DT 31068 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 31068

by Falcon  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31068

Hints and tips by Falcon

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating  –  Difficulty * –  Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Ottawa, where we are still on summer time but the weather is anything but summery. As Senf mentioned yesterday, North America won’t switch back to standard time until next weekend meaning for the next week the time differential between Ottawa and the UK shrinks to four hours from the usual five hours and plays havoc with my sleep routine when I am on blogging duty. We are also disadvantaged in the spring – and for a longer period of time – as North America goes on summer time three weeks prior to the UK

I might venture out on a limb and attribute this puzzle to X-Type (with the usual caveat regarding my dismal setter identification record). I don’t believe many will find it too difficult but it does demonstrate that such puzzles can also be enjoyable. I struggled more with the so-called Quickie.

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   Follow United, twice caught visiting player expected to do well (7)
SUCCEED — insert (visiting) the single letter for United (from the name of many sports teams) and two instances of the symbol for caught (found on cricket score cards) into the term for a player ranked according to ability so as to avoid facing other highly ranked players in the early rounds of a tournament

5a   Southern European peninsula, a very cold place (7)
SIBERIA — the single letter for Southern and a European peninsula lead to a very cold place in Northern Asia

9a   Reportedly regret nasty remark – rubbish! (7)
RHUBARB — a syllable that sounds like (reportedly) regret and a term for a nasty remark

10a   Cover sent back, Jane Austen novel in a difficult situation (7)
DILEMMA — a reversal (sent back) of the cover (of a bottle, perhaps) and a Jane Austen novel

11a   Film allowed one extremely Christmassy decoration (9)
MISTLETOE — string together a damp film, another word for allowed, and the outer letters (extremely) of ONE

12a   Cheer story about drug (5)
ELATE — reverse (about) a story or yarn and append the single letter name for a recreational drug

13a   Get rid of an area of arid land (5)
SCRUB — double definition

15a   Reptile running at gorilla (9)
ALLIGATOR — an anagram (running) of AT GORILLA

17a   Leaders nowhere to be seen in nice bland pic from Reykjavík? (9)
ICELANDIC — remove the initial letters (leaders nowhere to be seen) from three words in the clue

19a   Surpass former Church of England official, finally (5)
EXCEL — link together the usual prefix for former, the abbreviation for the Church of England, and the last letter (finally) of OFFICIAL

22a   Ground covered by renaissance art historian (5)
EARTH — a lurker hiding in (covered by) the final three words of the clue

23a   Small press stopping rent rising again (9)
RESURGENT — insert (stopping) the clothing label symbol for small and press or implore into RENT from the clue

25a   Time away from work – regularly sleep in, definitely (7)
LEISURE — extract a regular sequence of letters from SLEEP IN and annex a colloquial term for definitely

26a   Icon I’ve redesigned for Bill (7)
INVOICE — an anagram (redesigned) of the first two words of the clue; ignore the misleading capitalization of the definition

27a   Yard workers putting away whiskey deliveries (7)
YORKERS — the abbreviation for yard followed by WORKERS from the clue after removing (putting away) the letter represented by whiskey in the NATO radio communication alphabet; the deliveries are explained here

28a   Perfect place for pigs, in truth (7)
HONESTY — a synonym of perfect (as a verb) and a place where pigs are kept

Down

1d   Troublemakers below ship’s hull rummage, primarily finding crustaceans (7)
SHRIMPS — some mischievous troublemakers follow (below in a down clue) the initial letters (primarily) of three words in the clue

2d   Mission: Impossible star on Republican warship (7)
CRUISER — the surname of the Mission: Impossible star and the abbreviation for a member of the once Grand Old Party in the US; the actor spent part of his childhood in Ottawa and seemingly began his acting career here – in a Grade 4 class play

3d   Message upset the setter – then there’s trouble (5)
EMAIL — a reversal (upset) of a pronoun the setter would use in reference to themself followed by a verb meaning trouble or afflict

