DT 31057 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 31057

by Huntsman  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31057
Hints and tips by Huntsman

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty *  Enjoyment ***

A pretty miserable looking start to the day here in Harpenden so can’t muster up any enthusiasm for golf this afternoon.

Today’s offering from our regular Tuesday compiler is, in my view, pretty much on a par with yesterday’s puzzle in terms of difficulty. As ever concisely clued & entertaining with perhaps slightly more straightforward wordplay than can sometimes be the case with Anthony Plumb puzzles. I don’t anticipate many will require any help from the (hopefully correct) hints below but they’re there with the usual assortment of tunes.

In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.

Across

1a Announce doctor led race (7)

DECLARE: an anagram (doctor) of LED RACE.

5a Allowed relative time with regular characters in Leeds (7)

GRANTED: an abbreviation of a relative followed by Time & the alternate letters (regular characters) in LEeDs.

9a Distorted echo after Oliver maybe departs (7)

TWISTED: the surname of the Dickens character who asked for some more + (after) Echo (NATO phonetic alphabet) & the single letter for Died.

10a Watch Derek perhaps returning first tennis shot? (7)

OBSERVE: perhaps, in the same way as maybe in the preceding clue, tells us we’re looking for a Derek. In this instance not a chap – reverse (returning) the first name of an actress who shot to fame when she starred in a romantic comedy with Dudley Moore then append the opening shot in tennis.

11a Crucial this writer’s left a set of books (9)

IMPORTANT: link a contraction that may be said by this writer with a nautical left followed by A from the wordplay & finally a biblical set of books.

12a Pity the woman hugs in the morning (5)

SHAME: insert (hugs) the Latin abbreviation for before midday into a singular third-person subject pronoun for the woman.

13a Certain about onset of gold rush (5)

SURGE: place the 1st letter (onset) of Gold inside of (about) a synonym of certain.

15a Rum fellow and ruffian extracting large fish out of water (3,3,3)

ODD MAN OUT: link synonyms for rum, fellow & ruffian – you need to delete (extracting) the single letter for Large from the 3rd one.

17a What builder possibly did under the table (9)

PLASTERED: definition at the beginning or end or is it a double? I’m not sure but have underlined the end. Anyway the builder’s task is applying a protective layer to walls & ceilings & under the table (or oot the game) is one of the many idioms relating to an excess of alcohol.

19a Bored queen donning neckwear and diamonds (5)

TIRED: place the single letter for queen (Regina) inside of (donning) an item of neckwear then append the card suit abbreviation for Diamonds.

22a Frequently dull leader’s ignored (5)

OFTEN: delete the initial letter (leader ignored) from a synonym for dull/ease.

23a Ointment’s hiding odd parts of chap’s spots (9)

LOCATIONS: place a synonym for ointments around (hiding) the alternate (odd parts) letters of ChAp.

25a Feeling exuberant, at heart, ahead of proposal (7)

EMOTION: the central letter (at heart) of exubErant precedes (ahead of) a proposal that’s tabled.

26a Vehicle followed her, reportedly, in the East End (7)

TRACTOR: homophones  of a synonym for followed/tailed followed by the cockney pronunciation of her.

27a I stress about people in hospital? (7)

SISTERS: an anagram (about) of I STRESS.

28a Edward recalled father’s wishes (7)

DESIRES: reverse (recalled) a diminutive of Edward then append another word for fathers.

Down

1d Gives information about docks? (7)

DETAILS:  split the answer 2-5 & think the three blind mice for the context of docks.

2d Fastener for each ship (7)

CLIPPER: a type of fastener + a preposition meaning for each.

3d Modify table in church, we’re told (5)

ALTER: a homophone (we’re told) of the focus for religious ritual.

4d Labour overdue an upset (9)

ENDEAVOUR: another anagram (upset) of OVERDUE AN.

5d Crow’s leg initially stuck in butter (5)

GLOAT: insert (stuck in) the 1st letter (initially) of Leg into a butter that’s nowt to do with what you spread on your toast.

6d Fool isn’t welcoming cheers for helper (9)

ASSISTANT: start with a synonym for a fool then append ISN’T from the clue into which you insert (welcoming) an informal interjection for cheers/thanks.

7d Fuss after hot air rises north, producing fierce wind (7)

TORNADO: the usual synonym for fuss follows (after) a reversal of a synonym for hot air/claptrap & North.

