DT 28043 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28043

by Miffypops  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28043

Hints and tips by Miffypops

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****

A very happy eighty-fourth birthday to today’s setter, Roger Squires, from all of us at Big Dave’s Crossword Blog

Our Monday morning maestro
Has once again compiled
A gentle charming puzzle
Which leaves us quite beguiled

There are anagrams to please us
And chestnuts of tradition
And also here to tease us
Are some double definitions

We have clever surface readings
That mislead and confuse
And words that might be hidden
Or reversed within these clues

As you wrestle with this puzzle
From this man who never tires
Please join me in saying
Happy birthday Roger Squires

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    Housing  settlement (13)
ACCOMMODATION: A nifty double definition

10a    Sheet that doesn’t stay put — it’s cold! (3,4)
ICE FLOE: A cryptic definition of sheets of frozen water which are not attached to land

11a    What’s used for path, as relaid around lake? (7)
ASPHALT: Anagram (relaid) of PATH AS placed around the L(ake)

12a    Take a seat — it offers relaxation (4)
EASE: The answer is hidden in the clue.

13a    As employees may be if apathetic or enthusiastic (5)
FIRED: This clue points to a word that has many meanings. The apathetic may be dismissed from their job whilst the enthusiastic may be filled with enthusiasm, stimulated, excited and ready to go

14a    Possessed of intelligence, first among heads (4)
WITH: Take a noun meaning the capacity for quick inventive thought and add the beginning letter (first among) of H(ead)

17a    New stage in harassment (7)
TEASING: Anagram (new) of STAGE IN

18a    Sending out terminations (7)
ENDINGS: Anagram (out) of SENDING

19a    Made a withdrawal, go into red (7)
REMOVED: Place a verb meaning to change position inside the word RED from the clue

22a    One is not bound to enjoy it (7)
FREEDOM: To enjoy this basic human right one should be free of shackles and chains.

24a    Monument to doctor (4)
TOMB: This monument to the memory of the dead can be found by lifting the word TO straight from the clue and adding one of our usual suspects for a doctor. This time the abbreviation for a Bachelor of Medicine or Medicinae Baccalaureus

25a    Left in bloodstained triumph (5)
GLORY: Place the letter L(eft) inside a word meaning bloodstained

26a    Note  such a battery is unserviceable (4)
FLAT: This note is not a sharp. This battery has no charge

29a    Word for word? (7)
SYNONYM: A cryptic definition of a word which means the same as another word.

30a    People’s leader — such as Lincoln? (7)
ABRAHAM: The forename of the early American president is also the name of the biblical leader of the Hebrew nation

31a    Thirty-six holes in rotation (5,3,5)
ROUND AND ROUND: A double definition. The first refers to two games of golf

Down

2d    Church lease runs out somewhere in London (7)
CHELSEA: An anagram (runs out) of LEASE follows one of our abbreviations for Ch(urch)

ARVE Error: need id and provider

3d    Well-produced paintings? (4)
OILS: These types of paintings are made from what might be drilled for in Texas or The North Sea.

4d    Satisfying  get-together (7)
MEETING: Another of Rufus’s signature double definitions.

5d    Sharpshooter that’s employed in the rigging (7)
DEADEYE: This expert marksman is also a circular wooden block with a groove round the circumference to take a lanyard, used singly or in pairs to tighten a shroud. (Nautical)

6d    First-class  spinners (4)
TOPS: A double definition. The second being a type of children’s toy.

7d    Talk of nothing to share (7)
ORATION: This public address can be found by taking the letter that looks like the symbol used to denote zero or nothing and add a word which when used as a verb means allow each person to have only a fixed amount of (a commodity).

