Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30642
Hints and tips by pommers
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Hola from Almoradí on a very warm and muggy morning. I think we’re in for a hot one today!
It’s really Falcon’s turn today but he’s otherwise engaged so I’m afraid you’re going to have to put up with me instead. I’ll be back next week as well!
Today’s puzzle is another example of what is fast becoming the normal Monday fare. Not too hard and with seven clues involving anagrams, a couple of lurkers and a few gimmes there’s plenty of ways in. Very enjoyable with some very smooth surfaces.
As usual my podium three are in blue. The definitions are underlined in the clues and the answers are under the “click here” buttons so don’t click on them unless you really want to see the answer. Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Make stronger complaint you uttered with power (4,2)
BEEF UP: The first word of the answer is a slang term for a complaint and the second is made up of the letter that sounds like (uttered) the word YOU and a P(ower).
5a Nutritional value from crumbs! (8)
GOODNESS: A double definition. Crumbs as an exclamation like cor or wow. This is better than Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren IMHO . . .
9a Parent left peculiar coral island (8)
MALLORCA: The short form of one of your parents followed by L(eft) and then an anagram (peculiar) of CORAL will give you the island from which Rafa Nadal hails. As you might guess I started off trying to do something with the wrong parent!
10a One tells the future queen to dress in old lace pants (6)
ORACLE: O(ld) followed by an anagram (pants) of LACE with R for queen inserted (to dress in). It was the thought of someone telling the Duchess of Cambridge to dress in old lace pants that made this my favourite clue!
11a Improve appearance of Cockney’s grooming aid (8)
AIRBRUSH: Improve the appearance of a photograph. It’s something you might groom your hair with but without the initial H which Cockney’s are said to drop.
12a American fruit in a pair of hands (6)
PAWPAW: A slang term for a hand repeated (pair of).
13a Kitty admitting problem in light conversation (8)
CHITCHAT: The animal that a kitty is with a problem or snag inserted (admitting).
15a Kiss old Hollywood leading man (4)
PECK: Double definition. You very nearly got a trailer from The Guns of Navarone here.
17a Conflict needing to be settled following retreats (4)
FEUD: A word describing something needing to be settled or owing and an F(ollowing) all reversed (retreats).
19a Intellectual from Britain tucked into cornflakes, say (8)
CEREBRAL: The two letter abbreviation of Britain inserted into (tucked into) what cornflakes are an example of. I spent a while thinking that Britain was going to be just a B, d’oh!
20a Wealth redistributed and coppers (3,3)
THE LAW: Anagram (redistributed) of WEALTH gives a slang term for the police.
21a Naturally lean, tiny bats (8)
INNATELY: Anagram (bats) of LEAN TINY.
22a A set of drinks for everyone, more or less (6)
AROUND: More or less as in approximately. A, from the clue, followed by what a set of drinks for everyone is commonly called.
23a Soldiers gutted after hostility is unnecessary (8)
NEEDLESS: A word meaning hostility or irritation followed by SS (S(oldier)S gutted).
24a Man who gets checked by writer of nonsense play (4,4)
KING LEAR: The chess man who gets in check followed by a writer of nonsense poetry gives a play.
25a Crowds gathered in August’s warm sunshine (6)
SWARMS: A lurker hiding in (gathered in) the last three words.
Down
2d This person’s tested component of Alexa – mine exploded! (8)
EXAMINEE: Another lurker also hiding in (component of) the last three words.
3d Complete support for defensive player (4,4)
FULL BACK: A word for complete followed by a word meaning to support gives the No 15 in a rugby union team.
4d Prickly sort‘s wish to hold gold drinking vessel (9)
PORCUPINE: A word meaning to wish or yearn has inserted (to hold) heraldic gold and something I’m currently drinking tea from, not a mug – we’re posh in Almoradí.
5d Working hard, Ginger Spice is a creator of artwork (7,8)
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Anagram (working) of HARD GINGER SPICE. Here’s a bit of Geri . . .
6d Inactive chap plugging party on right (7)
DORMANT: Start with the usual party and two letters for right. Into that insert (plugging) a chap or male person to get a word for inactive that’s often applied to volcanos. Like with Britain in 19a I often forget that right can be two letters as well as just an R.
7d Lark‘s flight around America and Germany (8)
ESCAPADE: A flight or getaway placed around an A(merica) and the IVR code for Germany.