4d   Bad credit affected payment method (5,4)
DEBIT CARD — an anagram (affected) of BAD CREDIT

5d   Second lazy creep (5)
SIDLE — the physics symbol for second and a word denoting lazy

6d   Misbehaving lad bitten by dog becomes an American symbol (4,5)
BALD EAGLE — an anagram (misbehaving) of LAD contained in (bitten by) a breed of dog

7d   Unrestrained, sheep sound tired (7)
RAMPANT — a male sheep and the sound made by one who is exhausted after a long run perhaps

8d   Unprofessional American friend hurt when wings clipped (7)
AMATEUR — the single letter for American, a friend or pal, and HURT with the outer letters removed (wings clipped)

14d   Snake you once found on small English waterside building (9)
BOATHOUSE — join together a snake that could give you quite a squeeze, an archaic (once) word for you, the clothing label symbol for small again, and the single letter for English

16d   Key worker clocks MIT hired guards (9)
LOCKSMITH — another lurker, this one hidden (guards) in the three words preceding the indicator

17d   Fish with friend if at all possible (7)
IDEALLY — one of our usual fishes accompanied by (with) a friend or supporter

18d   Previously, nobleman and current king bored by Spain (7)
EARLIER — first join together a British nobleman, the physics symbol for electric current, and an abbreviated Latin king; then insert (bored by) the IVR code for Spain into the result

20d   Drunk circles clergymen (7)
CLERICS — an anagram (drunk) of CIRCLES

21d   Chance to win large aquatic mammal, hairy on the bottom (7)
LOTTERY — the clothing label symbol for large and a playful aquatic animal followed by the final letter (on the bottom in a down clue) of HAIRY

23d   Birds share crackers (5)
RHEAS — an anagram (crackers) of SHARE

24d   Flyer from party before noon (5)
RAVEN — a party often characterized as drug-fueled dancing to electronic music followed by the single letter for noon

I could almost throw a dart at the puzzle and name whatever clue it pierced as my clue of the day. However, I will go with the misbehaving lad at 6d because it gave me a chuckle – not to mention the opportunity for a great illustration.

Quickie pun:: PARR + FURTHER + COARSE = PAR FOR THE COURSE

On This Day …

… in 1973, Gladys Knight and the Pips started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Midnight Train To Georgia’. Their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records, it was the group’s 18th Top 40 hit and first No.1. The record won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus and has become Knight’s signature song. In Canada, the record peaked at No. 5 and in the UK – nearly three years later in June 1976 – it reached No. 10.

The song is sung from the perspective of someone whose lover, having failed to become a Hollywood star, is leaving Los Angeles to move back to Georgia, taking the titular “midnight train”. The singer expresses her commitment to accompanying him to Georgia.

52 comments on “DT 31068”

  1. A splendid start to the week that flowed from the off.

    My LOI was 23a as I couldn’t see past resurrect. I went for strip and scrap before arriving at the answer for 13a.

    27a isn’t the most difficult clue, it has to be said, but I understand why the setter went for it as it’s a nice surface. There are a couple of theories for its origin but I like ‘to pull a Yorkshire’ that means to trick or pull a fast one as it’s a very deceptive ball to face. Got to watch those dodgy Yorkies!

    I wish the setter had gone for ‘with a hairy bottom’ for 21d but that would’ve understandably not got the all-clear from the powers-that-be.

    My jaffas are 15a, 25a and 16d (a fine lurker).

    MT to the setter and Falcs.

    Great pun, btw!

    2*/4*

  2. Another great start to the crosswording week although the southwest corner held out for a time. It was 27a that eluded me, which is odd because the answer is staring one in the face. The lurker was well hidden at 16d and I liked the anagram indicator at 15a. My COTD is the snake once found at 14d because the answer gave great satisfaction once I realised it.

    The Quickie pun was suitably groanworthy.

