DT 30514 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30514

by Mr K  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30514

Hints and tips by Mr K

+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +

BD Rating  -  Difficulty **** -  Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone. Its Friday, so we expect a puzzle that’s more challenging that those offered in the past few days, and that’s what we’ve been given. I was not on the right wavelength today, so it took longer than normal to get everything slotted into the grid and then parsed. 

In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it or display a bonus illustration and a hover (computer) or long press (mobile) might explain more about the picture. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

 

Across

1a    Mislaid luggage containing uniform -- they really are useless (4,6)
LOST CAUSES:  Mislaid or missing with some luggage containing the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by uniform 

6a    Something for the collection when in church? (4)
CASH:  A synonym of when inserted in the map abbreviation for church. The definition refers to the wordplay part of the clue 

9a    Perfume wrapped by inamorata spilled over (5)
AROMA:  The answer is hidden in the reversal (wrapped by … spilled over) of INAMORATA 

10a   Frisky sisters, e.g.? (9)
TIGRESSES:  The wordplay is an anagram (frisky) of SISTERS EG. The entire clue can serve as the definition 

12a   Soul mate offering warm wine and whisky? (7,6)
KINDRED SPIRIT:  Link together warm or caring, a generic type of wine, and what whisky defines by example (?) 

14a   Knight leading headless riders, looters from a cold land (8)
NORSEMEN:  The chess abbreviation for knight with some riders of animals minus their first letter (headless) 

15a   Dictate or babble, penning article (6)
ORDAIN:  OR from the clue with babble or noise containing (penning) a grammatical article 

17a   Vet disheartened, seeing this little beast (6)
INSECT:  Vet or examine minus its central letter (disheartened) 

19a   Round one, gripping -- good to punch bully with bit of a sock (8)
COGWHEEL:  The single letter for good is inserted in (to punch) bully or intimidate, and that’s all followed by the bit that’s found roughly in the middle of a sock 

21a   Dear me! Short story with element of value? (8,5)
PRECIOUS METAL:  Assemble dear or valuable, ME from the clue, and all but the last letter (short) of another word for story 

24a   Number viewed entertaining contest (9)
SEVENTEEN:  Viewed or observed containing (entertaining) a contest or happening 

25a   Kick out swimmer that's pinched ten pence (5)
EXPEL:  A long thin fish (swimmer) containing (that’s pinched) both the Roman ten and the single letter for pence 

26a   Record is broken by Washington? On the contrary (4)
DISC:  On the contrary tells to invert the wordplay to “Washington broken by is”, so here we want an abbreviation for Washington (not the state) containing (broken by) IS from the clue 

27a   Commercial outfit rejected notice -- receivers needed! (10)
ADDRESSEES:  Cement together a short word for a commercial, outfit or clothing, and the reversal (rejected) of notice or watch 

 

Down

1d    This will raise flab -- only take alternate slices (4)
LOAF:  The wordplay tells us to reverse (raise) FLAB ONLY and then take alternate letters of the resulting letter combination. The entire clue can serve as the definition. 

2d    Sport where player in difficulty may take a rest (7)
SNOOKER:  A cryptic definition of a sport or game where a player might need a rest to execute a shot getting them out of a tight spot 

3d    Row about engagement, one thing leading to another (5,8)
CHAIN REACTION:  Combine a row or string, about or concerning, and engagement or fight 

4d    Crushed nut under stone shouldn't be left like this? (8)
UNTURNED:  An anagram (crushed) of NUT UNDER. The definition refers to a phrase describing an exhaustive search   

5d    Editors divided over Telegraph's focus made slow progress (5)
EDGED:  Two copies of the abbreviation for editor are separated by (divided over) the central letter (…’s focus) of TELEGRAPH 

7d    Street paved with gold -- look up where? (7)
AUSTRIA:  The abbreviation for street is sitting below (paved with) the chemical symbol for gold, and that’s all followed by the reversal (up) of look or manner. Presumably there is a street (figuratively) paved with gold located somewhere in the answer, but I have not yet been able to find a convincing reference. The best I can do is this

