Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30732
Hints and tips by pommers
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Hola from Almoradí. I haven’t a clue how many of these blogs I’ve written over the years but it must be a few hundred by now and this is the first time I’ve ever had to do one on my birthday! Yep, counting in hexadecimal I am 47 today!
Today we have another example of what has become the norm for a Monday puzzle. It’s very well crafted and has a touch of humour but it won’t frighten the horses at all.
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 Celebrity renegotiated pay – Sir Elton? (11)
PERSONALITY: Anagram (renegotiated) of PAY SIR ELTON.
7a Security for prisoner provided by fine court official (7)
BAILIFF: The security you have to put up to avoid being held on remand followed by two letters meaning provided and an F(ine).
8a Charles, say, running through parade (7)
MONARCH: What King Charles III is an example of is a word meaning running or operating inserted into (through) a parade.
10a Anti-hero reformed broadcasting (2,3,3)
ON THE AIR: Anagram (reformed) of ANTI HERO.
11a The French tucked into accompaniment for curry, going back for cake (6)
ECLAIR: What is usually eaten with curry is reversed (going back) and has inserted (tucked into) a French definite article.
13a Jolly escapade in boat filled with animals on lake (4)
LARK: The boat that Noah filled with animals next to an L(ake).
14a Day among EU fans? They’re left at the end (10)
REMAINDERS: A word for those who wanted to stay in the EU with a D(ay) inserted (among).
16a Is gent possibly carrying food? Attack it with relish (3,5,2)
GET STUCK IN: Anagram (possibly) of IS GENT with a schoolboy term for food inserted (carrying).
18a Elegant Charlie repeated welcoming greeting (4)
CHIC: Start with two (repeated) of the letter represented by Charlie in the phonetic alphabet and insert (welcoming) an informal greeting.
21a Run through confession made by untanned person? (6)
IMPALE: This is run through with a sword perhaps. If split (2,4) it might also be how an untanned person might describe himself.
22a Liqueur drunk by globetrotter, a man from the east (8)
AMARETTO: A lurker hiding in (drunk by) the next three word but it’s backwards (from the east).
24a After opening of gala, pay attention and sparkle (7)
GLISTEN: Start with a G (opening of Gala) and after it put a word meaning to pay attention.
25a Daughter follows crazy techno that’s groovy? (7)
NOTCHED: D(aughter) put after an anagram (crazy) of TECHNO.
26a E.g. president Bush and Ford getting recognition for valour (6,5)
GEORGE CROSS: The first name of president Bush followed by a word meaning to ford a stream.
Down
1d Constable, maybe, isn’t stopping perjury after jury’s dismissed (7)
PAINTER: An informal way of saying isn’t inserted into (stopping) PER (PERjury after jury is dismissed).
2d Area covered by horseman, a plunderer (6)
RAIDER: A word describing someone on a horse around (covered by) an A(rea).
3d Learner in charge, overrun by crime where drinkers spend money (3-7)
OFF LICENCE: The usual letter for a learner and IC (in charge) placed inside (overrun by) another word for a crime.
4d Headers from Arsenal’s influential midfielders scoring goals (4)
AIMS: First letters from (headers from) the next four words.
5d Pope in hostelry with zero cash (8)
INNOCENT: There have been thirteen popes with this name. It’s another word for a hostelry followed by the letter for zero and some cash in circulation here in Spain.
6d Measurement of distance, say, a cart moves northwards (7)
YARDAGE: Two letters for say, the A from the clue and a cart used to deliver beer are all reversed (moves northward in a down clue).
7d Asking for money, grabbing crooked loot in illegal trade (11)
BOOTLEGGING: An anagram (crooked) of LOOT inserted into (grabbing) a word meaning asking for money.
9d Keyboard or stringed instrument’s current group of notes (11)
HARPSICHORD: A large stringed instrument followed by the letter for electric current in physics notation and finally a group of notes played simultaneously.
12d A claim isn’t working like a charm (10)
TALISMANIC: Anagram (working) of A CLAIM ISNT.
15d Some stylist I let totter in this shoe (8)
STILETTO: A lurker hiding in (some) the next four words.
17d Great ingredient put on a pizza (7)
TOPPING: Double definition.
19d Husband is irritating, creating problems (7)
HITCHES: H(usband) followed by a word meaning is irritating, of the skin perhaps.
20d Grand king meeting von Bismarck, say, in cavern (6)
GROTTO: G(rand) and R (king) followed by the first name of von Bismark, the first chancellor of Germany.
23d Spinning round arms is comfortable (4)
SNUG: A reversal (spinning round) of some arms, as in firearms.
