Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30852
Hints and tips by Falcon
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Ottawa where, as Senf said yesterday, we are experiencing a significant snow event. Following 30 cm or more on Thursday, we received a bit more on Saturday. The snow resumed on Sunday, with another 30 cm or more promised before mid-afternoon on Monday. Senf is also correct that I can’t blame this storm on Manitoba. Like most of our storms, it originated in the western United States. Contrary to what our neighbours to the south believe, most of the nastiness flows north across the border.
I’m not sure if we are seeing Robyn return to the Monday slot after a brief absence or not. Some clues feel like they could be his and others not so much – so I won’t go out on a limb with a guess.
In an unexpected development, we find a second pun in the Quickie today – something we have not seen since the Campbell era. It may be unintentional, but nevertheless it is a feature that Smylers and I will now need to be on the lookout for.
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 Café applied discount, avoiding humiliation (4-6)
FACE-SAVING — an anagram (applied) of CAFE and a synonym for discount
6a Decide against housing plan (4)
IDEA — a lurker hiding in (housing) the first two words of the clue
9a Maybe relish impudence (5)
SAUCE — double definition
10a Delicate matter with sexy King Edward? (3,6)
HOT POTATO — another word for sexy and what a King Edward might be in your garden (or in your pantry)
12a Change lover? (4,9)
COIN COLLECTOR — cryptic definition of a numismatist
14a Yes, a film about short-lived creatures (8)
MAYFLIES — an anagram (about) of the first three words of the clue
15a Yours truly cold before walk over this? (6)
ICECAP — link together a pronoun equivalent to ‘yours truly’, the water tap symbol for cold, and a reversal (over) of walk or step; the vague definition relies on a reference back to the surface reading of the clue
17a Cover giant squirrel oddly going missing (6)
INSURE — the even letters (oddly going missing) of the two words following the definition
19a Periodical trouble working over in bush (8)
MAGNOLIA — a shortened synonym of periodical precedes the reversal (over) of all of synonyms of trouble and working
21a Feature about American soldiers facing fighting that can’t be stopped (5,8)
CHAIN REACTION — line up a facial feature containing (about) the single letter for American, an abbreviated army corps (British, not American), and a synonym for fighting
24a Rather mow ground – is it good for the garden? (9)
EARTHWORM — an anagram (ground) of the first two words in the clue
25a Evacuation procedure cut off unknown adversary (5)
ENEMY — a medical evacuation procedure without its final letter (cut off) followed by an algebraic unknown
26a Gallery covered in The Tatler retrospective (4)
TATE — a lurker hidden (covered in) and reversed (retrospective) in the words sandwiched by the indicators
27a Key worker with a good ear? (5,5)
PIANO TUNER — cryptic definition of a person who keeps your baby grand in fine fettle
Down
1d Duke is featured in paper (4)
FIST — IS from the clue inserted into an abbreviated pink newspaper; the definition is slang (North American, I believe) for a clenched hand
2d Shout about meal missing starter, like celery? (7)
CRUNCHY — shout containing (about) a light midday meal without its initial letter (missing starter)
3d Important British farm – it provides security (7,6)
SPECIAL BRANCH — concatenate a synonym for important, the single letter for British and another word for farm (but don’t try to tell that to the owner of a spread in western North America)
4d Transport Clive’s arranged to carry … what? (8)
VEHICLES — an anagram (arranged) of CLIVES containing (to carry) an interjection equivalent to ‘what’
5d Old province of birth (5)
NATAL — double definition, the first being a former province of South Africa
7d Doctor caught drinking wine is serious (7)
DRASTIC — the abbreviation for Doctor and the cricket notation for caught bookend (drinking) an Italian wine
8d Carol happy to work? Questionable (10)
APOCRYPHAL — an anagram (to work) of the first two words in the clue
11d Swaggering, I’ve confronted criminal (4-9)
OVER-CONFIDENT — an anagram (criminal) of the two words preceding the indicator
13d “Seeing everything isn’t nice,” Mo recollected (10)
OMNISCIENT — an anagram (recollected) of the three words between the definition and indicator
16d Imagine mother with new lover (5,3)
FANCY MAN — a synonym of imagine, an informal name for one’s mother, and the map abbreviation for new
18d Spooner’s liberated group that might cause trouble for sailors (3,4)
SEA FRET — apply the Spooner treatment to a (4,3) phrase that could denote ‘liberated group’
20d Large insect occasionally nearing light (7)
LANTERN — the clothing symbol for large, a social insect, and an alternating sequence of letters (occasionally) from NEARING
22d Bug priest being probed by company (1,4)
E COLI — an Old Testament priest containing (being probed by) the abbreviation for company
23d Terrible-sounding textile worker? (4)
DYER — sounds like (sounding) another word for terrible
There are lots of worthy contenders for the crown today but my nomination for the honours goes to the evacuation procedure at 25a.