8d    Warily touches it -- ant lying wingless (10)
HESITANTLY:  TOUCHES IT ANT LYING minus some letters at the front and the back of that character string (wingless) 

11d   Wearing old saucy cape, Joker finds authority questioned in court (6,7)
EXPERT WITNESS:  A joker or wag inserted in (wearing) the fusion of old or former, saucy or cheeky, and a cape or headland 

13d   Fashionable diamonds one's set poorly (10)
INDISPOSED:  Join together fashionable or trendy, the playing card abbreviation for diamonds, the Roman one with its ‘S from the clue, and set or asked

16d   More familiar  subject (8)
COMMONER:  A double definition, the second being a subject or citizen who is not noble

18d   Things in larder that woman adores, with nothing overlooked (7)
SHELVES:  A pronoun for “that woman” is followed by a synonym of adores minus the letter representing nothing (…. with nothing overlooked) 

20d   Dwarf prunes planted in eastern Spain (7)
ECLIPSE:  Prunes or trims is inserted between (planted in) the single letter for eastern and the IVR code for Spain 

22d   Out of bed, object finding place upside down (2-3)
UP-END:  A short word for “out of bed” with object or aim 

23d   Times changing angle gets benefit (4)
PLUS:  Find the answer by changing the angle of the symbol for times  Rotating TIMES = × by 45° gives + = PLUS

 

Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?

The Quick Crossword pun:  GOAT + WRECKING = GO TREKKING

99 comments on “DT 30514”

  2. Classy – pretty nigh on perfection, I thought. Velvety surfaces, masterful misdirection and buckets of variety. Loads of ticks and tricks from 1a on. A delightful all-in-one at 10a and a fun 11d but the immaculate 13d takes it for me. If I was going to nit-pick I might say the upside for **-*** in 22d is a slight shame and that the 7d definition (I can but applaud Mr K’s valiant explanation) is a tad broad but … I’m not going to. Because I absolutely loved it. Puzzle of the week for me. Huge thanks to the setter and Mr K, of course.

  3. A typical Friday scrap with me just coming out on top though I didn’t get 19a. One too far.

    Lego very much on display here with 11d being a perfect example.

    My podium is 1a, 17a and 2d.

    Many thanks to the setter and Mr K.

    3*/4*

  4. I just scraped through in *** time – just! At first I thought this was going to be impossible but one by one they fell. 23d is magnificent and my COTD. The others which took my fancy were 27a and 11d. The well concealed anagram in 4d took some spotting! Thanks Mr K and our illustrious setter.

  5. Like Jonners 1d spoiled my time. Quite a tease today but that’s Friday for you! 19a and 27a were good?
    Thanks to compiler.

  6. 4*/2*. I found a lot of this quite tough particularly in the bottom half, and it didn’t really flow for me with a couple of hmms along the way.

    Initially I thought that 10a was rather odd, and there was nothing in the BRB to suggest otherwise. However, definition 2 in Collins did shed some light on this.

    For me “babble” is a bit of a stretch for “din” in 15a, and the definition for 19a felt somewhat clunky. Also, 7d seems a bit strange.

    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

  7. Hmms all over the place but I did get a smile from the mislaid luggage and the soul mate.

    Thanks to our setter – I’m guessing Zandio – and to Mr K whose felines are presumably hibernating, can’t say that I blame them!

  8. No surprises that, after Ray T’s generosity yesterday, we are ‘paying’ for it today with a more challenging puzzle. An X in the NE and one in the SE had me thinking proXXXXimal but those were the only two so I am leaning towards this being a Zandio production. ***/***

    With reference to 2d and in my less than humble opinion – any activity that allows, or at least used to allow, the consumption of often copious amounts of alcoholic beverages while participating in it is not a sport!

    No standout favourites but a smile or two 1a, 12a, and 16d.

    Thanks to Zandio, or whomsoever if it is not he and thanks to Mr K.

