Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30780
Hints and tips by Falcon
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Ottawa, where there’s not a flake of snow in sight – although we may get a dusting of the white stuff later in the week. What a remarkable change for it to be you in the UK, rather than me, who is buried in the stuff!
A fun offering from Robyn this week. I started off at a one star pace but a few at the end held me up due to the need to brush up on a few things British. Thus I expect many may find it easier than my rating.
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 New leader of the Blues backed in home ground (4,8)
KEMI BADENOCH — rather than knowledge of Chelsea, Everton, Ipswich or Man City, the solution to this clue requires one to be politically correct; an anagram (ground) of the three words preceding the indicator
9a Tolerant of popular and mostly boring chap (9)
INDULGENT — string together synonyms of popular, boring – but remove the last letter (mostly), and chap
10a Fly east on fighter plane carrying diamonds (5)
MIDGE — place the single letter for east following (on in an across clue) a Russian fighter plane and then wrap the result around (carrying) the playing card abbreviation for diamonds
11a Husband, you heard, cast off and told to be quiet (6)
HUSHED — link the genealogical abbreviation for husband, a letter that sounds like (heard) the word “you”, and cast off
12a Little Sally eating cold cuts and shellfish (8)
SCALLOPS — a diminutive form (little) of Sally containing (eating) the water tap symbol for cold, all followed by cuts
13a BBC One plugging a tune that’s broadcast (6)
AUNTIE — the Roman numeral for one is inserted in (plugging) an anagram (that’s broadcast) of A TUNE
15a Deduce touring Brazilian city is second-rate (8)
INFERIOR — a synonym of deduce going around (touring) the usual Brazilian port city
18a Someone who plunders beer – roughly 3.14 litres to start with (8)
PILLAGER — the mathematical constant with a value roughly equal to 3.14 and the abbreviation for litres precede (to start with) a type of beer that I’ve noticed seems to be despised by many Brits
19a Dance music number after covers from The Clash (6)
TECHNO — the abbreviation for number following (after) the initial and final letters (covers) from the final two words of the clue
21a Arthurian knight has jousting equipment, given large quantity (8)
LANCELOT — just as it says on the tin, a weapon used in jousting and a large quantity
23a A bit of photomontage is thrilling for discriminating type (6)
AGEIST — a lurker, concealed in (a bit of) the three words following the indicator
26a In America, little money on the radio for track (5)
SCENT — the answer sounds like (on the radio) a small unit of currency in America (and about a hundred other countries around the world)
27a Arrangement of pet sitter fairer than all the others (9)
PRETTIEST — an anagram of (arrangement of) the two words following the indicator
28a Playing Coldplay airs every now and again (12)
SPORADICALLY — again, an anagram (playing) of the two words following the indicator
Down
1d Revered figure needing a shrink to get sorted out (7)
KRISHNA — an anagram (to get sorted out) of – this time – the two words preceding the indicator
2d Flipping unhappy setter’s someone punished for greed (5)
MIDAS — a reversal (flipping) of all of another word for unhappy and the contracted self-referential pronominal phrase the setter would use in place of “setter is”
3d Dancer from Ireland entering dance area (9)
BALLERINA — a poetic name for Ireland between (entering) a type of dance and the maths abbreviation for area
4d Owing pounds leads to fight between gentlemen (4)
DUEL — a synonym for owing and the abbreviation for pounds
5d Observing what an undecorated cake has? About time! (8)
NOTICING — a (2, 5) description of an undecorated cake around (about) the single letter for time
6d Transport for Bedouin maybe turned up on line (5)
CAMEL — another word for turned up or made an appearance and the abbreviation for line in textual references
7d Reprimand an attractive person around the start of the week (8)
ADMONISH — a (1, 4) term for an attractive person embracing (around) the abbreviated first day of the week (although on this latter point, we North Americans comply neither with the Bible nor the International Standards Organzation)
8d Puzzle with hot drink and occasional servings of sherry (6)
TEASER — the quintessential British hot drink followed by alternate letters (occasional servings) of SHERRY
14d Yearn to enter Reno, travelling around? Not any more (2,6)
NO LONGER — another word for yearn contained in (to enter) an anagram (travelling around) of RENO
16d Using some sweetener, get ice-cream very zesty (9)
ENERGETIC — our second lurker of the day, this one concealed (using some) in the three words following the indicator
17d A little unwell, as an eagle is? (5,3)
BELOW PAR — eagle in the wordplay refers not to my feathered friend but to Huntsman’s quest on the links
18d Slavic language shows refinement (6)
POLISH — double definition
20d Remain longer than son in exposed Scottish river (7)
OUTSTAY — the genealogical abbreviation for son bookended by (in) a synonym for exposed and a major Scottish river
22d Devour ends of aubergine moussaka that you keep (3,2)
EAT UP — the final letters (ends of) the five words following the indicator
24d Current business agreement for wonderful model (5)
IDEAL — the physics symbol for electric current and a business agreement
25d Little daughter, one not welcome in the garden? (4)
WEE — a Scottish word for little and the genealogical abbreviation for daughter
I will award clue of the day to 1a (my last one in). This would seem to be an impossible name to clue, yet the setter has managed to do it in a seamless and misleading fashion. Bravo.
