DT 26337 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26337 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26337 (Hints)

Big Dave’s Saturday Crossword Club

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As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them.

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.

A full review of this puzzle will be published on Thursday, 9th September.

Across

1a    Protester more unprepared about South America (8)
To get this protester put a word meaning more unprepared or more unfinished around South America

10a    Remove sandals from a Parisian dandy of old with left foot out (8)
To remove sandals, or any similarly fastened footwear, ia a charade of the French indefinite article, an old name for a dandy, and LE(FT) without the abbreviation of foot

21a    Expose twisted lead initially exasperating dog (8)
A word meaning to expose or make public is followed by an anagram (twisted) of LEAD and the initial letter of Exasperating to get a large terrier

26a    One of a noted band? (8)
A barely cryptic definition of someone who plays in a band

Down

2d    Lady, about mid-January, taking money during ceremony (6)
Put a lady’s name around the middle letter of JanUary and then add one pound sterling to get a ceremony

8d    A party shortly getting in money for tree (8)
Put A and the abbreviation of the opposition party inside some money to get a tropical American tree with large melonlike fruit

17d    Mixture of seaweed seen within a couple of miles (7)
A mixture of mercury with another metal is built up from some seaweed inside A and two M(ile)s

22d    The same one in church had style (5)
The abbreviated form of ditto (the same thing) is followed by I (one) inside the Roman Catholic church to get one of the Greek orders of architecture, distinguished by its simplicity and massive strength

The Saturday Crossword Club will open at 10.00 am (after Sounds of the Sixties on BBC Radio 2). Membership is free and open to all. Feel free to leave comments or ask questions before that time.

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

94 comments on “DT 26337 (Hints)”

  1. I really liked this puzzle today; although it isn’t very difficult it is a typical Cephas and all words, including the less well known ones, are well constructed.
    Favourite for me was the excellent misdirection in 9a.
    Thanks to Cephas and BD for the hints.

  2. This level of puzzle has to be my zenith at the moment. All clues reasonable and fair and taking just a little longer than normal, feeling myself being stretched, but not to the point of frustration. Nothing to complain about.
    The start of a lovely sunny day.
    Fav for me was 13a and 16a. I seem to remember we had 7d not so long ago.
    Thanks to Cephas and Big Dave.

    1. We did indeed have 7d recently, Nubian. I am just writing up the full review and although I thought we had seen it more than once recently we in fact had a word associated with the answer as well!.

  3. I too enjoyed today’s puzzle and thought that 9a was a very clever clue; however, there were clues which, to seasoned cruciverbalists, seemed rather obvious like 5d, 12a and 16a and, for that reason, I’ve not given it five stars.

  4. stuck on 6d and 6a but I may have 8d wrong because I can’t find the word i’ve come up with in any dictionary, a mixture of easyish and tough clues today, fav clues 16a, 12a, 13a, any help with 6d & 6a would be appreciated :)

    1. Mary:
      6a Adorn wealthy men who did not start first (6)
      You need to split wealthy and men. Find a synonym wealthy and before this place ‘men’ without the first letter (did not start first)

      6d Surround doctor in rising river (5)
      The definition is surround. Add one of the many abbreviations for doctor in the reversal of one of crosswordland’s more common rivers.

      1. Thanks Gnomey, as I though 8d is wrong!! I think I might just change the 1st 2 letters around ….. maybe, will look at Daves hint for this again :)

          1. well I’m going to leave it at that because I don’t see what else it can be
            Thanks for hints Dave definitely needed them for 8d!! Good luck everyone and have a nice day :)

            1. Have googled it again putting in ******** tree instead of the first word on its own and it says not to be confused with the vine, so it is right after all :)

        2. If you don’t know this tree then it is easy to get the first two letters the wrong way round, because it could mean the word starts with A then ‘party shortly’ in a word for money couldn’t it???

  5. found most of this crossword quite easy but am stumped on 1 & 9a and 3d – just can’t seem to get my head around them.

    2. 9a One who has designs on eating out? (6)
      A cryptic definition of someone who creates designs on metal, glass, etc. by eating out the lines with an acid

      3d Gentleman has removed one, bowled (5)
      This form of address used in India to people of rank is an anagram (removed) of HAS followed by I (one) and B(owled)

  9. Agree with the Gnome. There are a couple of clues to make you pause, although I must show off here and say I put 9a in straight away, a very nice quick Saturday solve following a nice 3 mile sunny walk along the coast. Thanks Cephas.

