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DT 30986

by Gazza  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30986
Hints and Tips by Gazza

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ***  Enjoyment ***

I thought that this was set at about the right level (in terms of difficulty) for a Wednesday with my only real difficulty coming in the decipherment of the Quickie pun. I enjoyed the puzzle; thanks to our setter.

In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and indicator words (e.g. anagram indicators) are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons.

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Across

1a What perhaps ma’s saying after swearing? (6,2,6)
PARDON MY FRENCH: a more polite request for clarification than ‘What?’ followed by what ma means in ‘la plume de ma tante’ and in what language.

8a New honour overwhelming Liberal peer (5)
NOBLE: the abbreviation for new and an honour containing the abbreviation for Liberal.

9a Former politician left with frail ego at the end (8)
PORTILLO: assemble the naval word for left, an adjective meaning frail or sickly and the end letter of ego.
11a You must introduce Ted Ray’s funny song (9)
YESTERDAY: an old word for ‘you’ precedes an anagram (funny) of TED RAY’S.

12a Run off in race without son (5)
PRINT: a short footrace without the genealogical abbreviation for son.

13a Shell close to Ystwyth, Welsh river (4)
HUSK: the closing letter of Ystwyth and the river which reaches the Severn estuary at Newport.

14a Preface for journal gutted Updike (8)
PROLOGUE: a preposition meaning for or ‘in favour of’, an official journal and the outer letters of Updike.

17a Racers up for manoeuvring high-performance vehicle (8)
SUPERCAR: an anagram (for manoeuvring) of RACERS UP.

19a Ring with loop around precious stone (4)
OPAL: the ring-shaped letter and the reversal (around) of a loop or circuit.

23a See knight behind tragic king (5)
LEARN: the chess abbreviation for knight follows a Shakespearean tragic king.

24a Sleepy, good to sit in rocking chair next to Grant (9)
LETHARGIC: the abbreviation for good sits in an anagram (rocking) of CHAIR. That comes after a verb to grant or allow.
25a Notes boring climax for wedding party (3,5)
HEN NIGHT: two occurrences of an abbreviation for note are inserted (boring) in a synonym of climax or pinnacle.

26a Thanks for holding one altogether exhausted woman’s accessory! (5)
TIARA: a short word of thanks contains the Roman numeral for one and the outer letters (exhausted) of ‘altogether’.

27a Something to toast the Trotters after retirement? (3-5,6)
HOT-WATER BOTTLE: cryptic definition. This is nothing to do with the falsely-capitalised Del and Rodney; trotters here are human extremities and ‘after retirement’ means ‘in bed’.

Down

1d You blow this money on card game – large figure, ultimately (5,7)
PENNY WHISTLE: string together a low-value coin, a card game for four people, the clothing abbreviation for large and the ultimate letter of figure.

2d Puzzles and tricks entertaining English bishop (7)
REBUSES: a synonym for tricks or cunning plans containing the abbreviations for English and a bishop in chess.
3d Old busboy initially inspected and carried out orders (6)
OBEYED: the abbreviation for old, the initial letter of busboy and a verb meaning inspected or scrutinized.

4d Doctor pedals, ignoring a line for vehicles (6)
MOPEDS: one of our usual 2-letter abbreviations for a doctor precede the word pedals without the A and the abbreviation for line.

5d Fry drama shot in rural setting (8)
FARMYARD: an anagram (shot) of FRY DRAMA.

6d Deceptively polite student concealing vote in this survey? (4,4)
EXIT POLL: an anagram (deceptively) of POLITE and our usual abbreviation for student contain the letter that is used in the UK to register a vote.
7d Contacting mission (7)
CALLING: double definition, the second a mission or vocation.

10d Expensive Chelsea faltering in race (12)
STEEPLECHASE: an informal adjective meaning expensive is followed by an anagram (faltering) of CHELSEA.
15d Mint tea maybe inspiring with essence of honey (5-3)
BRAND-NEW: an informal word for a drink of tea contains a conjunction meaning ‘with’ and the central letter (essence) of honey.

16d Fool with lies and chatter before match? (8)
GASLIGHT: an informal verb to chatter and what a match (one which may be struck) is an example of. See here if you’re interested in knowing the derivation of the answer.

18d Kind of medication put on brow occasionally (7)
PLACEBO: a verb to put or position and occasional letters from ‘brow’.
20d Get a pan to beat for parade (7)
PAGEANT: an anagram (to beat) of GET A PAN.

