Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30883
Hints and tips by Huntsman
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ***
Looks like another pleasant day here in Harpenden so a good walk on the cards before another expensive afternoon visit to the dentist.
After yesterday’s somewhat trickier than usual offering today’s Anthony Plumb (I assume) production is pretty much par for the course in terms of difficulty & fairly straightforward.
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 Arrive without radical colleague (7)
COMRADE: place a synonym for arrive around (without/outside) of a surfer slang abbreviation of radical, meaning great or awesome.
5a To be honest, one should avoid this meaty snack (4,3)
PORK PIE: honesty wouldn’t involve this cockney rhyming slang for an untruth.
9a Adore flipping argument, initially savouring all the rage (7)
WORSHIP: reverse (flipping) another word for an argument/tiff + Savouring (initially) + a synonym for all the rage/fashionable.
10a Courageous audacity by social worker (7)
GALLANT: link a synonym of audacity/effrontery to a social worker who lives in a colony.
11a Cocoa is stirred by leaders in nursery several times (9)
OCCASIONS: an anagram (stirred) of COCOA IS with Nursery Several appended (by/leaders in).
12a Topic from maiden entertained by you in the past (5)
THEME: insert (entertained by) Maiden (cricket abbreviation) into an archaic pronoun (you/in the past).
13a Be in a state of agitation with no whiskey in mug (5)
STEIN: delete Whiskey (NATO alphabet) from a term for a state of agitation/tizzy then add IN from the wordplay.
15a Bring in special reduction (9)
INTRODUCE: an anagram (special) – REDUCTION.
17a Share a large weapon, stifling cry of pain (9)
ALLOWANCE: A from the clue + Large followed by a long wooden shafted weapon with a pointed steel head into which an onomatopoeic exclamation of pain is inserted (stifling).
19a What comes out of kettle partly makes tea murky (5)
STEAM: hidden (partly) in the last three words of the clue.
22a Vagrant male caught in ambush, say (5)
TRAMP: insert (caught in) Male into a synonym for ambush.
23a Performer, one who bores Camilla? (4,5)
DRAG QUEEN: one who bores/fails to excite + the title Camilla holds.
25a This is used for docking vessel (7)
CLIPPER: a double definition.
26a Apparent heat possibly protects fish (7)
EVIDENT: a type of heat in a sporting contest maybe surrounds (protects) our Tuesday setter’s favourite fish, this time with its full complement of three letters.
27a Enthusiastically finding a German in Cambridgeshire city (7)
EAGERLY: insert A from the clue + GERman into the county’s cathedral city.
28a Jumper son put on over tie, oddly (7)
SWEATER: Son + another word for put on/don surrounding (over) the alternate letters (oddly) of TiE.
Down
1d Dodgy builders perhaps intimidate lads (7)
COWBOYS: link a verbal synonym for intimidate/daunt with another word for lads/young men.
2d Criminal calmer? I wonder (7)
MIRACLE: an anagram (criminal) – CALMER I.
3d Nancy regularly ignored the bloke’s pains (5)
ACHES: the alternate letters of NAnCy (regularly ignored) + a pronoun contraction for the bloke’s.
4d Former lover parking badly in Oslo making violent outburst (9)
EXPLOSION: the usual for a former lover + Parking (traffic sign) + an anagram (badly) of IN OSLO.
5d Leaves errand boys(5)
PAGES: a double definition – think books with the former.
6d Food supplies enthralling the Spanish family members (9)
RELATIONS: insert (enthralling) the Spanish for THE into supplies/17a of food.
7d Dish with gold, flat area (7)
PLATEAU: another word for a dish (of food) + the element symbol for gold.
8d Most remote old brook, we hear (7)
EXTREME: a homophone (we hear) of an old brook/burn.
14d Spare pen drunk holds with rag (9)
NEWSPAPER: an anagram (drunk) of SPARE PEN + With inserted (holds).
16d Adolescents sneer and get a rollicking (9)
TEENAGERS: another anagram (rollicking) – SNEER + GET A.
17d This could be a craft that is going round cold lake (7)
ARTICLE: a synonym for craft/skill followed by the single letter abbreviations Cold & Lake inserted between the usual two letters for that is/in other words.
18d Going on about a French wine (7)
LEAVING: the term for the on side in cricket placed around (about) A from the clue & the French for wine.