8d    There’s nothing to be said for such dissent (6,7)
SILENT PROTEST: No words are used during this demonstration of displeasure

9d    Still concurrent (2,3,4,4)
AT THE SAME TIME: Simultaneously or nevertheless

15d    The craft of the Jumblies (5)
SIEVE: The unlikely sailing vessel used by Edward Lear’s Jumblies

They went to sea in a Sieve, they did,
In a Sieve they went to sea:
In spite of all their friends could say,
On a winter’s morn, on a stormy day,
In a Sieve they went to sea!
And when the Sieve turned round and round,
And every one cried, ‘You’ll all be drowned!’
They called aloud, ‘Our Sieve ain’t big,
But we don’t care a button! we don’t care a fig!
In a Sieve we’ll go to sea!’
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a Sieve.

16d    So long to suffer in a university (5)
ADIEU: To suffer or fade (maybe to the point of expiry) inside the letters A and U(niversity

20d    Does it help some men to forget? Yes and no (7)
MEMENTO: Our second hidden word of the day. Lurking away within the clue

21d    Stupidly dim male may present a problem (7)
DILEMMA: Anagram (stupidly) of DIM MALE

22d    Send in  advance (7)
FORWARD: Another double definition

23d    Phil bumped into fellow swimmer (7)
DOLPHIN: Anagram (bumped) of PHIL placed inside a university fellow

27d    Is involved with round within pub (2,2)
IN ON: Place the round letter inside another word for a pub and split the whole lot 2,2

28d    Small group involved in riot (4)
TRIO: Anagram (involved in) of RIOT

Happy birthday Rufus. I wish you all the best
Of whatever is you need or want this day

The Quick Crossword pun: killer+bite=kilobyte

76 comments on “DT 28043”

  1. Come on RD, what’s holding you up? I’m sat (er, I mean stting) here twiddling my thumbs with nothing to gainsay! :-)

  2. Happy Birthday to our distinguished and prolific Monday setter, with grateful thanks for the wonderful entertainment week after week.
    For those of you who haven’t seen it, you should check out the Wikipedia entry for Roger Squires. It’s astonishing and humbling. A 58 letter anagram! What sort of mind do you need to concoct that?
    Today’s offering was on the easy side but no less fun because of that. I’m going for 1*/4*.
    Many thanks too to MP. You and Rufus make such a captivating double act every Monday.

    1. I agree totally, RD, the list of Roger’s accomplishments over the years is simply breathtaking. One cannot but feel in awe.

      It’s also increasingly rare for someone nowadays to admit to having had a working association with Rolf Harris!

    2. Thanks RD for pointing to Wikipedia. What an amazing story! I take my hat off to Mr Squires. Having long ago visited the welsh station I would never have believed it possible to create an anagram. The platform ticket must have been over 6″ long. A gentle but enjoyable puzzle. Thanks to Mr Squires and MP for the review and the poetry.

  3. What the heck’s going off? It’s 12.15pm – is there a national bloggers’ strike on today, or what? Nobody told me. I’m going home to get me dinner.

    1. The puzzle was solved by 5am. I started writing the blog at 8.15am and sent to BD at 9.24am. Since then I have been working on an OU assignment. Big Dave had to format my blog to suit WordPress and I left him with the underlining of definitions. Big Dave has a life outside the blog too. Publishing late gives you longer to excercise your brain cells.

      1. MP. But your review wasn’t late at all – it was posted at 11.00am, which is fairly normal. I was just jokingly pointing out that the regular early bloggers (like RD) were uncharacteristically late (by about an hour after the posting) with their comments. It was a very tongue-in-cheek comment (not dissimilar to some of your own on here – which I always welcome and appreciate), but maybe I should have emphasised that with a smiley emoticon (this really highlights how the written word can so easily be misinterpreted). Perhaps I was using the word “bloggers” incorrectly? I wasn’t referring to the “expert bloggers”/reviewers but the other people who regularly contribute with comments. Are they not bloggers too?

  4. Another fine example of a Rufus crossword. No problems, just enjoyment. Birthday wishes to Rufus and thanks to Miffypops for the review.

  5. Plain sailing today apart from initially putting the wrong letter at the end of 10a (dim!) and having to check on the nautical definition of 5d.
    Leader board shows 31a, 27d and the schoolboy advice portrayed by MP’s pic at 30a!

