Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2572 (Hints)
Hints and tips by 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.
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A full review of this puzzle will be published on or after the closing date.
Across
1a People manning aircraft carrying second propeller (8)
Put the collective name for the people manning an aircraft around (carrying) S(econd) to get another word for a propeller
16a Communication shortened by what sounds like random deletion (4)
To get the shortened form of an office communication delete the bit that sounds like random
20a Ring-leader, in law, is showing prejudice (6)
The first letter (leader) of R(ing) followed by a law around IS gives someone showing prejudice
28a One found in church (8)
In this all-in-one clue, put I (one) inside a type of church to get someone you are likely to find in a church
Down
2d Doing little during first session of play against English (8)
A word meaning doing little is a charade of a synonym for during (2), the first session of a play (3,1), an abbreviation for against (1) and E(nglish)
6d Sound heard that’s dramatically serious (8)
A word that sounds like (heard) a sound or inlet of the sea gives an adjective that describes a serious role in a drama
14d Briefly visit old ground again, put back on team? (5)
A word that means to briefly visit old ground again could be to select again for an international team
25d A mother, the ancestor we all share? (4)
Combine A and a mother, of a horse perhaps, to get the first man
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!
Enjoyable as always!
I liked : 9a, 15a. 17a, 20a. 27a, 3d, 6d, 7d, 17d & 22d.
Well 24d had me going for ages – D’Oh!. Loved the &Lit at 8d and also 17d and 27a. Thanks to Virgilius for the puzzle and BD for the hints.
Snap – not just me then
Took as long to get 24d as it did to do the rest of the crossword.
Me too! Very enjoyable. Favourites 8d and 27a. Thanks Virgilius and BD.
Derek, agree with all your favourites and 24d, hard to find a clue I didn’t enjoy ! Thank you very, very much Virgilius and B.D. A super start to an otherwise dull day
A good puzzle today apart from the clues that have ‘sounds like’ hints in them. They really annoy me, eg 16a, 6d I need to get a life.
Thanks to Dave and Virgilius .
Maybe you need to get on your bike Nubian?
Too tough for me today I’m afraid. Managed about a 1/3 and some of the answers I don’t understand i.e. what has 16d got to do with a defensive position? Def one for you experts today!
16d split the answer you have 5 and 3!
Eh? Have I got the wrong answer? I have a word which means someone who is an excellent shot.
that’s right and if you have 5 & 3 that’s what you are
And that has to do with a defensive position because ……….?
it’s difficult to explain without mentioning the words, if you do this you are defending yourself maybe?
“Takes on defensive role” is what one of the back four in football does.
Ah so my wife was right, nothing new there then
Ah now I really see !
My wife suggested it might be something a full-back would do on a forward but the tense is all wrong for that but hey ho at least I have an answer. Just 26a left to do, too much info in the clue to sort out!
have sent you a reply on 26a Barrie
I did struggle with this a bit today, although unlike others I got 24d fairly early on. In my defence I had just returned from a blustery 4 mile walk so the brain cells may have been a little chilly. I needed Gnome’s Law for one clue too! Thanks Virgilius for the entertaining brainstretcher and BD for the hints.
with you on 24d Sue, must be a woman thing!
Have finished ‘with a little help from my friends’ as the Beatles sang
but without Daves hints today, I found this slightly easier than yesterdays, strange how different minds work different ways, fav clues 3d and 13a
Although I have finished this I don’t really understand the central Mexico bit for 22d or how 10a works? If anyone has any ideas??
Think Roman numberals for 22d. Can’t help on 10a as the paper is downstairs with Mr CS doing the number puzzles!!
thanks Sue
What are the two central letters in MeXIco?
10a add M to the end of your answer!
Thanks Dave so simple 22d, one of my fav now!
but 10a, ok but I’m still not sure, is it to do with engineering?
Think of a word meaning ‘short skirt’ and then think of the opposite, which gives you a long garment.
Good results yesterday for you, Mary!
Ah thanks Tilly had wrong answer!!!
can’t believe I put sari no wonder I couldn’t get it with Daves help!
Yes brilliant Tilly don’t know if it will continue though!
Good having King Kenny back. My son-in-law is delighted.
Took your advice Mary, just did two hours up the north side of the River Tyne and back down the south side. It’s amazing how many people are out with sandwiches and flasks of tea. We Geordies are a hardy lot, it’s only six degrees.
I feel much better now.
Well done Nubian, we all get fooled by the lovely sunshine
Well done Mary, not an easy one today. I haven’t given up though just got 5 left to do. Can’t get the cricket one which is really winding me up being a huge cricket fan and just what this american game fighter is all about is beyond me at the moment. However, the mexico clue for me is the clue of the year, Fantastic!! Wish I had a mind that could think laterally enough to come up with something so brilliant yet simple.
Just seen the american fighter clue, had to look up the word though, never heard of that one before!
me neither!
the cricket one isn’t just cricket Barrie I would think more football when a player scire three goals!
even scores three goals!!
Ah I see, thx for putting me out of my misery!!
Last one now to do, 26a; got the 1st and 3rd letters but still can’t work out the answer DOH!! Must have my wrong head on today.
