Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27267
Hints and tips by Deep Threat
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from South Staffs, where the sun is trying to break through a layer of cloud.
For me this was just on the border between * and ** difficulty, with just a couple of slightly unusual words tipping it towards **.
In the hints below, the definitions 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 Medicine man, not genuine article (6)
{ SHAMAN } A word for ‘not genuine’ followed by the indefinite article.
5a Thus delicate fabric provides comfort (6)
{ SOLACE } A synonym for thus followed by a fabric of which Honiton and Chantilly are examples.
10a Antelope from Eastern country (5)
{ ELAND } Eastern followed by a country or territory.
11a Boatyard worker? (9)
{ CRAFTSMAN } A cryptic definition of a skilled worker. He might work on what can be found in a boatyard.
12a Provider of seats, bluer across length (7)
{ SADDLER } These are seats for horse riders. A synonym of bluer (in its emotional sense) with Length inside.
13a Heron is flying close to the coast (7)
{ INSHORE } Anagram (flying) of HERON IS.
14a Notice embassy’s entrance (9)
{ ADMISSION } A short form of a publicity notice followed by an embassy or delegation.
17a Thump tramp (5)
{ POUND } Double definition, both of which are verbs.
18a Flowers in clusters, say (5)
{ PHLOX } These garden flowers bloom in clusters, and sound like clusters of sheep.
19a Sensationalism in USSR — led astray? (9)
{ LURIDNESS } Anagram (astray) of IN USSR LED.
21a Dog, as well, in front of golf club (7)
{ ANDIRON } The dog here is a fire dog. A conjunction meaning ‘as well’ followed by a type of golf club.
23a Dismiss bank clerk (7)
{ CASHIER } Double definition, the first being to dismiss an army officer from the service in disgrace.
25a Observer must keep back, mind (4,5)
{ LOOK AFTER } A word describing the back part of a ship inside a noun describing the action of an observer.
26a Crime rendering rector powerless? (5)
{ ARSON } Remove the initial P (render powerless) from a synonym of rector.
27a Stumped by foreign name for part of flower (6)
{ STAMEN } The abbreviation for stumped seen on a cricket scorecard followed by an anagram (foreign) of NAME.
28a Beginning to enjoy flower festival (6)
{ EASTER } One of the major festivals of the Christian church is made up of the initial letter of Enjoy followed by a Michaelmas Daisy.
Down
2d Report of army stockpile (5)
{ HOARD } A stockpile of food or treasure sounds like (report of) an army or multitude.
3d Cricket team mean it (9)
{ MIDDLESEX } A county cricket team, made up of a mean or average, followed by the activity for which ‘it’ is a euphemism.
4d More pleasant, Riviera resort close to Sanary-sur-Mer (5)
{ NICER } A city on the Riviera followed by the final R of Sanary-sur-Mer.
5d Shopkeeper burst into tears (9)
{ STATIONER } Anagram (burst) of INTO TEARS.
6d American after fortune for plant (5)
{ LOTUS } A word for fortune or fate followed by an abbreviation for American.
7d Write about ancient city’s tranquillity (9)
{ COMPOSURE } A verb for ‘write’ (especially music) wrapped around the usual ancient Chaldean city.
8d Female entertainer from Cambridge is happy-go-lucky (6)
{ GEISHA } Hidden in the clue.
9d Not studied, so mostly ill-prepared (6)
{ UNREAD } Remove the final Y from an adjective meaning ill-prepared, to get the common state of a student’s set texts.
15d Told Maria, awfully clumsy (9)
{ MALADROIT } Anagram (awfully) of TOLD MARIA.
16d I mixed drink with style, here in London (9)
{ ISLINGTON } A charade of I (from the clue), a variety of cocktail, and the French word signifying style or fashion, producing an area of North London much gentrified in recent years.
ARVE Error: need id and provider17d Cycles round established bases (9)
{ PEDESTALS } The verb describing what a cyclist does to propel his machine, wrapped around an abbreviation of ‘established’.
18d Pawn nobleman’s gems (6)
{ PEARLS } The abbreviation for a pawn in descriptive chess notation, followed by one of the ranks of nobleman (plus the ‘s).
20d Train from South Herts town (6)
{ STRING } South followed by a town in Hertfordshire, giving another word for a train or succession of things.
22d Actual leader of my kingdom (5)
{ REALM } An adjective for ‘actual’ (as opposed to virtual) followed by the first letter of My.
23d Swear remedy needs to include sulphur (5)
{ CURSE } The chemical symbol for sulphur inside a noun or verb meaning remedy.
24d I prosecute after second matter (5)
{ ISSUE } A charade of I (from the clue), Second, and to prosecute in a civil case.
The Quick Crossword pun { CATTLE }{ ANNE } = { CATALAN }
We found ourselves looking at the calendar to check that it was not Monday again as the puzzle had many of the characteristics we usually associate with our Monday setter. Nice puzzle, not too tricky. Liked the well hidden 8d.
Thanks Mr Ron and DT.