    Thank you, setter for a most entertaining puzzle. Thank you, Falcon for your hints.

    1. 27a was my LOI of course, being a crickety one – it was guesswork! Glad to see you back in form – I’m still trying to win you a ‘mythical’.

  3. A very nice puzzle!
    I did the same as Tom, and tried to squeeze resurrect into 23a, but when I could not parse it, I had to rethink.
    Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon.

        1. Don’t even mention spellchecker!
          I’ve re-read my posts hours after I have submitted them, and have thought to myself, no way did I write that!

  4. Good morning. Read and fill from the outset. A great way to start the week. Plenty of fun clues 9a, 10a, 19a, 25a, 1d, 2d, 6d, 21d, and 23d, any of which could be COTD. Many thanks to the setter and Falcon for the review.

  5. 1.5*/3.5*. This made for a light and pleasant start to the week. I took slightly longer than I should have in the NE corner by initially writing the answer to 19a in the lights for 12a. I can’t blame that on my eyesight!

    Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon.

  6. Rather a cheery guzzle, I felt (for me, and I stress for me © Senf). Always rather a jolly start when there are one or two bung-em-ins to get one going.

    We needed to shake off the burden of Saturday’s match when The Mighty Chelsea succumbed to a supremely well organised Mackem side, so yesterday we went for a lovely walk around Chiddingfold.
    Why is the British hospitality industry collapsing? We saw this in a microcosm. We popped into the Inn where we were told they had run out of Diet Coke (my tipple), the kitchen was closed, and they didn’t even have any bar snacks (potato crisps etc). On a Sunday afternoon at 4pm.
    Build it and they will come; don’t build it and they won’t come; and that relates to service and atmosphere. You can have a lovely fireplace and stained glass windows, but if the experience is terrible, they count for nothing.

    Thank you for your indulgence, and further thanks to the setter and The Bird Of Prey

  7. I, too, fell into the resurrect trap for 23a, but failing that the rest flowed nice and frothily for a Monday. Loads of ticks on my page from which I’ll pick 14d, 13a and 17a. Honorable mentions to 27a and 2d. Thanks to compiler and Falcon.

  8. A perfect start to the cruciverbaling week, quite likely the work of X-Type – 1.5*/4.5*

    Candidates for favourite – 10a, 27a, 28a, 5d, and 7d – and the winner is 5d.

    Thanks to X-Type, or whomsoever if it is not he, and to Falcon.

  9. A good Monday level puzzle in the style we were once accustomed to before the DT team decided to bowl a few 27a’s at us! My favourite has to be 17d which reminded me so much of the enjoyable pairing of Mortimer & Whitehouse who have just started out on another of their meandering trips across the waterways. The unrestrained sheep also raised a smile.

    Thanks to our setter, E-Type sounds like a good shout, and to Falcon for the review.

  10. I was another who initially wanted to put resurrect for 23a. A gentle puzzle for the start of the week. I liked the Quickie Pun too.

    Top picks for me were 9a, 6d and 21d.

    Thanks to Falcon and the setter.

  11. A bright and breezy puzzle that matched perfectly the weather here in Shropshire. As our blogger mentioned, this was a great example of a grid not having to be difficult to be enjoyable. There were many candidates for favourite but I went for 21d.

    Thanks to our Monday setter and Falcon.

  12. Add me to the ‘resurrect’ club at 23a, although after spending too long unsuccessfully trying to parse it, the correct solution popped up when I realised I must have the wrong word.
    For the trouble it has caused us, I’d say it deserves COTD.
    A very decent Monday backpager, my thanks to our setter and Falcon.

  13. A pleasant & none too demanding puzzle that was pretty much the Quickie pun in terms of a return to the difficulty levels of recent Mondays, which is as it should be. From a raft of contenders podium spots go to 6&14d & 27a.
    Thanks to the setter (reckon X-Type a good punt) & to Falcon – MTTG was originally called Midnight Plane to Houston. GK & the Pips will always be the definitive version but there are plenty of other great covers – love Randy Crawford’s version.