  10. Agree with all the previous comments – very nice puzzle for a sunny (so far) Saturday morning. Didn’t have too much trouble with any of the clues – particularly liked 10 and 13a. Not familiar with the answer to 25a and can’t find it in a dictionary but think what I’ve got has to be right – it fits anyway!!

    2. I enjoyed this too but not familiar with the answer to 25a either but as you say Kath it fits! Would not have got 9a without the hint about.

  11. I liked this one a lot. About the right degree of difficulty for a Saturday Prize Puzzle. And a quiet chuckle over 5d, albeit a bit of an old chestnut.

  12. Thoroughly enjoyed this while sitting in the sun. First time in a long time I’ve had time to do this on Saturday morning. Thought 9a was a particularly good clue and also 21a – since I own one and they can be exasperating!
    Thanks for the blog BD.

  13. Once I had a prod from Mary for 13a and 16a, I finished it fairly easily. Putting a ‘d’ at the end of 5d and not noticing it for ages didn’t help much with 13a!

    An enjoyable puzzle, thanks to Cephas and BD

  14. I must say the quality of weekend crosswords has improved a lot in recent weeks, I had stopped doing them for a while but thanks to Anax resumed a few weeks ago. I enjoyed todays very much and look forward to tomorrows.

    1. Cephas has shown the biggest improvement of all the daily setters and it’s good that this has been acknowledged by a number of solvers. Saturday’s are now back on the map!

  15. This was a lovely puzzle and I completed it in very good time today. Thanks Cephas for an excellent puzzle and thanks Dave for the hints which I have just read. Like the pictures – especially for 21a. My brother and sister-in-law breed them and when they show them they have several that have won prizes. Therefore have to say that is my favourite for obvious reasons.

    New word for me was 25a – had to look it up to make sure it was right. Didn’t like 26a though but 12a appealed to me.

    Was so late finishing Thu and Fri that I didn’t comment so thought I should today.

  17. Bit if a tricky one today with yet another more new words in 8d (not a tree I have ever heard of before) and 25a. IThey can join Clerihew and Malagasy for the weeks vocabulary training (sorry don’t think I will ever forgive Clerihew!!!). Not the easiest and needed a bit of help (in the form of my wife!) to finish it. Best clues for me were 16a (very clever) and 17d.

    1. Well done Barrie, I think on the whole (just maybe) we Clueless Club are improving?? though I didn’t think so yesterday or Thursday, did you see the blog yesterday where Giovanni was inspired to write a clerihew for you? :)

  19. Like Kath 25a was not a word I had come across nor could i find it but it fits!
    Blush to confess that the one clue that had me clueless was 20 down. It haunted me for far longer than it should have done. Shameful.
    I thought 23a was clever, 24a made me smile a gentle smile and 8d had me scratching my head for a while.
    Definitely worth the tickle.

    1. Hi Ralph 23a – you need the one letter abbreviation for Right followed by the roman numerals for 4 (quartet) inside a five letter word for an article or ****** to give you a word meaning doing well

  21. I just needed your hint for 1a and then everything sort of fell into place. So thanks BD and to Cephas for a lovely Saturday puzzle. Best for me were 13 and 16a. :-)

      1. I do like the way you answer, Mary. Makes me feel my comments don’t go unread — such as they are.

        1. I like the way that Mary always replies too. I also like the way that each new person commenting is always welcomed – gives one the confidence to carry on commenting, even if what they’re saying is no great shakes! Lovely blog – very much appreciated, as are all the compilers – three cheers, hip hip hooray etc.

          1. thanks both :) tired tonight been to a quiz
            one question was ‘what is a drupe?’ my answer was ‘a plum’ I was marked wrong because although a plum is a drupe, a drupe is not a plum!!! sorry just had to tell someone!!

  22. Did this over my morning cup of coffee and I agree that recent Saturday puzzles have been better. 14d was a clever one and my favourite of the day. Thanks Cephas.

  23. Old chestnuts are only old chestnuts if you have been doing crosswords for a while, otherwise they are new chestnuts or simply chestnuts. How old does a chestnut have to be to qualify as an old chestnut ?

    As Nubian contemplates the great mysteries of lifes rich tapestry on a warm autumn evening, another drop of Chablis Dear ?

