused) this time of TEACHER.
6. A current issue on the coast (5)
{DELTA} – A usually triangular alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river.
7. Club about to give female support (9)
{BRASSIERE} – Take a term for a golf club that has a brass-plated sole and a wooden head, typically used for long low shots and then add RE (about) to get a female undergarment,
8. Sad mean-spirited mate left — fired (8)
{INSPIRED} – An anagram (sad) of MEAN SPIRITED with MATE removed (left). Does this work for you? Should there be some indication that the letters of MATE are jumbled up in the anagram fodder?
13. Sorry expression for one banishing the blues (9)
{WOEBEGONE} – A word that means to be sorrowful or sad in appearance could also describe someone trying to get rid of intense grief or misery.
14. Hikers carry these sleeping bags, we hear? (9)
{KNAPSACKS} – The items that hikers carry sounds like (we hear) NAPSACKS.
15. Ship carries right pennant (8)
{STREAMER} – Put R (right) inside a ship driven by pressurised water vapour.
17. He looks after dog on a hill (7)
{CURATOR} – An administrative head of a museum for example is constructed using a three letter term for a vicious dog, the letter A and another term for a high rocky hill.
18. Eventually punctual (2,4)
{IN TIME} – A phrase that can mean before a limit expires, can also mean within an indefinite period or eventually.
20. Handle deed without charge (5)
{TREAT} – To regard and handle in a certain way or something paid for by someone else.
22. Spaniard, or anyone with a gift (5)
{DONOR} – Take a courtesy title for a Spanish male and then add OR to get someone who contributes something.
The Quick crossword pun: {basil} + {fall} + {tea} = {Basil Fawlty}
Good morning Libelulle, as usual I enjoyed this Rufus puzzle but got stuck on the top right hand corner and needed your help for two of the clues, thank you, fav clues today 9a, 21a, 24a, 14d 22d, out now to clear up some leaves while the sun is shining
Thank you Rufus and Libellule. Very enjoyable – particularly felt suitably misdirected at 3d.
Didn’t get quite as far as consulting gardening catalogues !
Found this a little more difficult than the usual monday offering but very enjoyable. Favourite clues were 9a,13a and 13d. 1a had me scratching head for a while as i originally put in Liverish thinking that 3d started with an ‘E’ (Oriental). **/**** rating for me. Thanx to Compiler and to Libellule for the review.
When I first started this I thought ‘Oh no…here we go again!’ but it all gradually dropped into place after a bit of a struggle. Favourite clues 11, 16, 23 and 13. 6d through me for ages as I thought the answer was drift. 3d brought back memories of watching wrestling on a Saturday afternoon. Who remembers Kendo Nagasaki? Thanks to Rufus and Libellule.
I remember seeing him lose for the first time – he always said that as soon as he lost he would be unmasked. Finally the big moment came to unveil the mystery man of British wrestling and what did he do? He ran off.
Great fun though ! Particularly Cup Final day with Bert Royal and Vic Faulkner ( local lads ) v Mick The Man They Love to Hate McManus and Steve Iron Man Logan ! Billy Two Rivers, Jackie Pallow – happy times !
Three clues in the top left held me up for a while today (1a, 9a, 3d).
The ones I liked were 11a, 19a, and 24a.
Thanks to Rufus, and to Libellule.
No real problems today except for me being a bit of a doofus and wanting to put WHEREFORE in 13D (well, it fits). I put it down to the clocks changing and my brain still taking its time to adjust.
Oh dear – obviously one of those days when it’s just me – I found this really difficult and at one stage didn’t think I was going to finish it without resorting to the hints. I’m now covered in bruises from all the times that I kicked myself when finally getting a not very tricky answer that had held me up for ages.
Although I couldn’t explain the first bit I put ‘rucksacks’ for 14d – this didn’t help at all with 16a and 14d. I don’t quite see where ‘secular’ comes from in 16a.
