Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30872
Hints and tips by Senf
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment *****
A very good Wednesday morning from Winnipeg where I am sensing that the Puzzles Editorial Team’s ‘tinkering’ with the batting order continues. Twmbarlwm was moved up to Number One on Monday and, while Mr Plumb retained his position at Number Two yesterday, I am prepared to put two half crowns on today’s setter normally being lower in the batting order than Number Three.
For me, etc (I have to say that for Terence), this was a very enjoyable solve with some smooth clueing and it was just as enjoyable to prepare the hints.
Candidates for favourite – 1a, 19a, 1d, 7d, 10d, 20d, and the Pun.
In the hints below, the definitions are underlined. The answers are hidden under the Click here! buttons, so don’t click if you don’t want to see them.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Jumpy character who may surprise us and quit TV? (4-2-3-3)
JACK-IN-THE-BOX: A (4,2) slang term for quit and an informal (3,3) term for TV – Clodagh Rodgers sang this as the UK Eurovision entry in 1971 coming fourth so she must have received several more than ‘nul points’!
8a Ammunition factory aeroplane’s radar captures heading west (7)
ARSENAL: A reversed lurker (captures heading west) found in two words in the clue.
9a Salesperson is economical with the truth giving answers (7)
REPLIES: The abbreviated form of a synonym of salesperson and a four letter term equivalent to is economical with the truth.
11a Foreign banker’s gold company keeps in Tokyo ultimately (7)
ORINOCO: Heraldic gold and the two letter abbreviated form of company contains (keeps) all of IN from the clue and the last letter (ultimately) of TokyO – I was going to illustrate the hint with this fellow, but Celtic Woman performing an Enya classic is much better.
12a American retreats when facing black bear (7)
SUSTAIN: The reversal (retreats) of the two letter abbreviation for American placed before (when facing) a verbal synonym of black (which I can assure you is in the BRB).
13a Core of idea entertained by suitable expert (5)
ADEPT: The middle letters (core) of iDEa contained by a three letter synonym of suitable.
14a Exercise equipment doctor trialled, Mike admitted (9)
TREADMILL: An anagram (doctor) of TRIALLED containing (admitted) the letter represented by Mike in the phonetic alphabet.
16a Command Macedonian criminal to leave area (9)
DOMINANCE: An anagram (criminal) of MACEDONIaN with one a for Area removed (to leave area).
19a Saw team back from physio in morning (5)
AXIOM: Once again, not a saw that is used for cutting – the Roman numerals that can represent the number of members of a team and the last letter (back from) of physiO all inserted into (in) the Latin based abbreviation for morning.
21a Hugged premier of Greece, extremely drunk (7)
GRIPPED: The first letter (premier) of Greece and a slang synonym of extremely drunk.
23a Engineer trains a skilled worker (7)
ARTISAN: An anagram (engineer) of TRAINS A.
24a Fruit from Asia, it is cut regularly by mum (7)
SATSUMA: Alternate letters (regularly) from ASiA, iT iS cUt placed before (by) a two letter synonym of parental mum.
25a This writer’s pieces essentially used to be great (7)
IMMENSE: A pronoun based contraction equivalent to this writer’s, a term for the 16 pieces on an 8 x 8 board, even though at least two of them are female, and the middle letters (essentially) of uSEd.
26a Detective to visit suspect with anger (12)
INVESTIGATOR: An anagram (suspect) of TO VISIT and (with) ANGER – although it probably doesn’t help in solving the clue, another opportunity to display a favourite detective and his red Jaguar.
Down
1d What barmen sometimes add to whisky, right? (7)
JUSTICE: A (4,3) phrase for what someone may ask a barman to add to whisky, but only this one thing.
2d Plot emerging from Tory clubs two months before Christmas (7)
CONCOCT: The abbreviated from of the political party that is also referred to as Tory, the single letter for Clubs in a pack of cards, and the short form of the month two months before Christmas.
3d Telling off about books obtained criminally (3-6)
ILL-GOTTEN: An anagram (off) of TELLING containing (about) the two letter form of a collection of 39 books.
4d Levels of society mostly brought up making pastries (5)
TARTS: The reversal (brought up) of a term for levels of society with the last letter removed (mostly).
