DT 30356 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30356

by 2Kiwis  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30356

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

Kia ora from Aotearoa.
Back home again now and back to our usual routine of crosswords. Thank you Senf for filling in for us last week.
Another good fun puzzle from Robyn we assume, so hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Could it involve stealing and ransoming a pet that’s asleep? (10)
CATNAPPING : The wordplay draws a comparison with what sounds like stealing and ransoming a young goat.

6a      This may remain after one’s cut end off muffler (4)
SCAR : Remove the last letter from a muffler or neck warmer.

9a     Two French friends ignoring one area in Florida resort (5)
MIAMI : Repetition of the French word for friend with one A(rea) removed.

10a     Playing football, Robin perhaps brought back jewellery (9)
DRIBBLING : What a robin is an example of is reversed and then flashy jewellery.

12a     Better men, by chance, both losing face (7)
ENHANCE : Remove the first letter (both losing face) of two words in the clue.

13a     Behind after a goal, finally shots go in here (5)
ALBUM : ‘A’ from the clue and the last letter of goal are followed by an informal word for a behind.

15a     Setter repeatedly catching cold, with head being cold (7)
ICINESS : The repetition of the personal pronoun that the setter would use surround C(old) and then a head or promontory.

16a     Send up rocket into the sky (4,3)
TAKE OFF : A double definition. Send up equals lampoon here.

18a     I search desperately for someone who might give me money (7)
CASHIER : An anagram (desperately) of I SEARCH.

20a     Humans shortened one swimming costume (7)
MANKINI : A general word for humans loses its last letter, and then Roman numeral one.

21a     They may be prickly, caught in problematic activity (5)
CACTI : A lurker, hiding in the clue.

23a     Mostly confusing way to restart a football game (5-2)
THROW-IN : A word meaning confusing or discombobulating loses its last letter.

25a     French bread popular with a South American country (9)
ARGENTINA : The French word for cash generally, then the two letter popular and ‘A’ from the clue.

26a     Fancy large model (5)
IDEAL : A fancy or whim, plus L(arge).

27a     Current change after a revolution (4)
TIDE : The change that Telegraph people might have made to this puzzle is reversed.

28a     A boundary for Hereford or Ayrshire? (6,4)
CATTLE GRID : A cryptic definition. Hereford and Ayrshire here do not specifically refer to locations.

Down

1d     Firm doctor’s means of dealing with shock (4)
COMB : A firm or business and then a doctor’s qualification.

2d     Plays in great side, getting smashed (9)
TRAGEDIES : An anagram (getting smashed) of GREAT SIDE.

3d     Possibly a summer in America? Hint it gets ruined (13)
ARITHMETICIAN : An anagram (gets ruined) of AMERICA HINT IT.

4d     Journalist admitted to bloomers for nitpickers (7)
PEDANTS : Bloomers as articles of underwear contain the abbreviation for a senior journalist.

5d     Least sophisticated doctor in a singlet (7)
NAIVEST : An anagram (doctor) of IN A and another word for a singlet.

7d     Increase of 151 million? Bravo! (5)
CLIMB : 151 written in Roman numerals, then the abbreviation for million and the letter represented by bravo in the phonetic alphabet.

8d     Poor kid knocked over kind of jelly and cake (10)
RAGAMUFFIN : The kind of jelly that might be found in a Petri dish is reversed and then a type of cake or bun.

11d     Chess players avoiding uncertainties (5,3,5)
BLACK AND WHITE : A double definition.

14d     This involves spells in wide and long ship (10)
WITCHCRAFT : The cricket abbreviation for wide, then long or desire and a ship or vessel.

17d     Navigate quickly in the East and Spain, on heading north (9)
ORIENTEER : A general word used to describe the East, then the IVR code for Spain and the reversal of on or referring to.

19d     Drink clarets in ample cups (7)
RETSINA : A lurker, indicated by cups, hiding in the clue.

20d     Caustic Tory Penny, not upper-class (7)
MORDANT : The surname of the politician Penny who featured prominently in the recent coronation with the letter representing upper-class removed.

22d     Imprisoned scoundrel smuggling good drug (5)
CAGED : A scoundrel or bounder contains G(ood) and the abbreviation for the drug ecstasy.

