ST 2564 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2564 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2564 (Hints)

Hints and tips from Big Dave

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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 Friday, 3rd December.

Across

1a    Fare for Italians from Mediterranean island (7)
A double definition – Italian sausages and an island to the west of Athens

11a    Frenchman demonstrated about short measure (9)
This Frenchman is from the southeast of the country and is a charade of a word meaning demonstrated and the short form of the measure of the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1 °C , a two-letter abbreviation for about and a short measure [Thanks Mary, I got the wrong measure there]


23a    Places where people can read overlapping signs (9)
These places where people can read is formed by overlapping two signs of the zodiac

28a    Island city in uproar about dreadful nude (7)
A city and port in the South Island, New Zealand, is constructed by putting an uproar around an anagram (dreadful) of NUDE

Down

1d    Person who shoots fish (7)
A person who shoots photographs and a fish related to the basses

6d    Graves may be opened by this gang from part of Ireland (9)
It will open Sauternes as well!

14d    A great number upset about much agricultural business (5,4)
Reverse a very large number (6) and then insert another word for much (3), in the sense of in a great degree, to get an agricultural business

24d    Like many flying from Russia via Norway (5)
An adjective meaning relating to birds is hidden inside the last three words of the clue

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

As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put whole or partial answers or alternative clues in your comment, else they may be censored!

101 comments on “ST 2564 (Hints)”

  1. Hi Dave, big game for us today, I have money on Liverpool to win! I put a little money on them to win v Chelsea and they did, I have now put that on them to win against You (The Spurs) :) This was a tought ‘in places’ crossword. lots of clues I liked and lots I thought should be in the toughie such as 14d, the 3 letter word here is a bit of a ‘loose connection’ to much IMHO! I needed lots of help but not the hints, worth the CC perservating today, if you have the time! a sense of satisfaction when finishing it :)

    Come on Liverpool :-)

    1. I’m inclined to agree about 14d (but not about the football!)

      If you replace “much” in the phrase “much greater value” with the word in question it has the same meaning, but it’s hard to work that out without knowing the answer.

  2. Feeling fairly smug as this is the second Sunday in a row that I’ve finished the puzzle – having said that there are some that I don’t understand – 15a – middle five letters, fine, but where do the first and last two come from? 8d – I can’t work out at all but think that what I’ve got has to be right, if only because I can’t think of anything else that would fit!! (it does mean we can hear everything within it but don’t understand how it fits with the first bit of the clue) Lots of clues that I really liked – 23 and 27a and 4d (dead clever about alternative French and Spanish articles) 6d and 21d. Very cold here – down to -5C last night and is still only -2C. Off for dog walk – brrrrrrrr!

              1. Thanks for 8d – why didn’t I see that? I didn’t mean 15a I meant 17a – any help in explaining it gratefully received.

                1. 17a Opposition accepting rule by king, one from another country (9)
                  The definition is one from another country. Put a word meaning opposition or enemy around a synonym for rule, then finish with an abbreviation for king.

                  1. Thank you Gazza and Mary – I had the right answer but had got in a muddle because I had the five letter word in the middle meaning ‘rule by king’ rather than just ‘rule’ which left me with a spare ‘king’ at the end if anyone sees what I mean! Anyway all is now clear.

                2. Yes, its a five letter word for rule inside a three letter word for opposition or enemy i.e. opposition accepting king, ‘by king’ means to put the abbreviation for king (1 letter) next to it

                    2. thanks Dave I’ll try to rememberbut it is all a muddle in my head, I understand what I’m trying to say but it doesn’t quite come out right, bit like on COW!! :-D

  3. Excellent puzzle today, as I’ve come to expect from Virgilius (presumably it was he).
    Favourite 8d for its very cleverly hidden definition.
    Too many other good clues to mention individually.
    Thanks to the setter and BD.
    BTW, weather here is back to normal service. Not a cloud in the sky and warm enough to dispense with pullover.

  4. Dave I thought 11a was a 6 letter word for demonstrated, with a 2 letter abbreviation for about followed by one letter for a measurement i.e. short measure or is that what you’re saying?

      1. I thought it was in two parts with demonstarted and then a shorter version of the units I am trying to loose on my diet.

