DT 30960 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30960

by Falcon  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30960

Hints and tips by Falcon

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating  –  Difficulty ** –  Enjoyment ***

Greetings from my lakeside retreat outside Ottawa, where summer has made a dramatic entry, with high winds and tornado warnings and temperatures forecast to reach the mid-thirties today.

The puzzle did not appear to me to be the work of any of our recent setters so I will not venture a guess. However, it should appeal to fans of anagrams and word search.

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   Playing old reggae, wanting a comic verse (8)
DOGGEREL — an anagram (playing) of OLD REGG[A]E lacking (wanting) the A from the clue

5a   Assault cricketer (6)
BATTER — double definition

9a   Bush to ring back about one (5)
LILAC — reverse (back) another word for ring or telephone containing (about) the Roman one

10a   Old, furry creatures said to be items used by body-builders? (9)
EXPANDERS — the usual short term for old or former and what some people pronounce to sound like furry Chinese creatures

12a   For example, liver’s best to provide such pipes (5,5)
ORGAN STOPS — anatomically what liver is an example of (together with its accompanying S) and a synonym for best

13a   Rice cooked for this fellow (4)
ERIC — an anagram (cooked) of RICE

15a   Season breadcakes for Chinese food? (6,5)
SPRING ROLLS — one of the four seasons of the year followed by a type of breadcakes

16a   Solo Elton comeback features certain stars (3)
LEO — a tiny lurker hiding (features) and reversed (comeback) in the first two words of the clue

17a   Woman from Sevenoaks (3)
EVE — another wee lurker, this time hiding (from) in the final word of the clue

18a   Possibly huge scam in importing new weapons (11)
MACHINEGUNS — an anagram (possibly) of HUGE SCAM IN containing (importing) the map abbreviation for new

20a   Develop good argument (4)
GROW — the coin collector’s designator for good and an argument

21a   Gather Tory Gregory scoffed (10)
CONGREGATE — the abbreviation for the party popularly known as Tories, a nickname for Gregory, and another word for scoffed or consumed food

24a   Wealthy socialites, organising jest with teeth? (3,3,3)
THE JET SET — an anagram (organising) of JEST and (with) TEETH

26a   The Yorkshire sheep: they might be seen on the roads! (5)
TRAMS — the reputed Yorkshire pronunciation of “the” and male sheep

27a   Rodent accompanying that woman? Quite (6)
RATHER — a laboratory rodent and a personal pronoun denoting that woman

28a   Ordinary item of regalia found in valley: it should make a ring (8)
DOORBELL — the academsic abbreviation for ordinary and a spherical item of regalia inside (found in) a valley where a farmer resides

Down

1d   Pretty girl on old piano gets big lump (6)
DOLLOP — a term for a pretty girl (see musical hint) precedes (on in a down clue) the single letter for old and the abbreviation for piano as a musical direction

2d   Almost swallow a gallon in prison (5)
GULAG — all but the final letter (almost) of another word for swallow or ingest, the A from the clue and the abbreviation for gallon

3d   13’s grabbing Charlie and a small amount of money: they’re not normal! (10)
ECCENTRICS — wrap the answer to 13a around (grabbing) all of the letter represented by Charlie in radio communication and a small unit of currency in nearly a hundred countries on this planet

4d   Loose end of drill on US cutting tool (3)
LAX — the final letter (end) of DRILL and a cutting tool spelt the US way

6d   Relative makes appearance in haunting (4)
AUNT — a lurker concealed (in) in the final word of the clue

7d   The leader of orators gets up and states a hypothesis (9)
THEORISES — THE from the clue, the initial letter (leader) of ORATORS, and another way of saying gets up or stands

8d   Trees RUC chopped, as therapy? (4,4)
REST CURE — an anagram (chopped) of TREES RUC

10d   Amazingly, snoring, I ate cutlery! (6,5)
EATING IRONS — an anagram (amazingly) of SNORING I ATE

11d   Gather waterworks’ first pipe made into desk accessory (11)
PAPERWEIGHT — an anagram (made into) of GATHER plus the initial letter (first) of WATERWORKS, plus PIPE

