Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26020 – Hints
Selected hints by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment: ***
Saturday’s puzzles have improved since the number of names has been reduced – just the one boy today! Let’s hope that future puzzles are as good or better than this one.
Don’t forget that you can 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.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them. A full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Thursday, 3rd September.
After reviewing the Saturday puzzles for over six months, this week Peter Biddlecombe is taking over the review of the Sunday puzzle. You have already seen that Gazza and Libellule have swapped the Thursday and Friday reviews. Next week Tilsit and I are swapping the Monday and Wednesday reviews. In addition Libellule will be doing his first Toughie review on Tuesday.
Across
1a Carrier with mouldable catch (7,3)
This carrier is one that shops are being discouraged from providing – it’s a charade of a word meaning mouldable and another meaning the catch from, say, a pheasant shoot
12a Pre-eminent spinner has only 50% of the game (7)
This synonym for pre-eminent is a charade of a spinning toy and 50% of the alternative name for a game of table tennis
18a Sister turned up in siding (4)
This is the abbreviation for sister with UP reversed inside giving a word meaning a siding
19a Lad wrong to include doctor (5)
This lad is derived by putting one of seven deadly wrongs around a Medical Officer
27a Fellow with reddish-brown coat reckoned to have hindered (10)
A charade of F(ellow) a reddish-brown coating on metal and a word meaning reckoned results in a synonym for hindered – you might be this if you can’t get this clue!
Down
2d Where in France between both sides there is menacing scowl (4)
You need the French for “where” inside Left and Right to get a menacing scowl
5d There’s no fighting in fortification that’s a huge structure (4)
Here you need to remove WAR (fighting) from a fortification to get a huge structure
14d Understand, say, soaring bird (3,2)
This expression meaning to understand comes from E.G. (for example / say) reversed (soaring, as it’s a down clue) followed by a small bird
25d Fish hung up, salted initially before first smoke appeared (4)
This fish is the initial letters of hung up, salted and then the first letter of smoke – unusual to have two initial letter constructs in the same clue
If that’s not enough to help you finish, just ask and I will see what I can do.
Enjoyable if not overtaxing.
30 minutes of relaxation.
well, I have lots still to do – but 7d my fav clue so far!
I’m really struggling with 5d – I have an answer but don’t know why!
Welcome to the blog Chrisl2k
5d There’s no fighting in fortification that’s a huge structure (4)
If you insert WAR (fighting) into your answer and you get a fortification, then your answer is correct!
Thanks Dave – I can sleep easily now!
Unlike last week, I didn’t find this crossword particularly enjoyable and, although I have finished it, I don’t understand the answer I have for 24a. Would someone care to enlighten me please?
24a Get official reprimand (3,3)
Chambers XWD – A Dictionary of Abbreviations lists 10,000 entries. Even allowing for them being listed under abbreviation and abbreviated word, that makes 5,000!
One of those is a three letter abbreviation for official. Prefix that with a synonym for get and you have a weakish reprimand.
Thank you, Big Dave. You’ve confirmed that I do have the right answer but I wouldn’t use the expression in that context. However, having now checked with the Blessed Chambers, it is confirmed as a slang expression for ‘reprimand’… My avatar won’t look so miserable now!
Hiya Big Dave – How you doing? I.m doing Chris12k’s trick and got an answer but don’t know why – 25 Down – Fish hung up,salted initially before smoke appeared (4) I have answer as **** a type of dogfish and I get the S as the first letter of smoke but where does the *** come from please???… apart from that I think I’m sorted – Regards. Dodger
It stumped me for a while but take the first letters of Hung Up, Salted then Smoke.
AHOTSOUPWOULD
Roger
This is now covered in the hints, but please remember not to give whole or part solutions when it’s a prize crossword – it is written in bold red letters above. And I’ve just made them bigger!
Good crossword, Is there a belief out there that the later you attempt the quiz the easier it is ?. France is very hot
2d for ‘where’ etc in French I always turn to The MIne.
help help help!
17a. I have all the down clues, so I have two letters. I can neither solve the clue, nor think of any word which would fit anyway!
I flunked providing a hint as it’s difficult without just giving the answer!
17a See inside joint (4)
It’s a charade of synonyms for see and inside giving a joint of meat. See in this context comes up quite often, especially in the phrase “__ and behold”.
ah – easy now! thank you, Dave
A better Saturday puzzle than what we usually expect and a couple of new words for me. It’s those 4 letter ones that tend to be the stickers. Overall finished without too much hassle. 2*
Hello Dave. I thought it was about time I thanked you for the great website. I’ve been here from the start having migrated from Answerbank. Just battling through this puzzle now……. Not helped by hyperactive 3 year old.
Miff
I can hardly say welcome if you have been with us for over six months, but pleased to see that you have finally come out!
Sunday 30th Aug – morning all….can anyone please explain how the first part of the answer to 9d – ‘ European Pest could be annoying’…. refers to European…..have the answer but cannot understand the first reference….. really ‘bugging’ me
!!
Mary
I’m just doing the hints at the moment, but it really is quite simple, it’s a European pest and the cryptic definition is “could be annoying”. Just read it again and you will see what I mean.
Ah thank you Dave… dummy or what!!
Cockchafer
noun
A large European flying beetle (Melolontha melolontha), with reddish-brown wing-cases and fan-like antennae, the larvae of which are a serious pest of farm and garden crops
Can’t make head or tail of 10a Is it a combination of anagrams to do with bears and ports or am I looking in completely the wrong direction?
Hi John and welcome to the blog.
10a. A bear at port first causing uproar (10)
You need to start with a port on the Humber.
Thanks, I see where that’s leading!
John
Enjoyable puzzle although as usual I have had to wait until Sunday to look at it. Loved 12d – real outside the ‘box’ thinking. Sorry!
Just stuck now on the last 2, 12a and 24a (sorry Dave even with your hint I can’t get it)
12 across – I’m not sure what more I can add. You take the three letter name of a child’s spinning toy. Table tennis is also called ____ pong. Just put them together.
24 across is two words. The first of these can mean to see in the context of to understand and the second is a three letter abbreviation for official. The whole is defined as to reprimand, but it’s a pretty weak definition. The two other definitions of this phrase in Chambers are “to accompany (someone) at their departure” and “to get rid of (informal)”, but they wouldn’t fit the surface reading of the clue.
Dear Dave, I completely agree with not giving whole or partial answers but you seem to do it every week including the fish clue this week. Why not abide by your own rules please. Thanks
Welcome to the blog Nuthead
Only for names, and then only if you know where to look for them!
Hey Dave,
Moved to Georgia, USA a year ago. We always compete against my Mum-in-Law (who’s still in Blighty) as to who can finish the Sat cryptic! Slight unfair advantage as we are two! We print it out on Sat am (don’t forget she has 5 hrs ahead start). We then discuss at your time 8pm on a Sunday night. Your site is ab fab! If we are stuck, we like the fact that you give us clues without telling us the answer! But, we don’t look until 10 mins before the ‘phone call to check! It doesnt feel like cheating somehow!
Long may you reign!
Your servants,
Amanda, Tim & Tessa!
Hi Amanda, Tim & Tessa and welcome to the blog.
It’s great to know that we can help in your family competition!