Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30738
Hints and tips by Falcon
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Ottawa, where the weather has turned markedly cooler than it was the last time I appeared on the blog. Overnight lows are flirting with the freezing point. Sadly, the time has come to winterize and close up my lakeside retreat for this year.
Compared to recent puzzles I have reviewed, I would say the setter (Robyn?) has upped the ante slightly in this puzzle – with respect to both difficulty and enjoyment – but still produced a very fitting Monday puzzle.
In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.
Across
1a Criminal capers leading to awkward predicament (6)
SCRAPE — an anagram (criminal) of CAPERS
5a Living with former lover and current pop star (8)
EXISTING — link the usual former lover, the physics symbol for electric current, and an English musician
9a The French defending a ball into the box in sport (8)
LACROSSE — the masculine version of a French definite article enveloping (defending) all of the A from the clue and the act in football of kicking or passing the ball from the wing into the penalty box in front of the goal
10a Mongrel running for meat (6)
MUTTON — a mongrel and running or operating
11a Fresh, cool fish, not gutted (8)
INSOLENT — cool or trendy, a flat fish, and NOT from the clue with its middle letter removed (gutted); beware of falling for another word that not only matches the checking letters but can also mean fresh in another sense (which, however, contains no fish)
12a About to cover border with eastern European region (6)
CRIMEA — the two letter Latin abbreviation for about (applicable to historical dates) wrapped around all of border or edge and the single letter for eastern
13a Daughter on PlayStation maybe cheered up (8)
CONSOLED — the genealogical symbol for daughter follows (on in an across clue) a type of device of which a Playstation is an example
15a Face of toddler, small and cutesy (4)
TWEE — the initial letter (face) of TODDLER and a Scottish word for little
17a The setter getting cloned is a popular internet item (4)
MEME — two instances (getting cloned) of a self-referential personal pronoun
19a Caught in hard rain, a gentle way to remove water (8)
DRAINAGE — a lurker, hiding in (caught in) the four words following the indicator
20a Adult is back in cathedral city without trouble (6)
EASILY — a cathedral city in Cambridgshire contains all of the single letter for adult and a reveral (back) of IS
21a Expecting family member to tuck into G&T after regular servings of porter (8)
PREGNANT — start with an elderly family member contained in (to tuck into) G and T; then place the result after a regular sequence of letters from PORTER
22a Tips from excellent new informer giving Morse answer for mystery (6)
ENIGMA — the initial letters (tips) of a series of six words in the clue
Especially for Kath
23a Running salt mine, getting complaints (8)
AILMENTS — an anagram (running) of SALT MINE
24a Dance with lover – try to embrace desperate fellow? (8)
FANDANGO — a lover or enthusiast and a try or attempt bookend a desperate character from the comics
25a Stop sibling appearing in start of Disney film (6)
DESIST — introduce a female sibling into a charade of the initial letter (start) of DISNEY and Steven Spielberg’s ubiquitous sci-fi film
Down
2d Feature entertaining article saying something cutting? (8)
CHAINSAW — a facial feature containing (entertaining) a grammatical article is followed by a saying or adage
3d Military group in despair, for certain (3,5)
AIR FORCE — our second lurker of the day, hiding in (in) the final three words of the clue
4d European, American and more rigorous Asian, say (9)
EASTERNER — the single letters for European and American followed by more rigorous or more demanding
5d Musical instrument, one Eric Clapton plays touring India (10,5)
ELECTRONIC PIANO — start with an anagram (plays) of the three words preceding the indicator; then wrap the result around the letter represented by India in radio communication
6d Motivated Liverpool player following Tottenham, mostly (7)
SPURRED — a Liverpool football player following the name of the football club from Tottenham with its final letter removed (mostly)
7d Hint from prisoner about appeal getting overturned (8)
INTIMATE — a prisoner containing (about) a reversal (overturned) of a pronoun used to denote sex appeal
8d Info on lady importing right copper from abroad (8)
GENDARME — a colloquial term for information precedes (on in a down clue) a titled lady containing (importing) the single letter for right
14d Ad-men working around fashion mag given decorative cover (9)
ENAMELLED — an anagram (working) of ADMEN containing (around) a fashion magazine of French origin
15d Brahms and Liszt fated to get interrupted by figure lacking musical ability (4-4)
TONE-DEAF — an anagram (Brahms and Liszt) of FATED containing (to get interrupted by) a low-value figure
16d Discharge head of Egyptian delegation (8)
EMISSION — the initial letter of (head of) EGYPTIAN and a delegation (such as a group of diplomats)
17d Being stingy, former queen gets into difficulty (8)
MEANNESS — an 18th century British Queen contained in a chaotic or troublesome state of affairs
18d Name tags ordered for big-shot businesspeople (8)
MAGNATES — an anagram (ordered) of NAME TAGS
19d Cover up Austen heroine’s tough choice (7)
DILEMMA — a reversal (up in a down clue) of a cover or cap followed by a heroine created by novelist Jane Austen
Favourite clue honours go to 15d with its Cockney anagram indicator – it being the first time I have encountered such a usage in a puzzle.
