Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30758
Hints and tips by 2Kiwis
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Kia ora from Aotearoa.
Spring showers are meant to be nice gentle ones that help all the flowers grow. What we are having lately feel more like icy downpours which create quite a different image.
We found a few stumbling blocks in this one, particularly in the SW quadrant.
Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
4a Discussed an Oscar, and direction, in cowboy movie location (4,4)
WILD WEST : A homophone for the name of playwright Oscar and a compass direction.
8a Device adopted by old English actor (6)
O’TOOLE : A device or implement is enclosed by O(ld) and E(nglish.
9a Tear gas? Bother! (8)
IRRITANT : A double definition.
10a Those highest in the pecking order fancy RSPB oats (3,5)
TOP BRASS : An anagram (fancy) of RSPB OATS.
11a Den’s twisting stopped by Angie at last in television show? (6)
SERIAL : The reversal of animal dens contains the last letter of Angie.
12a Bloomer involving Spooner’s unclothed nether regions (8)
HAREBELL : Start with unclothed or naked and nether regions or Hades and do the Dr Spooner thing.
13a Instructed extremely excitable daughter to keep gold coin (8)
EDUCATED : An old gold coin is inside the first and last letters of excitable and D(aughter).
16a Most verbose start from writer – editor’s bemused (8)
WORDIEST : The first letter of writer and an anagram (bemused) of EDITORS.
19a New tap in loo not required (8)
OPTIONAL : An anagram (new) of TAP IN LOO.
21a Fool Phoebe, half-cut poetess (6)
SAPPHO : A fool or dupe and then three letters from Phoebe.
23a Dry tail of large slug nipped by duck (8)
TEETOTAL : A type of small duck surrounds the last letter of large and a slug of spirits.
24a Chamber illuminated current business minister? (8)
POLITICO : String together a chamber that goes under the bed, a short word for illuminated, the physics symbol for current and a business or enterprise.
25a Mawkish American husband boring Stallone? (6)
SLUSHY : The two letter American and H(usband) are enclosed by the nickname of actor Stallone.
26a Veteran sold spades scratched – send back (3-5)
OLD-TIMER : Sold from the clue with its cards abbreviation for spades removed, then the reversal of send or post.
Down
1d In Love Island, over-the-top to climb piece of furniture? (7)
OTTOMAN : Tennis score love and an Irish Sea island contain the reversal of the three letters for over-the-top.
2d Resting place bedaubed with gold? No! (6,3)
DOUBLE BED : Start with the word bedaubed and remove the chemical symbol for gold. What is left is the answer.
3d Unlikely slogan for feminist troublemaker? (6)
MENACE : Split the answer 3,3 to find the unlikely slogan.
4d Plots routes with breaks – for this? (7-4,4)
WHISTLE-STOP TOUR : An all-in-one clue. The wordplay is an anagram (breaks) of PLOTS ROUTES WITH.
5d Birds beginning to rise up over plant (8)
LARKSPUR : A type of songbirds then the reversal of the first letter of rise and UP from the clue.
6d Devoured last of cheddar after whiskey drink (5)
WATER : Start with W(hiskey) then devoured or consumed and the last letter of cheddar.
7d Formic acid dispenser in secure place in New Mexico (5,2)
SANTA FE : Secure or not in danger contains the insect that produces formic acid.
14d Photographer’s assistant‘s car, a Ford (9)
AUTOFOCUS : Another name for a car and a model of Ford.
15d This Spurs manager to bring Son into the team? (8)
NEPOTISM : A cryptic definition. Ignore the setter’s capitalisations.
17d Enjoying continued success, as Philadelphia might be (2,1,4)
ON A ROLL : Philadelphia here refers to a cream cheese rather than the city.
18d Chap with neat cut, wavy style (7)
PANACHE : An anagram (wavy) of CHAP and NEA(t) with the last letter removed.
20d Goethe is maybe admitting a belief in God (6)
THEISM : A lurker, hiding in the clue.
22d Tip glass of beer when getting round in (5)
POINT : A glass of beer referred to by volume contains the round letter.
Quickie pun neigh + juror + serve = nature reserve
This is a step up in difficulty from Monday and Tuesday, as is to be expected, but a satisfying solve. Took me a long time to get 15d, 21a and 3d (LOI), the first and third one of which take the two lower steps on the podium. Top spot is the spoonerism at 12a.
