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DT 30811

by Huntsman  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30811
Hints and tips by Huntsman

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***

It falls to Anthony Plumb to provide us with the last back page puzzle of the year & as Senf would say it’s about as typical Tuesdayish as you can get. I’ll avoid 7 on RogB’s BD bingo card (see yesterday’s comments) & just award the one * for difficulty as I doubt many will need to refer to any hints. As ever concisely clued & an enjoyable solve.

The migration to the new puzzles site took some getting used to for those solving digitally but it has been another tremendous year of high quality DT guzzles. Many thanks to Chris Lancaster & all of the compilers who provide us with our daily fix. All that remains is to wish everyone connected with the blog a very happy & healthy new year.

In the following hints, definitions are underlined, indicators are mostly in parentheses, and answers are revealed by clicking where shown as usual. Please leave a comment below on how you got on with the puzzle.

Across

1a Brief closure of jail with a prisoner in charge (7)
LACONIC: some lego to start – the last letter (closure of) jaiL + A from the clue + one of the usual abbreviations for a prisoner + the usual two letters for in charge.

5a Bird from southern Portugal – something that could get shot (7)
SPARROW: S(outhern) + the IVR code for Portugal + a missile despatched from a bow maybe.

9a Shy European withdrawing from the argument (5)
THROW: delete (withdrawing) the single letter for European from another (3,3) way of saying the argument.

10a Rabbits opposite son (9)
CONVERSES: a synonym of opposite + S(on). Think Chas, Dave & Sainsbury’s for the definition context.

11a Flower lured flies off the wall (5-2-3)
FLEUR-DE-LIS: an anagram (off the wall) of LURED FLIES.

12a Black rook and silver crow (4)
BRAG: the single letters for Black & Rook (chess) + the element symbol for silver.

14a Sound judgment? Shame about wild caprices (12)
PERSPICACITY: insert an anagram (wild) of CAPRICES into a synonym for shame/source of regret.

18a Bad, amoral men run X? (5,7)
ROMAN NUMERAL: an anagram (bad) of AMORAL MEN RUN. A neat surface read.

21a Little child describing adult perfectly (2,1,1)
TO A T: insert the single letter for Adult into another word for a small child.

22a Eating place prepared tuna starter short of time (10)
RESTAURANT: another anagram (prepared) of TUNA STAR(t)ER (short of Time).

25a Board small vessel outside a harbour (9)
ENTERTAIN: a synonym of board/access + a small vessel/container into which you insert (around) A from the clue.

26a Falsely incriminate celebrity embracing Republican (5)
FRAME: insert the single letter for Republican into a synonym of celebrity.

27a Tips from school advisor deepen head’s misery (7)
SADNESS: the opening letters (tips from) of words 3-5 + a word for head/promontory.

28a Some socks and also shoes (7)
SANDALS: hidden (some).

Down

1d Forgive the Parisian aristocrat (3,3)
LET OFF: French for the + an informal term for an aristocrat.

2d Calling about a roe deer, oddly (6)
CAREER: the Latin single letter for about, A from the clue & the alternate (oddly) letters of RoE dEeR.

3d This could be a loner’s place in Louisiana (3,7)
NEW ORLEANS: a reverse anagram. The fodder (this could be) is A LONERS. Preface with another indicator. Nobody has sung this great tune better than Eric in my view.

4d Store prestige reduced (5)
CACHE: delete the last letter (reduced) from a synonym for prestige/kudos.

5d Small wound – is it even tender?
SENSITIVE: S(mall) + an anagram (wound) of IS IT EVEN.

6d Sacked a Times editor (4)
AXED: A from the clue + the letter/multiplication sign for times (ignore capitalisation) + the usual abbreviation for editor.

7d Keep arresting short criminal (8)
RESTRAIN: an anagram (criminal/short) of ARRESTIN(g).

8d Ernie maybe teases smart alecs (4,4)
WISE GUYS: the surname of Eric’s partner + a synonym for teases.

13d Send up a breadlike cake for urchin (10)
RAGAMUFFIN: a rather old fashioned word for send up/tease + a flavoured cake – with blueberries ideally.

15d Cheek knocks cooking utensils (9)
SAUCEPANS: a synonym for cheek/lip + another for knocks/severely criticises.

16d William and Harry’s relationship worries engulfing king? (8)
BROTHERS: place a synonym for worries around (engulfing) the regnal letter for king.

17d Gave monkey and parrot feed regularly (8)
IMPARTED: a term for a monkey/cheeky child followed by the alternate (regularly) letters of pArRoT fEeD.