24d     Regularly supplied by Apple, old PC (4)
PLOD : Alternate letters found in two words of the clue.

Quickie pun    Poe    +    knee    +    tale    =    ponytail

72 comments on “DT 30356”

  1. Completed in a
    Solid 3* time.
    3 and 11d greatly assisted in
    Providing checking letters.
    Huge smile at the clever 20d.
    Liked especially 10 and 23a.
    Thanks, Robyn and the 2Kiwis.

  2. Another enjoyable Wednesday puzzle with lots of misdirection to be got round.

    Favourites include 10a, 13a and 23a.

    I was dreading that the hint for 20a would have a picture but thankfully it didn’t.

    Thanks to setter and 2Ks

  3. Tis was one of the most enjoyable puzzles I’ve had the pleasure of completing in a very long while. It had a variety of clue types, needed a sprinkling of General Knowledge and involved some very clever misdirection. It wS hard to sele t a few clues from so many good ones but here goes. I loved the well-misdisguised anagram at 3d, the lego clues at 20d and 25a, which needed a little GK and, finally, for humour, 8d. Thanks to the Kiwis for the hinrs and to our very clver Wednesday compiler.

  4. I agree with Chriscross. It was an outstanding crossword; a perfect midweeker. So well constructed with some excellent surfaces.

    The root word in 5d is a tricky one to spell. Susie Dent on Countdown said that if you insert a ‘t’ between its second and fourth letter, you get its derivation. She also said that it spells another word in reverse.

    My podium comprises 28a for excellent misdirection, 25a for its smoothness and 3d because I love ‘summer’ in this context.

    Most enjoyable.

    2*/5*

  5. Another very enjoyable solve, for me a little friendlier than yesterday. Lots of fun misdirection and fun surfaces. The long anagram at 3d and the simple ( once you had the ‘B’!) 11d certainly helped me to get a good foothold into the guzzle. The very clever and amusing 1d and 24d qualify for podium places today along with 4d, of which I am one, but my favourite is 8d. What a lovely word. Thanks to our compiler and the 2 Kiwis. It’s good to have you back.

  6. A very enjoyable puzzle with a good variety of clue types – thanks to our setter and 2Ks.
    I’ll pick 13a, 25a and 28a for my podium.

  7. Good Wednesday fare from our setter – 8d gets my vote today.
    Thanks to Robyn and to our 2Ks for the review – nice to see you back and hope you had an enjoyable week off duty.

    1. Have you read John’s Sun Toughie review which features clips of Andrew Cotter’s labs. I’ve just trawled through You Tube happily watching the series

      1. Yes, I had a look at John’s review just after I solved this puzzle. Sadly, no sign of a Deerhound!

          1. “A most perfect creature of heaven … of the noblest northern breed … deep in the chest, strong in the stern, black colour, and brindled on chest and legs, not spotted with white, but just shaded into grey – strength to pull down a bull – swiftness to catch an antelope.”

            The Talisman – Sir Walter Scott

            “In Africa I never had dogs of any other breed than the Scotch Deerhound. There is no more noble or gracious kind of dog. They must have lived for many centuries with men to understand and fall in with our life and its conditions the way they do.”

            Karen Blixen

            1. Yeahbutnobut …. evidently Scott & Blixen were never blessed with packs of English Springer Spaniels, or they wouldn’t have wasted their superlatives on Deerhounds!

  8. Another belter of a crossword (Robyn I’m guessing) that maintains the consistently high standard on a Wednesday. A early front runner for GOTW (guzzle of the week) with not a dud in there & ticks all over the shop – 1,10,13&28a plus 1,7,17&20d particular likes. A quick reappearance for yesterday’s shock & my fav was 28a which also popped up I recall in the Cephas SPP.
    Thanks to Robyn/the setter & to the 2Ks

    1. I hope I may be back in your good books because I got 10a and 23a – I thought the former was particularly good.

      1. Restored to page 1. Mind you you’re better of being a cricket umpire than a football ref – less running about involved albeit they don’t give you a whistle

  9. Good afternoon
    Crikey! I never post this early, because I never get to finish the crozzie this early – but for some reason, they’ve all dropped in nicely, and I haven’t even reached Paddington yet to start work! Suppose I’d better take a crack at the Toughie in my break; I’ll guarantee you I won’t be so cock-sure then…
    Thank you to our setter and to 2Ks

  10. A lovely guzzle today, so much so that I can’t pick a favourite.
    I was also glad to see there was no picture to accompany the hint for 20a.
    Thanks to setter and hinter.

