Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27011
Hints and tips by scchua
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty *+ – Enjoyment ***
A straightforward solve. Favourite was 16down, with its amusing imagery. About a 1.5* for difficulty and 3* for enjoyment, though over in a relatively short period of time. Thanks to setter.
P.S. If you still find the mechanics of the hints a mystery, you should read the following, which should help in understanding.
Definitions are underlined in the clues (in blue).
Words in blue are lifted from the clues.
Italicised words are instructions for constructing the answer. Parentheses following these enclose the indicators from the clues. Eg. Reversal of(up, in a down clue).
[xxx;yyy] denotes that a synonym for xxx or yyy is required.
{ } are used to give the order of construction. Eg. Reversal of(up, in a down clue) AB + C is different from Reversal of(up, in a down clue) {AB + C}.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Across
1 Delicate feminine line (5)
{FRAIL} : Abbrev. for “feminine” + a steel bar, a pair of which supports a means of transport.
4 Meeting welcoming European Community withdrawal (9)
{SECESSION} : A meeting, eg. by the United Nations Assembly containing(welcoming) abbrev. for the “European Community”.
9 Recover one’s senses and drop in (4,5)
{COME ROUND} : Double defn: 1st: To wake up after being unconscious; and 2nd: To visit someone at his/her home.
10 Agreed to make reparation (5)
{ATONE} : [agreed;of the same mind] enumerated as (2,3).
Answer: Usually for one’s sins.
11 On the way back, hurried one’s drink (7)
{SIDECAR} : Reversal of(on the way back) {[hurried;ran] + Roman numeral for “one” + …’S }.
Answer: A cocktail.
12 Locks in canal at Cheshunt (7)
{LATCHES} : Hidden in “canal at Cheshunt”.
13 Possible horrible environment for sailor (6)
{VIABLE} : [horrible;repulsive] containing(environment for) abbrev. for a seaman;a sailor.
Answer: Feasible, usually in an economic sense.
15 Unusual find full of seldom-encountered radiation (8)
{INFRARED} : Anagram of(unusual) FIND containing(full of) [seldom-encountered, like once in a blue moon].
Answer: Part of the radiation spectrum.
18 Getting to every single home within the boundaries of Reading (8)
{REACHING} : {[every single] + [at home;not out]} contained in(within) the 2 end letters of(the boundaries of) “Reading”.
20 Scoundrel ordered two grand! (3,3)
{BAD EGG} : [ordered] + 2 x abbrev. for a grand;slang for 1000 dollars or pounds.
23 Worried constantly by son getting caught (7)
{SNAGGED} : [worried constantly, as an old lady might of her husband] placed after(by, in an across clue) abbrev. for “son”.
And while on the subject (with apologies to feminists):
Earl and Bubba were quietly sitting in a boat fishing,
chewing tobacco and drinking beer when suddenly
Bubba says, “Think I’m gonna divorce the wife – she
ain’t spoke to me in over 2 months.”
Earl spits overboard, takes a long, slow sip of beer and says,
“Better think it over …women like that are hard to find.”
24 Possible cure for personal problem on site (7)
{PLACEBO} : [site;location] + abbrev. for a personal problem, requiring a deodorant.
Answer: A blank substance given to a patient who believes it is a cure.
26 Overnight accommodation with time for student composition (5)
{MOTET} : [overnight accommodation, especially if you’re travelling by vehicle] with abbrev. for “time” replacing(for) the abbrev. for “student” eg. driver.
Defn: A choral composition, used in a church service.
27 A rate adjustment in account involving two sides (9)
{BILATERAL} : Anagram of(adjustment) A RATE contained in(in) [an account of money owed for goods or services].
28 Fixed and strange manner during hissy fit! (9)
{PERMANENT} : Anagram of(strange) MANNER contained in(during) [hissy fit;a sulk].
29 Step up, for a bit of fear is erotic (5)
{RISER} : Hidden in(for a bit of) “fear is erotic”.
Answer: Part of a flight of stairs.
Down
1 One’s reputation maintained by this aspect, barring right (4-5)
{FACE-SAVER} : [aspect;outward appearance] + [barring;except for] + abbrev. for “right”.
2 A marine journalist with weapons (5)
{ARMED} : A + abbrev. for a British serviceman serving both on a ship and on land + abbrev. for a “journalist”.
3 Racially diverse, excepting one area that’s poetic (7)
{LYRICAL} : Anagram of(diverse) “racially” minus(excepting) one of the 2 abbrevs. for “area”.
