DT 26355 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26355 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26355 (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, 30th September.

Across

1a    Timely way to go (9)
The direction in which the minute and hour hands travel!

10a    Impulse to do some light criminal work? (9)
Like setting light to things

12a    Bird changes quality of sound (9)
This bird is a charade of a word meaning changes direction followed by the quality of sound

13a         Place restriction on stock movement (6)
The stock here are animals like cattle – you restrict them by tying them up!

30a    Get acquainted with position — the map’s right (6)
… that’s the right-hand side of a world map

31a    One of the fraternity’s forenames rewritten (9)
A member of a secret fraternity is an anagram (rewritten) of forenames

Down

2d    Amateur excluded from plan (6)
A charade of non-professional and excluded gives a plan

4d    First person in cape to see apparition (6)
Put the first person singular pronoun inside the cape that is the most northwesterly point on the island of Great Britain to get an apparition

7d           Where infant is fed up? (9)
A lot easier than it looks – where do you put an infant at mealtime?

17d    Way academician goes to terminus briefly (3)
Abbreviations for a way and an A(cademician) give the abbreviation (briefly) shown on maps for a railway terminus

26d    Accountant left one company cotton cloth (6)
A charade of a Chartered Accountant, L(eft), one and CO(mpany) gives a cotton cloth

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!

112 comments on “DT 26355 (Hints)”

  1. Not the best Saturday crossword in recent times but fairly enjoyable, for once my favourite clue was an anagram 31a. Thanks Cephas (if he ) and BD for the hints.

  2. Grr! We’ve been shunted off the back page again!
    I’ll throw this one open to a vote. My current subscription to the Telegraph ends soon. Bearing in mind that I don’t actually read any of the paper and it goes straight in the green bag as soon as the crossword’s done, should I switch to Clued Up? I’ve had mixed reports about it…

    1. Mr Tub

      The CluedUp site is not without its minor problems, but the performance was significantly improved when the Telegraph ditched the outsourcing company. At £35.88 a year it offers excellent value for money.

        1. Hi Mr Tub
          I find Clue Up really good value, as yourself I was throwing the rest of the paper in the bin, I think in almost ayear I have had problems only twice with it
          Hi Dave
          just about to start this so won’t look at your hints just yet :)

            1. If you split it into 5,4, the first is a word for changes and the second a word for quality of sound steph, it is a small bird that finds insects under pebbles etc. on beaches

                1. Steph

                  27a Foreigner protected by stone part of fortification (7)
                  Put a foreigner or extraterrestrial inside ST(one) to get an outward-pointing angle, especially of a fortification or line of defences

                    1. Whoops – I answered that from the Comment dashboard. Must be more careful, that was Sunday’s 27a!

                      27a Locals at home holding a wild person (9)
                      The locals are posh pubs, the kind that serve wine. You need two of them, then add a word for “at home” around “A” to get a wild or uncivilized person

    2. Just do it! There’s nothing like holding a newspaper in your hands, but, like you, I only ever bought it for the crossword (and the James May column on Saturday!).

      1. I have bought the DT for years but must admit it is now beginning to lose its appeal. The standard of journalism has declined with only the crosswords remaining constant. I’ve worked out that in a full year I spend in the region of £350 on the blessed thing! Time to invest some capital in a CluedUp membership I think.

          1. And with the latest “Corduroy Mansions” offering being available only on line then I think my mind is made up!

    3. We seem to get these adverts every week now. I dislike folding the paper on an inside page. Is the DT not listening to us. I may move to the Times

  3. After the ‘Ferocious Firefly’ yesterday, this was a pleasant solve over a morning coffee. Nothing too exciting, but a possible favourite might be 27a. Thanks to Cephas, and to BD.

  4. Was doing quite well this morning but now resolutely stuck on 7d, 11a and 13a – may have to go and start the ironing. Eek! Can anyone help?

      1. thanks Dave have all those now, but am still stuck in that corner on 6d and 8d perservating has done me no good, I give up and plead for help :)

        1. Mary, 6d – think of a separate area of a pub – old pubs used to have the “Public *** ” and this type of *** also called the saloon.

            1. Mary, do you still have “dry” areas in Wales – not rainfall (of course) but alcohol-free? Or is that a thing of the past?

              1. It’s a thing of the past Franco, fdon’t know if that’s a good thing or not, funnily enough I’d forgotten all about that!

  5. Btw I love Clued Up Have never had any real problems with it and have bought it for other family members i far flung locations to enjoy.