Quickie Pun: PURR + SWAYS + SIEVE = PERSUASIVE
It took me a while to get going with today’s offering but it soon began to fall into place and was an enjoyable solve. I groaned when I saw 1a thinking to myself “Not a football clue!” I had forgotten about the other blues. A massive penny dropped when I finally worked out 3.17 litres at 18a and I loved little sally eating cold cuts at 12a. The surface of the latter was excellent. I didn’t know the dance music at 19a but it was gettable if instructions were followed. Putting “under” as the first word in 17d messed up the southwest for a while but the Arthurian knight soon put me right.
My COTD is the aforementioned 18a, which is a superb clue.
Thank you, setter (Robyn?) for a great start to the week. Thank you, Falcon for the hints.
I hope everyone is ok after the storm. Here in The Marches we had blustery rain but it was nowhere near as bad as it seems to have been elsewhere.
1a I needed hints for. Even with all the checkers. Otherwise an excellent puzzle.
Falcon, you the have the across clues noted as down clues. Thanks
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Now fixed.
An enjoyable start to the week with Robyn in fine form.
1a kicked things off nicely and it flowed from there.
My podium is 19a, 3d and 17d.
Many thanks to the aforementioned and Falcon.
1*/4*
A really enjoyable puzzle for me. At the easier end of the scale but challenging enough particularly in the NW. I was searching for a football captain or manager with a Slavic name for longer than I care to admit. Particularly liked 13a – broadcast as an anagram (rather than homophone) indicator always gets me.
No problems with this very pleasant puzzle this morning, with 18a a firm favourite. A very enjoyable and comfortable start to the crosswording week.
My thanks to Robyn and Falcon.
Well the app tells me that was a new record for me, so definitely a one-star puzzle in my book! All over very quickly, which was a shame as a post-solve review reveals some lovely clues, with 18a getting the rosette for today. */***
First of all, hats off to Robyn for not only coming up with a clue for 1a, but one that made sense and even managed to mislead. The PDM when I realised that I could stop searching for football grounds was resounding. The whole crossword was very enjoyable and favourite today was 18a with podium places for 9a and 12a. Thanks to Robyn and Falcon.
1*/4* for the usual light excellence to start the week.
18a was my favourite with a special mention for 1a.
Many thanks to Robyn (?) and to Falcon.
This started swiftly, continued swiftly … and turned into a DNF! I’d guessed 3d but the 4 letters that needed to mean ‘Ireland‘ wasn’t in The OED or Chambers online. And I needed Falcon’s hint for 4d — thank you!
Thank you also to the setter, with so many splendid clues I gave up trying to note them all, but they included 18a’s beer thief, 19a’s music number, and 4d’s undecorated cake. My favourite was the Blues’ home ground in 1a — for which I needed several crossing letters in order to see what was gong on.
And I’ve learnt that 18d is Slavic; I shall attempt to remember that.
Witamy w przyszłości
What?!🙂
Wishes in advance?
Welcome to the future…
I once did an after dinner speech based on a Matt cartoon
According to the cartoon AI was going to render work obsolete I think the punchline was One of you will be a Robot and another Polish “Welcome to the Future”
Welcome to the future?