5d Head down, King sat for portrait that’s unveiled (7)
EXPOSED: The Latin term for king with the first letter removed (head down) and a single word term for sat for portrait.
6d Hoardings at intervals above a motorway displaying eastern art (7)
ORIGAMI: Alternate letters (at intervals) from hOaRdInGs placed before (above) A from the clue and the designation of a UK Motorway – but it wasn’t the first motorway, that was the Preston By-Pass which was ‘absorbed’ into the M6.
7d Kevin maybe wrongly nagged over small breakfast dish (5,3,4)
BACON AND EGGS: Guess someone named Kevin, it a could be one of these two and I suspect it is the one on the right then add an anagram (wrongly) of NAGGED placed before (over) the single letter for Small.
10d Resolute individual, disliked (6-6)
SINGLE-MINDED: Synonyms of individual and disliked.
15d Raising tax popular? At heart Green member claims that (9)
ELEVATING: The middle letter (at heart) of GrEen, and one of our limbs (member) contains (claims that) the abbreviated form of a tax, which was introduced on April 1st 1973, and the two letter synonym for popular.
17d Flipping fabrics I order getting wet (7)
MOISTEN: The reversal (flipping) of all of open fabrics, knotted into meshes, I from the clue, and the abbreviation for an order that recognises distinguished service.
18d Record song after summit of nations for planet (7)
NEPTUNE: A (vinyl) record that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album and an informal synonym of song all placed after the first letter (summit) of Nations.
19d Essay, article on European politician tense Times defends (7)
ATTEMPT: One of the indefinite articles placed before (on) the single letter for Tense and the single letter for Time repeated (Times) which contain (defends) the abbreviation for European politician
20d More bananas with meal daughter put away holding appeal (7)
INSANER: The main meal of the day with the single letter for Daughter removed (put away) containing (holding) the abbreviation of a term for the power of attraction.
22d Sketch from current broadcast (5)
DRAFT: A homophone (broadcast) of a synonym of (air) current.
Quick Crossword Pun:
DUPE + LEAK + EIGHT = DUPLICATE
A super puzzle and I concur with Senf regarding the smooth surface of the clues. My only hold up was a self inflicted one in 19a – read ‘in the morning’ and ‘back’ and bunged in Maxim. This of course made the down clues impossible! Took me twice as long as the rest of the puzzle to spot my error! Great puzzle and thank you to the setter and of course thanks to Senf for the hints which I shall enjoy reading now.
I wrote maxim too! It was a puzzle of two halves, the top half was a write in but the bottom was a bit of a stinker.
Another for the maxim camp!
This guzzle wasn’t that easy to fathom, particularly the bottom half. I found the wordplay difficult to interpret at times, although, as the checkers went in, it became easier to find answers using them and the definition. 1a was a nice cryptic definition, 7d a good anagram and 11a a nice geographical lego cluez with good misdirection. Thanks to Senf for the hints and to the compiler.
I agree with what Senf says about tinkering at Telegraph Towers but I still enjoyed this especially the planet which sent me to listen to one of the best bits of Holst.
Thanks to our weird but wonderful Wednesday setter and to the super Senf
A reasonably quick but thoroughly enjoyable solve this morning with 1d, 4d and 5d near the top of my list of favourites, which was topped by 7d. I can’t think of KB without being reminded of Jason Lee playing him in a particularly ludicrous episode of Yacht Rock in which Jimmy Buffett tricks Kenny Loggins into writing another movie theme. Thanks very much to the setter and to Senf for the excellent hints.
I must have been tuned in to the setter today, as I found this quite easy, particularly for a wednesday. Some great clues in there, topped by the brilliant 1d. Thanks to the setter and Senf for hints.
Thoroughly enjoyable Wednesday offering. Getting 1a immediately always sets me up for a good solve. The only thing that I needed to check was the word for extremely drunk, which was new to me (not the word, but the context) I’ve led a sheltered life! Ticks aplenty today so no overall favourite but podium potential for 19a, 1d, 25d, 17d and 19d. Thanks to our setter and Senf
I’m with you there Mhids, I’ve never heard that phrase and only once been legless. Very merry very often but only once out of control. I hated the sensation, never again!
I can only remember George and DD2 putting me to bed!