20d Mountain chill after end of day (7)
EVEREST: a term for the latter part of the day + a synonym for chill/take it easy.
21d Giant male on steroids? Not half! (7)
MONSTER: Male + ON from the clue + 50% (not half) of steroids.
23d Socialist upset by something that goes on crumpet? (5)
DERBY: reverse (upset) a term for a socialist + BY from the clue. Had absolutely no idea what the answer had to do with crumpet then remembered the titfer so assume it’s slang for the bonce.
24d Completely tranquil with temperature rising slightly (5)
QUITE: a synonym for tranquil with Temperature raised (moved up/down clue).
No particular favourite today but podium spots go to 5&13a plus 17d. Please let us know which clues ticked your boxes.
Today’s Quick crossword pun: PAY + PER + DOVER = PAPERED OVER
This morning’s listening whilst preparing the blog has been more Bob Dylan covers. Here’s one by Dr Robert
Apparently in the county abbreviated in the solution to 23d, they traditionally eat crumpet-like pyclets (pikelets ?) with various toppings
Gosh! That is niche and then some.
Thank you, Sue.
I was going to go with that Sue after a bit of research via Mr G but have since found off one’s crumpet is a term for mad or eccentric & used by Wodehouse.
When I was growing up a “piece of crumpet” was someone an errant husband was seeing on the side. Never heard of it to mean head.
I got intrigued by the pikelet reference as I grew up calling them that (in Birmingham). Wikipedia has this to say: “The word spread initially [from Wales] to the West Midlands of England, where it became anglicised as pikelet, and subsequently to Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and other areas of the north; crumpets are still referred to as pikelets in some areas.”
I think pikelts are like crumpets only thinner. Well they are in Leicestershire.
They are in Sheffield also.
This was an enjoyable solve that didn’t stretch the grey cells which absolutely works for me.
Beautifully constructed clues with plenty of good surfaces to select a podium from which is 5a, 18d and 21d.
I too have no ideas about the crumpet connection.
Many thanks to the prof and Hoots!
1*/4*
An enjoyable puzzle for me.
I also wondered about Derby and the crumpet and guessed at maybe it referring to Derby cheese.
My fish in 26a only has 2 letters.
Top picks for me were 15d, 23a and 8d.
Thanks to Huntsman and the setter.
So it does – d’oh
So is the “fish” just the two letters? If so how? If it’s the usual 3 letters then how do the other 4 make “heat”?
I thought I’d written without but clearly didn’t – id is a variant spelling of ide (AP has used it before) in event / heat.
I also went with the cheese in 23d.
Cheese – on a crumpet? Surely not! Melted butter only 😂
I did try it with Cheddar cheese once but tend to stick with just butter or with the addition of jam. Lemon curd is nice on them.
Honey. It has to be honey. Lashings of butter which melts and oozes, and honey…
I hope you keep your towel handy Arthur, that sounds like a dribbly disaster waiting to happen
Absolutely! If you don’t need a bath after eating it, it hasn’t been a good one!
Both grids strongly support a theory that this Typically Tuesdayish puzzle is an Anthony Plumb production – 1.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 5a, 11a, 8d, and 18d – and the winner is 5a.
Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.
Quite enjoyed this and finished in pretty quick time. Had to read Hintsman’s hunts to see how I got 28a and 23d. My visit to the dentist last week set me back £130 so I feel for you. Anyone got ideas for keeping pigeons away? They eat all the blossom off my couple of fruit trees so I never get any fruit. Along with the muntjac its all rather depressing. Anyway thanks to Mr Plumb if it be he, and to Huntsman. I hope Steve is bearing up OK.
You could try stringing up CDs in the trees.
According to recent readers letters in the DT, human hair clippings deter deer so maybe chatting up a local hairdresser for the leavings might be worth considering.
Don’t know about pigeons though….
Is your garden/orchard sufficiently rural for any friend who has a shotgun (even a little .410 would be enough) or an air rifle to come over and pick them off? Woodies number in their many millions, and are one of the most delicious of all the game/other/pest birds to eat.
And shooting them has the advantage that they won’t get so used to any bird scarers you might otherwise try that they will just come back a few days later!
As for the muntjac, well … suffice to say that when butchered they take up minimal room in the freezer and are a very nice form of venison. They are an invasive species, have no closed season, and can be shot all year round – where it is safe to do so!