8a Half of rude record by Parisian is most profound (7)

DEEPEST: 50% (half) of ruDE + an Extended Play record + the Parisian verb for is.

14d Great swimming in vest in river (9)

EXTENSIVE: place an anagram (swimming) of IN VEST inside of (in) an English river that flows through Somerset & Devon.

16d Devoted cadet died fighting (9)

DEDICATED: another anagram (fighting) of CADET DIED.

17d Series of steps for board game husband discarded (7)

PROCESS: a prefix meaning for  + a board game minus (discarded) the single letter for Husband.

18d A court is accepting old and new lawsuits (7)

ACTIONS: lego assembly as follows: A from the clue + the abbreviation for CourT then insert the single letters for Old & New between IS from the wordplay.

20a Roll containing ordinary chicken (7)

ROOSTER: place a synonym for roll/register around the single letter for Ordinary.

21d Abandons puddings, wanting abs, ultimately (7)

DESERTS: remove (wanting) the last letter (ultimately) of abS from another term for puddings.

23d All and sundry holding bags (5)

LANDS: hidden (holding).

24d Ducks guy almost found round lake (5)

TEALS: a truncated (almost) synonym for guy/rib with the single letter for Lake inserted (round).

 

23a would be my pick of the clues with podium spots for 4d (ironic surface) & 18d. Please tell us which clues hit the spot for you.

Today’s Quick Crossword pun: PET + EEK + HASH = PETTY CASH

Today’s listening whilst preparing the blog has been some Davy Knowles. He’s been touring with Band of Friends playing Rory’s music & they’ve just put out an EP of original stuff. Looking forward to seeing them at the blues festival in Jan at the 229 Club.

79 comments on “DT 31057”

  1. What we have come to expect from a Tuesday, a lovely puzzle with no obscurities.

    Top picks for me were 26a, 17a, 2d and 10a.

    Thanks to Huntsman and Mr Plumb

  2. I agree with Huntsman on the rating. Good Tuesday fun. Although I think only 3 anagrams and one lurker but nevertheless all went straightforwardly: our local river that regularly appears makes an appearance in 14d, 17a was amusing and 1d was excellent with my COTD being 5d. Thanks to Huntsman and our setter.

  3. 1* / 4* Another quite straightforward puzzle after yesterday’s with no hold ups. Plenty of wit and misdirection. Favourites include 10 out of 10 for 10a (it had to be), drunken builder at 17a and the classic docking at 1d.
    Thanks to setter and Huntsman

  4. Typically Tuesdayish! */****

    Candidates for favourite – 17a, 25a, 1d, 5d, 17d, and 18d – and the winner is 17a.

    Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

  5. 10a was my favourite from this pretty straightforward yet elegantly clued little gem from our regular Tuesday setter. It took a little more thought and time than yesterday’s offering, but not much.

    Many thanks to AP and The Hintsman.

    One moan if I may. I was doing the pangram this morning and was horrified that the word ‘woman’ was not in the word list. How can this be? I can’t help thinking that more people are likely to be upset by the non-inclusion of this word than the wokerati among the pro-trans lobby who might be offended. Utter madness.

    1. Hi, there was no ‘a’ so woman wouldn’t be included. I wanted women but this wasn’t allowed as it’s a plural.

      1. You saved me a reply. Can’t understand why moron isn’t in the list mind – derogatory but surely permissible?

        1. True. it wouldn’t let me have blag the other day and yet it comes up with words which would be added to Terence’s list in an instant.

  6. I confidently bunged in 1d as a usual about (re) and some docks (ports) to give me what I thought was a perfectly reasonable fit for the definition. When I sorted that out the rest went smoothly. I did like the duck at 24d as I sponsored a duck of that breed at the Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust via a Blue Peter competition in 1968. I called him Clifford, after a nearby village, and hope he went on to sire a whole flock.
    Thanks to AP and Huntsman. Cracking tunes as per…

    1. Hi Sloops

      It’s not often that there’s an alternative answer that parses perfectly but this is one of them. I put in ‘re’ initially before seeing 1a (great pic, Hunts, btw!)

  7. Some appealing definitions (15a, 17a) and fun surfaces (5d, 21d, etc). Best thanks to setter and Huntsman.

    1. Good afternoon, Alpington, me old cocker spaniel.

      Putting ‘etc’ is hilarious. I think you’ve done it before.

