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DT 30411

by Shabbo  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30,411
Hints and tips by Shabbo

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

Good morning, fellow cruciverbalists. I really enjoyed this and I hope you did as well. I had ticks all over the place, but my favourites are probably 1a, 13a, 27a, 28a, 3d, 7d, 14d and 16d, with 1a winning my vote for COTD. A great way to start the puzzle, which I thought was perfect for a Thursday. Thank you setter!

In my blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined and anagrams are CAPITALISED. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.

Across Clues

1a Friend in capital daughter is visiting, Hannah perhaps? (10)
PALINDROME: Short word meaning friend, + IN + a capital city + abbreviation for daughter – put that lot together and you get your solution, which is a “definition by example”, hence the “perhaps” and the “?”.

6a Piece of meat, heart from butcher, gets bound (4)
CHOP: Middle letter (heart) of butcher + a verb or a noun meaning bound.

10a Appoints Charlie to defend Leo, for instance (7)
ASSIGNS: A synonym for Charlie (as in fool) outside (to defend) a generic term for a zodiacal constellation, of which Leo is one (for instance).

11a Discomfort of certain Asians, we hear (7)
MALAISE: Homophone (we hear) of people from an Asian country.

12a Without cups at first, processes ground coffee (8)
ESPRESSO: Anagram (ground) of PROCESSES without the C (cups at first)

13a Release one out of place in trade union (5)
UNTIE: My last one in. The answer is fairly obvious once you have all the checkers, but the parsing took me a while. We are looking for the name of one of the two largest trade unions in Britain and Ireland and we then need to move the “I” within it (one out of place).

15a Tackle from defender initially getting out of difficulty (7)
HARNESS: A synonym for difficulty without the D (defender initially getting out).

17a Ghastly looking house I’d condemned (7)
HIDEOUS: Anagram (condemned) of HOUSE ID.

19a Author having argument over novel’s ending (7)
ROWLING: A synonym for having an argument outside (over) the last letter (ending) in novel.

21a Furore surrounds rapper oddly producing weapon (7)
TORPEDO: Two short hyphenated words meaning furore outside (surrounds) every other letter (oddly) of rapper.

22a Discovered tiny apartment is not suitable (5)
INAPT: Take the middle two letters of tiny (discovered) and add them to an abbreviation for apartment.

24a Event following match that’s packed? (8)
SUITCASE: A synonym for event (as in occurrence) after (following) a synonym for match (as in complement).

27a Some agree nervously to be more environmentally conscious (7)
GREENER: Hidden word (some) in “agree nervously”.

28a Large sum in gold university’s transferred to Italy (7)
BILLION: A bit of a bear trap, perhaps, if you don’t read the instructions in the clue carefully. Take a word meaning gold and swap the U (university) for an I (Italy)

29a Regrets hoax that’s broadcast (4)
RUES: Homophone (broadcast) of another word for hoax.

30a Film script of Lean’s Percy developed (10)
SCREENPLAY: Anagram (developed) of LEANS PERCY.


Down Clues

1d Advertisement includes each type of fruit (4)
PEAR: A two-letter abbreviation for advertisement outside (includes) a two-letter abbreviation for each.

2d Stalwart’s sacked as final indignity (4,5)
LAST STRAW: Anagram (sacked) of STALWARTS

3d Country lifting control that restricts poaching ultimately (5)
NIGER: A word for control upside down (lifting) outside (restricts) the final letter (ultimately) of poaching.

4d Refuses being inspired by breakfasts I served up (7)
RESISTS: Hidden word (inspired by) in “breakfasts I served” upside down (up).

5d Gigantic male insect old lady found on top? (7)
MAMMOTH: An abbreviation for male + an insect go after a two-letter abbreviation for old lady.

7d Theft, one attending church possibly removing lead (5)
HEIST: Another clue which was easy enough to get, but slightly trickier to parse. I kept looking for CE or CH for church, but I was barking up the wrong tree. One attending church is someone who believes in God and then take away the first letter (removing lead). Clever.

8d Claim it’s about time to cut state allowance (10)
PRETENSION: Abbreviation for “about” + abbreviation for “time” inside (to cut) a “state allowance” for those of a certain age.

9d Be confused with swimmer (8)
FLOUNDER: Double definition. The swimmer is a fish.

14d Quay owner, one moaning about American craft regularly (10)
WHARFINGER: Someone who moans outside (about) A for American and every other letter of “craft”.

16d Going out to purchase son present (8)
EXISTING: Another word for going out surrounds (to purchase) an abbreviation for son.

18d Love escaping Liverpool’s unfortunately displaced population (9)
OVERSPILL: Anagram (unfortunately) of LIVERPOOLS without one of the Os (love escaping).

