DT 30475 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30475

by Huntsman  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30,475
Hints and tips by Huntsman

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

Another miserable rainy day of Stygian gloom here in Harpenden – give me crisp & cold any day providing there’s no white stuff – so it’s an opportunity to catch up on films at the cinema. Yesterday we saw this year’s deserved Palme d’Or winner, Anatomy Of A Fall, which is a tremendous French courtroom drama. A terrific script, well directed & with some excellent performances (not least by the dog) it’s heartily recommended.

Maybe I’m feeling a little grouchy this morning but I can’t say I was overly taken with today’s AP guzzle. There did seem to be an awful lot of answers ending in ED (8 in all) & I thought it lacked his usual humour. It was, of course, precisely clued & a wee bit trickier than yesterday perhaps but still on the gentle side.

In the following hints definitions are underlined, indicators are mostly in parentheses, and answers are revealed by clicking where shown as usual. Please leave a comment below on how you got on with the puzzle.

Across

1a Jostle the Spanish crook (5)
ELBOW: the in Spanish (masculine) + another word for crook or bend.

4a Shocks gentlemen with awards, by the sound of it (9)
SURPRISES: link homophones of synonyms for gentlemen & awards.

9a Gushing movement in each lake (9)
EMOTIONAL: insert a synonym for movement into a two letter abbreviation for EAch then append the single letter for Lake.

10a Lecture companion that is pinching diamonds (5)
CHIDE: the initials that the companion/rank here (one of only sixty five at any one time apparently) wear after their name. Add the usual two letters for THAT IS with the single letter for Diamonds (cards) inserted (pinching) in between.

11a One might admit you agree terms to an extent (7)
GREETER: a lurker (to an extent) found in the words between the definition & indicator.

12a Suggest a very boring trip (7)
ADVANCE: A from the clue + a not immediately obvious synonym for trip (think the light fantastic) into which you insert the single letter for Very.

13a Tons requested to be burdened with work (6)
TASKED: the single letter for Tons + another word for requested.

15a Student justifying what he is doing? (8)
LEARNING: a cryptic definition – the usual letter for student + a synonym for justifying. Given the debt they take on board going to university nowadays hopefully they get round to doing a good deal more of it than I did in the good old days of grants & no fees.

18a Contrasted flipping old Conservative politician with a socialist(8)
COMPARED: reverse (flipping) the single letter for Old & for Conservative, add the abbreviation for a constituency elected politician + A in the clue, then append the colour associated with a socialist.

20a Lowers cold beer, with teetotaller entering (6)
CATTLE: insert the abbreviation for teetotaller into a word for beer & prefix with the single letter for Cold.

23a About to get a new house (7)
COTTAGE: the single letter for about + an anagram (new) of TO GET A.

24a Go angling twice initially with lure (7)
ATTEMPT: the first letters (initially) of Angling Twice + another word for lure.

26a After drink, fancy that card game (5)
RUMMY: an alcoholic drink + an expression of surprise meaning fancy that.

27a Put off by my own influence (9)
DETERMINE: a synonym for to put off + a pronoun for my own.

28a Stooped, but no convict fell (9)
DESCENDED: remove the usual abbreviation for a convict from the front of a synonym for stooped. Took a moment to twig this one.

29a Sees Democrat consumed small fruit (5)
DATES: the single letter for Democrat + a synonym for consumed + the single letter for Small. I think there are definitions at both front & rear here.

 

Down
1d English get nicer stews full of beans (9)
ENERGETIC: the single letter for English + an anagram (stews) of GET NICER. Neat indicator adding to the surface.

2d Revealed bust (5)
BROKE: double definition – the first in the context a news story perhaps.

3d American painter’s short pipe (7)
WHISTLE: truncate (short) the surname of the fella that painted his ma in 1871.

4d Watch son coming onto the stage (6)
SENTRY: the single letter for Son + a word for coming onto the stage. The definition is a noun rather than a verb.

5d Made public embarrassed about rent (8)
RELEASED : place a word for embarrassed around (about) a synonym for rent.

