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DT 30099

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30099

Hints and tips by Mr K

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BD Rating  -  Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone, and welcome. We have a solid Thursday puzzle today. No idea who might have set it. Does anyone out there want to hazard a guess? 

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    One stirring tea bloke mixed with rum, right? (12)
TROUBLEMAKER:  An anagram (mixed) of TEA BLOKE RUM followed by the single letter for right 

9a    Dressing before shaving (9)
PREPARING:  A short word meaning “before” with shaving thin slivers off something 

10a   Refuse tango with dare-devil (5)
TRASH:  The letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by tango with an adjective synonym of dare-devil 

11a   Relieved after cold came to an end (6)
CEASED:  Relieved or reduced comes after the single letter for cold 

12a   Hostile and cool on returning after tip from Mad Hatter (8)
MILLINER:  Concatenate the first letter of (tip from) MAD, hostile or evil, cool or popular, and the reversal (returning) of on or concerning 

13a   Previous editor continued (6)
LASTED:  A synonym of previous with the abbreviation for editor 

15a   Guess I'm stuck in car? (8)
ESTIMATE:  I’M from the clue inserted in (stuck in) a utilitarian style of car

18a   Selecting chinos, go to get changed (8)
CHOOSING:  An anagram (to get changed) of CHINOS GO 

19a   Beautiful nose almost starts to impede Cleopatra (6)
SCENIC:  All but the last letter (almost) of nose or bouquet is followed by the initial letters of (starts to) the final two words in the clue 

21a   Tube stations? (8)
CHANNELS:  A cryptic definition, where the tube is a set or a box 

23a   Fairly  fair (6)
PRETTY:  A straightforward double definition 

26a   Brownish-yellow brooch repaired in part (5)
OCHRE:  The answer is hidden in part of the remainder of the clue 

27a   Get away without first attempt at whipping boy (9)
SCAPEGOAT:  Link together get away or flee minus its first letter, and attempt or try, and AT from the clue

28a   School leader hides master's blunders (12)
HEADMISTRESS:  An anagram (blunders) of HIDES MASTER’S 

 

Down

1d    Model, tense, put up with picture inside (7)
TYPICAL:  The grammatical abbreviation for tense is followed by the reversal (up, in a down clue) of put or place containing (with … inside) a contraction of picture 

2d    Date after work for Aida, perhaps (5)
OPERA:  A date or period of time comes after a usual abbreviation for a musical work. The perhaps indicates that the definition is by example 

3d    Permit wearing couple's jewellery (9)
BRACELETS:  Permit or allow inserted in (wearing) a couple or pair with its ‘S from the clue

4d    This writer has got upset with student's wickedness (4)
EVIL:  The reversal (got upset) of a contraction for “this writer has” from the perspective of the writer with the letter indicating a student or learner driver 

5d    Most wild adult tigers shot after noon (8)
ANGRIEST:  The single letters for adult and for noon followed by an anagram (shot) of TIGERS 

6d    Praise former lover to all in the centre (5)
EXTOL:  Put together a usual former lover, TO from the clue, and the centre letter of ALL 

7d    Keep most important article in container (8)
MAINTAIN:  Most important or principal is followed by a grammatical article inserted in a metal container 

8d    Fee from cleaner gets reduced by 50 per cent (6)
CHARGE:  A person who cleans with half  (reduced by 50 per cent) of GETS 

14d   Small cat hurts no European bears (8)
STOMACHS:  Assemble the clothing abbreviation for small, a male cat, and a synonym of hurts minus the single letter for European (… no European) 

16d   Wrong chapter held by rector in training (9)
INCORRECT:  The single letter for chapter contained by (held by) an anagram (… training) of RECTOR IN 

17d   Object keeping bosom confined (8)
ENCLOSED:  Object or goal containing an adjective synonym of bosom 

18d   Bird  out of one's tree (6)
CUCKOO:  Double definition, where the second is informal 

20d   Shy ostlers regularly ignored animals (7)
COYOTES:  Shy or bashful with alternate letters (regularly ignored) of OSTLERS (who I now know are archaic stablemen)

22d   Relative peace, finally, in French city (5)
NIECE:  The final letter of peace inserted in a city on the French Riviera 

24d   Image capturing fish in river? On the contrary (5)
TROPE:  On the contrary tells us we want to insert the map abbreviation for river in a fish that is a small shark

25d   Wine, not cold, I drink (4)
SAKI:  A Spanish white wine minus the single letter for cold is followed by I from the clue 

 

Thanks to today’s setter. I couldn’t pick a favourite today. Which clues did you like best?


