Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30546
Hints and tips by Falcon
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Ottawa, where we are on a weather roller coaster. This morning the temperature was -14 C, at the moment (Sunday evening) it is about 0 C, and by Tuesday it will be +14 C, only to plunge to -7 C the next day then up to +11 C by next weekend. I think skating on the Rideau Canal is finished for the year. The skateway did manage to open for a handful of days this year after failing to open at all last winter.
I found today’s puzzle to be typical Campbell fare with all clues crafted to such a high standard that nothing really stands out from the crowd making picking a winner a difficult chore.
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
1a Seeing half of us in streetcar, a shock (6)
TRAUMA — insert half of US in another word for streetcar and append A
4a Heard dog barking in Louth town (8)
DROGHEDA — an anagram (barking, as in crazy) of the first two words of the clue
10a One can hold things together in examination cut short (5,4)
PAPER CLIP — another term for examination followed by a word meaning cut short
11a Deposit on home — enter data (5)
INPUT — deposit or place follows (on in an across clue) the usual term for (at) home
12a Author‘s metaphor nun grasped, only partly (7)
HORNUNG — a lurker hiding (only partly) in the clue
13a Support back, terribly sore (7)
ENDORSE — a synonym for back (of a train, perhaps) and an anagram (terribly) of SORE
14a German painter employed by northern studio (5)
ERNST — another lurker concealed in (employed by) the final two words of the clue
15a Endless delight, of course, making fortune (8)
TREASURE — remove the final letter from a synonym for delight and annex another informal way (other than ‘of course’) to respond affirmatively to a question
18a Gullible type not hard to encounter, reportedly (4,4)
EASY MEAT — not hard or difficult followed by a word that sounds like (reportedly) a synonym for encounter
20a Tag large murder victim (5)
LABEL — the clothing symbol for large and a victim of fratricide in the Old Testament
23a Big blow to our sailors before a party (7)
TORNADO — a charade of TO, abbreviated British sailors, A and an informal term for a party
25a Prompt start (7)
TRIGGER — double definition
26a Troublemaker with the Spanish force (5)
IMPEL — a mischievous child and a Spanish definite article
27a Diane, sort to provide amusement (9)
DIVERSION — a sobriquet for Diane and a sort or type
28a Gertrude ultimately learning about wrongdoing in Shakespearean setting (8)
ELSINORE — the final letter of GERTRUDE and folk learning containing moral wrongdoing
29a Disturbance not controlled? Not half! (6)
UNREST — a twelve letter word meaning “not controlled” with half of it removed
Down
1d Something for the feet has poets dancing (3,5)
TAP SHOES — an anagram (dancing) of the two words preceding the indicator
2d Bad sprain? I could get you a painkiller (7)
ASPIRIN — an anagram (bad) of the two words following the indicator
3d Make attempt to produce pattern of inlaid veneers (9)
MARQUETRY — a make or brand (especially in reference to an automobile) followed by attempt
5d Typical member of parliament (14)
REPRESENTATIVE — double definition
6d Briefly blame head of department in corporation (5)
GUILD — remove the final letter from another word for blame and add the initial letter of (head of) DEPARTMENT
7d Ruler exercises right during Rome uprising (7)
EMPEROR — abbreviations for an exercise class at school and right contained in a reversal (uprising in a down clue) of ROME
8d Two articles on composer’s third patriotic song (6)
ANTHEM — two grammatical articles and the third letter of COMPOSER
9d Fine delicate instrument in black box (6,8)
FLIGHT RECORDER — string together the pencil lead symbol for fine, a word meaning delicate, and a simple musical instrument
16d Private, one lacking energy to keep going (7,2)
SOLDIER ON — another name for a military private and ONE from which the physics symbol for energy has been deleted (lacking energy)
17d Cambridge college keeping in touch from the start? Blow me! (8)
CLARINET — a Cambridge University college wrapped around (keeping) IN is all followed by the initial letter (from the start) of TOUCH
19d Appropriate American support so raised (7)
APROPOS — the single letter for American, a support, and the reversal (raised in a down clue) of SO
21d Start to describe posh English dance (7)
BEGUINE — a synonym for start encircling (to describe) the single letter for posh is follwoed by an abbreviation for English
22d Pace street before getting lift (6)
STRIDE — the signpost abbreviation for street and a lift or trip (in an automobile, for instance)
24d Ready to drop everything, I note (3,2)
ALL IN — link together another word for everything, I, and an abbreviation for note found in textual references
I’ll award my clue of the day honours to the literary 28a. What was your favourite?
