DT 30628 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30628

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30628

Hints and tips by Mr K

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BD Rating  -  Difficulty *** Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Today’s quirky and enjoyable puzzle was more straightforward than we sometimes get from this setter. 

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    Pacify students occupying university? On the contrary (4)
LULL:  Inverting the wordplay (on the contrary) the answer is found as the single letter for university inserted in (occupying) three copies of the single letter for student or learner 

3a    Baby one weighs in oz or mg? (5-5)
SMALL-SCALE:  A synonym of baby with a thing that weighs 

9a    Position makes sense in hearing (4)
SITE:  A homophone (in hearing) of one of the five senses 

10a   The original rock festival venue? (10)
STONEHENGE:  A cryptic definition of a very old ceremonial location featuring large rocks

11a   American fighter, hard element, protecting service animal (7)
GIRAFFE:  The abbreviation for an American foot soldier and the chemical symbol for an element that’s hard are sandwiching (protecting) an abbreviation for one of the armed services 

13a   Charter again for free (7)
RELEASE:  A straightforward double definition 

14a   Image of an off-duty PC (6,5)
SCREEN SAVER:  A cryptic definition where PC abbreviates something that is not Police Constable 

18a   One's paid just to sit down (5,6)
COVER CHARGE:  A cryptic definition of an amount paid just to enter a club, for example 

21a   Rose maybe showing leg in church wedding with Romeo (7)
CLIMBER:  A leg or member inserted in the fusion of an abbreviation for church and the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by Romeo. The maybe indicates that the definition is by example 

22a   Hold back crowd that's following on (7)
REPRESS:  Crowd or cram following on or concerning 

23a   Comical as in Mr Men's typical quirks (10)
MANNERISMS:  An anagram (comical) of AS IN MR MEN’S 

24a   Charged with foul, overturned (4)
LIVE:  The reversal (overturned) of foul or wicked 

25a   Chance in 100 I'd mind going without starter (10)
INCIDENTAL:  Put together IN from the clue, the Roman hundred, I’D from the clue, and another word for “mind” minus its first letter (going without starter

26a   Stick bottle where son will keep out (4)
FLAK:  A type of bottle minus the genealogical abbreviation for son (where son will keep out

 

Down

1d    Eleventh-hour stay, parking to fill up with petrol in Florida? (4-4)
LAST-GASP:  The fusion of stay or endure and the single letter for parking containing (to fill up with) the American (in Florida) word for petrol 

2d    Being like this, I try Lear for a change ... (8)
LITERARY:  An anagram (for a change) of I TRY LEAR. The definition refers to the rest of the clue 

4d    ... part of Shakespeare's art (Poe would give it a twisted ending) (5)
METRE:  A technical word associated with what Shakespeare created, the definition narrowed down by the instruction that the last two letters are reversed in American (Poe would give it twisted ending

5d    Coming from Milan, drove rough-terrain vehicle (4,5)
LAND ROVER:  The answer is hidden in (coming from) MILAN DROVE ROUGH-TERRAIN 

6d    Busted or Clash's in for award? (11)
SCHOLARSHIP:  An anagram (busted) of OR CLASH’S with “in” or “fashionable” 

7d    Cancel receiving a regular publication (6)
ANNUAL:  A synonym of cancel containing (receiving) A from the clue 

8d    Rolled up during Ramadan Eve - left shortly before midnight (6)
ELEVEN:  The answer is hiding in the reversal of (rolled up during, in a down clue) RAMADAN EVE LEFT 

12d   Stick to butter! (6,5)
FRENCH BREAD:  A cryptic definition of a stick-shaped foodstuff often eaten with butter

15d   Queen gold disc? (9)
SOVEREIGN:  Another double definition, the second a little cryptic   

16d   Liberty - female rising from stone in the water, first to witness suffering (4,4)
FREE WILL:  A stonelike material found in the ocean with the single letter for female moved to the front of the word (female rising from) is followed by the first letter of WITNESS and suffering or sick 

17d   Reporters from all quarters meeting some French king (4,4)
NEWS DESK:  Assemble single letters for the four quarters of the compass, the French word for “some”, and the chess abbreviation for king 

19d   Food from the south is sent round Butlin's? (6)
SCAMPI:  The reversal (from the south, in a down clue) of IS from the clue is containing (sent round) what Butlin’s defines by example (?