The Quick Crossword pun:  OAR + TOW + GRAFT = AUTOGRAPHED


51 comments on “DT 30099

  1. A most enjoyable puzzle wirmth a few head-scratchers in the SE today. It’s hard to pick facourite clues as there are so many fgood ones bbut I liked the 1a anagram, the well-misdirected 12a, thee cunnig all in one 21aand the 23a double definition. I looked up what I thought had to be a fish for 24d and discovered a new word. So all together a a satisfying solve. Thanks to the compiler (I’m not sure who it is but probably not Ray T from the length of the clues). Thanks to .Mr K for the hints, which I needed ro explain the parsing and I liked the animal pictures.

  2. I found this very straightforward but nicely clued and enjoyable throughout with only a couple in the SE causing pause for thought.
    Top clues for me were the amusing 19a and the clever 27a with 14d making up the numbers.
    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

    1. Let me guess – the two in the SE corner that held you up were 24d and 25d? They took me almost as much time as the rest of the puzzle. I did not know the fish, but I will try to remember it!
      Some really good clues.
      Thanks to mystery setter and Mr K.

  3. Another tough one for me. A lot of bung ins which fortunately were correct…..so not very satisfying (for me).

    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K whose hints I needed for a fair few parsings.

  4. Enjoyable Thursday romp, got held up by the SE corner, 24a was a new word as far as I remember and 25a took a while to find the drink!
    Liked the surface of 27a, favourites were 20d and 12a.
    Thanks to MrK for the pics-where did she get that hat from?
    Going for a ***/***

  5. A very enjoyable non-Ray T Thursday – **/****.

    As there were a number of us who were incorrect about NYDK being yesterday’s setter could this be one of his today? I am not sure and my five bob is staying in my pocket.

    Candidates for favourite – 1d, 7d, and 18d – and the winner is 7d.

    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

  6. A comparatively straightforward and pleasant ride today with just a hiccup in SE due to 24d (see I am in good company there). Fav the crafty 28a once I had ceased seeking to use a synonym for blunders. Thank you Mysteron and MrK.

  7. Very enjoyable puzzle with loads of clever clues 😃 ***/**** Favourites: 11a, 21 and 17d Thanks to Mr K and to the Setter ( who despite the experts I still think is Ray T 🤔 it is only the clue length that does not fit!).

    1. Mr T is on Toughie duty so he won’t have compiled the back-pager as well. We don’t get a Jay Wednesday if he’s providing a Logman Toughie on the same day and that seems to follow through.

  8. Just that pesky 24d that caused any grief here. An enjoyable solve but nothing that stood out for me as a favourite simply because the best of the answers didn’t necessarily have the best of surface reads in the clues. I know – being too picky, or perhaps I was just anxious to move on to the Beam Toughie!

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K for another of his excellent reviews – loved the alternative pic for 12a!

  9. Enjoyable straight from the off with 1a. Sadly I got stuck. Firstly I fat-fingered 14d to start with a, making 13a tough. Then, despite all the checkers and some hard staring, 24d would not come. So thanks for the help and illustrations MrK and hats off to the setter.

    1. Wikipedia believes that it is ‘an antiquated wine term referring to white fortified wine imported from mainland Spain or the Canary Islands.’

    2. I know it as the precursor to sherry – drunk in Elizabethan times I think.
      Sherris **** came from Jerez de la Frontera – and the named morphed into what we now call sherry!
      It was mentioned in our tour of the Osborne Bodega in Puerto de Santa Maria – the souther point of the sherry triangle!