14d   Castle rogue losing a fancy dukedom (10)
GLOUCESTER — an anagram (fancy) of C[A]STLE ROGUE after removing (losing) the A from the clue

15d   Male with refusal to enter Portsmouth channel semi-conscious (9)
SOMNOLENT — insert (to enter) the genealogical abbreviation for male and the indication of a refusal into the channel separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland near Portsmouth

16d   A funny noise? (8)
LAUGHTER — a cryptic definition of a noise provoked by something funny

19d   Chaff left in plant (6)
TEASEL — chaff or joke in a light-hearted manner and the single letter for left

22d   Stone in a barrier (5)
AGATE — the A from the clue and a moveable barrier

23d   Party is what must happen, by the sound of it! (4)
FETE — sounds like (by the sound of it) what must happen or destiny

25d   Come to a stop in Hendon (3)
END — a final lurker hiding in (in) HENDON

Nothing really stood out for me today. My favourite is a tossup between 18a and 11d with the former just nudging out the latter.

Quickie pun:: PARR + SIRS + BYE = PASSERS-BY

On This Day …

… in 1965, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles released “Tracks of My Tears,” a song that has appeared on many lists, including the National Endowment for the Arts’ “Songs of the Century”.

The song was a No. 2 hit on the Billboard R&B chart, and it reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. On initial release in the UK in 1965 it did not chart, but like several other Motown singles reissued there in 1969, it became a Top Ten hit in the summer.

88 comments on “DT 30960”

  1. I managed to finish but I can’t say I enjoyed it that much. No idea why apart from a few obscure words – for me, anyway. I have always thought 18a was two words so that one took ages. Neither have I heard of the expression at 10d and I don’t really like the term for a cricketer at 5a but that is just my personal opinion. I did like the Yorkshire sheep at 26a and that is my COTD.

    Thank you, setter for the guzzle but I think was having an off day. Thank you, Falcon for the hints.

        1. It’s two words in the Cambridge Dictionary, two words or hyphenated in the Oxford English but one word in the BRB. As DT uses the BRB, I suppose that is the version it accepts but it will remain two words for me. 😊

          1. Just doing this one today and agree 18a is two words, whatever the BRB says.

        1. A good batter is what I make to produce a Yorkshire pudding to go with the Sunday roast beef. Always has been, always will be 👩‍🍳. Sorry.

        2. isn’t 5a, which I also hate, all about political correctness? Can’t have a batsman, can’t have a chairman, can’t even have a man of the match in a men’s football match.

          hence batter, chair, and player of the match.

          don’t get me started…..

      2. If a man at the crease is a “batter”, a woman there should surely be referred to as a “battress”.

    4. You have got a fielder, bowler and keeper, why not a 5a ? Don’t see the problem

      1. I started using 5a a couple of years ago, and it just feels natural now. (Like ‘firefighter’ or ‘headteacher’.)

        Anybody who objects to it on the grounds that there’s no need to change traditional terms should also have to use ‘fieldsman’.

        1. It’s a fair point, I and S.

          I wonder why they called it batsman as most of the other positions end -er, e.g bowler, wicketkeeper and, as you say, fielder. They should have gone with batter or hitter as they have unintentionally got themselves into a pickle because batswoman, as legitimate and logical as it is, was never going to take off.

          Even though batter will never pass my lips, I made my peace with it a couple of years ago. if I didn’t, I would have been wound up for the rest of my days.

          1. I don’t think “they” did!

            My (possibly unclear) point is that ‘fieldsman’ was the term 100ish years ago. If you’re comfortable with saying ‘fielder’ now, then you’re accepting of change. Presumably there was a generation who complained about ‘fielder’ as a horrid newfangled term there was no need for.

            Yet somehow that change happened anyway. I can’t see why ‘batsman’ would be the exception that resists change, but if anybody wants to try I don’t see why they should accept the loss of ‘fieldsman’ either!

            1. I understand why people balk at batter as it does sound like a term our cousins over The Pond would use. But, it’s where we are and it ain’t going anywhere.

              1. Hi Tom
                It’s interesting you have used the word balk, which I had to check on google. I know the word baulk, but did not know the variant spelling.

