DT 30669 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30669

by Shabbo  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30669
Hints and tips by Shabbo

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***

Another beautiful morning here in Welwyn Garden City.  Time I was out in the garden enjoying the sunshine.  We then have guests coming for a pub lunch – two very dear friends from my university days in the late 70s.  Really looking forward to it.

Hats off to RayT, our master of brevity.  Just the merest fraction over 5 words per clue and a new record since I have been blogging (my 50th blog today, but let’s keep the champagne on ice until I clock up one year on 1st August!).  This was helped, no doubt, by five double definition clues, but it is still a noteworthy achievement.  Whether this limits the opportunities for fun or humour in the puzzle is a matter for debate on another day.

I have awarded this 4 stars for difficulty, but I solved it just after midnight last night, so perhaps I was a bit tired. It will be interesting to see what others thought. The Quickie pun was a battle, but I got there in the end.

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 Said in passing to be corrupt (10)
DEMORALISE: four-letter synonym of said inside synonym of passing (as in passing away).

6a Rejected sex before very loud quarrel (4)
TIFF: informal word meaning sex or sex appeal backwards (rejected) + musical abbreviation for very loud or fortissimo.

10a Support for former PM (5)
TRUSS: double definition.

11a Cue gripping a rest (9)
REMAINDER: synonym of cue (as in nudge or prompt) outside (gripping) A.

12a Pure voice (5)
UTTER: double definition.

13a Collapse caused by terribly rapid rise (9)
DISREPAIR: anagram (terribly) of RAPID RISE.

14a Cold and hot food in takeaway (7)
CHIPPIE:  a Lego clue: assemble abbreviation for cold + synonym of hot (think trendy) + type of food.

16a Exhausts could be American car parts (5)
TIRES: double definition.

19a Bond, possibly a smart fellow (5)
AGENT: A + synonym of smart fellow (definition 2 in my online Chambers).

20a Checks following extremes of safety procedures (7)
SYSTEMS: synonym of checks (as in blocks) after (following) extremes of SafetY

22a Boring church missing some members? (9)
CHARMLESS: abbreviation for church + a word meaning missing some members (as in limbs).

26a Initially could indicate roughly, certainly approximately (5)
CIRCA: initial letters of words 2-6.

27a Blown away with safe almost forced (9)
SURPRISED: synonym of safe without the final letter (almost) + word meaning forced (as in levered or jemmied).

28a Idolise a Queen backing holding party (5)
ADORE: A + regnal abbreviation for our beloved late queen reversed (backing) outside (holding) two-letter word meaning party or bash.

29a The woman would shortly peel off (4)
SHED: abbreviated version (shortly) of “the woman would”.

30a Pirate in rude tavern, drunk (10)
ADVENTURER: anagram (drunk) of RUDE TAVERN.


Down

1d Deviation is inflexible with alien insertion (6)
DETOUR: synonym of inflexible outside (with insertion) our usual alien from the big screen.

2d Walrus perhaps came south, swimming (9)
MOUSTACHE: anagram (swimming) of CAME SOUTH. “Perhaps” is included as this is a “definition by example”.  Don’t worry – there is no need to search Google for types of walrus. Keep a stiff upper lip and use a bit of lateral thinking.

3d Acquires train timetable circling barrier (9)
RESTRAINT: a hidden word (circling) lurking within words 1-3.

4d Beguiled being shown around ancient city (5)
LURED: synonym of “being shown” outside every crossword setter’s favourite two-letter ancient city.

5d Sees terms out for other terms (9)
SEMESTERS: anagram (out) of SEES TERMS. The solution is not necessarily an Americanism.

7d I communicated by radio (5)
INDIA: a cryptic definition.  We are looking for how the letter I is represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet.

8d Stronghold is in favour of lock (8)
FORTRESS: synonym of “in favour of” + synonym of lock (as in hair).

9d Stay with sweetheart after proposal (4)
BIDE: the heart of swEet after a three-letter word meaning proposal (think offer).

15d Group’s on speed, occasionally consumed (9)
POSSESSED: synonym of groups or gangs (we can ignore the apostrophe in the clue) + alternate letters (occasionally) of SpEeD.