21d Augusta tersely snatching ancient Greek coin (6)
STATER: hidden (indicated by snatching) in the clue.

22d Rubbish instrument’s interminable rhythmic tapping (6)
TATTOO: weld together an informal word for rubbish or worthless stuff and a word for an instrument or implement without its last letter (interminable).

The top clues for me were 1a, 27a and 15d. Which one(s) jumped out at you?

The Quick Crossword pun:  THOROUGH  +  MOANS    =   THE RAMONES

 

77 comments on “DT 30986”

  1. I’m sorry to say I did not get on with today’s offering at all. Quite a lot of the parsing was a mystery to me but I will, no doubt, kick myself when I see the hints. There was a moment of light in the gloom and that was Del Boy’s toast at 27a. I am sure others will thoroughly enjoy it but I was way off wavelength.

    Thank you, setter for the guzzle. You beat me fair and square. Thank you, Gazza for the hints, which I will now look at for explanations.

    I thought the pun was “theremins” but I’m sure there are other interpretations.

    Can I echo, Gazza’s comments and urge lurkers to come forward and join us. 😊

  2. I’ve always reckoned Wednesdays are the new Fridays, but not this week.

    The clues fairly flew in (I’m tempted to use the warm tea analogy, but that got some people very exited some while ago!)

    Not a scribble on the paper, a good sign that everything went smoothly.

    The only one I can’t see the why of is 16d, so will see the hints.

    My two of the day are 1d and the very funny 27a, well done to our setter great fun.

  3. 2*/2.5*. A curate’s egg Wednesday again for me with some good clues offset by some with unconvincing surface readings and 1a is far too contrived for my taste.

    3d was particularly irritating. Why use an American word when there must be a plethora of British words beginning with B which would have been suitable?

    Thanks to the setter and to Gazza.

  4. Is the pun the name of a founding punk band from the early 70’s?

    Gentle crossword */*** 1a and 27a worthy of a mention. Thanks setter.

    1. Brilliant, Wahoo! (And indeed, setter.) I was Steve Cowling in only having thought of ‘theremins’, which doesn’t really work.

      Though these days they feel less like a band and more like a T-shirt brand …

  5. Yep, Wahoo’s got it, I reckon. Great band. Super stuff again. Nice definition at 12a, lovely 14a Updike reference and 15d’s a cracker. 1a is outrageous! Brilliant. Best thanks to setter and Gazza.

    1. If I’m going to update the Quickie pun on the blog with the name of this band I need someone to tell we what it is because my knowledge of punk bands of the seventies (or any other era) is zero.

      2. How about :

  6. I agree with SC above. I finished but a few were bung ins and one proved incorrect, when I managed to solve more of the crossers. In the end after reviewing the clues I couldn’t parse I managed to parse most of them so only need the hints for 1A and 25A.
    I blame the appearance in our shower room of the snake shown in the attached picture, (the picture is of the actual snake not a downloaded version), for my inability to fully parse the puzzle.
    Thanks to Gazza for the hints and to the setter.

    1. And to think I get jumpy on seeing a house spider in the shower … Rather you than me, Tyke – what sort of snake was it?

      1. I’m petrified of spiders but snakes don’t worry me in the slightest, me dad’s afeared of toads, funny old world……

      2. This response from a Thai FB friend who seems to know what he’s talking about but I’m not sure the description of it not being dangerous fits with mildly venomous and sharp teeth.
        งูปี่แก้วลายแต้ม – Banded kukri snake
        It is a mildly venomous snake, not dangerous, but has sharp teeth.
        Its fav dish is Egg😄🥚
        https://thai-snake.blogspot.com/2016/06/banded-kukri-snake.html?m=1

        1. Handsome beasties, but whether only mildly venomous or not I’d stay well out of its way – I see the banded kukri gets to about 60cm in length, while the small-banded kukri (your link, native to your part of the world) gets to 115cm!

          How on earth did you get it out of your shower (hopefully no James Bond tactics)? Or did it slither off of its own accord?

          1. Luckily, (for me), our houskeeper discovered it before me and persuaded it down the drive with a mop handle. After that it was taken to it’s new home in some deserted wasteland, not too nearby.

    2. Don’t have to worry about snakes here but I had the ‘pleasure’ of sipping a drink last night without spotting the wasp. It stung me on the inside of my lip! It’s still sore today!!!

