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DT 27093

by Deep Threat  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27093

Hints and tips by Deep Threat

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **

Good morning from South Staffs on a bright clear morning.

No French cheese this week, and a puzzle which I thought to be very much at the gentle end of the spectrum, hence my */** marking.

I’m sorry I missed the gathering in London on Saturday. I was in London for another meeting and hoped to drop in afterwards, but a combination of the meeting going on and a fixed time train home meant that I’d barely have had time to say ‘Hello’, let alone answer Kath’s questions about the derivation of our blogging names. (Mine’s an anagram.) And given the way the rest of Saturday unfolded, with much driving to and from hospitals, it was as well that I stayed out of the pub…

In the hints below, definitions are underlined.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

6a           Ablest recruit mobilised in warship (6-7)
{ BATTLE-CRUISER } Anagram (mobilised) of ABLEST RECRUIT.

8a           Information is found about university egghead (6)
{ GENIUS } An informal term for information and IS (from the clue) around the abbreviation for University.

9a           Distribute generously pounds with a lot due for review (5,3)
{ LADLE OUT } The abbreviation of the Latin word for pound followed by an anagram (for review) of A LOT DUE.

10a         Odd bits of heavy farm material? (3)
( HAY } The odd-numbered letters of HeAvY.

11a         Bring forward in discussion poster scheduled around cinema’s opening (6)
{ ADDUCE } A short word for a poster or advertisement followed by an adjective meaning scheduled wrapped around the first letter (opening) of Cinema’s.

12a         Northern area with settled density inhabited by English? (8)
{ TYNESIDE } An anagram (settled) of DENSITY  with English inside it.

14a         Thoroughly describing diver’s place of work? (2,5)
{ IN DEPTH } Double definition, the second being a definition by example.

16a         Loaded term for criminality after reforming the law (7)
{ WEALTHY } The last letter (term) of criminalitY comes after an anagram (reforming) of THE LAW.

20a         Severe work by barber a useful expedient? (5,3)
{ SHORT CUT } Another double definition, this time the first being the definition by example.

23a         Speak about number in flowery fashion (6)
{ ORNATE } A verb meaning speak, especially in public, with a Number in it.

24a         Valuable commodity taken back in rebellion (3)
{ OIL } Reversed inside (taken back in) REBELLION.

25a         Dependant with titled figure restraining rage (6-2)
{ HANGER-ON } A synonym of rage inside (restraining) the abbreviated title often given to the children of peers.

26a         A party attracting lust, say, upset handsome figure (6)
{ ADONIS } A charade of A (from the clue), the usual crosswordland party, and the reversal (upset) of the sort of behaviour of which lust is an example, producing a beautiful youth beloved of Aphrodite in Greek myth.

27a         Equestrian competition in long weekend? (5-3,5)
{ THREE-DAY EVENT } Double definition.

Down

1d           Position at match containing leaders of team under duress (8)
{ ATTITUDE } AT (from the clue) followed by a sporting match containing the initial letters (leaders) of Team Under Duress.

2d           Circular yard with quiet surrounded by set of cars (8)
{ FLYSHEET } Yard and an instruction to be quiet inside (surrounded by) a collective noun for the cars run by a company.

3d           A pass yet to be constructed for assistant (7)
{ ACOLYTE } A (from the clue) followed by a mountain pass and an anagram (to be constructed) of YET.

4d           Part of song that’s difficult to bear (6)
{ BURDEN } Double definition. The first meaning is one I hadn’t come across before.

5d           Judge in Spain boarding a pair of ships (6)
{ ASSESS } The IVR letter for Spain inside (boarding) A (from the clue) and two of the usual crossword ships.

6d           Do-gooder providing worry for cardiologist? (8,5)
{ BLEEDING HEART } Again a double definition, the second a slightly cryptic definition by example.  Often used in conjunction with ‘Liberal’ as a term of opprobrium by Right-Wing Americans.