Me too on not knowing the extremely drunk term. I spent quite a while trying to force ‘DK’ into the answer somewhere, but those really aren’t letters that want to go together.
I’m sure if Rabbit Dave were on duty he would inform us that it is a US term.
The only qualification that the BRB has on the synonym for extremely drunk is that, as I show in the hint, it is slang.
On the Collins website, this meaning does not appear in the entry from Collins English Dictionary. It appears only in the entries from the American Webster’s dictionaries where it is identified as US slang.
Of course, Senf, I should qualify the above by saying that just because US sources make a claim doesn’t guarantee that it is true.
Never heard of it over here either. But true facts don’t seem to be in fashion right now.
I’m another one who has never heard of 21a meaning drunk.
I also found this fairly straightforward, but hugely enjoyable. Plenty of smiles during a satisfying solve.
1a put me immediately on pangram alert, but it was not to be.
Ticks for me are: 1a, 9a, 12a, 16a, 19a, 23a, 1d, 2d, 6d, 10d & 18d.
Joint winners for CoD are 1a and 1d.
Great stuff, setter and many thanks to Senf.
Very enjoyable indeed – many thanks to our setter and Senf,
My printout is littered with ticks from which I’ll select 1a, 1d and 10d for my podium.
Can’t say I pegged it as a Smooth production in the solve but reckon Senf’s wager (unlike State Man in yesterday’s Champion Hurdle, who looked home & hosed until his last fence tumble) a likely visit to pay-out counter. A quick grid completion with the drunk synonym the only unfamiliarity – more used to it in the context of physique. Oddly enough I was attempting to sip my first cup of tea for over 14hrs following a back tooth extraction from a mug decorated with a whole genre of Scottish words/phrases describing a state of extreme inebriation – blootered, wellied, moroculous, gassed, Buckied, steamin’, stocious, cabbaged, fleein’, reekin’ & my favourite oot the game.
Excellent puzzle with ticks aplenty – 1,16,19&25a plus 2,3,7&15d particular likes.
Thanks to the setter & to Senf
As others have said, 1a being an immediate write-in made for a swift start to a puzzle where there was then little reason to slow down. Some odd surfaces but a gentle and enjoyable solve with which to greet the dawning sun. COTD 2d with runner-up 6d.
Many thanks to setter and Senf
I found the top half much easier than the bottom half. An enjoyable puzzle with just the drunk term new to me in that context.
Top picks for me were 15d, 1d and 25a.
Thanks to Senf and the setter.
Greatly enjoyable. The intersecting 1a & 1d were joint favourites today.
Welcome Mr Setter and thanks to you and senf.
For me, and I stres for me (© Senf) this was a tip-top guzzle in that I didn’t need any help, which is unusual for me.
Yesterday (bit of a full day) we visited Mick Jones’ Rock and Roll Library pop-up exhibition just off Denmark Street. Behind me in the photo is Trellick Tower where (early 1980s) I helped Joe and Paul set up a short-lived pirate radio station – Radio Clash.
With the aim of broadcasting across London, they put the aerial up, but positioned it upside down so the transmission barely reached Notting Hill. Glory days.
Dunno why the photo has decided to fling itself to the left, but there we are.
Then (yesterday, not 1980) we went to the Soho Hotel for afternoon tea, and much later, supper at Little Italy (excellent) in Frith Street.
London was very empty indeed, both in terms of traffic, and people on the streets. I have no theory about this.
Thanks to the setter and my pal, The Man From Manitoba
Afternoon tea AND dinner? Sybarite! You will be needing quite a few nice little walks to shake that off.
The very mention of Trellick Tower sent a cold shudder down my spine. One of the betting shops I used to oversee was in a parade of shops in its shadow & to say that it was challenging would be an understatement
Enjoyable and fairly quick solve for me today. Failed to understand the appeal in 20D without the hint and then realised I hadn’t seen that particular two-letter abbreviation for a while.
Thanks to all – love this site 🤗!
*/***
I found 19a a bit messy with the clue referring to the letter T three ways but apart from that I thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle especially Kevin’s breakfast at 7d and the detective at 26a
**/****
Thanks to setter and Senf
Seems like the setter of this Wednesday puzzle swapped places with the usual Wednesday setter, as this was more like a Monday offering.
