Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30876
Hints and tips by Falcon
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Ottawa where the weather is unseasonably warm and our hockey team is contending for a playoff spot – which would be their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven years. How could things be any better? Oh yeah, I guess I can think of something.
I have no idea who may have set this puzzle. For reasons Rabbit Dave explained on the blog a couple of weeks ago, it is almost certainly not Robyn. I was only able to find one pun in the Quick Crossword, so (unless someone proves me wrong) it would not seem to be the setter who emulates the late Campbell by slipping in a second pun.
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 Put on men-only party with news chief (6)
STAGED — a men-only party and a head journalist
5a Middle-Easterner‘s been swimming with seal (8)
LEBANESE — an anagram (swimming) of BEEN and (with) SEAL
9a Like delicious food? With no starter, the price could be this high! (10)
ASTRONOMIC — remove the initial letter (with no starter) from an adjective one might use to describe delicious food
10a James maybe making an attachment (4)
BOND — double definition, the first being a fictional character
11a Perhaps Kiwi cricketer is an animal (5,3)
FRUIT BAT — what an edible Kiwi is and an informal name for a cricketer
12a Very pale friend with hat (6)
PALLID — an informal word for friend and a colloquial term for hat
13a Large bird‘s backside would you say? (4)
RHEA — sounds like (would you say [no, I wouldn’t]) the way some people (such as inhabitants of southeast England) would pronounce another word for backside
15a Mariner‘s pack of cards? Just a few (8)
DECKHAND — another term for pack and the small number of playing cards in the possession of one player during a round of a card game
18a Naughty child cried head off, being pushed forward (8)
IMPELLED — a naughty or mischievous child and another word for cried or hollered minus its initial letter (head off)
19a Vegetable from Staffordshire town (4)
LEEK — double definition
21a Vocalist to burn first of recordings (6)
SINGER — to burn or char and the initial letter (first) of RECORDINGS
23a Officer to reward waiters, perhaps (8)
TIPSTAFF — a reward often given to waiters and what the waiters themselves constitute
25a Fruit carried in trug: limes? (4)
UGLI — a lurker hiding in (carried in) the final two words of the clue
26a Prominently exhibiting female animal without hard shell (10)
SHOWCASING — a female porcine animal outside of (without) the pencil designation for hard and another term for shell
27a Compels fierce beasts to eat nothing (8)
DRAGOONS — fierce mythical beasts containing (to eat) the letter that resembles the numerical representation of nothing
28a Tries ecstasy tablets then speaks (6)
ESSAYS — a slang term for ectasy tablets (note the plural) followed by speaks or utters
Down
2d Stunning item of police kit? (5)
TASER — a mildly cryptic definition of a shocking piece of police gear
3d Me eating wildly, consuming last of butter, to start to grow (9)
GERMINATE — an anagram (wildly) of the first two words of the clue containing (consuming) the final letter (last) of BUTTER
4d Big river taxi almost carrying desperate fellow? (6)
DANUBE — all but the final letter (almost) of a modern day taxi follows (carrying; supporting in a down clue) a desperate fictional fellow
5d Restricted numbers of books – published by plcs? (7,8)
LIMITED EDITIONS — The latter part of this clue seems to be a cryptic definition that refers back to the books mentioned in the first part of the clue. It whimsically suggests that one might interpret the answer to mean books produced by publishers entitled to use the designation plc as part of their company name. It took a while for me to twig that the clue was not referring to pictures.
6d Rear group of wolves, getting outdoor equipment (8)
BACKPACK — another word for rear and the collective name for a group of wolves
7d Prize: not a ringing endorsement, one might say (5)
NOBEL — this sounds like (one might say) the lack of a signal of support from a device that produces a ringing sound
8d One during prison term showing awareness (9)
SENTIENCE — the Roman numeral for one contained in (during) a prison term
14d Low sound, an alarm perhaps? It’s something quite remarkable (9)
HUMDINGER — a low monotonous sound followed by a signalling device (such as the one in 7d) that produces a high pitched sound
16d Smelly breath? Ah, it’s soil being turned over (9)
HALITOSIS — an anagram (turned over) of the three words following the definition
17d Commanding Officer with flares, dancing in the open air! (8)
ALFRESCO — an anagram (dancing) of all of the abbreviation for Commanding Officer and (with) FLARES; at the moment, it’s warm enough to enjoy a drink in the open air in Ottawa
20d Coin of the realm: not entirely a distinct type (6)
SPECIE — remove the final letter (not entirely) from the taxonomic term for a related group of plants or animals sharing common features or characteristics
22d Leaving to see condition of racecourse (5)
GOING — double definition
24d Odd entertainment at the Big Apple (5)
FUNNY — entertainment or amusement and the abbreviated name of the city known as the Big Apple
Rather than pick a favourite clue today, I have chosen to select the most noteworthy clue – that being 5d. I believe it took me nearly as long to compose the hint for this clue as I spent on the hints for all the other clues combined. I made several efforts to parse the clue and write a sensible hint before finding an explanation I deemed satisfactory.