  7. Threatened at first glance to be more challenging than turned out to be the case – in the end the only delay to a swift completion was working out what was going on in 16d. Great puzzle despite the overly high anagram count, good surfaces, some very clever clueing. Honours to the laugh-out-loud 1a, with runners-up 14a, 27a, 15d and 16d.

    Many thanks to the setter (Twm?) and to Gazza – great blog.

  8. This was great fun with lots of excellent constructions and plenty of excellent surfaces.

    1a, which is hilarious, smacks of the envelope-pushing Mr Tumble.

    Obviously, I’ve never heard of 21d but it was perfectly gettable.

    Lots to pick from for the spoils but I’ll go with 1a, 27a and 16d.

    MT to the aforementioned and The Big G.

    2*/4*

  9. Not for me I’m sorry to say but I do enjoy 9a’s railway journeys and loved the cartoon accompanying 18d. The only reference I can find for 17a is a children’s TV series from the early 1960’s – is that what our setter had in mind?

    Apologies to our setter and many thanks to Gazza for the review and incidental extras.

    1. Nowadays cars like Ferraris are referred to as supercars, more exotic ones like the McLaren P1, or a Bugatti Chiron are Hypercars.

  10. Curate’s egg Wednesday which probably means it is a Twmbarlwm production – 2.5*/3*

    Candidates for favourite – 8a, 27a, and 2d – and the winner is 27a.

    I’m going to go with Gazza’s interpretation of the Pun.

    Thanks to Twmbarlwm, or whomsoever if it is not he, and thanks to Gazza.

  11. Straightforward enough, but still enjoyable.
    My ticks are with the toasted trotters in 27a, the money blown in 1d and 27d’s rubbish instrument.
    Thanks to the setter and Gazza.

  12. I’m with the ‘difficult to get on the compiler’s wavelength’party. I did finish the puzzle but, like RD, i found some of the surface reads less than satisfactory and ,like SC, I found the parsing elusive. I liked the Lego/ anagram at 10d, the Greek coin lurking at21d and the complicated Lego instrument so well-misdirected at 1d. Thanks to the compiler, an interesting guzzle but a bit of a curate’s egg, as others have said. Thanks also to Gazza for the hints, which I beeded to unravel some of the parsing

  13. A really good puzzle which fell into place reasonably swiftly after a less than productive first pass. 27a’s toaster was my favourite with 1d and 15d runners up. Thanks very much to the setter and to Gazza for the cartoons etc.

  14. Good fun this and a decent step up in difficulty from earlier days this week. 27a was my standout favourite and final entry, as I was looking for somthing that wasn’t there along the lines of a cockney saying or similar. Nice misdirection.

    Many thanks to our midweek setter for the challenge, and to Gazza.

  15. A step or two up in difficulty from yesterday. The Southwest corner caused most trouble, but got there in the end. My LOI was 16d. No standout clues for me, so no podium.

  16. I’m in complete agreement with Steve C (including – util Wahoo’s post came in – the quickie pun).

    Not for me I’m afraid today. Apologies to the setter for not being up to the task, and thanks to Gazza for explaining the many answers that I had had to bung in.

  17. This was tricky in places and needed more head scratching than often but overall I enjoyed it. I needed to check the parsing of a couple. 27a was my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Gazza for the hints.

  18. I found this challenging but very enjoyable once I’d parsed my answers. Didn’t know of 21d previously but it was easy enough to get.
    LOI was 10d.
    Top picks for me were 27a, 15d, 1d and 13a.

    I had pheromones for the quickie pun.

    Thanks to Gazza and the setter.

  19. Strange mix of opinions today but what floats one boat may sink another. For me, I really enjoyed today’s offering and didn’t have any real difficulties, though wasn’t sure of the parsing of 1a even if though I had the answer but thanks to Gazza for enlightenment!
    **/****

  20. Well I am in the boat floated camp, done with little crumpet scratching early doors.
    Loved the Trotters particularly, but a lot of fun elsewhere.
    Thanks to Twm and Gazza

    And even though Gazza isn’t,
    “Sheena is a Punk Rocker”

  21. Found this rather gentle for a Wednesday. I’d agree with RD that 1a is a little ‘stretched’ but really liked the sleepy 24a, deceptively polite 6d and the 16d fool.

    Thanks to setter and Gazza for confirming a couple of parsings.