19a Fruit and nuts unfinished (6)
BANANA: a truncated (unfinished) synonym for nuts/bonkers.

20d Pressure from headmistress? Not half! (6)
STRESS: 50% (not half) of headmistress.

23d Soldiers might start these cheers leaving hospital (5)
TANKS: remove the single letter for Hospital from a synonym for cheers.

24d Engineer tinkering holds up plane?
TREE: a reverse lurker to finish.

 

Podium spots today, in no particular order, for 18a together with 3&8d. Please let us know which clues ticked your boxes.

 

Today’s Quick crossword pun: CON + SIR + TOOLS = CONCERT HALLS

Today’s blogging music has been Michael Kiwanuka’s recently released 4th album. Here’s a gorgeous track off it

81 comments on “DT 30811”

  1. A tad more difficult than the usual Tuesday offerings in my opinion. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable solve. I rather stupidly spelt 11a with a Y, which was not in the anagram fodder, so that held up the northwest. 14a is such a wonderful word and the surface of 16d was wonderful. My COTD is 13d because it’s another great word although 8d came a close second.

    The Quickie pun doesn’t work for me, I’m afraid but it’s all down to pronunciation and dialect.

    Thank you, setter for the challenge. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.

  2. Are you kidding 1*!!! It is at least a 4* for difficulty. Complex and irritating clues some of which make little or no sense even when you get the answer.
    Very little fun just the satisfaction of beating the setter.
    ****/*
    Thx for the hints

  3. I found this much more difficult than 1*. A bit of a struggle to be honest.

    Thanks for the hints.

  4. Right up my street today with lots of my favourite lego type clues and cleverly misleading synonyms, the ‘harbour’ in 25a eluding me for some time and the London tree being my LOI. When will I actually commit the mantra concerning lurkers to memory?! No overall favourite as there are so many ticks on my paper. Take your pick from 9a with its brilliant surface read and unusual synonym, 8d ( ditto), 15d and 17d. Thanks to Mr Plumb for the enjoyment and Huntsman for his choice of music.

  5. A good, straightforward solve to end the year.

    Favourites for me were William and Harry at 16d for the surface read and the 23d things which soldiers might start.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman

  6. As Steve C wrote, a tad more difficult than usual for a Tuesday so not quite Typically Tuesdayish – 2.5*/3.5*

    Also, like Steve C, I put a ‘Y’ in 11a rather than the ‘I’ in the anagram material; it must be my French ancestry, which ‘interfered’ with 5d.

    Candidates for favourite – 9a, 18a, 4d, 6d, and 15d – and the winner is 6d.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.

  7. Very jolly. Clever synonyms and fun surfaces. 25a reads beautifully, 5d’s nicely disguised and 18a’s surface is, of course, immaculate. Many thanks to our setter and Huntsman. I’m a sucker for a spot of Wilco!

  8. 1*/4* this was light and fun as we’ve come to expect on a Tuesday. 18a was my favourite.

    Many thanks to AP (?) and to Hintsman.

    P.S. The Plusword setter needs to be put out to grass. There was a howler again today. Yesterday, one of the clues had “tropical” instead of “topical”. Today, we were asked for the surname of an “Australian cricketer”. The person in question was a South African who played for (and captained) England by virtue of his Scottish father!

      1. That’s not much use for those of us who use the dead tree version! Yesterday’s error has still not been corrected online.

        I’ll be interested to see if they have the decorum to publish an apology tomorrow. They didn’t today after yesterday’s misleading typo!

  9. To join the chorus: Definitely not your average Tuesday. Plenty of straightforward clues but several stinkers sprinkled throughout, like rabbit droppings masquerading as raisins in a christmas pudding. ***/***

  10. A great puzzle to end the year. I too wanted to put a y in 11a as that’s how I’ve always seen it written.

    Top picks for me were 8d, 13d, 23d and 25a.

    Thanks to Huntsman and Mr Plumb and a Happy New Year to all.

  11. A top-notch puzzle for our last back-pager of 2024 – thanks to our setter (Mr Consistency) and to Huntsman.
    For my podium I’ve selected 18a, 25a and 8d.
    Wishing everybody A Happy New Year.

  12. Although 18a was a straightforward anagram the surface reading tickled my funny bone, so thats my COTD. Thanks Huntsman for the blog, and setter for an enjoyable solve. **/*** by my measurement.
    Happy and prosperous New Year everyone.

  13. I tend to agree with the 1 star difficulty rating for todays puzzle. Indeed no hints needed. I liked the surface readings of 18a and 16d, so my choices for COTD. Thanks to the setter and huntsman for the hints.