Quickie Pun (click here for explanation): HEIR + CREWE = AIRCREW
To mark St. Patrick’s Day, here is a tune from the Canadian celtic band The Irish Rovers. The band was formed in Toronto in 1963 by a group of ex-pat Irish musicians. They are known for their eponymous international television series, contributing to the popularization of Irish Music in North America.
Absolutely no scribbling on the paper at all, surely the sign of a very easy Monday puzzle, but as for 20d, is that really a word for the start of the week, I’d never heard of it in that context, and certainly never used it, also never thought that 27a meant compels either.
Glad to see my cousin who is a sergeant in the army getting a mention at 23a.
No real favourites today, all good fair clues, many thanks to our setter for this easy lead to the week.
I was mostly held up this morning by not being aware of the existence of 23as or 20ds and thinking that a 13a was an actress in a well known Netflix series rather than a bird. However, I have now learned several things already today, as well as completing a fairly-clued and generally very satisfactory crossword. Thanks very much to the setter and to Falcon for helping out with some parsing.
A very pleasant Monday ‘romp’ recalling memories of Rufus – */****
I agree with Falcon’s thought on the 13a homophone!
Candidates for favourite – 1a, 15a, 26a, and 22d – and the winner is 22d.
Thanks to whomsoever and Falcon.
What a good start to the week. Straightforward and fairly clued throughout but with just enough thought required to make for an enjoyable solve. 20d was completely new to me and needed a trip to the BRB to confirm my answer. Many contenders for favourite so I’ll go for 14d because I like the word. Podium places for 26a ( by the way, you’ve included part of the answer in the hint, Falcon) and 5d. Thanks to our setter and Falcon.
Thanks for flagging the faux pas. It has now been fixed. I’m sure if one were to track the errors made by bloggers, this type would be by far and away the most common.
We’ve all done it!
1*/4*. This was light and pleasant as it should be on a Monday.
I agree with my Canadian colleagues about the non-homophonic nature of 13a, and I am not convinced that 4d needs “big”.
My top picks are: 9a, 16a, 23a & 22d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon.
Hi RD
There’s no doubt that 4d works without ‘big’. I think the setter included it because this particular ‘desperate’ chappie was a giant of a man: he could lift a cow with one hand. So, it would need to be a sizeable boat. It just adds a bit of colour to the clue without making the clue too long.
I think you, Falcon and potentially others need to give yourselves a break when it comes to homophones. Otherwise, you will often be disappointed and that’s my role. I understand that, depending on ones accent, they may not work. But, to me, today’s is perfect. I have just played three online recordings to hear how it’s pronounced and they all sound exactly the same. I’d love to know how you and others pronounce it. Is it rhyming with slayer, perhaps?
I agree the homophone works well enough, Tom. Having said both words out loud several times, I’ve concluded I’d struggle to make myself clear if in a zoo and giving directions to something “in the X area”, and the two weren’t near each other. Come to think of it, if I ever run a zoo, I’ll make sure the birds in question are located at the back, just to avoid this very issue.†
But, I think of the bird as having 2 syllables and the back as having just 1, and if I hold my hand an inch in front of my mouth while saying each of them I can feel 2 or 1 ‘shots’ of air on my palm accordingly — so I think there is a slight difference in how they sound when I say them, just not enough for to reasonably expect a listener to pick up on. And probably less than the variation anyway between the accents of different people saying any one word.
So while I agree with you that this homophone is fine, I also agree with those who say these words aren’t pronounced the same!
† The other thing I’ll do if I run a zoo is call myself a zookeeper, spelt like that, just so I can go and point that out to whoever wrote the primary school spelling scheme which resulted in one of our children being marked wrong for writing it that way in a spelling test then as homework, then being made to learn the ‘correct’ spelling of ‘zoo keeper’ with a space in it …
.. it only works if you live south of the Watford Gap.
What a nice solve .. thoroughly enjoyable and I learned a few words too.
Interesting that Uber is now synonymous with taxi and I’ve never been in one in my puff! How language changes.