  14. Pleasant start to the week. 12 across stumped me as I put in word that fitted the clue for definition and parsing but happened to be wrong. Good to be stumped like that. The novel is our eldest daughter’s name and she is mighty pleased with it. She pressed me to know where her second name Louise came from. Not at all pleased to know it was from Louis the Lamb, friend of Muffin the Mule. Like to name a baby when it is first seen but usually one is under the influence of pethedine.
    Many thanks to Falcon and our setter.

  15. Quite easy, but very enjoyable. 7d made me chuckle, and the clue to 9a also. Those are my choices for today. I wondered about 20d, the solution is slightly close to one of the words in the clue. Maybe, it’s just me.

  16. As everyone has stated, this was a nice easy entry for the week with no need for hints. Had to do it on the app as my hard copy was not delivered today, which I find cumbersome, so didn’t pick up a spelling mistake on 11a until I got “close but no cigar”. 14d and 27a had me scratching my head for a few minutes, but once I got them the rest fell into place.
    As a newbie, I’m still trying to get my head around terminology used in the comments… and don’t even think about me being able to identify Individual setters.

    1. If you have not done so already, have a look at the entries on the FAQ tab. There you will find explanations of the origin and meaning of many of the terms you will encounter that are unique to this site.

  17. A nice puzzle to start the non-work week I thought. Pretty straight forward with lots of smiles throughout.

    1.5*/4*

    Favourites 10a, 26a, 28a, 2d, 21d & 28d — with winner 28a
    Smiles for 4d, 6d, 20d & 23d to name but four.

    Thanks to X-Type? & Falcon

  18. I’ll join the resurrection club! The holdouts for me © etc. were the 27a deliveries even though I like my cricket and was thinking along those lines and the 14d building where I just couldn’t think of the snake. Ticks went to the 28a pigs’ place and the 18d Previous nobleman. Thanks to setter and Falcon.

    Now to return to Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all of which I missed whilst being away and jober as a sudge – try stopping the spellchecker on those!

  19. As you have mostly said, good Monday fare with 27a being my last one in. And then as the cherry on the cake, I finished yesterday’s Toughie so, as they say somewhere or other I am “well made up””. I thought the lurker was nicely covered up in 16a. We have an April day here apart from the temperature, which is cold. Sunshine and sharp showers. And of course the showers start every time I put my gardening gloves on to go and plant the last of the bulbs. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Falcon

  20. Agree with Falcon that this puzzle confirms that they don’t have to be tricky to be enjoyable. Sadly 27a stopped this from being all my own work, What little cricket knowledge I have comes purely from these crosswords, and this one totally eluded me. But the rest was a lot of fun. Especially as we had to be up early today for an 8am doctor appointment. Thanks to setter and Falcon.

  21. A very enjoyable start to the week, I also tried resurrect but the digital edition told me I was wrong. 14d was my favourite out of many excellent clues.

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

  22. Greetings from North Norfolk where we are staying in Wells-next-the-Sea for a week.
    The weather looks pretty good for the whole week, which is a real bonus.
    Apologies if I bore you all with bird sightings this week, but that is one of the reasons we are here.
    The star species today is a hawfinch, spotted at Lynford Arboretum on the way up.
    The puzzle was completed in the car. Don’t worry, I wasn’t driving.
    I liked the nasty remark at 9a, the picture from Reykjavik at 17a and the ground covered by the historian at 22a.
    CoD though, is the yard workers at 27a.
    A straightforward puzzle. Sterner tests await no doubt.
    Thank you setter and Falcon.

  23. All went smoothly with three quarters but then made life difficult for myself by putting in wrong only partially parsed 13a which led to a spanner in the works for the rest of the SW where I failed to identify 14d. 16d is certainly well concealed. Wonder why whisky with an ‘e’ in 27a. Am I alone in tiring of obtuse anagram indicators? Thank you Mysteryone and Falcon.

