DT 30230 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30230

by 2Kiwis  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30230

Hints and tips by 2Kiwis

BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ****

Kia ora from Aotearoa.

We’re back home again after our sojourn in the South Island. We ended up being two days longer than planned as Cook Strait ferry disruptions meant we were stranded in Picton for a couple of nights. Great to catch up with family and friends in the south. Meanwhile much of the North Island (but not where we live) has been devastated by cyclone Gabrielle. This has been an unprecedented weather event for New Zealand. It is going to take years and untold billions to get things back to where they were.

At last we are back to crosswords again after what has been the longest break from solving for us for many years.

An enjoyable solve and we’ll not even hazard a guess at who the setter might be until we wake up tomorrow morning.

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

Across

1a     Military assistant‘s funny idea — leg it! (4-2-4)
AIDE-DE-CAMP : An anagram (funny) of IDEA and a word meaning leg it or move on.

6a     Understood husband is a fan of dark clothing (4)
GOTH : Understood or comprehended and then H(usband).

9a     Catty remark from Ms Farrow? It hurts! (5)
MIAOW : The first name of Ms Farrow and a two letter expression of pain.

10a     Someone who gives you drive in car without current tax (9)
MOTIVATOR : An informal term for a car is outside (without) the physics symbol for current and a type of taxation.

12a     Soldiers relaxed around hotel in Harrow, say (7,6)
PRIVATE SCHOOL : Low ranking soldiers, then a hip word for relaxed contains H(otel).

14a     Turncoat in retreat defied a general? Not completely (8)
RENEGADE : A reverse (in retreat) lurker (not completely) hiding in the clue.

15a     Lad keeping grass exactly right (4,2)
SPOT ON : An alternative name for grass or marijuana is inside a synonym for lad.

17a     Sharp suit ruined with tea I dropped (6)
ASTUTE : An anagram (ruined) of SU(i)T and TEA with the I removed.

19a     Recall e.g. Michael Stipe losing one million (8)
REMEMBER : Start with a 3,6 description of Michael Stipe’s musical connection and remove the first M(illion) from this.

21a     Bob penning long chapter that’s terrifying (5-8)
SPINE-CHILLING : Bob in the old currency contains long or yearn and C(hapter).

24a     Miss going to social events? (9)
DEBUTANTE : A cryptic definition.

25a     Wise guy? (5)
ERNIE : The first name of a comedian mentioned in the clue.

26a     Rudimentary building in Slough (4)
SHED : A double definition. The capitalisation of the last word is misdirection.

27a     Parliament organised a sit-in — these people may demand regime change (10)
DIETITIANS : A Parliament found in Japan and other places and an anagram (organised) of A SIT IN.

Down

1d     Before noon, doctor’s rounds (4)
AMMO : The two letters for before noon and a medical officer.

2d     Impassive cathedral bigwig pocketing 500 per year (7)
DEADPAN : The cleric in charge of a cathedral contains Roman numeral 500 and the abbreviation for the Latin per year.

3d     Drinking with cryptic setter in capital location (7,6)
DOWNING STREET : Drinking or guzzling and an anagram (cryptic) of SETTER.

4d     Order round for military group (8)
COMMANDO : Order or direct and then the round letter.

5d     Satisfied concerning poet’s rhythm (5)
METRE : Satisfied or was adequate and the two letter ‘concerning’.

7d     Not at home, on job in remote settlement (7)
OUTPOST : Not at home or absent and then a job or situation.

8d     Extremists run into bad luck (10)
HARDLINERS : A 4,5 expression for bad luck contains the cricket abbreviation for runs.

11d     Deputy leader pens directive with a new order (4-9)
VICE-PRESIDENT : An anagram (with a new order) of PENS DIRECTIVE.

13d     Attacks team in Norfolk region (10)
BROADSIDES : The famous flat area of Norfolk contains another word for team.

16d     Utterly determined, this man will gamble around noon (4-4)
HELL-BENT : The short way of writing ‘this man will’ using a pronoun and apostrophe, then gamble or wager contains N(oon).

18d     Metal cover for sewer? (7)
THIMBLE : A cryptic definition. If you’re scratching your head you’re probably mispronouncing the last word.

20d     I bag one wild flower (7)
BEGONIA : An anagram (wild) of I BAG ONE.

22d     Is this caught in North India? (5)
HINDI : An all-in-one lurker. A synonym for caught here is heard.

23d     Information from all directions (4)
NEWS : The four cardinal compass points.

Our favourite this week is 27a because of the great misdirection.