16d Cutting tart? (9)
TRENCHANT: another double definition.  I am struggling a bit with the second one.

17d River rose turning into lake (9)
RESERVOIR: anagram (turning) of RIVER ROSE.

18d Drowsiness produced by Oscars in broadcast (8)
NARCOSIS: another anagram (broadcast) of OSCARS IN. Broadcast can be both an anagram indicator and a homophone indicator.

21d Rush job? (6)
CAREER: another double definition (our fifth, to save you counting).

23d Match about to stop season (5)
AGREE: normal abbreviation for about (think business letters – if they still exist) inside (to stop) synonym of season (think mature)

24d Former capital of Germany (4)
MARK: a cryptic definition.  Capital here is currency or money.

25d Party includes Labour’s head creep (5)
SIDLE: synonym of party or faction outside (includes) the first letter (head) of Labour. My LOI.

 

Quickie Pun:  TROUGH  +  ALGA  =  TRAFALGAR

67 comments on “DT 30669”

  1. I found Ray T tricky today and I will admit to seeking help from Mr. G. for a couple. It was enjoyable but needed some thought, which I did not give. Putting “Chinese” in at 14a without bothering to check the parsing caused a hold up. It remained that way until I eventually solved 14d. The lurker at 3d was very well hidden and had me searching synonyms for “barrier”. The stronghold at 8d was nearly my favourite until 7d came along, which is the kind of clue where the answer is in plain sight but just cannot be seen – by me at least.

    Thank you, Ray T for the brain mangling. Thank you, shabbo for the hints.

    I could not get the Quickie pun no matter how many accents I tried. No wonder – my second word was “kelp”!

      1. I have always looked upon “agar” as the jelly I used to grow bacteria on in Petri dishes at school. I never associated it with seaweed but, of course, it is.

  2. 2*/4*. This was an extremely enjoyable puzzle from the master of brevity with no clues of more than six words.

    My podium selection is 6a, 14a & 7d.

    Many thanks to RayT and to Shabbo.

      2. I wasn’t impressed, but it couldn’t have been anything else after my previous guess.

  3. Fine, friendly, fare for Friday eve from, Arty.

    Such a solid, consistent, puzzle maker.

    My podium is 1a, 22a with the winner being 14a, a perfect example of his brevity that has a lot going on (I, too, couldn’t get Chinese out of my head)

    Many thanks to ‘The Man’ and Shabbs.

    2*/4*

  4. Not too tough but no slouch: certainly a tad Beam-ish. 1a is lovely and 6a tickled me. 14a’s excellent. I didn’t think the double definitions were quite as tight as usual but this was all good, honest fun. Many thanks to RayT and Shabbo. Happy anniversary. I’m with you re a midnight solve – it can certainly make things trickier. I feel your pain! PS re the Quickie, I surely can’t be the only one who wanted a third approximation of “square” to finish it off. But I guess “skewer” wouldn’t really have worked..

  5. I toyed with EMMA Peel for a while, but otherwise great exercise for the grey matter,
    Thanks to RayT and congrats and thanks to Shabbo too

  6. I too solved it just after midnight (mind you I’d been zonked out on the couch for the previous 3 hours) & it would have been a very brisk solve but for 3 head scratchers (22&27a + 15d) in the SE & they can sort it out between themselves for podium positions. Agree with RD’s ratings.
    Thanks to Ray T & to Shabbo – enjoy your lunch

    1. Really enjoyed this, almost nothing was a given but also nothing too obscure convoluted or overly contrived.
      Only brief error was with 25d, where I was kind of ok with an anagram of the actual answer until it clearly wasn’t.

  7. So enjoyable and *** difficulty but really had to concentrate when reaching 14a in order to stop thinking about spicy noodles! CotD is 24d, simple and brilliant. Thank you RayT and Shabbo

  8. All is well with the world, for a brief time, when the master of brevity is on back page duty – 2.5*/4*.

    I was also confused by 14a – right answer, wrong answer, back to right answer when 15d provided the third checker.

    Candidates for favourite – 6a, 29a, 4d, and 23d – and the winner is 6a.

    Thanks to Ray T and Shabbo.

  9. Challenging and witty to boot. Thought 10a fell nicely into the latter camp. But my cotd is 18d. Nicely sums up how I feel about such affairs. Thanks to Ray T and Shabbo for tipping me in the correct direction for a couple.

