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DT 27261

by Deep Threat  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27261

Hints and tips by Deep Threat

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Good morning from South Staffs on a bright morning.

I found this to be at the top end of ** time, with quite a few bits of general knowledge needed to understand the wordplay.

In the hints below, the definition are underlined.

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

1a           Print cast out including actor ultimately for official copy (10)
{ TRANSCRIPT } Anagram (out) of PRINT CAST with the last letter (ultimately) of actoR inside it.

6a           Minor error in female garment (4)
{ SLIP } Double definition, the second being an underskirt.

10a         Lout misbehaving near North Bedfordshire town (5)
{ LUTON } Anagram (misbehaving) of LOUT followed by North. Home of Eric Morecambe’s favourite football team.

ARVE Error: need id and provider

11a         Supervise on outings individual after prank around hotel (9)
{ CHAPERONE } A frolic or prank wrapped around the letter represented by Hotel in the NATO alphabet, followed by an individual.

12a         Party person, one with nervous habit during game (8)
{ POLITICO } The Roman numeral for one and a nervous habit or twitch, inside a game played on horseback (by Princes William and Harry, among others).

13a         Vision carried by padre ambitiously (5)
{ DREAM } Hidden in (carried by) the clue.

15a         Selfish figure caught entering site under review (7)
{ EGOTIST } An informal verb for caught inside an anagram (under review) of SITE.

17a         Russian establishment‘s source of trouble after change of leader (7)
{ KREMLIN } Take the word for the mythical little beasts who cause trouble in mechanical or electrical devices, and swap the initial G for K.

19a         Criticise disruptive Latin boy with no end of hubbub (3,4)
{ LAY INTO } Anagram (disruptive) of LATIN (B)OY with the B removed (no end of hubbuB).

21a         Singer with glasses getting attached to new instrument (7)
{ BASSOON } A charade of a deep-voiced singer, the letters that look like a pair of spectacles, and New.

22a         Check foreign car close to port (5)
{ AUDIT } A car advertised with the slogan ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ followed by the last letter of porT.

24a         Arrangement to reverse concessions in ring (8)
{ DISPOSAL } Reverse a word for the minor concessions made to political factions so that a major policy can be enacted, and put it inside a verb meaning to ring someone on the (old-fashioned) telephone.

27a         Girl entertaining a gross eccentric in birthday surprise? (9)
{ KISSOGRAM } A girl’s name (or the title of a Kipling novel, or the first name of a famous spy) with an anagram (eccentric) of A GROSS inside it.

28a         Collect female and the rest, going to hospital (5)
{ FETCH } Female, the Latin abbreviation meaning ‘and the rest’, and the letter indicating a hospital on a road sign.

29a         Hoot producing urban disorder (4)
{ RIOT } Double definition: a lively party; or a mob causing mayhem on the streets.

30a         Dylan at sea aboard pleasure-boat on the whole (2,3,5)
{ BY AND LARGE } Anagram (at sea) of DYLAN inside a pleasure boat found on an inland waterway.

Down

1d           Duty to provide list of casualties (4)
{ TOLL } Double definition: a tax or duty imposed for using a bridge or a stretch of motorway; and the number of dead and injured in a battle or an accident.

2d           Literary collection still linked to diary among some (9)
{ ANTHOLOGY } A poetic short form of an adverb meaning still or nevertheless, and the sort of diary kept by a ship’s captain, inside an adjective meaning some.

3d           Pride perhaps getting onto major road in peninsula (5)
{ SINAI } A failing of the sort of which pride is an example, followed by the road number given to the main (pre-motorway) road from London to the North, giving a peninsula in Egypt.

4d           Evidence of sale concerning place in theatre, we hear (7)
{ RECEIPT } The Latin abbreviation for about or concerning, followed by a homophone (we hear) of what you would be occupying in a theatre if you were watching a play.

5d           Sitcom captain‘s a strutting sort (7)
{ PEACOCK } Double definition: the character played by Frank Thornton in Are You Being Served?; and a male bird with a large display of tail feathers.

 

7d           Dissolute son staying in Cornish fishing village (5)
{ LOOSE } Son inside the name of a village in Cornwall. We used to make our children giggle by pointing out that while there was only one **** in Cornwall, there were Toulouse in France…

8d           Outstanding intern MEP trained while touring Spain (3-7)
{ PRE-EMINENT } Anagram (trained) of INTERN MEP  wrapped around the IVR code for Spain.

9d           That man’s without journalistic direction, lacking in attention (8)
{ HEEDLESS } The pronoun for ‘that man’ followed by how you might describe a newspaper without its chief.

14d         Cruel US writer Alice, one covering high points? (4-6)
{ FELL WALKER } An archaic word for cruel or ruthless, followed by the surname of the author of The Color Purple, giving someone who traverses the hills.

16d         It’s key here to activate estate, maybe? (8)
{ IGNITION } A cryptic definition of what you might use to start your estate, or hatchback or saloon.