4 Slight case of remarkably liquid waste on the farm (6)
{SLURRY} : [a slight;an insult] + the 2 extreme letters of(case of) “remarkably”.
5 Cooking two fish, including starter of dips (8)
{CODDLING} : {[a food fish] + [another food fish]} containing(including) the initial letter of(starter of) “dips”.
Answer: Cooking gently.
6 Spread some across cat terminally (7)
{SCATTER} : Hidden in(some) “across cat terminally”.
7 Train for films in America? (4,5)
{IRON HORSE} : Cryptic defn: What they called a train in American Western movies.
8 Wants note emailed without contents before start of school (5)
{NEEDS} : “note” and “emailed” minus their inner letters(without contents) respectively placed above(before, in a down clue) initial letter of(start of) “school”.
Answer: Strictly, more critical than wants.
14 Stone and basalt are different (9)
{ALABASTER} : Anagram of(different) BASALT ARE.
16 In which the vicar takes the lead? (3,6)
{DOG COLLAR} : Cryptic defn: If the vicar were a canine, where its lead might be attached to.
17 Unbelievable, denying credit for such food (8)
{INEDIBLE} : [unbelievable;fantastic] minus(denying) abbrev. for “credit”, as used in accountancy.
Answer: Descriptive of food prepared by an incredibly bad cook – or not served in traditional dinnerware :-)
19 A meal that might be off, with side incomplete (4,3)
{HIGH TEA} : [off;decomposed as with game meat] + [a side, competing in a match] minus its last letter(incomplete).
21 Device putting suitable ruler under notice (7)
{ADAPTER} : {[suitable;fitting] + the abbrev. for the current British ruler} placed below(under, in a down clue) short form of [a promotional notice].
Defn: An electrical one.
22 Pages in a permit for computer program (6)
{APPLET} : Abbrev. for the plural “pages” contained in(in) { A + [to permit;allow]}.
Answer: The answer contains a computer brand.
23 Total of uranium found in oil deposit (3,2)
{SUM UP} : Chemical symbol for the element uranium contained in(found in) a receptacle for oil deposit, eg. in a car.
25 Discovers missing leader and makes money (5)
{EARNS} : [discovers, especially in a classroom] minus its initial letter(missing leader).
The quick crossword pun: {proffer} + {seize} = {prophecies}
Agree that we have Jay in his gentler mood today. Everything slotted into place without too much head scratching, let alone hair-tearing. Liked 26a for its trademark Jay substitution clue.
Thanks Jay and Scchua.
Yep 26a took a few moments before realising it was a substitution. It took me an age before the penny dropped on 15a, I’d even written out the answer but was trying to pronounce it all in one!
The bottom half fell in a lot quicker than the top but as ever, a thoroughly enjoyable Jay puzzle. Thanks Scchua.
I’m with you all the way here. 15a was last in for me too. Bottom half done quite quickly but much slower for the top, especially the top right corner.
Gently does it.
Enjoyable.
Thanks Jay and scchua
The dreaded Thursday tomorrow, hopefully!
Not too many problems with this one, a nice gentle enjoyable solve for a Wednesday morning.
Thanks for the review and to the setter.
Yes, I enjoyed this one today and managed to do it with very little trouble over my morning coffee. 26a is the kind of clue I always miss, so I was grateful for the explanation. I’d never heard of 22d but worked it out, and I put ‘arise’ at 29a which held me back for a while. Thanks to Jay for the fun, and to scchua for the explanations and the pictures for 17d. I agree with his favourite being 16d. :-)
No delays today but more smiles so *\*** for me .
Agree with ratings, though had to look up PET to see where it fitted in 28a. never heard of that definition before. Slight typo at 10a scchua. Should be (2,3). Thanks to all.
Thanks Ian, duly corrected
Ditto the above – a very user friendly puzzle from Jay. Thanks to him and to Scchua for the review.
Like Franny had “arise” at 29a which caused a problem. New word at 26a and haven’t tried an 11a yet. Enjoyable puzzle – thank you Jay and Scchua for your review.
Found it rather harder than Monday and Tuesday – certainly more than 1 * !
Same for me on 26a – I love it when you have deciphered the clue and reveal that i what you are left with is indeed a word!
Fun straight forward puzzle today. Seemed to just flow from clue to clue without too much head scratching going on. Hummed and Hahed about 4A for a while as I thought it might be RECESSION for a while, but then 4D put me right.