Thanks to setter and Falcon. Enjoy your (ice) hockey! Went once .. never again .. too bloody cold🤣
Hi S
Setters ask solvers for a bit of latitude when it comes to homophones and some of them clearly ain’t going to give it to them which is, of course, perfectly understandable. I’m in the other camp….and then some!
I love the zookeeper story, btw. Very funny!
That reminds me….what’s the only word that contains three consecutive double letters?
And, before anyone says it, no, it’s not woolly (somebody told me this one recently which I liked)
If the person who does the accounts has an assistant, could they be called the “sub…” — for 4 consecutive doubles?
It’s a fine effort which I was told a while back.
But, having spoken to a couple of accountants, the term isn’t used.
I do love you two boys!
And all the men as well, of course.
Great shout! (and you Shabbs)
On reflection, I accept my comment is unjustified. However, for me, there is a subtle difference, the bird has two syllables with a distinct emphasis on the first, the backside has no particular emphasis and the word is closer to but not quite one syllable. (Definitely not rhyming with “slayer”!)
I was typing while Smylers was posting his rather more lengthy and entertaining take on it.
I think he and I are more or less saying the same thing.
I’m glad we got to the bottom of that…
Hi Tom,
The comment in my hint for 13a relating to the homophone was not intended as a criticism of the clue but merely as a nudge to the solver that they need to affect a particular dialect in order to solve the clue. I see this device as just one more cryptic crossword convention of which the solver must be aware – like dropped aitches and flowers being rivers. By the way, the difference in pronunciation for me has little to do with whether the words have one syllable or two. I speak a rhotic dlalect of English and so the final R in the synonym for backside is very clearly enunciated making the word sound not at all like the bird.
Understood, F.
Whenever I see a homophone, I wait for the inevitable comments from people, questioning its validity, because there are so many accents out there. I just don’t think it’s worth mentioning as we (solvers & setters) all know the situation.
That’s really where I’m coming from.
A most enjoyable puzzle to start the week.
The only confusion was with 5d, where I went off at a tangent thinking that plcs was a book publishing term referring to printed laminated (hardback) covers. Other than that one clue, the rest went in very nicely.
Many thanks to the setter, and to Falcon.
This took a bit of teasing out which is where Mondays are at the moment.
I’m aware of a few coins but not 20d though it was perfectly gettable from the clue. I see that 17d is more common that the original two word expression which surprised me. We are a funny race as we leave ‘al dente’ alone but combine the two words in 17d.
My podium is 5a, 9a and, despite it being one word, 17d.
Many thanks to the setter and Falcs.
3*/4*
I new 23a but never heard of 20d, I got it from the parsing but had to look in the dictionary to see if it was right.
A lovely puzzle. 23a and 20d were new to me but gettable from the cluing. 13a homophone didn’t work for me even with my native SE London accent.
Top picks for me were 7d, 11a and 18a.
Thanks to Falcon and the setter.
Nice crossword today.
Had to check 20d in the BRB and needed help from Falcon to parse 26a.
Favourite today is 27a which I used to confuse with dragees……
Thanks to the setter and to Falcon.
Spot on for a Monday with very little to frighten our equine friends as the 22d was soft. If I had to pick a single favourite it would be the simple yet elegant and aforementioned 22d.
Thanks to our setter for an enjoyable puzzle and Falcon.
Well, I’ve not been here for a while: scheduling issues, I think. Happy that the comments are all positive…and puzzled that some of you don’t pronounce the 13c homophone the same way: although Tom seems to have proved me correct (or at least, the way that “RP” would say them). Good news: you should see me again soon.
Thanks for popping in, XT, and thank you for today’s challenge: a very enjoyable solve.
Homophones rarely pass muster with everyone but don’t let that stop you using them as it’s a great technique.
May I ask if my thinking was correct about using the word ‘Big’ in 4d?
Hi Tom – I used the word “big” in my original clue; though the Editor changed my word order. I think of that river as being very, very big – but I agree, the clue works just as well without the adjective…
Thanks,
And thank you, again, for posting. It’s appreciated.
Welcome back to the Monday slot and thanks for a great puzzle.
Thanks for a great start to the week and agree re homophone
And thank you from a small flower as well.
😀
Very witty!
Lovely to have one of your puzzles to start the week. Put me in a proper good mood 😊. Will be looking forward to more of the same.
I’d like to extend a warm welcome to 20d, as it joined THE LIST this morning after very little debate amongst the committee.