  22. 2*/4* I think this could be my favourite setter always seem to enjoy them. Top clues today include 1a tres bon, 11a Beatles song and the popular 27a warmer.
    Also liked the quickie pun once it was pointed out by Wahoo
    Thanks to setter and Gazza

  23. I found this far more difficult than today’s Toughie by Hudson (which I recommend to those who never venture into Toughieland).

    Thanks to the setter and to Gazza for the blog. As always, great cartoons with extra points today for the Rebus.

    ps. Gazza, it would be interesting to know more about the site statistics. On a daily average, how many lurkers are lurking?

    1. On a weekday the site gets around 12,000 page views (more on Saturdays and Sundays) so you can tell from the number of comments how many view without leaving a comment.

      1. That’s remarkable, Gazza, even with return visits & therefore multiple views, when you consider there are often fewer than 100 posts in a day.

      2. Hi Gazza
        Long time lurker here.
        As you can see I don’t get to look at the blog until this time of day so don’t see the point in joining in but I do enjoy reading the comments and feel like I know you all.
        Helen

        1. Welcome to the blog, Helentax.
          Now that you’ve introduced yourself I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter. Don’t worry about commenting late in the day – all comments are read and 6pm isn’t really late!

        2. Welcome, Helentax. As Gazza says, all posts are read no matter how late they are posted – even if it’s the following day so please comment as much as you wish. Your input will be most welcome. 👍😊

  24. Thank you, Twm: great fun, with the 12a being my favourite clue, for the time it took for me to think of that meaning of ‘run off’.

    And that quickie pun is one of the best ever! I really should have got it, especially after watching a stream of Helen Love playing at an Italian festival on Sunday, who mentioned The Ramones in several of their songs, including You Can’t Beat a Boy Who Loves The Ramones. Anyway, here’s Joey with one of my favourite cover versions:

    Thank you also to Gazza for confirming some parsing and the bonus puzzle in the 2d illustration.

  25. Another Wednesday puzzle i didn’t really enjoy. Guessing Twm as setter. … I am no expert, but parsing unfathomable to me in at least 50% of clues. I agree with Steve Cowling’s first paragraph in comment 1

    3*/2.5* for me

    Favourites 11a, 5d, 10d, 18d & 20d — with winner 10d & 18d runner-up

    Thanks to setter & Gazza

  26. Struggled to a finish with three of Gazza’s hints to the rescue. For the smile factor alone my cotd was 27a. Thanks to compiler and Gazza.

  27. Disappointingly difficult today, not helped by my being in a rush to get out the door to a doctor’s appointment. But did enjoy Monday and Tuesday, so can’t complain. Perhaps it will all make sense to me later. Thanks for setter and Gazza.

  28. On one of my occasional de-lurking visits (if that’s not a word, it should be) to say I thoroughly enjoyed this one and completed without help (unusual for me). Many thanks to Gazza for hints which were needed for parsing, and to setter.

  29. Have been at Ardingly Antiques Fair all morning.Met daughter Emma over there. Finally got to our puzzle and what a fine offering although it was a real step up in difficulty. Some clues were a bit convoluted but I got there unaided. Did look up Welsh rivers but as there were so many jettisoned even looking through them. Favourite was definitely 27 across with 4 down. Pleased with the puzzle, pleased with my antique finds and feet definitely up. Thanks to all.

    1. Ardingly is a great fair. Unfortunately, we never got to visit and had to find stock at other fairs. because it was a bit too far to travel. Did you pick up any bargains?

  30. Hello All – I confess to being one of the non-contributing viewers, my excuse being that I usually log in late in the day by which time there is not much I can add. I am however really grateful that you all give your time to help people like me improve their solving skills, so this is a good time to ‘come clean’. I finished today’s challenge without too much trouble but needed the hints with some of the parsing, 10 down was last one in – just couldn’t see it.
    Thanks to Gazza and the setter.

    1. Welcome to the blog, boxerjack.
      Now that you’ve introduced yourself I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter. Don’t worry about commenting late in the day – all comments are read.

    2. Welcome to the bloggingtons, BJ.

      I am hoping you were once a grocer.

      Happy delurking!

  31. MrG and I diddn’t enjoy this at all with its hard to access wavelength followed by some really strange clues (e.g. 26a). Anyway it’s good that it obviously did appeal to some bloggers – chacun à son goût! Thank you Twm and Gazza particularly for all the amusing cartoons
    Sorry, I can really spell didn’t if that’s the problem?!