20d Cast girl briefly performing in kind of band (7)
GASTRIC: Another anagram with a letter missing. This time rearrange CAST + GIRL without the final letter (briefly).

21d Cover needed for sewer? (7)
THIMBLE: No need to look for the wordplay here – there isn’t any. This is a neat cryptic definition, relying on the assumption that most of us will be looking for something to do with drains rather than needlecraft.

23d Singer from Australian city rejecting help (5)
ADELE: The city here is the capital of South Australia. Remove a three letter word for “help” to find a contemporary crooner from Tottenham.

25d Firm line over mark in text (5)
COLON: An abbreviation for a firm or company + an abbreviation for line + a synonym for over – assemble that lot to find a punctuation mark.

26d Just unique (4)
ONLY: Double definition.


Quickie Pun: FARM + ASSIST = PHARMACIST

72 comments on “DT 30411”

  1. Just the right amount of mental gymnastics needed for today’s terrific puzzle. I have not heard of the quay owner and Charlie in 10a foxed me for a while. I loved the gigantic male insect and the arguing author but my COTD is Hannah in 1a.

    Many thanks to the setter for the fun. Thank you, Shabbo for the hints, which I will now read.

    Lovely sunny day in The Marches so I’m going into the garden to rescue the onions from the weeds that are threatening to overwhelm them.

    PS – I must be the only person alive who cannot stand the singer at 23d.

    1. One song every six months from 23d is more than enough for me. I think I would end up screaming if forced to sit through an entire concert.

    2. I dont mind 23d too much, she is a good singer but I wish she would tone down the potty mouth. The singer i cant stand is Mick Hucknall whose voice really grates on my ear, the worst thing is we share a birthday (8th June) and we always get a medley of his most annoying hits every year
      Same birthday as Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran and at least I can listen to them. Add my Whopee’s to the return of the email WD Mr K

      2. Not really a fan of Simply Red or the fella particularly but his contribution (Streets of Arklow) on Van’s Duets: reworking the catalogue was my favourite track on an album of great collaborations

  2. Excellent puzzle with clear concise and clever wordplay throughout and lots to smile about. What’s not to like?
    I was on wavelength from the off so my biggest problem is selecting a podium. I especially appreciated 1&24a plus 2,&20d (just good examples of their clue type) along with 7&14d with a nod to the heroic JK at 19a.
    Thanks to the setter and Shabbo.

    Ps…The Beam Toughie is no more difficult than his alter ego who appears every other week here.

  4. Another doable puzzle for me, would have been a clean sweep if I hadn’t needed the hint for 14d, another word for “the list” methinks. Top marks for 11a. No need for my little green book today😊. Thanks to all.

  5. A real brahma of a puzzle, quite hard, but very fair. Absolutely loved it.
    Great word at 14d, the kind of thing that you only ever read, but never actually say, unless of course you’re the same age as Dickens, hands up anyone?
    My clue of the day was the aforementioned unsaid one. Many thanks to our setter, intrigued to see who you are.

  6. An excellent guzzle. 1a probably just nicks it as pick of a strong bunch but plenty of ticks elsewhere – 11,15,21&24a + 3,7,8&14d other particular likes. Last two in were 15a (riding might have been a nice addition to the surface) & 14d which was an unfamiliar word for me also.
    Thanks to the setter & to Shabbo for the review which I’ll now read.

  7. Cracking puzzle, best of the week so far. Straightforward, great surfaces, plenty of wit and humour, very clever construction, all scrupulously fair, even 14d. And what a great word 14d is, the stevedore’s Bond villain.

    Ticks all over the place, so will edit and confine Hon Mentions to 1a, 11a, 28a, 8d & 23d, with COTD to 14d.

    2* / 4.5*

    Many thanks to the setter (Silvanus for my fiver) and to Shabbo.

  8. Brilliant opening with 1a.
    Followed by some
    Inspired wordplay eg 14d
    17a shows us that almost any
    Word will do as an anagram
    Indicator.
    Never mind, a solid 5* for enjoyment.
    Gratitude to the setter
    And, although not referred
    To, thanks Shabbo for the review.

    1. Thanks Sylvanus, itwas.
      Funny thing, the mind.
      14d was deeply buried, the
      Wordplay brought it to the
      Surface.
      Must be a Dickens I read
      Moons ago.

  9. 3*/5*. Another splendid puzzle to continue an excellent week of back-pagers. Three quarters of it went in smoothly but I had quite a battle in the NE to finish particularly parsing 7d.

    What a strange word 14d is. One for THE LIST perhaps? It is however excellently clued.