Quickie pun    sigh    +    collar    +    gee    =    psychology

84 comments on “DT 30230”

  1. Needed a puzzle of this calibre to cheer up a gloomy drizzle drenched Sandhurst!
    Great clueing all around, with some multi-word answers which I for one really enjoy.
    Last one for me was 27a, hadn’t heard of the first part of the answer used in that context before, so had to check in the dictionary. Also is the answer to 12a more suited to our friends over the pond, don’t we call it quite the opposite here? Too many favourites to name them all, but particularly liked 8d and 13d. Many thanks to our setter for brightening the day.

    1. George was born in Sandhurst (his father was on the staff) and I thought the sun always shone there!

    2. We could use some gloomy drizzle here in South Florida. It’s winter, the dry season, but hotter than normal for February, so garden looking rather parched.

  3. Very enjoyable if somewhat gentle. Top quality clueing throughout, especially appreciated the cleverness of the wordplay on going over the parsings. However it was unfortunate that the “wise guy” made his second appearance in two days and for me the only slightly weak entry.
    I thought 8,19a (nice to have a vaguely contemporary musical reference) and 30a plus 3,16&22d were particularly good.
    Many thanks to, I’m happy to hazard a guess, Robyn and thanks and welcome back to the Ks….and Many Happy Returns to Rufus, a setter I cut my cryptic teeth on.

  4. Really good fun, and easy to get into. Thank you so much to the setter (Robyn?). I think I finished quite quickly (for me), but it’s hard to tell because the website timer thingy kept running while I went off to make a packed lunch and check trains for Spouse, and plait the 8-year-old’s hair.

    I particularly liked 1a (“leg it!”) and 8d (“bad luck”), and my favourite was 19a (“Michael Stipe”). Here’s a relevant video, with a song which didn’t stand out when I first heard it on the album but I later found really powerful when performed live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDy3MunXDTI&t=25s

    The parliament in 27a was new to me (I spent a long time trying to fit owls in there!). Thank you to 2Kiwis for explaining 21a; after putting it together I had a spare H left over.

  5. 15a. Not difficult but beautifully clued throughout & real fun to solve. 27a (my clear favourite) made me wonder if it might be a gentle Silvanus production so might have a speculative 2 bob there. A host of ticks elsewhere too numerous to mention. A definite ***** for enjoyment in my book.
    Thanks to the setter & 2Ks.

  6. A witty and thoroughly enjoyablev rossword, in fact the most enjoyable puzzle in a long time. It’s diffixcult to pick favourites amongst so many good cluesbut1a, 3d 2d and 9a were great fun. Thanks to the Kiwis for the hints and glad tohear that your part of the North Island wasn’t vas badly hit by the cyclone as some other areas. Thanks to the compiler for a highly entertaining puzzle.

  8. An enjoyable puzzle with military theme in some of the clues and answers in the top third with 1a, 1d, 4d and 12a.

    Put in Religion on the initial quick scan for 19a until a more careful examination of the clue led to the correct and more fitting answer.

    Many good clues but favourites must be 19a, 24a and 1d.

  9. Thoroughly enjoyable today. I particularly liked the multi-word answers with some clever clueing. I’m used to spelling 27a with a C so that held me up a little and it took far too long for the penny to drop with 6a, my LOI. Difficult to pick an absolute favourite today but my crowded podium includes 10a,12a, 19a, 3d and 22d. Thanks to our setter and the 2Kiwis – good to have you back.

  10. Finished OK but didn’t know who Michael Stipe was or the Japanese parliament – my five bob says that will go on Terence’s THE LIST. Maybe its in the extremely useful document The Mind which I have only just discovered. Anyway, thanks to all for the fun.

    1. I had no idea of the Japanese involvement in 27a! The parliamentary reference was familiar to me from history at school all those years ago – Martin Luther, the ** of Worms etc. I knew it from its German/Prussian roots, but was fascinated to read just now that it is because of those roots that the Japanese parliament is so named in English.

      1. If you want a laugh about worms and diet I can recommend Hamlet IV, 3 about the death of Polonius.
        It ends with the classic …
        Claudius: Where is Polonius?
        Hamlet: In heaven. Send thither to see. If they find’st him not there, seek him i’ the other place yourself!
        (That will have got the groundlings cheering!)

        1. Hamlet not generally being known for its laughs, I’ve always enjoyed the Tom Stoppard spin off about R&G, for insights into which I shall be eternally grateful to an inspiring English master long ago.

          Sebastian Baczkiewicz wrote a rather good prequel drama to Hamlet called Elsinore – two series set in an alternative reality Europe, the first in the 1930s, the second in the 1950s.

