DT 28361 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28361

by Miffypops  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28361

Hints and tips by The Klondike Kid

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment *** [allocated by BD, not Miffypops]

The Klondike Kid has written today’s hints and tips in clear concise English. The definitions are underlined and the wordplay is deconstructed and explained. As hinting and tipping has no instruction manual the hinty people on this site have their own individual styles. Mistakes may happen. We are only nearly perfect.

The solve this morning shortly after 6.00 am was a joy. The first read through gave twelve answers and several “how the heck does that work” moments. 20d being a perfect example. As usual the more checking letters the easier the solve.

As for the England Rugby Union team. More rule book less Facebook would seem to be the order of the day. Man of the match? Conor O’Shea. Quote of the day “I am a referee. Not a coach“

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Garden parties? (4,3,3)
ADAM AND EVE: The garden is Eden. These parties were the first two people to walk therein. After chatting to a talking snake they got down to a bit of the other and there began the worlds troubles.

6a    Back gas ring, that’s needed for this pudding (4)
SAGO: Reverse (back) the word GAS and add the letter that looks like a ring to find this pudding. Is it the same as Tapioca?

How do you start a pudding race? Say Go

10a    Disinclined to use a palindrome? (5)
LEVEL: An incline here is a slope or gradient. To be disinclined is to be thus. The answer is a palindrome

11a    Study secures present church agreement (9)
COHERENCE: In just five words our setter Rufus tells us to insert a word meaning to be in a particular place (present) into another word meaning to study or read and then add the initial letters of the Church of England.

12a    Notional professor? (8)
ACADEMIC: A trademark Rufus double definition. The second being a noun meaning a teacher or scholar in a university or other institute of higher education. The second is an adverb

13a    The state of the Sphinx and the Pyramids! (5)
EGYPT: The state or nation where the Sphinx and the pyramids can be seen. Also where my Dad had a knee operation during the Second World War

15a    Visual changes made to Capitol (7)
OPTICAL: Anagram (changes made to) of CAPITOL

17a    He deprives others of their occupation (7)
EVICTOR: A cryptic definition of one who throws people out of their properties

19a    Partly improves personal service (7)
VESPERS: A hidden or included word. The answer is hidden amongst the words in the clue. Some reviewers say which words. I think one used to highlight it with different colouring. I say get off your backsides and go looking for it.

… by A A Milne

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

God bless Mummy. I know that’s right.
Wasn’t it fun in the bath to-night?
The cold’s so cold, and the hot’s so hot.
Oh! God bless Daddy – I quite forgot.

If I open my fingers a little bit more,
I can see Nanny’s dressing-gown on the door.
It’s a beautiful blue, but it hasn’t a hood.
Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good.

Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed,
And pull the hood right over my head,
And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small,
And nobody knows that I’m there at all.

Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely day.
And what was the other I had to say?
I said “Bless Daddy,” so what can it be?
Oh! Now I remember it. God bless Me.

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

21a    Large number make certain you get blame (7)
CENSURE: the large number indicates the Roman numeral for one hundred which isn’t really a large number at all. The world has been in existence for five thousand billion years and will last for another five thousand billion years. Those are large numbers. One hundred is piffling. You wouldn’t even get a decent night out for a hundred quid. Anyway, after this large (insignificant) number you need a verb meaning to make certain

22a    High-quality pupils (5)
CLASS: A double definition. The second being a group of pupils.

24a    Electoral divisions, locally, or in branches (8)
BOROUGHS: Place the word OR from the clue inside the branches of the tree in the nursery rhyme Rock a bye baby

27a    Unoriginal form of flattery (9)
IMITATION: A cryptic definition of what according to Charles Caleb Colton is the sincerest of flattery

There are those who do not imitate,
Who cannot imitate
But then there are those who emulate
At times, to expand further the light
Of an original glow.
Knowing that to imitate the living
Is mockery
And to imitate the dead
Is robbery
There are those
Who are beings complete unto themselves
Whole, undaunted,-a source
As leaves of grass, as stars
As mountains, alike, alike, alike,
Yet unalike
Each is complete and contained
And as each unalike star shines
Each ray of light is forever gone
To leave way for a new ray
And a new ray, as from a fountain
Complete unto itself, full, flowing
So are some souls like stars
And their words, works and songs
Like strong, quick flashes of light

From a brilliant, erupting cone.
So where are your mountains
To match some men?

