Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30529
Hints and tips by Huntsman
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A bit of a miserable start to the day here in Harpenden & there’s rain on the way so I’m pleased to have managed to get a game of golf in at Centurion yesterday.
Today’s puzzle took me about the same time as yesterday’s Campbell back-pager. It didn’t have the feel of an AP production to me but I’m sure Senf will put me right if I’m wrong.
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 Harry can prepare a king’s shed – look! (10)
APPEARANCE: an anagram (harry) of CAN PREPArE A ignoring (shed) the regnal abbreviation for king.
6a Head of university wearing the chap’s shades (4)
HUES: insert (wearing) the single letter for University into a plural pronoun for chaps.
9a Retail true rubbish? That’s what you get from bookshops (10)
LITERATURE: an anagram (rubbish) of RETAIL TRUE.
10a Italian author capturing husband’s parrot (4)
ECHO: insert (capturing) the letter for Husband into an Italian author whose two most well known works were The Name of the Rose & Foucault’s Pendulum.
12a Set of drinks including Tango makes you plump (6)
ROTUND: another insertion – this time Tango (NATO phonetic alphabet) into a word for a set of drinks that you might buy at the bar.
13a Stir sailor’s food (8)
FLAPJACK: link a synonym for stir or commotion with a term for a sailor below officer rank.
15a Protested as Republican showed Democrat out (12)
REMONSTRATED: the single letter for Republican + a synonym for showed that omits the single letter for Democrat.
18a I could be clueless with this problem (7,5)
WRITER’S BLOCK: a cryptic definition for something that can afflict a writer. John Turturro playing the lead in the 4th film by the Coen brothers had this problem.
21a Betrayed sea captain leaving British trial most pale (8)
LIGHTEST: remove the single letter for British from the front of a betrayed sea captain + a synonym for trial. Pictured are the 3 chaps who played him on film. Who can remember the 3 FCs?
22a Left work (6)
LABOUR: double definition – think politics for the former.
24a Something you might fail? Not oddly your fault (4)
ORAL: answer found in the alternate letters (not oddly) of the last two words in the clue.
25a Large emperor geese primarily imitate cuckoo sound (10)
LEGITIMATE: the initial letter (primarily) of the first three words in the clue then add an anagram (cuckoo) of IMITATE. A nicely misleading surface. I’d heard of the penguin but not the goose who looks like this
26a Look for well-groomed missing student (4)
SEEK : remove the single letter for student from a synonym for well-groomed or polished.
27a Brilliant writer hugged by boss old American (10)
STUPENDOUS: insert (hugged by) a writing implement into a boss or nail head then append the single letter for Old + the two letter abbreviation for American.
Down
1d Pull everyone on river (6)
ALLURE: a word meaning everyone + a North Yorkshire river.
2d Some forgot a topper, upsetting King Edward (6)
POTATO: a reverse lurker (some/upsetting) found in the three words between the indicators.
3d Mean strangers spoiled deals (12)
ARRANGEMENTS: an anagram (spoiled) of MEAN STRANGERS. Unfortunately there’s a surplus S here which I didn’t notice.
4d Turn over after the Parisian raised voice (4)
ALTO: the abbreviation for turn over (I thought it was one word rather than two to fit this abbrev but I’m probably missing something) is preceded by a reversal (raised) of the French female definite article.
5d Yells and races off without thinking (10)
CARELESSLY: an anagram (off) of YELLS & RACES.
7d Dirty punch as teenager boxes? (8)
UNCHASTE: a lurker (boxes) found in the words between definition & indicator.
8d Barrier to cakes getting prepared without tip from Delia (8)
STOCKADE : an anagram (getting prepared) of TO CAKES + the first letter (tip) of Delia. I’m uncertain why it’s without rather than with.
11d Gain respect (12)
APPRECIATION: double definition.
14d Even short relative enters happy (10)
CONSISTENT: place an abbreviation for a female sibling into a synonym for happy.
16d Second wife permits drinks (8)
SWALLOWS: the single letter for Second & for Wife + a synonym for permits.
17d Old princess’s style creating scandal (8)
DISGRACE: the possessive for our King’s first wife + a synonym for style or finesse.
19d Nick turned up in low country (6)
MONACO: reverse (turned up) an alternative slang term for nick & place it into the noise cattle make.
20d Barrister put on small underwear (6)
BRIEFS: an informal term for a barrister + the single letter for Small.
23d Liberal – one politician lacking firmness (4)
LIMP: the single letter for Liberal + the letter for one (Roman numeral) & the acronym for a Westminster politician. There’s more than one of ‘em I reckon.
My clear favourite clue today was 18a with podium spots for 15&25a. Please tell us which ones ticked your boxes.
Today’s Quick Crossword pun: SAY+ AWL+ STORK = SALES TALK
18a my favorite. Enjoyable puzzle today. RBB very helpful today.