Those wishing to see 20d in its place in the Great Hall will find it between Clytemnestra and coho. Don’t forget to visit the tearoom and the gift shop.
Interesting guzzle. Quite taxing in places.
Thanks to the setter and The Bird Of Prey
I always liked to collect a pencil from every place we visited – it was a small and inexpensive souvenir which was also useful. Do you have them for sale in the gifte shoppe?
Good afternoon
Today, I would like to offer you a statement of the bleedin’ obvious – more for my sake, I suspect, than yours: think before you write!
I entered BATON at 2d without thinking about it. Then I wondered why I was having a struggle with the NW quadrant. I will now put on a conical cap with the letter D on it, and stand in the corner.
That apart, it was a fairly straightforward crozzie, although I did have to look up 20d; which, I see from Terence’s post, has been rightly added to THE LIST.
COTD: joint honours for 4d and 26a.
Many thanks to our setter and to Falcon.
I am older than you – my first thought was truncheon!
Mine too.
A grand start to the week. Full of wit and charm with smiles aplenty. Somewhat surprised to see 20d’s induction to the List, but I bow to the committee’s greater facility in this regard. I have many ticks on my page, but I’ll award cotd to 11a for the smile factor alone. Thanks to X-type and Falcon.
Light and enjoyable – thanks to X-Type and Falcon.
I think that the setter just about gets away with the 13a ‘homophone’ by including the question (to which my answer would be an emphatic ‘no’).
Top clues for me were 15a, 7d and 14d.
All pretty straightforward and was only held up by 20d as I’d never heard of it but in fairness it was perfectly clued.
Enjoyed the Kiwi cricketer and the pricing of delicious food.
*/***
Thanks to setter and Falcon
I wasn’t convinced when I did this puzzle on Sunday evening again that was by our usual Monday setter … too many trickier clues than normal, I thought. I see now that I was correct in my feelings,
2*/3.5*
Favourites 9a, 19a, 21a, 4d, 7d & 17d — with winner 7d
Smiles/chuckles for 15a, 4d, 17d & 23d
Thanks to X-Type & Falcon
Such a relief to finally complete a DT cruciverbal challenge after suffering a stroke a few weeks ago. Let’s hope it will be onward and upward from now on! Many thanks setter and Falcon.
Great to hear from you again, A, and that you are back on the field of play….wordplay.
🙂
Wonderful news!
Good to have you back, and hope you are recovering well. Were you Angelov and are you now Angelic?!
Yes, I am indeed Angelov and I’m afraid I forgot which alias I use for BD. 🤭
I had a stroke about 2 years ago: I’m 98% back to normal – though I can’t hold a pint in my left hand any more (I’m left-handed) and find it difficult to tie shoe laces, which normally need two working hands to manage (I know there are one-armed people who can do it, but that baffles me as to how). Keep persevering: most of it will eventually return. 🤞
Great to have you back, Angelov. And thank you to Rabbit Dave for explaining who you are, for those of us being slow.
That’s encouraging X-Type although I can in fact on my good days still hold a glass of vino in either hand! However. I do find it somewhat degrading to have to use a walking stick for safety purposes.
Thanks Smylers. Hope I can continue to get quicker in the uptake!
1* / 4* Fairly straightforward today with only a couple of parsings and definitions to check.
Homophone at 14a works fine for me as a northerner, can’t really see how else you’d say them.
14d favourite and a good word
Thanks to Falcon and X Type
No problem with the 13a homophone for me and I’m north of Watford Gap! 23a and 20d both new words to me and they felt out of place with the otherwise gentle start to the week. Or it would’ve been gentle if I hadn’t bunged in two wrong second words for 5d making the SE even more difficult. Looking back, don’t really see what the “published by plcs?” is doing for the clue.
By the way, @Falcon the revealed answer in the blog for 8d is missing the inserted “I”.
Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.
Thanks for flagging the omission. Now fixed.
A fairly swift and enjoyable solve today , held up by a few at the end. I’d not heard of 27a as a verb , and 20d was a new word for me too. No problem with the homophone at 13a for me either but then I live a fair way to the SW of the Watford Gap😀. I had considered bum and arse birds also ! Thanks XT and Falcon.
Thank you X-Type for the fun puzzle, and Falcon for the blogging. I found filling the grid was straightforward, but several words were outside my vocabulary, so would struggle to rate this for difficulty.
My top few are 9a’s delicious food with no starter, 15a’s cards, 7d for silliness, and 14d for the “low sound” not being ‘moo’ for once!