This man can rhyme the tick of time
The edge of pain, the what of sane
And comprehend the good in men, the bad in men
Can feel the hate of fight, the love of right
And the creep of blight at the speed of light
The pain of dawn, the gone of gone
The end of friend, the end of end
By math of trend
What grip to hold what he is told
How long to hold, how strong to hold
How much to hold of what is told.
And Know
The yield of rend; the break of bend
The scar of mend
I’m proud to say that I know it,
Here-in is a hell of a poet.
And lots of other things
And lots of other things.
— Johnny Cash on Bob Dylan

28a    Eye-catching gadgets (5)
HOOKS: A gadget that connects with an eye to form a connection.

A pirate strolls into his favourite bar and the bartender says, “Goodness gracious what happened to you?”
The pirate says, “What do you mean?”
The bartender says, “Well, for starters, you never used to have a peg leg.”
“Oh, that,” replies the pirate. “Well, you see, we had a sea battle and a cannon ball blew off my leg. But the ship’s surgeon fixed me up with this peg leg and I’m as good as new.”
“Well, what about the hook?” asks the barkeep.
“We had another sea battle and some guy lopped off my hand with his sword,” the pirate explains, “but the ship’s surgeon fixed me up with this hook and now I’m as good as new!”
“What about the eye patch?” asks the bartender.
“One day I was on the beach when I got a grain of sand in my eye.”
The bartender is incredulous. “You mean to tell me that a grain of sand put out your eye?”
“Well,” the pirate explained, “this happened the day after I got the hook.”

29a    Awkward ones giving negative votes (4)
NOES: Anagram (awkward) of NOES

30a    Nine crates mixed fruit (10)
NECTARINES: Anagram (mixed) of NINE CRATES

Down

1d    The Spanish scholar brought up showing talent (4)
ABLE: The Spanish word for the is followed by the abbreviation for a bachelor of education all reversed as indicated by the words brought up.

2d    Recommends Scottish silks, perhaps (9)
ADVOCATES: A double definition the second being the Scottish word for barrister.

3d    Troubled the French to get help outside (5)
AILED: Place the French word for “the” inside another word meaning to help

4d    Point wrongly claimed (7)
DECIMAL: Anagram (wrongly) of CLAIMED

5d    Transport Clive arranged to accommodate ambassador’s return (7)
VEHICLE: An anagram (arranged) of CLIVE contains the reversal (return) of the usual Crosswordland two-letter abbreviation for an ambassador. This two-letter abbreviation can be found in the Usual Suspects list under the Cryptic Crosswords banner at the head of the page. If you are new to cryptic crossword solving this is an invaluable resource.

7d    In any case there’s no trouble (5)
ANNOY: place the word NO from the clue inside the word ANY also from the clue

8d    Went too far round and toppled (10)
OVERTURNED: Went arse over elbow as it were

9d    Area isn’t developed well? (8)
ARTESIAN: Anagram (developed) of AREA ISN’T. This is a perfect example of what I mean when I say not to read the clue. ‘Area isn’t well developed’ makes perfect sense as a sentence but will never lead to the answer when read as such. The experienced solver will spot the word developed as an anagram indicator and act accordingly.

14d    Firm belief in guilty verdict (10)
CONVICTION: A double definition. How many of you have one of these for just being daft or high spirited in their youth?

16d    Revolutionary’s son to join staff and figure on the board (8)
CHESSMAN: Mr Guevara, Crosswordland’s favourite revolutionary (with a S because of the apostrophe S is followed by the abbreviation of son and a member of staff to find a figure from a board game. The Rook perhaps or the Horsey

18d    Feel feathers should be used in landing (9)
TOUCHDOWN: Take a verb meaning to be in contact with and add what down is to fluffy little chicks

20d    Glorious rendering of ‘Under the Linden-tree’ (7)
SUBLIME: A wonderful example of one of those “what the heck do I do with this” type of clue. Well wait for the checkers, bung in what fits and work out why. Take a word meaning under, as in a U-boat, and add an alternative name for the linden tree

21d    Crown taking firm course with uprising (7)
CORONET: Begin with the usual firm or company and add a reversed (uprising) noun meaning the general meaning, sense, or content of something.