    1. Ha! As you say, they don’t any more (unless there’s vodka in that water). But, to be fair, the Tour de France used to be rife with it. And that is most certainly a sport. Water was, in fact, shunned. Poor old Tommy Simpson had had a right skinful before coming a cropper on Ventoux (not that it was the double brandies that did for him, of course).

      1. Interesting – presumably that was before alcohol was properly identified as a dehydrator/diuretic.

        1. Yes, completely bonkers. And worse, they actually thought water dehydrated you – because it made them sweat more! I think even leeches had more medical validity!

    2. I seem to remember that a snooker player (might possibly have been a darts player) used to claim the alcohol he drank during a contest on his tax returns as a business expense. He had a benign essential tremor for which small amounts of alcohol is the cure.

      Funny what sticks in your brain.

        1. From that unimpeachable source – ‘Doctors advised Werbeniuk to drink alcohol to counteract a familial benign essential tremor. Later in his career he also took propranolol, a beta blocker, to cope with the effects of his alcohol consumption on his heart.’

          From ‘Modern Drunkard’ Magazine:

          1. I’ll always remember Bill for his fizzog peering around the partition in the Crucible when his fellow countryman Cliff Thorburn, The Grinder, made that 1st ever World Championship maximum against Terry Griffiths & after fluking the opening red. If memory serves he potted a great yellow with big Bill in his eyeline willing him on from directly behind the yellow pocket. One many great Crucible memories for 2d fans. A bit harsh methinks to not think of it as a sport – mind you in the day most of comps were sponsored by the cigarette companies. I remember the 1980 world final between Higgins & Thorburn being interrupted by live coverage of the SAS storming the Iranian embassy – Clive James wrote a few days later in reference to the furious manner that Alex would puff on endless fags that never mind the SAS Alex could demolish an Embassy (the sponsors) in a minute.

      2. I believe you are referring to Bill Werbeniuk, Canadian snooker player. Ah! Someone got there before me.

  9. Really classy puzzle; great fun and a continuous challenge! As has been said, not wild about 7d, but what else could it be…? Many thanks.

  10. The paucity of anagrams plus the wonderful lego clues made this right up my street and with a couple of hmms along the way I loved it all and managed an unaided solve. I wasn’t sure about 19a because I was using the ‘with’ in the clue for the ‘w’ thus leaving me short of a bully, and I thought 22d was not up to the prevailing standard. That said my podium is overfull but I’ll go for 21a, 24a and 13d in no particular order. Many thanks to our setter for the absolute pleasure and Mr K for his much appreciated comprehensive review. ( What – no kitty pics?!)

  11. The end to an excellent week of puzzles and this one makes sure we end on a high. Just the right amount of challenge for a Friday.

    Apparently, Kohlmarkt is where the gold is, part of the ‘Golden U’ and isn’t just the gold that’s sold in shops – you’ll see golden street decorations and gilded shopfronts all the way down Kohlmarkt.

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K.

    p.s. I can recommend proXimal’s Toughie today which is also very accessible.

    1. Re the toughie – and it is great, I agree – but (and obviously we don’t want to give away anything here for those who haven’t looked at it yet) did you manage to parse 7d? Utterly beyond me. I’d never have got it without the checkers.

      1. No. I got the answer but the parsing eludes me. I can see ‘the amount’, but of what? Indeed unfathomable. I was hoping Dutch can explain. I’ll keep pondering…

        1. Phew! I’m glad it wasn’t just me. I’ve finally cracked the parsing – with some help. Fiendish to say the least.

            1. Exactly. Clever, thoughI’m not sure I love it. But I’d better shut up now as I know such toughie talk on here annoys some!

  12. A typical Friday puzzle and like Jane I was all over the place and also agreed like RD that the din in 15a was somewhat iffy.
    Anyway some excellent clues ,liked 12a 14a 16d 21a.
    Going for a ***/***

  13. My money is also on a Zandio production which I found surprisingly gentle for a Friday & a brisk solve until I came to last in 23d. Couldn’t parse it & not for the want of trying so it was a heads(alms) or tails (the answer) bung in coin toss & called it wrong so not an unaided finish sadly. Extremely enjoyable with 14a my pick from a good number of ✅s.
    Thanks to the setter & to Mr K – most particularly for that detailed explanation.