8d That lady’s supporting small club – Notts Forest (8)
SHERWOOD: A word for that lady placed after (supporting in a down clue) an S(mall) and then a golf club gives you a forest in Nottinghamshire. I was a bit confused here for a minute as the first three letters can also mean that lady. Spotted the construction eventually.
14d Wingers of amateur Scottish team – they provide the score (9)
ARRANGERS: AR (wingers of AmateuR) followed by a Glasgow football club.
15d Frank‘s job with Mr Zuckerberg? (8)
POSTMARK: Another word for a job followed by Mr Zuckerberg’s first name.
16d Visibly anxious vehicle owner in a mess (8)
CAREWORN: A vehicle followed by an anagram (in a mess) of OWNER.
17d Ships to fail badly crossing lakes (8)
FLOTILLA: Anagram (badly) of TO FAIL around (crossing) LL (two Lakes).
18d Country’s representative in United Nations occasionally called smarmy (5,3)
UNCLE SAM: UN (United Nations) followed by the alternate letters (occasionally) from CaLlEd SmArMy.
19d What television viewer chooses – new designer clothes (7)
CHANNEL: N(ew) with designer Coco placed around it (clothes).
Podium today is 10a, 3d and 8d with 10a on the top step. It’s a bit unfair to pick out just three as most of these clues are worthy of the blue treatment.
Quick crossword pun:
BELLE + LEAD + ANSWERS = BELLY DANCERS
A pleasant */**** start to the week with as pommers has said lots of anagrams 5d was very clever I thought. My favourite was 15d although most of the clues were excellent. Thank you pommers for stepping in and to our setter of course.
1.5*/4.5*. The adage that a puzzle doesn’t need to be tough to be enjoyable certainly applies to this one, which I thought was a joy to solve.
10a, 13a, 24a & 8d were my top picks although plenty more came into contention, and a special mention for the Quickie pun.
Many thanks to Robyn (?) and to pommers.
Looking forward to many more Mondays like this. Monday should be reserved for bears of very little brain and this fits the bill perfectly. liked 12,19 and 20a. Thanks to Pommers and the setter.
Light but hugely enjoyable throughout, if rather heavy on the anagram count. Many lovely surface reads and lots of ticks. Podium places to 5d, 8d (a laugh-out-loud moment, but I suspect supporters of that club will be up in arms at ‘small’!) and 19a.
1* / 4*
Many thanks to the setter and to Pommers
An excellent start to the week with stacks of great surfaces and not a word wasted.
I have always liked that, for us cruciverbalists, ‘Breaking *** ***’ is ‘wealth’.
My podium is 10a, 8d and 18d.
Many thanks to Batman and Pommers.
1*/4*
I knew it was going to be a good day when I solved Wordle in 2, despite only having one green letter in row one. That set the tone for this excellent and most enjoyable puzzle that flowed nicely throughout the solve, with 8d getting the biggest smile and top spot.
Many thanks to our setter for a great crossword, and to pommers.
Ah! Lovely, lovely anagrams. Got me well underway and – hoorah – an unaided finish!
Dear ol’ Geri Halliwell – often derided but she has a decent voice for pop songs, and especially when helped by a strong production and Biff Stannard’s magic touch.
Garden contractor fella coming back today and for much of the week, with his earth moving monster. We keep saying ‘it will be worth it when it is all done’.
Thanks to the excellent setter and SuperSub pommers from Vega Baja del Segura.
A little anagram heavy for me but it is Monday and I really enjoyed the solve. I fell into the same trap as pommers with 8d, thinking that the lady was ‘she’ and then, not being a golfer, wondering if ‘ wood ‘ referred only to small clubs. You can justify anything if you try hard enough! Once the penny dropped that became today’s favourite. The podium is overfull with 5a, 13a, 24a and 4d jostling for space with the quickie pun trying to get a look in. Thanks to our setter for the pleasure and pommers for going the extra mile.
Too true, Mhids, about justifying.
Sometimes my clues are better than the setter’s.
For some reason Mondays rarely provide the walk in the park which others enjoy – bring on Tuesday! SW last corner to fall. Not keen on 10a “pants” and not sure about “hostility” in 23a or “wish” in 4d. I missed significance of job in 15d. Fav 8d. Thank you Mysteryone and pommers for filling in today.