23d    A newly married woman has no right to stay (5)
ABIDE: use the A straight from the clue and add the word that describes a newly married woman minus (has no right) the letter R

25d    He introduces you and me with that girl (5)
USHER: This fellow may have been present at the newly married lady’s wedding from the clue above. Use the pronoun used to describe you and me together and add a word meaning that woman.

26d    Oxford banker (4)
ISIS: The River Thames as it flows through Oxford.

Blogged to the wonderful works of Stevie Wonder. Superstition, Living For The City, He’s Mistra Know It All and Boogie On Reggae Woman. None of the slushy stuff.

The Quick Crossword pun: mirror+cull=miracle

69 comments on “DT 28361”

  1. Am I first?? A first!!
    Nice puzzle for me, went in fairly smoothly. Ony struggle was spelling 5d with ‘AL’ at the end. Considering 5d was mainly an anagram, unforgivable. Made 17a impossible for about half an hour!!
    After yeterday’s struggle, this was a welcome puzzle, though I suspect the experts might find this a bit too easy.
    6a was a new word for me, but easy to get from the wordplay.
    20d confused me for a time as I was unfamiliar withe the verse, but once I had the first two checking letters, all became clear.
    2d was my favourite for a nice bit of misdirection, my immediate reaction on reading the clue was ‘what do I know about Scottish material!!’.
    Partner’s mother’s funeral today, so a difficult day ahead.
    Thanks to MP and Rufus. Love the Peanuts cartoon.

  2. 1*/4*. Straightforward but as much as fun as ever on a Monday, although it was mildly disappointing to see “firm” used in the same way twice.

    Podium slots today go to 1a, 28a & 20d.

    Many thanks to Rufus and a Kim-less Klondike Kid.

    P.S. I see an apology was issued in the paper today for the error in 20d in Saturday’s Prize Cryptic 28360.

    1. Hi RD,

      My repetition radar didn’t bleep regarding “firm”, because it actually wasn’t used the same way each time!

      1. Clearly a senior moment! After I solved 21d I remembered that “firm” had appeared in an earlier clue, 14d. When I glanced at 14d I noticed that it started with the same two letters as 21d and my faulty repetition radar bleeped! I need to get an upgrade!

  3. I was slightly slower than the mercurial KK/MP this morning, and thoroughly enjoyed this Rufus puzzle, so 1.5*/3.5* from me. Several clues vying for the top of the podium but I will go for 1a because it made me laugh.

    Thanks to Rufus and the combination for the fun review.

  4. Very straightforward today – almost a read and write. 0.5*/3*. But enjoyable. I rather liked 18d and 20 with 1a being my pick.

  5. Nice and Rufusy. No favourites but a fun solve with no grrs (except at 26d). Appreciated the gentle touch as it left me enough time to chortle and snortle at today’s Indie puzzle.

    Many thanks Rufus and MP.

  6. ** – *** – this probably took longer than it should have done, I will put it down to travel fatigue (halfway home, two days down, two to go). However, I did find it very enjoyable. I didn’t get 28a until I read whoever’s hint and had a big groan.

    I have a list of eight potential favourites – no further comment (to keep on avoiding Kath’s big stick).

    Thanks to Rufus and MP.

  7. I thought today’s offering was excellent, really well clued. Personal favourites were 1across and 20 down. Thanks Rufus, really good fun.

  8. Enjoyed this and the Klondike Kid’s review almost as much.

    Favourites were 1a and 20d.

    Thank you for the poetry, Miffypops & Rufus

  9. Lovely puzzle with some really good double definitions and d’oh moments.
    Crowding on to the podium are 1&28a plus 2&14d.

    Many thanks to Rufus and thanks to MP for the reminder of Christopher Robin’s prayer.