A straightforward and enjoyable guzzle today. I particularly liked the clever wording of 1d and 5a which made me chuckle and the lego clue at 4d. Thanks to Huntsman for the hints and ro the compiler. An interesting morning today, as I drove into the care home care park tbe confronted by a border collie, looking absolutely panic-stricken, who was running around loose. Myself and 2 of the care home staff searched the geounds (its a 5 acre site) but rhe dog was nowhere in sight it’s worrying as 2 busy roads run on either side of the site
I’m afraid I didn’t get on with this one….my fault I am sure.
Last ones in 13a (needed the hint) and 23d.
Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman…good luck at the dentist….
Crumpet meaning head is in the BRB
Crumpet as slang for the head is in the BRB but almost Dadaesque in it’s obscurity. 5 10 and 13a may fight it out for my podium
Thanks to Mr P and Andy
Hi Sloops
I’m hoping that the setter was referring to your suggestion as CS’s above is too much of an ask.
I looked online to see if it was slang for your noggin but couldn’t find anything. I need to buy the BRB.
I can recommend the online Chambers Dictionary and Thesaurus.
Thanking you, Shabbingtons.
Online is good and convenient, but hardback is much better for unintended tangential diversions, as the eye catches a word en passant while looking for something specific.
Couldn’t agree me, MG.
It’s like the paper. For the very same reason, I will never go online, regardless of the price.
My sentiments exactly!
I wish to complain in the strongest possible terms about myself. Despite having all the checking letters for 8d, I could not see it at all. I think I may have been injected, overnight, with a strong dose of eejitness.
Therefore I am writing to myself, and copying in Mr Lancaster, Mr Starmer, The Archbishop Of Canterbury (whoever that may be, currently), The Pope (good recovery, Your Greatness), Taylor Swift, and Thomas Tuchel.
Neat guzzle, apart from the personal calamity I suffered with 8d.
Thanks to the setter, and Andy At The Dentist.
Today’s crossword sountrack: Jackie Oates – Wings
The app version is fine and free (I think) and does have it as slang. I am not sure cheese would be the first choice on a crumpet (or my head)
My girls used to love toasted crumpets topped with melted cheese, although it was more likely to be cheddar than Derby.
Surely, a crumpet, like bread, is a ‘neutral’ base for a sweet or savoury ‘topping’ according to the eater’s preference.
0.5*/4*. As light as a feather but nevertheless supremely enjoyable.
As a Wodehouse fan, I was familiar with the crumpet.
Many thanks to AP (?) and to Hintsman.
P.S. Excellent though Townes Van Zandt is, IMHO Pancho and Lefty by Willie Nelson and Merle Travis is another example of a cover version which is better than the original.
Well that was pretty straightforward but nevertheless thoroughly enjoyable, with 8d in particular raising a smile. Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the tips and typically excellent selection of tunes. I may have to give Dr Robert and his sometime band another chance.
Agreed (Haggard?) though I think Jason Isbell & Alison Cook’s cover is my favourite version.
Sorry meant as reply to RD.
Yes, I meant Merle Haggard! Brilliant song by whomever, though.
Thought that was a particularly enjoyable puzzle from the professor. No stand-alone favourite to mention, just a fine collection.
Thanks to Mr Plumb and to Huntsman for the review – best of luck with the dental trip.
Elegantly breezy. 23d’s crumpet tickled me. 23a’s fun too and 16d’s sweet. Many thanks to our setter and Huntsman. Always grand to get a blast of Mountain!
The SW corner held me up slightly, but overall, a light but bright puzzle.
I am in the “crumpet = head” camp.
My ticks are awarded to 1a, 5a, 16d and 18d.
Thank you setter and Huntsman.
Typically Mondayish today. Yes I know it’s Tuesday, but yesterday’s wasn’t ( typically Mondayish that is) I did need to check on crumpet in the BRB though I had worked out the answer from the clue. There are so many ticks on my paper today that I’m struggling to choose a favourite but I’ll go for my LOI, 17d. I also liked 5, 8, 20 and 23d among others. A thoroughly enjoyable if rapid solve.Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman. I didn’t need your help but enjoyed the music.
