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DT 30414

by Falcon  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30414

Hints and tips by Falcon

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

Greetings from Ottawa, where summer (which abandoned us for muc 1h of August) is making amends by hanging around late into September.This puzzle marks the start of my fourteenth year on Big Dave’s Crossword Blog, my first review having appeared on September 15, 2010. I joined a small team that Big Dave had recruited, many of whom are still with the blog. Those providing reviews around that time were Gazza, Crypticsue, Bufo, Libellule and Gnomethang in addition to Big Dave.

It is remarkable to see how the blog’s readership has grown over the years. When I came on board in September 2010, the readership was just under 5000 page views per day – up from 50 page views per day in January 2009 when the blog started. By 2020 (the last year for which statistics are available), the blog was receiving around 17,000 page views per day. On December 21, 2017, when my review of DT 28616 was published, the blog received 27,980 page views – surpassed only by the 28,215 garnered on April 28, 2018.

I found today’s puzzle from Campbell to be a fairly light mental workout but one that I enjoyed solving.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.

Across

4a   Make public appearance (3)
AIR — we kick off proceedings today with a relatively simple double definition

8a   Shameful shout heard in game (8)
BASEBALL — a synonym for shameful and a homonym for another word for shout

9a   Weather phenomenon broadcast online (2,4)
EL NINO — an anagram (broadcast) of ONLINE

10a   Reality TV series runs into considerable trouble (3,7)
BIG BROTHER — the cricket scorecard notation for runs inserted into a (3,6) phrase that could mean considerable trouble

11a   Very long record, one heading for charts (4)
EPIC — line up a rather short record, a Roman one, and the initial letter of (heading for) CHARTS

12a   Two or four may play this in backing group entertaining pub (6)
TENNIS — insert another name for a pub into a group and reverse (backing) the lot

14a   Maiden, sorceress, hoarding silver for Dickens character (8)
MAGWITCH — the chemical symbol for silver is bookended by the cricket abbreviation for maiden and a sorceress who rides a broomstick

15a   Hit smart six-footer (7)
BLOWFLY — a noun meaning hit and an adjective denoting smart in the sense of knowing and sharp

17a   A male aboard pilot ship (7)
STEAMER — the A from the clue and the genealogical abbreviation for male inserted in a verb meaning to pilot or direct the course of

21a   Ankle was broken producing a ballet (4,4)
SWAN LAKE — an anagram (broken) of the first two words in the clue

23a   Reluctant to provide a rhyme (6)
AVERSE — the A from the clue and a poetic rhyme

25a   Wager involving second highest (4)
BEST — a synonym for wager containing the physics symbol for second

26a   Major road, say, with a lay-by at the end (10)
EXPRESSWAY — string together another word for say or state, the single letter for with, the A from the clue, and the final letter (at the end) of LAY-BY to get a North American motorway; cue the howls of protest

28a   Admission made by experts about copyright infringements, finally (6)
ACCESS — wrap another term for experts around the symbol for copyright and then append the final letter (finally) of INFRINGEMENTS to the result

29a   Trade union breaking country’s laws (8)
STATUTES — the abbreviation for trade union is placed into another way of saying country’s

30a   Have a meal in cafe, a tea (3)
EAT — our first lurker of the day, hiding in the final three words of the clue

Down

1d   Soldier and sailor falling short (6)
MARINE — remove the final letter (falling short) from another term for sailor to get a sea-going soldier

2d   Part of speech, word for word? First half (4)
VERB — the first half of a term VERBATIM meaning ‘word for word’

3d   Musical song captivating American and European (8)
CAROUSEL — a Christmas song containing a two-letter abbreviation for American and the single letter for European; here’s a song from the production that should be well-known to British football fans

4d   Edge covered by baked clay — an old science (7)
ALCHEMY — the edge of a piece of clothing is contained in an anagram (baked) of CLAY

5d   Something that infuriates socialist newspaper? (3,3)
RED RAG — link together the colour associated with socialism and a derogatory name for a newspaper

6d   Embarrassing point involving English pound (10)
INDELICATE — a verb meaning to point contains the single-letter abbreviations for English and pound

7d   Ring eastern cleric, nervously, after noon (8)
ENCIRCLE — assembled in the order indicated, we have the abbreviation for eastern, the single letter for noon, and an anagram (nervously) of CLERIC

