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DT 30001

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30001

Hints and tips by Mr K

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BD Rating  -  Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone, and welcome. Subscribers to the Telegraph Puzzles Newsletter may have seen today’s 1a highlighted in the Clue of the week announcement “This week's best recent clue, based on feedback from solvers, is from Jim Coulson's Telegraph Crossword of Tuesday, May 24”.  Not quite sure what’s going on there with the flow of time, but it is a good clue and there are several indications that today’s setter is indeed Mr Coulson, aka X-Type.  So thanks go to him for today’s solving pleasure.

In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it or display a bonus illustration and a hover (computer) or long press (mobile) might explain more about the picture. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

 

Across

1a    Insane, having a fossil-fuel vehicle in this island (10)
MADAGASCAR:  Concatenate insane or crazy, A from the clue, a fossil fuel, and a common vehicle 

6a    Order leader of yeomen to follow command (4)
OBEY:  A usual abbreviated order with the first letter of (leader of) YEMEN 

9a    Obstruct  a place in the market (5)
STALL:  A fairly straightforward double definition 

10a   Stands in seeds I put out (9)
DEPUTISES:  An anagram (out) of SEEDS I PUT 

12a   Despite its name, it's normally neither useful nor amusing! (9,4)
PRACTICAL JOKE:  A cryptic definition of something given by a synonym of useful followed by something that should be amusing 

14a   Liking to write church music? (8)
PENCHANT:  Follow another word for write with some church music 

15a   Long time with northern Conservative getting unknown sales interests (6)
AGENCY:  Assemble a long time, the single letter for northern, the single letter for Conservative, and a letter than can stand for a mathematical unknown 

17a   Galloping horse with just a light rein, we hear? (6)
SHOWER:  An anagram (galloping) of both HORSE and the single letter for “with” gives us the answer, which is also found as a homophone (we hear) of “light rein”. We have here an unusual double wordplay clue  

19a   Balham renovated by painter in palace (8)
ALHAMBRA:  An anagram (renovated) of BALHAM is placed by a usual painter 

21a   Renewed and rebuilt tables in back of major English independent workshop (2-11)
RE-ESTABLISHED:  An anagram (rebuilt) of TABLES is inserted in the letter combination formed by the last letter of (back of) MAJOR, the single letter for English, the single letter for independent, and a simple workshop

24a   Like chutney perhaps, put on the table in advance? (9)
PRESERVED:  The answer split (3-6) could mean “put on the table in advance” 

25a   Zero movement in such a window (5)
OGIVE:  The wordplay is the letter representing zero followed by movement or yielding. The entire clue could serve as a definition 

26a   Queen leaves festival in this direction (4)
EAST:  The Latin abbreviation for Queen Elizabeth is deleted from (leaves) a religious festival 

27a   Does their work make them go up the wall? (10)
PLASTERERS:  A cryptic definition of workers who deal with walls from top to bottom 

 

Down

1d    Mike has to request lockdown accessory (4)
MASK:  The letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by mike is followed by a synonym of request 

2d    'Expressionless, unexciting' -- review unfavourably (7)
DEADPAN:  Unexciting or quiet followed by review unfavourably or slam 

3d    A little bee getting hog agitated? No -- it's an enormous insect (7,6)
GOLIATH BEETLE:  An anagram (agitated) of A LITTLE BEE HOG 

4d    Using drugs looking for partner in the Home Counties? (8)
SEDATING:  The answer split (2,6) could, whimsically, describe “looking for partner in the Home Counties”, where the (2) is an abbreviation used for the Home Counties 

5d    Spot some jelly in Nigella's pictures (5)
ASPIC:  The answer is hidden in (spot some … in …) the remainder of the clue 

7d    Make notes on this and get degrees before too long (7)
BASSOON:  The plural of a first degree is followed by “before too long” 

8d    Past agreement with heartless Terence needs attention (10)
YESTERYEAR:  Link together a word of agreement, an informal contraction of Terence minus its middle letter (heartless), and attention or regard 

11d   Message going to eastern European -- with this? (9,4)
TELEGRAPH POLE:  The wordplay gives us the answer as an obsolete message followed by a native of an eastern European country. The entire clue could serve as a loose definition

13d   Mark redeployed as organisation's first prophet (10)
APOSTROPHE:  An anagram (redeployed) of AS and the first letter of Organisation and PROPHET 

16d   Stars displeased – son and daughter missing -- becoming agitated (8)
PLEIADES:  An anagram (becoming agitated) of DISPLEASED minus the genealogical abbreviations for son and for daughter (son and daughter missing). The required son was missing from the online version of the puzzle when it was published last night, but he’s now been added there. I don’t know if he’s included in the versions published in the newspaper and in the various apps. Could readers with access to those versions please let us know in the comments Thanks to all who confirmed below that the son is missing in the other versions of the puzzle. 

