DT 30993 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30993

by Shabbo  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30993
Hints and tips by Shabbo

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

[As you may have noticed we are having problems currently in that comments cannot be posted. It’s not just us; the same problem has hit Fifteensquared, so please be patient]

Good morning, fellow puzzlers.

Following the special anniversary puzzle yesterday, normal service has been resumed and we are treated to our fortnightly Thursday offering from RayT, including all of his regular trademarks and a word count of just a fraction over 5 words/clue.  An enjoyable puzzle as ever and a very entertaining Quickie pun to boot..

In the blog below, the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the “Click Here” buttons.  Please leave a comment telling us how you got on and what you thought of the puzzle.  Please also try to be positive – it’s only a bit of fun.

Many thanks to our setter and to the DT Crossword Team.


Across

1a Tories rule out being indecisive (10)
IRRESOLUTE: anagram (out) of TORIES RULE.

6a Queen behind providing vessel (4)
RAFT: regnal abbreviation for queen (or king) + synonym of behind (think boats)

10a Elaborate former partner left in drag (7)
EXPLAIN: two-letter word meaning former partner + abbreviation for Left inside synonym of drag (or nuisance).

11a Hound bank admitting blunder (7)
TERRIER: synonym of bank (as in ridge) outside (admitting) three-letter synonym of blunder.

12a Firm holds one new cushy job (8)
SINECURE: synonym of firm (an adjective) outside (holds) a sIngle letter implying one + abbreviation for New.

13a Seeing that church pursuing immorality (5)
SINCE: abbreviation for Church of England after (pursuing) synonym of immorality.

15a Page secured by older office appliance (7)
STAPLER: abbreviation for Page inside (secured by) synonym of older.

17a Browse with connection back for stuff (7)
SURFEIT: synonym of browse (think internet) + synonym of connection backwards.

19a Set up before court ends, oddly (7)
ERECTED: literary word meaning before + abbreviation for CourT + odd letters of EnDs.

21a Bag’s rejected containing little sugar (7)
SWEETEN: synonym of bags (or catches) backwards (rejected) outside (containing) synonym of little.

22a Detection tool thus operated when spinning (5)
SONAR: synonym of thus + synonym of operated (or managed) backwards (when spinning).

24a Dances trying to hold line (8)
ANCESTRY: hidden word (to hold) – our solution is lurking within words 1 & 2 of the clue.

27a Choose right old dance music (7)
ELECTRO: synonym of choose + abbreviations for Right and Old.

28a Reproduce flightless bird, possibly extinct? (7)
EMULATE: flightless Australian bird + synonym of extinct or dead.

29a Occasionally trim ends being knotted (4)
TIED: every other letter (occasionally) in TrIm EnDs.

30a Part sunned loosening briefs? (10)
UNDERPANTS: anagram (loosening) of PART SUNNED.

Down

1d Practically perfect clue (4)
IDEA: synonym of perfect without the final letter (practically).

2d Clone energy in unstable particle (9)
REPLICATE: abbreviation for Energy inside an anagram (unstable) of PARTICLE.

3d Some humiliation and maybe embarrassment, initially (5)
SHAME: initial letters of the first five words of the clue.

4d Liberal outrage reportedly produces apathy (7)
LANGUOR: abbreviation for Liberal + homophone of a synonym of outrage. Mind your spelling on this one.

5d Secures anaesthetic in revolting street (7)
TETHERS: a liquid anaesthetic inside abbreviation for STreet backwards (revolting).

7d America right for foreigner? (5)
ALIEN: abbreviation for America + synonym of a legal right.

8d With pure intent changed, getting thinner (10)
TURPENTINE: anagram (changed) of PURE INTENT. The solution is a noun.

9d Parking delay creating jam? (8)
PRESERVE: abbreviation for Parking + synonym of delay (as in hold back).

14d Buffoons broadcast about motor’s first testing (10)
ASSESSMENT: synonym of buffoons + synonym of broadcast (or make known) outside (about) the first letter of Motor.

16d Intellectual scoffed following US measure (8)
LITERATE: synonym of scoffed after the metric unit of capacity (US indicates that it is spelled in the American way here).

18d Host or some presenter tainted (9)
ENTERTAIN: another hidden word clue (some).  Our answer is a verb and can be found hiding within words 4 & 5 of the clue.

20d Press continue tediously about nothing (7)
DRAGOON: synonym of continue tediously (two words) outside (about) letter signifying nOthing.