    Thanks to MP and many happy returns to Mr. Squires.

  6. R & W for me today, (for a change), and all the more enjoyable for it as I have much to get on with.
    A reminder of Mr Lears nonsense also cheered me up.
    Thank you and happy birthday to Rufus and thanks also to MP.

  7. Let me add my Birthday greetings to Mr Squires.

    Plain sailing apart from 13a for some strange reason, and I only knew 15d from watching Morse’s sidekick ‘Lewis’

    I have a slight issue with the clue for 26a as I thought this was something that modified a note, rather than being a note, even though this type of clueing seems quite common.

    1. I think of it is a note all of it’s own accord! As in B flat – but I know others will disagree, and I see they have later!

  8. A wonderfully classic Rufus puzzle to mark the maestro’s birthday, a joy from start to finish even if I did put in “anagram” for 29a originally – I suspect I might not be alone in that.

    My favourite clue of the day was 13a.

    Many thanks to Miffypops and warmest birthday wishes to Mr. Squires. It has been a great comfort over many years now to know that, however low one may feel on a Monday morning, there will always be one of your puzzles in the Telegraph to brighten the start of the week. Thank you for providing so much enjoyment and I hope that you will continue to delight us for many years to come.

  9. I didn’t know the nautical reference for 5d but you live and learn!

    Straightforward offering today nothing untoward at all, finished before lights out last night – very enjoyable and over far too quickly!

    :good:

      1. Sorry, I have to enter my userid and email address each time I use the site – they are no longer retained by the Big Dave system for some reason, it only started happening about three weeks ago. I understand that I’m not the only one this has started happening to.

        I reckoned it had something to do with a change to the cookie handling on the Big Dave system but no one seemed all that interested.

  10. Sorry to have to point out mistakes, but, in 7d, the wrong part of the clue is underlined for the definition. Also, in 27d, you meant “pub” not “pun”.

    20d. I think this clue is a little clumsy, as part of the answer is part of the word that indicates that it’s hidden.

    2. No apology necessary Vince. I consider you to be my personal proof reader. Can I sent my OU assignments for comment? Please.

  11. Had to look up Jumblies and failed to hit the bull in 5d ; otherwise a treat of a puzzle .Happy birthday to the maestro ! Also thanks to Miffypops for the hints .

  12. Happy Birthday Rufus, from both me and my mum. We love your puzzles. Today is a day for chocolate biscuits…with candles.

  13. This felt like a little more difficult than a *, with a quite tricky double definition at 5d (though aren’t they all, if you don’t know either definition?)

    Still not sure how 20d is supposed to work. It’s obviously a hidden word, but there doesn’t seem to be a proper containment indicator?

    Every time I raise this I get told off, but isn’t 15d just a direct definition? It wouldn’t look out of place in the quick crossword.

  14. Thank you Mr Squires for yet another lovely Monday crossword and Happy Birthday.
    A gentle challenge and a great way to start the week. 8d was my favourite because of the simplicity of the surface reading.
    2/3.5* overall.
    Many thanks as well to MP for his usual idiosyncratic review!

  15. Thanks to Rufus and Happy Birthday, also to Miffypops for a lovely poem and review. A very enjoyable puzzle to start the week. I guessed 5d, that was my favourite. 20d was very well hidden. Got 13a wrong, I had hired. Last in was 15d which I had to Google. Some lovely clues. Was 1*/4* for me.

  16. Happy Birthday, Mr Squires – I’ve also done your one in the Guardian today – disappointed that Dante didn’t make an appearance in the Monday FT.

    Who wrote the poem?

  17. A very happy birthday Rufus from another fan – I don’t know how you do it.

    Enjoyed 29a (word for word) and 31a (36 holes in rotation – roulette came to mind).

    15d completely eluded me until I looked up Jumblies

    Unless I’mm missing something 20d seemed a wee bit dodgy to me as well but hey, it’s the man’s birthday.