    1. Well said!
      If I can say that I have seen it over 5 times in the last 10 years I think they qualify.
      Have another drink and think about it

  24. May I suggest that we traditionalists, who still do do the paper version of the crossword, should boycott O2 for disp[lacing it from its rightful place on the back page. Saturday mornings just don’t seem the same. Harumph!!

    2. You can have a Harumph from me too – since there are now several will try to think up a collective noun for them while I finish cutting the grass!!

      1. We need to get Mary involved with this – she is a wizard at thinking up new words. So, a collection of Harumphs – how about a Grizzle?

          1. Finished cutting grass now – the only thing I came up with was a Hullabaloo, particularly as it was an answer to a clue fairly recently, I think. Can’t remember when or what the clue was but it was an across clue at the top on the right. Isn’t it funny what the brain remembers! Come on Mary – any suggestions – or maybe you’re out flying your kite tonight!

            1. silly lot everyone knows a colection of Harumphs is simply called Harumphtions !! no kite Kath just playing flute in church and quizzing :)

    3. I’m with Nubian on that – Although I also do it on clued up I nearly bought the paper this morning when I was out and that would hacve frustrated me no end. Will remember not to buy the paper on Saturdays as the puzzle only belongs on the back page…

    4. Just thought of the old sailors prayer that deserves an Harumph.

      Dear Lord above send down a dove
      with wings as sharp as razors
      To cut the throats of them there blokes
      what sell bad beer to sailors.

  25. Yes Digby! I agree. Still I suppose the O2 advertisement is better than more articles from Blair’s memoirs. Harumph too!

      1. Libellule, you will find his memoirs either in the general crime section or the fantasy section of all good book shops.

          1. Great picture indeed! Another example of British humour for the world to savour!!! My husband’s just bought the book in French…. Now I really understand why !!! ;-)

            1. Sorry! :-( My mistake: he’s waiting for it to come out in French & buy it as it’s not been translated yet.

    2. I agree too. Very disconcerting to automatically turn to the back page and find the puzzle’s disappeared. Never used to happen in the old days!

  26. Northwest corner got held up for far too long by first entering maundy for 2d. Once I cleared that hurdle everything fell into place.
    Did anyone else make the same mistake?
    Thanks to BD and Cephas for an enjoyable workout.

    1. Yes, I thought I was very clever to get Maundy! For the first time I have made a complete mess of the grid. I do paper version and am always careful before I enter the answer. But not this one! In addition to that mistake I misspelt the first word in 13 a (good clue) by putting in an extra E. Third mistake was 13d. Did not count no. of letters and was sure second word was motion! 9a was the last to go in. Only one word it could be but still don’t really get the clever clue. Too clever for me. Liked 10a. Did not like 24a. I was looking for something a bit more complicated for 26a and, of course, 12a was a giveaway even without the colour!

  27. A pretty straightforward but very entertaining puzzle – many thanks Cephas.
    The best clues for me were 13a & 22d but there were lots of other good ones.
    BD – 22d can also be interpreted using ***. and In Church as well as **. plus one **!.

  28. 25a Can be synthesized utilizing the condensation of aniline, chloral and hydroxylamine. A further Friedlander synthesis results finally in the useful quinoline after the elimination of a carboxyl group.

  29. Due to other commitments, unable to tackle this until Sunday a.m. A bit stiffer than recent Saturday puzzles I thought. Quite enjoyed it. Amused by 9a (the last one I got) and rather liked 22d, though 25a struck me as a bit poor.

  30. Sorry for a late post, but travelling yesterday.
    I agree with the sentament of several that this contained some really enjoyable clues such as 12a 13a,and 16a which are easy to spot if you are a regular solver. The better clues were probably 21a and 14d. A couple of basic definitions clues spoilt slightly what was otherwise a very good crossword.

    1. If you’re saying that protester is an odd choice of word to define the answer, then I agree. It’s not as if protester adds to the surface reading, which is pretty meaningless anyway.

  33. Hi all,

    Apologies for the late blog but been extremely busy all weekend and only managed to sit down with the CW Monday morning, thoroughly enjoyed it, favourite 13a, thanks to Cephas & BD.

    1. Hi Dr. Spoons – welcome to the blog.
      The last 3 letters come (one each) from “one caught a”.

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