Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29097
Miffypops returns
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Due to the site being updated our guest reviewer Tarzan of the Apes has had to be stood down for this week as Miffypops returns to his rightful spot to review a jolly nice puzzle which wasn’t at all taxing but raised a few smiles along the way. The gutting of the new house is coming along at a great pace. The gas fires and gas cooker come out tomorrow. I wonder how long it will take me to fit the new kitchen. Watch this space.
These hints and tips have been created lovingly to help those of you who may need help to solve a couple of clues or to understand why an answer is what it is. Usually a clue consists of two parts. 1. A definition, which is usually at the beginning or end of a clue. 2. Wordplay which tells to what to do to solve the clue. The hints and tips help with the wordplay of the clues. Definitions are underlined.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Produces hat after giving outstanding performance (4-7)
{SHOWSTOPPER} Split 5,6 displays a hat favoured by those attending Royal Ascot.
7a English king about to join returning train (7)
{RETINUE} A verb meaning to join together is surrounded by the abbreviations for English and Rex (king) the whole lot is then reversed (returning) quite a clever clue methinks
8a Lucky dip bishop organised, only with backing (4,3)
{BRAN TUB} Begin with the abbreviation for Bishop. Add a verb meaning managed or organised. Now find a word meaning only and reverse it (backing) You should now have An attraction seen at your church, school or village fete where for 50 pence you can win a prize worth tuppence
10a A beginner in patisserie with very little desire for food (8)
{APPETITE} Begin with the letter A which your setter has gifted to you. Add the initial letter of the word patisserie. Now add a word meaning very little. We are four clues in and our setter has given us this word. Will he do the decent thing and give us something to satisfy it?
11a Trouble on golf hole that bends sharply (6)
{DOGLEG} A rather stretched synonym of trouble is followed by the word used in cricket to describe the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball. The result is type of hole on a golf course where the hole can’t be seen from the tee because it’s round a corner.
13a Centre for missionaries? (4)
{IONA} An all in one clue where the answer lies hidden within the words of the clue. There are only three words in the clue so it shouldn’t trouble anybody too much to find the answer. The answer is an Inner Hebridean island which was a centre for Gaelic Monasticism for three centuries
14a A dreadful shock this time when everything goes wrong? (3,4,3)
{BAD HAIR DAY} The shock in the clue is an unkempt or thick mass of the stuff that grows out of your head. I hope that helps
16a Memorial in Verona gets vandalised (10)
{GRAVESTONE} Anagram (vandalised) of VERONA GETS.
18a Fine artist points to lady’s fingers (4)
{OKRA} An exclamation used to express agreement or acceptance is followed by the initials used by an artist who has been made a member of the Royal Academy
21a In contact with team working towards the same goal (6)
{ONSIDE} A two-letter word meaning to be placed in contact with is followed by a synonym of the word team
22a Right bother rolling in it (4-2-2)
{WELL-TO-DO} A very stretched synonym of the word right is followed by two short words meaning a fuss or upset. The synonym of the word right is often used as an exclamation before considering what words to use next
24a Altar? I’m fearful of marriage (7)
{MARITAL} Anagram (fearful) of ALTER IM
25a Possible problem with pipes in a lake running by edges of Grasmere (7)
{LEAKAGE} An anagram (running) of A LAKE is followed by the outer letters of the word Grasmere. I have been to Grasmere and the edges are certainly more interesting than the centre
26a The eland ran nervously out of the ark (11)
{NEANDERTHAL} Anagram (nervously) of THE ELAND RAN
Down
1d Determined attack (3,4)
{SET UPON} A double definition. Not much more to say
2d Decorated knight coming in to make a speech (6)
{ORNATE} The chess notation for the horsey thing (knight) sits comfortably inside a verb meaning to make a speech
3d Workout garments — father wearing set wasn’t relaxed (10)
{SWEATPANTS} A two letter endearing word for your father sits inside an anagram (relaxed) of SET WASNT
4d Spherical objects in old Scottish bank (4)
{ORBS} The abbreviation for Old is followed by the initials of one of Scotland’s biggest banks established in 1724
5d Extremely painful, drastic action, not physical (8)
{PLATONIC} The outer letters of the word painful are followed by an anagram (drastic) of ACTION
6d Conductor on top of double-decker, flustered (7)
{RATTLED} A former conductor of The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is followed by the Initial letter of the word double decker
7d In Berkshire town, fell over in part of library (7-4)
{READING ROOM} A Berkshire town which sits on the rivers Thames and Kennet is followed by the reversal (over) of a type of landscape also known as a fell
9d Film policeman saving good man holding on (5,6)