  10. Monday Rufus and the week off to a good start, took a while to parse 1a and thought ‘course’ was a bit iffy in 21d, plain sailing apart from this.
    6A reminded me of the old ‘cracker joke’ how do you make a rice pudding move !
    Quicky pun helped with ‘sift’

  11. Lovely start to the week some smiles & a couple of groans. Why are all the dreaded school dinner sweets so popular? Where is Jam Roly Poly?
    20d just edged 9d as COTD for me.
    Thanks to Rufus and KK2 for usual entertaining explanations. “Concise” may stretch the Trade Descriptions Act I fear. Perhaps next week it will be the Kaye sisters – there were 3 of them (snag is none of them were called Kaye).

  13. I usually struggle with Rufus, but not today – completed in about ** time, so probably for Rufus a * for difficulty. :-) All good fun, the only one I’m not really convinced about is 28ac, where I still don’t really see how the answer equates to ‘gadgets’, but never mind.

      1. Perhaps I’m too hung up on the idea of a gadget being something electronic. Chambers does has it as a ‘small, ingenious device’, so perhaps.

  14. Very straightforward, elementary, R+W and so easy to solve. I really don’t enjoy these Monday offerings much. And that is no criticism of the illustrious veteran setter – I’m sure all these compilers provide what the DT asks them for. I’m not convinced that 13a is really a cryptic clue? For me, 20d was the best of a mediocre bunch. 0.5*/1*.

      1. Yes of course, I had gathered that but I prefer clues to be a little more cryptic/puzzling. Even with the exclamation mark it’s only “cryptic” by the skin of its teeth.

  15. Very pleasant kick-off to the week. Thank you Rufus and MP. Surely 13a is not really cryptic and why the exclamation mark? In company with several others 1a and 20d stood out for me.

    1. Re 13a, I think that the problem is that experienced solvers see through the intended misdirection too easily. The exclamation mark is intended to make you think ‘state’ refers to condition.

      1. Thanks Physicist and indeed Dutch for reassuring me that I haven’t missed anything more profound than that.

  16. A typically agreeable Monday offering, although I still don’t like banker for river. Thanks to Rufus and to KK.

  17. I agree with your rating, M’pops, an enjoyable romp.
    Fave was 20d, but 1a (especially the cartoon) and 28a are running a close second tie.
    Thanks to Rufus and M’pops for the Monday entertainment.

    An oldie but goodie. Do you have pub entertainment like this M’pops?

    Three German Shepherds

  18. Good fun as ever on a Monday, I’m glad that the “Oxford banker” still appears in these over-sensitive politically correct times!

    Like Angelov, Dutch and others, I ticked 1a and 20d as my joint-favourites.

    Many thanks to Rufus and to The Klondike Kid. Perhaps Kevin Keegan might grace next Monday’s review?

      1. Yipee remember Kris very well as background to a Christmas party from work one year. Happy memories.

  19. I agree this one was fairly straightforward.
    The only real problem I had was in the bottom left corner and it was one that I made ‘all my own self’ – I’m not going to admit what it was but it did make 22a impossible. Oh dear.
    I also had a spot of trouble with 21d – the answer was clear but I still can’t really make ‘tenor’ = ‘course’.
    When I first looked at 1a I couldn’t imagine what it was going to be and needed a few checking letters to make any sense of it.
    I liked 10 and 27a and 18d. My favourite by a long way was 20d but I also really liked 1a.
    With thanks to Rufus and to MP aka TKK.
    It’s cold here today and every time I poke my nose outside it absolutely chucks it down so off now to have a go at the Rookie.

  20. Very nearly a R&W this morning but enjoyable fun nonetheless. Liked quite a few but 20d is definitely my favourite of the day.

    Thanks to my Ironbridge neighbour for the puzzle and to the KK for the review.

  21. 21a C also stands for the speed of light which is pretty big…183600mph…and I wish the Earth was as old as 5000 billion years…the Sun is only 5 billion unless you are referring to the 9 ‘0’ s we seem to use for a billion instead of 12…

    2. Sorry Thebear – I think that you are a factor of 3600 off on the speed of light (186000 miles per second).

    4. Its exact value is 299 792 458 metres per second; it is exact because the length of the metre is defined from this ‘constant’.

