Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30384
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from Almoradí where another heatwave is forecast for later this week. At least when we get to September it may start to cool off a bit.
I thought today’s puzzle was a bit on the tricky side but maybe that’s just me. I’m in a bit of a rush today due to oversleeping so perhaps it just looked a by trickier than it actually is. I’ll be interested to see what you all think of it.
As usual my podium three are in blue. The definitions are underlined in the clues and the answers are under the “click here” buttons so don’t click on them unless you really want to see the answer. Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a A forest may become this: Peter and I blame last of woodmen for entanglement (12)
IMPENETRABLE: Anagram (for entanglement) of PETER I BLAME with an N (last of woodmeN).
9a Brushing up language I never grasped initially (9)
POLISHING: An eastern European language followed by the first letters (initially) of the next three words.
10a Thick-skinned type with money (5)
RHINO: An old slang term for money is also a large animal with a thick skin.
11a No end to such inside knowledge! (3-3)
TIP OFF: This phrase sounds as though the end might have gone missing.
12a Calming everyone by voting yes? (8)
ALLAYING: A word for everyone followed by some letters that I think aren’t a word but if pronounced might sound as though you were saying yes, in Parliament perhaps where “the ayes have it!”.
13a Embarrass, with price of entertainment to increase, perhaps (4,2)
SHOW UP: A phrase meaning to embarrass sounds as though the price of the entertainment may have increased.
15a Makes a hasty getaway, with excited press surrounding vehicle (8)
SCARPERS: Anagram (excited) of PRESS around a vehicle.
18a What may be just tense on the way back? (8)
DESSERTS: When you get punished you get your just ????. It’s a word for tense or worried reversed (on the way back).
19a My boss absorbed by regurgitated carrot I’d eaten (6)
EDITOR: The compiler’s boss is a lurker hiding in (absorbed by) the last three words but he’s backwards (regurgitated).
21a Grieving early in the day, we hear (8)
MOURNING: Sounds like (we hear) the early part of the day before noon.
23a Only half of fuel to draw back: there’s no room left (4,2)
FULL UP: The first half of FUel followed by a reversal (back) of a word meaning to draw or tow.
26a See her swimming in German river (5)
RHEIN: Anagram (swimming) of HER followed by the IN from the clue gives the German name for a major German river.
27a Superior types with balls — and where they might be seen (9)
OVERLORDS: The balls are cricket balls and this is one place where they could be seen.
28a Tate excited by places assigned for authentications (12)
ATTESTATIONS: Anagram (excited) of TATE followed by some places assigned.
Down
1d The compiler’s favourite American drive (7)
IMPETUS: How the compiler might say he is followed by the usual favourite and then the two letters for American.
2d Small growth in Monopoly players (5)
POLYP: This small growth is a lurker hiding in (in) the last two words.
3d Instrument that’s fun to play with toes and tips of large elbows (4-5)
NOSE FLUTE: Anagram (to play with) of FUN TOES and LE (tips of Large Elbows).
4d Stumble, having day out? (4)
TRIP: Double definition.
5d Such a treasure: one about to get a sort of decoration (8)
ANGELICA: A word for a treasure followed by the letter that looks like one and the two letters for about gives you a sweet decoration.
6d Hot rock on the radio for an immature type? (5)
LARVA: This word for an immature or undeveloped insect sounds like the hot rock which comes out of a volcano.
7d Tipped top bloke, accepting I will be conscientious (8)
DILIGENT: The top of a can or bottle is reversed (tipped) followed by a word for a bloke with I inserted (accepting I).
8d Losing heart, Els supports pro golf workshops (6)
FORGES: Els disheartened leaves you with ES. Put this after a word meaning pro, as in in favour of, and a G(olf) to get workshops where a blacksmith works.
14d Impossible to see ex-pupil’s recovered (8)
OBSCURED: The usual two letters for an ex-pupil (don’t forget the ‘S) followed by a word for recovered or made well again.
16d Swimmer‘s revolutionary hairstyle (3,6)
RED MULLET: A revolutionary or Commie followed by a hairstyle which is well worth looking up in the BRB.
17d Laurel maybe longing to get carriage (8)
STANHOPE: Ollie Hardy’s partner followed by a word for longing or expectation.
18d Object before finally retiring (6)
DEMURE: A word meaning to object followed by E (beforE finally) gives a word meaning retiring as in shy.