Quickie Pun: LAUD + NELL + SUN = LORD NELSON
I found today’s offering a bit of a struggle for a Monday but I did get there in the end. There are a couple I’m not sure about such as 11a and 15d. My answers fit in with the checkers but whether they are correct remains to be seen. I get the “not gutted” part of 11a but the fish? Plenty to like, though, with some great pennies dropping. One that fell heavily was the eastern European region because it took time to realise “about”. My COTD is the lady taking in a copper at 8d.
Thank you, setter for the challenge. Thank you, Falcon for the hints. I will now check them to see if I have everything correct. I had the wrong answer for 11a!
I shudder to think what the little girl in the picture for 2d is about to do.
‘Fish’ seems to be appearing more often in the ‘guess a . . . ‘ category.
1.5*/5*. A perfect Monday back-pager: light, beautiful surfaces, and impeccable clueing plus a wonderfully creative anagram indicator in 15d.
A gold star too for the setter. There were three opportunities for using vague people’s names in 24a, 17d & 19d and all were eschewed. How much better the clues read as they have been written rather than having “man” to replace “desperate fellow”, “woman” to replace “former queen” and “girl’s” to replace “Austen heroine’s”.
When I had the first and last letters of 2d in place, I became fixated that the answer must be “clerihew” and spent far too long trying to make it work before the penny finally dropped.
With so many good clues (all of them!) I am going to hedge my bets with 17a as my favourite short answer, 21a my favourite medium length answer, and 5d as my favourite long answer.
Many thanks presumably to Robyn and thanks also to Falcon.
I have clerihew written on my paper as the obvious answer to 2d, but it didn’t take long to see my error
A novel way to categorise a favourite, which I am sure Kath would allow. Better than Shabbo’s 9 favourites last Wednesday.😉
Enjoyable R & W crossword.
Clerihew was my first thought too. I love the word “eschew”.
Good point about the desperate, Queen, and heroine — makes the clues so much better!
Your top 3 are, I think, the 3 answers I got fastest, basically writing them in from their definition (and crossing letters in the case of 5d) — which obviously doesn’t make them bad clues, but it meant I probably didn’t notice them as much as those I grappled with the wordplay on.
A very enjoyable puzzle and ideal for a Monday. Lots to like but I will plump for the two composers who gave me a bit of trouble before the coinage fell.
*/****
Thanks to the setter and Falcon.
I am unable to select any photos taken on this Android phone to share with you. Some WordPress foible?
All I am offered is the chance to use the camera, but if I do that, the image file is too large. Any ideas how to get around this?
I too fell foul of “the checkers fit so it must be correct” in 11a. That will teach me to fully parse my answers. Certainly a chewier Monday from Robyn this week, but it was a joy to solve. 5d was masterful misdirection in an anagram and is my cotd. Thanks to Robyn and Falcon for putting me right on 11a.