1.5*/3.5* for me
Favourites include 1a, 21a, 25a, 7d & 18d — with winners 1a & 7d
Smiles from 9a, 1d & 10d
Thanks to setter (Robyn?) & Senf
This was a really excellent midweek puzzle that was chock full of entertaining clues. Unusually, I picked the anagram at 16a as my favourite, although in truth there was a long list of potential winners.
My thanks to our setter for the challenge and to Senf.
Very easy for a Wednesday, which flies in the face of my recent Wednesdays theory.
Not held up nowhere, not no how, all just fell into place.
My two of the day where 15d, and the brilliant 1d, great fun!
Totally agree that when 1a goes in straight away the world seems brighter. Just a very nice doable guzzle getting a bit more difficult going south. I didn’t like the wording of 20d but that’s just me. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Senf. 1d is favourite.
A great puzzle which I’m rating as ***/*****. Loved 1a and the clues around it fell in relatively quickly. However came to a grinding halt around 16a and 19a which ended up being the last two in and pushed me into *** time. No idea who the setter is but congratulations to him/her on providing an entertaining solve. Thanks also to Senf for the hints.
This seemed pretty middlish to me. I certainly didn’t find it as simple as some did, and I think it would’ve taken me longer than Monday’s backpager did if I hadn’t spent so much time during the latter trying to find a Sarah & Duck clip which featured the shallots but didn’t mention them in the visible YouTube title …
Thank you to Senf and the setter. My favourite is 22d’s current broadcast.
PS: Nice to see the picture of Roland Rat’s friend Kevin the Gerbil. I’d heard of the Kevin in the answer but didn’t actually know what he looks like.
That clears that one up then – I had no idea who it was
A very enjoyable puzzle spoilt, for me by 20d for which I needed Senf’s confirmation. I struggle with the concept of being more insane. Surely one is either sane or insane? Anyway rant over. Many other good clues from which I’ll pick 6d as my cotd. Thanks to compiler and Senf
Like Smylers I found this puzzle a little odd. Who is Kevin? Solved but with many question marks in the margin.
But, thanks to the setter and Senf for explaining a couple of answers.
Am I the only one who is curious that regular commenter Jane has been absent for some days? I did drop her an email but have had no response.
I was going to ask the same thing. Also Kath seems to have been absent for some time. Hope all ok with both.
To quote from an email that I received from Jane’s older daughter last Thursday:
“Mum’s laptop has died” – Further bulletins awaited.
As to ‘Who is Kevin?’ The Human one is actor Kevin Bacon, quite successful apparently but I can’t recall seeing any of his films.
The other one is Kevin the Gerbil a TV puppet character who was a ‘companion’ of Roland the Rat first on ITV then BBC in the 1980s.
T’was the gerbil I didn’t know – I thought he was Roland 😀
Any news on Kath?
I really dislike clues like this. In my view one should be able to solve a cryptic clue from within the clue itself. But trivial GK should never be part of the clue.
Moan over😎
As it happens I just had an email from Jane’s daughter. She’s fine, but her laptop isn’t! But it should be soon.
Good news
Kevin Bacon, a very popular US actor who has been in many films.
A puzzle of 2 halves. North very benign, south much trickier. Added maxim as the saw without reading the fodder, which did not help.
1d favourite for me today
Thanks to senf and setter
2*/4.5*
2*/3*. I’ve been very busy today and I thought I had posted hours ago, but it looks as if I didn’t!
I enjoyed this mostly but a couple of the surfaces didn’t quite pass muster. Also, I am convinced that the term for extremely drunk in 21a is American. Collins, which IMHO is far more sound than the BRB in identifying Americanisms, is 100% supportive of this assertion although, to be fair to the setter, Chambers doesn’t agree.
1d was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Senf.
P.S. even Plusword is not immune to the insidious creep from across the pond. Today’s puzzle had an American spelling for one of the answers!
A smooth solve today with 1d as a really neat clue; even managed to fathom the foreign banker having never heard of it … thanks Senf for the musical illustration from Enya and thank you compiler
Interesting to read all the comments today being later to the party. Got the four long clues around the edges and three-quarters of the grid were almost write-ins. Was going to say, “wow, this is a Monday on a Wednesday” but then the SE, oh the SE. Joined the “Maxim” camp, which didn’t help but needed the hints to understand the parsing of 25a, 19d and 20d. Had to read and re-read the hint for 19d! Favourite has to be 1d. Thanks to the setter and Senf for the hints and the lengthy explanation of all those t’s in 19d!