                1. You’re right. I’ve accidentally used the American variant.

                  Doh!

                  I looked at the BRB and it had balk as the first option.

                  1. UK/USA spelling variants don’t really bother me to be honest… with the exception of colour/color. That brings me out in a cold sweat!

                    1. Fairy nuff though, interestingly, it derives from the Latin colorem.

                      So, have the septics got this one right?

                      Hmm…..

            1. Thank you, Gazza. I found today’s crossword relatively straightforward. I have not commented before as I rarely attempt the daily solve until the evening, by which time there is little I can add to the thoroughly enjoyable comments already posted.

              1. Welcome, Pedro and please do comment even if it’s late. All posts are read even if it’s the next day. 👍😊

            1. That’s an awesome spot, Peds!

              Or should that be ‘Orson spot’?

              Welcome, btw.

            2. No, TC. Point is slightly further around and on the one.

              Oh, I can’t stop myself.

              Nurse!

                1. You’re on fire, Peds! 👏👏

                  To quote Richie….What an excellent debut that was.

          3. Hi, Pedro. Many journalists and players now refer to third man as just ‘third’.

            As in: “She hit it through third.” Or: “He’s fielding down at third.”

            I think because this is just a shortening, there isn’t a ‘new’ word that stands out in the way that 5a does.

            1. Hi S

              I still play the game and call it ‘third man’ and ‘third slip’ to avoid confusion.

  2. I thought this was going to be a doddle as I found the N easy. The S a bit trickier. The 7 anagrams and 3 lurkers oiled the wheels nicely though. 19d was a new one for me but guessable. My favourite was 26a which I found amusing. An entertaining Monday. Thanks Falcon and our setter.

  3. I really hate the word for a cricketer at 5a, what on earth was so offensive about batsman anyway?
    Yes I know you can have batswoman as well, its the same as all people who act being actors, how long before all children of the king or queen are princes, regardless of their sex?

    Rant now over, I’m off to watch the test match now and hope for a few outside edges being clipped straight to the catcher.

    1. I usually drop in at some point: and I’m not going to absent myself, just because some comments are less than flattering…I agree about the Cricketer; but with women players doing so much more nowadays, we can’t really have “man” in the name – and Test Match Special has used this term for a long time, now. (And it helped me to create a double-definition clue, as well!)

      2. Thanks for being nice to us at the beginning of the guzzle week. I liked the funny noise!

    2. Actor is male, actress is female, so how about acter as a neutral version?

  4. I didn’t not enjoy this ( are double negatives allowed?!) but it didn’t quite gel for me. As Steve has commented the fact that 18a is one word surprised me and held things up for a while. I wasn’t a fan of the 3 letter hidden word clues either. It’s difficult to choose a podium today but I did like 28a and 1d is a lovely word. Thanks to our setter and Falcon.

  5. Not altogether a straightforward in places, this guzzle was a bit of a curate’s egg. The homophone/Lego clue at 10a, the bodybuilders’ equipment was really funny and my COTD. I also kiked the 15d Lego clue and the 16d cryptic definition. Thanks to the compiler and to Falcon, inhis deepest Canada retreat for the hints.

  6. With 8 anagrams (4 in consecutive clues!) and 4 tiny hidden words this puzzle didn’t really float my boat.
    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the review.

    1. I must have miscounted or not noticed Gazza. Apologies for my obviously inaccurate assessment of the said genres!

  7. Two in the SW took as long as the rest combined. Cotd is the Yorkshire sheep at 26a. Thanks to compiler and Falcon

  8. I found this a bit odd with several terms I wouldn’t use in 4 and 10d, at least they were anagrams and I too was puzzled by 18a as a single word. I did complete it fairly speedily however. I liked 28a but 26a is my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints

  10. 1*/1*. The less said the better as this was not my cup of tea, I’m sorry to say. At least the indication of the American spelling needed in 4d was good to see.

    Thanks anyway to the setter and to Falcon.