Thank you H for your hard work and to the setter. I think our esteemed editor may have slipped up in 3d as we have a surplus s
Oh dear – didn’t even notice.
Nor me!
I suspect it might not be so much an extra ‘s’ as a missing apostrophe.
That’s wrong. I was trying too hard to think how it happened! It is an extra ‘s’.
Found the Codewords – thanks, I’ve printed some off.
Great. Thanks for the thanks.
Perhaps the setter had an apostrophe which got overlooked in the type setting.
It didn’t spoil the enjoyment
Welcome to the blog, Anthony.
This needed a bit more teasing out than usual but was enjoyable.
18a took me a while and was my LOI. A goodie. Even though only one letter needing changing, I liked 15a. I remembered the Italian author from a previous crossy. One to store in the memory bank.
We’ll let the boo-boo in 3d slide as it works if the s of ‘strangers’ is taken off.
My podium is 18a, 7d and 19d as it was a nice lurker.
Many thanks to il professore and Huntsman.
3*/4*
The Italian Author’s Name Of The Rose was a cracking novel & detective story (I can see it on my bookshelves as I type), though its transition to the big screen was nowhere near as good, what with Sean Connery playing Sean Connery, as ever.
‘Mish Moneypenny’ – marvellous.
I didn’t know about the book. So, I’ve looked it up. 50 millions copies sold? That’s a monster! The plot looks fascinating. Thanks for the nod, MG.
I have his Foucault’s Pendulum at eye-level on my library shelf, but can’t remember what it’s about; must read again! Must have read the Rose, but can’t remember that either. Oh dear!
Agree that the book was far better than the film but it was by no means a poor adaptation even though the screenplay was bit muddled.
The book was so multi-layered that any film version was always going to seem a bit flat in comparison
I thought this a very enjoyable and satisfying coffee-break challenge. A little more testing than yesterday but still reasonably light and early-weekish. Some great surface reads and clever constructions requiring a little more thought to find the solutions, and in a few cases, the definitions too. Ticks all over the place, with the podium places going to 18a, 5d & 19d, and runners-up 12a, 13a, 15a, 24a & 2d.
2* / 4*
Many thanks to the setter (it reminded me of an AP grid he used to use quite frequently) and to Huntsman too, of course – let alone Huntsman Of The Course!
My rating 1.5*/3* which would have been higher apart from the anagram fodder for 3d containing 13 letters for a 12 letter answer.
Thanks to the setter and to Hintsman.
P.S. Another howler today with 6a in Plusword where writing in the answer given by the clue made a complete horlicks of the grid.
Ah, where the paper Plusword has 25 in 6a, the online version has 50 (and already did by the time I did it at just before 7 this morning).
Shame they’re the same number of letters.
6a in Plusword: the online version is correct with 50, the paper is wrong with 25.
I did wonder what RD was on about, this explains it
For me, etc, this was Typically Tuesdayish and the Quickie grid is the one that we have been advised by two(?) other setters is the only one Mr Plumb uses so I will put a Loonie on this being an Anthony Plumb production – **/****
Standout favourite – 18a.
Thanks to Mr Plumb, or whomsoever if my Loonie goes down the drain, and thanks to Huntsman.
An enjoyable if fairly speedy romp with a decent clue mix, spoiled only by the typo in 3d as others have mentioned. 25a was clever and my favourite.
My thanks to our setter and The Hintsman.
A pleasant puzzle – thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
Pity about 3d.
The ‘without’ in 8d is an old usage meaning outside (as in ‘the enemy is without’). BD always decried the use of without or outside as a containment indicator.
My ticks went to 15a and18a.
Thanks Gazza – knew someone would explain it.
I well remember BD really didn’t like “without” as a containment indicator. Possibly because when meaning “outside” or “on the outside” it is designated as archaic/literary. Without can just mean the opposite of within – or outside.
There seemed to be a lot of anagrams today, which gave me a good footing. Even so, I managed to start 15a with a Democrat rather than a Republican – silly me.
All good fun.
Thank you Huntsmen and setter. May I suggest that the use of “without” in 8d indicates outside, as in “without a city wall”?
I had the Democrat first too….
And me, ho hum…
And me … so I suppose I’m a DNF.
Me too, and didn’t know I was wrong until I read your comment.
So we’re all demonstrators, but we don’t remonstrate, which is more forceful.
We must be from flower power days, or as Ringo said “love and peace”.
I think a mistake was made by the setter on 3d as mean strangers is actually 13 letters not 12
Shirley, see Comment 2 above – you are more perceptive than some of us!
No complaints from me today, everything you need available within the clues.
My two favourites were 12a and 2d for their surface reads.
Thanks to all
Not my cup of tea…..for the second time this week…..maybe it’s me…..