      Referred to algebraically as ‘c’, because it was once considered a ‘constant’. However, we we now know it is not; it can be warped, compressed or stretched. Makes a bit of a mess of Einstein’s calculations because empty space travels faster, because it also has zero mass.

      Where’s Physicist when we need him…?

      2. I was always taught that the c stood for “celeritas” (Latin: speed). But having just researched it again, I am told that it “is reasonable to think of c as standing for either “constant” or “celeritas”.

  22. No hold-ups to report today. Wrinkled my nose at 13a, 28a & 21d and thought 6a, 10a, 29a & 26d were a bit simple, even for a Monday.
    Did like 7d & 20d, top clue for me 1a.

    Many thanks to Rufus and to MP. Can’t wait ’til we get round to Krusty the Klown – how bonkers will that be…

  24. Lovely start to the week */*** 😊 Favourite 1a ( I don’t believe it !) 😉 Thanks as always to Rufus and the Milky Bar Kid 😬 And a special thank you to Merusa for the Alsations Clip

  25. Thank you KK for Christopher Robin it was one of my party pieces when I attended elocution lessons. Splendid way to start the week lots of lovely Rufus clues and I completed it not needing help. Thanks to MPs and Rufus. Tried Rookie and am now recuperating with brain damage. :phew:

  26. A very gentle start to the week. 1a and 20d made it well worth while though. Lovely clues. 1/3* overall as the Kid says. King Kurtis maybe heading our way?
    Thanks to Rufus and to the Mighty K.
    Incidentally I had forgotten how good the Christopher Robin poem is. Balancing that with the Pirate tale sort of balanced up the review nicely I thought….

  27. I had to look up ‘under the Linden Tree’, as I hadn’t a clue what do with it. Once sorted, it was my favourite. Thanks to Rufus and the Klondike kid.

  28. Been a while since I enjoyed a Rufus so much.
    Everything went in smoothly without any groans.
    Even a clue like 13a (the state of the sphinx) didn’t bother me.
    Thanks to Rufus and to KK for the review.
    Beware: Too many Kooks spoil the broth.

  29. */***. Gentle start to the week. Some old chestnuts and some neat new ones – at least to me. Favourite 24a. Thanks to Rufus and MP for the review. PS 29a was an anagram of ones 😀

  30. Rufus was very kind to us today, and no real difficulties, although it did take a while for me to get the right type of parties in 1a. 20d was my favorite also, always like the clever cryptic clues.

  31. 1*/3*, I think. All reasonably straightforward, and only 20d offers itself as a possible favourite. Maybe I’m just not in the mood. Ta to Rufus and MP.

    1. The clip is on YouTube. Type in Bob Dylan live and there are all sorts of goodies. It works for other great artists such as Neil Young Tom Waits Amanda Palmer Van Morrison etc.

  33. Was I the only one who confused themselves by putting ‘bride’ for 23d? Mostly nice and gentle but then one or two that stymied me – another big groan as I resorted to hints for 28a. Favourite was 1a and the speed of light discussion.

    1. .. the ‘no right’ instructs you to remove the ‘r’ from ‘bride’ after ‘a’ from the clue

  34. Just mention re hint for 1d I think you intended Bachelor of Arts BA not a B Ed.. A nice easy one to start the week,without help. No doubt there will be trouble for me later, but I only buy about 3DT during the week so time is not too important. Am enjoying reading comments

  35. Beautiful Monday crossword. I thought I would put in a couple of answers before going to bed but Hey Presto they all fell in quicker than I could go to sleep. Managed to complete before midnight. Clever clues. Good surface. None the worse for ease of solving. Thanks setter. I will now look at the other comments and (on first sight) the rather strange looking hints.

  36. So you can’t please all the people all of the time then? …well this was a pretty good effort. Dead easy with a few banana skins deliberately littered here and there and a v pleasant puzzle to boot. Liked 9d, 20d and 10a with the Blue Peter Badge going to 20d.
    Love the review by the KooKoo Kid. Mad as a box of frogs or what? – in the nicest of ways of course. Solved under the headset, late at night listening to the 20d Agnes Obel.
    183,000 thank-you’s to Rufus.

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