Podium today is 7a, 4d and 17d with 4d on the top step.
Quick crossword pun:
LILY + PEW + SHUN = LILLIPUTIAN
I think our birthday blogger has encapsulated perfectly my thoughts on this puzzle in his preamble, even to the extent of agreeing with his podium choices.
Many thanks to our setter and to pommers, and Happy Birthday.
Finished and started early today waiting for BT to ring and let me know for the umpteenth time that they have cleared my fault. They won’t have. I’ll have to ring and repeat my story to another person who will promise to sort it out. the computer says my line is fine. The technician who called at the house yesterday had to argue with control that in fact it was not fine but else where in the system.
The crossword was average but it gave me a bit of distraction. Missed the reverse lurker.
*/***
You’ll probably be talking to the Philippines when you call!
It took 3 days of hanging on the end of a telephone before BT decided to sort me out. Then it took another two weeks waiting for broadband equipment to arrive. I was told not to open the packages because an engineer would come and set it all up. An engineer did not appear so I set it up myself.
Customer service is virtually nonexistent these days.
Happy birthday 🥳🎂
The Meet the Bloggers page says you have done 314 blog posts plus the joint ones you did with Kath
Happy birthday pommers!
Another very enjoyable over before it began Monday – */****
Candidates for favourite – 21a, 26a, 2d, and 9d – and the winner is the ‘gory’ 21a.
Thanks to (presumably) Robyn and to the Birthday Boy – apparently I am 4A years old.
Today’s walk in the park was short but sweet with little call for cerebral exercise however it flowed beautifully with just a singlular 19d for 12d. None outstands but 21d tickled me. Thank you Mysteryone and pommers to whom Happy Birthday wishes. 🍾🎂.
1*/5*. I think that today Robyn has surpassed even his usual standard of providing a light Monday puzzle which is a joy to solve.
There were too many excellent clues to nominate a favourite or even a podium selection.
Many thanks to Robyn, and a very happy birthday to pommers.
Happy birthday
*/***. No help needed today, not even from Chambers
I’m still trying to contact friends in Asheville. All cellphone service is down.
Very light and enjoyable – thanks to the setter and pommers (Happy Birthday – you are a mere stripling!).
Top clues for me were 26a, 1d and 4d.
Outstanding. Truly outstanding. One of his best.
Nigh on impossible to pick the medal winners but I’ll go with 1a (the best anagram I’ve seen in a good while), 25a (as I love the word groovy which Rhys Ifans’ Spike put to splendid use in Notting Hill) and 12d for another excellent anagram.
Many thanks to Robyn and Pommers.
What a great start to the week!
1*/5*
If this is indeed a Robyn production what a clever setter he is. He sets a witty Quiptic one minute & a head scratcher in the Toughie slot the next – reckon I could have knocked off three of these in the time it took to complete his prize puzzle yesterday. Lovely stuff.
Thanks to Robyn & to Pommers – enjoy your birthday
An enjoyable and light start to the week , and a personal best for me. It’s nice to know I’m not losing it especially after the last 2 have caused some head scratching. Happy birthday Pommers and thanks also to the setter.
A nice start to the week.
Top picks for me were 21a, 16a and 1d.
Thanks and Happy Birthday to Pommers and thank you to the setter.
Light and enjoyable, a lovely accompaniment for the morning coffee. Honours to 26a, 21a and 4d (have to include that one, really, as a Gooner much relieved at Fergie Time being taken advantage of on Saturday), with runner-up 16a.
Thanks to the setter, and many happy returns to Pommers
Smiled to see the ‘is it or isn’t it a cake’ getting another run out today although can’t say that I fancy having one with a curry!
Top of my poll today were 7&26a along with 19d.
Thanks to our setter (Robyn?) and to the birthday boy for the review – thank you for taking time out from your celebrations to write up the blog.
First, thanks to Daisy and Merusa for your concern yesterday. Home now, with my mobile transmitter, and all is well. I thouroughly enjoyed this gentle puzzle which afforded one or two LOL moments and appreciation of some very clever clueing. Too much choice for an overall favourite but loved 14 & 21a and 1,3 & 6d, as well as the quickie pun. Thanks to Robyn for the pleasure and pommers for the Bach.
Welcome home! I hope you’ll feel better now. I had a problem with fainting, such a relief when those stopped! Isn’t it wonderful what they can do … my mobile transmitter sits beside my bed and I just forget it.
Pleased to hear you are getting better, Mhids. A friend of mine had one fitted a couple of weeks ago and he is feeling a lot better.
Happy Birthday Pommers.
A good choice to give your age in hexadecimal, if you had chosen octal you would be 107.
A very light and enjoyable puzzle after Saturday’s DNF.