12a held me up because I incorrectly presumed that the definition and answer wouldn’t be so similar (which is obviously my fault for overthinking it). I’m guessing ‘pale’ and the answer share their etymologies?
Very enjoyable, a light and swift solve with no hold-ups. Lots to celebrate so will restrict to 15a, 23a & 14d.
Many thanks to X-Type & Falcon
A pleasurable Monday romp. Thanks for the hints Falcon. 7d has my ringing endorsement as COTD.
Welcome to the blog, Snerret.
Welcome to the blog Snerret. I hope you join us on a regular basis.
And welcome from me, Snerret.
You’ve set the bar high for yourself with the ‘ringing endorsement’ comment. There’s only one way to go!
I always look at people’s aliases to see if there are any clues…..is your name Terrence, by any chance?
Either way….keep on posting!
On reflection, you may well be right.
Get in there, Tommy boy!
And you’ve backed up your first goodie with a belter.
The Punmeisters on this blog have some competition.
Let the cheesy/ouchy/groaning games begin!
Very light and very enjoyable. Perfect for a Monday.
Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.
Agree with most of the foregoing comments, 20d was last one in and the delicious food my favourite. We go out to eat quite a lot and find everyone is complaining of increasing prices! Many thanks adding to messers Setter and Hinter.
PS hope you are bearing up, Steve. Thinking of you.
I was just going to ask if anyone knew how he is.
A pleasant Monday romp, only spoiled by insertion of the wrong vowel at 10a, instead of what should have been the more obvious choice.
A great Monday guzzle, with many favourite glues. Thankyou to our returned setter and Falcon.
Hooray, a lovely Monday puzzle, a great start to the week. Almost finished on my own, but needed help for 27a and 20d. I believe I have only ever seen 17d as 2,6, which held me up for a while. But everything else was so doable I have to give this **** for enjoyment. Thanks to XType and Falcon. I can confidently say that Merusa would have loved this one.
Here’s hoping Steve Cowling is coping in bereavement and being supported by family and friends. Looking forward to seeing him back on here in the not too distant future.
A great start to Monday with an extremely enjoyable puzzle that presented few problems. Everything went in smoothly until I was left with 23a and 20d. At that point had to consult hubby who suggested Tipstaff (I wanted to put in tipsters!) and specie (had never heard of that). So with this bit of help I was able to award **/*****. Last ones in were the aforementioned 23a and 20d and COTD was 10a. Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the excellent hints. BTW 13a sounded fine to me as homophones!
A lovely start to the week. 2 new words to add to my memory in 23a and 20d. All very enjoyable with no particular favourite.
Many thanks to X-Type and to Falcon for the hints.
A super start to the week. Lots to amuse and just a short hold up in the SE corner due to the 2 new words for the little black book. Thanks to XType and Falcon.
My apologies for posting in this apparently random fashion. I’m interested in taking part here, having been a DT fan for years, and also, I have to admit, I’m keen to see if an avatar I’ve started using will show up at Big Dave. Idle hands and all that. Thanks for today’s puzzle and blog.
Tim.
Welcome to the blog, occasional.
A bit late to the party, life got in the way of the crossword. A very good start to the week. 20d was also my LOI, but I have actually heard of the word before. My Two picks of the day are 4d and 5d. Thanks to the setter and Falcon for hints.
Like others I had to check 23a and 20d (both fairly clued) as I hadn’t heard of them before, but I have now. The rest were spot on for a Monday. Didn’t have a problem with 13a and I’m also well north of Watford, but not much north of Watford Gap. Favourite was 9a. Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.
At a loss as to how you’d pronounce the bird in a non bum sounding way & never dreamt the homophone would occasion so much discussion. A bright, breezy & very enjoyable solve with the NZ batsman easily nabbing star billing. The new entry into T’s List sort of rang a bell but checked it anyway afterwards – another one of those where if you were asked what it was in a quiz without the context of the clue you’d maybe struggle.
Thanks to X-Type & nice to see you back & of course to Falcon.
It’s not the bird that is pronounced differently, it’s the bum. In a rhotic dialect, the final R is sounded.
Great puzzle, 26a was definitely COTD for me…
Awful lot of repeat clues from recent crosswords. Had to check the dTe to make sure I was doing today’s!
You’ve used several aliases in the past (most recently Kuka44) but not this one so your comment required moderation.
I’m late doing yesterday’s puzzle, but doing it after returning from a visit to the dentist this morning 16d raised a smile from me.
However, like the man in the Head and Shoulders advert, “I don’t.”
2*/3* …
liked 9A “Like delicious food ? With no starter, the price could be this high ! (10)”