  14. There’s a lot to be said for “being on the right wavelength”; fortunately, today, I seemed to be and found this very enjoyable, exercising the grey matter sufficiently. Took me a while to rearrange for 10A and the first three letters of 19A eluded me until 16D was in.
    23D very cute and my COTD

    1. I’m with you all the way, RogueElement. After a massive edfort to get 16 clues in a guzzle whixhvwas far too rich for my blood, i decided that there was no point in wasting any more time on such an unenjoyable activity. Thanks to Mr K for the hints and to Zandio for his efforts.

  15. I really enjoyed today’s puzzle and , unusually for me, managed to complete it unaided including the parsings.
    Definitely on the right wavelength .

    Favourites 14a and 23d

    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K ….missing your cats, hope they are cosied up somewhere.

    Possibly slightly less cold here today but with a biting wind.

  16. For a Friday puzzle this one didn’t seem to be at the difficult end of the spectrum this week as far as I was concerned. Some good clueing in this one as well as the odd head scratcher.

    1.5*/3.5* for me

    Favourites include 12a, 25a, 27a, 3d & 23d — with winner 23d … I thought that was quite an ingenious clue.

    Thanks to setter & Mr K for hints/blog

  17. A top-notch puzzle – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
    I particularly liked 1a, 2d, 11d, 13d and 23d.

  19. Technically a DNF for me, beaten by 7d. But this was a lovely work-out.
    19 & 21a tickled me and I’m always going to be moved by a disheartened vet.
    Many thanks setter and Mr (bit light on the kitties)K.

  20. Good afternoon

    Well, what a little belter of a crozzie! Full marks for misdirection, wit, and brain-stretching.

    Several contenders for COTD: 2, 4, 11, and 23 down all up for it; 19a takes it though.

    One small issue with my parsing: 17a. Mr K helpfully has explained that one. My thanks to him, and to our compiler. I don’t normally hazard guesses as to the setter’s name; however today, it feels like a contest with the Mind of Zandio. We shall see…

  21. A cracking Friday puzzle, which feels like a Zandio to me. Great clues, a good challenge and an enjoyable tussle. I’ve ticked quite a few clues and will pick, somewhat arbitrarily, 1a as my favourite. 3.5*/4.5*.

  22. Hello, compiler here. Thanks very much for taking the time to solve, analyse and discuss. Have a great weekend.

    1. You stretched me on this one Zandio! Fortunately George guessed 19a. I knew today would cause wrinkles after the gentle week we have had. I really liked 12,14 an and 4d. Many thanks.

    2. Thank you for another fun but fiendish Friday workout, Zandio. I relish the tussle.

      I love the idea of the crossy getting progressively harder throughout the week. One feels that one has earned ones dash/nip/glass/half/stubby/schooner/pint/tallboy/flagon/pitcher/yard/gallon/vat of alcohol tonight.

      Hic!

      1. I’ll settle for bottle, and in this evening’s case, of Wine Society Corbieres, preceded by a G&T with their excellent value 50% gin!

  23. Merusa – I want to know what sort of literature you are reading to come up with absquatulate!
    Mind you, my dictionary does say American so hopefully I can avoid it! This took longer than usual, I got in a mess by getting 11d wrong but it eventually sorted itself out. Many thanks to Zandio and to Mr K, he missed a photo shot on 10d!

        1. Sorry – That’s Bibury!
          Are you referring to The Bilbury Chronicles by Vernon Coleman. Medusa?

  24. After a gentle week so far I suppose it was inevitable we would get a stickler and, wow, was it ever so but ‘twas nonetheless enjoyable for that. 10a and the 15a babble synonym IMHO are iffy. 2d nearest to a Fav for me. Thank you Zandio and MrK.

      1. D’oh I have just noticed MrK’s pun solution which of course gives me the answer to 3a. I hadn’t been able to get away from ‘shocking’ which clashed with 4d. Sorry to have wasted space.

