DT 30712 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30712

by Mr K  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No Crossword 30712

Hints and tips by Mr K

+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +

BD Rating  -  Difficulty ** -  Enjoyment ****

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I thought that while today’s puzzle was more straightforward that the average Friday offering, it delivered well above average enjoyment. It features four three-letter answers with excellent clues, which is not an easy accomplishment. Great work all round by our 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

6a    Collection arranged precisely by one in shops (4,2,7)
JUST SO STORIES:  “arranged precisely” with the Roman one inserted in a synonym of shops 

8a    Wear down a nail point (6)
ABRADE:  Link together A from the clue, a type of nail or tack, and a point of the compass 

9a    Reticent guy backing one short performance (8)
TACITURN:  The reversal (backing) of a dated informal word for a guy or man is followed by the Roman one and a short performance that might be part of a longer show 

10a   Animal jumping in river with two ducks (3)
ROO:  The map abbreviation for river with two copies of the letter representing the score that’s a duck in cricket 

11a   Ring company about returning tax book (6)
OCTAVO:  The ring-shaped letter with an abbreviation for company containing (about) the reversal (returning) of a type of tax 

12a   Bumpkin holding hearts in game (8)
PHEASANT:  A bumpkin or yokel containing (holding) the playing card abbreviation for hearts 

14a   Threatens spirit with death more than once? (7)
IMPENDS:  A spirit or mischievous person is followed by the plural (more than once) of a synonym of death 

16a   Son runs into trap getting minor wound (7)
SCRATCH:  The genealogical abbreviation for son is followed by the cricket abbreviation for runs inserted into a synonym of trap 

20a   Witches have a go where cathedral was destroyed (8)
COVENTRY:  A group of witches with a short word meaning “have a go” 

23a   Old Bob Arnold shortly making snack (6)
SARNIE:  The abbreviation for the amount of old money informally called a bob with a shortened form (shortly) of ARNOLD 

24a   Virtuous person imbibing nothing - or their antithesis? (3)
SOT:  An abbreviation that could represent a virtuous person containing the letter representing nothing. The definition refers back to the rest of the clue 

25a   Robust law broken in the beginning (8)
STALWART:  An anagram (broken) of LAW inserted in a synonym of beginning 

26a   Baked dessert in cold state? (6)
ALASKA:  This baked dessert shares a name with the coldest US state 

27a   Check flower for further life? (13)
REINCARNATION:  Check or hold back with a type of flower 

 

Down

1d    In flight notice lark (8)
ESCAPADE:  In a synonym of flight place a short word for a notice that might be selling something 

2d    Sit and adore worked-out body (8)
ASTEROID:  An anagram (worked-out) of SIT ADORE 

3d    I really put the sauce away in elementary form (7)
ISOTOPE:  Cement together I from the clue, really or very, and a verb meaning “put the sauce away” or drink a lot 

4d    Shifty copper turns up in festering hole (6)
LOUCHE:  The chemical symbol for copper is reversed (turns up) and inserted in an anagram (festering) of HOLE 

5d    Gap one found in covering America (6)
HIATUS:  The Roman one inserted in (found in) a head covering, followed by an abbreviation for America 

6d    Dummy supporting crimes - one adding to distress (4,9)
JOB'S COMFORTER:  A babies dummy comes after (supporting) another word for crimes 

7d    Youngster bound to have smart perception (6,7)
SPRING CHICKEN:  Join together bound or jump, smart or stylish, and perception or knowledge 

13d   Excellent recital to start with song (3)
AIR:  An abbreviation meaning excellent with the first letter of (… to start) RECITAL 

15d   Creature of habit in conundrum (3)
NUN:  The answer, defined cryptically, is found hiding in CONUNDRUM 

17d   Film actors on holiday (8)
CASTAWAY:  A group of actors with a word meaning “on holiday” 

18d   CIA battling with triad in the sea (8)
ADRIATIC:  An anagram (battling) of CIA TRIAD 

19d   Soy sprinkled on short tailless shellfish (7)
OYSTERS:  An anagram (sprinkled) of SOY with all but the last letter (tailless) of short or brief 

21d   Cereal coating a large upside-down cake (6)
ECLAIR:  A common cereal containing (coating) both A and the clothing abbreviation for large, all reversed (upside-down) 

22d   Traditional roof in which church? (6)
THATCH:  A synonym of which with the map abbreviation for church 

 

Thanks to today’s setter. Lots of clues made me smile, but the biggest smile was for the quickie pun. Which clues did you like best?

The Quick Crossword pun:  YULE + NAVARRE + WALL + COLOGNE = YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

62 comments on “DT 30712”

  1. Very friendly for a Friday, top harder than the bottom in my humble opinion.

    Connections to three of my favourite films today (yes, somewhat tenuous I’ll agree)
    the middle four letters of 8a ‘A Hero’ in RHPS.