As gentle and straightforward as they come, other than for 23d, a clue so vague and curiously defined that I’m surprised it cleared the editorial process. When there are so many regional variations as to what constitutes a “crumpet”, it’s bad enough, let alone for the rather unpleasant notion of putting cheese on one. In my book this is a crumpet (hopefully the picture will work), and aside from the butter melting and oozing through its many holes, should be topped with jams/jellies, honey or Bovril, but … cheese? What a vile perversion!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Buttered_crumpet2.jpg
Honours to 1d, 8d, 17d
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman
[Ran out of editing time] … & if the clue is going down the hat route, I just don’t buy it: both crumpet as slang for head, and derby as American for bowler hat, are a long way down the respective definitions and, without the Americanism indicator, while straightforward this clue would be more suitable in its overall obscurity for an early week Toughie than a backpager.
I beg to differ, Mustafa. Melted cheese on a crumpet is delicious but Bovril – yuck!
Melted cheese 👍
Bovril 👎
Marmite 👍
There is no comestible of any kind, composition, or national/cultural origin, that is not made inedible by the addition of Marmite.
Whereas Bovril on hot buttered toast & crumpets, or on buttered slices of freshly baked bread, is as manna from heaven and, I am sure, served at the top tables of such historic establishments as Valhalla and Mount Olympus!
There’s been so much talk of crumpets I’ve bought a packet for the first time in years – intend to sample with marmite – usually exclusively spread sparingly on toasted multiseed sourdough or on a toasted New York bagel.
Possibly just me but Monday and Tuesday setters should switch places!
1*/5*
Great fun from AP as usual. No real hold ups, assumed the crumpet was slang for the noggin and unaware of the fish without the e – thanks for the explanation Huntsman and for the other hints.
Will go with 5a and 17d as favourites today.
Definitely not just you – I agree with you about Tuesday and Monday and Tuesday setters swapping.
Sorry about Tuesday repetition.
I agree too, especially now that Robyn isn’t doing it.
‘The Prof’ would be perfick to kick off the weekly proceedings.
Gentle (except for 23d which required a visit to the BRB) and enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
My podium selections were 5a, 23a and 18d.
A very Mondayish Tuesday puzzle for me. The crumpet synonym was vaguely familiar to me although I can’t for the life of me think why.
The German mug at 13A gave the most trouble, but I see it now. Favourite was the snack at 5A.
Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
Absolutely breezed through this lovely puzzle. 23d slightly confused me – luckily my COED gave crumpet as archaic for head. Thanks to all those attempts at explaining it above – much enjoyed. Surely treacle is the correct topping?
Thanks to the setter and Huntsman
Great fun as usual from the ever reliable Mr P with an excellent and mainly straightforward puzzle. Any unknowns were well clued so no problems there. Like others, I would nominate 5a as a particular favourite.
My thanks to the aforementioned and The Hintsman.
Thank you MrP for more Tuesday fun and for your being there in case of need Huntsman. Enjoyed this exercise with just a couple of bung-ins.
Very gentle but great fun. The only real hold up being the previously debated “crumpet”. A new one for me. For my podium today, I’m going for 17a and 17d with 23a in top spot. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
This week I would say this is a typical Tuesday puzzle … a tad easier than Monday’s as well.
1.5*/3.5*
Favourites 5a, 23a, 27a,7d, 8d & 24d — with winner with a smile 5a
I liked 23a as a runner-up too.
Thanks to AP & Huntsman
Great fun and really beautiful surfaces. Only hold ups were the now infamous 23d and the parsing of 26a – I had the 3 letter fish so couldn’t make head nor tail of the remaining letters. Finally I gave in at looked at the hints – which also used the 3 letter fish. Cue hours more head scratching!!
Only when I popped back later did I see it had been redacted. What a fool inwasnto spend so long over one blummin’ letter of one blummin’ fish!!!
Thank you so much to the setter – it was joyful (except for the above!) and to huntsman for the corrected hints!
1.5* / 4* started in the NE and worked round clockwise. Same thoughts as others re:crumpet (very nice with marmite), last one in 13a. Too many top clues to list.
Thanks to setter and Huntsman
Not quite read and write today, more read, think a bit, write. Still gentle and agree with others that Tuesday is the new Monday – this week at least.
Favourites were 5a, 27a and 16d. Also agree the surfaces were silky smooth today. Need to check the parsing for 13a and of course, 23d!
Thanks to setter and Huntsman.
Finished this in record time for me, but did struggle with a couple of the clues. The aforementioned “crumpet” in 23d really had me puzzled. I realised the answer was Derby and thought it might refer to Derbyshire cheese on a crumpet (not that I’ve ever tried that!). Thanks to all who explained it. It’s difficult to find a favourite clue but I’ll go for 5a/23a/1d and 18d – so many good ones to choose from. Thank you to MrP (?) and Huntsman for the explanations.