Like our bloggers, I found this a tad chewier than recent puzzles, with several hold-ups that pushed out my solving time. On reflection, there were some terrific surfaces, including my favourite, the all-in-one anagram at 4d.
My thanks to our midweek setter and the 2Ks.
A marked step up in difficulty from the last couple of days. Lots of great surfaces and a good variety of clues. 2d is very clever and I chuckled at the thought of the flashing Reverend. Great fun.
Thanks 2Ks and our setter.
I loved a very large part of this cracking puzzle (despite the repetition of ‘gold’ in two clues) but really disliked several clues, which dulled some of the shine for me. Firstly the actor’s name is enumerated (1’5) – when the apostrophe is so critical to the answer it’s unfair not to include the correct enumeration. If the software cannot cope, then find a different clue/answer, surely? Secondly, the photographer’s assistant … clever clue, but assistant? In most cameras (ie phones) these days AF is part of and intrinsic to what they are and do – the photographer has no say in the matter. Fortunately. And thirdly, to this Gooner any clue that mentions Spurs automatically defiles the puzzle in which it features!
On to the good, of which there was much, starting with the welcome level of challenge, which I suspect may provoke the usual protests that a Toughie has again escaped. Starting with 4a the wit, humour & intelligence was evident. Great surface reads (esp 20a), a wonderful Spoonerism (and the flower is quite beautiful), the cleverness of 2d and laugh-out-loud 3d. Honours aplenty for a super puzzle.
Many thanks to the setter, presumably Twm given the style & Spoonerism, and of course also to the 2Ks
Gah, my own repetition now leaps out & I can no longer edit. My petard has been detonated and I have been hoist.
Re the invisible apostrophe, it’s just crossword convention, MG. Rather like the fact that clues never end with a full stop. Unless the answer happens to be “full stop” of course!
A convention maybe, ALP, but one not universally observed, even IIRC in the DT. And one that is intensely irritating when it comes to clueing proper names.
I did check the enumeration protocol before submitting the crossword. There’s a Radler NTSPP that clues Peter O’Toole as (5,6) and also a Robyn/Picaroon Guardian clue where O’Toole is (6). Elsewhere in the DT, (Eugene) O’Neill is (6).
I don’t think we’d see eg IT AIN’T NECESSARILY SO as (2,3’1,11,2). Maybe it’s thought that some people would complain that a definition of actor followed by (1’5) might be too obvious.
Hi Twmbarlwm – thanks for popping in and for your comments. I knew you would have checked it all very carefully, and that it would be entirely above board for protocol purposes … but having seen apostrophes enumerated in the past (but without any consistency) it’s a particular bugbear. From memory it was occasionally the case in the past that the dead tree version showed the apostrophe while the online version could not and therefore did not – which seemed unjust.
Ho-hum, it’s a very minor thing and as I noted above, I really enjoyed your puzzle – as is usually the case – and even the trademark Spoonerism, which I felt was one of the highlights!
Thanks!
I can understand why it might appear unfair in names. Daniel Day-Lewis would be (6,3-5) after all, not (6,3,5).
Keep your football inanities to yourself please. This is a crossword forum.
Gosh, thanks for the advice Jerry, it’s most kind of you and be sure I shall give it the consideration it merits.
😀
👍😊
I love it when people like Jerry Wadworth rock up, givin’ it sum, not to be seen again for a few months.
Hey, Jezzer baby! Wotcha fink of the crossy? (I ain’t holding my breath)
Hear hear
A hoot from start to finish. 11a’s a fun surface and very Twm. Lovely Spooner too. 2d and 15d are absolute pearlers. The man’s on fire. Many thanks to Twm (no doubt) and the 2Ks.
As expected the difficulty has been raised from the last two days but this is an extremely enjoyable puzzle. Thanks to our setter and 2Ks.
I have loads of ticks on my printout including 4a, 12a, 2d, 15d and 17d with my clue of the day being 3d.
I found today’s a bit of a struggle but I suppose it is to be expected. I didn’t understand some of the parsing such as in 18d. Where does “chap” come into it? I’m missing something, obviously. Neither do I understand 23a. I see the duck but not the large slug. I didn’t know the poetess and I spent too long trying to use “Goethe” as an anagram at 20d. I did like the formic acid dispenser at 7d so that is my COTD.