7d           Nuts and set of drinks before dance (5,3,5)
{ ROUND THE TWIST } An order of drinks in the pub followed by the dance popularised by Chubby Checker.

ARVE Error: need id and provider

13d         Period recalled in spectacular exhibition (3)
{ ERA } Hidden backwards (recalled) in ‘spectacular exhibition’.

15d         Trophy that may be made in a frame? (3)
{ POT } The frame is on the snooker table.

17d         Local beer largely drunk getting seal of approval from Greens? (8)
{ ECOLABEL } Anagram (drunk) of LOCAL and BEE(R) with the final letter removed (largely).

18d         Capital type of fellow detained by solitary figure (8)
{ LONDONER } Put a university fellow inside someone who likes to be alone.

ARVE Error: need id and provider

19d         Cameron, say, with European in Nato squabbles (7)
{ ETONIAN } European followed by an anagram (squabbles) of IN NATO. Someone who went to a school near Windsor.

21d         Consideration shown in rare garden (6)
{ REGARD } Hidden in the clue.

22d         Fancy practice session for instrument (6)
{ CORNET } A brass band instrument made up of an interjection like ‘Fancy!’ and a practice session for a cricketer.

The Quick Crossword pun { PEAK } { ASS } { SOW } = { PICASSO }.

50 comments on “DT 27093”

  1. Liked this puzzle, but would give it 2star for difficulty as I struggled to get 11a & 1d. And although I put in the correct answers, for some I couldn’t see why! But many thanks to setter & DT. Now, dare I try the Toughie?…

  2. Thanks to the setter and to Deep Threat for the review and hints. Found this very enjoyable and whizzed through it, only to find that I’d been too hasty. Had three answers wrong, sundry for 4d, Tayeside for 4a & ecolager for 17d :-) More haste less speed. Was 2*/4* for me. Favourites were 11a & 2d. Glad I got
    18d correct, as I hail from there. Sunshine in Central London, off for a walk before it goes in !

  3. Even with a couple of clues to think about, this was all completed in 1* time. Although short-lived in solving, I think it might merit 3* for enjoyment given that so many people should be able to finish it off without trouble – doubt there will be a grown man sobbing anywhere :) Thanks to the Tuesday Mysteron and Deep Threat.

    As I have just said to Poppy, the Toughie isn’t that tough either.

    Lovely sunny day here today but there do appear to be some darker clouds approaching from the north. :(

  4. Thank you setter – very enjoyable as usual. Made a silly error early on by rushing 12a and putting in Teesside for no particular reason ! 4d corrected that though. Thank you DT for your review and hints. Grim up North today with light snowfall but more to come I understand.

  5. 2*/2* for me today. The first definition of 4d was new to me, and my last one in was 17d.
    Thanks to setter, and to Deep Threat.

  6. Very quick solve today, but still enjoyable. Some lovely surface readings and some quite clever clues (20A was particularly good I thought). Was supposed to snow here overnight, woke up to bright sunshine and seems to be getting brighter !

  7. Sue, I’m still having trouble raising the on line versin. Could you e.mail me a pdf version. Many thanks in advance

    1. It will be on its way in a minute. When you say the online version, do you mean the Telegraph puzzles site (which is working fine for me) or the Ipad App?

      Also why aren’t you ‘wobbling’ at the moment?

      1. :smile: The second bit of your comment made me think as hard as the top left corner of the crossword did! Now I get it.

    2. Love your Airedales, by far my most favourite breed of dog, though we’ve got a black lab. & a jack Russell at the moment.

  8. All appear to agree on the ‘easy’rating, i quite enjoyed it.Not sure if 17 d is a ‘real’word, could be two, or at least maybe two joined with a hyphon?

  9. Very enjoyable puzzle today. Thanks to DT for the explanations. Didn’t know the cricket reference in 22d so was happy to have the explanation for the second part of the answer. Favorite clues were 1d and 11a. Took a bit of thinking! Thanks also to the setter.