Quickie Pun (Top Row): BORED + RHEUM = BOARDROOM
Quickie Pun (Bottom Row) : SCREW + TINNY = SCRUTINY
I thought that a bit of a cracker, an enjoyable puzzle to accompany a mid-morning coffee. Slightly more testing in the S, but with the exception of the German all GK safely within the comfort zone – and as for that German, it was a case of “if in doubt, look for a lurker”. Good to see old EW appearing a couple of clues earlier – the Raffles stories were great fun and the BBC Radio versions some years ago with Jeremy Clyde & Michael Cochrane really got them right in my view – but those two actors (and in particular their voices!) would make most productions shine.
Plenty of ticks everywhere, so runners-up 15a, 3d & 8d, podium to 28a & 21d, with COTD to 17d.
2 / 4
Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon
Can’t say I was familiar with the fella who penned the Raffles series but otherwise very straightforward. I only knew the dance from the Cole Porter song (had no idea it was of Caribbean origin) & hadn’t realised the Hamlet setting was the English name for the Danish port. A perfectly pleasant guzzle to kick off the new week but nothing really stood out as a favourite.
Thanks to Campbell & Falcon
I only knew it as a Cole Porter song, no idea it was Caribbean.
A couple that were new to me but ‘twas all fairly clued and very smooth. Is 17d a well-known Cambridge college? No idea. Again, in 4a, I didn’t know that was in Louth, exactly, but it’s an elegant clue. My vote must go to 12a: cheering to see Conan Doyle’s underrated brother-in-law get the nod for a change! As MG says, quite rightly, the R4 dramatisations of Raffles (still on BBC Sounds, btw) are impeccable. Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
Mmm. Must be Monday. Most rapidly in but slower with 6d, 21d.
A one coffee puzzle maybe.
Thanks to compiler.
It’s Monday :good: It’s Campbell :good: 1.5*/4.5*
The 12a author was unknown to me but with the lurker indicator and some of the checkers in place it was quite obvious.
Candidates for favourite – the oldie but goodie 13a, 15a, 3d, and 17d – and the winner is 3d.
Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
Apart from becoming fixated
With a town in Lincolnshire in
4a until the penny dropped,
This pleasant puzzle was a
pretty swift, unaided solve.
17d my COTD.
Many thanks Campbell
And Falcon.
Same here, not least because Louth is about 25 miles to the north-east of Lincoln where I live. I couldn’t think of anywhere in that area which fitted the anagram and then the penny dropped.
Thouroughly enjoyable as always on a Monday. I was a little tested on the GK and had to google towns in Louth. To my shame I didn’t know the author of the Raffles series and even though it was a lurker I needed confirmation because of the strangeness of the name. In my defence I did know the German painter, the Shakespearean setting and the Cambridge college. Favourite today was 8d for it’s smoothness with podium places for 28a and 17d. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
Well, I didn’t find that so easy, though I finished it alright!
NHO of the dance, and I’ve still no idea what the 12 letter word is in 29a that has half missing…
Though the answer was obvious, I struggled for a ridiculously long time to justify the first two letters of 14a, then simply bunged in the name, without ever spotting that it was a lurker!
Good fun overall; many thanks.
Golfed at Co Louth two years ago – a wonderful links course for anyone interested – so 4a was easy.
Unrestrained is the the word for 29a. Took me a while to get it.
Thank you!
thank you for that! Been straining brain thinking of twelve-letter words :-)
The missing half at 29a is what it hasn’t done (yet) if you were playing that links today (I see the visitor green fee now €150). Never played it but it looked magnificent when I visited it without clubs many years ago.
Very good!
Not cheap, but by the standards of top Irish links very far from expensive. And a good dormie house….