  11. I thought Ray T was in a fairly friendly mood today with the exception of 1A, which I only solved with the aid of the checkers. I failed to parse it until reading the hints and I don’t really see it as a synonym of corrupt. Being an ex radio ham helped with 7D!

    2.5*/4* for me an 22A gets my vote.

    Thanks to RT for the puzzle and Shabbo for the hints.

    1. I wondered about the definition in 1a as well.
      Chambers has it as “to corrupt morally”.

  12. Absolutely loved this one. Some terrific surfaces and wit. I also started it at midnight when it was absolutely a **** puzzle and I got about a third done. On inspection this morning, it’s much more of a *** puzzle, so it gets a ***/**** from me.

    14a was a belter gets me COTD by a country mile.

  13. This was a tricky old guzzle . The clues were bitable for rheir brevity and the unysual synonyms were much in evidence. Must be Ray T. The 3d lurker, lego clue without limbs were my favvourites. Maamny thanks ro Shabbo for the hints and to Ray T for a challenging but rewarding puzzle

  14. Always a pleasure to see a puzzle from the master of brevity and particularly so when it counteracts the effects of another rainy Summer’s day on Anglesey!
    Top clues for me were 1,6&14a plus 25d which really made me smile.

    Devotions, of course, to Mr T and many thanks to Shabbo for the review even though you did depict one of the imposter Bonds!

      1. Much better, thank you!
        By the way, for future reference there was only one real Dr Who as well………..

        2. I have never watched a Dr. Who! I really have no idea what it’s about, I think witchcraft?

  15. Having read the above comments it is clear that starting the puzzle at 5am may have made it a lot easier than tackling it in the midnight hours! I had the fortune to tune in quickly and there was minimal reason for delay – and I’d have been a good deal faster had I not opted at first for ‘slide’ in 25d, making 27a more of a head scratcher than was necessary. Lots of old friends among the clues, no specialist knowledge required, concise: a welcome and enjoyable puzzle from the Maestro. Honours to 14a, 30a (for the surface) and 7d.

    1.5 / 3

    Many thanks to RayT and Shabbo.

    Can strongly recommend today’s very accessible Django Toughie – well worth a go even if you don’t usually look at the Toughies.

    1. Agreed re the Toughie & he’s in the Graun today as well. Me too with slide as first thought.

  16. A fine puzzle from Ray T. Usual concise clues, a middling challenge and much enjoyment. Fav: 14a. 2.5*/4*.

  17. Tougher than usual for a Ray T I thought, but still as enjoyable as ever. Like many others I thought Chinese, but didn’t enter it as I couldn’t parse it, so it didn’t throw me off course, however, having said that it did put 3d in even though I couldn’t parse it and didn’t realise it was a lurker until I read it here, so very well hidden indeed!
    16d making second appearance of the week – I’m sure the setters get together to see how many times they can give different clues for the same word in a week! 😂
    Thanks to Ray T and Shabbo

  18. Enjoyable puzzle from the master of brevity – thanks to him and Shabbo.
    For my podium I’ve picked 6a, 22a and 7d.

  19. 3/4. My favourite was 2d followed by 24d for the d’oh moment. Thanks to Ray T and Shabbo. We’re on Salt Spring Island to celebrate 50 years of marriage. As the old joke goes you’d get less for murder!

    1. Very many congratulations on your landmark anniversary Vbc. Have a great time. 🎂🍹

    4. George says pretty much the same for 67 years, but I always jump in to say I was only 3 when I married him ☺️

  20. I like Steve’s description of ‘brain mangling”. I thought it was just me feeling the unexpected warmth of summer sun. I am also in the Chinese camp – I think 17d is favourite as it is a really neat anagram and will go in my book along with dirty room and saturnalia. Off shortly for a wonderful massage, greatly appreciated birthday gift. Perhaps I should take the candle along as well. Many thanks to Messrs setter & Shabbo. I went into Cambridge yesterday – Graduation Day, big mistake. Came home shattered.