18d         Mind pillaging type that’s beset last character in park with a fellow (4,5)
{ LOOK AFTER } A word for someone who pillages shops in the aftermath of a disaster or a riot, wrapped around (beset) the last letter of parK, A (from the clue), and Fellow.

20d         Methodical  medical worker (7)
{ ORDERLY } Double definition: an adjective meaning methodical; and a noun for one of the junior staff in a hospital.

21d         One supplying address for union? (4,3)
{ BEST MAN } A cryptic definition of the chap who has  traditionally to make a speech at a wedding.

23d         Club admitted into clubland is costly (5)
{ DISCO } Hidden in (admitted into) the clue.

25d         Parts cut off from Cornish river (5)
{ OFFAL } A preposition meaning ‘from’ followed by a river in Cornwall.

 

26d         Trainer, say, providing prop right away (4)
{ SHOE } The article of footwear of which a trainer is an example, given by a verb meaning to prop up or support with the R removed (right away).

The Quick Crossword pun  { MALL }{ TEASE } = { MALTESE }

50 comments on “DT 27261”

  1. A little easier than yesterday’s we thought with a few tricky ones in the SW corner that were the last to go in. The local references were, on this occasion, known to us so we did not have to resort to Google. Enjoyed it.
    Thanks Mr Ron and DT.

    PS. Can’t resist putting in a plug for the Toughie. Not fiendishly difficult and a real gem of a puzzle that had us chuckling throughout. Give it a go.

  2. Thank you setter – good fun -enjoyed 16d ! Thanks DT for your review and hints. I had the answer for 14d, but needed your hint to tell me why it was right ! Can’t have been too taxing as grandchildren are here with associated distractions………!

  3. No big problems today although I’m not too sure that 5D will be too easy for some of the younger solvers (after all, it hasn’t been on TV for a number of years now – not even on repeats as far as I know).
    14D caused me to resort to the interwebby thing as I’m not a great fan of American writers in general and consequently don’t know very many of them. It didn’t help that I couldn’t get the film I Love You Alice B Toklas out f my head.

  4. ***/*** for me. Southeast corner last to go in mainly because I needed explanation to confirm 18d. Perhaps I will now follow the 2 Kiwis and give the Toughie a whirl whilst I continue to enjoy the W. Sussex sunshine. Thanks everyone.

  5. What a contrast to yesterday! Not my cup of tea at all today, I’m afraid. I found this hard work and somewhat unrewarding. ***/* rating. I particularly didn’t like 2d, 14d and 18d.

    I hate being negative, but roll on tomorrow… or perhaps I’ll take the 2Kiwis’ advice and give the Toughie a go.

    Thanks to Mr Ron and to DT.

    1. Agreed. I thought that a number of the clues were very weak or convoluted. Do we know the setter because I will avoid him in future?

  6. Good puzzle today – having only recently discovered this website I am now struggling to avoid looking at the explanations until I have exhausted my brain – needed the help with 14d but managed the rest….will have a go at the toughie whilst also enjoying the W Sussex sunshine!!

  7. After a slow solve yesterday, i romped through this one without any hold ups (and i’m not referring to clothing).
    Thanks to setter, and to Deep Threat.
    Toughie is good fun, and not too tricky, although i was defeated by one.

  8. Thanks to the setter and to Deep Threat for the hints. Very easy compared to yesterday, no real problems, started with 6a, finished with 15a. Favourites were 12a & 16d. Thanks for the explanations to 14d,( glad I got that one because I’ll be doing some of it in September ), &26d. Most enjoyable, was 1*/3* for me. Lovely and summery today in Central London.

  9. Beaten by 14d and 24ac in The Cryptic despite having all of the checkers. I thought 18d ridiculously convoluted but managed smiles elsewhere. Saint Sharon drove me to Coventry and back so I was able to make good progress with The Toughie. I don’t suppose I will finish it though. I am now off to lop large branches from an Ash Tree. Ta to all.

    2. Wogan always used to say that he’d only got three notes and he STILL managed to get the wrong one!

      2. Dylan was the voice and the poet of my generation. Love his lyrics to this day. Wogan is….a radio DJ.

  11. Cantered through most of it but needed a lunch break before solving the SW corner. **/**.

  12. 5d has to be my favourite today, if only because almost as soon as I read it out, Mrs Smith got the answer! Got 14d without knowing too much about the Alice in question. I think that was the last one in

  13. Very enjoyable if untaxing puzzle and an excellent review, my thanks to the setter and to Deep Threat.

  14. Much simpler than the last few days – well, I thought so anyway – just as well – far too much to do today. I agree with 2*/3*.
    Very few hold-ups although 16 and 18d took a while. I couldn’t find the ‘girl’ in 27a for far too long – the only Kim I’ve ever known was a boy.
    I liked 29a and 7d. My favourite was 17a.
    With thanks to Mr Ron and Deep Threat.
    Off to France tomorrow morning – now need to finish cutting grass, think about what to pack etc etc. ‘See’ you all next week if I’m not back here a bit later on.

    2. Hope you have a really good time Kath, with heaps of distractions & very little examining of problems!! :-) and look forward to having you back….