20d   Tea perhaps using cream jug, needing to lose kilo each (6)
PICNIC:  Words for cream or best and jug or prison, both minus the single letter for kilo (needing to lose kilo each). The perhaps indicates that the definition is by example 

22d   Weird graduate that's been seen on Strictly (5)
RUMBA:  Weird or odd with the abbreviation for a type of undergraduate degree. “Strictly” is the informal name of a TV programme

 

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


The Quick Crossword pun:  ETON + BYRE + WAIL = EATEN BY A WHALE


63 comments on “DT 30628

  1. The second word of the Quick Pun sounds like BY A which makes sense of the pun

      1. I couldn’t make any sense of the pun as I had entered BAWL as a perfectly valid answer for the third word.

  2. Phew, that was tough but I made it having much enjoyed the challenge. Took a long time to discount chair umpire for 18a although they are of course not necessarily paid. I suppose anagrams are comical?! Food is quite loose definition for 19d. Thanks Mysteryone and MrK for being faithfully on hand in case of need.

  3. What a day! First to leave a review. I found this a bit of slog but not too bad for Friday and it killed time as I waited for tyres being fitted on my car. Is there any better way to spend £400? Thanks to setter and Mr K for the hints. I couldn’t figure out the parsing to 16d.

  4. This proved to be very enjoyable; one of those days where I’m tuned to the right wavelength I think.
    My favourite, making me chuckle is 12D

  5. So many good clues that made me have to think hard. I particularly liked 3a, 4d, 16d and 17d. Nothing obscure, although I did have to check why 20d was what it was. Always happy if I can complete a Friday puzzle.
    Thank you to the setter and Mr K.

  6. Very enjoyable puzzle – many thanks to our setter and Mr K.
    I particularly enjoyed the cryptic definitions 10a, 14a, 18a and 12d as well as the cleverly hidden 5d.

    1. Not too hard to master
      For a Friday, I would say.
      I could have gone much faster
      One across caused my delay.

      The university was Cambridge (I shortened it to CAM)
      Inserted just one student.
      I should have been more prudent
      As ‘calm’ was the solution I tried therein to ram.

      So thanks to mystery setter
      And Mr Kitty too.
      They often don’t come better –
      Ten across – a witty clue.

      1. Bravo!
        Like a lamb
        I entered Cam.
        Then Mr Kay
        Showed me the way
        I had gone wrong.
        So ends my song.

        1. Super crossword. 4d was very clever, except that I missed the American significance. Thanks to Xandio and Mr K.

          Thorougly enjoyed the above poems – very witty, both of you.

  7. Cor! I’m knackered.

    That was a scrap and then some. I was determined to get over the finish line unaided which I did…..on my hands and knees.

    My LOI was 4d which was great fun and the parsing of the first word in 16d was out of my grasp.

    Lots of clues to choose from for my top 3 but I’ll go with 14a, 6d and 12d.

    Many thanks to the savage setter and Mr K.

    5*/4*

  8. 3*/4*. Although there were a few iffy surfaces dotted around, I really enjoyed the challenge with 14a, 18a & 5d making up my podium selection.

    The SW was the hardest part to crack with the correct synonym for “jug” in 20d the final piece of the jigsaw.

    Many thanks to the setter, particularly for the American indicator in 1d! Thanks too to Mr K.

  9. What a struggle this was for me.
    Got there in the end but it involved a lot of checking online that my answers were correct before writing them into the dead tree ….never very satisfying for me.
    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K….Great pics as always.

    Hard to know how the weather is going to turn out here today….bright at the moment but clouds are gathering.
    Getting a new fridge freezer delivered tomorrow…sometime between 7am and 7pm. Any bets on when it will arrive ?

    1. I am in the throes of deciding which fridge/freezer I should buy and would be interested to know what make you have gone for OM?

    2. Actually I think I might be sitting in your freezer. It sure feels like it.

      1. It certainly did on the golf course at East Herts – wish I’d rubbed some embrocation in first. 5 layers & a woolly hat required.

  10. That was a most enjoyable guzzle with just the right balance of straightforwards and posers. All fairly clued. However, I stupidly put “literate” in 2d and that held 14a up for ages. Once I saw the error of my ways I thought 14a had a great surface. I liked the original rock festival and Queen’s gold disc but my COTD is the tea at 20d because of the massive penny drop moment it gave.

    Thank you to the setter for the fun challenge. Many thanks to Mr. K. for the hints and pusskits.

    Sunny with a stiff breeze in The Marches today so Hudson and I will be having a bracing walk across the fields.

  11. A proper Friday back-pager, but a number of dodgy surfaces (I at least agree with RD on that today), some rather stretched leaps of faith, a few weak clues, a little unnecessary padding and a general sense of it “trying too hard” but not really working. Satisfying to complete, but not very enjoyable. COTD 5a, runner-up 14a.

    3* / 2*

    Thank you setter, but not one for me today, and thanks also to MrK

  12. Little bit of a struggle, but I got there eventually with no electronic help, although I needed the hints after the fact to parse a couple of the clues for words I had correct but couldn’t see why (4d for example). But quite enjoyable neverthless. ***/*** Many thanks to the setter and Mr. K.