    With a plethora of ticks on my page, 11a takes the top spot.

    Many thanks to the setter – the clueing excellence and surface smoothness point to SIlvanus. Thanks too to Shabbo.

    1. Have a listen to Chris Kingfish Ingram’s new album Live in London – recorded at The Garage in Islington – it was a great gig & lucky enough to get a prime spot by the mixing desk. Empty Promises the standout track for me

    2. My seed word for Wordle on Sunday is 7d, I always have luck with it, one day solving in just 2 goes.

  10. Very enjoyable with a good mix of clue types and just enough head scratching to keep me on my toes. 14d was a new word for me though very fairly clued. 9d and 21d were old chestnuts whose appearance helped. I didn’t need any hints but did require parsing assistance with 10a. Favourite today was 7d, misleading and clever, with podium places for 1a and 3d. Thanks to the compiler and Shabbo.

  11. A bit surprised at how long this took me! Deceptive as I started fast then stalled. Favourite 7d !
    Thanks to setter and team.

  12. A ‘not a Ray T Thursday’ with Beam on Toughie duty but not too difficult to guess the setter for this very enjoyable and slightly less challenging than usual puzzle. After my success with Twmbarlwm yesterday, it is four half-crowns on Ray T’s ‘regular’ stand-in today. 2*/4.5*

    Candidates for favourite – 1a, 29a, 14d, and 26d – and the winner is 14d which took some time to arrive at the ‘it has to be’ which then needed confirmation by the BRB.

    Thanks to Silvanus and Shabbo and thanks to Mr K for ‘getting the e-mails back’!

    P.S. I am about two-thirds through the second ‘Marlow Murder Book Club Mystery’ – ‘Death Comes to Marlow’ as enjoyable as the first – and I gather that the third in the series will be published next year.

    1. Hi Senf,

      Not sure if you know this, but location filming on a TV adaptation of the first book began in May and it is due for screening some time in 2024.

      I’ve read the first one (and enjoyed it) but I haven’t read the second book yet.

      1. Thanks Silvanus. I had heard about the TV series. It will shown on PBS in the US which is available in Canada. Ideally one of the Canadian broadcasters will also ‘pick it up.’

    2. I just started reading the first book this week and it is thoroughly enjoyable. Will watch for the show on PBS or on The Knowledge Network here in BC when it comes out.

  13. Yup, lovely stuff today, right in my wheelhouse. Esp. after some wacky stuff I’d never heard of on Monday and celerity yesterday… I’m sure my Mother would call me a fool for not knowing the word… but come on!!

  14. I finished rhis rather tricky guzzle but will have to look at Shabbo’s hints afterwards as I didn’t completely cget the paesing on half a dozen of 4hwm 14d was my COTD and what a loveky word it us, followed closely by the Lego clue at 1a and the homophone rat 11a. Thanks to Shabbo for the hints and to the compiler ..

  15. A top-notch puzzle – many thanks to our setter and Shabbo.
    The 14d term was new for me but the wordplay was crystal clear.
    The clues making my podium were 1a, 19a and 16d.

  16. Excellent fare from our compiler today. Pitched perfectly for a Thursday and a new word learnt. Personally, I have to mute the radio whenever 23d or that Capaldi bloke comes on; much too maudlin for me.

    Thanks Shabbo & Silvanus (presumably?)

  17. A great guzzle for sure but… 14d – you’re on THE LIST!

    Hannah is one of my nieces so I alerted her to her appearance this morning and she is delighted by her fleeting fame.

    Thanks to the setter, and Judaism’s day of rest.

    For no reason whatsoever other than I’ve played it a lot recently, here’s a beautiful cover of a track from Steely Dan’s first album:

    1. Very nice but can’t beat The Dan original, a great track, apparently written about Lennon with specific reference to his song Imagine.

      2. I’m not convinced it was written about Lennon at all. I certainly don’t remember seeing that in any SD biographies or in Donald Fagen’s Eminent Hipsters, or in last year’s biography of Fagen that I’ve just finished. I can only trace the ‘fact’ back to an article on the Far Out website (basically an unreliable content-curating online magazine full of opinion pieces with apparently very little fact-checking) and it seems to have spread from there. “Solamente un tonto diría eso” :smile:

  18. What a great puzzle! Finished unaided but had to check the hints to understand the answers for 12a, 7d and 25d. Obvious when you know! Thanks to Shabbo and the clever setter.

  19. Like Baby Bear’s porridge ‘just right’, thank you to the setter! Challenging enough without setting the teeth gnashing, and a new word – 14d – as a bonus.
    Favourite- 1a.