12d   Bill club brought over (3)
TAB — a reversal (brought over) of a club used in 8a

13d   Occasionally present with the knight (3,3,4)
NOW AND THEN — concatenate a word denotinging the present or at this time, another word for with, THE from the clue, and the chess notation for knight

16d   Writer‘s delicate material about architect (8)
LAWRENCE — a delicate material or fabric wrapped around the architect famous for designing more than 50 London churches

18d   Raised concern hiding old deficit (5,3)
TRADE GAP — a reversal (raised in a down clue) of a word meaning concern (in the sense of interest or behalf) containing (hiding) another word for old

19d   Cereal grass forming part of military experiment (3)
RYE — our second lurker, hiding in (forming part of) the final two words of the clue

20d   Violent storm encountered on the way up — pain in the neck (7)
TEMPEST — a reversal (on the way up in a down clue) of a synonym for encountered followed by an annoying person or thing

22d   A kid, untroubled (2,4)
AT EASE — the A from the clue and a verb meaning to kid or mock

24d   Frightened? Son was worried (6)
SCARED — the genealogical abbreviation for son and a word denoting was worried or showed concern for

27d   Gull-like bird other seabirds reared (4)
SKUA — a reversal (reared in a down clue) of some seabirds gives another species of seabird

My favourite clue today is 26a which stretched the little grey cells the most deciphering the parsing for the last three letters in the answer.

Quickie Pun (Top Row): INN + SPECTRES = INSPECTORS

Quickie Pun (Middle Row): FIR + NIETZSCHE = FURNITURE

Quickie Pun (Bottom Row) : BRIGHTEN + ROC = BRIGHTON ROCK

Thank you to Jerry6x for pointing out the middle pun.

87 comments on “DT 30414”

  1. Got ‘em all except 8a, do the first four letters really mean shameful? I’ve never thought of it in that context, oh well, live and learn…..

  2. 2*/4*. Just right for a Monday – light and fun.

    My podium comprises 23a, 29a & 27a.

    Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.

  3. Hurrah, solidly Mondayish.
    Most enjoyable.
    Good to have confirmation in
    7d that any word, in fact, can
    Be an anagram indicator.
    Ticks for 10, 26 and 29a
    And 6d.
    Last in 27d, loved its last word.
    Many thanks Campbell and Falcon.

  4. It’s Monday :good: It’s Campbell :good: **/****

    Like Tipcat, I did wonder about the synonym for shameful in 8a but they are in each other’s entry in the Crossword Dictionary so heigh-ho.

    Candidates for favourite – 12a, 23a, 18d, 20d, and 22d – and the winner is 22d.

    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  5. Congratulations on the start of your 14th year blogging, Falcon, and thank you so much for your years of solving and writing up the puzzles, explaining the clues and finding appropriate illustrations. It is hugely appreciated.

    I’ll go against the flow of what will probably turn out to be the consensus today: I didn’t think the puzzle was overly special, indeed rather below average for a Campbell. But were there not days for rough pebbles, how would one spot gems? Podium places for me went to 12a (good surface read & misdirection), 15a (great misdirection) and 1d (for me, sailor serves twice, both in the definition and wordplay).

    1.5* / 2*

    Many thanks to Campbell and, once again, to Falcon

    1. Thank you for the kind words. As for 1d, having guessed the answer from the checkers, I also initially saw sailor as part of the definition. However, it is not vital to the definition while being essential to the wordplay. We can think of it as a clever way to hide the definition.

      2. I have been remiss, Falcon. I did not congratulate you on your anniversary so I do so now. As others have said, your dedication is recognised by us all and we mere mortals are grateful for it. It is folk like yourself that make this blog a wonderful, friendly place and long may you continue.

    1. Well spotted. I knew how to pronounce the German name, if not how to spell it, and still didn’t see the pun.

    2. Great spot. I’m afraid my German is rudimentary to say the least. I also expect the pun works far better with a British accent than with a Canadian one.

  7. What a thoroughly enjoyable guzzle that was, with a variety of clue types a helping of General Knowledge and enoygh challenge to make you scratch your head occasionally. My COTD is 21a because I thought the surace tmread was so good but I cthought 8a was a good hybrid of charade and homophone too. 16d and 13d were good lego clues too. Thanks to Falcon and thank you for your long service to the blog. Thanks to Campbell for another well-balanced Monday guzzle.