Busy listening to Granchester Meadows (Pink Floyd) – certainly makes up for the dull grey day outside.
I generally agree with the consensus but possibly nearer ** and ***. Lets hope the new I Pad update solves the ‘renew subscription’ problem. Already I notice that my I pad will not go directly back to the Galleries menu from a set of pictures. Two steps forward one step back. Thanks to all.
Did this one in quick time. Stand out clue was 16d which gave me a chuckle. Most enjoyable.
Yet again I seem to be at odds with most of the rest of you. I thought this was a really good puzzle but, for me, far more than 1* for difficulty.
Perhaps I’m easily fooled today but I fell into every single trap that was set so it has actually taken me quite a long time. My last one was 4d because I wanted it to begin with ‘ST’ as that is the case of ‘slight’ – oh dear! The others that took me ages were 11 and 13a and 7 and 22d – have heard of ‘apps’ but didn’t know what it was short for, just that people seem to have lots of them!! My only slight bit of nit picking is that I don’t think ‘placebo’ and ‘cure’ are synonyms. Anyway, at least 4* for enjoyment.
I liked 20 (another one that took me ages to understand) 23 (and the anecdote that went with the hint!) and 5 (our daughters always asked for ‘cuddled’ eggs for supper) 14 and 16d.
With thanks to Jay and scchua.
It merely shows how subjective ratings are, and one person’s “difficult” is another’s “easy”, and vice versa.
Re 24across, I took “possible” in the definition as indicating that, given the power of auto-suggestion, and the body’s (even if limited) ability to heal itself, a blank remedy could possibly be a “cure” for ailments, imaginary or even real.
This is very true. I compare this crossword on a daily basis with a friend and quite often he will find it hard, me easy and vice versa. I also think that it also has a lot to do with whatever other mental ‘baggage’ is buzzing around ones head at the same time.
Thanks for replying, scchua,
I’m sure you’re right about 24a and as for the difficulty ratings I seem to be rather out of sync with everyone this week! :sad:
if Bletchly Park were still around they wouldn’t be recruiting me. More than * difficulty for me.None of my many well thumbed cookery books contain the instruction “coddling”, and I never heard of pet used in that way.Liked 19d and 16d.Thanks to scchua and Jay.
Don’t think they’d be very interested in me either, but I did know ‘coddling’. ‘Pet’ is a word used quite often in crosswords so it’s worth remembering.
Hi Una. Sorry to be so late in replying, but I only tune in later in the afternoon; Mrs B keeps me busy all day! I suspect “coddling” might be a word used regionally in both senses. In the culinary sense – as I understand it – is an egg poached in boiling water with vinegar added to it. That is, just cracked and dropped in. The vinegar is meant to prevent the egg disintegrating.
The pet sense brings back memories: when our son was borne, forty years ago, the first thing my father said when he saw him was: ” Don’t coddle him”. My dad was very Victorian in his outlook; couldn’t stand the thought of spoiling a child.
the vinegar changes the pH which denatures the albumin protein .I hope you ignored your father in that instance anyway.Thanks for getting back.
I have to disagree Buffer – that is poached egg. A coddled egg is one that is broken into a buttered dish (an egg coddler) and then has a lid put onto it. The dish is then put into some simmering water for a variable amount of time – depends on how soft or hard you like the yolk – I think we might need Mrs BD as a referee here!!
both sound nice Kath, my nan used to use your method with a bain marie if i recall due to the amount she cooked for us family. Mrs BD, any thoughts?
Agree with you Kath. Some friends gave us a pair of egg coddlers a few years ago. Bigger than egg cups with a lid. As you say – break the egg into the coddler + additional ingredient if desired – grill a piece of bacon, chop and drop into the coddler before coddling ! Not sure whether this aids digestion as suggested by Mrs Beeton !
From Mrs Beeton:
3215. CODDLED EGG.
Ingredients. 1 new-laid egg.
Method. Place the egg in boiling water, put on the lid, and let the
stewpan stand for 7 or 8 minutes where the water will keep hot without
simmering. An egg cooked in this manner is more easily digested than
when boiled in the ordinary way.
Now that you explain it so specifically ,memory of the term is beginning to perculate to the surface.
Hi Scchua and thanks for the hints, I’m with Kath today this was more a two to three star for me, once again about 3/4 fell into place fairly easily but then I really struggled and had to use your hints, thank you, not heard of a 26a but worked it out easily enough, fav clues 1a and 12a, enjoyed all the inclusive clues, I’m with Kath on the ‘placebo’ too???