Thank you setter but I’m afraid my brain just wasn’t working so well this morning. Thank you, 2Ks for the hints.
(Just looked at 23a again and have been hit by a large penny! I missed the anagram indicator at 18d.)
Chap is part of the anagram Steve, together with NEA, makes the answer.
Thanks, TC. The 2Ks’ hint sorted it out for me. I didn’t see “wavy” as an anagram indicator, which it is, obviously.
Still struggling to enjoy this setter’s style but it would seem that he has plenty of fans on here so doubtless he won’t be worried in the least! My sole tick today went to the Quickie pun.
Apologies to Twmbarlwm and thanks to our 2Ks for the review and delightful illustration of 12a.
A great puzzle, very rewarding when the pennies dropped. LOI was 8a.
Top picks for me were 4a, 3d, 11a, 7d and 14d.
Thanks to the 2Kiwis and the setter.
5* difficulty but only 2* enjoyment for me.
I did enjoy the spoonerism, golden bed, feminist troublemaker and the spurs manager. However, I found several surfaces bewildering – 1d for example just makes no sense to me. The actor also annoys me as grammatically incorrect?
Thanks to all
I would have called the piece of furniture in the picture a ‘pouffe’ (with an acute accent). Surely an ottoman is more like a chaise. A bear, however hard he tries
Grows tubby without exercise.
He gets what exercise he can
By falling off the ottoman!
Over here, an ottoman is anything you put your feet up on, and never any type of chair. My Mum used to call it the pouffe too 😊.
In my resting place bedaubed with gold
I solved this crozzie as my tea went cold.
Wednesday’s crozzies oft full of woe
But today I solved it in one go.
I found this quite hard work, and not sure I derived much satisfaction from it.
Anyway, thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks.
Hope pommers and pommette are ok after the extreme weather that hit us yesterday in Valencia and Alicante. We were fortunate to get off relatively lightly in our part of Valencia, although the number of people who lost their lives is still increasing.
Another Wednesday puzzle that did nothing for me. I really am going to quit doing Wednesday puzzles. I agree with the 2K’s … I thought SW area was awful IMHO.
3*/1* for me … sorry setter … just me I suppose, but nonetheless …
I have scanned the puzzle several times and I frankly have nothing that could even rank as a favourite. For me, the only one that could qualify is 14d
Thanks(?) to setter and a special thanks to the 2K’s for having to deal with this one.
Tricky but enjoyable. I enjoyed the challenge and once I was sure it was Twmbarlwm (he has claimed it on x) started to think in a different way and completed the puzzle. There were 3 where I needed the hints to parse the answers. I even enjoyed the spooner which is, unusually, my favourite.
Many thanks to Twmbarlwm and to the 2 kiwis for the hints
A laboured Toughie time completion for me but I’ll blame that on a half asleep solve at 4.15am during one of those frustrating nights when you don’t seem to be able to manage a decent kip. When I read back through it this morning to sort out a couple of the whys I thought it a belter – certainly top drawer T, if indeed it is one his. The chamber po(t) at 24a required a check with Mr G post solve but otherwise nowt unfamiliar. Like MG the enumeration at 8a was a major 9a – sour grapes maybe as I’d have pegged it instantly had it been 1’5. Ticks all over the shop for me – 4,9,11,12,13&23a plus 2,3,5,14&15d particular likes. With apologies to MG but 15d just shades 2d&12a for top spot.
Thanks to the setter & to the 2Ks whose review I shall now read.
Ps can’t resist posting arguably the most lauded tracking shot in film history (magnificent on the big screen) by Lean’s cinematographer, the great Freddie Young & which introduced Omar Sharif too.
I had a sudden memory of my mother, who was a bit of a lass in her day. When staying with country relatives with an outside loo, finding that each bedroom had a gozunder one night she put Beecham’s Powder in all of them. The resultant fizzing caused much alarm and she was never allowed to forget it!
Late on parade, suffering from Covid again and just 2 weeks after my vaccination too. I found this quite tricky, especially the left hand side. Favourites were the formic acid dispenser, 7d the poetess 21a and the flashing Spoonerism at 12a thanks to the aKiwis and to Twmbarlwm . Iremember we had a gozunder with a large eye painted inside inthe base, Daisy.