    1. Hi A

      Whisky without an E (for England and Eire) is Scottish (coincidence?)

      It has variations outside these isles but that gives you an idea.

      1. Thank you, CD.

        Your alias has piqued (great word) my interest. Is it one of these?

        1. You’re a sarf London boy
        2. You have a Cornish connection
        3. You’re a Lankastrian as you ‘evade Yorc’
        4. None of the above but I’ll tell you Tom
        5. None of the above and you’re never going to find out

        Completely fair if it’s the last option as it’s none of my bee’s wax.

          1. You could well be right, SC. But, my money isn’t on that one as his alias would be Dave Croye.

            It would be extremely random if it was, mind you, and I’d love him for it.

        2. Right on the first two; born and raised in Croydon and my wife is from Cornwall, (actually a Cowling), although are you confusing Croye with Croyde which is in Devon? Croye is just the name of my street. Don’t tell anyone!

    3. Sorry but I love the way setters use the obtuse anagram indicators, it makes the puzzles less predictable. We’re all different I guess

  24. Thanks to the Setter and Falcon for the hints. Typically easy Monday puzzle, enjoyable nevertheless. COTD 14d. LOI 23d. 11a a bit premature!

  25. Great start to the week. Bizarrely, my last ones in were 1A & 1D. Thanks to the setter and hinter.

  26. Good afternoon

    Perfect fare for a Monday. Not that I ever take Mondays for granted, mind – there were a few head scratchers in amongst ’em this afty. I’m particularly pleased that I got 27a (my COTD) because what I know about cricket could neatly fit into one square of the grid!

    Many thanks to our setter and to Falcon.

  27. You could well be right, SC. But, my money isn’t on that one as his alias would be Dave Croye.

    It would be extra random if it was, mind you, and I’d love him for it.

  28. Nice start to the week😃**/*** Favourites 17a, 23d & 24d (the last two were obviously for Shabbo 😬) though 23d would be a bit of a surprise! Thanks to the Setter and to the Falcon

  29. A nice start to the week for me too.
    Agree with Falcon that any one of the clues could be Cotd .

    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon.

    A beautiful day here in coastal Angus with a magnificent sunset over the Tay.
    Jolly cold, though.

  30. Completed quickly but I am also in the “resurrect” club: thought I simply couldn’t parse it but actually had the wrong word. COTD 16d for the construction and surface. Thanks to setter and Falcon. */***

  32. A good start to the week and just like the ‘old Monday’ puzzles. The answers slipped in easily though I held back on 27a for a short time as any clues relating to sport make me wary. I was slow to realise that 16d was a lurker but had a penny drop moment. I liked the Quickie pun but must admit the actual puzzle took me almost double time to complete. Many thanks to the setter and Falcon.

  33. Enjoyable start to the week. Foxed by 12A for some time so couldn’t get 8D to fit and was trying to think of alternatives – eventually got it! Favourites 9A and 7D .Thanks to setter and Falcon

  34. I did enjoy this one (even got the cricket clue which was confirmed by a more knowledgeable member of the team here) but came a cropper with 26a which slowed my otherwise good Monday time! Thanks to setter and Falcon.

  35. 1* / 4* I think it’s all been said already, I wasn’t a resurrectionist though. Many fine clues including the deliveries at 27a, the creep at 5d and the excellent lurker at 16d

    Thanks to setter and Falcon

  36. A late finish for me – a disjointed day as I am away at the moment . A straightforward puzzle to start the week . I am a ‘me too’ for the resurrection club 😀. Last one in was 27a , and was a word I had never heard of but managed to parse. Big eye roll when I looked up the meaning of the word to discover – of course a cricket ‘deliveries’ related word ! Thanks to the setter and Falcon.

Comments are closed.