      1. Thanks BD. The paper recycling sack might be a little lighter in the future – or at least when the current subscription ends around November! As a Civil Servant, my colleagues are finding the increasingly ‘Colonel Blimp’ headlines (which appear to be fuelled by the coalition’s delight in announcing widespread cuts) hard to take. ‘Stop buying that paper, and we’ll all buy you a crossword book!’ Clued Up could be the answer …

  8. I am afraid I did not enjoy this puzzle at all. 30a for me was a clue too far and started me on the road to disappointment. I understood the clue but thought it a stretch to say the least. I had to check and make sure I hadn’t dialled up a toughie by mistake.
    I found most of the clues unhelpful and sometimes intentionally obscure. 17a ? give me a break!
    Regardless, some have enjoyed it and so I put this down to my shortcomings and a couple of G & T s before bed last night.
    Thanks to Cephas and Dave.

    1. Quite agree with you and made all the worse by being relegated to inside the back page again !

      Like many others, I only buy the DT on Saturdays and then only for the puzzle but ‘er indoors enjoys the colour mag so guess we’ll go on buying the paper version, although it does seem to be doing more and more to meet the councils recycling aims !

      Completely stuck on the bottom left hand corner but I’m so unenthusiastic about it I’ve nearly given in !

  9. Re paper
    Am about to take our once a fortnight bus down to newcastle today!!! so would be impossible not to have the paper& anyway Hubbie reads all the rest & the Sport so our subscription worth it. halfway through today so may finsish before Bus gets to the Toon as takes an Hour from way out in wild s of Northumberland

  10. Like Nubian, I didn’t enjoy this puzzle much and there weren’t any ‘Eureka!’ moments although 13a did come close. I love the Saturday Telegraph but don’t always take the paper during the week now as those of us who can remember pre-decimalisation currency will think back to what we could have bought for a £1.00 prior to 1971!

  11. Funnily enough the answer to 12a, we were watching some of these in Torquay last week and one of the locals was explaining all about them, had never seen or heard of them before, what a coincidence

        1. got it thanks Dave, finished at last, lots of word association clues today, which I usually like, a crossword that when you get the answers you wonder why it took you so long! fav clues today 15d and 27a, Thanks everyone for your help, definitely needed your help today Dave!

    2. Blimey you have now confused me even more, can’t think what could go on in Torquay that might fit this clue :-). Nice to be back Mary after a couple of weeks working in the States. Having seen the USA Today crossword every day it does make you appreciate the DT puzzle (unless it’s a Ray T of course!).

  12. All done! An error with 14d held up 23a, and I could’ve fed the five thousand with the meal I made out of 29a. I was so desperate for it to be an anagram that even though I knew the answer I still couldn’t bring myself to write it in. It was that word ‘splashing’ that did it.

    I’m sure I’ll have none of these troubles when I ditch the paper in favour of CluedUp!

    2. I was looking for the anagram too! I’m not quite sure what the ‘splashing’ is? Maybe Dave can tell us???

        1. I think you’re both quite right: being lazy I hoped it would be easier just to have an anagram and that’s it, but it reared up and bit me on the proverbial. Nice clue though!

  13. I am going to stick with the paper – I actually enjoy reading all the bits and after 40+ years of newsprint find solving on a computer or a piece of A4 paper not as satisfying. However, before I comment on today’s puzzle I must once again say Harrumph about not being on the back page again!

    This puzzle took me twice as long as last week’s. Some good clues but no particular favourites. One of those where I will probably like it more after I have done the review analysis. Thanks to Cephas and to BD for the hints, some of the phraseology of which may well reappear on Thursday!!

    1. I also prefer the newsprint version especially as when you are using a piece of A4 paper, you still need a nicely folded copy of the DT to rest it on!

      With regard to the back page, I think that the advertisers are missing out big style; all of us who start the paper from the back page simply mutter Tut! Tut! then turn the page; the others who start from the front will rarely get to the back page.

      I don’t know how many entries the DT receives for the prize crossword (is it thousands?), but from the advertiser’s point of view it would be better to have the Crossword on the same page as they would then have a captive audience for however long it takes to solve the puzzle.

      Also, the current Ad has a lot of white space for working out anagrams.

      1. Why don’t the advertisers put their adverts on the back page with the crossword still in the bottom left hand corner?

    2. I too will stick to the dead tree version, like you after 40 odd years of reading the DT I couldn’t do without my daily fix. I finf doing crosswords on line annoying and confusing, probably my age. I enjoyed todays crossword very much but did not find it the struggle many have mentioned, some crosswords just seem to suit some people.

