Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30663
Hints and tips by Shabbo
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment **
A beautiful, calm and sunny morning here – all very serene in contrast to the edge-of-seat excitement of the football last night. What price for a hat trick of England wins over the weekend in cricket, football and rugby? The test match at Lord’s against an inexperienced West Indies team might not even last until the weekend (weather permitting), but the other matches against Spain (football) and the All Blacks (rugby) look challenging to say the least…but you never know!
I found this puzzle quite tough in parts, but all perfectly fair, of course, with perhaps a few slightly stretched synonyms and clunky surface reads? Not too many smiles or PDMs, so I have been rather mean in granting it only two stars for enjoyment. Perhaps it is just me being grumpy. Sorry setter.
We are treated to five double definitions, four chemical symbols and two recent Prime Ministers (in fairness, that is quite a large group to choose from). My joint CoDs are 12a for the smooth surface read and 7d as I love cryptic definitions.
In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.
Across
1a Girl promising to keep mare in order (8)
ROSEMARY: synonym of promising outside (to keep) anagram (in order) of MARE.
5a Drink after drink – a second in France’s expensive (6)
CHASER: A + S inside the French word meaning expensive.
9a Leo, perhaps, with what an autograph hunter might see? (4,4)
STAR SIGN: double definition, the second slightly cryptic. Think horoscopes.
10a Signals and turns (6)
SPELLS: another double definition.
12a Italian family nurse once rejected drugs (9)
MEDICINES: the famous Italian family from Florence + abbreviation for the old designation of State Enrolled Nurse backwards (rejected).
13a Sweet, but what are country’s limits? (5)
CANDY: the “limits” of country are its first and last letters. Link them with “and” to find an unindicated and dreadful Americanism and a fairly odd surface read.
14a Ultimately the senses help body clock (4)
ESPY: the final letters (ultimately) of words 2 to 5.
16a Take That set her off, full of love (2,5)
SO THERE: don’t worry – no knowledge of pop music is required here. Anagram (off) of SET HER outside (full of) love (think tennis).
19a Heartache? Rishi hoards treasure (7)
CHERISH: hidden word (hoards) within words 2 & 3. Rishi who?
21a Very hot over part of London (4)
SOHO: three Lego bricks to assemble in a four-letter clue. Synonym of very + abbreviations for hot and over.
24a All the best gold rings perish (5)
ADIEU: chemical symbol for gold outside (rings) a synonym of perish.
25a Share bed rented from the council (9)
ALLOTMENT: double definition. Some are privately owned, so perhaps a question mark at the end of the clue might be appropriate?
27a Line produced by Boris, panicking about answer? (6)
ISOBAR: anagram (produced by) of A (answer) + BORIS. Boris who?
28a Rambling, drawn-out, inconvenient (8)
UNTOWARD: anagram (rambling) of DRAWN-OUT.
29a Spice girl attached to old teaching union (6)
NUTMEG: don’t worry about trying to remember the names of the eminently forgettable Spice Girls. Here we are just looking for a spice. A random abbreviated girl’s name (included just to irritate RD), follows the former teacher’s union.
30a Item from lab required by experiment underground? (4,4)
TEST TUBE: synonyms of experiment and underground (think railway).
Down
1d Take for granted missing leader and begin again (6)
RESUME: synonym of “take for granted” without the initial letter (missing leader).
2d Nitrogen-infused dubious drink (6)
SHANDY: the chemical symbol for nitrogen inside (infused) a synonym of dubious.
3d Notes unpleasant consequences (5)
MUSIC: my LOI. The answer was obvious, but the parsing took a little longer. A double definition. For the second definition think “face the *****”.
4d Rule carbon must be absorbed during production of energy (7)
REGENCY: chemical symbol for carbon inside (must be absorbed during) anagram (production of) ENERGY.
6d Expect to finish early and ruin game for children (9)
HOPSCOTCH: four-letter synonym of expect without the final letter (to finish early) + synonym of ruin.
7d A chip off the old block? (8)
SPLINTER: cryptic definition.
8d Called to support engineers and given a makeover (8)
RESTYLED: synonym of called (as in designated) supporting (this is a down clue) the usual abbreviation for Royal Engineers.
11d Glamorous escorts will entertain such exploits (4)
USES: hidden word (will entertain) inside words 1 & 2. I bet we all pronounced the last word as a noun when we read the clue? It is curious how the verb and the noun are pronounced very slightly differently, but then that’s why we love the English language so much.