Quickie Puns (click here for explanation):
Top row: MOCKED + HURTLE = MOCK TURTLE
Bottom row: CYGNET + WRINGS = SIGNET RINGS
A little on the tough side for a Monday, I thought, in places but still enjoyable despite that. I thought the lurker at 6a was very well hidden and it took me a while to remember the duke in 1d. Putting “omnipotent” at 13d held the SW up for a while. Likewise, I entered “tutor” as the second word in 27a because it fitted in with 11d and 22d. I then had a job trying to solve 20d. I smiled at the doctor drinking wine at 7d but my COTD is change lover at 12a.
Thank you, setter (Robyn?) for the fun challenge. Thank you, Falcon for the hints.
I do love 16d. A phrase used, widely, in the 1960s, particularly in TV dramas depicting life oop north.
“Oh! Here comes Rita Fairclough with her new ***** ***!” as she staggered over the cobbles towards the Rovers Return.
Great guzzle. As Steve says, a little stretching for a Monday, but sometimes we need to step outside of our comfort zone.
Yesterday, we drove to Leicester; picked up a new(er) car for H; turned around and came straight back again. Roadworks on the M1 turned it into a six hour drive. Those roadworks have been there since the Romans first marched northwards.
Thanks to the setter and The Bird Of Prey In Ontario.
An excellent start to the week with Robyn in fine form.
Lots of names on show today with a very gettable spoonerism for an expression I’ve never heard of.
My pody is 7d (hic!), 16d (ding dong) and the outstanding 12a.
Many thanks to the aforementioned and The Crest.
2*/4*
Never lived on the coast then?
Nah. I was a townie all my life though the Manitoban mountie may have something to say about that.
I’m dogsitting at my brother-in-law’s house for a fortnight this week in his fabby house in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wiggot which I’m thorough looking forward to as I absolutely adore the coast.
It has some beautiful beaches that are 10 minutes away for daily dog walking (well, running)
Empty beaches in February.
Deep, deep joy.
If any of you live on the island (not ‘in’) and are brave enough to listen to my nonsense, then I’d love to have a coffee…..or something stronger.
Slow start; rapid finish. Loads to enjoy along the way, even a pleasant Spoonerism. As tom etc says at #3, the outstanding 12a is my favourite this morning.
Many thanks to our Monday setter and Falcon.
1.5*/3.5*. Apart from a couple of what I consider as Americanisms but others won’t, this was good fun. Just right for a Monday.
12a was my favourite with a special mention for 16d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon.
Didn’t strike me as a Robyn production but then I’ve been so bad at pegging setters of late it probably is one of his. I appreciated this puzzle’s merits much more reading back through it after a laboured completion than during the solve. Struck me as much trickier than your average Monday offering. Pick of the clues for me were 12,21&27a.
Thanks to the setter & to Falcon.
There is a bottom line pun today in the Quick Crossword.
Well spotted! 👍
Perfect start to the week. John brought my morning tea and I finished the crossword with a coffee before a shower. Hair rinsed in the water from the dehumidifier. Agree that it was a little more challenging than the normal for a Monday but it was such fun. Loved 12 and 27 across. 2 down was unexpected so that is always a bonus. The short words can be difficult and so it was with a very good 23 down. Off to Zumba now and waving a thank you to our setter and Falcon.
No idea about the setter, but thanks for the puzzle. I thought there were several great clues that made me smile. Among them were 10a, 12a and 27a. Needed the hints (thanks) for 18d, never heard of the solution, and I still don’t get the Spoonerism, so a really bad clue for me.