  14. I. too, found this a little harder than our esteemed blogger, but not by much. It was, however, as superbly clued as we have come to expect from this setter, with the amusing and highly topical 18a getting my vote for COTD.

    My thanks to AP for this and all his crosswords this year, and thanks, too, to The Hintsman for his many fine blogs during 2024.

    A very happy and above all healthy new year to all who contribute to this excellent site.

  15. I too thought this a little harder than average for a Tuesday, but still great fun. A few of the synonyms were trickier for me eg harbour. I enjoyed cracking it very much but did nearly miss a lurker (will put lurker checking on my New Year’s resolution list!). Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman

    It just remains for me to thank all the setters and bloggers for providing us with another year of excellent varied puzzles and the essential hints. I wish everyone on the blog (including lurkers) a very happy new year with best wishes for 2025.

  16. I am in the slightly harder than usual camp but I got there in the end. 16d my favourite too.
    Thanks to the elusive Mr Plumb, it would be nice if he occasionally popped in but each to his own.
    Many thanks to Andy for all the excellent hints and tunes, not just today.
    I am away to see if Dharma maintains the high standard of Christmas Cryptics
    A Happy and Prosperous New Year to all

  17. I thoroughly enjoyed this, a little tricky at times maybe, but al clues were fair and made sense to me, but obviously not everyone by the comments so far, but that’s personal taste for you – sad that the haters hate instead of keeping quiet though.
    Loved 1 and 9a and 1d made me smile for the stupidity of it
    **/****
    Thanks to setter and Huntsman and a happy, peaceful and respectful New Year to all

  18. Those rabbits held me up for a while but, in my defence, I was rather busy finding room on the broom for the witch and her travelling companions! Lovely word at 14a which gets a place on my podium where it’s joined by the amoral men at X and little Ernie.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and to Huntsman for the review and the reminder of the Cadbury’s advert – a very happy New Year to both of you.

  19. Also held up by those pesky rabbits and the parsing of 7d took me way too long. Enjoyable last but one puzzle of 2024. Thanks to Huntsman and today’s setter.

  20. I found this reasonably straightforward, but also failed to spot the arboreal lurker.
    Thanks to setter and Huntsman. Thanks to everyone who contributes to the blog, it wouldn’t be the same fun to do the crossword each day without it.

    Happy New Year to everyone 🥂

  21. Love the Michael Kiwanuka track.

    This guzzle was right at my level and I didn’t need any help (unusual for me).

    Strange day, New Year’s Eve. H was talking this morning; looking back, remembering parties, and friends and family. I feel everyone is more introspective these days, preferring a quieter life. Perhaps it is a reflection on ageing.

    Thanks to the setter and Andy On The First Tee.

    1. Your 3rd paragraph struck a raw nerve with me. How right you are! Ageing is not where I want to be, but we’re stuck with it. Good wishes to you.

      1. Me too. I cannot believe we have got here. I hate the fact that we are not out partying tonight – but we ARE still here and still together, so much to be thankful for. And much more fortunate than a huge percentage of the world population. I am getting maudlin so I shall stop!

        1. We have a tiny hamlet near us called Maudlin….. A few hundred yards from Steyning in Sussex.

    2. As a friend of mine once said to me, “I knew I would get old, Steve but I didn’t think it would come so flippin’ fast!”

  22. Horses for courses today it seems. I was on the wavelength with this one so found it a straightforward solve and agree with the 1*. We all have different brains – thankfully. Thanks to setter and to Huntsman.

  23. I found this to be a bit of a slog but got there eventually. Those perishing rabbits along with 7d held me up for what seemed an eternity. On a more positive note, I’m awarding cotd to 1d as the “Franglais- esque” made me smile. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

  24. Seemed like a typical Tuesday offering this week with a couple of zingers thrown in.

    1.5*/3.5* for me

    Favourites include 12a, 18a, 21a, 6d, 8d & 18d — with winner 18a
    Smiles for 12a, 21a, 6d & 19d

    Thanks to AP & Huntsman

    Happy New Year for 2025 to one and all!

  25. Good afternoon

    An enjoyable solve this afty, although I would have to disagree with our esteemed blogger and call today’s crozzie a twoser; there was a little bit of trickery and misdirection about! I have to award COTD to my last to fall, 24a, since it took so long for (look out! Cliché alert ⚠️ 😉) the penny to drop!

    Apologies to RogB for the cliché. Many thanks to Mr P and to Huntsman.