Spooky!! So sorry to hear you got the Dreaded Lurgi – it’s still around us isn’t it?
As noted by others, a definite step up in difficulty. I struggled to finish but really enjoyed the effort and cannot believe how long it took me to parse 15d, a real Pam.
Many thanks to the setter and the 2 Kiwis
A cracking Wednesday puzzle which I found a tad more difficult than the norm for this day. Great clues and a satisfying tussle. I have ticked a fair few and any one could qualify as my favourite. 3.5*/4*.
*If you’re into electric guitars you’ll like this. A great 3-way guitar duel, featuring a cracking player called Josh Smith whom I’ve never seen before:
Great clip – not seen that before. Check out Joe jamming with Warren Haynes at Red Rocks on the same song. Love Joe’s cover but still give Gov’t Mule’s the slight edge.
My YouTube video has disappeared to be replaced with Lawrence of Arabia :-( So here it is again :
I must be seeing double then 😀
Surely the picture clue in 1 down is misleading as it is a pouffe. An ottoman is a box with a lid for blankets and such.
Welcome to the blog
What did you think of the crossword?
A lttle tough today I thought, had to resort to BD for a few explainations
Welcome Colin. That’s certainly one definition of an ottoman, but it’s not the only one. The BRB (Chambers, the ‘bible’ for the DT crossword) gives “a low, stuffed seat without a back, sometimes in the form of a chest”, so the picture is fine even if it may not be the first thing that springs to some minds.
Crikey, that took some teasing out. My first reaction on completion was one of relief, but on going back over clues and answers, saw how clever and witty it was. Not being into football such clues leave me clueless, so needed to reverse engineer answer to clue via an Internet search. My podium comprises 21a, 6d and 3d in top spot. Thanks to compiler and 2K’s.
Well I enjoyed it. Back from the hospital with yet another part of my anatomy scrutinised (No wonder the NHS is in a state looking after old folks like me ) I was only too glad of the distraction. LOI was 15d I lost interest in the subject and turned to the hints. I liked 4a, 20a was a neat lurker. 4d possibly the favourite. Many thanks to the Setter and Les Touquets.
I enjoyed this, as I do with all Tumbledown’s puzzles, but I must admit to struggling over a few of the parsings after I had filled the answers in from the definition and checkers.
I must be getting used to Spoonerisms as 12A gave me little trouble. 14A gets my top spot.
**/**** Thanks to the setter and the 2Ks
Not as inscrutable as most Wednesdays, so I did enjoy some of this one today, albeit not all of it. I had no problem with ottoman as they are always called that here. Usually a bit larger, and used as a coffee table/foot rest. Didn’t have any real problems with the clues, just didn’t have any sparkle. Plus it was following yesterday’s treat, a difficult act to follow. Thanks to setter and 2Kiwis. Off now to try and find some geraniums and petunias – winter annuals here in South Florida – but some years they just aren’t offered at the garden centers.
Yes I needed the hints today but predominantly for the SE corner. 3d made me laugh; excellent clue and my favourite, but 15d was a super read for any football supporter (whether a Spurs fan or not) and was very clever.
Cor! That was brutal.
I slogged away at this, for a good while, taking me into 5* territory but it was a very enjoyable challenge.
Mr Tumble (dryer) can certainly put you through the wringer when he wants to. Having the second letters as checkers in many of the clues made it that much harder. My LOI was the excellent 3d which took FOREVER. I had to wave the white flag at 21a as it was beyond me.
So many superb clues to choose from but I’ll go with the up-to-date 1d, 3d, and 2d for its cleverness (I had no problem with gold appearing twice as one was the symbol, the other a coin)
Many thanks to Mr T and the 2 Ks.
5*/4*
An escaped toughie for me not that I didn’t enjoy it. Favourite was 2d. Thanks to the setter and 2K’s.
Morning all.
The picture we used for 1d is certainly what comes to mind in this part of the world for the article of furniture although we did appreciate that other things can be called by the same name.
We really enjoyed this puzzle, particularly the clues that needed that extra bit of cogitation.
Thanks Twmbarlwm.
This is too much for me – I managed about five answers but that was as good as it got today.
That’s it from me so thank you to today’s setter and thanks and admiration to the 2K’s.
Tough but no obscurities and some truly brilliant and original clues eg 2d….