15d Demand from uranium mines rising and behind schedule (9)
STIPULATE: chemical symbol for uranium + synonym of mines upside down (rising) + synonym of behind schedule.
17d Grounds for affair? (8)
OCCASION: double definition. For the first think “reason” or “ “excuse” and for the second think “party” or “celebration”. If that doesn’t work, just biff it from the checking letters like I did.
18d Understand seller keeps one to last the course (3,2,3)
SEE IT OUT: synonyms for understand + seller outside (keeps) one or I.
20d Clapped-out car may be a bargain having failed to start (4)
HEAP: synonym of “a bargain” without the first letter (having failed to start).
21d The French must be in because there’s quiet (7)
SILENCE: French word for “the” inside (must be in) a synonym of because.
22d Familiar feeling upsetting Jude holding Bible (4,2)
DÉJÀ VU: anagram (upsetting) of JUDE (as in Bellingham) outside (holding) abbreviation for the Authorised Version of the bible.
23d As an example, Dorothy’s going north for such food (6)
STODGE: abbreviation for Dorothy’s + two letters meaning “as an example” upside down (going north – this is a down clue).
26d In honesty, mostly there’s zero fish (5)
TROUT: the letter signified by zero inside a synonym of honesty without the final letter (mostly).
Quickie Pun: FREAK + WATERS = THREE QUARTERS
A kind of Marmite guzzle in that it will either be liked or not. I didn’t care for it much and the parsing of one or two defeated me. In 1a, for example, I can’t see how “promising” comes into it. Neither do I understand why 3d has “unpleasant consequences”. No doubt I am missing the obvious. No favourites today because I was just happy to finish (with help).
Thank you, setter for beating my grey cells into submission. Thank you, Shabbo for the hints.
Ok, just looked at the hints and now understand 1a and 3d but I think the links are tenuous.
Steve, 3d refers to the expression “face the 3d”.
I suppose you could say the future is looking rosy, or promising?
Thanks, RD and DG. I do see those but I still think they are somewhat of a stretch. Still, I suppose it is a Thursday guzzle and these have resulted in letters to the DT before now.
Very very hard today, took ages and even then had to do it bottom to top.
Last ones in were 10a and 13a which I really had to think about to see how they worked (especially 13a)
My two favourite were 3d, and the aforementioned 13a.
Can’t wait to see who the setter is.
Definitely not a Ray T Thursday, and not Beam on Toughie duty, and probably not his ‘usual’ stand-in either. Shabbo, if you are being grumpy then so am I, not an enjoyable experience at all – ****/**
I did manage to smile at 13a and 3d.
But, thanks to whomsoever and Shabbo.
A reasonably brisk solve just after midnight but the why for one or two took a wee bit longer. The unpleasant consequences context (despite having to face the 🎵 many a time) didn’t immediately register & I did wonder for a moment if a K was missing from the last word in the clue at 9a. I also didn’t think the called synonym the first that would spring to mind. Enjoyed the guzzle more than our reviewer did but wouldn’t count it as a favourite. 12a + 4&15d my podium picks.
Thanks to the setter & to Shabbo.
Ps 1a&21d prompted me to play a bit of S&G
2*/1.5*. Even if I ignore 29a, this was not my cup of tea.
I’m not sure about “will” in 11a. Wouldn’t “entertaining” be better than “will entertain”?
Thanks anyway to the setter and to Shabbo. Thanks too to Huntsman for a reminder of one of my favourite tracks (sorry Kath).
Spot on for a Thursday.
I had to work for it but it was a fun ride. I always enjoy clues like 13a though calling a country sweet is pushing it. Maybe replace it with Cindy? I didn’t know the synonym for ‘called’ in 8d so that’s being duly noted. 7d was a nice cryptic jobbie.
Lots of goodies to choose from but I’ll go with 12a, 16a and 27a.
Many thanks to Zandio (?) and Shabbs.
3*/4*
C and Y are country’s limits. It’s the answer that is a sweet not a Country
I got there but with couple of bung ins, 3d and 8d, which I needed help to parse and understand. Otherwise I thought it a good puzzle but there were no stand out clues for me. The lurkers and anagrams definitely helped me with some of the less obvious ones.
Many thanks to the setter and to Shabbo for the hints.