  13. Not an easy solve but with determination I got there. 4d caused the most problems so I was grateful for Mr Ks assistance. 14a was my top pick and the two cats were also my favourite. The sun is trying hard to shine but it doesn’t look promising for the rest of the day. Thankyou compiler and Mr K.

  14. No doubt the handiwork of Zandio today. Ticks few and far between but I did rather like 1&18a. Less said about the Quickie pun, the better!

    Thanks to Zandio and to Mr K and the felines for the review.

  15. For me, an enjoyable solve with some quirky clueing and lots of humour. I’m grateful to Mr K for the parsing of 16d. I don’t seem to do very well when the answer requires letters to jump around. Even had I twigged this one I don’t think I would have considered reef to be synonymous with ‘stone in the water’ though it undoubtedly is. Favourite today was the cleverly misleading 14a though it could have been 10a, 18a, 12d or 15d, all vying for podium places. Many thanks to our setter for the enjoyment and Mr K for parsing help and kitties!

  16. Yet another relatively straightforward Friday puzzle to end the non-work week.
    As with most puzzles a handful of head scratchers to go on with, but all very solvable.

    2.5*/3.5*

    Favourites 10a, 14a, 25a, 1d, 5d & 15d — with winner 10a
    Smiles from 3a, 14a, 21a & 1d

    Thanks to setter & Mr K for hints/blog

  17. Great fun with some cracking cryptic definitions (10a, 14a,18a, etc) but I thought 3a was slightly iffy and I’m surprised that so many people liked 12d, which didn’t work for me at all. I had to go back and check to see if I’d missed something but no, I still don’t like it. I’d have preferred “with” to “to” and, even then, it would be debatable. I think. I also reckoned the hyphen in 5d’s (super) lurker was mean. But it was very enjoyable. Thanks to today’s setter and Mr K.

    1. Hi, ALP. What’s your concern with 3a? It seemed fine to me, but I parsed it differently from Mr K: I had “Baby” as the definition for the hyphenated solution, and then the rest as a statement of what a (5,5) phrase without the hyphen would be.

      1. Your parsing was my first thought, but in the end I went for the alternative above because the answer isn’t a good synonym for baby and because a device weighing in mg would be sensitive rather than small. Neither interpretation seems completely satisfying, which may be what ALP was referring to.

  18. A DNF for me, defeated by 4d and 20d. 4d I would never have got and I’m not even going to look up the word as my auto delete memory will have erased it by tomorrow. 10a tickled my fancy, closely followed by 11a. Thanks to all.

  19. Pleasantly challenging for a sunny Shropshire morning, with some real head-scratching required to get over the line. 14a was my pick from a wide selection of goodies. An honourable mention, too, for the Quickie pun.

    Many thanks to our Friday setter for a great challenge, and to Mr K.

  20. An excellent Friday puzzle with fine clues providing a decent challenge and an enjoyable solve. Feels like a Z production to me. Fav: 5d. 3.5*/4.5*.

  21. I never thought I would say this, but I took longer to finish this, than the Elgar toughie. As for the quickie pun, I thought there must be an Eton Bible. Oops.

  22. I don’t know how Shropshire has sunny weather!
    It is about to snow here I think. However, what a sparkling guzzle, so clever and funny I have daisies all over the place. Apart from my gaffe at 1a which queered the pitch for 1d of course, I liked the animal at 11a, the off duty PC was brilliant, MrMen made me laugh – and I haven’t even started on the downs. So cold today George made a soup. Well, opened a tin. I was supposed to go to a funeral this morning over at the Crematorium but chickened out at the last moment as I think I have a cold so I was especially pleased to have such a good guzzle to wrestle with – many thanks to Mr Setter and to Mr K for the cats and for pointing out that Cambridge is not the only synonym for university.

    1. What a great expression ‘queer the pitch’ is, Day Zee.

      Thanks for that.

  23. A dnf from me. I needed five of Mr K’s hints to get me over the finish line. In each case they got a response of “really? Why didn’t I think of that. Doh”. There was much to admire however. 14a was a peach, but 11a gets my cotd. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.

  24. Hello, compiler here. Thanks very much for taking the time to solve, analyse and discuss.
    It was pleasing to have a few candidates for cryptic definitions, which Gazza (and Chris Lancaster, the Telegraph crossword editor) pointed out.
    The great Roger Squires was a master of cryptic definitions — it was where his other life as a television conjuror really showed itself. Look this way and it means one thing — look from another angle and it means something else.
    ALP (if you read this), just try putting ‘A’ at the start of 12a — does it work then?
    Thanks again for your interest. Have a great weekend, and hope to see you for this Sunday’s Toughie.

