Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30865
Hints and tips by Huntsman
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ***
After a decidedly chilly start it’s looking like another lovely spring day here in Harpenden – if this keeps up there’ll be half a chance of my sodden golf course finally drying out & the trolley ban being lifted.
Another typically gentle Tuesday puzzle which I assume is from our regular setter (Senf will advise re the grid). It took me a tad longer to complete than yesterday but was all over pretty quickly so I don’t expect it will cause problems for too many. Enjoyable, concisely clued & I particularly liked the way the surface reads at 14&16a and later at 27&28d seemed related. As ever there’s an assortment of tunes to accompany the hopefully correct hints.
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 Wave plate after food (8)
BRANDISH: a component of cereal grain which is good for fibre intake + an item of crockery.
5a Sailor dispatched miles away? (6)
ABSENT: the usual abbreviated merchant navy rating + a synonym for dispatched. Not sure if miles is really necessary or adds to the clue.
9a Chicken also following a parrot (8)
COCKATOO: the adult male of the domestic chicken + A from the clue followed by another word for also.
10a Understand article’s rage (6)
SEETHE: link a synonym for understand/grasp with a definite article.
12a Courier’s seen germs spreading (9)
MESSENGER: an anagram (spreading) – SEEN GERMS.
13a Family’s receiving first of greetings cards (5)
KINGS: insert (receiving) the initial letter (first of) Greetings into a synonym of family’s.
14a To an extent, Musk is spoiling X (4)
KISS: hidden (to an extent).
16a Incompetent American friend united with Republican (7)
AMATEUR: American + a synonym for friend/pal + United + Republican.
19a Picks stylish sandwiches over ones with half missing (7)
CHOICES: insert (sandwiches) Over into a synonym for stylish/elegant then append 50% (half missing) of onES.
21a Bats stagger backwards (4)
NUTS: reverse (backwards) another word for stagger/shock.
24a Do hit the first ball at Wimbledon? (5)
SERVE: a double definition with the former in the context of suffice/satisfy.
25a Found his table’s wonky (9)
ESTABLISH: an anagram (wonky) – HIS TABLE’S.
27a Most senior doctor told he’s leaving hospital (6)
OLDEST: another anagram (doctor) – TOLD hE’S (Hospital leaving).
28a What could be ward’s disadvantage (8)
DRAWBACK: what you need to do to the 4th word (excluding the ‘s) in the clue.
29a Horses use the leads so regularly (6)
STEEDS: the even letters (regularly) of the words between definition & indicator.
30a US general’s gathering large crowds (8)
CLUSTERS: insert (gathering) Large into the surname of a US Army officer & cavalry commander in the American civil war & Indian wars.
Down
1d Uplifting, brilliant book? This writer’s flattered (6)
BECAME: reverse a synonym /informal adjective for brilliant/fab & Book & once done append the pronoun this writer might use to refer to himself.
2d Speak to adult about fee (6)
ACCOST: Adult + the usual single letter for about/approximately + a synonym for fee/price.
3d Explorer departs with playboy (5)
DRAKE: Departs + a word for a playboy as illustrated by the progress made in a series of eight paintings by William Hogarth.
4d Cakes smell nice, finally, in ship (7)
SPONGES: insert a synonym for smell/reek + the last letter (finally) of nicE into the usual ship prefix.
6d Fat baker’s cooked meal (9)
BREAKFAST: an anagram (cooked) – FAT BAKER’S.
7d Former lover was prone, stretched out (8)
EXTENDED: the usual for a former lover + a synonym for was prone (to).
8d Think highly of nurse? Almost certainly (8)
TREASURE: a truncation (almost) of a verbal synonym of nurse/tend to + another word for certainly/by all means.
11d A rook on each field (4)
AREA: A from the clue + Rook (chess abbreviation) + the two letter abbreviation of EAch.
15d Grew wrinkled below hip (9)
INCREASED: a synonym for hip/fashionable + (below/down clue) another word for wrinkled/not ironed.
17d Hold tool for cutting (8)
SCISSORS: a double definition with the former a hold in wrestling.