{BUGSY MALONE} A word used for a policeman particularly on Merseyside contains the abbreviation for good. The ON from the clue inside a synonym for man. Sort that lot out and you have a film starring Jodi Foster as Tallulah
12d Chief minister given opportunity to turn up (10)
{CHANCELLOR} An opportunity or possibility is followed by the reversal (up) of a word meaning to turn or revolve
15d Experienced soldier about to finish with TA causes feud (8)
{VENDETTA} An abbreviation for an ex member of the armed forces sits around a word meaning to finish or terminate. This is topped off by the letters TA which the setters has given us. He is a generous fellow
17d One failing to gain a place in American orchestra carried on (4-3)
{ALSO RAN} Begin with the abbreviation for America. Add the initials of an orchestra. Which orchestra I hear you shout. A British orchestra founded in 1904. Add a word meaning carried on or carried out
19d Part of criminal law on kidnap upset wise guy (4-3)
{KNOW ALL} The answer is included within the words of the clue as indicated by the words part of. It is reversed as indicated by the word upset. A clever clue which had me making an anagram (criminal) of LAW ON and trying to find reasons for the K and the second L. IF ALL ELSE FAILS LOOK FOR A LURKER
20d Make pale ale somehow in British church (6)
{BLEACH} An anagram (somehow) of ALE sits betwixt the abbreviations of British and Church
23d Pleased, statesman having lost weight (4)
{GLAD} A former prime minister is relieved of 14 lbs of weight
Quickie pun. {Flaw}+{Wrap}+{oast} = {Flora Poste, of Cold Comfort Farm} We also have Stud Farm down the right-hand side.
Big Dave's Xtra Crossword Blog 
The rekrul at 19d was my favourite in this straightforward but very enjoyable puzzle. Just right for a Monday morning. Thanks to our setter and MP.
All done in **/*** time today. I did need the hints to finish parsing a couple. Despite being a cricket fan, I seem to miss that use of ‘on’ in 11a, and I couldn’t quite work out the last letter of 6d.
I was surprised to see the Liverpuddlian policeman, I thought that was a very localised term, but it is in the BRB.
Many thanks to the compiler and MP.
I thought the term referred to a detective rather than any old policeman. I’m fairly sure it’s in the Usual Suspects as well as the BRB
Definitely in the BRB as slang for detective
I cannot access any answers. Do I click in the gap between brackets?
Sorry you are having such a tough time getting the site back up and running. I found you even though, for once, I didn’t need you today. A nice easy Monday.
Never heard of the term for a Merseyside policeman but otherwise a straightforward solve **/***. COTD 7D
Nice easy puzzle completed before I had my first caffeine injection.
I bunged the film in before I fully understood it but afterwards I am putting that on my podium.
Thanks to the unpseudonymical one and setter too.
Good to have an alternative site to come to. Today’s enigma was solved at a reasonably steady pace with the SE bringing up the rear. Tried for ages to add a single letter to fra for 18a but OK in the end. My Fav chuckle was 14a. Thank you Mysteron and MP. Hope all will soon be back to normal for you BD but in the meantime many thanks for this stopgap.
A good start to the work week completed at a gallop – **/***.
Totally mystified by 9d even though I was able to write it in so thanks for the explanation. Something else to try and remember.
Favourite – 14a.
Thanks to the setter and GMoLI.
P.S. I will ‘say’ this very quietly – I inadvertently ‘hit’ the ‘button’ for the regular site and up it popped. But, obviously the last posted blog is last Friday’s Toughie. Fingers crossed!
Quickie – Oast not Post
That’s what rushing does for you. I am leaving well alone until we see how thing run on the new server. I don’t want to mess anything up.
An entertaining start to the week. Although 9d did flummox me for a while everything was sorted fairly easily. 14a floated my boat.
Thanks to the setter, and to the GOMoLI for the review.0
Hmm. Try again time.
A pleasant start to the week. Some nice clues of which 14a was my favourite.
Thanks to the setter, and to the GOMoLI for his review.
Argh! Apologies BD… again
1a and 14a were my favourites today. Many thanks Setter and Miffypops. Off to take a lemon drizzle cake out of the oven and put a carrot and orange cake in. Only a carob cake left. To make.
A gentle start to the week. It’s a long time since I came across the policeman in 9d. Thanks to all.
I’m pretty sure this was the same setter as last Monday as the similarities in style are striking. As last week it was there were a few which were obvious but the parsing needed a little more thought. My last two in were 8a and 9d as I’d never heard of that lucky dip but Google provided the synonym, which in turn unlocked 9d.
I liked 12d for the surface, 22a with 1a taking top spot. 2*/3*
Thanks to the setter and to MP (there’s been some strange characters blogging in your absence) 😉
Whoever is in charge of the site rebuild seems to be too “busy” with other matters … just like the police in Liverpool.
The new site is ready, apart from a problem with theme customisation, which is why I am (temporarily) using a different theme.
Excellent! Thank you for all your hard work BD