20d Models once more and has a rest (7)
REPOSES: This word for has a rest sounds like it could mean models again.
22d Not any time for this composition (5)
NONET: A word meaning not any followed by a T(ime) gives a composition for nine players.
24d Key in which to play music slowly? (5)
LARGO: The largest of the Florida Keys is also a word used to indicate that a piece of music should be played slowly.
25d Touched cloth (4)
FELT: Double definition.
My podium today is 18a, 18d and and 24d with 18d on the top step.
Quick crossword puns:
Top line: PHYLLIS + TYNE = PHILISTINE
Bottom line: ISLE + DRESSER = I’LL DRESS HER
I found this one more like a Friday offering than a Monday, took ages to get onto the same wavelength as the setter, which I only really managed right near the end.
Not heard of 10a in this context before, so will google it later to see where it stems from. Favourite today was the crickety 27a. Such a shame about yesterday’s football, but in the end our girls were just outplayed on the day, still, they did us proud by getting that far, well done to all the squad.
I have a different take on 10a – yes it means money but we remember it for a different reason. Am I allowed to give the full description? Not sure of the rules here. But if you think of the last two syllables, sound like “sore arse” = piles = piles of money. Even if I google it I can’t find this definition, but it’s the one we know!!
Welcome to the blog, Nina.
That’s got me baffled!
From the same menagerie as the, er, foo-foo bird no doubt?
I’m not sure whether or not this is Campbell. It was tougher than usual for a Monday and the bottom pun doesn’t ring true for me. Like Tipcat it took me ages to get on wavelength and I could not parse one or two such as 10a and 18d. I managed to finish but did not derive much enjoyment apart from 27a, which raised a huge smile.
Many thanks to Campbell if it is he and pommers for the hints.
You said it all in spades, Steve.
A tad more tricky than the sort of straightforward offering we come to expect on a Monday, but all the more enjoyable for it. 27a was my undoubted favourite, and like Steve above, the second pun, if it is one, didn’t really work for me.
My thanks to Campbell, if it is he, and to pommers.
If this is a Campbell I’ll eat my hat (just getting it now!). Definitely not Mondayish, at least for me, and though I eventually finished it was a struggle and not the usual pleasure. Also, I agree with Steve concerning the bottom pun, not a phrase I’ve ever heard. That said, I did like 1a, even though it was an anagram and 15a and 17d. Thanks to our setter and Pommers.
I thouggt I’d done a Rip van Winkle and slept through round ro next Friday. I finished the i found 1a longpuzzle and, like Steve C, felt that it probably wasn’t Campbell. The surface read of the clues didn’t have the smooth elegance that he usually achieves so consistently. It was quite hard to fathom what the compiler was driving at at times. I found 1a particularly hard to decipher, although, in the end, it turned ou to be quite a good anagram. Not my cup of tea but thanks to the compiler and to Pommers for the hints ( what hard luck to encounter such a tricky puzzle , when you had overslept. Murphy’s Law , at work again)
I finished this, but sadly it wasn’t my cup of tea today. Monday puzzles are usually a bit lighter and more fun. I didn’t like 11a, as I tried to take the bottom letter off several words as the clue requested “no end” rather than “no beginning”. At least it killed time travelling into London. Thank you Pommers and setter.
Another vote from me for probably not a Campbell. If it is, I am not impressed by the bottom line pun. 2.5*/3.5*
We did have X-Type on a Monday two weeks ago, I wonder if we have the beginnings of an alternating Monday duumvirate.
Candidates for favourite – 12a, 18a, 16d, 17d, and 18d – and the winner is 18d.
Thanks to the setter and pommers.
You’re right – it’s X-Type once again on a Monday – not Campbell…Our Ed has started putting me into a Monday slot – don’t know how long for – instead of the Saturdays that I was just getting used to: so maybe that’s why some of you found it trickier than a usual Monday offering. (I’m a bit mystified about comments on the Quickie pun: surely the pronunciation of the Punned word works OK? -unless you’re a dyed-in-the-wool, fully paid up Geordie, who says “Tain”…). See you another day!
I think that, expecting it to be a Campbell puzzle, people were trying to get a second pun in the bottom row – our blogger had a reasonable shot at it!
Nice to see you again X-Type and I’m sure Senf will be relieved, he’s lost out quite heavily on Chalicea recently!