Well I certainly struggled with today’s offering especially 1d, 3d and 8a. I made a valiant attempt but needed to check a number of the hints. Many thanks to the setter and to the 2K’s.
Thanks to 2Kiwis for the blog, and all solvers and commenters.
I don’t think my formic acid dispenser (they do exist!) will catch on for ‘ant’ any time soon, but it does make a change from soldier or worker.
Many thanks for popping in Twmbarlwm. You are right there regarding formic acid dispenser!
🙂
BoringInteresting Fact: Formic acid dispensers are used by beekeepers to protect the hive from varroa mites.Keep pushing that envelope, Tumble Tot.
Thank you for today’s offering which was a beast with a serious bite.
Ouchy!
Way beyond my ability today. Possibly solved a quarter of the clues before conceding defeat.
Thanks to all.
Just checked the clues I thought I had correct and realised I stuffed up 16a by putting rowdiest.
I found this either very straight forward or very convoluted 😬 so ****/***! Favourites 9 & 21a and 7d Thanks to the 2 x Ks for explaining the answers for quite a few 😃 and also to Twmbarlwm for such a melange of a puzzle 😳
I found this either very straight forward or very convoluted 😬 so ****/***! Favourites 9 & 21a and 7d Thanks to the 2 x Ks for explaining the answers for quite a few 😃 and also to Twmbarlwm for such a melange of a puzzle
I’m normally a fan of Twmbarlwm’s puzzles but this didn’t quite hit the spot for me. Perhaps it was, what to me seemed, an excessive use of pronouns and proper names in the clues and solutions. Lots to like though with 12a 2d and 3d on the podium.
Thanks to the 2Ks and Mr Tumble
There was Much Bafflement And Remonstrances, Largely Without Merit
Thanks to Twmbarlwm for another clever and challenging guzzle. Loved 10a, 26a, 2d and 4d especially
Thanks to 2k’s
Brilliant. I loved it. So much originality – that may have put some people off, but it is a breath of fresh air for me.
I only parsed 2d after the event, but it wins my CoD. Very, very clever.
More of the same, please, but in light of earlier comments, perhaps CL should shift you to later in the week?
Thank you Twm.
Thank also to the Kiwis. I trust you will be watching the rugby on Saturday, although the time difference might be a problem.
Sadly I don’t seem to be able to get on Twm’s wavelength. I managed about half today. The acid dispenser was my favourite glue. I remember going there a long time ago.
Thanks for the challenge Twm and the much needed help from the 2Ks.
Good evening
By the cringe!! A tough call today – I must disagree with our esteemed blogger Mr K: three stars? This is fiveser territory!
For the first time ever, I must take issue with the structure of a clue. I share Mustafa’s criticism of 8a, as detailed in comment no. 4 above. I wouldn’t have twigged it without Mr K’s hint, and even then, it was touch and go. 3d eluded me completely, and therefore I must declare a DNF.
Having said that, though, there were some superb clues today. Among the best were 12a, 23a, 14d, and the sublime 2d which takes the honours for COTD.
Many thanks to Twmbarlwm and to Mr K.
Another of my “apropos of nothing” posts but it is a guzzle.
Here is a painting of Adam and Eve by Rubens.
What is wrong with it?
Is it that the apple is given by the serpent?
Eve has a belly button?
Adam also appears to have one. If the Lord created one on Adam, why would he not also create one on Eve?
We think Eve’s thumb is on the wrong side of her hand. That’s our guess anyway.
SJB got it! 😊
Not sure about the picture but the first words ever spoken were palendromic….
….’Madam, I’m Adam’
I loved this, though it did take me longer than expected — especially given such a swift start. Thank you so much to Twmbarlwm for the fantastic entertainment (and for claiming it early on Twitter, so I spent all day looking forward to it before getting time to do it in the evening).
Thank you to the Kiwis for help with a couple of parsings. I learnt about formic acid in 7d and the 24a chamber; I’ve probably already forgotten the 21a bloomer.
So many potential favourites, including the Oscar discussion in 4a, Love Island in 1d, Philadelphia in 17d, and the photographer’s assistant in 14d. More like this please!
Very difficult but entirely fair and needed three tips from 2Ks. Thank you Twmbarlwm and my favourite is 14d.
4*/1* ..
no stand out clues for me