  14. Phew–the right hand corner seemed to hold me up for yonks till I saw BDs help Cheers BD
    All finished now–back to the h/work :-(

  15. Like some of the above, I derived very little pleasure from this and was glad when it was over. I don’t do crosswords just for the sake of finishing them, so 2* today for BD’s newly categorised ‘Below Average’.
    I’ve been using CluedUp and its predecessor version for nearly 4 years now and agree with the others that it is good value. Most of the problems that matter seem to have been ironed out now.
    The Guardian Crossword site is free, but given the dreadful financial state the Guardian group is in, I can’t see how long that can continue.
    I read the Telegraph on the net, but I suspect that they and others are waiting to see whether Murdoch’s Times Paywall is a success before doing likewise.

  16. Didn’t like this one at all! Only managed about half and still can’t see 10a, 12a, 13a and 2d even with the hints. It is very unusual for me not to finish the Saturday so very disappointing. Far too hard for me I’m afraid.
    On the subject of the DT, I completely agree, the standard of journalism is now abysmally low and the Saturday edition is a real threat to the rainforests. The ONLY reason to buy it is for the crossword and some days if it’s a Ray T I doubt even that. :-)

  17. All done. I got 1a wrong initially (last 4 letters) that left me puzzling over 5d. Then realised – DOH!!

    Contrary to some of the above I much prefer the paper version – Derek Pringle’s cricket writing is always good as well.

    Typical Saturday puzzle really – 10a my favourite.

    1. 6d Idle save room (6-3)
      It’s a room (in a pub). Put a synonym for to idle in front of a word meaning save or except.

  19. Yay! I’ve finished altough needed your hints with 12a and 30a. Thank you. :o)
    Much slower and less satisfying than last Saturday.
    An image I had of 3d made me giggle !

    1. Can’t get 8d for love nor money. Have all you lot done this one and moved on to the rest of your Saturdays? I can’t leave til it’s finished so please release me, let me go

  20. Finally finished! But, in all honesty, I found it boring!! Started this morning and couldn’t be bothered to try and finish until rain came on and picked it up again for something to do.I’m not usually like that, must be the Italian air, where I am at the moment. Even so, thanks to Cephas and B.D. When I’m here my daughter prints it out for me from Cluedup but I really prefer having the paper, and there is usually an interesting article to read, I’d be lost without the Telegraph to look forward to!!

    1. Little Dave, It’s now 0-3 at the Emirates!!! I have my suspicions that Big Dave is a Spurs’ Fan – so these comments will not be moderated!

    1. Well done the Baggies!! ! You got there in the end 2-3! By the way, why are WBA called – the Baggies? Might come up in a future DT cryptic.

        1. Now this was amusing:
          n the 2000s BBC televiision drama series New Tricks the characters Jack Halford, Brian Lane and Gerry Standing were so named by the writer Roy Mitchell in honour of the Halford Lane standing area of Albion’s ground.

  23. Finished at last but didn’t like it at all. No WOW clues anywhere, mainly just highly convoluted.
    Come on Tottenham, what are you playing at? There’s more to life than just the European league. I’ll be glad when Gomez gets back and we send the Chelsea reject back to the reserves.

    1. Have returned home and managed to finish after seeing a few clues. Top right corner had me stumped this morning. Convoluted indeed!

  24. Phew – have managed this without the hints – first time for a couple of days, at least. I enjoyed this and loved some of the clues 10a, 31a (mainly because my Dad was one – perhaps not a good enough reason) 7d, and 15d. I thought that I was going to be defeated by the top right hand corner but then it all just suddenly fell into place. Why do so many people not like Ray T’s puzzles? I think that his are often some of my favourites – maybe it’s all back to wavelengths again. Thanks to Cephas and BD and have a good weekend everyone.

  25. Franco – the nickname comes from their baggy shorts many moons ago. Anyway, just about to open some champagne here in Hertfordshire. They have always been my team and results like this are a tad rare.

    2. Living in Hertfordshire? – and supporting WBA – you must be a Glory Hunter.

      Enjoy Your Champagne!

  26. Finished it, with a little help from Mary as usual, after a walk in the sunshine that was decidedly more enjoyable than this puzzle.