  25. For me (AISFM) this was one of those puzzles where I solved many but did not quite understand why. I just couldn’t quite square the parsing in some but I have no idea as to the reason. All in all, a bit of curate’s for me. I did need the hints for a couple so not an unaided finish but there were some gems encountered along the way. I gave a huge grin at the frisky sisters. It conjured up delightful images of cavorting nuns! My COTD is 5d with its divided DT editors.

    Thank you, Zandio for the brain training exercise. Many thanks to Mr. K. for the hints and I’m sorry you didn’t manage any pusskits this week. 🐈🐈🐈

  26. I got absolutely nowhere with this one. 🤣

    I’ve purchased a copy of “The Telepgraph Cryptic Crosswords 1” in order to get some practice in.

  27. Evidently a wave-length thing today, for this enjoyable puzzle felt more Monday than Friday and seemed to solve itself as I read through. The only delay came in the NE where I’d mistakenly opted for ‘case’ as something which a collection would be placed, which meant for a furrowed brow with 8d. An admirably restricted number of anagrams, wonderful surfaces, witty clueing and all GK basic. Podium places mainly for the laughs – 1a, 14a, 21a.

    1.5* / 4*

    Many thanks indeed to Zandio and MrK

    1. It’s so frustrating when you waltz through a puzzle only to come a cropper on a pesky 4 letter one. I did learn something new re that one from Mr K (though I’d probably just never thought about it) in that CH for church is a map abbreviation.

  28. I found this much easier than the last couple of Fridays but like Steve C sometimes puzzled as to how I arrived at the correct answer. I too miss the pusscat pics but we can’t have everything. Thanks to Zandio for stimulating the little grey cells and Mr K for telling me how I got there.

  29. Slow and steady on this for me today, but given the week we’ve had a bit more of a tussle was no bad thing.
    That said, like others, I thought this a cracking puzzle, with some of the clues having an elegance only evident once I had solved them.
    so ***/**** is my rating.
    I was not too keen on 10a as I cannot really see why the answer should be sisters, frisky or not, but I note the eg so will settle down about it…
    I also took a long time to get 1D and 11D needed most of the crossers before I could guess the answer and work back to parse it.
    Among my selection of the many enjoyable clues were 1A, 12A, 14A, 19A and 2D, with my winner being 23D which I loved once I saw it!
    Many thanks to Zandio and MrK

  30. A bit late on parade today as it’s Mrs TC’s birthday and she wanted to go to Ripley to get some new scuba gear.
    Found this puzzle just right for a Friday, tough and VERY cryptic, with the bottom half slightly harder than the top, but all in all very fair. Lots of really great clues, but my favourite two were 10a and the cheeky 23d. well done to our setter today.

    1. Happy Birthday to Mrs TC! 🍾🍾🥂🥂
      I will be joining her tomorrow on my 77th. 😁

  31. I struggled with this in places but got there in the end with just 7d and 23d not parsed. Loved 23d now I’ve read the hint.
    Thanks to Zandio and Mr K.

  32. Bit of a head scratch for me at times this one. I’m about half way through and it’s time for dog walking. As I don’t want to lose my streak on the app I’ll get it done by hook or by crook hopefully without hints before 11.59pm. Enjoying it thanks Zandio. Thanks to to Mr K in advance for the hints 😀 as I think I’ll need them.

    1. So maybe the chill blew away some of the brain fog , but on return the south went in so much easier than the north. I ve just gone through the clues to make sure I could parse them all . Took a while to figure 11D but got there in the end. I couldn’t parse 17A or 23D so just read the hints. Genius for the latter. Loads of brilliant misdirects – wonderful !

  33. Ah, Zandio, this tiny brain didn’t stand a chance. I solved only five but lost interest. Wot, no pussycats? That’s worse than the crossword, am in tears from disappointment.