Agreed
Hi LF and RS
The spoonerism is:
1. A word for ‘liberated’ that can mean something that didn’t cost anything or a Cockney answering the question ‘What’s one plus two?’
2. And a word for ‘group’ that is a bunch of games in tennis and a homophone for a badger’s home.
Like you, I have never heard of the expression.
Another bit of crossword-land only vocab! But it comes up quite often so it’s one to remember! (Never seen one in all my years by the seaside)
18d
Thank you, LNL.
I’ve just had a peek and it’s known as haar north of Hadrian’s Wall and sea roke just south of it.
Every day’s a school day and all that caper.
(apologies for some duplication, Moonraker)
Whilst watching the cricket at Hove
I muttered and swore that “By Jove!
Mist’s covered the wicket
And I paid for my ticket”
Stop fretting, you miserable cove.
Most excellent, Pips.
The Yorkshire Cricket festival at Scarbados is often curtailed by the Spoonerism
Been there for the last umpteen years.
Don’t like being pedantic but Hadrian’s Wall isn’t the England / Scotland border, there’s a lot of Northumberland and Cumbria north of it.
Usually found on North Sea coastlines, particularly Scotland (where it’s also known as Haar), Northumberland and Yorkshire. It happens when warm air meets the cold North Sea.
They occurred quite a lot in Cleethorpes, Lincs when I was a child growing up in Grimsby so I knew the term.
Lots of 18d around the coasts down here in the SW, depending on the time of year. Far from just crossword-land, I promise!
We get plenty of them here on Anglesey as well. That’s certainly what they’re known as in these parts.
It’s bad news on a links golf course. You’ve paid an arm & a couple of legs, set off in what looks like ok conditions & then it all goes pear shaped.
An enjoyable start to the non-work week, oh wait it’s a holiday as well – 1.5*/3.5*
Candidates for favourite – 12a, 19a, 27a, and 16d – and the winner is 27a.
Thanks to whomsoever and Falcon.
Bit of a mixed bag for me. Some straightforward clues mixed in with a few on the chewy side making for a tricky Monday offering. Last week I made an ass of myself in trying to pick the compiler so I’ll pass this week, but it just doesn’t feel like a Robyn production to me. Cotd for me is a toss-up between 12a and 27a. It’s the latter that takes the laurels. Thanks to compiler and Falcon.
A slow start( seems ro be the story of my crossword life over the last week) but it fell into place quickly once a few checkers went in . I liked rhe cryptic definition clues a12a and 27a and the anagram at 8d plus the geographical newborn at 4d. A most enjoyable guzzle. Thanks to the conpiler and to snowed-in Falconvfor the hints.
A fun Monday puzzle – thanks to our setter (it doesn’t feel like a Robyn puzzle to me, perhaps he’s come to the end of his Monday stint?) and to Falcon.
My ticks went to 12a, 27a and 16d.
Lovely start to the crossword week with a mix of chestnuts and more chewy bits to keep us on our toes. Ticked clues here were 12,21&27a plus 16d.
Thanks to our setter and to the snowman for the review.
Enjoyable and reasonably straightforward – like others I don’t think it was a Robyn production – but fairly clued and special acknowledgements go to 12 and 27a
*/****
Thanks to setter and Falcon – stay warm!
Enjoyable and not to hard. Except 18d, which was hard even for a spoonerism.
Very slow to get going but then it all came together and I really enjoyed it. 12 a was my favourite but there were many excellent clues and I even got the spooner for a change.
Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.
Absolutely beautiful day today here, the solar panels are happily generating. We have done some garden tidying and will now head to the tip!
A steady solve today and perhaps a little trickier to obtain a foothold than on most Mondays, as others have said. 1d and 18d were new terms for me, although gettable from the clues (18d was my last one in). Lots of enjoyable fare, particularly the cryptic teasers. Thanks very much to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.
Even though I’ve lived on the coast for many years and seen plenty of them I’d never heard the term for 18d so I’ve learned something new today. An enjoyable puzzle, maybe a little tougher than usual, but great fun. 27a tickled my funny bone. Thanks to Falcon and setter.