          1. Played in front of Tom Stoppard once.
            A parody of his play Artist descending a staircase which became Artist solving the French case in which I played Michelle from the resistance…. not saying anyone.

      2. I too remember that parliament associated with Luther. Silly school girls giggling about Worms! I’ve never forgotten it though!

  11. Quite clearly not the work of the Wednesday maestro I’ve loved for three years but a generally clever and accomplished cryptic, falling short of those qualities in the SE, however (weak clues at 25a, 23d). I rather liked 3d and 27a and the Michael Stipe clue, but surprised at the ‘private’ reference in 12a (an American-type reference?). Doesn’t feel like Robyn to me but maybe just an off day, if it is he. Thanks to the Kiwis (and welcome back) and today’s setter. **/***

    1. I now think that ’tis I who had the off day, not the setter (though at 7 pm your time, we haven’t heard from our wordsmith). I have read through the comments again, as well as all of the clues, and wonder why I felt such a frisson of disappointment–probably because it wasn’t Jay and I’m just an old sentimentalist. This is a much finer cryptic than I thought back in the wee hours.

      1. That is remarkably considerate of you, Robert — most people having decided they weren’t keen on something wouldn’t then reflect on it, let alone post an update questioning their own earlier opinion!

        The rest of the internet could learn a lot from you …

  12. North led the field for this delightful solvel. 27a (alternative spelling for me) was last in but finally became Fav with 6a running up. Needed helpl Never heard of 19a or REM. Thank you Mysteron and 2Kiwis (welcome back to you and commiserations to everyone affected by the dreadful Cyclone Gabrielle).

  13. A remarkably friendly crossword, enjoyable but possibly rather more of a Monday than Wednesday challenge, and completed similarly swiftly to yesterday’s puzzle. Great surfaces throughout and plenty of smiles. Hon Mentions to 19 & 24a, 3 & 16d, with COTD to the wonderful 27a.

    0.5* / 2.5*

    Many thanks to the Setter and to the 2Ks – glad you are back safely and untouched by the awful devastation of that cyclone.

  14. finished but really struggled with the parsing of 19a. I’m more classical than modern so I had no idea who he was.
    enjoyed though, thanks to Ks

  15. Great crossword, completed in coffee break time (admittedly our coffee breaks are 30+ mins long!!). No idea who the setter is, but loved the style with a bit of everything to maintain interest. No need for dictionaries or electronic aids, but have never heard of Michael Stipe so will now have to look him up! Solved the clue by word shape though. Favourites 1a,21a and 3d. LOI 18d. Many thanks to 2 Kiwis and our mystery setter.

  16. 1.5*/4*. This proved to be a light and fun antidote to the miserable weather here in London today. Nice to get a reminder of the excellent REM. Michael Stipe has already lost his religion and now one million too. :wink:

    With plenty of good clues to choose from, my podium comprises 1a, 27a & 3d.

    Many thanks to the setter and a warm welcome back and thanks too to the 2Ks.

  17. I really enjoyed this, and managed to complete it despite not understanding 27a until I read the hints. Another new fact to try and remember!
    I thought 19a was clever and was my favourite.

    Thank you to the 2kiwis, I am glad you are safely home and to the setter for the entertainment.

  18. A great Weds puzzle which felt a little more Monday/Tuesday-ish. So */**** for me. Some really elegant clueing- and we have good ‘ole Ern and Mr Stipe in the same crossword !
    Liked 1a , 14a (gotta love a good lurker), but my pick of the bunch was 3d.
    Thanks to setter and 2K’s

  19. Guess the setter day! Interesting to see that, in the Monday Newsletter, our esteemed editor identified NY Doorknob (Paul Bringloe) as “one of our Wednesday compilers” but it can’t be him as he is on Toughie duty in his alter ego of Donnybrook. Following his recent statement, almost certainly not Jay so I will join with StephenL and hazard a guess at Robyn.

    Very enjoyable and a good midweek challenge. I managed 19a without having a clue about who Michael Stipe is or was and an eyebrow raised at the oxymoronic 12a. **/****

    Candidates for favourite – 15a, 21a, 5d, and 16d – and the winner is 15a.

    Thanks to Robyn and to the 2Kiwis – very pleased to hear that you got home safely and that you still had a home to get back to. And, of course, Happy Birthday to Rufus.

  20. Super puzzle, very enjoyable to complete. So many excellent clues it’s a job to choose the favourite but my choice would be between 1d, 3d and 27a.
    Thx to all
    **/*****

      1. Imho your last comment makes little or no sense Brian: surely 1d, which you admit to liking is slang, yet you say the quickie is full of slang and the poorer for it. That said, neither Shropshire lass or I could find any slang in today’s quickie. On the positive side, I agree completely with your sentiments regarding the cryptic puzzle. Difficult to pick a favourite, but I would opt for 10 and 12a as my two. Thank you setter and 2Ks.