Mystery solved, I should have known it was one of yours when everything made sense to me 😊.
Hi X-Type, Thanks for the fun. Took me nearly all day but got interrupted every 5 mins. Thanks to pommers too for the hints and pics.
A bit of a mixed bag for me. I thought 1a a strange clue and somewhat manufactured and I can’t find any evidence of the word for voting yes in 12a being a verb which it needs to be for the clue to work. The question mark is doing a lot of heavy lifting! A couple of chestnuts in there as well but balanced by lots of good clues of which I particularly liked 11&27a plus 6&18d.
Many thanks to the setter and Pommers.
A yes vote is an “Aye”, SL. “grin:
Weirdly same wavelength.
For example 1a went straight in
Without parsing.
Welcomed old friends 18a
And 6d
Big smile at 6d
Sheer brilliance of 12 and
26a makes them joint Gold.
Thanks Campbell? and pommers.
Just right for Monday morning but not too easy!
27a and 16d raised smiles.
Thanks to setter.
We agree today 😊.
I didn’t find this as tricky as some of our number seem to have done but neither did I find it particularly satisfying – I’d be very surprised if it’s a Campbell offering.
Closest I came to awarding any ticks would be to 18&24d.
I should think RD will be apoplectic over the first two across clues in the Quickie!
Thanks to our setter for his efforts and to pommers for the review.
In case Manders pops in – hope she saw the glowing praise for the Cley restaurant on yesterday’s blog.
No I didnt, I’ll look now, thanks Jane
Comment 26 from Acrostic.
I saw that too! Mental note to try it if we ever manage to get that far!
It’s rather a hit or miss place. Like other establishments they are suffering from staff shortages. Our ‘go to’ place is The Harnser. Should be going tonight for D’s birthday but I’m still a bit peaky.
I’m with those who thought this less smooth than our usual Monday fare. Thanks to the compiler and pommers.
My thoughts on 1a match those of SL.
My ticks went to 18a, 27a and 18d.
I didn’t get on very well here, and needed some tips from pommers; therefore the compiler is a terrible person who should be sent into exile, and not allowed any interaction with mankind ever again.
15a is a delicious word. Very Beano, it’s something that Dennis The Menace or the Bash Street Kids would do in each comic strip.
“Here comes the headmaster! Quick! 15a!”
Thanks to the setter and pommers in Vega Baja del Segura.
BTW, I’m with those that don’t believe in the bottom line pun but it’s pronounceable so I thought I’d better include it just in case.
Somewhat tougher than many Mondays, but a joy to complete once the south fell into place. Frustratingly it took a while for the crickety clue to emerge.
Curiously 6D also turned up in today’s Times Quick Cryptic (3D) where it was clued slightly differently (“Immature creature right in middle of molten rock”) …
I am with HRoth and one or two others in that 1a went in straight away and the rest just followed. Isn’t it strange how we all vary. I wondered whether the coach might be a candidate for The List. George was on fire today and solved about half a dozen clues. So happy bunnies today. 15a and 28a and 14d got daisies but, like Terence, I just love the word do 15a gets top billing. Off to flipping Addenbrookes again, on a nice warm, sunny afternoon too! Ah well. Many thanks to the setter and to Pommers
Definitely struggled with this, not helped by the fact that in the new online site the two-word across answers weren’t indicated – just the total number of letters shown.
Thanks to setter and Pommers.
Yes, that was very annoying, and a bit shabby of them.
Welcome to the blog, Anorak.
Thank you. Been lurking for a while!
Now that you’ve de-lurked I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter.
Welcome from me as well, Anorak. I echo Gazza’s comment. Please comment again. All the more the merrier!
The ‘old’s site had them marked ok. Don’t use the new one.
Very annoying!
Interesting to see how few of the regulars here use the new site.
I use both, each has its pluses and minuses, but nothing can beat a pen and crisply folded newspaper with a side order of coffee and toast for me. Mama Bee gets the paper most days as I have to go to work- right now actually or I will be late!
Came here to say just this! Only recently started doing these again after a long gap, tempted by a bargain puzzles subscription.
You’ve used a different alias to the one you used before so this required moderation. Both aliases will work from now on.
I am with others that I found this trickier than many Mondays and it took ages to get on wavelength. That said I have finished but needed the hints to understand a couple, eg 10a was new to me. I was pleased I remembered 17d from a few months ago!
