ST 2508 – Hints – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2508 – Hints

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2508 – Hints

Hints and tips by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

This one is not quite as challenging as several recent Sunday prize puzzles, but still a very enjoyable one to solve.

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 Friday, 6th November (Peter Biddlecombe is still on holiday).

Across

1a Second falling building is obstacle (9,5)
This is a charade made up from S(econd), a word meaning falling and a large building usually containing flats or offices – and the result is an obstacle

12a Fatal detachment (6,5)
This is an excellent cryptic definition of a detachment detailed to shoot a condemned prisoner

27a Impromptu new composition for a trumpet? Indeed (14)
Here new composition indicates that to get this word meaning impromptu you need to find an anagram of A TRUMPET INDEED

Down

1d With swimming group, I’m lifting tension as instructor (14)
This swimming group contains a number of fishes – add I’M reversed (lifting) and a synonym for tension and you have a lady instructor

16d Players without a move for game (4,4)
… because they are not playing away!

25d Sailor one may pay on deck (3)
An informal word for a sailor; but did you know that to pay can also mean to smear a wooden boat with this bituminous substance? – I didn’t, but guessed and looked it up in Chambers


If you need further help then please ask and I will see what I can do.

Please don’t put whole or partial answers in your comment, else they may be censored!

10 comments on “ST 2508 – Hints

  1. Quite a thoughtful set of clues making it last a good while. I enjoyed it although I thought there were a few too many three letter answers.
    27a was enjoyable to work out
    11a clue was a stretch

  2. Although this was not the most difficult Sunday crossword, this was one of the most enjoyable ones for some time. There were lots of good surface readings and a handful of smiles. 22a and 27a were my favourites.

  3. Thank you BD, and Anax for a superb weekends entertainment. What a site for getting the old grey cells working and clarifying problems. Only negative on the easier than usual Sunday prize crossword was a rather weak 21d which I thought should have been ‘rented’!. Loved 10a, and can I have more of Anax’s great insight into the setters world.

  4. 5 stars for this one. Not too difficult but several lovely clues. 22A is one of the best clues of the year for me.

  5. I really enjoyed this one. In particular I liked 14a (appeals to my sense of humour) and 22a but there were a lot of nice reading clues.

    Wasn’t keen on 11a though.

  6. Loved it – 5 stars for me too. I liked lots of the clues this time; 27a lept out at me which was very helpful but liked 8d(close to home) and 14a & 22a (must have similar sense of humour to you Lea!)

    1. Probably because as females we are in the minority on this site and the “guys” would never see the humour of it!!! Nice to know there is someone else with my odd humour.

  7. Got a bit behind with the DT crosswords, just done Sunday’s, it took me a while to get 22a but when I did I found it most amusing and laughed out loud, loved that series and have some parts on DVD. Like the ones with Lewis on his own too. It took forever to get 10a because I had **** instead of **** as first work in 8d, must pay more attention to the tenses!

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