Hi mary. Your query just crossed my reply to Kath@12.
Thanks -:)
:-)
Always nice to know that I’m not completely on my own!!
Rubbish weather in Oxford and my badly-behaved impacted wisdom tooth is on the rampage again so a bit ‘down in the mouth’, literally! :sad:
aw thats miserable Kath, hope it’s sorted soon :-( the weather is rubbish here too but i’ve had one 11 yr old grandson staying a few days to cheer me up (I think ;-) ) we’ve just been to the pub for lunch and a game of pool and darts, what better way to spend this miserable day, be better soon :-)
Thanks Mary – have fun with grandson – as I’ve said before, very envious.
He goes home this evening and I think that’s it for this half term Kath, maybe two of the others will come for a few hours but not to stay!
Thanks to Jay & to scchua for the review & hints. A 2*/3* for me. Quite enjoyed it, no real problems. Started with 1a, finished with 13a. Favourites were 15&20a and 16&17d. Skies darkening in Central London.
I don’t really like it when the back page crossword is not on the back page. It means i have to fumble around trying to fold the paper. i hate an untidy paper.
i sometimes wonder of the merit of a full page advert anyway, I didn’t read it , How many did?
anyway enjoyed the puzzle,quickest solve for a long time.
Agree with you! We should start a boycott of all compannies that ‘steal’ our back page slot for their advertsing. I never read full page ads either, and the double page ones in the weekend supplements are totally ignored.
It’s the fees from the adverts that enable us to buy a paper for £1.20 or at any price! We should not therefore complain about where the crossword
is so long as it’s there.
Many thanks to Jay and to sschua for a very enjoyable crossword and review.
Most enjoyable crossword and done in a good time…some clues just seemed to drop into place (which is always pleasurable)…..bit like dining above in 17d ! Favourites 11, 15, 18, 26,1 but al time is 16d.
Nice and straight forward. Have to say though that 15A is surely two words or hyphenated at least
I too thought that 15A should be hyphenated, but then a quick check of the COED put me right…
Is Ultra violet one word?
Have just looked in BRB – infrared and ultraviolet are both just like that, not even an alternative mentioned. I suppose if in doubt don’t ever question the setters or bloggers – they’re almost always right! :smile:
One to make me think but once the first answers started to go in the rest quickly followed with a couple I had to wrestle with. 143217
scchua, thanks for your analysis, I’d like to make a couple of small points…
In 11A you’ve missed the word “one’s” out of the clue (but nuce picute!).
The answer to 22D just means “a small application running within a larger application”, I don’t believe that there’s any relevance to a particular company. There’s a Wiki page for “applet” here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applet
And to those of you who found the bottom half easier than the top half; Nope, for me the first half of both the acrosses and downs just went straight in and I was on a personal best time!
Thanks Steve for pointing out the missing word. I use a drag & drop to copy & paste from clue to hint, and occasionally my finger goes off the CTL key, and I cut and paste instead, and I miss it in proofreading. I’ve corrected the blog.
For 22D, “The answer contains a computer brand” was just a further hint as to how to spell the answer, ie. with a brand in it, and not that that fact added any significance to the meaning of the answer…if you see what I mean.
Applet was a new one on me! Agree wholeheartedly about back page ads – naked greed, crass commercialism etc.
Welcome to the blog Moley
OH NO – we have moles everywhere in our garden – it often feels as if they are thumbing their noses at us – if husband thought that they were making puns too that might just tip him over the edge!! :grin:
No moles in this part of the world, no idea why.
enjoyable thank you Jay. Also fascinated by the blog as we all differ in what we find straightforward or not. I waseft with three and when I revisited after a phone call I got 11a 3:d and 13a one after the other in that order. Completely missed the anagram in 3d until I had the answer. Also had guessed 6d but only afterwards spotted it was hidden in ghe clue.
It’s Wednesday – you should probably be just ‘Wanda’ today!
waiting for retribution tomorrow as this week so far has been*or** difficulty,anyway most enjoyable.Thanks Scchua for the 11 pictorial, did’nt these two ladies used to have a cookery programme?
To Big Dave,
sorry BD, I just arrived home from holiday so have only now realised that the other book has arrived.
I’ve had a quick look at it and i have to say i’m pleased that crosswords today are not like No. 1 !
many thanks again.
Very straightforward solve today.
Faves : 11a & 5d.
Thanks Scchua and setter, very enjoyable. One or two pensive pauses but completed in just above average time.