    Thank you for your entertaining comments on this blog, which I discovered a few months ago. May I wish you and yours a Happy New Year and Happy Solving in 2025.

  26. 18a was a humdinger and therefore favourite. The rabbits were my last in. How difficult is it to get from Kings Cross to Little Venice? Is it a bus or a tube, anyone know? Today we had a lovely visit from our lurker down the road who sussed me out a year ago . We had such a nice time talking guzzles and then I discovered that she had lived in Sutton whilst I lived in Cheam Village – just some 50 years apart! Small world. I am trying to persuade her to come out of the closet. Huge thanks to all of you who keep this wonderful site going, special thanks to today’s Setter & Hintsman and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year to you all.

    1. DG, it’s quite straightforward. Take the tube from Kings Cross to Baker Street. Change there onto the Bakerloo line and travel westbound four stops to Warwick Avenue. Little Venice is about a ten minute walk from there.

      1. I’m hoping I can attend this, but a black cab is my preferred (hackney) carriage, from Victoria

    2. Tube from Kings Cross to Paddington (Circle or Hammersmith & City) it is a short walk along the Regents Canal towards Warwick Ave.
      If feeling adventurous the walk alongside the Regents Canal all the way from Kings X to Little Venice is a longer but interesting walk

    3. Hi DG, you must live somewhere near Stansted Airport. From there you can catch a National Express bus direct to Paddington.

      I haven’t been on a bus for years but hey ho I’m giving it a try!

    4. DG – Oh dear – I’ve just written this once but it’s disappeared so I’ll just to do it again.
      Speaking as one who was born without a sense of direction at all it’s very easy to get to Little Venice – every time I’ve been to one of the Birthday Bashes I’ve done it, and without even getting lost – well, not getting very lost!
      Good luck and have fun!

  27. I found this just a bit trickier than the usual Tuesday offering. I literally whizzed through the first two thirds but then slowed right up and finally hung on with 3 left to do. Took a couple of hours doing other things and then everything fell into place quite nicely. Had my annual medical yesterday and find I’m half an inch shorter (at 5’3” that matters), half a stone lighter (amazed) and my BP was 124/70 (think I cheated as I took an extra BP pill). Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman and a Happy New Year (we aren’t doing anything either thankfully) and see everyone on this fantastic blog in 2025!

    1. A fun run today with no real hold-ups although I have to say that I held off bunging in 10a and 7d as I was unable to parse the solutions. My Fav as with others was the unfortunate 16d fraternal relationship. 17d brought to mind monkey as per the late John McCririck’s use which led me astray. Thank you AP and Hintsman for rounding off the cruciverbal year so nicely for us.

      1. This should have been a stand-alone Comment rather than a reply to Manders to whom I merely wanted to say that I envy you your low bp. I wont mention what mine remains at! What is your pill I wonder?
        !

        1. Enalapril. My comment vanished so this may be a duplicate. I think taking another yesterday morning did the trick!

  28. Splendid fayre from Il Professore, as always. Such a solid compiler who has made the Tuesday slot his own.

    Week in, week out, I give a 2* for difficulty (perfick for the second cab off the weekly rank) and a 4* for enjoyment with the occasional 5 thrown in.

    My podium is 18a, 25a and 16d.

    Many thanks to the aforementioned and Hoots Mon!

    2*/4*

    P.S I liked what RogB did yesterday as he was trying to have a bit of fun. However, me thinks he boo-booed with a couple of his choices thereby possibly alienating himself from a couple of solvers. My advice, Todger, would be to give your thoughts on a crossy once or twice a week as you’re what I used to be: a lurker who would, once in a while, drop in for a pop at someone.

    You can obviously ignore the above as who am I to tell you what to do.

    Either way, have a fabulous New Year, one and all.

        1. I wouldn’t say I was a lurker although I post irregularly frequently. Mainly because I usually finish the crossie late so things have already been said. Unless i can add to the narrative my preference is to keep my typing finger on ice.
          Diversity is the spice of life so views from Steve to Daisy to Brian will differ which, within reason, is surely a good thing.
          If you knew me it wasn’t a pop, just an observation with 👅 firmly in cheek so apologies if any offence taken to any of the bingos! I am sure a man of your back catalogue understands 😉
          At our age laughing at yourselves makes the world a better place to be!
          Thanks to the setter and Huntsman and a HNY to all ☺️

          NB I think we should ask the audience if they would be happy being called a Todger!! 🤭🤣

          1. Well I loved your BD bingo – I was tempted to try & get house in a one paragraph intro but ran out of time

            1. Thankyou. That would have been fantastic. And signed off with ‘house’.
              I did think a banning order request was a bit steep.
              With all the golfers on here maybe we should have a BD golf day 🤣

          3. A splendid response, Dodger *

            I loved what you did. I’m sure it ruffled only ** a couple of people’s feathers.