Thanks everyone – Polish isn’t my forte!
I didn’t know 18d was Slavic either, Smylers.
Turn the clock back, it’s a ‘Rufus’ Monday! */*****
I did have to e-check the spelling of 1a as I am not that familiar with the lady and Pierre Poilievre wouldn’t fit in the grid.
Candidates for favourite – 18a, 17d, and 25d – and the winner is 18a.
Thanks to (presumably) Robyn and to Falcon
It took a while before me first one went in but steadily filled up from the bottom.
I agree with Falcon 1a was a sublime anagram and gets topical too loved it
Thanks to Falcon and Setter – Robyn changing the pace after yesterday’s toughie perhaps?
A top-notch puzzle – thanks to Robyn and Falcon.
For once I checked the number of pages required before pressing the ‘print’ button thus saving a whole sheet of paper!
1a is a very clever anagram – I wonder whether this is the first appearance of the blue leader in a crossword.
Other clues which I really enjoyed were 10a, 12a, 18a and 4d.
I missed the ‘overflow’ onto a second sheet, then I used the sheet for printing the Rookie – a completely wasted sheet of paper!
I don’t think I’ve had an easier solve than this, which does take some of the enjoyment away unfortunately. I did enjoy 1a and 18a, with 18a my COTD for the penny drop moment!
0*/3*
I wore throught the paper and right through my desk, and then through the carpet, joists, and the building’s foundations trying to scrape ‘Enzo Maresca’ into 1a. Then I discovered that if I simply filled in the last square with black ink, I could make it fit.
The house has collapsed and the local authority are taking me to court.
It’s quite a shame that we now have to move house following such a simple error.
Excellent guzzle for a Monday; lotsa glever glues. 19a and 28a made me smile.
Thanks to the setter and The Bird Of Prey.
Wot – you didn’t even bother to keep going down to the Earth’s core? Not what I call commitment!
Not a problem for me. My spelling is so bad I can make just about anything fit anywhere!
Oh, is Maresca managing Birmingham now?
Edit – and having now read Falcon’s hint I see he too acknowledges there are other teams playing in that hue, though Coventry are omitted from the list …
The Sky Blues are my team & following the disgraceful decision to sack Mark Robins I fear relegation if they appoint Frank Lampard
Agame of two halves, with the eastern half of the guzzle going in easily and the western half resisting until I realised that the Blues weren’t a football team. The cryptic definition at 1a wS my favoueite clue with the 28a anagram and 21a lego clues as runners up. Thanks to the compiler and the snow-free Falcon for the hints.
Started early and trundled through at a reasonable pace until the SE corner held me up and I had to leave it alone whilst I went out. Back to it and the previously impenetrable clues came to light to complete a very enjoyable puzzle. I thought the 1d anagram excellent and unlocked 1a nicely. The podium today comprises 1d, 19a and 10a in top spot. Thanks to Robyn and Falcon.
F. Not sure if this is just on my laptop (nobody else has mentioned it) but all my across clues listed in the review are numbered as downs: 1d – 28d. Not that I’m bothered, it doesn’t really matter – just intrigued.
rp1428 mentioned it at #2 but, as you say, it’s not really a problem but it would be interesting to know how it happened.
How did it happen? Short answer: production error on my part.
Long answer: The letters attached to the clue numbers are not present on the Telegraph Puzzles website. They are inserted by a macro in my word processing program based on the column label. When I cut and paste the clues from the website, the column labels actually appear at the bottom of the column rather than the top and I must manually correct this before running the macro. Matters were further complicated today because the puzzle extended over two pages. I inadvently had both columns labelled as “Down” before running the macro. I did see the error in the column label and corrected it but failed to notice the error in the clue numbers.
Thank you, Falcon for that explanation – more admiration for yourself and the other bloggers. Who knew it was so complicated?
Congratulations indeed to our setter for making sense out of the letters of the Blue leader!
Tops for me today were 9,18&28a plus 2&17d.
Thanks to Robyn? and to Falcon for the review – it’s not so much the white stuff but the water,water everywhere that’s causing the UK problems at the moment!