Many thanks to the mystery setter and to Pommers for the hints.
On a different note rather than trying to squeeze in a toughie at the end of the day when I am not at my brightest I kept back last Wednesdays toughie (which a number of you recommended) to try over the weekend once the prize crosswords had been completed. I have only 4 clues left and hope that even with it perhaps being at the easier end of the spectrum it might mean I gradually get the hang of them.
On the slightly tougher end for a Monday this week, in my opinion. Maybe it isn’t a Campbell this week, though??? I found lots of head scratching to be done here, and lateral thinking. Once things settled down, it completed very nicely.
2*/3.5*
Favourites include 9a, 15a, 3d, 6d, 16d & 17d — with winner 15a
Thanks to Campbell(??) and pommers for hints/blog
That was a curate’s egg with some straightforward clues but combined with other more challenging ones. Plumping for the wrong way to play music slowly made life in the SE difficult to start with – perhaps I wasn’t alone? 10a money new one on me. Favs 12a and 8d. Thank you Mysteron and pommers with whom I sympathise as I had similar problem today due to watching the thrilling Djokovic v Alcaraz match in Cincinnati until the early hours so woke late this a.m.
I was so disappointed, I do like Alcaraz and I think we’ll see a lot more of him.
I do hope so – tennis-world could do with more “gentlemen” like Alcaraz.
Ooh! This one caught me off guard. I had to go through the gears a lot quicker than usual this time of the week.
I understand why 1a doesn’t work for some but I was happy with it. Talking of trees, I barked up the wrong one, putting lento in for 24d even though I wasn’t happy with it as it looked like a straight definition. This therefore put a spanner in the works when trying to solve 27a.
A very enjoyable start to the week with 18a winning the spoils for two reasons: I love the use of ‘just and I’ve always liked what the answer is backwards.
Many thanks to Pommers and Non-Campbell.
Oh, the bottom line pun is absolutely hilarious. It’s so random that I lolled like a good’un.
Brilliant.
3*/4*
Me too with “lento” TS65, as I indicate in 20 above.
It threw me for a while. I looked up ‘overlings’ thinking that it’s the opposite of an underling which it is though not oft used, by the looks of things. Goodness knows what ‘lings’ meant!
All good fun.
It took me a while to get going and struggled online with 11a, 13a and 23a not being shown as two word answers. I’ve not heard of 10a as slang either. Enjoyable once it started to come together; faves are 16d and 17d
Last two in 10a and 8d , I have never heard of this in relation to money and I put ranges in 8d . Trickier than normal for a Monday but I enjoyed the challenge . Thanks to all
Took a while to get on the setter’s wavelength and so took a bit longer than usual for a Monday. The decoration in 5d was new to me, but the clueing was very fair. I put the English spelling of the river in 26a, but realised the error of my ways when it didn’t fit with the down clues. Couldn’t parse 7d even though the answer was fairly obvious with the checkers in place (thanks pommers for the explanation of ‘tipped’ – not come across that as an indicator before). All round enjoyable puzzle. Good start to the week…..
This puzzle seemed more obscure than I hope for on a Monday. I have never heard 10a being used to mean money, and my Oxford Dictionary doesn’t even include that meaning (Chambers does, marking it archaic). Looking at the English Language and Usage Stack Exchange, it seems I am not alone. I did it online and 11a, 13a, and 23a are all marked as 6 letters long, when they should be as shown in the hints ((3-3),(4,2) and (4,2), which didn’t help. I thought 18a was a clever clue, but overall a bit of a slog.
Far too tough for a Monday, what are thinking of DT. Campbell puzzles are hard at the best of times but this is definitely not one for a Monday BP.
Come on DT wake your ideas up!
****;*
Very little fun, just a drudge.
Very poor IMHO.
Thx for the h8ntd
I have my contrary hat on today as I found this mostly doable, with just my GK and cricket knowledge letting me down in some and quite enjoyed. Like Daisy, 1a went straight in. This was quickly followed by 5d and 9a. I had never heard of 10a being slang for money, didn’t know the carriage so that was a bung in, and was completely baffled at 27a. I thought this was a nice challenge while not being frustratingly impossible. COTD was 15a as I haven’t heard that for many years. A Rhine river cruise was probably our best vacation ever so of course I bunged that I without even considering the German spelling, and needed help for 12a. Thought that rather stretched. Otherwise a fun Monday solve. Thanks to Campbell (?) and Pommers. Like you we are anxiously waiting for slightly cooler temperatures in September. However September 10th is the peak of Hurricane season so I am never sure if I should be looking forward to next month or not.