Had to go down the anagram fodder circle route to find the Irish town and was very grateful to discover the 12a author lurking in the clue, reasonably plain sailing elsewhere. No stand-out favourite but 25&28a plus 1d rather appealed.
Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for the review – sounds as though ‘layer dressing’ is the order of the day for most of us!
An enjoyable solve, with just a slight pause in the SE corner.
A fair bit of GK required, but all were fairly clued. I too am ashamed to admit that I did not know the writer in 12a.
Nice to see our setter resisting the temptation to clue 13a as an also-ran in an East End race. I doubt I would have been able to!
COD the elegant 9d. LOI 29a.
Thank you setter and Falcon.
With your suggestion of an alternative clue for 13a, I have a vague recollection that it has been used at some time in the past.
it finished last at ‘aydock.
I think I may have used it before and I seem to remember it was at ‘untingdon!
Found it! Independent 1760 on 19th November 2023:
12. Back final runner at ‘untingdon? (7)
A couple of testing clues amongst some more straightforward offerings made this a very pleasant start to the crosswording week. On an overcrowded podium 17d rose to the top.
My thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
An enjoyable and fairly gentle start to the week, although like others I didn’t know the 12a author – thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
The two definitions in 25a have quite a significant overlap.
The clues I liked best were 15a and 24d.
I’m not a huge fan of GK in a cryptic crossword, so to find a town, author, painter, Shakespearean setting, Cambridge college and dance in this one niggled me a little. That said everything you needed was in the wordplay with the checkers, so fair enough. I only knew the painter and college, so it was a learning day for me.
No stand out favourite.
Thanks to Campbell and Falcon
All finished but with a bit of google to check a couple of words were real eg the lurker in 12a was new to me and I did not know the town in 4a. I also needed the hints to explain the answer to 29a. Overall very enjoyable and easier than some recent Mondays in my opinion. As is always the case with general knowledge you either know it or you don’t.
Many thanks to Campbell and to Senf for the hints.
As it seems that Mr K hasn’t had chance to post this week’s Toughie setters yet, here they are, a familiar set:
Tuesday 3225 Dada
Wednesday 3226 Hudson
Thursday 3227 Kcit
Friday 3228 Osmosis
A little harder than many Mondays, but fun nevertheless.
Didn’t know the 4a town was in Louth, but was my first in straight from the anagram. Had to check who the lurkers were in 12 and 14a. Wasted time trying to spell 3d with a k, and racking my brains for a 14 letter owl in 5d (not!)
And surprised myself by knowing the dance.
I’ve marked 15a as fave, but I think I’ll go for 7d instead as I always try to spell it wrongly, so maybe Rome backwards will make me get it right first time from now pn!
Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
A feel your pain on 3d as I did exactly the same. It did not help with getting the (somewhat obscure) town in Louth!
A generally enjoyable puzzle, but as others have said a bit GK heavy.
I was also in Lincolnshire for some time before the penny dropped.
I was aware of Clare college as I associate it with the composer John Rutter, who was its music director for many years
I also knew the Shakespeare (doesn’t occur often) and the painter, but not the author.
I got the half of the uncontrolled, but didn’t know why, and couldn’t think of a 12 letter word. Thanks to GJR for that. No particular favourite. Thanks to Falcon and Campbell.
I tend to agree with Falcon that all was smooth and hard to pick a favourite, but 1d brought Julian and Sandy to mind rather than Riverdance. It just sneaked into 2 cups of Columbian but only because the first was too hot
Thanks to Campbell and Falcon
1*/3.5*. This was light and fun as we have come to expect on Mondays.
23a, 28a (my favourite), 1d & 3d are my top picks. Spelling 3d was no problem for me as my father was a dab hand at it, even winning the Miniature Section of the British 3d Championship one year in the 1960s. From memory, a miniature in this context is a maximum size of 4″ x 3″.
Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.
A thoroughly enjoyable guzzle with a wide variety of clue types a d a generous portion of General Knowledge involved to add variety and spice to the solve.Fantastic. i liked the 10a cryptic definition and the three GK/ Lego clues at 20a, 21dand 28a . Many thanks to Campbell for a crossword that was right up my street and to Falcon for the hints.