  27. The layout got me today. At one point I had the lower half completed and nothing at the top!
    And I was convinced that 8d was some kind of egg.
    Agree about the subscription. Living in Germany, the printed paper isn’t really an option and while I have tried doing it online, I have never solved the problem of how to tick off the ones I get …
    I normally have a look through the DT each morning, but rely more on the BBC and other international media for news coverage. If you want to read the NYT, all you have to do is register. There is normally no charge and that seems the fairer solution.
    The standard of English in the DT has certainly deteriorated, especially in the sub-heads.
    On 1 January last year, they wrote:
    Pinter directs his own funeral
    Body dumped on M45
    I was on my way to the airport and neglected to take a screenshot, which is a pity, as they separated these two, unconnected stories in later editions.
    Thanks to setter and BD as always for a most entertaining site.

  28. Not enjoying today’s crossword much .. I have an answer for 14d but it is giving me problems with 23a .. then I am done

    Z.

  29. Without being too serious…., can you provide a “Spell Checker” on your “Post a Comment” page?

    I’m sure taht yuo Kown!

      1. BD, Thanks for that tip. I am now using FireFox! I also note that in FireFox the comment numbers are displayed correctly in the left-hand margin!

  30. Not the best one today. Usually I really enjoy cracking some of the clues but no such experience this evening. I can’t work out what “impulse” has to do with 10a (any help?). Perhaps the cold weather signalling the end of Summer has made me cantankerous!

  31. having read all the comments today i am leaning towards clued up. todays xwrd has me stumped. not enjoyable at all. 27a and 25d left to put in. if anybody is out there i would appreciate a nudge.

    1. 27a think of a name for part of a ‘Local’ and use it twice and follow in by the usual word for ‘at home’ with an ‘a’ inserted

      25d anag of America minus an ‘A’ for Australia

      Z.

    2. Hi Edi if you’re still up
      27a you need a 3 letter word for a local as in pub twice as in locals plural followed by a 2 letter word for at home with a inside (holding) to give you a word for wild person

      25dyou need an anagram of America without the A (not Australia) to give you a peninsula in Europe, hope this helps :)

  32. Thanks to everyone for their help. I’ve almost finished!

    I have been a Clued up subscriber for about 4 years now – or at least always accessed the crossword online. I started doing so for the same reason other people have cited – took out the puzzle section and ended up throwing the rest away unread. I find it a cheaper and more environmentally friendly option for me personally.

  33. I was involved in some apres golf bibulation yesterday so didnt comment. I found this a bit harder than recent puzzles but all fell into place eventually with the usual mixture of clues.
    Thanks to Cephas and tyo BD for the pointers.

  34. Folks,

    Seeing as it seems a major sticking point, here’s a tip, remove the front and back page sheet, turn this over and replace the inner section back inside. Now the paper folds beautifully with the crossword on the back!

    Don’t know if you’ve tried this but I find it far more convenient.

    On the CW, somehow this doesn’t feel satisfying as I am doing it, I think the surface reading is a bit poor and formulaic.

    Have a nice weekend, Robbo

  35. Had a day riding trains on the Mid Norfolk Railway yesterday and worked through this puzzle during the morning. A slightly different style from the last few weeks with a few enjoyable word plays. I liked 21a best. The internet signal disappears on the train so a real newspaper is the only option.

  36. Much harder than the usual Saturday puzzles I thought – may be a good week to enter the competition! Had about 3 stabs at this but managed to complete without the blog, so a degree of satisfaction was obtained.

  37. Finished it this am but not happy about 17a &i8d. Cannot see significance of George?Can you explain,please?

    1. 17a Not all appear to notice (3)
      Not all of a word meaning to appear gives a word meaning to notice

      18d Before George at regular intervals (3)
      Take the even letters of gEoRgE

    2. Hi TrishB

      18 Before George at regular intervals (3)
      You need the even letters of GEORGE which gives a poetic or romantic word for ‘Before’ (as in ‘before I die’).
      George is not significant apart from containing those letters.

      Hope that helps!

  39. Found the bottom right corner straightforward but have needed lots of help from the hints and Word Wizard to complete the remainder this evening.

    Nowhere near as much fun as last week.

    Fav clue 27a.

  40. Eureka !! Two very interrupted days after starting it I’ve finally got there ! Needed more than the usual amount of help from electronic word finders and all of your clues but it’s finished !

    Have to say I don’t recall another one that I’ve enjoyed less – it just became annoying and hard work but I don’t like leaving things unfinished.

    Like Robbo’s suggestion of reversing the back page (no. 34 above) it also has the benefit of hiding the blasted advert !

    See you next weekend.

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