An excellent start to the week. Robyn has assumed Roger’s (Rufus) role splendidly. Very happy that all three words begin with an R and have five letters.
‘Brahms and Liszt’ as an anagram indicator is absolutely superb; it really is. I’m still chuckling about it and will for the rest of the day.
I kicked off proceedings with the outstanding 5d. What a great clue.
My pody is Mr Clapton, 21a (love G&T) and 15d….hic!
Many thanks to Robyn and Falcs.
2*/5*
Another high quality over before it began Monday puzzle – */*****
Candidates for favourite – 11a, 21a, 24a, and 15d – and the winner is 15d especially for the anagram indicator.
Thanks to (presumably) Robyn and to Falcon.
What a lovely Monday puzzle, very light overall but thinking time required for one or two. Seeing the long anagram straight away certainly helped. At first I had the alternative answer for 11a, which I could justify in terms of definition,but lacked the fish.I also wanted to put ‘meanders’ for 17d which was just about justifiable had the definition been ‘ gets into difficulty ‘, had the former Queen, but also a couple of unparsed letters! Favourite today was the desperate chap at 24a – what a lovely word! Podium places for the lego 21a and 15d for the unique anagram indicator. Thanks to our setter and Falcon.
Another Monday masterclass in how to set a gentle entertaining puzzle. Can’t say I’ve ever seen the 2 inebriated barmen employed as an anagram indicator before either but rather liked it so 15a can have a podium spot alongside 11&21a. For some reason 5d immediately made me think of Eric’s reunion with Bobby Whitlock on Later
Thanks to the setter (Robyn presumably – shame he’s not popping in so much of late) & to Falcon.
I’m surprised at the number of people who haven’t seen the 15dn indicator before as it’s appeared in the DT daily crossword and the Toughie a few times before, and loads of times elsewhere. A fine and gentle challenge with the Morse clue being my favourite.
Even this early everything positive that could be said has already been mentioned which means I can just nominate the brilliant anagram at 5d as my favourite and thank our Monday setter and Falcon.
I was with Falcon every step of the way this morning – I narrowly avoided the 11a pitfall, chose the same favourite as he did, revelled in his inclusion of my favourite Sting number and smiled at his nod to the inspector for Kath.
Certainly a little chewier than Robyn’s usual Monday offerings but still in the Goldilocks zone that he inhabits so easily.
Many thanks to Robyn and to Falcon for a great start to the week.
A light & enjoyable cryptic to start the week, indeed I found the QC took longer for some reason. Good surfaces, precise constructions. Honours to 24a, the lurking 3d, & 15d for the surface read, which enhanced the (familiar, I’m sure) anagram indicator. Runner-up the 5d anagram.
Thank you to the setter and Falcon
What a lovely Monday breakfast guzzle!
Only one clue of the day for me, the brilliant 15d. First because I was diagnosed as such by my music teacher 70+ years ago and forbidden to sing ever again. And secondly, because having got the answer was at a loss to work out the relevance of the composers until the ton weight dropped! (Overdose of Chardonnay last night!)
V many thanks to the setter (Robyn?) and to Falcon for the blog.
Lots of fun for a Monday morning. 25a and 15d being my favorites.
Unusually for a Monday a slow start but then a smooth fun run to the finish with several Fav candidates (podium: 8d, 2d and 5a) along the way. Not sure 14d is necessarily decorative. 2d hint illustration made me shudder at potential for an accident. Many thanks Robyn and Falcon.
I spent too long angling over the fish at 11a. In despair, even googling the four letters of the ‘alternative’ middle four letters in case there is an obscure wriggler with that name. As a result of this, the setter should be imprisoned, for life, without parole. It’s the only kind of punishment these people understand.
Eric Clapton – one of those artists where one has to decide if one can separate the art from the person creating it. I can’t. He is a fellow who has expressed the most abominable views.
(For heaven’s sake, end with something positive)
Went to watch Chelsea yesterday. Not very good.
It’s raining heavily today.