I’ll go against consensus and say that I found this a bit of a slog and not terribly enjoyable. The author in 12a was new to me and whilst everything else was fairly clued, I just struggled today more than usual. I’ll put it down to an off day and look forward to tomorrow’s offering. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
Thought this Monday puzzle from Campbell a little more tricky than normal. Two words I was unfamiliar with in the NW as well as the place in the NE, but managed to work them out.
2*/3.5* for me.
Favourites include 4a, 10a, 23a, 26a, 5d & 9d — with winner 9d
Smiles for 1a, 19a, 23a & 2d
Thanks to Campbell & Falcon for hints/blog
A goodie.
Lots of gettable GK which works for me. I do enjoy confirming online an anagram when all the checkers are in like 4a. It looks like a splendid place that is clearly steeped in history. I’ve just seen that Raffles’ sidekick is Bunny Manders. Has one of our esteemed solvers named themselves after him, maybe?
When I saw 5d, the word ‘knowledgeable’ immediately came to mind, i.e an owl and the irony of an MP. But, having added up the number of letters, I realized the error of my ways.
My podium is 10a, 13a and 21d.
Many thanks to C & F.
2*/4*
Sorry, no I haven’t! but your comment encouraged me to google Raffles and read a bit more.
We love Raffles.
I felt this a good puzzle slightly tarnished by the sense that a number of the answers (4a, 12a, & 28a) had been shoehorned in by the setter to fit the crossers.
3D, 19D, 21D and 17D all get the thumbs up from me of which I think I will plump for 17D as my winner.
Thanks to the Campbell and to Falcon.
Definitely harder than a usual Monday I thought , with mainly the GK clues holding me up, however finished with only a little electronic help. Fairly enjoyable, and I learnt some new stuff, namely 4a, 12a , 28a , 21d. Thank Campbell and Falcon.
I agree with the majority that this was a fine start to the week, an easy ride until the south east where I had to work a. It harder – but nevertheless fair clueing. Several daisies – 4a, 8&17d amongst them but I guess I have to vote for my local one. Dining in Queens again this week – I just adore the decor – which must sound much better in French! Many thanks to Messrs Campbell & Falcon. I have almost finished yesterday’s toughie.
Is it Monday? I found it tougher than usual, particularly in the SE.
It must be me. Must get brain in gear.
And I confused the spelling of the Louth town by reversing the g and h, then swapping them with the d.
Perhaps I am suffering from slight brain 1a.
Not you, had an absolute nightmare on this. Harder than Friday!
A nice start to the week but trickier than the last couple of weeks 😃 ***/**** 4a had me scratching my head until I ventured across the sea to Ireland, 12a was a new one lurking for me and 21d brought back memories of long long ago 😳 Favourites 20a, 9d & 17d 👍 Thanks to Campbell and to the Falcon
A 3/4 ok puzzle but some clues foxed me. I had no idea about 4a, never heard of this place before. Did not know the Cambridge college despite having lived there for 5 years. Still do not understand 29a.
Best clue for me was 28a.
Not my favourite, the above and the bottom right rather spoilt it.
***/**
Thx for the hints
Mind you it’s a lot better than the Quickie which must qualify for the worst one ever set. Full of slang and very poor.
Can I just say loving your contributions. Exaggeration for effect to make your point usually on point. A couple = full etc 🤣 But worst ever? You need to re-calibrate the Brian-ometer!😁
Husband concurs on the Quickie, Brian.
Yes there is some slang but surely not that bad Brian. In any case I was pleased to fill 15a in without a second thought as it is my happy place having lived happily near there for over 40 years.
What a treat for a Monday morning. Is this a Campbell offering? I usually find his a bit tricky. I was DNF at 18a, I needed ehelp for that. I’ve never heard that, couldn’t get “soft touch” out of my mind, however, so much to like. I couldn’t parse a few, 3d for example, I’ll read Falcon’s hints to get those. I knew the author at 12a, liked the lurker, but how I pulled 4a out of the recesses of my mind I’ll never know. Was it in the Irish Doctor books? I’m going to choose 28a as fave, but hard to narrow it down to just one.