  10. Thought for one awful minute this was another Ray T special, it was certainly tricky enough.
    Managed about 3/4 before I gave up, most of the bottom half made little if any sense. 19a makes no sense at all even with the hint.
    I really dread Thursday crosswords.
    ****/*
    Thx for the hints

  11. My first DT in a while having been diverted to the FT puzzle whilst in Spain. It was all very curious there as the only place I could buy the said rag was the Iceland shop where everyone working was English. They only ever got one copy and I always managed to buy it – they said it wasn’t popular so I assume now they throw it away every day as I am back!

    As to today’s I thought **/*** with some head scratching for 27d as I didn’t know the fish and my favtwas the clever 14d.

    Good to be back👍

    1. I wasn’t trying to type “fatwah” by the way but “favourite was”. Out of practice I’m afraid…..

  12. As with others, 24 & 25d were my only holdups and my last two in, but I got there all by my lonesome in the end (with the fish new to me) and enjoyed the trip. Top three: 12a, 14d, & 25d. Thanks to Mr K and to Mr Unknown. ** / ***

  13. **/**** for us – some nice surface readings.
    We managed both 24d and 25d (which others seemed to have a problem with) but had trouble working out why 24d was an image! 🤣😆
    Thank you setter & Mr K for an enjoyable romp

  14. A most enjoyable trot through crosswordland with the excellent 19a my top clue. The two pesky short ones that held up others also pushed out my solving time.

    My thanks to both Misters involved in today’s production.

  15. A good solid coffeebreak Thursday solve this morning, rattled through but delayed by the same two clues in the SE as a number of other posters. Hon Mentions to 21a, 27a, and 5d.

    2* / 3*

    Many thanks to the setter and to MrK

  16. A dnf due to 24d. I had a shortlist of 5 words that would fit and couldn’t get “image” to work for any of them. I found it a very tough solve and only got 7 answers first time through. Challenging but always a pleasure when our wonderful blogger explains the occasional obscure parsing. One lives, one learns…

  17. Another tricky, head scratcher today.
    3*/2.5* for me.
    Strictly was a DNF as I did not know either the word in 24d nor the small shark alluded to in the hints.
    Had the wrong answer in 25d for the longest time that held things up too.

    Favourites include 12a, 15a, 5d, 18d & 20d

    Thanks to setter & Mr K

  18. **/** for me. A nice puzzle indeed, but I’m hazarding non-Ray and non-NYDK. Something about it.

    Thanks Mr K and Mr Ron.

  19. I agree with Crisscross that 1a, 21a & 23a are the best of a very good bunch. Thanks to Messrs Setter & Kay for the amusement, done back in the hotel bedroom after my first visit to Whitby. No disrespect to the noble town but oh boy, what a lot of mobility vehicles! In the space of four hours I counted 63. And dogs! Everyone had a dog, or very often two dogs. If I had been able to manage the maths I would have counted Double Dogs as well as mobility vehicles. Hats off to all of them, they certainly bomb around. A fabulous drive back to North Bay Scarborough across the moors with a sighting of the steam train as well. And we have had lovely weather. Many thanks, Yorkshire.

  20. 2*/3*. Late on parade today as I’ve been at The Oval watching Surrey wrap up the County Championship. I found this enjoyable and fairly light although there did seem to be quite a lot of “ins” used to indicate insertions in the wordplay.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

  21. A dnf for me. Put the wrong words in for 1d and 19a as bung-ins. Silly boy!

    Not heard of the wine in 25d, so needed the hint.

    Nevertheless, an enjoyable solve.

    Thanks to all.

  22. Ground to a halt at 23a and 24d.
    And after a rapid solve of the rest!
    Came back later in the day and bingo, although after age.
    Moral, never give up.
    So, 5*plus/****.
    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

  23. As with others SE was my nemesis, I didn’t find the rest that easy eitherfavourite was 12a. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K. I shall now return to the unequal struggle that is the Beam toughie.

  24. By the time I started, 8.15 p.m. I was too tired to think after a hard day. At least half the clues were a mystery to me and of the other half I managed a half. Need to start earlier. Thanks to Mr K and the setter.

  25. I enjoyed this overall

    Just one thing: I’ve never seen the Japanese rice wine spelt with an “i” before – always as “sake”. Maybe it’s a semi-anglicisation.

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