I liked 1, 11, 19 and 23a and 2 and 13d.
With thanks to Rufus and Libellule.
Kath,
Secular = Worldly rather than spiritual. So a real world pursuit is in effect a horse race.
Thanks Libellule – as simple as that then!
very enjoyable
although I got stuck with the top left as well
i had 9a as Parsee for a while
Agree that this was harder than a normal monday,well it was for me.Struggled with the NW corner, as i wanted to put delicate for 1a, then liverish- till i saw 3d which also facilitated 9a, the rest was ok! Have to score it***/***, liked 13d and a, thanks to setter.
Thanks to Rufus for his usual enjoyable if untaxing Monday fare and thanks also to Libellule for the review.
13a had me stumped for a while!!!
I found this one quite easy, but then I may have hit on a secret…
A few minutes after midnight I decided to do a Sunday crossword before heading to bed, and stumbled into Monday’s Cryptic instead! It all went very quickly and I was really looking forward to being the first to comment here… but I couldn’t, presumably because I was even earlier than Libellule!
Anyway, perhaps my brain is more relaxed in the wee small hours, rather than at my desk at lunchtime :-)
Thanks to Rufus and Libellule. BTW I was quite happy with all of the clues, Libellule.
Good afternoon, all.
What an interesting puzzle for a Monday. Monday’s are normally no problem but today I couldn’t complete the NW and SW corners without the hints, though the rest dropped in without any problem.
I hope this isn’t a portent for the rest of the week!
Thanks as usual to L’belle and Rufus for a 3*/3*
I did this over coffee this morning and have only just found time to go on the blog. A very pleasant start to the week, I thought, with but the minimum of help needed for a couple. Best clues for me were 9 and 16a and 13d. Many thanks to Rufus and merci to Libellule. :-)
I managed more than last week.I liked 6a, 11a,and13d.I thought 23a most difficult as I could’nt identify the definition.
Nice start to the week, had a couple of false starts but reread the clues and sorted them out.
Thanks to Libelulle for the review and to Rufus for a slightly harder than usual start to the week.
QCP,hasn’t he featured a few times in the past. Back to the days when I could only do the quick puzzle.
Great puzzle, nice pleasant start to the week. Don’t recall ever seeing 9a in a cryptic before, although I do remember this tribe being mentioned; probably in some old western film. Thanks Libellule for the review and Rufus for the entertainment.
9a cropped up last month (Sept 18th). Despite appearing so recently, I still had to think about it today!
Luckily, I remembered it straight away.
Very enjoyable puzzle so thanks to all. Just one small nit- picking caveat.
Golfers who played in the sixties and seventies like me will have used the word ‘Brassie’ for a number 2 wood but anyone under 30 will never have heard of it.
It is a well known word to oldies but rules out the younger generation unless they have older relatives who played.
Words like ‘Brassie’ and ‘Mashie Niblick’ have long since fallen out of use and now seem only to be used in crosswords.
I suppose many younger generation words would rule me out so I tell myself to enjoy and get a life.
Though I haven’t ever heard of been “Stumped” referred to as “Bailed Out”, given that it’s a fair description of what the chap behind the wicket actually does, I think the clue at 13a is fair game.
Thanks to Mr S and M. L.
Memo to self:
Pawnee crops up regularly, so remember it!!
Thanks Rufus and Libellule.u
A very pleasant puzzle that we also found a little more difficult than many Monday’s. It was the SW corner that was last in. Took a while to justify what seemed like an extra word (deed) in 20d but realised it was needed to get the parsing correct in the clue.
Thanks Rufus and Libellule.
Thanks to Rufus & Libellule for the review & hints. Found this quite straightforward except for 20d,was last in & had to use the blog to see if I had it right, which I did. Favourites were 13a & 3d. Actually saw the sun in Central London this afternoon :-)
To Big Dave I have looked at the igov information on cookies, of course I am not sure I understand it fully, But in any case I don’t want a cookie on my computor that gathers data from me anomously or otherwise.A cookie that just says “here she is again” is acceptable.