  20. Must be Dream Team today as this has to be from our own Mr Smooth with his foot perhaps more on the soft pedal than usual. Just one exception for me in the shape of 14d which I have no memory of from books of the Dickens era so had to be carefully teased out.
    1a raised a smile but my podium spots went to 13&28a plus 2&23d. I don’t have an opinion about the singer in question although I remember a very amusing TV programme about auditions being held to find someone who sounded like her and she took part as one of the entrants in a brilliant disguise. It was most amusing as the other girls slowly began to realise she was the ‘real deal’.
    As for the 19a author, she hasn’t been flavour of the month here recently. She has just purchased the super-yacht on which my son-in-law was a marine engineer, transferred her previous crew across and summarily dismissed the entire existing workforce. That is apparently how the yachting world operates but it’s not much consolation for all the guys with families and mortgages!

    I digress – many thanks to Silvanus for a great puzzle and to Shabbo for another well-written review.

    2. That is disgusting! I presume she had to pay heavy severance, if not, someone should take her to court.

  21. Tough but fair and enjoyable. Learnt a new word in 14d. The remarks about the singer amused me, I suspect she might be a bit marmite for many of our cruciverbalists. For me the only track I like is Rolling in the Deep, the rest not so much.
    Thx to all.
    ***/****

  22. Well what fun that was, not a walk in the park but lots of great clues and I did finish. 14d was new to me and I needed the hints to explain how I got a couple. 1a was favourite with 13a in second.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Shabbo for the hints.

  23. Great puzzle for a Thursday with just enough of a brain stretch without giving me a headache! I found all the answers could be teased out by logically dissecting the clues. I did know the word for 14d, having previously lived near a historic canal basin for several years – a lovely word and my favourite clue today. Many thanks to all.

  24. This was one of those that felt really difficult when I was doing it but now, looking at it again, I can’t see why.
    I admit to needing a couple of hints, or even a few more, and it took ages to sort out 14d.
    12a is the weediest cup of coffee I’ve ever seen – not worth drinking but I liked the clue!
    I liked 11 and 24a and 7 and 16d. Quite lots of possible favourites but can be only one so 1a (or maybe 5d)
    Thanks to whoever set today’s crossword and to Shabbo for the very necessary hints (and for some answers too.)

  25. Many thanks to Shabbo for his Hints and Tips and to all those commenting.

    Perhaps 14d is more familiar to me than some because there is a 14d Cottage situated right next to The Tower of London, and I used to pass it many times when I worked nearby.

    1. Ta for another great puzzle & hope you’ve recovered from the shock of the ‘fair & enjoyable’ assessment from Brian

          1. In the immortal words of Francis Urquhart, “you might well think that, I couldn’t possibly comment”.

  27. I really enjoyed this, how nice to be able to decrypt a Thursday guzzle. Getting 1a first was a plus! I had to use word search to get 24a and Shabbo to explain why, 15a was also a guess but I tumbled to the why before reading the hint. There was nothing too esoteric to mangle the brain. Fave has to be 1a but 14d was a treat too. I always think that the 23d singer sounds like she escaped from a Seventh Day Adventist church choir – apologies to any SDAs out there.
    Thank you Silvanus for the fun and Shabbo for the enlightenment.

  28. Late on here today. Long day yesterday.
    Found this puzzle a little tricky today, with one unknown word.

    2.5*/3* for me

    Favourites 1a, 2d, 5d, 7d & 9d with winner 1a

    Thanks to Silvanus and Shabbo

  29. Agree with all the positive reviews of this hard but fair puzzle – very enjoyable with north east corner last in and lots of Doh moments. Hadn’t heard of 14d but it had to be… and it was. Thanks Silvanus and Shabbo. Great stuff.

  31. Off to a swift start in the NW where 1a immediately got a tick. Thereafter this was an anticlockwise tour which I enjoyed at a decent pace.

    Thanks to Silvanus and Shabbo.

  32. Super puzzle, favourite of the week so far. Good mix of clues, initially thought it would be impossible, but got there. SW last corner to go, with 14d being a new word for me, but delighted when that clue fell into place. Thanks Silvanus for the mental work out and Shabbo for the hints.

  33. Unlike many I started off slowly and gathered pace as I went on. Like Kath every clue I solved I wondered why I didn’t get first time, good setting I suppose. 14d a new word for me too but fairly clued. Favourite was 11a. Thanks to Silvanus and Shabbo.

  34. A dnf for me due to 9d. The hint didn’t help and needed to see the answer. Doubt I would ever have got this. I could only get 13a when I had the answer to 9d.

    14d was a new word to me as well. I suspect there are people who are a 14d that haven’t heard the name…

    Enjoyable despite the dnf.

    Thanks to all.

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