18d   Utensils provided for cricketers (7)
OPENERS:  A double definition. The utensils are useful for dealing with sealed containers. The cricketers have been an issue for England

20d   Stopping near, doctor primarily should achieve such a manner (7)
BEDSIDE:  The wordplay is a synonym of near containing (stopping) the first letter (primarily) of DOCTOR. The entire clue can serve as the definition 

22d   Inclination to get book for pound, all else being equal (5)
BEVEL:  In an adjective meaning equal substitute the single letter abbreviating book for the abbreviation for pound sterling   

23d   Marries in midweek? (4)
WEDS:  The abbreviation for a day in the middle of the week can also mean marries 

 

What was your favourite clue?


The Quick Crossword pun:  KILL + OWE + WHAT = KILOWATT


84 comments on “DT 30001

  1. Mr K’s rating is bang on. A fairly steady solve with two head scratchers – 25a which I hadn’t heard of but could guess from the clue and 22d which held me up for a bit. I always struggle to spell 16d but the cross checkers helped. Thought 13d great so that is my COTD. Thanks to MrK and our setter

  2. I spotted the 1a issue as well. Most peculiar. And the 16d missing word online. Very frustrating. Not that it detracted from the quality or enjoyment of this excellent puzzle one bit. 27a and 23d were my favourites.

    My thanks to X-Type and Mr K.

    1. Hi all – X-Type here (and yes, it’s mine today, as you guessed!)

      I don’t know what happened about the dates re the 1a “award”, either – no doubt all will be revealed in due course….And the “missing son” must be fairly and squarely down to myself for not spotting it in the proof (“Ed” obviously saw it later and then corrected it, in on the online version.)

      I enjoyed setting this one – glad most of you thought it was a fun solve, too! Ciao.

      1. Reminds me of the old joke about thieves breaking into the Kremlin, only thing found to be missing was next year’s election result.

  3. Found this quite quirky and challenging. Started with the excellent 1a, then proceeded to have double wordplay clues in 17a, a word I’d never heard of in 25a, a missing son in 16d, and complicated wordplay in 22d.
    Satisfying to finish, and favourites were 1a and 17a.
    Thanks to the setter and Mr K

    1. My thoughts entirely.

      Only 2 kitties MrK? And one of them is going to give me nightmares.

  4. Well, this was a Tuesday with a difference, I thought, and much the better for it, even though I was pushed just into *** time to finish. 13d wins the award for COTD, with many others in its retinue: 12a, 3d, 1a, 25a, & 19a (because I spent three memorable days in Granada enjoying it). I really enjoyed this one. Thanks to Mr K and today’s compiler. *** / ****

    Stuck on two in the Toughie….

    1. Do you need any more letters for the complete quadruple? 😎

      [3:50 pm: Edited to hide spoiler comment on another puzzle – Mr K]

        1. It’s a quadruple pangram 😉

          [3:50 pm: Edited to hide spoiler comment on another puzzle – Mr K]

    2. Tagging on …

      I do wish that in the replies to your remark there had been no comments advertising the content of today’s Toughie: once seen those comments cannot be unseen, which means when I (and others) come to tackle the puzzle there is no avoiding knowning what to look out for throughout the grid.

      1. We used to have a rule (or at least a convention) that there should be no comments on other puzzles in a blog for this very reason. Perhaps we should reinstate that convention.

        1. Hear hear – I’ve just completed the Toughie & thankfully hadn’t registered the giveaway. Had I done so it would have spoilt the he can’t can he factor.
          Did your NTSPP last night & thought it a belter. Urge others to have a belated stab at it.