We live on the coast too and unfortunately suffer from them regularly, usually when the rest of the country is basking in sunshine!
A good Monday with just enough roughage to get one’s teeth into(I think that might be a mixed metaphor) anyway it was just nicely challenging to start the week. The sun is shining now but it is still very cold. It stupidly took me ages to get the bush and to work out what might be good for the garden because I thought it was some kind of water, which was in the fodder. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Falcon. I liked 24,27a and 2,20d. I shall have a look at the Quickie now but i find them more difficult than the cryptic! Swear! I can think of any number of 5 letter swear words.
A superb puzzle to start off the non-work week and Family Day in Canada … a stat holiday for most.
Lots to like in this one and I have many favourites it is hard to choose.
1*/5* for me as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Favourites include 10a, 12a, 21a, 27a, 3d & 7d — with winner 12a
Smiles for 10a, 12a, 27a, 1d, 3d & 7d
As I said there was so much like in this puzzle.
Thanks to setter & Falcon
Enjoyable and straightforward, though I too didn’t peg it as a Robyn production. I’m going to place my tuppence on Twmbarlwm because of the humour and lovely Spoonerism.
If it’s one of his I’m surprised to see two lovers, though, let alone so many anagrams (among which, three in a row), but the superb 12a makes up for it, let alone the great combined surface read and answer of the lurker in 26a, with 27a making the trio on the podium. Runner-up 6a, another great surface.
Many thanks indeed to Falcon and the setter, be it Twm, Robyn or whomever!
I loved this crossword — thank you so much to the setter. My favourite was the giant squirrel — partly because I work in the 17a industry and next time somebody is seeking ideas for a logo or branding, I can now suggest a giant squirrel!
It turns out I can’t spell 13d, which messed up my first letter of 21a for ages until I checked. I didn’t know the old province in 5d nor the 1d duke — thank you to Falcon for explaining those. For that etymology of ‘dukes’, Oxford has it as rhyming slang for ‘Duke of York’s’ = ‘forks’ = ‘fingers’, which suggests it may not be American (though it rather raises the question as to who is calling their fingers ‘forks’). Oxford also only has ‘dukes’ in the plural, though Chambers mere has “often dukes”, which is enough to permit the single duke here.
Hi S
If it helps, the root is:
1. The Latin omnus meaning ‘all’, e.g omnibus, omnivore, omnipotent
2. Scire to know/see/get/understand which is where we the word ‘science’ comes from that is in the word barring the ce.
Thanks. I can (usually) spell ‘science’, so that might work. Or at least make me marginally less useful with the 12-year-old’s Latin homework …
Erm “less useless”, I mean. Bah!
No wonder your son ignores you!
If you were outside eg the Blind Beggar in Whitechapel decades and more ago, you’d have possibly heard Stick yer dooks up! I remember it at school in Dickens, or maybe Shakespeare. Dickens I think, maybe Oliver Twist.
You’re right, Susjulessex. That does ring a bell. I never associated it with dukes.
Der!
Don’t recall Ronnie Kray saying that to George Cornell as he was sitting at the bar….
It surprised me a little to read that some had never head the expression ‘sea fret’ before today – it is one that our family have used since “I can’t remember when”. When stitting on a beach and watching a sea mist come off the waters and onto the sands we always referred the occurrence as such. That apart, I thought today’s puzzle a nice gentle start to the crosswording week, with 1a & 1d first in. 1d was possibly my favourite clue, but there was plenty more to enjoy. Thanks to setter & Falcon. I don’t envy your snowfalls, Falcon, no matter how pretty the landscape may appear. Now hoping for milder weather over here later this week.
I thought this was spot on for a Monday with a few more challenging clues in the south. Have not heard of the 18d phrase either
2*/4*
12a favourite today
Thanks to Falcon and ?Robyn
Super start to a Monday, and a relief after yesterday when I gave up having only solved 2 clues. I’m also surprised that so many have never heard of 18d – I’m usually terrible at Spoonerisms but liked this one a lot. Have never come across this particular meaning of duke before – aren’t Americanisms usually indicated in the clue? Another one for my crib sheet. Thanks to the setter for a fun Monday and to Falcon for the explanations.