  21. Not my cup of tea I’m afraid. Got through it but with too many bung-ins to be satisfying.
    Had absolutely no idea who Michael Stipe was which didn’t help.

    Thanks to the setter and to the 2 Kiwis.

  22. This was a terrific puzzle and I had ticks all over the paper. I liked the very neat 6a and it reminded me of the wonderful sights of a particular weekend in Whitby. I liked the surface of 1d and the risqué 15a raised a smile. I enjoyed the drink with the cryptic setter in London but my COTD is 13d.

    Many thanks to the setter for the fun and the 2Ks for the hints.

    Happy Birthday to Rufus. :good:

    1. Sorry, 2Ks – I should read the hints before commenting! I would have seen your picture had I done so.

    2. I sold my grandmother’s black silk mourning veil on eBay thinking it was going to a museum or costume collector but no, it was bought by a Goth in Brighton who wrote to thank me rapturously and asked if I had any more items to do with death !!

      1. When Mrs C and I were antique dealers we specialised in Tunbridge Ware. However, given my connection to Whitby, we also dealt in Whitby Jet. Most of the jet jewellery was bought by Goths, who were the nicest folk you could meet. It’s a pity jet became associated with mourning (thanks to Queen Victoria) because a lot of it is quite beautiful.

  24. A top-notch puzzle that brought smiles galore – thanks to Robyn (?) and 2Ks.
    I’ve never heard of Michael Stipe so needed Mrs Google’s assistance there but on finding out who he was I thought the clue was great.
    Very difficult to choose a podium from such a galaxy of clues but I’ll go for 24a, 27a and 8d.

  25. For me one of the one of the best crosswords of the year so far. Yes it was straightforward, but it was full of wit and lovely smooth surfaces.

    1*/5*

    If I had to pick a favourite it would be a toss up between 3d & 19a LOI 22d

    Thanks to setter and the 2Kiwis.

  26. Clever, doable and funny.
    Poor Michael Stipe has lost not only his religion but now also a million.

    I wonder if there is any other language where a gem like this or 18d could exist. Notwithstanding the latter’s genius.

    Thanks to all.

  27. Another Wednesday puzzle that once again does not feel like a Jay offering, much as expected.
    Nonetheless an enjoyable solve with a few chuckles along the way.

    1*/4* my rating today.

    Favourites include 15a, 24a, 25a, 3d, 13d & 16d with my winner 13d but a tough choice as all were winners.

    Thanks to setter and 2K’s

  28. A pleasant puzzle with 27a as my pick. Tricky to identify the compiler for this one, not NYDK, not Jay: who else is an occasional midweeker?

    My thanks to Mister Ron, and especially to 2K for their nice blog.

    1. Robyn was introduced as a new backpage setter in an article a fortnight ago. I enjoyed that day’s puzzle, and felt this one had a similar vibe to it — but note that Robert Clark above disagrees! We’re all just guessing here.

  29. Enjoyable while it lasted. I think the Setters are in a good mood today – the Toughie isn’t too troubling either.
    I had to bung in 19 as I’ve never heard of him. I suppose Harrow is private even though it’s public!
    I rather liked 6a and 2d.

  30. I have obviously heard of REM but not it’s lead singer, so 19a was a bung in. That aside, this was gentle but fun, with my vote for top spot going to 8d (and yet another cricket-themed clue).

    Thanks Robyn and the 2Ks.

  31. Fourth puzzle in succession I have managed to finish without hints or reveals. I spend most of my puzzling time wondering when this good run will come to an end to bother about the quality of the clues. I suppose they cannot be too esoteric or arcane as I have finished them but tomorrow the thunder, lightning, rain, locusts flies, blood etc will descend.

  32. Very nice puzzle 😃 **/**** Favourites are 18a, 27a & 13d. Thanks to the 2 x Ks and the Compiler 👍

  33. Great puzzle, I was a shiny, happy person on it’s completion ;) I grew up with REM and saw them live back in the day so I had COTD nailed down early on. 18d did a good job of misdirecting me so that gets runner up. **/****

    Thanks to Robyn (?) and 2Ks

  34. Excellent clues barring 18d (is this cryptic?) with good old REM getting a mention. Thank you setter and 2Ks … hope the north island damage is repaired in time for your winter

  35. Another corker! I loved this. I did have to look up Michael Stipe, the name looks like a politician to me, I have no idea why. In the end I had to use word search for 8d, couldn’t work it out, just dim on my part. I did hesitate to write in 12a, then I thought it just had to be. I liked so much, maybe 3d is fave, I’ve just finished reading a book on Margot Asquith’s 3d years, or 20d, I’ve got lots of them here in the sitooterie.
    Thanks to our setter for the fun and to the 2Kiwis for the hints and pics. I’ll bet you’re glad to be home!