        2. Yes, that’s a valuable convention. I agree that it should be reinstated.

          The unintended hints are now hidden under spoiler buttons.

          1. Your WordPress wizardry amazes and impresses me Malcolm. I tried to cover my comment with a spoiler but it didn’t work so I deleted the out of place words and replaced them with letters X.

  5. 2*/4*. This was good fun apart from the bizarre déjà vu moment with 1a and the missing son in 16d.

    Many thanks to X-Type, Mr K, and the prescient Telegraph Puzzles team!

  6. Agree with Mr K’s **/***, an enjoyable puzzle, last in was 17a which misled me nicely!
    Like NAS I too can never remember the stars spelling in 16d, will add it to my Chambers.
    1A was a topical surface -and a good start to boot.Favourite was 20d.
    Thanke to Mr K for the pics, especially 12a-who thought of that one?

  7. I found this puzzle challenging, which would fit with it being one of X-type’s, who has aknack for evoking brain-burn in my case. There were some brilliant clues, so thank you to the compiler for such an enjoyable crossword. My COTD was the well constructed 13d, with a special mention for the geographical ckue, 1a. Some of the two part clues like 17d and 12a were very good and 7d made me laugh, once the penny dropped. Thanks to Mr K for the hints , i needed help with fully parsing a few. The horsy xlu was a new one on me and I looked it up on Google as the answer i gussed sounded bizarre.

  8. A good puzzle despite being foxed by the missing son in the dead tree version. I could see the answer but it made no sense until I saw the hints. Putting “oxeye” into 25a messed things up for a while. I cannot think why I entered it because no way did it fit the clue. 20d was unsolvable until I saw the error of my ways in 25a.

    My COTD has to be 1a with a nod to 12a.

    Many thanks to the setter for the challenge and Mr. K. for the hints and puss pics.

  9. A DNF for me sadly (or at least not without the aid of a letter reveal). Didn’t know (or had forgotten) the window & unable to peg the required synonym for movement until I’d revealed the second letter. Last in was 16d & the online error in the clue (for the second day running) had me perplexed about the 2nd S in the fodder. I do hope that T will not taking offence at being referred to as heartless at 8d.
    Thanks to the setter & Mr K

  10. For me, even with the 1a ‘gimme,’ today is a ‘wrong envelope’ day, this took me ~60% longer than the Moeraki Toughie and was about the same amount less enjoyable, sorry X-Type – ****/**.

    Favourite – a toss-up between 12a and 11d – and the winner is 11d.

    Thanks to X-Type and Mr K.

      1. Todays Toughie is a xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx. That’s neat. Comment redacted by the author

      2. It was a comment on Wahoo’s reference to/use of ‘quadruple.’

        [3:50 pm: Edited to hide spoiler comment on another puzzle – Mr K]

        1. Oho. Now I see what Gazza’s comment above refers to and I agree with him.

  11. Game of two halves for me, really enjoyed the top half but not as keen on several of those in the lower reaches. The missing son in my dead tree version didn’t exactly help matters.
    Top clues for me were 12&14a.

    Thanks to X-Type and to Mr K for the review.
    It would be interesting to know which clue actually was placed on the top of the podium last week. At least we now know it’s actually voted for by the Puzzles team – it could hardly be ‘based on feedback from solvers’ when we haven’t even seen it!

    1. Yeah, that’s suspicious about the solvers’ feedback. But in fairness to the puzzles editor, the only time I’ve ever emailed him to nominate a clue as my favourite (I replied to the address in the puzzles newsletter), it did indeed appear as Clue of the Week the following Monday.

      So possibly they do normally take feedback?

  12. I needed help with a few of the parsings today and was relieved to find there was an error in 16d not another failure on my part. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it very much, especially 1a.

    Thanks to Mr K and to the setter.

    Had hoped that my covid would be over by now but it is lingering on. Testing negative, which is good, but still walking about like a half-shut knife feeling washed out. Bah!

  13. Thought todays puzzle a little odd. Lots of good clues inc 16d mixed in with some iffy ones such as 15a, 17a and 8d.
    Still don’t understand why the answer to 15a has anything to do with sales interests?
    An ok puzzle but no more for me.
    ***/**
    Thx for the hints

    1. As an agency is the relationship of one entity representing another in a transaction I just accepted it as a very generic description of that Brian, and like you I would need others more adept than me (most people) to pin down a more precise link

  14. Just received a Telegraph fountain pen for a Saturday Prize Crossword. Doesn’t say which one. Where can I find the prize winners names in the Monday paper? Apologies if it’s naughty to ask here!