A fine puzzle today made all the more special because I didn’t think I would get to do it. However, I met up with the lovely Manders this morning who brought along a copy for me. I think that consolidates my view that the people who contribute to this blog are some of the friendliest going.
I had a lovely natter with Manders so if some of your ears were burning you know why!
Top picks from the crossword for me were 24a, 16d and 25a.
Thanks to Falcon and the setter.
Great to meet you too Madflower. We should have taken a selfie but that would spoil the mystique that surrounds us! Certainly ears were burning.😂
Oooh do tell!
Our lips are sealed 🤐
Oh, you tease! (As Mr. Humphries would say in Are You Being Served).
Opposite to Young Salopian as found this a rapid start and slow finish, with just enough chewiness to keep you honest. Am sure would have finished earlier but was held up folding the paper 🤣😉
Thanks to all!
Steady solve with the tricky spoonerism slowing me down .. not sure whether 12a is cryptic? Thank you compiler and Falcon
spot on puzzle agree with a **/**** ,liked the SE corner generally, especially 22d and my favourite 27a-8d was a lovely word, not often used.
Thanks to our setter and Falcon.
Nice ending for the Quick pun.
Straightforward. Didn’t know 1d but it was easy to work out the solution. Many thanks to all.
A slow start for me and then it gradually came to fruition. I had to resort to the dictionary to spell 8d and 13d correctly. Last one in was.19a. Enjoyed the anagrams and some good clues though never a lover of Spoonerisms! Many thanks to the setter and Falcon. I just don’t know how you cope with your current weather, Falcon. It’s chilly here in the north-west with an easterly wind and it’s above freezing but feels like the Antarctic!
A little tricky in parts for a Monday ***/*** Favourites 5,7,& 23d Thanks to Falcon and to the Compiler 👍
Is it my level of incomptence, or are the guzzles getting more difficult ? Saturdays used to be fairly gentle prize ones to entice and Monday was an easy stroll into the week. Despite my becoming more able at solving, mainly thanks to the hints from Big Dave, I am struggling to complete a grid these days.
Welcome to the blog, SooobieDoobie.
Welcome to our merry band, Soobs. Please stick with us and you will learn many tricks with regard to the solving of the backpager. I joined the blog a few years back. At that time I solved the occasional puzzle but not often. Since I joined this friendly blog, I now solve most guzzles…….Ish
I always understood dukes to be a literal pronunciation of the French for two (deux), put your two (fists) up. This is similar to the Leicestershire term ‘mi duck’ from the French Duc, so my Duke. A really enjoyable puzzle with nothing obscure to me. Hard to pick a favourite but I’ll go with 27a. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.
It was all going swimmingly until 18d and 19a. Spent longer not solving these than I spent on the rest of the solve.
19a was down to me having little interest in the names of plants.
18d is a strange term. Why have a different name for fog? One to quickly forget as it will be another decade or so before it appears in a crossword and I will have forgotten it anyway. I don’t have the brain cells to spare for such obscurities.
Anyway, really enjoyed this solve. Really liked 12a.
Thanks to all.
A bit harder than usual for a Monday so I did it in bits but it was enjoyable. I didn’t know the American slang for duke at 1d , and my last one in was 19a which I spent a while getting. I did like the 2 lover clues 12a and 16d. Thanks to setter and Falcon.
Good start to the week, lots of top clues, favourite 12a
2* / 4*
Thanks to setter and Falcon
Good evening
What with work and one thing and another, I didn’t get started on the crozzie until quarter to seven, so my pen has only just gone down.
A well-pitched grid for a Monday; by no means a cinch, though. One or two hold-ups in the SE quadrant; 19a was my last to fall, and seems really obvious in hindsight; 8d took a while to twig, and is joint COTD with 15a.
Many thanks to our setter (Robyn?) and to Falcon.
Thoroughly enjoyable Monday feast, and without doubt the highlight of the day given that it is the first one of half-term and the terrorists are already bored! A trip to Frinton on Sea tomorrow to exercise them, and see some 18 down.
More challenging than is usual for a Monday but enjoyable nonetheless. Favourite clue was 3d and my loi. Thanks to setter and Falcon.
2*/4* ….
liked 16D “magine mother with new lover (5,3)”