          2. Unless of course the ‘about’ should be the latin definition but then you have to justify the ‘short measure’

            2. I think that about is, as you say, the latin followed by the one letter abbreviation for a unit (measure) of volume.

  5. A very nice Sunday work-out, with lots of excellent clues such as 8d, 23a & 11a. Lovely sunny day in West Sussex, so a walk in the woods beckons. Thanks to our setter & BD for the confirmatory hints.

  6. Lucky Pommers! Temperature here about -3! I’m told the snow is 1 ft. deep but being a bit disabled I’m not about to test it! Enjoyed this crossword on the whole though not sure about 2d Why “miss”? My answer might be wrong. Perish the thought!

  7. I must say I found a lot of these clues were double definitions with one part cryptic and the other general knowledge. Most of the time I just looked at the general knowledge part and justified it with the cryptic part so it proved to be a slightly easier puzzle.
    Anyway I have just experienced the ‘big society’, as I went out to clear my drive in our cul de sac, several other men were doing theirs and someone suggested we do the whole cul de sac. Two hours later and lots of stiff backs and cold feet and we were finished. You can’t beat a bit of male bonding of a Sunday morning.
    Thanks to Big Dave and the Setter

  8. 2d wad my favourite – lovely clue.
    Thanks to BD and Virgilius.
    Mary, tell me again why you aren’t reviewing?

  9. Off to get ‘ready’ for the big game, I would wish you luck Dave but you’d know I wouldn’t mean it :-D

    1. Sorry Mary I’m for Spurs today, we just held Chelsea to a draw and if you win we will get kicked into the bottom half of the table.

      1. Just watched your guys but, unfortunately, on Kanal 6 which is a Danish channel. Still, the players names are the same in Danish and the result was still as good! Thanks, your guys did mine a favour!

      2. yesw well done you I didn’t want Chelsea to win, I only want them to win, when they’re playing ManU!

    2. Suppose I should be supporting Liverpool as they seem less of a threat in the title race. However, as a Mancunian, I somehow can’t get behind the Scousers – come on you Spurs!

            1. sorry Pommers its not personal, its just that Man U is a team everyone loves to hate :) nothing against Mancunians!

              1. OK, I understand but I was born in Stretford about 200yds from Old Trafford ground so I’ve been a supporter since before I can remember!Also Lancashire CC was about quarter of a mile away so ditto!

  10. I thought this was a magnificent Sunday puzzle, lots of good clues – I have ‘spots’ by lots of favourites. Thanks Virgilius for the great entertainment and BD for the hints and other assistance this morning!

    A few snow showers here in E Kent but it didn’t stick around long. Nice wet roads now to make ice rinks for the morning drive to work.

  11. Just got round to the xword and finished it without Mary’s hints. Equal favs were 2 and 8 but I also liked 3 6 12 [put spick in for starters] 20 21 and 25. I wondered what Mary and Kath thought about our exploits in Oz, as I know it is their favourite game!

    1. Exploits in Oz looked pretty good last night after a dodgy Day 1. Still, you can’t argue with a hat-trick and one of them does rather make a mess of an innings! A draw in Test 1 will do for me!

    2. Was about to reply and say “What exploits in Oz” but then even I realised what you were talking about! Who knows or cares would about cover it as far as I’m concerned but I suspect you already knew that!

      1. Thank God that Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist (et alia) have retired! Day 4 of the test must be the greatest rearguard action by England for years!

        Let’s have more cricket references in the Cryptic, please!

          1. I don’t think Mary will be able to comment on Oz as she will still be in shock after the Soccer.

        1. Sure is. Players rolling round in agony, threatening the ref and trying to get each other sent off. Cricket must be really boring!

          1. It really is UTC at least for me, one of the few sports I don’t watch, did u have a good day out yesterday????

            1. Not really – went to bottle bank and shopping. Just think of all the clues you would be able to answer about no-balls and bails and things like off side and leg side. You really should take an interest!!

  12. Ladies and Gentlemen,
    I know this is off topic, but does anybody else have a go at the Sunday GK Crossword? After the last few Sundays I feel like I am in the hands of a pangram addict who doesn’t care about General Knowledge. The more obscure the clue, the better so long as it contains a Q, X or Z and fits the grid. I am beginning to wonder what is the point…. my 2c, hope Mr. McNeill picks this up!