I finished the guzzle in Tuesday style but had some difficulty in parsing all the answers. Crumpet had to be head but I didn’t know about the crickety ‘leg’ in our famous 3 letter city and it’s not enough to just bung the answer in, I have to know why. Which is why, dear hinters, you loom so large in our legends. 17a was my favourite. Many thanks to Mr Setter and to the Hintsman who earned his money today 🤭
PS just a little boast, wordle in 3 Sunday and in 2 both yesterday and today. You should see the size of my crumpet.
Daisy. I haven’t managed Wordle in two in the last few days but have had a run of threes. With regard to crumpet if I ever knew it was a synonym for head I had forgotten. Despite living in a neighbouring county I have never heard of Derby cheese. In other words I didn’t parse but simply rearranged the socialist and added the by we were given. Now I know I concur with those who prefer head to cheese. I admit I did think of the other crumpet. “A bit of crumpet”.my quickest solve in many a day and much enjoyed. 5 and 28a and 20d favourites. Thanks Professor and Huntsman.
Even though I am a southerner, Sage Derby is (sorry Kath!) one of my favourite cheeses. It tastes delicious and looks lovely too.
Didn’t have the usual Tuesday sparkle for me, and I found it more chewy than usual. Had to verify several of my answers with the hints, diluting enjoyment levels. COTD to 5a, really made me laugh. Thanks to setter and Huntsman.
Thanks Huntsman, beautifully hinted.
Nice crossword. I was born and raised in Clapham, and I’ve never heard of Crumpet = head.
Good to hear from you Hoofs. I haven’t done a Graun puzzle in a while. Having stuck a score on relegation upon Frank’s appointment my nomination for a knighthood is ready to post if he gets us to the playoffs-fickle or what😀
He has done amazingly. Due at the Den soon, could be crucial.
I think it has all been said, I needed help parsing 18d (I always forget about pesky cricket) and understanding 23d. Overall very enjoyable.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints
Smooth solve and have never seen so many posts addressing one clue! For me a crumpet has to have butter and marmite on it .. thank you compiler and as always thank you Huntsman for the wonderful music
17d is a great example of the old tip “Don’t read the clue”. If you take each word in turn with a slight pause between you will find that you pronounce the 4th word as “eh” (try it).
Brilliant! A great eye for grammar you have.
On the whole an enjoyable solve. 23d had to be Derby but I had never heard of that definition. Must say, I occasionally enjoy a Crumpet with butter/Marmite but they are very calorific! Many thanks to the setter and Huntsman. I hope the dentist didn’t charge too much, Huntsman, but the vets would no doubt be much dearer! 😊
I trust not Hilary – I’m 2K down & another session to go – just hope the sale of the kidney was worth it 😀
Ouch! That’s a lot of money!
Good evening
I didn’t manage to get anywhere near yesterday’s crozzie, so I was glad to be able to get stuck into today’s.
Although, on the face of it, today’s seemed relatively straightforward, there were still one or two little teasers. I was grateful for the Hintsman’s explanation of 23d, because I’m not familiar with “crumpet” in that context. Similarly 13a, although it was obvious on reading the hint.
8d is COTD. Many thanks to our setter (The Prof?) and to Huntsman.
A nice and gentle solve today thankfully . I was away at the weekend so behind and finished yesterday’s this afternoon , and found it to be rather chewy especially for a Monday. Enjoyed today’s , albeit brief and greatful that it was a straightforward solve. I too wondered about the crumpet , so thanks for the explanation! Thanks to setter and Huntsman.
As with others both the two letter fish and crumpet for head were new to me so both were bung ins. Apart from those I enjoyed this, although 23a’s always give me the creeps. LOI was 13a just because it was. Favourite was 18d
Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
I couldn’t finish this, with a couple left, despite having all the crossing letters for both, so thank you to Huntsman for hinting those, and to everybody who explained the crumpet and the 2-letter fish. I for one am hoping that Tuesday’s setter isn’t re-assigned to Mondays!
My top couple per 8d’s old brook and 17d’s a craft. Thank you to the setter for the entertainment.
2*/3* …
liked 23A “Performer, one who bores Camil!a ? (4,5)”