18d Time inside Post Office right next to bank (8)
PORRIDGE: Post Office + Right + (next to) a synonym of bank/hillock.
20d Expression of shock after son’s attempt (4)
SEEK: an informal onomatopoeic exclamation of surprise follows (after) Son.
21d Adult ran off – no day’s ordinary! (7)
NATURAL: an anagram (off) – AdULT RAN (no Day).
22d Quietly annoyed robber, in the main (6)
PIRATE: the musical letter for quietly/piano (soft) + another word for annoyed/angry.
23d Fish start to swim under small rocks (6)
SHAKES: a very tasty fish with a white flaky texture preceded by (under/down clue) the first letter (start to) of Swim then append Small in conclusion.
26d Game birds with black on top (5)
BOWLS: solitary nocturnal birds of prey preceded by (on top/down clue) Black. As reputedly played by 3d on Plymouth Hoe when he first heard news of the Armada.
Podium spots today for 28a plus 1&17d. Please tell us which clues ticked your boxes.
Today’s Quick crossword pun: OVA + RAN + DOUBT = OVER AND OUT
Having enjoyed Timothee Chalamet’s performance in A Complete Unknown I’ve been playing a lot of Dylan lately & this morning’s listening has been a covers playlist I’ve put together. Rather taken with this rendition of one of his lesser known songs
Very breezy, with the usual smooth and pertinent surfaces. Most enjoyable. Many thanks to our Tuesday setter and Huntsman. Cracking tunes, as ever.
Solid fare from The Prof with four mini-crosswords in one that can often be a challenge. But, not this time.
I love clues like 28a and 6d made me chuckle (great word)
My podium is 14a (nicely done), 27a (smooooth) and the aforementioned 28a.
Many thanks to AP and Hoots!
1*/4*
A fairly straightforward guzzle apart from a few less obvious clues in the NW. liked the anagrams at 6d and 21d but my COTD, once the penny dropped was the food related Lego clue at 1a. Thanks to Huntsman for the hints and to the compiler
An enjoyable puzzle with 20d holding out for ages.
Top picks for me were 28a, 18d and 7d
Thanks to Huntsman and the setter.
At the easier end of the spectrum, still quite good fun to solve. 28a and 14a are my candidates for COTD. 1d I got from the definition, and then reverse engineered eventually. Thanks to the setter and for the hints.
enjoyable and just the right blend of all the misdirection weapons in thr setter’s armoury/ Please can some one explain 20d to me I simply do not ‘get it’. Thanks to all.
enjoyable and just the right blend of all the misdirection weapons in thr setter’s armoury/ Please can some one explain 20d to me I simply do not ‘get it’.Is the answer a synonym of ‘attempt’
– not in my book! Thanks to setter and Huntsman
Hi SM
How’s this?
In life, we all ****/attempt to do good.
But that’s not an expression of shock. I agree with Steve.
Eek is
Once a day for me. Like W C Fields when I wake I always smile and get it out of the way for the next 24 hours..
I think seek to would mean attempt. Seek just means look for me.
Enjoyed the rest of it though.
Thanks to setter and Huntsman
The definition is attempt
An expression of surprise follows the abbreviation for Son
You beat me to it Sue – just amended. Concentration wandered as per
Oops, you are right CS!
Sorry Steve – correct definition now underlined.
Great fun – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
There seems to be a mini-theme about 3d. As well as his game (26d) he was also known as a 22d always keen to 20d 8d.
My ticks went to 14a, 1d and 18d with my favourite being 28a.
Thanks to Mr Plumb for another Typically Tuesdayish puzzle confirmed by the Quickie Grid – **/****
Candidates for favourite – 28a, 4d, and 23d – and the winner is 28a.
Thanks again to AP and to Huntsman.
Well that was great fun while it lasted, with just a couple of sticking points, 20d and 28a, to hold me up. Our regular Tuesday setter is as reliable as ever, with some smooth surfaces and neat misdirection. It was one of the sticky ones, 28a, that became my favourite.
Many thanks to AP and The Hintsman.
1.5*/4*. Exactly what we have come to expect on a Tuesday – light and fun.