6d What patients hope to do? Put up hospital department shelter (7)
RECOVER : reverse (put up) the acronym for what they call A&E over the pond + a synonym for shelter.

7d Work is nicest time for boffin (9)
SCIENTIST: an anagram (work) of IS NICEST + the single letter for Time.

8d Watched broadcast – section of Hamlet? (5)
SCENE: a homophone (broadcast) of a word for watched.

14d I seem most agitated on occasion (9)
SOMETIMES: an anagram (agitated) of I SEEM MOST.

16d Prowess shown by bighead after split  (9)
GREATNESS: divide bighead into two words then link synonyms for each, the latter in the context of a promontory.

17d Record finished after daughter rested (8)
DEPENDED: the single letter for Daughter + the acronym for a record longer than a single but shorter than an album + a word for finished giving a definition in the sense of hinged or relied on.

19d Review any ales drunk (7)
ANALYSE: an anagram (drunk) of ANY ALES.

21d Hesitated, topless, getting changed (7)
ALTERED: remove the first letter (topless) from a synonym for hesitated.

22d Left section with editor (6)
PARTED: a word meaning section + the usual abbreviation for the newspaper boss.

23d Was concerned about cutting scoundrel (5)
CARED: insert (cutting) a two letter preposition for about into a somewhat dated word for a scoundrel.

25d One enters considerably damp  (5)

MOIST: insert (enters) the letter that can represent one into another word that could mean considerably.

 

No standout fav today but I did like 12&28a & the surface at 1d. Which ones earned ticks on your page?

 

Today’s Quick Crossword pun: KEY+ LOW+ HURTS = KILOHERTZ

 

86 comments on “DT 30475”

  1. Very much a ‘bung a word in and then work backwards to find out why’ type of puzzle for me today. Absolutely hated it at first, but gradually warmed to it as I progressed, but still can’t really say it was one for me.
    Last one in was 29a which finally clicked into place after a lot of head scratching,
    easy when you know the answer though.
    Just plucking up the enthusiasm to do the daily couple of miles walking to keep the backache and beer belly away, happiness is far from a cold drizzly day in Sandhurst,
    at least I won’t have to listen to all the inane Christmas pap on the radio whilst out in the open air.

          1. Wonderful song! As a student I was travelling back to Guy’s when the train crossed the Thames. There had been a storm and the clouds were clearing. As the evening sun broke through “Waterloo Sunset” came on the radio. It was a magical moment and I have loved the song ever since. It reminds me of my student days in bedsits.

            1. Did you do dentistry at Guys because I was at Guys and qualified BDS in 1969. Waterloo Sunset was my era.?

              1. Yes. I qualified in 1971 so a couple of years after you. Great days! I remember the Smiths bookshop on campus where you could buy hardback exercise books with the Guys crest engraved on the front.
                Then there was the wonderful Spit for breakfast. 👍

                1. Would you believe that we have kept our yearly reunion going since qualifying. We have had weekends away for anniversary years and troubled favoured tutors to spend time with us. The only time I took breakfast in the Spit was on Fridays when I got up very early for the Bermondsey Street Antiques market and the odd weekend when doing house jobs.

                  1. Sadly, I did not attend our reunions early on. However, I have made up for it by contacting Guy’s friends and arranging yearly get togethers for the past 10 years.

                    I wish I’d known about the antique market! I later became a dealer in antiques specialising in Tunbridge Ware.

  2. Well, that was a breeze with AP at his most gentle. It lacked its usual sparkle and charm but a nice workout, nonetheless.

    15a is having a good run-out at the moment. It must be knackered. 27a is also filling its boots.

    My podium is 1a, 1d & 26a

    Many thanks to AP and Hintsman

    1*/3*

    1. TDS65. You’re a bit of a wordsmith/grammarian – over on yesterday’s RC I’ve just used the phrase “mini-spate” in a comment. On reflection, I’m not sure it’s a good term to unleash in public? Expert opinion required …

      1. I think you know the answer, J.

        As it means a sudden burst, rush or outpouring, it should be a short word. So, adding to it weakens it. Pleonasms are everywhere, which irritated me at first, but I’ve made my peace with it.