  21. Surprised to see this given 4 star for difficulty and also rather pleased. It is a wavelength situation so that is why we often vary in our responses to our daily challenge.
    Had forgotten the reference to PM as it was so short lived , although longer than 12 hours. Favourites today were 10 and 22 a.Thanks, Ray T and Shabbo

  22. Yes, very tricky, but much, much easier than yesterday and a lot more fun. I found the SW to be the hardest and I had to go in for help from Shabbo for 15d; no wonder, I had an incorrect 14a, who was it who said if you can’t parse it, it’s probably wrong? Our dear departed leader, he was always so right. I also used some ehelp for a few, eg 18d, but mainly my own work. I liked so much, I really can’t list them all.
    Thank you RayT for the fun, and to Shabbo for his help along the way.

  24. Another enjoyable fortnightly visit from RayT. I didn’t find this to be a 4* as per Shabbo, as I found the first 2/3rd’s of puzzle went in quickly and without issue. I really gel with his wavelength most times.

    2*/4.5* for me

    Favourites include 5a, 14a, 16a, 22a, 30a & 5d — with the first in the winner 16a
    Smiles for 1d, 19a, 26a & 24d … when the ‘penny’ dropped!!

    Thanks to RayT & Shabbo

  25. Definitely RayT being ‘difficult’ today – the unaccustomed warmth must have got to his head!
    Well, I thought it was tough today anyway.
    2d took me ages and then even when I’d got it I couldn’t spell it!! Oh dear! Dim!
    I think there are more anagrams then usual in a RayT crossword – haven’t counted though.
    I liked 1 and 20a and 16 and 24d. I think my favourite was 2d once I’d sorted out to spell it!
    With thanks to RayT for the crossword and to Shabbo for the hints.

  26. Good day sunshine
    Good day sunshine
    Good day sunshine
    I need to laugh, and when the sun is out
    Ray T gave something I can laugh about
    It was good, in a special way
    Thanks to Shabbo on this sunny day
    Good day sunshine
    Good day sunshine
    Good day sunshine………

  27. A DNF for me, but I got most so no complaints from me,after all it is a RayT. Thanks to all

  28. Having got 11 at first pass sans hints, I was quite pleased with myself, but I did find it somewhat more chewy as I went on. I made the mistake of thinking of takeaway food rather than place in 14a, and had the answer to 16d but wasn’t confident enough to pen it in. RayT always clues fairly, but I often fail to see the wood for the trees. Thanks to himself and Shabbo.

  29. I found this quite difficult in parts 🤔 but mostly an enjoyable solve ****/*** Favourites 22a, 7 & 21d. Thanks to Ray T and to Shabbo for his guidance 😃

  30. Liked this one. Took breakfast and lunch, but only because was v pressed for breakfast. Can’t choose a fave, but then thanks to Shabbo, would suggest adding ‘in outhouse’ to 29a, but that would be over quota for RayT!
    Thanks RayT and also Shabbo!

  32. Evening all. My thanks to Shabbo for the decryption and to all for your comments.
    RayT

    1. Good evening, Mr T, many thanks for another of your little gems. Question for you, if I may. We have all learned over the years of the restrictions you place on yourself when it comes to clue length, single word clues in the Quickie etc but I’ve often wondered whether you’ve ever slipped up when it comes to not including anagrams in your Toughies?

  34. I flew through most of this until my brain went off wavelength and wouldn’t come back on with just a few to go. I managed to stumble over the line eventually but I should have finished it a ages ago. Still I’m faring better this week than last. Favourite was 22a. Thanks to Rayt and Shabbo. My predictive text has just predicted your name for the first time, it would appear that 50 is the magic number. 😁

  35. Sailed happily through threequarters but SW was a different kettle of fish and some hinting was called for there. Ashamed to admit 10a took a while to dawn – wasn’t around long enough to become a household name! Of course I initially bunged in wrong capital for 24d whilst thinking clue wasn’t cryptic. Thank you RayT for great puzzle and Shabbo for burning the midnight oil on our behalf. I too often attack a series of other puzzles which are released daily at midnight so that shortens my night!

  36. Finally finished but after another busy day I needed some help to get restarted this evening. As ever a great puzzle with incredible clues. I also could not get Chinese out of my head which did not help! I thought 1a was my favourite.

    Many thanks to RayT and to Shabbo for the hints.

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