  11. Relatively gentle. I echo the comments above about the short lurkers and 4a which seems to come up fairly regularly and always grates. COD for me the furry animals homophone at 10a and the semi-conscious male at 15d. Thanks to setter and Falcon.

  12. A gentle start to the back page week, and I agree with Falcon and many of the above comments. This did not feel like a puzzle from one of the regular setters and, if it was, they were certainly having an off day with a puzzle that I am surprised made it through Editorial control.

    Excessive use of anagrams in the back page is not unusual, sadly, but 4 in succession is not on; too many short lurkers; some very odd surfaces. Nothing stood out, let alone made it to the podium.

    Thank you Setter but sorry, my boat was not “floated”; thank you also, Falcon.

  13. 1*/2*
    Not much fun to be had today and I found it all rather lazy and unimaginative – particularly the lurkers.
    COTD – Yorkshire sheep
    Thanks to all

  14. Did anyone get get donor for the second word in 12 a? Seems to make perfect sense——

    2. Welcome, Barbara and yes, I had donor at first.

      Please do comment again. 👍

  15. A curate’s egg with a limited supply of the good parts – **/**

    Smiles for 12a, 22d, and 23d.

    Thanks to the setter and Falcon.

    P.S. It might be worth noting that the RUC no longer exists being replaced by the PSNI in 2001.

  16. This one flowed after a sticky beginning.

    My LOI was 19d as I didn’t know the verb chaff.

    I’m a huge fan of words ending with a p like the one in 1d as many of them are onomatopoeic. It’s such a good letter.

    The BRB having 18a as one word is another nail in its coffin.

    My podium is 10a, 18a (despite the one/two word issue) and 2d.

    MT to the setter and Falcs.

    3*/3*

  18. I enjoyed this kick-off to the cruciverbal week although if it was perhaps more of a word/anagram fest than a cryptic puzzle (if that’s not a contradiction in terms!). Not sure that 12a are “pipes”. I hadn’t thought about it but presumably11d are now more or less obsolete. Can’t name the setter with certainty however thanks anyway to whomever it may be and also to Falcon.

    1. Sorry XType, I hadn’t read your comment in 3 above but now I know who the setter was – thanks again.

  19. This felt to me like an old Monday and I enjoyed the solve. Maybe I was just on wavelength as for me the answers just flowed.I do kind of agree with some of the comments about the short lurkers , as they did seem rather too easy , however I am very much in awe of those who compile crosswords and am grateful generally for what they do and the odd ‘bone thrown’ is fine by me. Thanks so much to the setter and Falcon.

  20. Sorry but this really wasn’t for me, especially given its collection of very strange surface reads – 24a for example. Definitely one to shake your head at and move swiftly on! 20&25a were the only clues that raised a smile.

    My thanks anyway to the setter for his efforts and to Falcon for the review and music – a touch of a fresh-faced Cliff and the melodic tones of Smokey Robinson went down very well, thank you!

  21. Gentle reintroduction for me after a few weeks away. Agree with a lot of the comments above though; didn’t totally float my boat. Favourites were 3d and 15d.

  22. Well I thought it was a nice gentle start to the week, 1*/ 3*. Favourites 15a Chinese food, not normal 3d and 5a cricketer just to annoy people
    Thanks to X Type and Falcon

  23. Gentle, finished swiftly in a lunch-break while still providing time for other tasks. It’s good to have cryptic crosswords at a range of difficulties. I can now (often) cope with puzzles harder than this one, but me of a few years ago would have been delighted to encounter this, so I’m pleased it exists.

    My favourite was my last one in: 20d: smooth surface, with the argument needing to change pronunciation for its part in the answer.

    Wish we did have some 26a on (West) Yorkshire roads, though! The Leeds 26a was planned in the 70s, rejected in the 90s, approved in 2002, suspended in 2004, and re-announced last year, with a plan to start construction a mere 4 years later, finishing it by … 2040.

  24. A nice start to the (non) work week with this Monday puzzle. Lots of fun and smiles working through it.

    1*/4* for me

    Favourites 5a, 15a, 16a, 24a, 28a & 2d — with winner 28a
    Smiles for so many including winner and 5a, 27a, 16d & 23d

    Thanks to X-Type and Falcon

  25. A nice gentle entry into the week which should encourage some of the less experienced guzzlers. It all did what it said on the package and what more can you ask for on Monday. By Friday it will be moans and groans! Many thanks to X type and Falcon.