        It’s been said many times before but I love the irony of abbreviation being a long word.

        1. Aye, happen you’re right. I myself, and I stress just me, personally don’t mind a bit of pleonasm. :-)

          1. Don’t get me started on the overuse of myself.

            Harrumph!

            I’ve just looked up the origin of spate and it’s unknown which intrigues me.

            So, adding a prefix takes the sparkle off this unearthed gem.

  3. 1*/3.5*. Light and fun apart from a slap on the wrist for the unindicated Americanism in 6d.

    Although it doesn’t bother me, it was interesting to see the “lift and separate” device nicely indicated in 16d.

    My podium selection is 1a, 20a & 24a.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Hintsman.

  4. Enjoyable and gentle, quite typical Tuesday fare I thought. Nothing requiring more than the most basic GK, straightforward synonyms, all very fairly and precisely clued: all in all, an archetypal DT backpager. Podium places to 1a, 20a (amusing surface) and 21d (ditto).

    1* / 2.5*

    Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman

  6. A tricky puzzle. Not only were there eight answers ending in ED as Huntsman pointed out, there were twelve E checking letters.

    My favourite 20a.

    Sunny days here in NE Scotland with no frost along the coast. Advised not to go to volunteering at Fyvie Castle due to icy roads.

    Thanks to setter and Huntsman.

  7. I’m afraid this didn’t float my boat at all – like others, got the answers and then had to work out why and sometimes I didn’t think they were very clever, sorry. I’m in a bad mood having had to cancel a holiday to the Canaries leaving on Thursday as there is something very wrong with my left leg. Its interrupting my sleep making me even more tetchy so I probably should just shut up as today I’m finding the infernal ads annoying. Thanks to Huntsman for the hints and film recommendation – will seek it out if only to see the dog!

    1. Alternative to seeing ads is paying more. Would that put you in a better mood?

      Sorry about the trip to the Canaries.

        1. Wot, you’re not going to send off for a 1 piece Cryptex Da Vinci Code mini lock with hidden compartment for £28.49? There’s no pleasing some folk! :-)

            1. Sorry to hear about the leg. I hope it is nothing too serious. I agree with you about the ads….one of mine showed what looked like a belly button attached to a belt!

      2. I don’t see adverts here, or indeed almost anywhere on the internet: whether or not they appear is pretty much at the whim of the user.

        On the other hand I recognise that a site such as this is so very precious and important that it needs to pay its own way.

        I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling quite happy to make a donation towards the running costs of Big Dave 44.com (especially if it removes the general need for the hosting of adverts) and would welcome the facility to do so – as long as it does not require Paypal, which I do not use.

        1. I’m with you Mustafa, would happily make a donation if we could remove the adverts. I wonder how much the annual running costs are? I reckon a GoFundMe page would soon get the required amount.

          1. Hear hear. I would also happily pay a subscription but how many would? Casual visitors would probably not consider it.

    2. Count me into dear, poor you. Hope the leg gets better soon and the holiday can be taken later.

  8. Typically Tuesdayish – not one of Mr Plumb’s most entertaining but still good fun – 1.5*/3*

    I agree with our blogger on the number of ‘ED’ endings, a bit like pluralising to make a word long enough to fit.

    Candidates for favourite – 12a, 18a, 26a, 3d, and 23d – and the winner is 23d.

    Thanks to AP and thanks to Huntsman.

  9. An early start and an early finish on this fairly light Tuesday puzzle, only the “lowers” caused me pause on this grey and miserable say here too

  10. Was fairly pressed for time this AM, so enjoyed this.
    Had to think hard about the synonym at 8d, and liked 17d too. Also liked 28a and12a. Delighted to see that Huntsman also saw “light fantastic” in 12a, which was my penny drop! Fave is nevertheless 20a.
    Many thanks to AP and to Huntsman.

  11. A pleasant puzzle but not one that will last long in the memory – thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
    I liked 12a and 24a.

  12. Light and good fun, with very few hold-ups during the solving process. 1d read nicely, but my favourite was 12a.

    My thanks to Mr P and The Hintsman.