Needed the hint for 13a…..got stuck on Tack rather than Jack.
Thanks to Huntsman and the setter.
Bright and sunny here but distinctly colder than of late. No white stuff yet but I expect it is on its way.
I think 8d is the anagram outside the letter D. As in “There is a green hill far away without a city wall.” Not that it hasn’t got a city wall but that it is outside the city wall. I fear if you look in a modern hymn book without will be changed to outside. I’m still enjoying this crossword with 10a being my favourite purely because it reminds me a really good read from my teenage years. Good job all!
Welcome to the blog, John.
Some tricky clues for which Huntsman’s hints were very good so a DNF in disguise. Loved 25a. If I had solved it then 18a would have been my clue of the day.
My thanks to Huntsman for his very good hints and to the setter for a most enjoyable crossword.
This was more to my liking than yesterday’s, didn’t know the Italian author but bunged in correctly. Thanks to all.
Remember the Italian author, he’s come up a few times.
Doh moment. Looks like they have added the toughie in the digital edition today as well as the regular crossword. No wonder the hints were no help at all.
Welcome to the blog, Framserv.
Nicely Tuesday-ish with the occasional requirement to exercise a few more brain cells.
Podium places going to 25a along with 17&19d and a smile for the fat-inducing Tango.
Thanks to Mr Plumb and to Huntsman for the review.
Super puzzle, really enjoyable. My favs were 18a and 13a but there were many others.
Wish all the DT puzzles were this good.
Thx to all
**/*****
Nice breakfast guzzle. 15a and 19d equal faves. Did notice the extra letter in 3d, but not bothered at all about 8d’s “without” – except that it was only two clues away from another with the other meaning in 5d!
Thanks to the setter (AP?) and to Huntsman. Really happy to see you back on a golf course again!
Thanks. Bit sore this morning (my shoulder procedure scheduled for the 19th) but it was great to be back out & played pretty well for a change too.
You’re getting your shoulder fixed in the bar?! Repetitive exercise from lifting pints?
That’s the sort of medicine I could sign up for…😂
Very good
Be careful! While resting my shoulder I v badly herniated disks which has put paid to proper golf.(Acromioplasty fixed the shoulder finally). On the plus side I get my ‘reward ‘ on the 10th!
A good puzzle today though again it took me a little longer than customary for this early in the week.
I had no trouble with 8d as you needed that use of without to get enough letters for the obvious anagram.
I had a trio of likes in the SW corner with 17d, 18a and 21d with the latter being my fotd.
A Mr P puzzle that caused me less trouble than in the past. Maybe I’m getting on his wavelength at long last. Lots to like Including the lurker at 7d but cotd must go to 13a. Thanks to Mr P and Huntsman.
Well, I thought this was a treat, with ticks all over the shop. Indeed, I stopped marking them down because I was ticking pretty much every single one. Lovely, lovely surfaces – a little story every time. Love that. I do slightly question 24a’s loose-ish definition and let’s not talk about 3d but 15a, 22a (is this a chestnut that I’ve not seen?) and 25a were peaches. Very gentle, yes, but masterfully done. Many thanks to the setter, and Huntsman.
Pouring down in darkest cheshire- snow by Thursday! anyway an S too much today spotted by most.
A sound Tuesday puzzle , 18 across came quickly to mind, liked 21a and 7d-a word not often spotted but confirmed in Chambers.
Going for a **/****.
An enjoyable puzzle with my favourites being 18a, 21a and 1d.
Such a relief to have no green sites today.
Thanks to Huntsman and the setter.
Lots of favourites today but 18a was the winner. Thank you for the hints Hinter, good to hear you’re back on the fairways. Thanks to setter too.
19 got me and still don’t see the turned up reference!
Turned up/reverse the slang for prison (more commonly used in the US & Australia apparently) inside moo.
Ah of course thank you .
found this Tuesday puzzle easy to get into and found it almost a R&W today. NE last area completed. Lots of smiles and chuckles along the way.
1.5*/3.5* today
Favourites include 1a, 21a, 27a, 1d, 11d & 19d — with winner 19d
Smiles from 13a, 18a, 2d (a chestnut), 16d & 19d
Thanks to setter & Huntsman for blog/hints
First class guzzle – does just what it says on the packet, to whit 27a. It took me an inordinately long time to solve 20d, I think I was trying to be too clever. 18a favourite. I’m overlooking the excess ess- what’s an odd ess amongst friends?
Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Hintsman from a wild and windy Cambridge.
I really enjoyed this guzzle so thanks to all. Spent all morning putting together a ‘fold up’ exercise bike – Mr M of no help whatsoever and he was certain I couldn’t do it but I did! Just followed the intricate instructions. Sadly it is much heavier than I expected and I can only just lift it which rather defeats the object. In the reviews one lady said she can easily transport it up two flights of stairs – must be made of sterner stuff than myself. Too exhausted to give it a trial run at the moment but tomorrow’s another day.