Predictions seem safe. Mind you, who really knows. Safer than some forest fires perhaps.
Definitely, as we get a few days notice and time to prepare, and definitely preferable to tornados and earthquakes.
Enjoyable, reasonably straightforward, and the now-usual-for-Monday level of challenge. With two puns in the quickie I wouldn’t have ascribed this to any setter but Campbell.
Plenty of smile throughout, no arcane knowledge required, and the write-in anagram at 1a gave a speedy start in the N. Hon Mentions to 12a and 16a.
1.5* / 2.5*
Many thanks to Campbell (presumably, but I’ll happily have flambées chapeau sur le pain grillé if wrong!) and to Pommers.
Just out of interest, the carriage at 17d has the same name as an optical device that enables the viewing of microphotographs without using a microscope. They were often bought as souvenirs and are now quite collectable.
There was a very interesting lady called Hester Stanhope in the 19th century, an emancipated lady before it was fashionable.
Before messaging I read the earlier comments and realise why Campbell was being so hard for a Monday as it was actually compiled by X-Type! I found some clues easy, others needing some thinking about and a few where I got the answers but checked the hints later to check that I was right. 10a I had to check the money connection, 19a amused me and 26a I assumed was the German spelling. Many thanks to X-Type and Pommers.
Just desserts? I think not. Your just deserts are what you justly deserve.
Isn’t that what the clue is saying?
‘Deserve’ has one ‘s’.
Ah! I now get your point. Well spotted.
Gosh! You are quite right, Skeeter, or should that be ‘Reteeks’? (what a Scot would say when you have to resit your exams)
You learn something new every day…….and all that caper.
I should have said it’s 18a.
Yes, people don’t commonly misspell ‘desert’ as in to abandon, which also stresses the second syllable, as ‘dessert’. I wonder why this happens to ‘just deserts’. Perhaps it’s because the dessert comes at the end of a meal, so ‘just desserts’ is associated with fitting end, or something like that.
Check it out, Sparky…..https://www.dictionary.com/e/just-deserts-vs-just-desserts
I had no idea.
Thanks Tom. Interesting. ‘Just desserts’ is mildly comical when you think about it! There is bound to be a cake shop called that somewhere.
Having had a quick look, there are loads!
A dnf due to 27a. Not surprising for someone who couldn’t be less interested in cricket. I would rather watch sloths play tiddlywinks.
I only got 17d once I looked up the answer to 27a. With 40 types of carriage listed in the BRB, it is a challenge for me to remember them all. I have heard of this carriage though, I just totally missed the slapstick man reference.
Thanks to all.
Some of the across clues were shown as one word instead of two words in the online version causing some head scratching!
Fully expecting a Campbell to start the week but realised quickly that although he has given us some puzzles which were a bit harder this was not one of his. X has owned up for this end of week puzzle so I hope he has taken in the comments and lessons have been learned.
Still some good clues along the way including 15a and 17d. Thanks to Pommers for helping me to finish and to the X man for an end of week failure on Monday.
Good evening
I have to admit that I fell into the classic trap of thinking “well, it’s Monday, it’s not that difficult on a Monday!” As the great DLT used to say: quack quack oops! I did rattle along nicely as far as the top half is concerned, but then came the bottom half. Crikey!
I had to look up 17d, that’s a new word. Plus I didn’t help myself by putting LENTO in 24d, before finally twigging 27a and then realising that the word “key” in the clue for 24d was, er, key!
Thank you to X-type and Pommers
Back to Friday on a Monday just a different setter, why can’t we have Monday on a Monday, my Mondays should get a little easier after next Monday. OK I’ll stop. Favourite was 15a. Thanks to X-Type anyway and Pommers.
In case anyone still watching especially X-Type I loved it. Only sadly fell down with 18a for which I put descents. Anyone who has done cryptic for a while should be familiar with the carriage and the moneysW was last in but luckily I had the N at the end of the river so didn’t get caught out with the English spelling. I know nothing about cricket but 28 a was easy to get with some checkers. Thanks.
3*/3* …
liked 15A “Makes a hasty getaway, with excited press surrounding vehicle (8)”