(That wasn’t very positive was it? For goodness sake)
Thanks to the setter for the excellent crossword, and to The Bird Of Prey.
I’m with you on googling the non-existent fish in 11a Terence. It was the sort of thing which could be an obscure fish!
Me too on the non-existent fish.
But there’s lots of marine life yet to be discovered in the deepest parts of the ocean, so maybe there will be such a fish one day?
A lovely puzzle for which was a sunny day here. The rain clouds are gathering however and a thunderstorm is forecast.
Loved the 15d anagram indicator.
Top picks for me were 15d, 2d and 21a.
Thanks to Falcon and the setter.
Not sure why people are having trouble with the fish in 11a it’s pretty common – and tasty – and I couldn’t see what else it could be but that shows how can all think differently!
I loved the 5d anagram but if I’m being really pedantic no one calls it that – they’d remove the letters “on” from the first word.
Great fun all the same
Thanks to setter and Falcon
My first thoughts on 5d also, Sim.
Always wonder if solving puzzles will have escaped if I am away for a while. This was a reassuring return although I too looked up a non existent fish for 11 a. The move in football was not familiar so the upper left quadrant was looking woeful towards the end. In the end Falcon just had to put me right for 11 and it was home and dry. Thanks to all
Sorry if I’m being really really slow, but why is “Brahms and Liszt” an anagram indicator? I solved that clue in the end but can’t see what’s going on. Help?!
It’s Cockney rhyming slang for a rather rude term meaning inebriated — any synonym of which can be an anagram indicator.
Thanks so much! Now you pointed it out, it’s obvious. My excuse was (a) it’s Monday and (b) I had only had the one coffee. Thanks so much for helping me see it.
Thank you Falcon! I had the same question.
Now I know, it is a brilliant anagram indicator.
Another nice start to the non-work week with this Monday puzzle.
1.5*/4*
Favourites include 11a, 20a, 21a, 22a & 19d — with winner 22a
Thanks to setter & Falcon
Quite difficult for a Monday.
Lots of very clever (and tricky) clues – this has taken me ages.
Not a huge number of anagrams – I could have done with an extra one of two even others won’t agree with me.
I liked 5 and 21a and 8 and 15d. My favourite was 22a.
Thanks to whoever set today’s crossword and to Falcon for the hints (and the pics!!
Quite enjoyed the tussle so far, but need to put aside. We are currently forecast to be on the fringe of Hurricane Milton, so need to continue with early “just in case” preparations. Top of my list this morning is a run to the library to pick up some more books. The possibility of no power and no books to read fills me with dread. And feeling so sorry for the people on the Florida west coast who seem to be right in its path, yet again. Thanks to setter and Falcon.
Did you see that damned thing is up to cat5? I’m flying low here and hoping we only get outer bands, I’m far enough south but it is HUGE! Good luck, I’m going to charge my Kindle, that’ll last quite long. Good luck.
Fingers crossed it does seem to be moving slightly higher up as it comes across, but we’ll still be on the fringes, and on its “dirty” side. Bad news for those north of us of course. Picked up 3 books from the library, there were some leaving with 8+ 😊. Yes, keep that Kindle charged, we’ll be doing the same with the IPads, phones etc. and picked up gas for the generator yesterday. Oh what fun…
Oh my! Wishing you and Merusa safe passage through Milton. It must be terrifying.
Very much approving of hurricane preparation including a last-minute dash to the library!
4½ years ago, when it was announced schools would be closing to minimise the spread of coronavirus, I dashed to our library during the day and got an armful of books for everybody — normally I’d let the children choose their own, but it seemed better just to get some. At that point libraries were still supposed to be opening the following week, but then things changed over the weekend, and it didn’t re-open for months. I’d made it just in time!
Hope the storm passes you by without major incident or inconvenience.
