DT Vintage 11

Daily Telegraph Vintage No 11
Hints and Tips by Rossophile

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BD Rating – Difficulty **  Enjoyment **

To cruciverbalist historians, have a look at this offering from 81 years ago. A grim wartime mentality is evident, but also a fighting spirit. Enjoy.

Across

1a “Lid on slang” (anag.) (but is all 15 across so pure in speech?) (4,6)

LONG ISLAND:  Anagram of  a place in the US city mentioned later

8a Doing nothing because there’s nothing doing, possibly (4)

IDLE: Never know when you’re finished, like this

10a The kind of constitution that laughs at doctors of the Goebbels type! (10)

DEMOCRATIC: Voting not encouraged by his regime

11a Our supposed portion in 1940, but we never tumbled to it (4)

RUIN: That’s the spirit. Never say never.

12a —though coming to the this of it (4)

EDGE:  Perimeter, or verge, or margin

15a Where the work of the architect stands very high (3,4)

NEW YORK: A city with skyscrapers, of which 1a is a part

18a The girl who went into her own reflections very amusingly (5)

ALICE: A child who looked down a rabbit hole, and had a lot of fun

19a You must be plumb right! (5)

ERECT: This tool is used to find the exact vertical plain

20a Just a note (5)

BREVE: A double definition. A diacritical mark above a character indication its shortness (brevity) or a double whole note in music

21a Got in wrongly to the bar (5)

INGOT: Anagram (wrongly) , preferably a gold one

22a Would this problem be a sitter to an artist? (5)

POSER: Double definition. What an artist’s model does, and what a difficult problem is called

23a A joint affair (5)

UNION: Not the militant type, but two people together

24a Not a forbidding hue (5)

GREEN: The opposite of the STOP colour at traffic lights

25a She is in an ancient city (official) (5)

USHER: Insertion of the female pronoun into a famous two letter city. Also a guide at weddings, theatres, cinemas…

26a Of Eastern origin, but serious (7)

EARNEST: Anagram meaning , and the importance of being it

30a Cast a skin (4)

PELT: Double definition. Throw, bombard, rain down or hide of an animal

33a Points in favour of some players? (4)

PROS: Opposite of CONS. Shortened professionals, and possibly proponents

34a A submarine should be, of course (10)

WATERTIGHT: Otherwise the occupants would start swimming. Some may get in at depth, but needs to be pumped out.

35a He gets his wings on false pretences (4)

KIWI: Reference to New Zealander, whose national emblem is a flightless bird

36a Where to look for Maud’s boy friend? (6,4)

GARDEN GATE: Famous song by the great tenor John McCormack

Down

2d Sign of appeal to men (4)

OMEN: O(f) Men

3d Cause of the hidden hand? (5)

GLOVE: Usually worn in pairs

4d Like a bear with a sore head (5)

SURLY: A state of irritation, bad-temperedness

5d He may be like the curate’s egg, good in parts (5)

ACTOR: Tenuous link here, but maybe there are some bad ones in the play

6d Outcast agents of fickle chance (4)

DICE: May be rolled, or thrown. If two (as here), you can score from two to twelve. The highest probability is a score of ?

7d Flower one might well salute (4)

FLAG: Little known flower with sword shaped leaves, like the Iris. Or a pole that might fly your national standard

9d End of a term for losing cohesion (8,2)

BREAKING UP: Double definition . Best times of the school year for me

10d Those working in it are quite sunk in their work (6-4)

DIVING BELL: Like a 34a on a tether.

13d It may be seen at the front at feeding time (5-5)

DRESS SHIRT: Attire at a formal dinner, worn by men

14d See printer for an adventure (10)

ENTERPRISE: Anagram. Like the Captain Kirk’s ship

15d Britannia and he hold to the same thing (7)

NEPTUNE: The national personification of Britain holds a trident and shield, sometimes a helmet. This planet is also king/god of the sea who holds a trident

16d Sphere of 15 down (5)

OCEAN: Sphere (of influence ) is where this entity is ruler

17d An exclusive notice (4,3)

KEEP OUT: A message to require people  not a be admitted

20d The root of smokers’ pleasures (5)

BRIAR: A thorny Mediterranean shrub, from which a pipe is made

27d It comes from the rates – blooming scandal! (5)

ASTER: Anagram (blooming)

28d Choice of directions of tongue (5)

NORSE: A language, or two directions N (or) SE

29d Was an arm, or might support one (5)

SLING: Weapon of old, or support for a damaged limb

31d No good man will live up to it (4)

EVIL: Reverse lurker

32d Shoot to spot (4)

TWIG: Double definition, small growing tree branch, or to catch on to an idea

33d Finished! (4)

PHUT: An onomatopoeic representation of a short blast of air or steam. Probably a slang expression when an object is at the end of its life.