  9. Thanks to the Setter and Huntsman for the hints. COTD 5d. LOI 1d. Typical Tuesday puzzle fairly easy solve but not too easy.

  10. Hello all. Like yesterday’s, a read and fill requiring just a few more minutes. No stand out clues for me, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Thanks to the setter and reviewer m.

  11. Very straightforward, even more so than yesterday?
    Sterner tests await, no doubt.
    I liked the gold rush at 13a, the drunken builder at 17a, the Cockney vehicle at 26a, the Manx cats at 1d, the crow in difficulty at 5d and the busy court at 18d.
    Good fun while it lasted.
    Thank you setter and Huntsman.

  12. If anything, perhaps a tad easier than yesterday. Agree with 1* time. Loved the 1d info, the 17a builder under the table (good definition for a few I’ve met) and the 24d ducks. The usual super-smooth surfaces and concise cluing. Variety is the spice of life and I recall being impressed by the opposite type of clue yesterday where a lot of words were employed for a 5-letter answer but it was still a great clue, don’t recall exactly which though.

    So two great puzzles to start the week. Thanks AP and Huntsman.

  13. A slight step up in difficulty from yesterday’s puzzle but equally enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
    The pick of the bunch for me were 10a, 1d and 8d.

  14. Perfect for a Tuesday: lots of lovely cluing on a friendly grid.

    If you look at the awards and nominations for the actress (I use that term lightly) in the apt 10a, she had a nomination for 10 and one a year later for a Jupiter Award (German cinema) for, probably, the same film. She won four of the remaining seven awards for various films that were all Golden Raspberries, one being ‘Worst Actress of the Decade’. She was denied ‘Worst Actress of the Century’ by Madonna.

    My podium is 17a, 23a and 4d.

    MT to the prof and Hoots!

    1*/4*

  15. 1*/4*. This was, as expected on a Tuesday, light and very enjoyable. It was good to be reminded of Derek in 10a, which also gets my vote as favourite.

    It was a slight pity that the definition for 15a included one of the words in the answer.

    Many thanks presumably to AP and to Hintsman.

  16. All the expected Tuesday fun that leaves the solver with a warm, fuzzy feeling of satisfaction. Top clue for me was the crow with his leg stuck in the butter, followed by the sexy lady playing tennis.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb, presumably, and to Huntsman for the review and the clip of PP Arnold, the soundtrack that soothed so many broken-hearted teenagers in the 60’s…..

  17. A light delight of aguzzle which went in exceptionally quickly. Like others, I liked the Lego clue at 10a plus the 17a double definition and the 20d chicken tha ks to Huntsman for the hints. Like you, I find the mizzling rain off-putting so no gardening for me this afternoon. Thanks to Mr Mr Plumb for an enjoyable crossword.

  18. This week, this was definitely a ‘Typical Tuesday’ puzzle to my way of thinking. Dropped into place nicely.

    1.5*/4* for me

    Favourites 11a, 17a, 26a, 27a, 1d & 2d — with winner 26a because it made me laugh!
    Smiles for 1d, 2d & 17d

    Thanks to AP & Huntsman

  19. Good Tuesday guzzle with 17d being my LOI – thought of chess but was concentrating on a dance step. Hintsman to the rescue. 23a was a cracker and the inebriated builder made me laugh. I thought a duck’s guy ought to be a drake! Very many thanks for the entertainment and the hints on a dull, grey day.

  20. As yesterday this was another swift solve , and enjoyable too. Last night I was reading Saturdays prize puzzle blog, having been stumped by a few clues, where Steve Cowling mentioned ‘he’s struggling these days’, and I’ve been thinking the same about me. I think sometimes frame of mind, tiredness, and other things going on can throw us off kilter, or maybe just the setters wavelength. Thanks to the setter for giving me back my confidence ..for a few days at least , and Huntsman.

  21. I have to go into hospital to have my heart investigated. Not sure how long I”ll be away.

    1. Good luck, Steve – hope you will have full access to puzzles and WiFi, and receive great care from the 27A.

    3. Very sorry to hear that Steve. Trust that they’ll have you fighting fit soon & back to posting first cab off the rank ere long.