  11. A really first class guzzle. Some absolutely belting clues, that led one all over the shop before the 20d dropped.

    With regard to 2d, I could never warm to the Bee Gees once they switched to the falsettos in the mid 70s. I appreciate that it led them to international stardom, but the sheer squeakiness is like a dentist’s drill for the ears. I have long wanted to get hold of the master tapes and remix the vocals as they have written some decent songs (subsequently ruined by the chalk/blackboard vocals) that could have a longer lifespan if delivered in a lower pitch.

    Meanwhile, Come On England!

    Thanks to the superb setter, and The TwoKays.

  13. I thought 27a was more to do with the “tides of change” rather than ‘edit’ backwards.

  14. Found this puzzle easier than the last few we have had on a Wednesday. I am assuming it is Robyn’s offering and I found it a pleasure to solve on the warm evening we had on Tuesday night on the west coast of B.C. … along with throwing a ball for our sheltie in the back garden.

    For me today 1.5*/4*

    Favourites include 1a, 10a, 23a, 3d & 11d with winner very hard to pick, but I choose 3d … but all of them are winners today.

    Thanks to Robyn(??) and the 2K’s for hints/blog

      1. Yep, for the grandkids. Both boys and have every type of construction vehicle you can get!
        We have a sandpit … but oh no … they like to play in the dirt and soil!!

  15. Good puzzle, clever, light & very enjoyable; nicely crafter and plenty of broad smiles as the clues fell. Hon Mentions to 10a, 20a and my LOI, 14d.

    1.5* / 3*

    Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks.

    I strongly recommend today’s Toughie, from Gila. Having completed it earlier (I picked up the wrong puzzle over the morning coffee) I thought it readily accessible and one of the most enjoyable puzzles I’ve completed for a goodly while.

  16. That all fell into place beautifully although I cannot reconcile climb with bravo? I got the numerals of course, but why Bravo? I agree that we were lucky to be spared an illustration for 20a one of the most unfortunate garments ever to be invented. So, 10a favourite because I felt proud of myself and hoped to redeem my reputation with Huntsman, and runners up of the brilliant 28a and 20d. I was right, DT editor didn’t publish my sparkling letter about Daniel Craig this morning. I did think he just might……infamy, infamy, the Ed’s got it in for me. But thanks to the sparkling Setter & Hinter.

      1. Oh dear, I must be very dense today. I can see that to climb it can be increase but still don’t really get the relevance of bravo. Never mind, the rest of it is so clever.

  17. This was most enjoyable
    My only quibble is the paint stripper of 19d being described as a drink!

  18. Just what the doctor ordered after a tough training run this morning. I concur with many others that this was a fine puzzle that fell into the it doesn’t have to be difficult to be enjoyable category.

    1.5*/4*

    Fav 25a LOI 14d.

    Thanks to the setter and the 2Kiwis.

  19. I managed to get within four before turning to the hints, although I did bung a few in without parsing them properly. For example, I’ve never heard of Tory Penny, but I got the answer by identifying the required definition and using the checkers to guess it. I can’t say I enjoyed it as much as other commenters did, but favourite was probably 1a.

    I notice that today’s Toughie has been recommended. I managed all but four of yesterday’s, but I can’t even start today’s! But then again, I’m not an expert and probably got lucky yesterday, and I haven’t had time to strain over it.

    1. Thanks for the hints 2 Kiwis, which I’ve just been through, and for not providing a picture for 20a! For 23a, I simply don’t see hyphenated words as spelled the same as non-hyphenated ones and was running out of patience at this point anyway. I could see 28a, but didn’t know what Hereford and Ayrshire were here. Didn’t know the Jelly in 8d.

        1. Thanks Merusa. I expect there are different types of cattle around where I live, but I can only recall seeing Highland Cattle, so that’s the only type I have needed a name for up to this crossword!