  34. One of those puzzles that is best solved by finding the definition and TOTALLY ignoring the rest of some very daft clueing. This especially applies to 15a, 19a, 21a, 20d and 23d.
    If you do as I suggest then it becomes a reasonably straightforward puzzle.
    ***/***
    I actually quite enjoyed it.
    Thx to all

    2. That approach takes the fun and satisfaction out of working out the cryptic clues. You may as well just do a non-cryptic puzzle.

  35. This could have been in Martian for all I understood of it! Couldn’t get started, let alone finished. Didn’t get some of the answers even after reading Mr. K’s wonderful hints. Roll on tomorow!

      1. Not usually, Freebie.

        Admittedly, last Saturday’s was tough but, 9 out of 10 times, I would pitch Saturday’s at the same level as a Wednesday.

        1. Ah okay. I usually only purchase the paper on week days. I think it harkens back to the day when I was a paperboy (do they still exist, or have they gone the way of the dodo?), having to lug the extra heavy bag around with the weekend papers. 🤣

          1. Ah, the paper round.

            That reminds me of this superb scene in ‘While You Were Sleeping’ which had nothing to do with the storyline…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRR4to6KcOQ&ab_channel=YPanteri

            Talking of random….I never know what words in a film’s title are capitalised, especially ‘the’ and ‘of’ etc. There doesn’t seem to be a set format. Maybe the blog’s ‘Barry Norman in residency’ ‘Hoots mon’ can help us out…

            1. Me neither Tom. Your clip got me thinking of papers in film – Tony Soprano walking down the drive to pick up the paper & the paper being hurled by the delivery boy & hitting the screen with a loud whack in the Coen Brothers wonderful debut Blood Simple. If you’re a fan of their work & know the film the interview is well worth a watch (paper bit 29mins in) – if you’ve not seen it I’d seriously recommend it.

  36. Great puzzle. Completed slowly and steadily. Always encouraging when 1a and 1d go in straight away! Many thanks to setter and blogger. All have a good weekend!

  37. Very enjoyable. I loved 23d. I have never seen that technique used before.
    Slowed up a tad by putting the wrong final letter in 6a.
    LOI 19a.
    Great fun.
    Many thanks to Zandio and Mr K.

  38. I enjoyed this with only LOI 19a being the only one I wasn’t keen on. I was also looking for two more X’s but it became increasingly clear it wasn’t going to happen. Another case of ‘hard to pick a favourite’ but I’ll plump for 4d as it reminds me of a song I once wrote and then forgot. I was reminded of it years later when I got back together with the lady who was the subject of the song and played it word, note and chord perfect. How does that work? Enough rambling. Thanks to Zandio and Mr. K.

  39. Loved this puzzle and although 5d was obvious I needed a hint to parse it. Upper right hand corner was last area completed. What a joy was 23 d. Zandio ,congratulations , it was brilliant. There was nothing difficult to spell which an added bonus. Thanks to Mr K .

  40. Just finished this entertaining and tricky number after several attempts. I needed the hints to help explain some of my answers but I did finish unaided. The multi word clues were my favourites, all very clever.

    Many thanks to Zandio and to Mr K for the hints.

  41. Bit late with my comments. I found this quite tricky but I see others did not find it too hard. Must be a wavelength thing. I notice that Brian did enjoy it while he has often found the Friday offerings quite hard when I did not think that were too bad!! Just goes to show you the old adage “horses for courses” is so true. Thanks to the setter and
    Mr K for the valuable hints.

  42. Rather enjoyed this today. LOI and the only clue I still don’t understand was 7d.

    Must have been on the wavelength because I didn’t think it was as difficult as a normal Friday.

    Maybe the crossword tomorrow won’t be another toughie…

    Thanks to all.

  43. Whew nearly there but alas three short thank you Zandio for such a good challenge and Mr K for the much needed explanations

  47. I just loved 1a, solved the anagram that was 10a and successfully guessed 12a and that was that! Decidedly a DNF

  48. Had to revisit this today to finish – needed the hint for 15, guessed at 7 (correct, but didn’t understand it!) and got 23 wrong (I had ‘alms’ which I wasn’t happy with). Very good puzzle. Many thank to the compiler and for the hints.

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