    1. On the court circular page at the bottom which puts you in some very good company Phillip

      1. Ah, I never read that bit. I shall have to, now that I’ve discovered ‘my place’. Many thanks.

        1. Have you tried using the pen yet? Sadly, I can’t get on with the one I won, it just writes far too “scratchy”. This may well be down to user error though!

          1. Not yet, and maybe not at all. Real ink and I go back to the early sixties, when blots, smudges and teacher admonishment (remember that?) were frequent in my life. I never got the hang of writing with a nib. Not to worry, the winning was the good bit; receiving a parcel I wasn’t expecting.

            1. Ah, I was of the bic biro generation at school. That may account for why I struggle with the nib now. I’ve tried different inks and flushing it out with warm water to no avail. Still, as you say, the winning is the good bit.

  15. I would like to blame 16d’s missing ‘son’ in my newspaper version for my DNF, but my absence of Astronomy/Astrology GK meant I would never have got it anyway (even with all the checkers in).
    Other than that, a very enjoyable puzzle 👍

  16. OK but for my part not a barrowload of fun. Top half landed first. 16d scrambled in unmindful of the lack of son in dead tree version. Bunged in wrong window for 25a which made life a little difficult in SE corner. 17a was Fav until my last in,14a, dawned on me and ousted it. Thank you X-Type and MrK.

  17. A good, solid and interesting puzzle. 25a new to me but like everything else very fairly clued. Some lateral thinking required, which was no bad thing. No COTD, but Hon Mentions to 9d and 23d.

    2* / 2.5*

    Many thanks to the setter and to MrK

  18. I’m eating Aspic listening to Vivaldi’s Concerto in E minor for Bassoon. Slim pickings today from this very pleasant puzzle, thanks to both the setter and Mr Kitty. A big thank you to Mr Kitty for sorting out the site gremlins and ensuring that answers were hidden again. I wish they would sort out Lester Piggot’s funeral. It was at ten to one but now it’s five to two

    1. I recall a rather unkind joke about the warders knowing who he was in his short stay in clinky for tax dodginess as he used to turn round three times before lying down to go to sleep 🤣🤣

      1. I know a ruder one about Lester Piggott’s cell mate but even I dare not post it here. The woke who walk amongst us whilst decrying wokery would castigate me

        1. Very wise. These guys are out to get you. Daren’t say gals lest …

          Oh….

          Hang on…..

          Guilty on all counts

  19. With incomplete clues and obscure windows, this didn’t excite me.

    I’m not sure I’ll bother with the toughie today given spoilers from people who should know better.

    Thanks to Mr K and today’s setter.

  20. The usual type of Tuesday puzzle with a few stumbling blocks, but generally quite straightforward. 2*/3.5* today. SW last area completed.
    Favourites 1a, 12a, 7d, 11d & 16d with winner being my first in 1a … gave me a good chuckle!
    19a was unknown to me but easily gettable.

    Thanks to setter and Mr K

  21. I am, of course, most touched to be featured again – this time at 8d; though being described as both ‘heartless’ and ‘needing attention’ is wounding. The latter is fully accurate but I hope I have a modicum of ‘heart’. A very clever man once wrote ‘A light heart lives long’.

    I was concerned that by being featured today, I might upset Her Majesty as my starring role could divert attention from her Jubilee. I telephoned her at Windsor, and she graciously replied that as she is so often mentioned on a Thursday, she would not feel slighted by my prominent place today.

    Thanks to the setter, The Celebrated Mr K, and Her Majesty The Queen.

    The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

  22. Required electrons today for 19a & 16d, but otherwise well clued and good fun. Agree with most that 1a has to get special mention.
    Thanks to X-Type for the action and Mr K for the blog (a big guffaw at the practical joke!)

  23. A fun puzzle, with lots of different ways of thinking required — thank you, X-Type. My favourite was 14A’s hymn-writing, and I also particularly enjoyed 7D’s quick degrees, 1A’s island, and 1D’s accessory.