21d Cover empty shore on Greek island (7)
SECRETE: first and last letters (empty)of ShorE + a large Greek island.

23d Relative is sweet embracing sweetheart (5)
NIECE: synonym of sweet outside (embracing) the heart of swEet (sweetheart).

25d Small mass maybe found in sink (5)
SLUMP: abbreviation for Small + synonym of mass.

26d All-points bulletin? (4)
NEWS: join together all four points of the compass.

Quickie Pun:  MAT  +  ROUGH  +  ACT  =  MATTER OF FACT

22 comments on “DT 30993”

  1. I thought this was going to be a really tough one after solving only two on the first pass. However, it began to take shape when 14d fell giving checkers to take me into the puzzle. It then proved to be a steady and satisfying solve with all of Ray T’s hallmarks. I liked the rejected bags at 21a but does it need the contraction “Bag’s”? No doubt I’m missing something. Out of so many good clues it’s difficult to pick one for the podium but I will go for extinct bird at 28a.

    Thank you, Ray T for a great Thursday challenge. Thak you, Shabbo for the hints.

    The barley field across the road has been harvested so I’m taking Hudson for a good old run around on it. It will be planted by the end of the week.

    1. I was here but couldn’t comment, I wanted to say that Hudson’s paws need checking for foxtails after his run in the field

  4. Morning all. My thanks to Shabbo for the elucidation and to anybody who commented or will possibly comment today!

    RayT

    1. Thank you, RayT for a most enjoyable puzzle and for pooping in – even though there’s nobody here apart from myself and cavedeli!

        1. Oh dear! That conjures up a most unfortunate image. My sincere apologies, RayT. ????

          The ???? are supposed to be an emoji. How did you manage to post yours, AP?

  5. I tried unsuccessfully all day – I thought you must have some contagious lurgy Steve!

  6. An excellent crossword from Arty, with no hiccups, that I completed in a record time for one of his.

    All the usual fare was on display on a very friendly grid.

    Spelling 4d is tricky as people, understandably, mix up the fifth and sixth letters, meaning the word ‘go’ is in it which is ironic as someone with apathy has no get up and go.

    My podium is 10a (a great image), 24a and the amusing 7d.

    MT to the aforementioned and Shabbs.

    1*/5*

      1. Natch.

        It is a nightmare word that threw me for yonks.

        Its etymology helps as it has the same root as ‘languish’ that has gu together.

        1. It wasn’t the position of the U that made me stop & think – rather I wanted to spell it with an E instead of an O but it didn’t look right.

  7. I know it gets used as a loose generic term but I hate people referring to an 11a as a ‘hound’ – it most certainly isn’t and the Kennel Club would agree.
    As is his wont, our setter stretched a few synonyms – took me a while to agree with him over the 17a ‘stuff’ but plenty of his usual humour to balance things out. Particular likes were 22&28a plus 4,20&25d.

    Devotions, of course, to Mr T and many thanks to Shabbo for the review.

  8. This was what I tried to post yesterday so please read as if contemporaneously posted.

    A magnificent Ray T today. Probably also the fastest I’ve solved one of these. His brevity normally takes me longer to figure out. Love the detection tool at 22a where the use of the word ‘spinning’ almost had me biff in the wrong one as I’m sure was then intended misdirection☺.

    Another big tick went to 24a for the effort I expended trying to work it out and then getting the answer before spotting it was a lurker! 8d’s thinner held its secret for quite a while too – had to use the circle of letters to resolve the anagram.

    Belated thanks to Ray T and Shabbo.

  9. Another super puzzle from RayT on his fortnightly backpage visit. Lots of fun with his succinct clue brevity along with a visit from his sweetheart and the Queen this week. All good for me.

    1.5*/5* for me

    Favourites 11a, 28a, 5d, 8d & 16d — with winner tied with 11a & 5d
    Smiles from 6a, 30a & 26d

    Thanks to RayT & Shabbo

  10. Thanks to RayT and Shabbo as ever…..too many hours have passed to remember any specifics except it was very enjoyable

  11. Good evening

    I’m relieved, after having hoyed in the sponge the last time I encountered the Mighty Mr T, to have got ’em all today. Mind you, it was a bumpy ride; I appeared to have filled in the LHS at a decent pace, but had to contemplate the vast, inkless wasteland of the RHS for quite some time.

    My Lucky Green Pen being unavailable, I had to settle for the reserve lucky red one. I won through in the end!

    COTD is my last to fall, 9d.

    Many thanks to Ray T and to Shabbo.

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