You were Scrimshaw once but changing your alias meant you were sent into moderation. Both aliases will work from now on.
Another lovely start to the week, it is so nice after the tussles at the end of the week (and sometimes with the prize puzzles) to start the week with a fun and manageable puzzle. This always rebuilds confidence and lets new puzzlers have a chance to make head way before the more challenging puzzles appear later in the week. I thought the anagrams were excellent especially 12d my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Pommers for the hints, many happy returns.
Straightforward but enjoyable for all that with a few smiles along the way. I loved the Pope having a drink at 5d and the crooked loot at 7d. My COTD is Bush and Ford gaining recognition at 26a.
Thank you, setter for the fun. Thank you, pommers for the hints and a very Happy Birthday. 🎂🍺
One of the rare occasions when I can complete the crossword at a sensible time, so as usual a blanket thank you to all the setters and bloggers who’ve provided such enjoyment and help since last time I posted.
Lovely Monday puzzle, thanks to the setter.
Happy Birthday pommers, and thanks for the idea of using Hex for your age – that’s what I’ll be doing from now on!
It’s all been said, lovely puzzle.Thanks to all
Another fun Monday. Excellent clues with quite a few smiles, and for me, a special mention to 7 and 9d.
Thanks to setter and Happy Birthday to Pommers 1000111 today 😂
Certainly easier than yesterday’s Robyn but as it should be, and a pleasant solve amid the biblical downpour.
Happy Birthday Pommers but all these different bases are making my head ache more than the puzzle
The best clue for 11a I’ve seen yet. 26a is smart, too. As Huntsman says, Robyn’s versatility is astonishing. Many thanks to him and the birthday boy.
Happy birthday, Pommers. Welcome to the 47 Club! (Admittedly mine isn’t in hexadecimal. Partly because if I write in hex, it has a letter in it — something that I now realise can be remedied next year when I turn 30 again …)
The first puzzle I’ve finished without needing any hints in over a week (the previous being the Zandio Toughie 8 days ago). My favourite were the two presidents in 26a.
I didn’t know the word for cart in 6d, but I had heard it with ‘horse’ on the end, so guessed. My last in was the 12d 10-letter anagram, which took me quite a while after filling the rest of the grid, even with all the crossing letters.
Wordle today in 1! Anybody else use the same method for determining the starting word then surprised to find that was the answer?
I Wordled in 2 yesterday, Smylers but I’ve never done it in 1.
It happened to me once. I use a different seed word, whatever pops into my head each morning, and that one day it was right.
I change my seed word every day as well, BL. I always choose a word with three vowels.
Best I’ve done is 2.
I’ve done it in one twice! Always use the same start word until it becomes an answer then change to another. – daren’t change it just in case – bit like using same lottery numbers!
What a cracker of a puzzle. Full of wit and charm. It started with a brilliant anagram at 1a and carried on getting better and better. My podium is the aforementioned 1a, 7d and the impecunious pope in 5d in top spot. Happy birthday to Pommers ( DV I shall be 46 in hexadecimal tomorrow and shall count thus going forward) and hats off to Robyn for the entertainment.
A nice start to the week with a trouble-free puzzle for me.
1.5*/3.5*
Favourites 13a, 16a, 26a, 1d & 3d — with winner 26a
Smiles for 13a, 21a & 20d
Thanks to setter & pommers …Happy Birthday!
Top half R&W but the bottom was really tricky. My fav was 7d.
Top */****
Bottom ***/*
Thx for the hints
I was the opposite Brian, found the bottom half easier. Just goes to show you one man’s meat is blah blah blah.🤪
Great fun today – the norm for a Monday these days. I’m assuming it’s the same setter?
1*/5*
Thanks for the hints. Many good clues – I did like the reversed arms.
Oh boy, I really needed this joy to solve cryptic today. After being under the weather for almost 3 weeks I appreciated this to start the week. I managed to completely fill the grid before opening then blog, and that rarely happens, so I am very happy. Beautifully cryptic clues, no deep dive into GK, nothing convoluted and a nice anagram to start me off. Thought it might be a Chalicea but I see the consensus is that this is by Robyn, so a big thank you, and Happy Birthday to Pommers.
The important stuff first: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, pommers!! Yes, I’m shouting, have a great day.
Yup, * for difficulty is spot on. I only needed help with 12d, I had the checkers and the letters, so I made up a word and looked it up in the dictionary. I’ve never heard it and it seems odd to me, I don’t know why. Of course I missed the meaning of “Ford” in 26a, and thought “he’s not George”, now I get it, it’s my fave. The Pope and the security for prisoner are up there too.