    4. Hope everything goes OK for you Steve and you’ll soon be back commenting with the rest of us.

    6. Hope they resolve the problem and you are back home again soon. We’ll be thinking of you

    12. Hope the investigations go well.

      We’ll miss you, Steve. We might need to set up a rota for people to take it in turn being first commenters!

    13. We will all be rooting for you, Steve, not to mention missing you. Every good wish and come back soon.

    14. Very best wishes for a successful outcome to your hospital stay and a speedy return home. Look forward to having you back among us again. 🤞💐

    15. Sorry to hear your latest news Steve. Hope all goes well with the investigations and you are back with us asap.

    19. Only just picked up on your message, Steve. None of us welcomes the idea of being an in-patient but it’s good to know that your concerns are being taken seriously and appropriate investigations being undertaken. Wishing you all the best and hoping you’ll be back amongst us very soon.

    20. Oh I’m so sorry. But take heart (🤭) I’ve had a dicky one for years, I’m too old to have surgery but you are nowt but a lad. They will have you tickety boo in no time and I’ll try and have a mythical to present to you! Much love. 🌼

  22. A lovely Tuesday puzzle with all right ingredients. 17d was my favourite.

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

  24. Hugely enjoyable, especially after most of the last week when I was seriously thinking of throwing in the towel. Made even better as it follows on from a gentle Monday. Almost DIY, except for 23a when I fixated on the wrong sort of spots and 20d when I mistook roll for the definition. Thanks to setter and Huntsman.

  25. Nice Tuesday fare 😃 ***/*** Favourites 9, 10 & 17a Thanks to AP and to the Huntsman 👍

  26. I thought it harder than yesterday. Just couldn’t find 1 down and 9 across. Even so, most enjoyable . Favourite was 17 across. Thanks to all.

  27. Started and finished quite quickly this afternoon and thought it was easier than yesterday because, as was stated previously by Madflower, there were no obscurities. Mind you I only knew the meaning of guy in 24d due to a previous solve a short time ago: I had not heard of that meaning prior to doing cryptics. COTD 5d for the parsing and surface. Thanks to AP and Huntsman. */***

  28. Thoroughly enjoyed a romp through this until 24d – plural is the same so why stick an S on? it’s the same with many duck for some reason.
    However many thanks to setter and Huntsman

    1. I think either option is acceptable & I guess the S option was required for the surface t’otherwise the guy wouldn’t have had a cat in hell’s chance of almost finding ‘em round the lake😀

  30. Another enjoyable puzzle. The top half went in very quickly but I had a few few parsing problems in the SW. Many thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.

  31. Good evening from Exeter

    I’m sat sitting in the messroom at St David’s having just seen off today’s crozzie. As is so often the case, I started off this morning before leaving for work. I got a few in, and a few more, and then stuttered to a halt with most of the lower half of grid still an inkless wasteland.

    Time and tea to the rescue this afty. Perfect pitch for a busy Tuesday.

    COTD, from quite a few worthy contenders, is my last to fall, 23d.

    Many thanks to the Prof and to Huntsman.

  32. That was a barrowload of Tuesday fun. Enigmatic but feasible clues and no need to waste time unfolding yet more silly disguises for anagram. SW corner delayed completion a bit. Was stupidly slow to parse my 7d bung-in. Of course spent time on 5d before ruling out butter fat. Thank you so much AP and Hintsman without whom I did in fact for once manage.

  33. I always enjoy an AP production and today was no exception. Bright and breezy, unlike the weather. LOI and favourite was 1d, it took me a while to see which is odd considering i have one who’s had two thirds of his off lying at my feet. Thanks to the aforementioned and Huntsman.

  34. Got there in the end but was something of a struggle compared to yesterday. Got stuck in the SE corner because I felt either option for 19a fitted the definition and I chose the wrong one. It was only a moment of inspiration in solving 20d which identified my error.
    COTD for me today, 17a, which I hope to avoid this Friday evening at a rugby club reunion dinner. Far too old for such malarkey.
    Thank you to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.

  35. We’ve been spoilt over the last two days. Thankyou to both compilers and hinters. So many great glues.

  36. I’m surely not the only one who threw REPORTS in for 1d before crossing it out? Rare case of an ambiguous clue!

  37. 2*/3* ….
    liked 26A “Vehicle followed her, reportedly, in the East End (7)”
    Best Wishes to Steve Cowling.

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