8d stumped me for a while. Not too taxing today and some very satisfying clues. 16d, 9d & 17d were favourites.
Thanks to setter and DT.
No big problems today although I can envisage moans coming in for 21A for not having ‘FIRE’ as the first word. I thought 11A was rather clever.
Apparently I’ve got to do the things that I didn’t do over the bank holiday (mow the lawn, go shopping, etc) and there was me thinking that the word ‘holiday’ in the phrase ‘bank holiday’ actually meant time off. Ho Hum
Thank you setter, an enjoyable if not too taxing puzzle. Just the job whilst family are staying here ! Thank you DT for your comprehensive review.
A nice gentle dare I say easy puzzle today with no help required.12A was my favourite with 17D a close second.Thanks to DT for the review which was not needed for a change.
Many thanks to Mr. Ron for an enjoyable and entertaining puzzle today. My rating is **/***, with 3d and 18a my two favourites (I hope Kath is still away :wink:!)
I was a bit dubious about 1a with man appearing in the clue and in the answer albeit in different contexts, and I had to check the BRB to understand why the last three letters of 16d were clued by style.
My thanks too to DT for the hints, which I didn’t need today.
I’m a frequent visitor, but this is my first comment/query. I thought that 3d was a little more subtle, as follows: if we split the clue into its two constituent parts – middle & sex – this indicates a gender that is neither male nor female, i.e. ‘it’! However, only the compiler will be able to clarify
Welcome to the blog Barry H. Now that you’ve broken your duck I hope that you’ll become a regular contributor.
It’s an interesting thought for 3d but I reckon that DT has parsed it as the setter intended.
I’m still struggling a bit after my break.. Think crosswords are like musical instruments – if you don’t practice daily, you are rubbish!
Got there in the end. Had to look up 21a, despite getting the letters and 15d took far too long as the anagram letters were clear.
I liked 18a.
I practice daily and I’m still rubbish!!
A pleasant solve and an enjoyable review, thanks to the setter and Deep Threat. The toughie from Shamus is definitely do-able for those who are not sure about trying toughies.
Fun though relatively easy puzzle today, managed in one sitting. Had to think a bit about 2d as I expected it to be a double definition for “report” and “stockpile”, then realised my mistake. Thanks to the compiler and Deep Throat.
I think that’s Deep THREAT there Jil B.
*/*** for me. Loads of clever clues with good surface readings. Had guessed 8d long before I spotted the answer hidden in the clue. Really enjoyable so thanks to Mr Ron and DT, whose hints are among the clearest for me.
Really enjoyed the puzzle today. I wanted to put cache for 2 down…..obviously wrong on all counts though it does mean what it says in the clue. My favs. were, 3 down & 21 across. Thank you setter & hinter ☺
Another fab puzzle, I wonder when our luck will run out. Missed 20d completely and needed the hint, but that was unforgivable as Tring has appeared in so many crosswords, how could I have missed it. Pure good fun, thanks to all
I know what you mean, five nice puzzles in a row, I’m sure we will pay for it tomorrow!
Thanks to the setter and to Deep Threat for the review and hints. A nice puzzle today, that I found a bit difficult to finish off. Was stuck on four for ages. Then got 17a, 17d, 7d & 11a which was last in. Favourite was 21a. Was 2*/3* for me. Nice and sunny in Central London.
Quite enjoyable today but needed the hints for 1a and a new word for me in 21a.
Not sure it was a 1star probably more like a two star for difficulty and 3 for enjoyment.
But many Thx to the setter for not just one but two cricketing clues! Excellent (sorry Ladies).
Thx to DT for the hints above.
PS I meant to give this two stars on the rating above but fat fingers on an iPad
Brian, Some of us ladies actually know quite a bit about cricket & football too, along with many other sports, though not American ones. They always seem a bit stylized to me.
Good for you, sorry if my comment sounded patronising. My wife for one knows far more about football than I ever will having had a Spurs season ticket since the age of 12,
Another pleasant non-taxing puzzle today!
Faves : 1a, 18a, 21a, 28a, 3d, 6d, 8d & 16d.
After years of living away from GB, I am always pleased to remember placenames!
No end yet to the summery weather here in NL!
Really great fun, and quick ! Clear clueing and good surface readings . 2d was the last one in. Thanks to setter and Deep Threat.
A nice stroll although I did fail to get 18a. 3d was my clear favourite (and they are also my county team which was rather nice). Thanks to the setter.
Re 16d, I have a degree in French, but I didn’t understand the “style” bit of the clue, although the answer was obvious. To me this was a tad more difficult than Deep Threat’s rating.
The “style” bit is probably more familiar to crossword solvers than to French speakers!
My Harrap’s French and English dictionary gives the second meaning of ‘le ton’ as manners or breeding. I think that meaning was then adopted into English at a time when the fashionable people were those of good manners and breeding, at least in theory…
Sailed through this lovely puzzle — all except 18a which I failed to get. Particularly enjoyed 11a, 21a, 3d, 7d, & 16d. Many thanks to setter & Deep Threat.