    Many thanks Rufus and of course miffypops

      1. Yes thanks Hanni,

        And everyone in one piece for a change, though I’m finding that everything now hurts, even the bits I didn’t use.

        1. Good to hear. Hope conditions were good? Yup I know exactly what you mean re things hurting. Doesn’t matter how much prep you do, Xscape etc…you still end up sore and practically crawling to the hot tub on a night.

          Glad you’re all in one piece though. :smile:

  18. Happy birthday to the Monday Maestro!

    Fantastic puzzle with plenty of smiles. Stand out clues were 17a, 15d, 29a and the lovely 31a.

    Glorious day on the moors with spring flowers just becoming visible. Which means it will probably snow later.

    Many thanks to the wonderful Rufus and to the wondrous MP for a great blog. Loved the poem.

  19. Question for you experienced ladies and gents.
    Is is ‘done’ to look up synonyms? The synonym for ‘bloodstained’ eluded me until I googled it.
    Cheers
    Hoofit….

    1. Totally and utterly OK to look it up. I spent half of yesterday emailing Jane obscure definitions as she has a shiny new BRB so she could check they were right for me. Thank you again Jane.

      Don’t worry about it. Pencil circles for anagrams are OK too.

        1. That’s an FAQ – Chambers Dictionary is a Big Red Book

          Don’t forget in the olden days, we only had the dictionary to help us when solving crosswords so we always looked stuff up if we weren’t sure

  20. Very many Happy Returns of the Day to my neighbour (ish). Fairly ploughed through today’s puzzle and it was over all to soon. No particular clue stood out as a favourite for me today – just an enjoyable solve.

    Thanks to Rufus for the puzzle and Miffypops for his review.

  21. Happy birthday to Rufus, as a relative newcomer I have come to cherish Mondays. Firstly for your masterly crossword and for MP’s entertaining decoding of the clues, a ginormous thank you to both of you. :yahoo:

  22. Thank you Rufus and a Very Happy Birthday to you! When I travel through Ironbridge I look up at the sheds in
    gardens (where I gather you work) and say another thank you!

  24. Oh dear! Here I go again. Mr Squires I love your crosswords ( partly because I can solve them!) BUT I have to tell you that the word ‘flat’, unless it is preceded by any letter from A to G, is NOT a note (re 26 a) Like the word ‘sharp’, it is an accidental. Sorry to be so pedantic, but I wish you a very Happy Birthday anyway, and thank both you and MP for a very enjoyable Monday offering on this sunny day in Leeds.

    1. Bother. When I solved the clue I remembered your previous post but when it came to writing the review it was gone. I even thought of accidentals

  25. Happy birthday to Rufus.
    A living proof that crosswords keep us younger.
    Like Fran, I was beaten by 5d and had to look for the Jumblies.
    Thanks for the crossword and to MP for the review. 30a made me laugh.

  26. The very happiest of birthdays to you Rufus! You always provide us with perfect entertainment on Mondays and I so look forward to them.
    My fave was 15d, it brought back childish memories.
    I agree with the 1* for difficulty but 5* for enjoyment.
    Thanks Rufus for the fun, and thanks to M’pops for the poem and the review.

  27. Thanks, Rufus, for the enjoyment your puzzles have given me over the years and may there be many more to come
    This calls for a toast. Happy days!

  28. I join with the others in wishing Roger Squires a Happy Birthday, a gentle genius. :rose:
    Lovely puzzle today. Did anyone else have ” Tired” for 13a ?
    Thanks to all concerned.

    1. Yes Una. I had TIRED In at 13ac. When I read it to review it I knew it was wrong and found the correct alternative.

  29. Many Happy Returns to the Monday Maestro (and pommette’s favourite setter).

    This was well up to the usual standard and most enjoyable.

    Thanks to Roger and thanks also to MP for the excellent poetry.

  30. Happy birthday greetings….thanks for a fun crossword which we managed to complete this afternoon in the sunshine on Loch Lomond

  31. Happy Birthday Rufus and many thanks for all the marvellous Mondays you have provided for us. And three cheers for Miffypops for a magnificent rhyming tribute to the great man. An enjoyable 1.5/84 from us.