  32. Thank you to the Setter and Gaza for the hints. We completed this in good time without resorting to hints. COTD 27a. Enjoyable with a few clues that had us scratching our heads. Well worthy of the mid week slot. Gary and Val

  33. Very enjoyable. 10D was an accurate summary of last season’s Premier League, and 27A was hilarious. VMT Setter and Gazza.

  34. Twm certainly seems to divide opinion. I’m definitely in the enjoyed it camp & after a bit of a crumpet scratch twigging the parse at 1a it all flowed nicely for a brisk(ish) completion. Enjoyed the peripheral clues together with 9,12&14a + 6&15d.
    Thanks to T&G – love the 6d cartoon

  35. Newbie here as well. Just don’t get the capitalising of trotters in 27a. Why????

    1. Welcome to the blog, Peter.
      The capitalisation is there as an attempt by the setter to mislead us into thinking of ‘Only Fools and Horses’. Setters are allowed to capitalise words in this way (but not to change usually capitalised initial letters to lower-case).

    2. After this perhaps.

    3. Welcome, Peter! It’s good to have you aboard. Please keep commenting because we’re all getting fed up with each other!!🤣🤣

    4. Hi Peter. Welcome to the blog . Those pesky setters like to mislead ! See you again soon I hope.

  36. I don’t find it easy to get on this setter’s wavelength but did manage about half today. Always a fan of Mr Portillo so that was my favourite. Thanks to Huntsman for the Sotheby’s clip, really made me laugh. Thanks also to Gazza for the much needed hints.

  37. I am a regular lurker and have commented occasionally. However, I love reading your comments and learn a lot on the way. No regular finishes without your help but perhaps one a fortnight!!
    Definitely a new word for me at 21 down but guessable ( is that a word?)
    Thank you to all who make these challenges understandable

    1. You’ve changed your alias (you were previously HPterms) so this required moderation. Both aliases will work from now on.

  38. Thank you for the blog Gazza, and thanks also to the setter. I’m one of those lurkers you mention, although I do comment from time to time, but only when I think I’ve something to say. Comment or not, I appreciate all the effort put in by setters, and more particularly the bloggers, for those times when I get stuck. And it’s nice to read others comments, even when I’m keeping quiet.

  39. For me this wasn’t a case of it being difficult but being led up the garden path and falling for it every time leaving me chasing fireflies. Once I realised I had been gulled again the answer was fairly straightforward. I did enjoy this despite all the palm of hand on forehead moments. 🤦‍♂️ Favourite was 20d, one of those garden paths. Thanks to T and Gazza.

  41. So I stared at this one for quite a while and ..nothing. I thought it was going to be a DNF. Then I went off to the hairdressers and with some thinking time got 1d ,and then I was off. A nice steady solve with some clever clues I thought. One thing , I stalled at 15d , as I checked with my new friend AI’s ChatGPT , and it told me that ‘mint’ is not the same as ‘brand new’ , so I left it blank until nothing else would fit. I couldn’t parse it either. In the end bunged it in. So I contest 15d based on the views of my very (albeit artificially) intelligent techno friend. Thanks to setter and Gazza.

  42. Good evening

    Well, that was a challenge, and one that’s kept me going since I started at 5pm. I have to be truthful and mark today down as a DNF because I just couldn’t twig 16d, despite having all the even-numbered letters. Having checked with Gazza, it’s obvious!

    The standard of clueing was tremendous, and I’m hard pushed to choose a COTD, but I’m going to plump (if, as they used to say on Call My Bluff, plumping is allowed) for the hilarious 1a and 27a as joint winners.

    The consensus seems to be that today is a Twmbarlwm production; in which case many thanks Twmbarlwm and also many thanks, Gazza.

  43. Thank you to all solvers, and extra thanks to Gazza Gazza Hey. (Terrible Ramones joke.)

    Thanks also to the editor Chris Lancaster, and Michael Baker, James Brydon et al for their hard work, tolerance and attention to detail, and here’s to the upcoming centenary of the Telegraph crossword!

  44. 3*/4* ….
    liked 27A “Something to toast the Trotters after retirement ? (3-5,6)”

  45. I invariably enjoy Twmbarlwm’s cryptics and look forward to them. This one was a delight to solve.
    27a was my favourite. From the numerous ticks on my printout I have also selected 1a, 11a, 25a, 1d and 15d for special mention.
    Many thanks to Twmbarlwm for the super puzzle.
    Many thanks for the excellent review Gazza. I didn’t know that about 16d. Very interesting.

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