This was perfectly fine, I thought. Some slightly clunky surfaces, perhaps, though 12a reads well. 5a’s fun and I did enjoy 15d but why the “and” – does the surface really need it? Unlike Shabbo, I didn’t think 7d was a particularly strong cd but each to their own! And I wanted to love 17d more than I did. But it all flew in pretty pleasingly. Thanks to the setter and Shabbo.
Crikey! Needed Shabbo’s help big time to get me rebooted. Crikey again!
I started off with an error. I had a checking letter in the middle of 3d and jumped to the conclusion it was an anagram of ‘notes’. Folly! I took it out because I thought 1a was an anagram of ‘keep mare’. More foolishness on my part. Once I had that all sorted out, I’d finished my porridge and orange juice with no bits.
Big cheer for my favourite food getting a mention at 23d.
We are having a LOT of building work done here at the moment. This seems to include copius amounts of cardboard, plastic wrapping, and polystyrene packing. So I am off now to my regular visit to the tip. The very same one where I had the legendary conversation with Ronnie Wood about ten years ago.
Ronnie, leaning on an expensive car, puffing on a cigarette, while his mate dumps stuff: “Busy, innit?”
Me: “Yes. Yes it is.”
Anecdote ends.
Thanks to the setter for the challenge (™ Steve Cowling) and Shabba-dabba-doo
Top anecdote!
I’m jealous that you still have a tip. Our council was running out of money earlier this year, and the condition of money from the government was making cuts — which turned out to include the ‘household waste & recycling centre’ a short walk from our house.
The hedge in our front yard is now desperately in need of cutting, otherwise the postie and milkperson will soon struggle to make it past to our front door, but I’ve been putting it off because I haven’t worked out what to do with the trimmings afterwards. An online journey planner says the number 62 will get to our nearest remaining tip in 57 minutes, but limited by how man bags of leaves I can carry on a bus at once, it would take multiple return journeys to get rid of it all.
Compost it?
Good idea, but we don’t have a garden: just a small front yard with a hedge round it!
Not too tricky once I realised 3d wasn’t an anagram which held me up with 12a and I actually quite enjoyed it which seems to be contra to general opinions – a **/*** from me.
Thanks to all
Found this one tricky, but eventually got three quadrants in. Was defeated by the NE corner, 7d, 8d, and 10a remaining unfilled. Not a lot of pizzazz or fizz in this one, though parts were undoubtedly very clever. I’m going to plump for 30a as my cotd.
Despite the polarity of love/hate in the rest of the comments, I was satisfied yet unmoved (a bit like the England performance). ****/***
For me this was a perfectly pleasant and not too difficult solve, but I failed to find it enjoyable for some reason. I have more than the usual number of question marks on my paper where I felt there was too much elasticity in the synonyms or unnecessary words in the clue. This, I’m sure, is due to my pedantic nature. I try not to be negatively critical because I appreciate the hard work of the puzzle setters – something I couldn’t even attempt. Podium places today for 12a, 7d and 15d. Thanks to our setter and Shabbo.
I’m rather surprised at the generally lukewarm reception for this puzzle which I found pretty enjoyable. Thanks to the setter and Shabbo.
Amongst others I ticked 5a, 9a and 24a.
Not too difficult for us – but found a few clues not to our liking.
Re the football. They’re putting a giant screen up in the main square in Almoradí.
If we go the dilemma is who do we support? Our birth country or the country we have adopted as home? Hmmmm – maybe we can cheer loudly for Spain and quiter for England.
Go twice!!
Go twice!
Started out by thinking this might be refreshingly different but the feeling didn’t last the course. Best of the bunch for me were 25a plus 3&15d but even those would have been improved by the odd tweak.
Thanks to our setter for his efforts – no guesses this time – and to Shabbo for the review.
I enjoyed this, and found it pretty swift (just under half the time of this week’s Monday backpager, for instance), despite quite a few anagrams. Thank you to Shabbo for getting me unstuck with 12a, where I misinterpreted the definition as a verb and so had -ates at the end.
And thank you to the setter for all the fun. I particularly liked 14a’s body clock, 90s pop acts Take That and Spice Girls in 16a and 29a, and the underground experiments in 30a. I appreciate 14a because the wordplay teaches how to spell the answer, something I always struggle with, getting all those vowels in the right order. My favourite is sweet 13a, for taking me far longer than it should’ve done to work out what’s happening.
More like this, please!