    12a, something demanded in preference to the offered eel in Withnail And I, and finally 20a, the answer to the crossword clue set by the POWs in Sir Henry At Rawlinson End (you can tell its raining and I’m bored can’t you)

    Great clueing all the way today, with my top two being 6d and 3d.

    Off to finish the ark now so at least me and the cats will be safe from the flood here in Sandhurst today.

  2. I found this difficult but it is Friday so that’s ok. I found some clues a bit stretched such as the first word in 6d. I didn’t immediately associate it with crimes. Neither did I, at first, see the connection between the first two words in 6a to “arranged precisely”. I did like the witches having a go at 20a and that is my COTD.

    Thank you for the difficult challenge, setter. Well, it was for me. I’m sure others will delight in it. Thank you, Mr K for the hints and pusskits.

    PS Great Quickie pun!

  3. That gave me great satisfaction
    Took a while to get some traction,
    So I tried and I tried and I tried.

    Hey, hey, hey – thanks Mr K.

  4. This was one of those very rare occasions where (apart from 6a) all the across clues were filled in on the first pass.
    My only pause for thought was with “put the sauce away” at 3d, which made me smile once the penny dropped!
    Many thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle – 1*/4*

    2. Thanks to putting too much sauce away around finals time at uni, I nearly didn’t get my chemistry degree….

  5. Glanced at the top, so started at the bottom, from which progress N was swift until slowing in the NE, which was rather more chewy. 6d was entirely unknown to me, and the ‘man’ in 9a is so outdated he merits his own section in archaeology courses – surely this is a synonym used only in crosswords these days! Otherwise a “gentle for a Friday”, fairly average, but enjoyable puzzle. Hon Mentions to 27a, 5d & 21d

    Thank you to the setter and to Mr K

  6. This was a puzzle of two halves or even,for me, four quarters. I couldn’t immediately see 6a but 6d went straight in and I continued in the SE, then SE. So far so good! Moving anticlockwise I was still stuck in the NE, 7d being my only help. A little more application and the penny dropped with 6a and along with the helpful anagram at 2d that corner finally yielded leaving the NE still holding out. It was the space at the top of the USA and getting the right meaning of ‘game’ in 12a which opened up that corner and led to victory. For a Friday this was a fairly gentle solve but with sufficient challenge to make it really enjoyable. 6a is my favourite today with space on the podium for 1d and 5d. Thanks to our setter and Mr K whose explanation I needed for the sauce part of 3d.

  7. Cracker of a guzzle completed en route to Aldeburgh where a Noon Tart has my name on it for lunch! Some excellent clues some of which needed reverse engineering. Just hope the sea air knocks my awful cold and cough on the head. Thanks to all and for pusscat pics.

      1. Now eaten, delicious. I have orders for 15 to take home to Cley next week. In gorgeous v warm sunshine

        1. We really must try and get to see the sea! Went u see the channel without seeing a drop of water!

  8. Lots to enjoy here and not too difficult for a Friday. I hit a couple of sticky patches, not cracking the anagram at 2D until I had all the checkers, and a few uncommon words like 4D, and 11A as a book (just a paper size to me).

    ***/**** My selection for the rostrum is delightful 27A.

    Thanks to the setter and Mr K for the hints and felines.

    1. I had to confirm 4d as shifty, I thought it described a moustachioed “cat” who visits nightclubs looking for “dolls.”

  9. I thought there were a lot of words not in common use adding to the challenge. That, and I didn’t get any of the four long clues in my first pass added to the challenge. Once I got going this was an excellent puzzle though with many really well thought out surfaces. Thank you. No need of the hints but thanks anyway Mr K.

  10. 4*/3*
    Found this very difficult in the end. Most went in very smoothly but then ground to a halt with 6d. Even with checkers and hints – I’ve never heard this expression before and had to reveal the answer. 11d solved from parsing but also a new word. 20ac favourite. Thank you for hints.

  11. As others have said this was on the gentle side for a Friday but extremely enjoyable. Thanks to our setter and Mr K.
    Among a number of cracking clues those standing out for me were 6a, 1d, 6d and 7d.

  12. An easier than normal puzzle for Friday this week IMHO.

    1.5*/3.5*

    Favourites 6a, 10a, 20a, 5d, 7d & 17d — with winner 20a
    Smiles for 26a, 27a & 22d

    Thanks to setter & Mr K

  13. Super puzzle, been a great week with the Toughie being notable for its absence (and long may it remain that way!). For those who found this one boring, the Toughie is all yours.
    Personally I really enjoyed today’s even with the rather tricky grid.
    Thx to all
    ***/****

  14. Odds-on that this is a Zandio production although I have to say that I enjoyed it more and it wasn’t as challenging as his puzzles usually are – 2.5*/3.5*

    Smiles for 23a (the clue not the answer!), 26a, 7d, and 22d.