    1. “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”

  26. How some can carp at 18a I don’t know. The answer leaped out of the clue and one word or two was immaterial. As a half centurion of DT crossword and nudging 90 I like the odd easy clue as door openers to others – so in this case thanks to the compiler and if he or she (or they) is a newbie let’s have some more.
    I’m a first timer to the blog who often appreciates the comments more than the puzzles.

    1. Welcome to the blog, Bill.
      Now that you’ve introduced yourself I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter.

  27. Well said Anorak . Some interesting clues in a puzzle that stretched me, particularly in the south.I tried to make a connection between 4,16,17 and 25 thinking something very clever was afoot , but alas no .26 and 28 my favourites . Thanks to all .

  28. Unusually for me I found this puzzle to be quite straightforward and also most enjoyable. Lots to hold my interest, especially as I am a fan of both anagrams and lurkers! Glad to see X-Type dropped in earlier, that was my guess for the setter (guess being the operative word!). LOI was 1a – love that word “doggerel”. Also liked 24a, 28a and 3d, So it’s **/**** from me today. Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.

  29. A really nice solvable Monday Crossword Puzzle warts and all 😃 Hurrah! **/**** Favourites 26a, 28a & 15d 👍 Thanks to the unknown Compiler, hopefully a new Monday person and of course to the Falcon 🍻 🌞

  30. A nice gentle start to the week. I used a scatter-gun approach to the clues so didn’t notice the apparent 4 anagrams in a row.
    1d is a lovely word.
    As soon as I solved 5a I knew there would be the usual comments. I was just glad it wasn’t one of the more obscure cricketing positions such as silly mid off. (I’ve no idea if that should have been 1, 2 or 3 words or hyphenated and I’ve no desire to find out).

    Top picks for me were 10a, 12a, 28a and 16d.

    Thanks to Falcon and X-Type.

  32. Yes it was on the easy side but its a Monday!
    The inclusion of curmudgeonly in today’s crossword would have been apt after all the whining today, tsk. Does it really matter if the anagrams follow each other or are spread out, not everyone solves in order!🤷🏻‍♂️ And then batter gets dissed, an official word. Vive la différence and embrace the change! Go back to bed all of you and get out the right side! 🤣

  33. Relatively straightforward solve, just came a little unstuck in the SE corner, so had to seek assistance from the hints. Like others I am no fan of the new terminology at 6a and I also thought 18a was two words even though I had solved it. No particular COTD for me, nonetheless, thank you to the setter and Falcon for the hints.

  34. A very enjoyable start to the week for me.

    10a was my favourite.

    Thanks to X-type and to Falcon.

  35. Quite a few new words/terms for me today. 1a, 12a, 8d, 15d and 19d. A dnf due to 19d as both the meaning of chaff and the plant were new to me. I was trying to find a plant to put an L into.

    Thanks to all.

  36. Add me to the list of people who hate the term in 5a and wouldn’t have 18a as one word, Collins is usually wrong and the BRB is getting less right by the year. Apart from those minor gripes I really rather enjoyed this. I nearly broke with tradition and chose an anagram as favourite,1a, as its such a great word but I’ve gone with 1d as its an equally great word. Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.

  37. I’m afraid this one wouldn’t make it into my top 10 of Monday guzzles though I have no particular aversion to the term at 5a. That said I did quite like 10&12a plus 7&16d.
    Thanks anyway to X-Type & of course to Falcon

  38. Solved this on and off this evening but needed the hint for the second part of 11d (LOI). Possibly would have got it if I had persevered but I was getting tired and like Angelov I think the item is obsolete so it didn’t appear on my initial list of options (not that that is a criticism, as (some) obsolete items are allowed). Also like Angelov I don’t think 12a are pipes (but I solved the clue, nonetheless). Otherwise, a relatively gentle crozzie. COTD 15a for the simple construction and surface. Thanks to X-type and Falcon. **/***

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