Another great start to the week. Just the right mixture of clues for me although I can’t see how 23a works. No doubt the penny will drop when I read the hints. Difficult to pick a favourite but I will opt for Frank’s job at 15d with the checked man a close second at 24a.
Thank you, setter for the fun challenge and the Quickie pun. Thank you, pommers for the hints, which I will now read to see how 23a works.
Just seen the hint for 23a – obvious really! 😳
A good Monday start to the cruciverbaling week – 1.5*/3.5*
Candidates for favourite – 5a, 11a, 19a, and 7d – and the winner is 5a.
Thanks to whomsoever and pommers.
BRAVO
In * time
Men make passes
At girls with glasses
Excellent surfaces
And novel clues
eg 12a and 8 and
15d.
Many thanks setter
And pommers.
Lovely Monday fare from our setter giving lots of smiles and ticks aplenty. Think I’ll nominate 11&13a plus 15d for the honours.
Thanks to our setter and to pommers for bringing us the review.
Great fun throughout – thanks to the setter and pommers.
I have loads of ticks – I’ll just mention 13a, 8d and 18d.
Lots to like in this puzzle, a mix of write-ins but also some thought required. Standout today is 12a, because I had no idea it was American! It’s been my favourite fruit since I used to have it for breakfast (with plenty of lime juice) on our veranda in Calcutta in the early 50s, though I did use its other name and still do. I see from a quick Mr G, that it is indeed American, but was brought to India by the Spanish in the 16th C! India, I recall, now account for over a third of the world’s production.
Thanks to the setter for the fun and the history lesson and to pommers for the blog.
In Jamaica we pronounce it papaw, and I think spell it like that. You can’t tie your donkey under a papaw tree or its tail will fall off.
Oh my! I knew that jawjaw took the hind legs off a donkey, but not the papaw bit. Do blindfolded children then try to stick it back on again? What fun!
What grand fun, even if, embarrassingly, the NE took far too long to solve until the obvious finally came to mind for 5a. My podium comprises 8 and 15d with top spot to 19a. Thanks to compiler and Pommers
Everyone seems to have enjoyed this and I am no exception. I loved 15d and 10a, nearly missed the lurker and have fond memories of my mother’s heart throb at 15a. Not only a good start to the week but completed sitting in warm sunshine, at last. 19a gets favourite position. Many thanks to stand in Hinter Pommers and to the lighthearted Setter
DG, I’ve had a quick look back and cannot see that anyone has provided you with the full “lyrics”, and a look at my treasured old cloth-bound softback 1948 40th Edition of “Scouting For Boys” was sadly unsuccessful, but Wiki resulted in the following for what is described as being a 1920s Boy Scouts marching song to the tune of Men of Harlech, written pre-1914 by a William Hope-Jones, a housemaster at Eton.
The National Anthem Of The Ancient Britons
“What’s the good of wearing braces,
Vests and pants and boots with laces,
Spats or hats you buy in places
Down in Brompton Road?
What’s the use of shirts of cotton,
Studs that always get forgotten?
These affairs are simply rotten:
Better far is woad.
Woad’s the stuff to show, men.
Woad to scare your foemen:
Boil it to a brilliant hue
And rub it on your back and your abdomen.
Ancient Briton ne’er did hit on
Anything as good as woad to fit on
Neck, or knees, or where you sit on.
Tailors, you be blowed.
Romans came across the Channel
All wrapped up in tin and flannel:
Half a pint of woad per man’ll
Dress us more than these.
Saxons, you can waste your stitches
Building beds for bugs in britches:
We have woad to clothe us, which is
Not a nest for fleas.
Romans keep your armours;
Saxons your pyjamas:
Hairy coats were meant for goats,
Gorillas, yaks, retriever dogs and llamas.
Tramp up Snowdon with our woad on:
Never mind if we get rained or blowed on.
Never want a button sewed on.
Go it, Ancient Bs.”
Did anyone else think of Kohl for 15a. Leading letters of the first 4 words and a leading man! Obviously wrong when I got the checkers but quite a neat answer. Otherwise a relatively straight forward crossword even for a Monday. Very enjoyable though.
Kohl is a good spot, Andrew, and so close.
I thought this Monday puzzle this week was on par with most Monday offerings, but I certainly found the NW the last area to fall. Took almost as long as the rest of the puzzle.
