DT 25990 – Hints – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 25990 – Hints

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25990 – Hints

Selected hints by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment: ***

As with most Suturday puzzles, this one is quite easy.

For the next two days I am trying an experiment with a new WordPress feature.  At the bottom of the post you will see an array of five stars – use these to give your assessment of the puzzle.  Five stars if you thought it was great, one if you hated it, four, three or two if it was somewhere in between.  Please remember you are assessing the puzzle and not my attempt to explain it!  If enough of you use this feature then it will be retained for future puzzles, so it’s up to you – vote now.

At the moment the rating system can’t be turned on post by post, which means you can rate any previous puzzle.  While you are welcome to do that (and some already have) it would seem unlikely that the numbers entered will be sufficient for a realistic rating.

As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them.  Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Thursday, 30th July.

Across

8a Do more exercise when unable to get off at night (8)
… tossing and turning

9a In there Lois expected another lady to appear (6)
She’s hidden in the clue

ARVE Error: need id and provider

28a Hank’s oar operating old boat (5,3)
An anagram that leads to a boat full of animals!

Down

1d No time uncharged particle is nerve-cell (6)
Remove T (Time) from an uncharged particle to get a nerve-cell

5d Badger with argument propelled by sewer (6,3,6)
To badger someone and a continuous connecting element in an argument combine to give the items used by a seamstress

6d Lottery prize that is a turn-on! (8)
This prize is a charade of synonyms for turn and on, and happens when jackpot is not won

17d Remove an Indian perhaps (8)
North of the border they call this meal a carry-out!

23d Tanner boring several (6)
Another charade – this one combines the source of tanning rays and another word for boring, as in dull to give a synonym for several

If you need a hint for a particular clue, just ask and I will see what I can do.  Please don’t give away answers or part-answers in your comment.

Remember to add your assessment of the puzzle using the stars below.

11 comments on “DT 25990 – Hints

  1. Hi Dave, good idea regarding getting us to mark the crossword for enjoyment!!!.wonder what you rated it as. Thank heaven for your Mine today just to check 27a. liked 15a.

  2. Hi Big Dave. The grid design surprised me a bit today – lots of long answers. I found this quite easy save 17d that I incorrectly thought was “castaway” which affected a couple of intersecting others! Still not a bad one by Saturday standards – 3* for me.

  3. 3 stars for us too!! Found it quite easy once we’d got the long ones. Good idea, by the way- sometimes we’re totally at odds with you/Gazza/Tilsit etc and your opinion on a crossword, usually because they’re too difficult for us! It’d be good to see what others think.

  4. crossword No 25990 – almost completed!
    could you please help with 5d – then it will be completed.

    many thanks

    annagran

  5. Thanks for the hint re 6d – I never learn, I always read sewer as in drain!

  6. Didn’t like 10a as I think there are two rivers it could be. one in Devon and the other in Gulf of Guinea. Plumped for Devon as the other is a bit obscure.
    I give it 2*

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