For much of this I felt I was wading through 23d. With a couple of Shabbo’s hints to keep me on track, I got a completed grid, which left me with an overwhelming sense of relief rather than achievement. Thanks to the compiler for the tough test and Shabbo for the hints.
A Thursday puzzle that is not a RayT puzzle this week. Found this a little tricker this week for a non-RayT puzzle with some questionable clues and parsing.
Last area finished was the NW
3*/3*
Favourites 21a, 24a, 27a, 2d & 20d — with winner 20d.
26d … yet again the clue on the second page … grrr!
Someone at TT needs to fix this sort of stuff.
Thanks to setter & Shabbo
I was lucky, I never did get the clue for26d … saved me a sheet of paper!
Like Gazza I actually found this rather clever, although like Terence and Sim I made an anagram of 3d and also at 29a I thought the spice girl who went with NUT was Ginger – and I still think that is a jolly good answer even though it is wrong. I had lots of daisies, 5,13,16,24a and 22d. And top dog 22d. Like others I am ambivalent about 1a but don’t want to upset any of our lovely setters in case they go on strike. We cannot do without you! Two messages – did Peter get his operation done? And for Merusa, I’ve been going through loads of photograph albums and found this ticket for a very special tennis match – bet you are green with envy! Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Shabbo.
I was there too DG! I got Finals Day 3 years in a row in the ballot.
Lucky you. My mother belonged to the Cheam Fields Tennis Club and they got an allocation I think. I wrote in my diary that I saw Billy Jean King & Navratilova, the Austins and Borg & McEnroe. We were sitting near the Royal Box and Mummy had a pass for the Members Restaurant for lunch “which was nice”!
Don’t you wish BJ would grey gracefully rather than that harsh died look!?
Yes, yes and yes!!
Wow! That must have been some match, yes, I’m “green”!
Another DNF, that’s two days in a row. Maybe I’m getting too old for this malarkey, but I didn’t enjoy the ones I could solve. And tomorrow is Friday! I have an appointment today so can’t waste any more time on this. I completed West, my blanks were all in the East.
Thank you setter, very brave of you Shabbo for tackling that one, well done.
Found it decidedly more tricky than Ray T, and I agree with Steve Cowling that some clues were stretched, 1a in particular, and my LI was 4d, but LOL at 30a. Needed more hints than I would like, but got there mostly from the checkers. But I found it more of a *** than a **** so that was a relief. Thanks to setter and Shabbo.
I really enjoyed this puzzle 😃 especially as I thought it was from the pen of Ray T👍 ***/****
Favourites 5a, 24a, 25a & 15d Thanks to Shabbo and the Compiler 🤔
A late one for me as I’ve been out visiting gardens with a search for a purple emperor butterfly on the way back. Gardens were lovely and butterfly was seen.
I found this hard going but got there in the end. Took me ages to parse 1a and the answer is my name!
Top picks for me were 25a, 3d and 13a.
Thanks to Shabbo and the setter.
I know I will be accused of being awkward but I found this almost read and write. Having struggles with the ‘easier’ ones this week, I found myself totally on the setters wavelength. Not sure I totally understood all the clues but there we are. Very enjoyable.
**/*****
Thx to all
👍 */** for me Brian.
Not a barrowload of fun but did keep me occupied during gaps/end changes in the tennis (more entertaining than listening to the commentators’ waffle!). Missed 14a parsing and like Shabbo I “biffed” it. Not sure about 17d or 18d. 29a Fav once Mel, etc. ignored. Thanks to whomever and Shabbo.
I enjoyed today’s puzzle and got along quite nicely despite going up a couple of cul-de-sacs! I wanted to put ginger for 29 but obviously that wouldn’t have accommodated the NUT! Many thanks to the setter and Shabbo
We enjoyed the puzzle – 12A was great.
Straightforward until it wasn’t which for me was about two thirds the way through. The rest was like drawing teeth. Needed the hints to parse a couple and I’m still not sure I’ve got the right answer to 10a. I could see it was a double definition but none of the choices seemed to fit that well, maybe I’m missing something. No real favourite but I did quite like 12a. Thanks to the setter anyway and Shabbo.
Good evening
What with one thing and another, today’s crozzie was my first this week. By, what a struggle – and I see I’m not the only one to think so.
Definitely needed help with some of the parsing; so thank you Shabbo for your explanations. Thank you also to today’s setter.
3*/3* ….
Liked 20D “Clapped out car may be a bargain having failed to start (4)”