Very enjoyable and finished before heading out. 18a my favourite and last in. I spotted the extra letter in 3d but just carried on regardless!
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.
A decent crossword.
I got stuck for no reason in a few answers in the bottom right corner – just being dim, I think!
I didn’t have any particularly answers that appealed today so I’ll leave it at that for today.
Thanks to the setter for the crossword and to Huntsman for the hints.
I was stuck in the SE as well but can’t see why! Especially 19d as I got the “moo”.
Yes decent is the right word for this one with 15a being my favourite simply because of the wordplay thank you compiler and Huntsman
I’m commenting before reading the hints or comments, I’m interested to see how I compare. I thought this way harder than yesterday and needed too much word search help in the SE, though I really don’t know why. Trying to parse my answers was my biggest problem. Thank goodness for the lurker at 7d, it got me going again in the NE. I think, but not sure, 13a is fave.
Thank you setter, some good stuff here, and Huntsman for the hints which I’ll now read. It’s cold again here, oh puhleese, let it warm up soon.
This was fun and for me a little easier than yesterday but then I was a bit tried and weary after a weekend of boozing ! Spotted the extra s in 3d and I also put d instead of r in 15a despite the very obvious clue 🙄. Thanks to setter and huntsman .
Thoroughly enjoyed today, much more than yesterday when I ended up with five sad 🙁 in the margin and today I have two 😊 smiley ones instead, namely 27a and 11d. Upon reading the comments I discovered I had a D instead of an R at the beginning of 15a. Also held up in 8d when I tried to use blockade, until I realised what 6a was, oops. The 10a author was new to me, so definitely needed the hint there. While I would never claim to “read and write”, this was the perfect challenge for me today. Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.
Wot? No African plain? I looked and looked, but not there😂 I realise I’m probably late to the party on this one, but hope it’s left to RIP for a good while!
You’ve used a new alias so this needed moderation. The aliases you’ve used will all work from now on.
I justified 3d as in strangers was missing a letter due to it being mean or stingy therefore holding back an s.
I await mockery, but it worked for my feeble brain.
Thoroughly enjoyed nonetheless.
Thanks to all.
I put the extra ‘S’ down to a typo we’ve had a few recently. Didn’t know the author and couldn’t be bothered to look it up. Everything else reasonably straightforward but not entirely so. No real stand-out clue but I’ll go with 27a. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
8d ….without tip..means first letter of Delia is within the anagram letters
Welcome to the blog, Uncle Bulgaria.
Add me to the list of many who enjoyed this, even though I couldn’t quite finish it by myself. Thank you to Huntsman for the hints for the crossing 22a and 20d which I wouldn’t have got without you (the crossing letters in ?A?O?? and ???E?S not narrowing things down much!).
For 4d, I could only think of “turn over” as a shorter (and less-polite?) version of PTO, but I don’t think I’ve encountered it anywhere. I see Chambers does list the abbreviation as being for the two-word phrase (rather than the single-word financial term). I didn’t know the term for ‘nick’ in 19d; thank you to Huntsman (again) for clarifying that this is the prison sense, and not any of the other nicks.
I did particularly like 19d’s Low Country though, along with 12a’s Tango, 13a’s food, and 25a’s geese. Thank you to the setter.
Good evening
I’ve only just put my pen down! OK, I’ve had a day’s work as well, but I really didn’t imagine today’s crozzie taking as long as it has.
I began reasonably well, and had the top half pretty much done in short order – but then: crikey! I surveyed the arid, inkless wastelands of the bottom half…..and surveyed some more…..and some more….until, eventually, the blindingly obvious 16d occurred to what passes for my brain, and the bottom half was done.
Two joint COTDs: 19d (🤣) and my last to fall, 25a.
My thanks to our compiler and to Huntsman.
Having spent the morning and part of the afternoon cutting up the remains of a tree that had fallen on our local railway line, this puzzle was the perfect way to relax with over a nice hot cuppa later on in the afternoon,having first enjoyed a nice warm shower beforehand. Good fun, well clued and, well, what more can I add? Thanks to setter and Huntsman, this suited me just fine today
No time yesterday but Swift finish when woke in the early hours after I did Wordle in 2. So quick my husband didn’t wake to tell me to switch off the light. Certainly up my strasse and even more enjoyable. If it was a Mr Plumb I think I enjoyed it more than usual. I did not spit the extra S. I did get my R as first letter when protesting. 12 21a and 1 14d favourites. Thanks Mr P and Huntsman.
Almost suffered from 18a until the penny dropped and finished nicely with 11d.
Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the review.
3*/4* ….
liked 25A “Large emperor geese primarily imitate cuckoo sound (10)”