  32. Straightforward, elegant, comfortable and enjoyable. A lovely way to end a Monday afternoon. Congratulations and Happy Birthday to Mr S and thanks to MP for a delightful blog.

    1*/4* from me. I particularly liked 25 across for its simplicity and humour.

  34. Nice Monday puzzle **/**** Thanks to Rufus for the puzzle and MP for his blog :good: Liked 29a & 31a :wink:

  35. Felicitations and Many Happy Returns of the Day Rufus. :rose: :whistle: The birthday fun you shared with us today is very much appreciated as always. Thank you very much and also to MP. The central three letters of 16d would seem to be rather an overstatement of suffer! 13a was my last to go in and then only with help. Fav was 31a. ***/***.

  36. Good evening everybody.

    A very witty review of a typical Mondayish puzzle. As well as laughing like a loon at the picture accompanying 30a I also find myself fittting a standard melody to the poem. So far the best I’ve come up with is the verse to As Time goes By but I’m sure better can be done…

    Anyway, it was **/*** for me. Favourite was 29a.

    Thanks to reviewer and birthday boy.

  37. Today’s favourites include 22a (I think I am making peace with naked cryptic definitions, certainly when they are of such good quality), 25a (just very much appealed to me today), 29a (wow, another one of those!), 31a (despite the g*lf content), 4d (because I amused myself thinking of alternative answers) and 20d :).

    I didn’t know the second definition in 5d and couldn’t remember the first one either, though I’m sure I’ve heard it. The “suffer” in 16d surely means quite the opposite, and I don’t think “sort of all-in-one” sort of excuses 20d – but at least the answer was nice and clear, so it didn’t spoil the fun.

    Many Happy Returns, Rufus. Thanks for today’s (and all Mondays’) crosswords.

    Thanks to MP for today’s (and all Mondays’) reviews. The introductory verse made me smile.

    Happy cat day (and every day) to cats and their humans.

    1. I had the same feeling about suffer in 16d! – see my comment (35) above although my use of overstatement is probably less appropriate than your comment!

  39. Always enjoy Mondays’ puzzles. Thank you and many happy returns to the fantastic setter. As above, I had to look up the nautical link to deadeye. The things you learn, doing the Telegraph crossword!

  42. Happy Birthday to the Monday Maestro!
    I’ve always love your puzzles – in fact one of yours was the first I ever completed on my own – so thank you.

  43. Well, thank you Southern Railways, you are about a much use as the Jumblies’ craft. Train cancelled (for no given reason), so I was able to sit shivering on the platform and do this terrific little puzzle, which I finished in time for the next train, which left ten minutes late and then, only when under way, did they bother to tell me that it wouldn’t be stopping at my station to make up for lost time. I got out further down the line and had to wait 15 minutes for a bus home. My usual 20-minute journey took 2 hours.
    However, Mr Squires’s offering eased the grumpiness no end. Lots of goodies, but plumping for 3d as best in show.
    Many thanks (and a belated happy birthday) to Rufus for the diversion and to MP for a typically idiosyncratic review and, of course, for the ‘poem’. 1*/4*

  44. Many thanks for your help. I’m new to cryptic crosswords but on the advise of Colin Dexter I’m starting out with The Telegraph. Today I got all but six clues, which made me feel wonderful (even if it was easy for some!). To my chagrin I’ve never heard of the Jumblies so seeing the verse helped too! Thanks again

    1. Welcome to the blog, Shirl. Now that you’ve found us I hope that you’ll comment on a regular basis.

  46. Two or three very difficult clues for me, so must put it as 2/3 star. For instance if you’ve never heard of the nautical meaning of 5d (which I hadn’t) it’s pretty impossible. Also if like me you couldn’t spell “floe” (I put a “W” at the end, ) then this stymied you on 4d.
    Only a 1 star for the experts I think.

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