Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2537 – Hints
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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A few hints to get you started.
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.
Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Friday, 28th May.
Across
1a Beef, carp, or game bird (6)
The first two of these three definitions are similar and have nothing to do with meat or fish
8a Call hospital about to move old German (8)
Combine a word meaning to call on with the abbreviation for a Hospital and insert (about) a move, typically in a board game, to get a member of this tribe who invaded the Roman Empire between the 3rd and 5th centuries AD (old German)
16a Best place for driver to aim for – where the flag is? (4,8)
A double sporting reference – motor racing and golf
25a Position right for one who plays, making a catch (6)
Combine a position, or point of view, in a discussion with R(ight) to get one who plays, and hopes to catch, a fish
Down
1d Advice from man, mostly, before I take some steps (8)
This advice is a charade of most of a man with I and to move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps
17d A great shot by an American player (7)
My favourite clue today! – read it again as “a great person who was shot by an American player“
21d Gong as daughter goes into dinner, say (5)
To get this gong put D(aughter) inside dinner, or maybe breakfast – say, in this context, indicates that this part of the wordplay is a definition by example rather than a homophone
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!
It must be the French wine that has my brain on the blink but this took me a while, still nice to do the crossy in idyllic surroundings like these.
Should 9d clue not have been wise guys ?
I thought the same as you Nubian but, looking the second word up, discover that it does make sense singular. The sun is definitely addling my brain – only half done so far!!
Sailed through 3/4’s of it and am now stuck on S/W corner….must be the sun going to my head… help woth 20a and 17d would be appreciated…
20a Body of troops good to have in Europe (10)
The definition is body of troops. Put G(ood) inside what Europe is an example of.
17d. See BD’s hint. The great one was a President.
… until he got shot!
Aaaaah! kicking myself! Thanks for clues…should be able to fill the others in now…
What a great day!! Sat is the sun getting Oh so stuck today! Have finally finished but I think the compiler has a different way of thinking to me! Despite getting the answers I did not understand why!! 8a 11a and 9d!!
Oh well ‘c’est la vie’
8a See BD’s hint.
11a Report violent strike? Absolutely (4)
A triple definition, the first the sound of a gunshot (report).
9d. Hope man is so funny as wise guy? (4,7)
An anagram (funny) of HOPE MAN IS SO gives a latin phrase for a human being (literally a wise man).
Thansk and sorry for the delay! It is always an education doing a crossword especially for me whose literally skills are poor… being a humble scientist! Many thanks!