  20. Bit of a Curates Egg for me. The top was excellent, well clued and elegant. The bottom half was a different story, I found it tricky and verbose.
    Thx for the hints.
    Top **/*****, bottom ****/*

  21. I thought this guzzle was an absolute joy, full of wit and humour so thanks to all. Please can someone sort out the emails so we start to get them again as it is a pain to open the site each time – thanks in advance.

  22. I really enjoyed this, only needed the hints to confirm two; 20d, don’t recall the lady, and 17d, not heard that word before, my dictionary says “someone who likes to ……”, maybe I’m being silly. Lots to like here, of course 9a gets top billing, but 8d is a lovely word, so is 10a. We had 28a not too long ago, i didn’t like them then and still don’t like them!
    Thank you setter for the fun and the 2Kiwis for explaining a few. I must get in the pool for my routine, storms and lashings of rain stopped me for the last few days. I’ll read the hints and comments later.

    1. I’m sure you remember the 20d lady, Merusa. She’s the one who carried the sword of state at Charles’ coronation. Poor woman had to carry it in the correct manner for 50mns – and it weighs 8lbs!

  23. Somehow several of today’s parsings grated a bit but no real difficulties apart from a slight delay in SE. 3d bunged in. 1d shock and 4d bloomers seem to be bad pennies. Fav was 9a. Thank you Robyn (?) and the 2 Kiwis.

  24. A nice mid week puzzle 😃 ***/**** Favourites 25a, 4d and 8d 🤗 Thanks to the 2 x Ks and to Robyn

  25. An excellent offering which knocked yesterday’s xword, with its random obscurity, into the long grass (hopefully not finding Huntsman there!).
    Grateful that the craze of wearing a 20a and acting like a loon in the TdF seems to have died out. What a captivating race this year.
    Thanks to setter and hinter.

  26. 2/4. Steady solve except for 20a which took nearly as long as the rest of the puzzle. 28a made a second appearance in a relatively short space of time. Favourite was 3d. Thanks to the setter and the 2Ks.

  27. Glad to enjoy a great crossword. Fortunately it came together quickly because I had to get off early with daughter to scour Ardingly Antiques Fair. Have no idea why people buy new things when there are so many glorious pre owned things. Star buy was a cast iron bench seat with decorated sides and back. Just needs new slats and repainting. Will be wonderful. We felt like eco warriors today.

  29. Morning all.
    To those people who commented on 20a. Yes you are correct. We did make a deliberate decision NOT to include a picture.
    We found the whole puzzle a thoroughly enjoyable solving experience and it looks like most other commenters did too.
    Cheers.

  30. Clearly I made tougher work of this than most, as I didn’t know the jelly or football terms, but at least I was able to guess the cricket one and remembered that other type of summer. Also bunged in kidnapped at 1a at first, even though I couldn’t imagine how a kid could be a pet, but 1d set me straight😊. I must not have been on wavelength as I mostly did not feel comfortable with my answers, even though they were right. But an enjoyable Wednesday puzzle, thanks to setter and 2Kiwis.

  33. I wonder how many put “KIDNAPPING” in 1a (like I did) and then spent some time wondering what the answer to 1d was?

    2. Worse I put entrapping. Didn’t check the letters. Played havoc with 1d. Apart from that everything straight in. Favourites 10 13 25 and 28a and 4 and 14d. Particularly loved 28a. Very clever. More please. Thanks 2Ks and Robyn

  34. Lots to smile at. A few I needed the hints on. COTD 8d for me. Thanks to setter and 2Ks.

  35. 2*/5*. I solved this excellent puzzle over breakfast and have only just returned from playing cricket. I wrote in “kidnapping” instantly on reading 1a, and decided there and then that would almost certainly be my favourite clue. Imagine my shock when I later discovered courtesy of 1d & 2d that it was the wrong answer!

    Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks.

  36. I’m with BL on this, the only two dissenting voices. Personally I found this hard work and not a lot of fun, I found the toughie more straightforward. A wavelength thing I suppose. Thanks to the setter anyway and 2K’s.

  38. Late on parade as ever, but I did want to thank the 2Ks for the great blog, and everyone coming here to comment. I’m glad most people enjoyed the puzzle.

    Enjoy the rest of the week!

  39. 3*/5* ….
    liked 24D “Regularly supplied by Apple, old PC (4)” amongst several others.

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