  13. I didn’t find this quite the walk in the park as others. I found it quite challenging. 1d was my favorite

  14. 12a is my favourite today with 28a and 5d as honourable mentions in a not as easy crossword as some have suggested.

    Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.

  15. Bit of a fizzle this one. Was surprised to find I’d finished it in a wholly anticlimactic way. 24a probably my favourite for the lovely surface.

    [Tiny correction needed to the hint for 7d, which is labelled as 7a]

  17. Like Rp above, I found this quite a challenge but always smile at our compiler’s use of Americanisms. RD has already pointed out the one in 6d where any excuse to see a pic of Mr Clooney makes it fine with me, but, although the BRB doesn’t concur, I’ve always associated 11a with our friends across the pond as well.
    Ticks here went to 26a and 4d, the latter because that’s exactly what my daughter and son-in-law will be doing tomorrow as their son takes part in his school Christmas play.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and to Huntsman for the review.

  18. Enjoyable and a pretty quick solve, but in my opinion no really outstanding clues but all of them fair.
    Thanks to setter and Huntsman

    Ps Huntsman – I think your clue to 13a is a bit of a giveaway – did you mean to say “+ another word for requested” 😉

  19. Unaccustomed as I am to doing the crossword online, I managed to confuse myself totally. Having struggled to complete half of the crossword which presented itself to me, I decided that it is not Tuesday, or I was doing the Toughie. Indeed I was.
    After admonishing myself in the manner of Captain Mainwaring to Pike, I found today’s cryptic. This was quite a relief.
    All fell into place fairly swiftly, and the only delay was caused by my determination to start 22d with the wrong letter whilst 24a eluded me.
    It’s a damp day in The Cotswolds, but warmer. Like Huntsman I prefer a clear crisp day, but not the weather that our friends in Cumberland have suffered.

  20. A typical Tuesday puzzle it would seem today. Solved this west to east with the SE last to finish. That one had the top favourite in it too. No strange or tricky words today either.

    1.5*/4* for me.

    Favourites include 4a, 20a, 1d, 5d & 7d — with the clear winner by a country mile 20a.

    Thanks to AP and Huntsman for blog/hints

  22. Huntsman, slightly off topic, but I was in the Odyssey last night too to see Anatomy of a Fall. Agree great film, thanks for your clues to today’s crossword.

    2. I was slightly surprised to see how busy it was – downstairs was as good as full & a tad too noisy in consequence. I’m going to the Thursday matinee to see the Scorsese film even though I think it’s a nonsense that the distributors have not allowed cinemas to schedule an intermission.

    1. And I can’t seem to make it do so in the format it’s supposed to. It looks fine at my end. Where’s Gazza when you need him?

  24. 1.5/2.5. Apart from 20a this was quite a bland puzzle. Too much reverse engineering to parse some of my answers. Not my cup of tea really. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman. Our first atmospheric river of the fall has arrived and will no doubt create havoc. It’s either feast or famine with the weather in BC.

  25. Unlike some above, I really enjoyed today’s offering, especially coming after a pleasant Monday puzzle. Nothing too esoteric or requiring a deep dive into GK, always a relief. A couple when I penned in the answers and then had to go to the hint to verify. If this trend continues this week I would be one very happy solver. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.

  26. Although I appreciate a solvable puzzle I agree this one lacked sparkle 🤔 **/*** Favourites 20a and 1d Thanks to the Huntsman and to the Compiler. I will probably be rueing my words by the end of the week😬

  27. I am relieved to find I am not alone in having found today’s challenge unremarkable. It took dogged determination to get through it. Wonder if “justifying” in 15a is appropriate as for “rested” in 17d. Didn’t fully parse 28a. Here’s to more in the way of fun tomorrow. Struggled with pun as I had wrong word for 5a. Thank you MrP and Huntsman.

  28. Enjoyable but I agree with Tipcat in that I too had a lot of reverse parsing going on. I can’t say Enjoyed it that much but I really cannot put my finger on a reason why. Maybe it’s the weather, which is cold, damp and muddy in The Marches. No favourites today.