I have done “tools” and” options” and “privacy” several times and the cookies always seem to come back.I really enjoy this blog, it’s marvelous!So please explain the nature of your cookies.
As far as I am aware, the only cookie used by this site “remembers” your details from the previous time that you left a comment. If you clear all your cookies then you will need to re-enter your details every time. There are certainly no malicious or data-gathering cookies.
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They’re certainly not a reason to stop visiting here!
thank you for replying.Us non techies get very anxious from time to time.Anyway there is nothing on my computor that could be of any possible interest to anybody.I don’t have any objection to focused ads.
i’d hate to go back to solving without the companionship this site offers.
thanks so much for replying.i think i’m just over worried.It is a really great blog.
Did anybody else want 19a to be BARREN?!
I have to say that although 19a took me ages barren didn’t enter my head – actually nothing did for quite a long time! Not one of my best days and Mondays are usually the easiest of the week . . .
How does one highlight the hidden answer on an iPad please
Hi Derek – welcome to the blog.
There’s some information in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
Glad to see we have another Derek!!
Rufus back to normal this Monday!
Faves : 9a, 12a, 16a, 24a, 3d, 7d, 13d & 14d.
Poured down all day today!
Only did for a few minutes here but was torrential. Hope our Eastern seaboard commenters are all safe in the USA.
Nobody has mentioned 8d. I got the answer but needed Libellule (Why the plural of a dragonfly) to provide the reason so thanks for that. The answer well Hm is all I can say.
PS FAQ does not give a satisfactory way to highlight the answer on an android phone. I have looked at the help file but well – it doesnt help really. I have found that on my Samsung Galaxy II, you can sometimes (and it is very hit and miss) invoke the magnifying glass which sometimes, when over the answer, shows it. So I have to resort to my PC.
Anyway thanks again
Bob
Bob,I’m using an HTC ONE-S. If you select the text between the brackets, you can copy it, then paste into a notepad to reveal the answer.it should work similarly on your Galaxy.
Bob,
“(Why the plural of dragonfly)”? Why indeed, because my French dictionary has the following entry:
dragonfly n libellule f. – What part of noun singular is plural? Now if it was les libellules.. I might agree.
Amused to see 19a appear word for word as 9a in today’s FT crossword by Dante (Rufus in his Financial Times guise) :)
Libellule, 8d works for me as the letters of MATE appear in the same order in the anagram phrase. I know that some solvers and setters prefer there to be some indication that the letters are split throughout the phrase, but including an anagram indicator for the letters to be removed when they are in order already is possibly more confusing for the solver.
Thanks to Rufus and Libellule
For the full picture tap the reader button in the address bar.
For individual answers if I expand the page it shows up the answer in faint white on white.
Just come through to computer to see if there’s anything interesting happening here – obviously not. Husband glued to ‘Bond Cars’ – is there anyone (probably male, but don’t really want to sound sexist) who isn’t? :roll:
Might go and do another crossword from my prize books . . . It’s either that or go to bed – the latter is probably quite a good idea as I still seem to be operating on BST rather than GMT – collie is too – she now thinks that it’s supper time at 6.00pm instead of 7.00pm.
There was an episode of “New Tricks” on at the same time as “Bond Cars” that was filmed in Glasgow & its environs. It was kind of like a surprisingly well-photographed episode of Taggart, but with Denis Waterman in there. Nice to see some work opportunities for Scottish actors now that Taggart is no more. It looked as though the statues in George Square had been cleaned up specially for the show.
still here Kath, merrily booking rail tickets for umpteen months ahead to Glasgow while they’re cheap (er) and the New Forest for Christmas. Got my prize DT books from the monthly puzzle to continue with, ie i’ve done about 1 from each!! 30 mins chill before the kids need a walk , at least its not raining