  36. Lovely guzzle. And I have a feeling that 18d is actually really cryptic, certainly very clever. Also liked 21a and 2,3 and 12d – the latter making me think of Manders and the delicious fresh shellfish she enjoys. Glad to see the Kiwis back safely, a pity that so much damage can be caused by something with such a pretty name – Gabrielle. And thanks also to the gifted Mr Setter (or Miss/Mrs of course, must be Woke).

  37. Busy afternoon here – much of it spent watching young granddaughter practising her dance moves on Skype!
    Enjoyed today’s puzzle and had a long tick list. Podium places went to 21a plus 2,3&16d with the last of those probably being my favourite.

    Thanks to our setter (Robyn?) and to our 2Ks who are thankfully back home safe and sound. Big shout out for a happy birthday to Rufus.

  38. That was a real treat. So enjoyable. Too many good clues to mention. 14a was my last one in as I missed the reverse lurker until I revisited. Many thanks to the setter and to the 2ks.

  39. Morning all.
    Two lists we would like to add our name to this morning. One is of those who thought the setter was Robyn and the other is of those who had to Google Michael Stipe.
    Pleased to see general agreement that this puzzle was a real pleasure to solve though a bit surprised that what we thought was a very good Quickie pun does not get mentioned in the comments to date.
    Cheers.

  40. Gentle offering for a Wednesday, I thought.
    Full of fun and enjoyment.
    Many a smile eg 9a and 16d.
    And cunningly placed lurkers eg 22d.
    Crowded podium with 21a the winner.
    Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Kiwis.

  41. Very enjoyable and a steady solve – 27a last in. Michael Stipe gave us “All the way to Reno” and “Losing my religion”, both 1990s anthems. Good stuff. Got that one but anything related to golf or cricket and I’m stumped. Thanks to all.

  42. Had to check the singer in 19a to get the gist.
    Liked the leg it! in 1a.
    Thanks to the setter and to 2 kiwis for the review.

  43. I really enjoyed this crossword. Thanks to the setter and the 2 KS. I see that the answer for 22d is ‘caught’ as a lurker but could not see where the synonym for caught referred to in the hints came into it. Can someone explain please.

    1. We parsed this as ‘in’ being the lurker indicator and ‘caught’ being a synonym for ‘heard’.
      Hope that makes sense.

  44. Good evening
    Because I’m at work this afty/evening, I started the crossword at home over lunch and finished it just now, on my break. Very enjoyable, a couple of witty touches, and another mention for Ernie Wise! Particularly liked 19a, Michael Stipe! Nothing particularly cringeworthy today, though. Thank you 2Kiwis and thanks to our compiler.

  45. I was doing ok for the first two thirds, and then I must have lost my thinking head. Last third took too long, and I needed hints to finish. I did get 19a despite having no clue who Michael Stipes is. COTD for me is 21a, followed closely by 3d. Probably because I got them both early on. Well good practice for the Thursday work out I guess.

    Sorry to hear about the NZ cyclone. Do hope everything is ok for 2Kiwis and their family and friends.

  46. I’m afraid this was a ‘perfectly straightforward until it wasn’t’ for me with 2 across clues in the SE being the offenders. I always find Wednesday’s challenging, always tackling it after the usual brain mangling quiz with herself which I lost by a distance this time. Same reservations about 12a as others. Favourite was 24a with 21a coming a close second. Thanks to the setter and 2K’s.

  47. I had never heard of Michael Stipe. The only stipe I knew was the short form of Stipendiary magistrate now called District Judge ( Magistrates’ Court). I got it from the synonym with the checkers without knowing why. Doubted myself with 27a as I spell it with one T and one C. I hesitated also with 22d. It had to be right with the lurker but did not understand the relevance of caught. I thought quite unusual but good. 1a was straight in which is a good sign. Showing my age 21a was my favourite. Others were 15 and 27a and 16 18 and 23d. Thanks setter and 2Ks.

  48. 2*/5*…..
    liked 27A “Parliament organised a sit-in — these people may demand regime change (10)”

  49. This is no doubt far too late for anyone to see it (hectic week in the real world!), but I did want to say many thanks indeed to the 2Kiwis for the great blog, as well as to everyone dropping in to share their thoughts.
    Best to one and all!

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