  8. Very enjoyable Monday fare, perhaps a little heavy on the GK, but that’s OK by me. The only one I really struggled with and my LOI was 19d. The synonym for concern didn’t occur to me at all. Difficult to choose a podium today, but I’ll go for 4d, 16d and top spot for 26a. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon. ( A small point, but the top Quickie Pun is plural!)

  10. A fairly standard enjoyable Monday puzzle – thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
    Top clues for me were 15a, 5d and 22d.

  11. Campbell at his best.
    In a strong field my podium is 12&29a plus 18d with top spot the excellent 8a.
    Many thanks setter and blogger, the latter congratulations too on your milestone.

  12. Not an unaided solve for me today because I forgot the seabird and had to look it up. Other than that, a delightful offering from Campbell to get the week off to a good start. I have ticks all over the paper. I loved the backing group in 12a and the captivating musical at 3d but my COTD is the architect dressed in delicate material at 16d.

    I am pleased to say I have never watched a single episode of 10a.

    Thank you, Campbell for the fun. Thank you, Falcon for the hints, which I will now read.

    A sunny day so far in The Marches so I will have to think about getting in the garden to do some digging.

        1. Yes, I always enjoy the Great British Sewing Bee and I’m also quite a fan of Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing.

    3. Aah but how can you be pleased without actually sampling? That’s like saying you do not liking sprouts without tasting them! 😋😉🤣

  14. I thought this was a particularly good Monday offering and most of the clues worthy of mention. The online weather phenomenon was a very good spot by our setter and I also gave double ticks to 15,21&29a.

    Many thanks to Campbell for a great start to the non-working week and also to Falcon for the review – well done indeed for your long-standing commitment to the blog, it’s greatly appreciated.

  16. Thank you Falcon for all of your blogs….long may they (and you) continue.

    I do not normally get on with Campbell, but I may be learning to as today’s puzzle went in reasonably quickly and very enjoyably. My hold ups were 18d and last one in 6d…but I got them unaided eventually.
    Liked 14a ….and many others.

    Thanks to Falcon and to Campbell.

    Lovely day here…at the moment….tossing up whether to put the washing out or not. It absolutely teemed down last night, so everything is still pretty wet.
    That’s autumn, I guess,

  17. Enjoyable puzzle with some welcome GK
    Dictionary interpretations aside, I would point out however that 1d is not a soldier! If you call a 1d ‘soldier’, you will likely upset them.
    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon (for the helpful hints over the years)

    1. I wondered about that Marks, particularly as their signature march is , “A Life on the Ocean Wave”. Thanks for putting my mind at rest.

    3. I think the 1ds operate on land and sea. So maybe as Mustafa says, the definition is ‘soldier and sailor’, with the word ‘sailor’ overlapping the wordplay (i.e. used twice).

      1. As I understand cryptic crossword convention, such double use is not permitted. Therefore we must assign the word ‘sailor’ to one or the other and since the wordplay is incomplete without it, it must go there.

  18. Spot on for a Monday puzzle, nothing obscure,
    Liked 6d,10a and I4-a proper Dickensian name,16d my favourite.
    Going for a **/****’
    Excellent quickie puns, especially the bottom line.

  19. Funny one as in peculiar! I usually work puzzles fairly regularly from top to bottom. Got 4a then assumed wrongly that I was looking for shameful in 8a, and so on in the NW which failed to do anything for me. But half way through realised I’d done all the right side and none of the left. However working the left/West from bottom to top finished fairly quickly, having found finally Campbell’s wavelength. LOI was 12a. I’ll put that as fave, but hon mentions go to 15a, 17a, 13d, 20d.
    Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for his longevity and for the blog!

  20. A gentle start but I’m glad I knew my upside down birds as the solution was new to me. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  21. Well this should be a Campbell today and I’d say he’s upped his difficulty meter this week. Some tricky clues to parse as well as a couple of gimme’s. Only two words I did not know and one of them was last in.