    Many thanks to the setter for the guzzle and Hintsman for the hunts.

  29. If you have the time try today’s Donnybrook Toughie. It’s not that difficult and far more rewarding

  30. Well, I liked it! Translation: I was able to complete it without help, though I did get one wrong. I do agree the answers took some working out. I liked both the “lowers” at 20a and the “trip” at 12a.
    Thanks to AP for the fun and Huntsman for the enlightenment. Who is that handsome hunk at 6d, be still my heart!

        1. I’m afraid that lady lawyer has whisked him away from both of us – and probably several thousand other devotees!

  31. Hust manged to get onto the blog sitecafter 2 days of intermittent internet signal courtesy of BT servicing work. As everyone else has said, the repetitious endong -ed and the plthoracof E checkers made rhis puzzle less smooth than the usual Tuesday guzzle. The 4a homophone was good fun and the lost letter at 3d wirh the GK to enliven the clue. I agree with RD about the und3clared American term for A and E. Thnks to AP and to Huntsman for the hints.

    1. CeeCee – you have excelled yourself here.
      I wonder if endong and plthoracof should go in The Lexicon. I love you. You make me smile.

  32. I quite enjoyed this one – didn’t feel terribly exciting but at least I could do it so good for me!
    I do agree that there were lots of “ed’s” and it takes lots of anything for me to notice!!
    I liked 9 and 18a and 2 and 3d. My favourite was 7d if only because our Elder Lamb is one!!
    Thank you to the setter for the crossword and to Huntsman for the hints.

  33. Completed without too many hitches, but I did need the hints to explain several parsings. No real favourites today.

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

  34. Good evening
    I was happy with today’s crozzie; just the right mix of gentleness and trickery (eg the misdirection in 20a) for a Tuesday.
    My thanks to our compiler and to Huntsman

  35. Started off quickly slowed down and finished quickly, how does that work? OK for a Tuesday with some really good clues. Had trouble parsing 16d until the penny dropped so cotd. Thanks to the setter and and Hintsman.

  36. Not on even the same planet as the setter, let alone their wavelength.

    Probably got a few clues in the west, but otherwise a washout.

    Thanks to all.

    1. Obviously on my own in finding this very very hard.

      Replying to myself to point out if the awful and intrusive adverts continue, I will just use Danword.

      I will happily pay a subscription rather see these adverts.

  37. My mind was on getting the last of the Christmas present shopping in today so bit of a sloppy start but since daughter drove John and I to Bluewater I was able to finish the puzzle in the car. Give it 2 star for difficulty but found it a bit patchy. Some clues were obvious and others seemed a bit odd . Liked 16d but no other stand out ticks. Nevertheless, it made the journey pass quite pleasantly which for being on the M25 says a lot in its favour. Grateful thanks to all involved.

  38. Folk are moaning about the adverts and I understand why. They can be intrusive but I am not overly troubled by them. A member of the commentariat stated recently that he or she used DuckDuckGo as a browser and found the adverts did not intrude as much. I also use DuckDuckGo. It doesn’t track your web browsing and blocks unwanted content. I do get adverts but not every time I click a link.

    Worth a look

    https://duckduckgo.com/&

    1. Thanks. I’ll get Godson to look at it, I dare not add anything without the “nod”. However, the ads don’t really annoy me much, I just scroll through them. I know Mr. K is doing his best to keep us on air without too much inconvenience, for which I thank him.

    2. I try to just ignore them. Blxxxy things get everywhere. But nothing can deter me from my daily fix.

  39. Well I think I am just tired and disgruntled. Went to meet a friend in Saffron Walden for lunch then had a Rotary dinner this evening and have consumed too many calories. I don’t think have ever said I disliked a crossword – they are not there to be liked or disliked – just solved. Sometimes they are sparkling and crackling with cleverness. And I really don’t want to upset the setters who work so tirelessly to give us an hour’s fun. They cannot sparkle all the time. I did finish it without having to do a reveal but I don’t have any favourites today. Bon door. Amazing. Where did that come from. Bon soir!

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