Thank you setter for so much fun, and pommers for explaining some, 14a in particular.
What a nice crossword – just about right, I’d say.
My last one to go in was 12d – don’t know why but I suppose something has to be!
I always have to check 15d for the numbers of L’s and T’s.
I liked the four long answers round the outside and 11 and 16a and 3 and 15d.
Thanks to whoever set today’s crossword and to pommers for the hints and Happy Birthday to him.
A bit tired now – we’ve spent the last weekend with our Elder Lamb and her partner and our grandson – a lovely time but . . .
Obviously you’re right, Kath, that something has to be the final clue solved, so there may not be much significance in which one it happens to be. But having said that … several of us have mentioned 12d today:
Angelov mentioned 12d being a [singular of 19d]
12d was my last in, taking a while after finishing everything else
12d was the only clue Merusa needed help with
and and it was your last in as well
When it happened to me, I presumed it was just my general hopelessness with anagrams. But maybe there was something particularly tricksy about it?
I wonder how many found it a strange word but haven’t singled it out. I don’t know why I find it so odd but I certainly do.
It was definitely odd, but there was little else it could be. Never heard it, never read it.
Nice start to the week after returning from my hols 😎 Favourites 21a, 26a and 20d 😃 **/****
Thanks to young Pommers and Happy Birthday and to the Compiler
The pope as last one in happy birthday Pommers and thank you compiler
Oh, gosh, I’m beginning to like Mondays. Too many to like, so I’ll just thank the setter and wish Feliz cumple and muchas felicidades to pommers!
Just a pleasant solve. I like 22a
Good evening
Back from holliers; I couldn’t get a Telegraph in Tenerife, so I’ve had to make do with the D***y M***, which is a reasonable crozzie but not as challenging in general as the ones I’m used to.
Nothing too terribly taxing in today’s solve; reasonably straightforward throughout with just a few head-scratching clues. The reverse lurker in 23a is today’s COTD.
Thanks to our compiler; thank you and Happy Birthday to Pommers.
I’m with the majority that this was top notch. Mainly straightforward but the odd one to make you scratch your head. LOI for me was 7d, I had to write the checkers out horizontally and got it straight away. Maybe if I’d done that earlier it wouldn’t have been last but I didn’t so it was. Favourite was 7a, there were numerous contenders. Thanks to Robyn (presumably) and Pommers, happy birthday.
Pitched perfectly for me and my relatively basic solving skills. Many clever twists and linguistic double takes.
21a superb and my favourite.
Rather strange that 23d has now entered the vernacular.
Pitched perfectly for me and my relatively basic solving skills. Many clever twists and linguistic gymnastics.
21a superb and my favourite.
Rather strange that 23d has now entered the vernacular.
Late to the blog having spent much of the day accompanying Mrs J at A&E. However it did allow me to solve three crosswords – today’s offering plus Saturdays NTSPP and today’s Rookie Corner plus a couple of Sudokus! All the crosswords were of a high standard and it was hard to tell which most deserved national publication.
Mrs J suffered a cleaning injury tripping over the vacuum cleaner and feared a broken foot. Having been unable to put any pressure on it yesterday and not being able to use crutches due to arthritis, we’d called an ambulance at 9.00am and waited patiently till 5.30 – 8 and a half hours – for it not to arrive. So cancelled it, planning to try again today. The ambulance people were most apologetic and I guess were busy as ever with more life threatening priority patients. Fortunately the injury was slightly better this morning so she was able to hobble to the car so we could get to A&E under our own steam. Happily the outcome of the visit meant Mrs J did not require any extra treatment. Just bad bruising but likely to be hobbling for a while.
Anyway back to the crossword. Many thanks Robyn(?) for a fun and gentle challenge. My only quibble was with 5d, my LOI where I did think some sort of indicator might have been appropriate to indicate it was the name of of Pope that was needed. Lots to like though with 4d 14a on the podium behind 26a in top spot.
Congratulations and thanks to Pommers for his birthday and for helping us out so many times!
Oh dear, Jeemz I’m so sorry to hear of your good lady’s woes. I hope she improves swiftly.
Thanks Steve. Knowing it’s not broken has cheered us both up so I’m sure it’ll be fine pretty soon.
An enjoyable puzzle to start the week with just a few challenging moments to keep me on my toes!
Many thanks to the setter Robyn (?) and Happy Birthday to Pommers.
Ceci m’a beaucoup plu 😁😁. Vive les lundis!!
Ps. Where has the Toughie gone????
There isn’t a Toughie on a Monday, GM.
Ah, shame…
2*/4* ….
liked 13A “Jolly escapade in boat filled with animals on lake (4)”