A nice Monday puzzle for the start of the non-work week. Some really great clues although 1a was new to me. Missed that change somehow, but was easily brought up to speed.
1.5*/4* for me as I got lots of chuckles out of this one.
Favourites were 11a, 18a, 21a, 1d & 17d — with winner 18a.
Chuckles/smiles from all those as well as 13a, 23a & 5d
Thanks to Robyn(?) & Falcon
Quite a challenging kick-off to the week but gripping with which to do battle. 19a new one on me. Can’t believe, as others, I struggled with football teams before tumbling to the clever 1a but hopefully it will become a better known name. SW last in. My golfing days are long gone however 17d was Fav as may well be the case for all our numerous golfing bloggers. Thank you Robyn and Falcon.
Reference 17d, having entered pillager and Lancelot I have .e.o. – I can’t make that ‘ under’. I must be missing something!!!
Welcome to the blog, Pauline.
How did you like the puzzle?
A synonym of under such as “beneath” I am sure you can find one that fits *e*o*
Thank you! I knew I must be missing something. Brain fog!
A gentle start to the week as usual thankfully completing with no real holdup ups. Getting 1a straightaway helped. I’ve been away so been catching up and still have a few clues to finish on yesterday’s grid. Thought I would tackle today’s to give me a confidence boost. Thanks to setter and Falcon .
Another Monday masterpiece – loved the music references in 19 and 28a and the 3d dancer
**/****
Thanks to Robyn and Falcon
Good afternoon
Well, what a tremendous crozzie for a Monday! Definitely plenty to chew on, and a particularly tricky NW quadrant. The sound of the penny FINALLY dropping when it came to 1a must have been audible throughout the bloomin country; ditto my last to fall, 13a.
I also particularly enjoyed figuring out 18a, which is joint runner-up for COTD along with 13a; 1a is the winner!
Many thanks to our compiler (Robyn?) and to Falcon.
Great fun and just right for a Monday. The anagrams, particularly 1a were first class and 1a is my favourite. There were many other fine clues including 12a and 18a.
Many thanks to our setter and to Falcon for the hints.
Our weekend visitor has been waiting for the trains to start running back into South Wales to be able to go home, I do hope everyone has survived the awful weekend curtesy of Burt.
Bert. Sorry, can’t help myself.
Give me a packet of Burt’s though, and if they are cheese & onion I shall certainly help myself ….!
Never noticed those. I’ll give them a try 😋
Went into autopilot thinking of my great uncle Burt!
Had to start in the SE with this one and work my way North.
1a was my last in .. Blue leader eh! Who even remembered?
Cotd the Bedouin on his ship of the desert although the deiced dessert was also clever and pleased to note the Scottish river getting plugged again.
Thanks to setter and Falcon.
Grouchy with a bad back and finger that needs a steroid injection so having this puzzle was a real plus. Loved 18a as it reminded me of maths with Miss Berry and the joy of having a young Guinea Pig under my jumper for the whole lesson. It sounds odd but we had a guinea pig club at school and sitting at the back with a bag of seed got us through undetected. Would welcome a round with this compiler every Monday and thanks to Falcon
Please indulge me for a minute, I have so much to say! When haven’t I? This was one of the most enjoyable offerings I have had the pleasure of solving. I don’t know if it has anything to do with my newfound joy that the tiny brain is still alive and well, or if it was just right on my wavelength. I’d never heard of 19a, but all I had to do was follow instructions and google that it was, indeed, a dance! There were so many like that. I found the NW very tricky, it took me longer than the rest of the puzzle. The new leader at 1a was a mystery, when I had all the checkers I knew I was beaten, so I was DNF with that one. Am I downcast? Not at all, my bubble is still intact, how on earth is an old woman in Miami going to solve that? I have no faves, maybe the knight or the plunderer? I dunno, I loved it all. “So fun” (ugh) as they say now.
Thank you Robyn, I love you, and Falcon for the enlightenment of 1a, off to google now!
I agree about “so fun” which seems to be a go to expression for the young these days.