    3. Thanks very much to both of you – general chaos here – what on earth am I doing sitting here and reading comments? Just had phone call from younger daughter – “Oh Mum, you remember that dress – I think it’s in my bedroom – could you find it and, if it’s clean enough to be wearable, bring it?” Just great aren’t they? :roll:

  15. A little easier than yesterday’s offering but still very tricky nonetheless.
    Could someone explain 24a please, don’t get either the clue or the hint.
    One quibble, surely the toll of casualties is the number not the list?
    Is it me or are the back page puzzles getting more difficult?
    Thx to all concerned but please could we have an easier one tomorrow :-)

        1. It’s more usually seen in the singular, as in “married couples’ tax allowance is back on the agenda as a sop to Tory backbenchers” and perhaps most famously in the expression “a sop to Cerberus” meaning “an insignificant price to pay for averting much discomfort”,

  16. Enjoyed to-day very much, so thanks to DT and DT!
    Can’t help agreeing with Skempie about younger solvers difficulties in not knowing Captain Peacock. There was a similar clue not long ago with ‘Fred’s partner’ being Ginger Rodgers. How many young ‘uns would know that?
    Maybe the DT crossword is aimed mainly at the middle and older generations. Shame really if it is. The young should be encouraged.

    1. Your comment needed moderation because you’ve added a prefix to your alias. Both should now work.

    2. If the “young ‘uns” read this blog then they will have seen “Fred and Ginger” as a pseudonym adopted by Tilsit and Crypticsue for their joint reviews!

    3. I agree about the need to encourage younger solvers – maybe this is one of the many things that this blog does. Let’s hope . . .

  17. Well, not as easy as yesterday but certainly do-able. I never got 14d, even though I got the second word, it’s definitely not something that springs to mind. I think that comes under the category of Britspeak, after all, that is the main audience. Hadn’t heard of 27a, but what a novel idea; I wonder what it entails. Enjoyed it, thanks to all.

    1. I shouldn’t even ask what 27a entails if I were you! If you don’t already know you’re probably better off staying that way!

  18. 14d. I enjoy walking in the lakes etc. So why did i put in “hill’ instead of f**l, I was staring at 15a for ages before the threepenny bit dropped. I hope I’m not thr only one…..

  19. An easier puzzle for me than usual but could not crack 24a without the blog, not so much because of the component words but because the answer is not a word I am familiar with in that context, I guess it would be an accounting arrangement. I also found 18d deceptive as I kept trying to think of a phrase that would mean stealing from the mind, the presence of the K was clear so eventually the penny dropped. Good to see a reference to Are You Being Served, my first thought was Dad’s Army but it was immediately apparent that Mannering was not a good fit. I agree with the comments that younger solvers would be stumped unless they care to indulge in old BBC sitcoms. Frank Thornton died earlier this year I according to one reference, so maybe an obscure tribute to a man who played the part so well.

  20. Well the last two days have confirmed that there is no such thing as an “easy” or “hard” puzzle!

    The general feeling on here was that yesterday was easy, and todays bit tougher, but I found the exact opposite! Waded through treacle yesterday, needing loads of hints, but todays just seemed to slot into place. Weird really.

    Anyway, back to monitoring the lunacy of this seasons footie transfer window..

    2. I agree with you – I found today’s puzzle much easier than yesterday’s. It’s all to do with whether you are on the right wave-length or not. I almost always find Monday crosswords tricky.

  21. Enjoyed a number of the clues today – esp. 17a, my fave. But took ages to sort out 14 & 16d, even after I’d thought of cars. Thank you setter and thank you DT.

  22. Thought this was going to be a challenge but managed to complete it without too much angst. 16d was rather nice. Looking forward to an uninterrupted day with the crossword tomorrow as I am off to The Oval with the weather set fair.

  23. Right – I really am off this time. Think that I’m going to have serious crossword withdrawal symptoms this week – even if we can get the crossword on husband’s iPad I then have to do battle with the beast (iPad – not husband) and then I’m not sure I will be able to find the blog etc etc. The other ‘minor’ issue is time. We are going to eldest French niece’s wedding on Saturday – 200 people in chateau – dinner the night before and all day ‘festivities’ on Sunday.
    Really not quite sure whether it’s :grin: or :sad: One thing IS for sure and that is that I will be back next week!

  24. **/*** for me, all seemed fairly straightforward. Now need to see if I can do Wednesday’s as well before I have to get on the plane.

  25. No problem with 14 D. Walker’s book “The Color Purple” was magnificent. The first word came from the checking letters. The puzzle was a ** for me today. The sitcom in 5D is still seen here on on Public TV. Thanks to the setter and to DT for the review.

  26. I thought this would be a toughie – but once under way it was not too bad. Some clues were actually a little simpler than they seemed at first.

  27. Nice puzzle and 24a tested and then tickled me immensely. Not sure that a hoot is a riot in 29a; there be strange folk abroad these days! And confess I did resort to Google for Cornish river names, but that only made me try Camel in 25d until the penny dropped.

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