    Thanks to Zandio, or whomsoever if it is not he, and Mr K.

    Just in case Mr K had not had time to search for kittie pics I found this and I am going to show it anyway!

    2. Thanks Senf, really enjoyed watching this. Our old yellow lab was really bossed around by our grey tabby, just like this, only more so as cat was the senior.

  15. Lovely guzzle! Lots to like in the downs, but did like 6a, by Rudyard the small sleeper, who wrote many of the books I read when learning to read. I’ve already mentioned 3d being close to home, and 22d was fun. Took forever to parse the smart perception in 7d. I think I’m going to nominate 4d as fave du jour, basically because it’s such a lovely word.
    Many thanks to the setter – Lots of fun words today and to Mr K for the blog – and, of coursr, the pics!

  16. Somehow this just missed the mark although there were some crafty clues once one had found the wavelength. I do however question a few including 9a guy, 5d covering, 7d, 10a and 23a bad penny abbreviations, 15d creature and 6d (Americanism). Thank you Mysteryone and MrK.

    1. The OED on-line suggests that 6d originates from only as far West as Dublin – Jonathan Swift in 1738.

  17. My rating is 2*/3.5* and I agree with Senf’s sentiments in his first sentence @14.

    I particularly liked the clues for the four 13-letter answers with a special mention for the Quickie pun.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

  18. Really enjoyed today’s crossword especially after the first pass where I thought it was going to be the (my) usual Friday struggle! Spent an age on 11a being unfamiliar with the answer but parsed it successfully before looking it up in the dictionary. Every day is a learning day. Thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

  19. I’m not known as a fan of this setter’s puzzles but have to say that I rather enjoyed this one, just that horrible slang in 23a marring the solve. All four of the long ones are worthy of mention along with the Quickie pun, although I didn’t care for that one half as much when it became adopted as a football anthem.

    Thanks to Zandio for an enjoyable solve and to Mr K for the review and pusskins. Thanks also to Senf for the bonus ball of fur!

  20. I was wayyyyy off wavelength with this puzzle today and needed too many jogs from the hints to derive much pleasure from completing it. Haven’t heard the expression in 6d for an age. Thank you compiler, you had me beat today. Thanks also to Mr K for the very necessary hints.

  21. A nice puzzle which I found mild for a Friday. Good clues and an enjoyable solve. Never heard of the 6d answer but, after guessing and confirming on Wiki (and in the BRB), shouldn’t it be Job’s with an apostrophe? No stand-out favourite today but I rather liked 20a and 24a. 2.5*/3*.

    1. Yes, it should be Job’s but we have had more than enough discussion on the DT’s enumeration policy when it comes to possessive or contraction apostrophes. Case closed!

  22. I can’t actually believe I finished this in reasonable time too as I struggled at first to get traction. I had a moment of ‘learnt helplessness’ and almost gave up , but then started to concentrate and it all fell into place, helped too by the grid – got all the 3 letter ones which gave me a boost. BTW too any Audible listeners I recommend Derren Browns fascinating boot camp for the brain where I first heard about learnt helplessness. Anyway thanks setter to an enjoyable solve and Mr K.

  23. I am going against the tide here as I found it tricky or I just was not on wavelength. I had 2 unknown words / phrases and 4 I needed the hints to parse including 9a and 3d. I did finish it and felt pleased to have done so. I liked 6a, 27a and my favourite 20a.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints

  24. I agree that this was a great end to the week and 4d is favourite because as LnoL says, it is a lovely word which one seldom has the opportunity to use. Great photographs, particularly the inebriated cat 🐈 with the bottle and Senf’s adorable kitten wanting desperately to play. The pocket rocket came today and I worked with her in the garden for 2 hours so am exhausted (she went next door to do two hours for them. Youth!) many thanks to the setter and Mr K, I’m off to the lounger in the shade. Have a good weekend.

  25. I struggled with this. The 6d phrase and 11a book were new to me.
    Top picks for me were 6a, 7d and 27a.

    Thanks to Mr K and the setter.

  26. This was tough but what do I expect for a Friday?
    This was the first time I’ve finished a Friday crossword since I brain went wrong so feeling smug!
    I have to admit this has taken a very long time, which is fine – never mind.
    The short (very short!) clues were very helpful to get going.
    I particularly liked the all long answers round the outside and 20 and 26a and 1 and 4d.
    My favourite was 17d.
    Thanks to today’s setter and to Mr K.