    I didn’t know the pointed arch, and am slightly concerned as to what a diagonal groin is.

    Thank you to Mr K for help with parsing, especially in 6A where I’d interpreted “to follow” as specifying where to put the Yeoman’s leader, which confused me as to the definition.

  24. There is far too much information on Today’s Toughie in this blog.

    I haven’t looked at it yet … but I now know what to expect.

    Thanks very much!

    1. It was a shame they happened but the spoilers won’t actually detract from your enjoyment of the Toughie, Jepi. It’s a brilliant compilation and to be fair I didn’t register the pangram aspect until after the solve.

  25. 16d- “son and” missing from clue in online version this morning- around 8:00 o’clock in any case. Made solution a little difficult…! (Apologies if this has already been commented on- haven’t read them all)

    1. Welcome from me as well, and thanks for the update. The online puzzle was fixed just before 8:30 UK time.

      I’ve now edited the 16d hint to say that we know the error exists in the other versions of the puzzle.

  26. Unusual but fair crossword I needed a couple of hints 😳 ***/*** Favourites 14a, 4 & 7d 😃 Thanks to Mr K and to X-type 🤗 Would any one be kind enough to tell me what the NINA was yesterday🤔

    1. Pommers has “revealed” the Nina at the very end of yesterday’s blog … just below the Quick Crossword Puns.

  27. Certainly a 3* challenge.
    Pleased that I constructed 25a correctly, a new word for me.
    Podium standees are 12a, 17a, 11d and my last in, 25a
    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr. K.

  28. Bunged in Balmoral for 19a as I didn’t read the clue properly – messed me up for ages before I realised my mistake. It’s June tomorrow and bloomin cold here on the N Norfolk coast, hope it warms up before the mega picnic on Sunday. I’m rather glad someone gave the game away for the Toughie so I shall have a stab at it. Thanks to the setter and Mr K

      1. Thanks, Manders, I did not know that. To mark the occasion here’s a parrot who has learned to speak cat:

  29. A faulty clue for the second day running but I put it in anyway. Hadn’t heard of the window but I have now. They were my only real hold ups. Favourite was 13d. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.

  30. Mistakes in The Telegraph are like the proverbial London buses! Notwithstanding a lot of fun, very entertaining with 14a and 20d taking the honours for me.
    Thanks to X-Type and Mr K for the fun.
    Seems like I erroneously provided too much information for some on a certain aspect of The Toughie that I blogged today.…..oops. I wasn’t aware of the convention but agree that it should be reinstated as I’m hardly the first to comment on Toughie content on a back page blog.

    1. Hi, Stephen. Here’s my understanding of the convention. The regular comments here about other puzzles such as the Toughie being accessible (or not) or worth attempting are always welcome. I’m sure that the spoilers above were intended to encourage back page readers to have a go at the Toughie because it’s particularly special, but they did also act as a hint for readers who would prefer to solve the puzzle 100% on their own. The convention is just that comments on a blog should not discuss any other puzzles in ways that might be perceived as providing hints.

      1. Hi Mr K
        I totally get where you’re coming from and in retrospect agree my comment (made in good faith) did cross that line, as have previous comments by others, however tenuously. I’ll adhere to the convention and trust everyone else will in the future.

  31. Just come back to it after a spot of work and managed to finish, or so I thought being caught out by 25a. Learning something new every day at least. 22a and 13d were a struggle but got there.
    Thanks to the setter for a good Tuesday workout.

  32. I was slow to start but then surprised myself by almost finishing unaided. It was the new word in 25a and the tricky 22d that did me in. My first in was 1a causing much laughter here, so definitely my COTD. A lot of fun today. Thanks to setter and Mr K.

  33. We haven’t heard from LabradorROK lately, have we? I hope that he is doing all right.

  34. I did not enjoy this at all. A dnf with multiple clues beyond me. Over the last few months I have felt the difficulty increase and the enjoyment reduce.

    Furthermore, the second day in a row where there is a mistake in the clues is not acceptable. Is the crossword editor working from home and not able to see the finalised crossword? I do the paper version so corrections are no use to me.

  35. 4*/4*….
    liked 12A “Despite its name, it’s normally neither useful nor amusing! (9,4)”

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