What a lovely surprise for a Wednesday, and after an enjoyable Tuesday. But we deserved both after Monday being, well, not Mondayish. 1a jumped off the page at me as we still have one (the toy) tucked away in a closet, well used by our children and grandchildren and hope to pass on to future great grandchildren some day. Kudos also to 1d, delightfully cryptic. Only foiled by the new word for drunk in 16a and the questionable synonym for black in 12a. Otherwise top marks to the setter, and thanks to Senf. And looking forward to seeing Kath on here again when she has her computer up and running.
Agreed re 12a. Stains can be colours other than black.
Similarly re 18d, tunes can be played on musical instruments as well as being sung.
In neither case is there a direct synonym.
Setter here, unusually moonlighting on a Wednesday but it does mean that I have the great pleasure of Senf providing the Hints and Tips. Many thanks indeed to him and to all those solving and commenting.
Kevin Bacon is perhaps known more in the UK these days for his TV commercials for a certain mobile phone and broadband supplier than for his films, but there is also the game named after him that possibly cinephiles like Huntsman might play occasionally, which allocates “Bacon numbers” to actors for their degrees of separation from Mr Bacon. For example, Ian McKellen was in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) with Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. McAvoy and Fassbender were in X-Men: First Class (2011) with Kevin Bacon. Therefore, McAvoy and Fassbender have Bacon numbers of 1, and McKellen has a Bacon number of 2. Kevin Bacon’s own Bacon number is of course 0! I’m sure you all wanted to know that.
See you all again soon.
Thank you for the great puzzle and for coming forward.
Kevin as a Bacon was a mystery to me but obvious from the clue.
1d having got the checkers I wondered why a barman would put Jasmine in Whisky – eventually twigged – lovely clue
I think we were on the same wavelength Jimbo!
Thanks for another enjoyable puzzle with many top clues
Thanks Silvanus. Makes me feel even more chuffed now that I know this was one of yours. Please submit more like this.
Plain sailing although never heard of Kevin. 20d made me smile.
Thanks to Silvanus and Senf.
This morning when I did awaken
My nerves were overly shaken
The crossword was quite a delight
As snow fell, though ‘twas only slight,
But there wasn’t no eggs or no bacon.
I enjoyed most of today’s puzzle earlier today but like many others was held up in the SE. Had to go out this afternoon and having picked it up again on my return a few hours later, just finished. Many thanks to Silvanus and Senf.
I found this easier than yesterday which I found easier than Monday ! Something’s not right and I’m sure I’ll get my comeuppance tomorrow.
Very enjoyable, 1* / 3.5*
Favourites 1d and 19a
Thanks to Silvanus and Senf
Great puzzle. Got there unaided and then had to run to do all the self imposed stuff. This puzzle is part of the relax mode and I bless it and all the contributors. Thanks to Silvanus and Senf.
Good evening
Back in my rightful place, way down the comments hierarchy, after storming in at No. 3 yesterday.
Genuinely surprised to see that today’s crozzie is the work of the Brain Of Silvanus; I think he’s been nice to me today.
I didn’t help my own cause by almost entering ELEVATION at 15d. Consequently, my last to fall, 26a, took longer than necessary!
Thank you Silvanus and Senf.
Finally got to have my second look at this just now and completed it having done most of it this morning. I had been left with several in the south East which were trickier. It was great fun with 1a and 1d my favourites. I too did not know the drunk synonym.
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Senf for the hints.
Enjoyed this immensely. LOI was 1d where I couldn’t get jasmine out of my head and it made no sense, but having thought it it’s very difficult to ‘unthink’ it. Favourite was 15d.. thanks to the moonlighting Silvanus and Senf. I notice that on entering the site that the toughie was rated as low difficulty. Having read all the clues, some more than once and having made few inroads into it I’m thinking now isn’t the time to resume battle, maybe tomorrow.
3*/3* …
liked 1D “What barmen sometimes add to whisky, right ? (7)”