2*/3.5*
Favourites 5a, 11a, 22a, 2a, 8d & 14d — with winner 11a
Smiles from 5a, 24a, 5d & 14d
Thanks to setter and pommers
That should read NE not NW
This was a gentle but very enjoyable solve . Thanks to Pommers and setter. I still haven’t finished Fridays – I ll take a look at the hints maybe now !
I was slow to get going today – couldn’t see the first word of 1a which didn’t help.
I liked 13 and 24a and 7 and 8d. My favourite was 17d once it had enough ‘L’s.
Thanks to the setter for the crossword and thanks to pommers for the hints.
This was huge fun, but it took a while to get on wavelength. First read through only gave two answers, but the downs came to the rescue and, yes, ** is right. I had to use word search for last in, 14d, I drew a blank there. So much good stuff, 10a was a standout but “pants” lost it too many points. I liked 5d, the young daughter of a friend was here a couple of weeks ago and she’s studying that at Uni. I’m choosing 9a as fave, home of “cute buns”, sadly now retired.
Thank you setter for the fun, I loved it, and to pommers for his hints and tips.
I struggled to get on the setter’s wavelength to begin with. I blame that on a morning looking for large blue butterflies. Found both the butterfly and the wavelength in the end.
Top picks for me, out of many I marked, were 10a, 13a and 8d.
Thanks to Pommers for being there if needed and to the setter.
Many thanks to pommers for the sterling blogging and to everyone dropping in.
I hope everyone has a great week!
Many thanks to you for a sterling puzzle.
Great puzzle. Many thanks, Robyn.
And thanks also to Pommers, of course.
Thank you for a terrific guzzle, Robyn and for popping in.
Thought it might be you!
Excellent and well done.
Thanks Robyn – really enjoyed the puzzle.
Just right for Monday. Hard enough to be interesting and yet easy enough to complete. Thanks Pommers and would our setter please step forward since there are so many who enjoyed this puzzle.
He did. See comment 24
He? I always thought the spelling was the female version – Robin, male and Robyn female.
Ah well, live and learn. 😊
James Brydon…..interesting chap and sounds like he’s a polyglot as well as a puzzler.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/2023/02/08/telegraph-crossword-gets-new-regular-setter/
Thanks, Moonraker. An interesting article. 👍
What a lovely Monday puzzle, enjoyed all the way through. Nothing too taxing (just as well as I had another night when brain forgot how to sleep) and all the clues made sense. I spent too long on 4d as I thought vessel was the definition and bunged in my 2d too hastily which made me ponder over 15a. COTD award goes to 15a, funny and clever. Big thank you to the setter and to Pommers. BTW, I too prefer tea out of a cup, and we have some lovely ones, but Peter prefers a nice large mug.
Must be me as I found this really quite tricky. Bit too idiosyncratic for my taste.
Not my favourite.
***/**
Thx for the hints
This has just reminded of a 4d which found it’s way into a cellar – (suspected this wasn’t in the UK!
A phone call to the police – “I’ve got a 4d in my cellar”
“All you need to do is put a trail of apples to an outside door and the 4d will follow them until it’s outside”.
Two hours later – “I’ve got two 4d’s in my cellar”!
I heard this ages ago and I’d forgotten about it – it made me laugh!
Great puzzle, just right for a Monday, thoroughly enjoyable and completed this morning. I enjoyed the anagrams and the variety of clues with 5d my favourite.
Have just returned from a lovely afternoon in Arundel with family, the sun has shone and it has been really warm here, English summer at its best for a few hours at least.
Many thanks to Robyn and to to Pommers for the hints
Good evening
I started off a bit slowly; then, for a time, the solutions dropped in one after the other; and then, a slow limp to the finish line with 16d the last to fall.
Excellent stuff for a Monday crozzie.
COTD is the very witty 15d.
Many thanks to Robyn and to Pommers.
Another splendidly entertaining puzzle from Robyn & I’ve still to tackle his Toughie from yesterday which will be a different kettle of fish I’m sure. It didn’t last long but was a pleasure from start to finish. 8d was my pick of a very fine bunch of clues.
Thanks to Robyn for popping in & to Pommers for subbing.
I can only agree with most of the comments above, perfect Monday fare and hard to pick a favourite which says a lot, but I’ll go with 13a or maybe 8d or …. Thanks to Robyn and Pommers.
Great puzzle today – at my usual late night posting. Mostly within my grasp but grateful for the hints!! 5D and 8D were my CsOTD – but I needed help with them!