    2. I didn’t buy a paper this week so can’t comment on today’s GK but agree that the last few Sundays have been exactly as you describe. One clue last week was so obscure that I couldn’t even track down the answer on Google!

  13. Good CW today finished ….so now doing the dinner so hubby pleased with that & the Toon result.
    Still very cold here -9c now .

  14. Another fine puzzle from Virgilius as we come to expect on a Sunday. I found most of it straightforward, although the NW held me up for a while.
    Many good clues; I liked 17a, and 6d.
    Thanks to setter and BD.

      1. Thanks Kath. Still nothing! The last couple of days have really dragged, waiting for something to happen. Lamb Madras is on the menu tonight, but not overly confident that it will make any difference. Still… washed down with a bottle of wine to myself could make for an enjoyable evening :)

  15. Going to cheer myself up now by watching Stictly and X Factor, now where’s my bar of chocolate…………

    1. Pommette insists on that as well – and the chocolate! What about Wagner? I’ve heard it said that his music is better than it sounds but I think that the comment was made about a different Wagner!

  16. Sorry, been unusually verbose today! There’s not much to do on a Sunday in Spain (if you’re not a Catholic churchgoer) apart from watch footy and keep the blog open!
    Off to the telly now.
    See y’all again.

    1. Enjoy your Telly and yes that must have been a different Wagner! apparently X Factor Wagner has a huge fan base, I’m not one of them! :)

  17. Got there eventually, with lots of help, after being sidetracked by The Lion in Winter on telly. Lovely puzzle, some of it quite tricky and have to agree that 2d is a very good clue and 5d was a very hard clue!

    Don’t understand 3d and 20d, can’t see how blood transfusion is relevant. If someone can explain … ?

    Thanks to Virgilius, I presume, BD and several comments by Mary, Kath.

    1. Hi Geoff really well done, thought you’d gone missing today :) 20d is a word for wound with the initial letter of blood being put in (transfusion) to give you somewhere to rest

      1. 3d the first 3 letters are what a bishop may be, the last two are two points of the compass, this gives you an ecclesiastical rsidence at least that’s how I think it works

      3. Hmm, maybe 3d, along with 13a, aren’t the greatest clues. I’m with Gnomethang, why aren’t you reviewing these ???

    2. 3d Think of chess and geography
      20d Think of wound as rhyming with hound. Then put B [initial] into it [transfusion] to get somewhere to sleep
      Think Mary must be watching striclly!

  18. How rude of me … thank you to Mary and UTC for the explanations. No snow here today, too darned cold! The frost didn’t melt even on the cars where the sun DID shine!

  19. Great crossword but it seems the blog has become more of a weather and football forum rather than exchange of views on the clues.

        1. I´m not a cricket fan – 5 day games that often end in a draw brought about by bad light or other such phenomena are tedious in the extreme. However, I find the vocabulary hilarious and usually I am not stumped by the cricket clues which crop up in so many cryptic crosswords.

  20. It’s a weekend, especially Sunday, thing. Personally, I can barely spell sport and was astonished that I got 22a so easily.

  21. Another enjoyable puzzle from Brian presumably.
    Best clues for me : 11a, 23a, 6d & 16d.

    For 1a no trouble re the food but to locate the island I had to consult my copy of Chambers’s World Gazetteer & Geographical Dictionary – original 1954 edition – edited by Collocott & Thorne.

      1. It is useful – particularly if you are searching for former names of places – eg look at Africa – how place and state names have changed since WW2. And not just Africa but just about everywhere else on the planet (Earth). In GB they mucked about with the county boundaries several years ago stuck little Rutland into Leicestershire – drowned half of it – and later put it back again.
        My son was born in Warrington which then and traditionally was in Lancashire – now in Cheshire –
        You can go on for pages about this “tommyrot”.

        Plus ça change plus ce n’est pas la même chose

  23. In fact now I have finished it, no time for it yesterday, I have to say its one of the most enjoyable crosswords I have done in a long time. Lots if good clues, some quite tricky ones but managed it unaided. Many thanks to the setter, (not that anyone will see thus being a day late…)

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