I thought this a bit tricky for Monday too, Kath. I only had two solved until I got to the south, that was much more friendly. Once I had the second word of 5d, the first was easy and a huge help. I was stuck in the NE and had to go in for a little help from Falcon for 10a, where I was fixated on “cur”, the rest just slotted in nicely. Lateral thinking seems to be one of my major problems. Aloha, nice to see you again Cathedral City. Why are “Brahms and Liszt” anagram indicators? This was so much fun, hard to choose a fave, though I was amused by the desperate fellow at 14a. I bunged in 17a, but I still don’t know what it means.
Thank you setter, loved it, and Falcon for your help to get going again.
Very enjoyable. I’ve only recently started with DT cryptic. I can just about finish the Monday version now! Favourite clues were 17a and 21a.
Welcome to the blog, Dee. Stick with us and you’ll soon be solving Toughies!
Thanks Gazza! I will persevere
Welcome from me as well.
Thank you for the hints and tips! This site has been so useful in helping demystify the cryptics.
Welcome, Dee! Look forward to hearing from you again. 👍😊
Thank you Steve!
I also thought this a difficulty level up for Monday, and I also found an answer to 11a that wasn’t sufficiently fishy and had to rethink….but a bright, enjoyable puzzle from a setter who has become a firm favourite of mine
What fun, a bit harder than some but all fair. I am away and visiting Bletchley park tomorrow so will choose the appropriate 22a as a favourite but I enjoyed a lot of the clues.
Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.
My husband was in SOE so I/we have visited Bletchley Park several times and found it fascinating so of course 22a brought it all back. Do enjoy your visit,
I found this puzzle a lot trickier than recent Mondays 🤔 ***/**** not helped in the newspaper version by 1d being labelled 3,5 😳 Favourites were 22a, 4 & 16d 👍 Thanks to the Falcon and to Robyn. The first time in all the many years that I have”battled with the back pager that the Quicky was more difficult than the Cryptic!
I found the Quickie tough as well, JL. In fact, I didn’t finish it.
Perfectly straightforward until the last couple then suddenly it wasn’t. LOI was 13a where I couldn’t think of a synonym for PlayStation as I’ve never seen one and only solved it by thinking of all the words that the answer could possibly be and eventually stumbling on the right one. Favourite was 14a. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.
This was mostly straightforward, but I did need Falcon’s help with my fishing expedition in 11a, so measuring by hints required, this was trickier that yesterday’s Toughie (but nowhere near as tricky as yesterday’s backpager). Thank you, Falcon, for sorting me out — though I still don’t understand how the answer can mean ‘fresh’.
My favourite was 2d, for its construction, with “saying” so innocently looking like a verb. Thank you to the setter for the enjoyment.
Hi S
Fresh means rude/cheeky/disrespectful…‘Don’t get fresh with me, son!’
Sorry TDS I hadn’t seen your comment before I too commented in similar vein.
Thanks. Though my new hypothesis is that in the sentence “Don’t get X with me, son!”, you can replace X with pretty much any adjective and the meaning would still be clear.
“Don’t get toasty with me, son!”
“Don’t get serendipitous with me, son!”
“Don’t get adjectival with me, son!”
“Don’t get crenelated with me, son!”
See? It doesn’t actually have to make sense: if the tone of voice is disapproving, then it’s clearly a complaint about your attitude regardless of the actual word used!
Smylers fresh can also mean 11a or cheeky for instance.
Thanks. I don’t think I’ve encountered that before, and it isn’t in Oxford Dictionaries Online (which I checked earlier), but it is in The OED, definition I.8 — though the most recent citation, from 2014, is somebody laughing at a grandparent using it like that, and the second-most recent is from 1967. So I don’t feel particularly ignorant not to have heard it!
PS: Amusing, The OED entry for ‘fresh’ has meaning I.4.c as “not drunk”, immediately followed by meaning I.4.d as “tipsy” — which sounds like the kind of thing that could lead to unfortunate consequences …
Penny has finally dropped on 2d. Duh! Must have stared at it for 10mins. I liked Brahms and Liszt. I also like being Brahms and Liszt!
2*/4* ….
liked 22A “Tips from excellent new informer giving Morse answer for mystery (6)” ….
tricky quickie, I thought.