My podium comprises: 14a, 28a & 18d.
Many thanks to AP and to Hintsman.
Enjoyable Tuesday fare from the professor, although I was very relieved to discover that I could get the Quickie pun without needing to know about Japanese film makers! Top clues for me were 28a plus 15&18d.
Thanks to Mr Plumb and to Huntsman for the review.
The film is a masterpiece
Had a feeling that you’d say something along those lines!
Very enjoyable and reasonably speedy but then I can’t understand how I took soooo long to get 26d when I am the Secretary/Treasurer of club that plays that game and with 3d earlier – doh!!!!!! Funny to see 27a and 21d as two examples close together of the same clue type, i./e. anagram but first removing a letter. Favourite was 28a, liked that a lot. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman for the hints.
I don’t know why but this seemed different to me but reading above no one else seemed to feel it so perhaps I am off beam. I’m certainly not a happy bunny sorting out the minutes of last weeks Almhouse meeting. Anyway, I liked 1a and 15d. Thanks to Messrs Setter & Hintsman. I wonder if Manders saw my note about Tickell yesterday?
Yes I did DG (am busy doing the WI Minutes!) We did go a few times when he was in charge. Don’t remember the loin cloth! but he was extremely fussy about other people’s clothing. No shorts and no flipflops and the like. It was all rather fun as he was rather eccentric to say the least. I bet its not like that now.
A typical Tuesday sort of puzzle this week, it being a notch trickier than Monday’s. No difficulties overall but a few head scratchers.
1.5*/3.5*
Favourites 13a, 30a, 4d, 15d & 18d – with winner 18d
Smiles from 13a, 15d & 22d
Thanks to AP & Huntsman
Enjoyable and fairly straightforward but I did labour a few that I really shouldn’t have which prolonged my solve time. I’m away on holiday so there are a few distractions – my excuse! Thanks to setter and Huntsman
I spent too long on a few clues convinced that the obvious answer was a red herring, when in fact it wasn’t. Otherwise it was an enjoyable solve. 30a made me smile so is my cotd. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
Great fun with just the north west being a bit trickier to crack, particularly 1d which stumped me for a while. My favourite was 28a.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.
An enjoyable Tuesday puzzle(easier than yesterday) which I completed from South to North. Lots of top clues, favourites being 1a, 26d, and 9a.
2* / 4*
Thanks to Huntsman and setter
Everything was galloping along nicely until the SW corner, which took me twice as long as the rest of the puzzle put together – had to resort to a hint for 19a in the end. Thanks Huntsman for your help, and thanks to the setter.
Solved corner by corner obviously as each separated two letters. NE then SE then NW and then, you’ve guessed it, SW. A few head scratchers but nothing too bad. Took an age to get 26d 🤦♂️. Hard to pick a favourite so I’ll pick a corner and it’s SE. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
Re the Quickie pun, “Over and out” is widely used but is incorrect. At the end of a transmission one says “Over” if a reply is required or “Out” if not. To use both is self- contradictory.
Late on parade because of Scottish Power. I waited in all day for an engineer to come and fit a smart meter. Good luck with that – poor internet connection and zero mobile signal. Nobody arrived. I rang Scottish Power and, after going through numerous robots, I finally was offered the option of speaking to a person. Thirty minutes and excruciating music and messages telling me to get an app later a person came on the phone. I told her that an engineer had not graced me with his or her presence whereupon she asked me if I had had an email. I said no. She told me she would put me on hold for a minute while she investigated. She never returned. I then saw I had an email from SP, which informed me that the appointment had been rescheduled. It was for a very inconvenient time but I saw there was an option to change it. I pressed “change appointment” only for a screen to appear telling me “we are not currently supplying smart meters to your area”. So who is coming next week?
The guzzle was superb but my brain is now addled.
Thank you Professor in the library with the candlestick. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.
I am now lying in a darkened room with a glass of Famous Grouse and soothing Gregorian Chant.
See you all tomorrow!
Very sorry to hear Steve – I feel your pain & hope it’s more than a wee drop as it sounds like you need it
2*/2* …
liked 21A “Bats stagger backwards (4)”