Thank you Campbell (?) for so much fun. I’ll read your hints now Falcon to find out the “whys”.
I’m with you on “soft touch”. I think the correct answer is an informal British expression. I’ve certainly never heard it.
Not sure about any Irish Doctor books, Merusa, but for me 4a came instantly to mind courtesy of Walter Macken’s great historical trilogy published in the late 50s/early 60s, “Seek The Fair Land” (which starts with the siege & massacre of 4a in 1649), “The Silent People” (the famine years), and “The Scorching Wind” (1916-23). I read Macken’s books in my teens and they appealed then to the Irish Catholic side of my ancestry, and still do so today, a good few decades later!
On googling, I think the massacre at Drogheda by Cromwell would be where I’ve most likely heard of it. I’ve read a lot of Irish history books.
I was off and running in the northwest and was thinking perhaps a Chalicea had been slipped in today. But the Louth town, the Cambridge college coupled with 13a and 29a made me realise this was not one of hers, and were my undoing. So a mixed bag for me. Not a bad start to the week. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
Talking of Chalicea, can we hope to see one of her compilations again soon?
21d was a good excuse to watch a bit of Fred Astaire online in a dance routine
That was somewhat of a curate’s egg with a gentle North (apart from the 4a town for which I needed a prompt) plus a rather more taxing South. My 10a bung-in was not parsed. IMHO 17d is too clever by half. 21d didn’t ring a bell. Fav was crafty 9d. Thank you Campbell and Falcon.
Good afternoon
I note that I’m not the only one who was misdirected towards Lincolnshire in 4a!
Good fun – all done, with just the right amount of braincell stretching, especially in the SE quadrant, for a Monday.
Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
‘Blow me’ what a good clue! Thank you Campbell and Falcon
Another entertaining puzzle from Campbell and he certainly tested my General Knowledge. I had never heard of the author at 12a but realised it was a lurker. Haven’t read the books but have vague memories of the Raffles series being shown on TV starring Anthony Valentine (?). Lots of good clues. LOI 29a. Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon. I don’t think I would be able to cope with your extremes of temperature!
Thats right, i have faint memories of that programme Christopher Strauli played Bunny I think
A bit late today – don’t ask!
I haven’t had time to read all the comments so I assume everything has already been said.
I did think that today’s crossword was a bit easier than usually on a Monday – I certainly did better than often.
I’d never heard of the 12a author or the expression for the gullible type.
I liked 15 and 27a and 3 and 17d. I can’t pick a particular favourite.
Thank you to Campbell for the crossword and to Falcon for the hints.
No problem with 4a as I went to a wedding there a few years ago. I even know how to pronounce it which is more than I can say about another wedding I went to in a town in county Kildare called Baile Atha I in 2022.
The writer was unknown to me though and needed the hints to get 29a.
Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.
2/4. Very enjoyable and neatly clued. Favourites were 3,9,16d. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
A dnf due to 29a. Not a fan of this clue. The answer isn’t in my dictionary and thesaurus BRBs against disturbance.
The SE corner took longer than the rest of the crossword by some margin. Not helped by not knowing the dance nor the college.
Not as hard for me as many of the recent Monday solves, so still a good result for me.
Thanks to all.
Straightforward until it wasn’t but that’s usually the way for me with Campbell. Having failed to find any sensible answer or parsing for 12a I decided to look up the unlikely looking lurker and found an author I’d never heard of. To be fair the 4a anagram was straightforward and I’d come across 28a in a crossword before. Hadn’t heard of the college and a couple of others in the SE made it last in. No standout clues for me but thanks to Campbell anyway and Falcon.
Why pick on brother Brian. Easy target? I agree with Brian , this wasn’t that easy and certainly not that enjoyable. Having said that I think this crossword had lots of clever and interesting clues eg.17d , typical of a Monday. Thanks to all
As luck would have it I was in Helsingor in October and it makes no secret of its Hamlet association. Short of GK elsewhere though so this was tougher than some smooth clueing meant it ought to have been.
4*/2* ….
no clues that I particularly liked in this one.