    1. Well done Kath.

      Although I have only recently started commenting on a regular basis, I have been lurking for nearly 7 years, so I remember reading about your misfortune.

      Persistence pays off.

  27. I didn’t know 11a, 4d or 6d and some of the synonyms weren’t the first ones to spring to mind. Having said that everything was fairly clued so solving them wasn’t a problem. Favourite was 7d. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.

  28. I struggled with that one .. but perhaps lunch in sun (a strange phenomenon north of the border) and the bottle of wine didn’t help!
    New word for me at 4d
    Cotd 3d which went well with the bottle of wine.

  29. I know today is Friday and we’re probably due for a Zandio, but if this is one of his offerings, then I’m a monkey’s uncle! I not only solved it, but I enjoyed it as well. Not only that, but the CATS are baaaaack! My cup runneth over. Loved the collection at 1a, memories from many decades ago. I only used ehelp for 3d, I don’t even know what it is, too late to learn now. Hard to choose a fave, but I think the witches have it.
    Thank you setter for an approachable Friday puzzle, and to Mr. K for the hints and tips, and, natch, for the cats.

  30. The south was easier as in life. The grid did us no favours but thankfully plenty of gentle clues.

  32. This was a joy to solve; it really was.

    A grid with four biggies and four smallies is always a blast.

    I hadn’t heard of 11a and 6d but both very gettable. The former is to be added to other fabulous paper terms like recto, verso and quire.

    A task to pick three but I’ll go with 6a, 2d and 4d.

    Many thanks to the super setter and Mr K.

    2*/5*

  33. I did find this tricky, but it is Friday so par for the course. Not too tricky, but still a bit of a slog where I had to verify my answers several times as they just didn’t have that “ahah” moment. A curate’s egg on the whole, not helped by the lack of an apostrophe in 6d. I know, discussed before, done and dusted. COTD to 27a, closely followed by 20a. Thanks to setter and Mr K.

  34. Seems I have a high level of ignorance. Have not heard of 6a, the nail in 8a, the book in 11a, the term in 6d nor have I heard a dummy called that. Other than those clues, the rest was very straightforward.

    Not as tough as some Friday solves though.

    Thanks to all.

  35. Certainly my fastest ever Friday solve and I enjoyed it greatly as well. But what do I do?
    There’s still 30 minutes until supper! Have another glass of wine…

  36. 6d new to me but easily gettable & requiring a post solve check. Not sure I would have been able to correctly define 11a either without the benefit of the context of the clue. Otherwise surprisingly straightforward for a Friday & especially so if it is indeed a Zandio production & note he hasn’t popped in to claim ownership as yet. A nice guzzle to end the working week with big ticks against 6&20a along with 3&7d.
    Thanks to the setter & to Mr K – super puss pic at 24a

  37. Very flattering to be compared with the brilliant Zandio, but I can categorically say that this one is not by him :D

    Thanks all and Mr K.

    Yours
    NYDK

    3. Thanks for dropping in and thanks for a wonderful puzzle to solve and to hint. Will we see more of them in the Friday slot?

  38. I’m clearly having an off day. Really struggled with the clues 6a, 14a, 6d to give a few examples More like a *** plus for me. Thanks to all and hey ho for another challenge!”

  39. Thank you to NY Doorknob for coming in and claiming this. I started solving it after others had identified it as Zandio, but I was getting concerned that I’d had very few answers on my first pass and (after several more passes) I couldn’t quite complete the crossword, which is unusual because I normally can with Zandio backpagers — so it was a relief to discover it isn’t one of his. (I see that Merusa came to the same conclusion for the exact opposite reason!)

    Also thank you to NY Doorknob for the puzzle, which was entertaining, with many clues I really enjoyed, including 21d, one of those where I somewhat doubtfully followed the apparent cryptic instructions and was surprised that the resulting letters actually formed a valid word (also a food-related word, which always helps!). My favourite was 1d (“In flight notice lark”), for a combination of its wordplay, surface reading, brevity, and the answer being a fun word. Also it gives an excuse to embed a song by a band from Leeds:

    In 3d I didn’t know the “put the sauce away” word (but got the answer from the rest of it). Even with the hints, I still had 6d and 8a blank. For 6d I wasn’t aware of the phrase, and even having got the “dummy”, I couldn’t think of anything which would fit the wordplay for the first word and reverse the meaning of the dummy (for the definition). 8d was also a word I didn’t know, and without 6d I only had 2 vowels for it, which wasn’t enough for inspiring the answer. It’s unfortunate that the two I was ignorant about crossed with each other, but that’s on me: setters can’t be expected to panda to the precise ignorance level of each of their would-be solvers!

    Have a good weekend, everybody reading this.

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