    2.5*/3.5* for me

    Favourites include 14a, 17a, 23a, 25a, 6d & 16d — with winner 14a

    Thanks to Campbell & Falcon for hints/blog

  22. Firstly congratulations on the anniversary- what a successful site you have built up. I think many of us only survived lockdown with access to your site and the friends we made all round the world. It is sad that some have gone- but other wonderful volunteers seem to emerge. We may not say if often, but we love you all😘
    To the puzzle. Fairly raced through this until I got to the bottom when I slowed down a bit. Lots of great clues but I think 16d was favourite. Last one in was 12d, it’s always the little 3 letter jobs that catch me. I am tickled to bits as this morning I finished yesterday’s Toughie. Such a sense of achievement and, of course, don’t tell Steve but it gives me another shot at his mythical. Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

    1. Seconded your first sentence. I posted before reading the hints, so here’s to you Falcon, well done. Love your hints, so helpful.

    2. Congrats on getting there with the Toughie, I will stop hinting them if you win another pen before I do! ✒️😁😘
      Todays puzzle was a treat and it was a pleasure to solve before work, nice to see one of the subjects of Alchemi’s final NTSPP again, I too first encountered the reversed bird on a ferry from Ullapool, I wonder if we were on the same trip?
      Thanjs to Campbell and Falcon “Lang may your Lum Reek”

        1. Not impossible, I have been to Ullapool quite a few times, cycling the Western Isles from. Arran to The Butt of Lewis and numerous Munro Bagging trips. I remember that the Tourist Information Office had a picture of a boat trip where there was a man who was my doppelganger, only his camera was different to mine. We were staying in Plockton in 1998 which was just after Hamish Macbeth was filmed there

          1. Loved Plockton! Godson’s mother and I celebrated our 60th birthdays in the north, she lived at Garve then, since moved to Nairn. There were quite a lot of us from parts foreign and day trips were planned, a memorable fortnight. Another year we rented a car in Glasgow and drove the west coast, north coast and then to Edinburgh. Beautiful country.

    3. Leave my Mythical alone, DG! It’s mine I tell you! Mine! Ha ha ha!
      (Do take your blue pill, dear). 😁

  23. Gentle relief after last Thursday and Friday. I didn’t like 8a, too oblique, but the writer / architect was nice!

  24. Worked my way fairly painlessly through South then ploughed through the North but without much fun overall en route. 18d bunged in as concern didn’t occur to me. 1d nearest thing to a Fav. Thank you Campbell and Falcon to whom congratulations on your hinting anniversary 🎈👏🎈.

  25. Thanks Campbell for such great clues (but 8a tripped me up … left field!?). And thanks Falcon for the stats … always interested in how many people read the blog. Would also like to know numbers entering the Saturday and Sunday prize competitions .. perhaps Chris Lancaster can advise!?

  26. A bit of a slog to be honest, and definitely not a gentle Monday, but I fear they have disappeared into the distant future. My aversion to reality TV and all things sports related always lets me down. Anything I know about cricket and unusual bird names I have learnt here. Not a Dickens fan either, I always find his works so depressing. So clearly not my cup of tea today. Thanks to Campbell for the exercise, and to Falcon, with thanks and best wishes for your many years of helping us less talented solvers to fill in the boxes.

    1. We now have a cricket league in the US, mainly patronized by Indians, and I’m sure the West Indians will follow shortly. I used to enjoy watching a cricket match, I remember when UK vs West Indies was held at Sabina Park in Kingston. Lots of fun.

      1. Merusa, when I lived in New York several moons ago via an English friend I supported a cricket team there which of course comprised mainly Expats but there were several other teams against which we/they were able to play. I was in fact in my school cricket team but didn’t offer my services in N.Y.! 🏏.

  27. As I usually suck salt with Campbell, I was pleased that I finished, albeit with much help from wordsearch in the SE. I’ve never heard of 10a, google confirmed it … is it a Brit show? I liked 27d, I remember seeing them on a boat trip at Ullapool one year. As always, loved the Dickens character at 14a, he had the most wonderful names for his characters. Isn’t 26a an American word? The musical at 3d was lovely, a long time ago it was.
    Thanks to Campbell, and much appreciation to Falcon, whose hints and tips I’ll now read.

    1. The reality TV show was developed in the Netherlands and has been franchised to more than 60 countries around the globe.

  28. Must be me, I found this extremely difficult to the extent I was unable to finish. Just couldn’t get on to the setters wavelength at all.
    ****/*

    1. Just realised it was a Campbell, if I had realised I wouldn’t even have started to try. His puzzles are always an anathema to me.