    1. Huge thanks Zandio but … not really! The stick bit’s great. It was the “to butter” that bothered me. But I’m clearly in a world of one – some of the grown-ups even picked 12d as one of their favourites. And you more than know your onions whereas I, er, don’t. Very much looking forward to seeing you again on Sunday. Ta lots for popping in – always a treat.

    2. Hi Z

      I prefer it without the ‘A’ as it reads nicely as an injunctive.

      Thanks for a brutal workout which was very satisfying to solve. Lots of dark alleys that are always a hoot to walk down.

    3. Thanks for dropping by, Zandio.
      Even though I’ve lived here for 50+ years, haven’t really been a fan of baguettes for a while now, but would always have them with cheese (or just plain). But they do come in useful for keeping one’s goats in line.

    4. Many thanks, Zandio for a wonderful guzzle. Needed help with a couple but otherwise very enjoyable. 👍

  25. Excellent puzzle, with a few chuckles. Always good to read the comments on this site, which I’ve only recently discovered.

    1. Welcome to the blog, David W.
      Now that you’ve introduced yourself I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter.

    2. Welcome, Dave W! I echo the sentiments of Gazza and hope you will return soon with more comments.

  26. If this was a a Zandio guzzle, it was an unusualky enjoyable one. There were a lot of cryptic definitions, some of which were impenetrable, but I liked10a and 12d. The anagrams at 6d and 23a were most enjoyable too thanks to the compiler and to MrK for dispelling rhe confusion overthe parsing of 16d

  27. Thoroughly enjoyable guzzle today which took quite a bit of thinking about. Finished unaided but had to read the hints to parse 4d. I keep seeing people on the TV being interviewed in shirtsleeves and bright sunshine, It is absolutely freezing here on the north sea coast and I have 4 layers of clothing on. I even put the heating on for a couple of hours last night and will probably do so again this evening, or even in a minute. Thanks to Zandio for the head scratching and to Mr K for the hints and pictures.

  28. Sorry Zandio, waaay beyond my capabilities, so I’m tossing in the towel. Thank you Mr. K for the kittycats.

  29. ***/*** for me today, although technically it was a DNF as 20d defeated me. Thanks Mr Kitty for explaining it – should have got it, but spent too long going through types of tea leaves! The only other clue that I got, but did not understand, was 6d – ‘scholarship’.
    I realised it was an anagram but that only gave me 10 letters, and I can’t explain the P at the end! Can anyone enlighten me please? No doubt a senior moment on my part!

    1. Hi JaneG, That foxed me too – a “P” would be needed to solve the anagram at 6d – thought it was just me!

  30. 3/2. Enjoyable in parts but overall not my favourite. Liked14a and 12d. Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

  31. Found this v hard work – a good two meals worth. Struggled over breakfast, but after getting a few checkers, the lunchtime solve was much quicker and nearer to Zandio’s wavelengh.
    Since I don’t lurk much any more failed to spot the lovely one in 5d until the last minute. Does one take tea in 20d al fresco? I suppose so, but a bit of a faff?
    Spotted the Poe variant of 4d fairly early on.
    All in all, as I look back on it, this was a really fine puzzle!
    I think I’ll go for the 1a/1d combo as faves.
    V many thanks to Zandio and to MrK.

  32. This was a bit beyond me today, I still enjoyed it but needed the hints to complete it particularly for 20d. My favourite was 14a.

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

  33. Well it was a good week until today. Not that I’m surprised, it being Friday and all that, but was rather hoping we might be on a roll. Had a peek at 4 hints, and realise I am way off wavelength so throwing in the towel. Thanks with admiration to Mr K.

  34. Late post as out all day. Enjoyed the puzzle & particularly the cryptic definitions. Certainly the trickiest of the week, as you’d expect, but relatively gentle for a Zandio Friday production despite one or two of the whys arriving on a later bus.
    Thanks to Zandio & to Mr K

  35. Thoroughly enjoyed this solve today. A return to a normal Friday challenge.

    A dnf thanks to 20d. The meaning for jug is a new one for me. Would never have got this is a million years.

    Thanks to all.

  36. Have spent a lot of time on this today and am now down to 3 clues remaining in the lower right of the grid that I think are going to defeat me as it’s now bedtime! Not easy it pleased to have got as far as I did with it

  37. Trickier than the average Zandio backpager, for me℠: the first pass yielded no across answers and only 2 downs! But once I got into it, it all came together nicely — and lots of quirky clues made it so fun to solve. My favourite was the same as so many others’ above: 14a, with the off-duty PC. Thank you Zandio.

    And thank you to Mr K for explaining ‘jug’ in 20d.

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