What an uplifting comment, Merusa! Having had to deal with a serious medical issue certainly does give one a new appreciation for life. As for 1a, my first thought was football but I quickly twigged to the possibility of some deception being at play with the change in governing parties in the UK. The connection was likely easier for me as our right wing politicians are also Blue (unlike the US).
Lovely to read your comment, Merusa. Sometimes I wish that I didn’t know the names of your politicians either!
19a isn’t a dance as such, but a genre of dance music — repetitive bleepy stuff with drum machines. I don’t know what distinguishes it from other similar genres of repetitive bleepy music, and I don’t think there is any overlap between hit singles that I know and tracks that techno fans would count as ‘proper’ techno. But this one at least features a bit where somebody shouts the word “techno” a lot, so it’s presumably close:
Re your first line, sometimes I wish I didn’t either. Alas, we’re stuck with the worst of the lot for another four years.
I’ve googled 1a, she sounds formidable! I wish our lot would realise that there’s nothing scary about a black woman being our leader, sometimes the alternative is really dangerous.
If that’s “Techno” I think I will give it a miss.
I’m not sure that it is — but I suspect you wouldn’t enjoy credible techno tracks either.
Apologies to anybody else who played the above video and wish they hadn’t.
Excellent gentle start to the week. Add me to the list of those held up by, at first, entering under for the first word of 17d. The only hold up in an enjoyable solve. 1a is a brilliant anagram and nicely deceptive but clue of the day has to be 18a with its cleverly constructed surface.
*/****
Thanks Robyn and Falcon
Another case of more haste less speed – sprinting to a rare sub *time finish with half a glance at the fodder & entered periodically in at 28a which put the kibosh on that though soon rectified. Don’t know if Robyn is a Chris Martin fan but the band featured in his Toughie puzzle yesterday – can’t see it myself though I suppose they’ve entertained the Glastonbury crowd a good few times. As ever a cracking Monday puzzle. She may have beaten Bobby J in the membership vote but now she can say she’s surely made it having been clued at 1a in the DT cryptic – it was my clear fav from a good number of ticks.
Thanks to Robyn & to Falcon
Ps off to the Algarve the morrow for a few days ⛳️ so thanks in advance to Shabbo for agreeing to do Tuesday’s blog.
Fav 17d?🙂. Have fun in the Algarve.
I can but dream.
I learnt something today (19a) so the day is not wasted. Rather enjoyed this Monday offering which was just the right pitch for me, all there for the solving thereof and no real problems. As mentioned, I had no knowledge of 19a so that was my LI, and I do confess to having to look up spelling of 1a. Thank you to Robyn and Falcon. Here’s hoping everyone over there is ok after Storm Brent. Our Hurricane season is due to end on the 30th so you might feel a breeze as all of Florida gives a big sigh of relief.
Nice Monday fare 😃 **/**** hadn’t come across 19a before despite watching “Strictly” for many years 😳Favourites 10 & 13 across and 8 & 18 down 👍 Thanks to Robyn and to the Falcon
An enjoyable puzzle today. LOI was 1a as I also fell into the trap of it being football related.
Top picks for me were 18a, 10a and 1a.
Thanks to Falcon and Robyn.
A lovely Monday puzzle and 1a was my last one in. A pb time for me!
Congrats, Jenny. It’s always a great feeling.
You do realize, of course, that this means you have time to get back to pumping iron at the gym.
Great puzzle, 1a last in – like many others I assumed it was a football clue and that I couldn’t get it because of my ignorance….
No real hold ups for me just a few that needed a bit of thinking about which just about makes this the perfect Monday puzzle. LOI was 13a just because it was. Another vote for 18a as favourite thanks to Robyn and Falcon.
Two great Monday puzzles on the bounce and finished.Now need to expand the completion process through the week. So many worthy clues but the reverse engineered 1a must take the hobnob.
A nice puzzle with some clever clues but a bit too easy to be rewarding. Top clue for me is 1a, not only for getting that person into the crossword but for finding a clever bit of misdirection as well. Thanks to compiler and Falcon.
18 and 19a were my favourites this week. Hesitated before adding 1a as I hadn’t seen a living person in an answer before. Still newish to this game!
Thanks to Robyn and Falcon.
2*/4* ….
liked 10A “Fly east on fighter plane carrying diamonds (5)”