      1. Oh steady on Brian! Even I managed over three-quarters of it before needing to resort to Bradford’s and the hints.

        Congratulations and many thanks to Falcon for your sterling service over the last 13 years. Much appreciated. Thanks also to the setter Campbell?

    3. I couldn’t finish without the hints either Brian. And now I see the answers I realise that I would never have got them, clearly in a different wavelength. Glad that some found it easier, but everyone is different.

      1. I find Campbell rather like trying to hold a jellyfish, but today I was lucky enough to get enough toehold. It was the SE that really held me up, without word search I would not have finished.

  29. I found it difficult too. Couldn’t fathom 18d or 27d. I must remember the birds for next time! Thank you to the setter and hinter.

  30. 3/2. A DNF for me. I struggled with the SE quadrant in particular. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon for the hints which were much needed.

  31. Well I got there in the end, which I am pleased with. I thought it was on the tough side but that might be a wavelength thing and all the answers and clues were fair. I was also very busy today, walking rescue dogs and then gardening (making the most of the glorious day we had today in the Chilterns) and even got my washing dry, meaning I had several brief visits. Some really clever clues particularly 12a and 16d, the latter being my favourite. I needed the hints to explain how I got to 18d.

    Many thanks to Campbell and an extra big thank you and congratulations to Falcon for your long service to the blog and for the fantastic hints and pics. Thank you also to all the bloggers new and old and others behind the scenes that keep the site running so seamlessly – I am sure there are many frantic moments behind the scenes that none of the rest of us are aware of.

  32. Typical Campbell, mainly straightforward with a few googlies thrown in, which reminds me of Muralitharan he looked like a chucker to me! Didn’t like 9a or 18d much but hey ho I don’t normally get on with Campbell at all. Favourite was 16d. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon to whom I add my congratulations.

  33. I’m in the found it difficult crew, only managed about half and gave up, other things to do , like breathing for instance. Thanks to all.

  34. Many congratulations to Falcon on his anniversary and hope there are many more to come…..fairly straightforward today with a few old chestnuts but v enjoyable nonetheless!

  35. Congratulations on 13 years of blogging Falcon. That’s impressive, and appreciated by a lot of people I am sure. I did wonder whether Campbell might have had a recent trip to America when doing this puzzle (8a, 26a, half of 15a (if read in the sense of smart meaning stylish), 12d). Even 1d seems American despite the fact it’s in the job title because we have tended to use an eight letter word beginning with c. Not as easy for me as most seem to have found it. Needed a few hints to speed things up, e.g. the American road, and to parse the (for me, stretched) shameful shout (thanks Falcon). Like others I’ve never watched 10a, and I don’t know anyone who has.

    1. Didn’t get a chance to comment yesterday. Congratulations on reaching such an anniversary. Reckon I’ve an above average chance of getting the hang of it if I get anywhere near the number of blogs that you must have done. Many thanks
      Really enjoyed the puzzle too. I was in the top notch camp & loved the middle Quickie pun which I didn’t spot

  38. Nobody else seems to find this a problem, but could someone explain the connection between BLOWFLY and SIX-FOOTER (15a).

    1. This needed moderation because you’ve expanded your alias. You’ll no longer be confused with our other Brian.
      BLOW is a hit and FLY (as an adjective) means smart or shrewd. A blowfly (like all insects) has six feet.

    2. I couldn’t get it either, even with the hints and tips – but when I looked at the answer, it was a “Derr” moment. I was so fixated on stature…. Very clever misdirection

  40. I’m not a very skilled crossworder, but I generally get on quite well with Monday’s. However, I could not solve 18D. I worked out ‘trad’ for old, but how can ‘page’, inserted upwards, have anything to do with concern?

    1. Good attempt but you have the wrong ‘old’.

      The clue parses as PART (concern) containing (hiding) AGED (old), with the whole lot reversed (raised).

      From Collins Thesaurus:

      Part (noun) is used in the sense of side.
      Example: There’s no hurry on my part.
      Synonyms: side, party, interest, cause, concern, behalf, faction

      1. Ahh thank you! I haven’t come across part as a synonym for concern before. My initial thoughts were focused around ‘care’ for concern, and I began to wonder if ‘rac’ was an obsolete term for deficit!

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