  10. More than 1* for me but I think I’m suffering from ‘marmalade in the brain’ – it certainly seems to have got everywhere else in the house!
    The top left corner really slowed me up. Took ages to do 6a which didn’t help. Then I couldn’t do 1 and 2d and the first word of 6d. I’d never heard of the first definition of 4d.
    I needed the hints to explain the last letter of 16a and also where the frame came from in 15d.
    I liked 27a and 7 and 22d.
    With thanks to Mr Ron and Deep Threat.
    Sunny but cold and windy in Oxford – washing on line – do hope that muntjacs don’t eat sheets and pillow cases! :sad:

    1. Hi Kath
      Just noticed your question on Sunday about where people get their aliases from. I’m really in the ‘use my real name camp’ as Pommers is my nickname and what all my friends call me.

    2. I’m with you, far too tricky for a one star, at least two if not a three in parts. 5d and 7d were complete mysteries and never heard of Adduce before.
      Still had my best golf for ages and won by 5 shots so probably too pleased with myself to concentrate properly.

  11. Very enjoyable crossword and a very entertaining review, thanks to the setter and to Deep Threat.

  12. Nice crossword today, for which, many thanks to those concerned. We always use the clues &. our electronic devices, but still enjoy doing the crosswords.

  13. So, Deep Threat, you challenge us to unanagram your moniker, do you?

    Peter Death, perchance? :-)

      1. . . . and it was finally explained to me, in words of one syllable for the slow and very dim, in London on Saturday!

  14. A pleasant enough puzzle but a tad on the easy side methinks.

    Fav was 22d.

    Thanks to Mr Ron and DT.

    BTW, been without t’internet since about noon on Saturday so now I’ve got the Sunday and Monday puzzles to catch up on, as well as the on-line prize puzzle, the Grauniad offerings (inc. the Quiptic), today’s Toughie and the two FT puzzles – going to be busy this afternoon :grin:

  15. Got nearly all of it ,some with good long thinks, so, I’m happy.Thanks to setter and Deep Threat.

  16. A pretty straightforward solve today!

    When a puzzle has an external but slightly internal square as does this one I always fill them up right away! 6a was easy if you are good at anagrams! 27a not vicious, 6d a good laugh and 7d likewise.
    Aside from these, I liked 26a, 2d, 4d & 17d. 19d was also a laugh!

    A spell of hail last night but sunny with large clouds today and a northerly wind.

    1. 6a might have been a bit easier if I hadn’t been trying to think of the name of particular warship – not sure that I know any, although my Dad would be really ashamed of me for that – I can’t even remember the name of the one that he was on! :sad:

  17. I did not find this one to be a cakewalk. We had 2d not so long ago and it was a new word for me then, but again today it completely foxed me. Had not heard of the cricket connection to 22d, but then, I don’t know too many cricket terms. Otherwise, it all went in a treat, and clues like 4d could be googled once I had all the letters and had guessed at the answer. Certainly 2 plus difficulty for me.

  18. Did not find anything that caused problems but reckon 3* for enjoyment would be appropriate. The four long clues went in quickly which gave me heaps of checking letters.
    Thanks Mr Ron and DT.
    KiwiColin.

  19. Is anyone using the Crux app to download the crosswords having trouble? Often getting ‘unable to download’ message, though theyre often often there when I retry a little later. Quite enjoyed today’s offering, only scratching head over 22d until penny dropped with loud clang. 3* for enjoyment. Thanks to all. Just to say, my moniker isn’t an anagram!

  20. Whipped through this to the extent that I’ve reduced my standard time.
    Have now a harsher norm to meet.
    17d last in, should be hyphenated.
    Enjoyable, nonetheless.
    Thanks setter and Deep Threat.

  21. i was thrown by 22d, i always practiced in the plural of the last three letters. Not that I was any good! cheers all

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