            * I meant to type that in my last post not Todger! Totes hilaire.
            ** One has to be very careful with the placement of the word ‘only’ in a sentence.

            I was told this by a teacher a few years ago…

            Only the bishop eats cakes
            The only bishop eats cakes
            The bishop only eats cakes
            The bishop eats only cakes

  29. Perfectly straightforward until it wasn’t and when it wasn’t, it wasn’t. The last 6 or so taking as long as the rest put together so quite a bit harder than a normal Tuesday for us. Favourite was 14a. Thanks to AP and Huntsman. Happy new year to all.

  30. A huge thank you from me (lurker) to all setters, reviewers and participants on the blog. You all provide enormous, daily help and entertainment which is much appreciated. Happy 2025 to all.

  31. A typical Tuesday puzzle, great fun as always.
    I was unsure on the spelling of the flower so had to check that one. Normally find the reverse anagram clues difficult but with checkers no hold ups today.
    1.5*/4*
    Will go with the 2 princes as favourite.
    Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

  32. A good puzzle as always on a Tuesday (simply can’t imagine where Brian is coming from) but unusually for me I lost patience with 2 to go – 14a which is I agree a splendid word and 26ac!

    As I have been 26a’ed here in Italy I am annoyed by my failure to get it😎

    Thank you to the setter and Huntsman for the blog.

    1. Brian’s comments are the ones I look forward to most. Wouldn’t be the same without him. Happy New Year to you Brian, and to everyone else of course!

  33. I usually get the lurkers but not 24d thank you setter and Huntsman for a great blog. Happy new year to all

  34. I was breezing along nicely with this one, puffed up full of pride at how well I was doing. I was completely flummoxed by 24d and had to look at the review. I can’t believe I missed a reverse lurker. Oh well. Pride comes before a fall. Thank you setter and Huntsman. Happy New Year everyone.

  35. The Quickie pun is possibly the worst I have ever seen and that is probably a pop too far but well deserved.

    And thank you to RogB for his Bingo card. I had a similar idea and called it cliché something some long time ago.

    New Year’s resolution is not to stop the pops.

    1. I’m with you there Corky. I was far from sure I had it correct & surprised nobody else has mentioned it. Thought the rest of the puzzle a bit underwhelming too.

  36. I thought this a lovely puzzle to finish the year. Thanks to setter and huntsman – and to all the bloggers for helping me develop a satisfying new hobby. 2024 was otherwise a rotten year so the distraction was greatly appreciated.

  37. A very nice end to the Year 😃 **/**** Favourites 18a, 1d and 8d 👍Thanks to AP and to the Huntsman 🥂 The the only thing that ruffled my feathers was trying to make the phrase in the Quickie make sense “Tools” ?? 🤔

  38. I’ve been a daily but silent reader of the blog for several years now, . I live in Wanaka in south of the south island of NZ. I’ve made a New Year’s resolution to be less passive this year. Wanting to somehow put “entrain” for board in 25a held me up and raised the difficulty level from * to **. Otherwise a typical Tuesday puzzle.

    1. Well look out for you, New Zealand Guru. It’s blowing a gale here in Cambridge and very cold – bet you have sunshine!

  39. I usually find Mr. Plumb a breeze but not today and was shocked by the single star difficulty rating. It would have helped matters if the dyslexia hadn’t made me blind to spelling 4d. With a wrong central letter. Top favourite was 3 d. for cunning. There seems to be many references to getting older tonight. It must be the turning of the year. The fact is we are all able to do a cryptic crossword which is to be celebrated.

  40. Thanks to AP and Hintsman for this New Years Eve puzzle, and indeed to all those who give their time behind the scenes to keep this wonderful blog going. Reading this all the way through is as much pleasure to me as doing, or attempting to do, the puzzle. For several reasons my COTD has to be 16d. Good New Year wishes to you all. I notice that I am just in time to type that.

  41. Overcast and pleasantly cool at the moment, Daisygirl, but expected to clear this afternoon! I take it that Cambridge is Cambridge NZ not UK.

  42. Sorry Mr Plumb, neglected to post a comment – and I should have as I truly enjoyed this puzzle from start to finish, one of the best Tuesdays ever. And thanks to a huntsman also.

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