26a think of hands as in cards particularly bridge I think, then look at the last 3 words, the answeer is contained here
Knew it would be obvious DOH!! Thx, can go and do my chores now. By the way you must be pleased with yesterdays result, perhaps they have turned the corner at last, all hail King Kenny!!
here’s hoping enjoy your chores!
All done and dusted and what a pleasant experience it was too. Many nicely deceiving clues like 17a and 24d where you had to lift and separate out the different parts of the clue. Many thanks to Virgilius for the workout and to BD for the hints.
Thanks Prolixic – you’ve just put me right on 24d!!!
‘Lift and separate’? You been doing yesterday’s Grauniad?
Just have 24d to do & despite all of the comments I just can’t grasp it
24d Audibly disapprove of King John, for one (4)
What a disapproving audience does followed by an abbreviation for king gives something of which John is an example (in the New Testament).
Nice work Gazza – I just logged on again to see any more grouses re 24d – I was going to offer “You are Not Thinking from the outset”.
Maybe I am becoming too cryptic!
Thanks Gazza – I had that as a possible but couldn’t see why but it’s very obvious the way you’ve broken it down.
And Derek – yes you’re getting too cryptic! Well for me anyway
Just finished – 24d the last to go in. Couldn’t see this at all for ages until we looked at Prolixic’s hint! Only one we needed help on today. Thanks Dave & Virgilius (presumably it was he!).
All done except 27a, just can’t fathom it at all. A nudge would be appreciated.
Hi Wayne
Take one of the usual supects for ‘articles’ and put it at the beginning and end. Inside them put a game played on horseback and a US soldier.
Had a Eureka moment while out walking the dog. Came back and confirmed it. Thanks anyway Pommers, much appreciated.
Lovely stuff. Some excellent clues, and a highly enjoyable puzzle.
★★★★★
Finished, somewhat to my surprise as there was some tricky stuff here, for the CC anyway. Needed all the usual help and wouldn’t have go there without additional hints in the comments. As usual, a few answers I don’t understand at all, eg 9a, where does the second word come from?
Lots of fun along the way and thanks to Virgilius, BD and other hinters.
Well done Geoff, I think 9a is anagram of that followed by the second four letters of cricket?? not sure though
9a is a sort of all-in one.
The first 4 letters are an anagram (staggering) of THAT followed by a piece of cRICKet to give a ‘Staggering piece of cricket’
That’s what I supposed, but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me and thought there must be something much more subtle to it. Thanks.
Know what you mean
Some guidance on 26a would be super. Neither me nor MrsT can see it!
Hi Tantalus (and Mrs Tantalus) – welcome to the blog.
For 26a see Mary’s reply to Barrie within comment #8 above.
hi Tantalus, think of hands as in cards particularly bridge, the answer is included in last 3 words
Thanks – we thought that we were looking for a couple, not one of four. It looks almost easy now!
Just finished – only one that I didn’t understand (22d – couldn’t see how Mexico got in there at all) but that has been sorted out by several of the above comments – thanks to all for them.
I’ve really enjoyed this one – MUST be getting better at this ‘game’ – it’s not so long ago that I could rarely do any of the Sunday puzzle.
Particular favourites today include 13 and 27a and 7, 8, 12, 17 and 19d plus the three long anagrams – why don’t I just write down all the clues and have done with it?!!
Thanks to Virgilius and Big Dave.
Hi Kath
22d had me wondering for a while as well. The answer was obvious from the checking letters but could I see the XI in Mexico? Sometimes the obvious is staring you in the face and you don’t see it – I’m going to start calling it ‘Lightblindness’! Happens to us all occasionally!
same here Dave had to explain it to me Duh!
The penny dropped on me eventually but that one and the King John were my last in!
24d reminds me of a very clever little clue from the Guardian a while back, which may also have been one of Mr.Greer’s –
‘John King, Butchers’ (4) – answer as in the rhyming slang ‘butcher’s hook’
Finally done. Last one was 17a. Second day on the trot of missing the blindingly obvious. Pommers – Lightblindness is a good description. It took us 2 hours to do the first 2 clues then whoosh, only another 9 hours for the rest. (Only joking, it was eight and a half). V nice review and an excellent puzzle.
Found this difficult today, couldn’t quite see the definition in a lot of clues, now struggling with 17a, 18a and 6d…anyone still up who can help?
Jaycat:
17a Someone who is not English is A + another national. Also an English racecourse.
18a is a word for related/narrated. Take ‘to’ from the clue then a word for a boy with the middle removed.
6d – Sound is the definition – think waterways. It is also a homophone of a theatre role that is not comedic (dramatically serious)
Hope that helps!
Hi gnomethang. thanks for that, I understand 17a and 18a now.
6d …i have a word but fail to see it being to do with sound ..maybe i have wrong letters
I am now stuck on 21 a…about time?
Cheers
OK – Thinking waterways, a sound is also a reach, narrow, inlet or another word meaning ‘ a course of moving water between two pieces of land’ – not a dictionary def but my own!
21a – abbreviations for ‘with reference to’ (about) and Time inside a small coin.
Incidentally, if you hit the reply button on this thread it keeps everything together nicely. Hope that helps!
Sorry – my mistake. It is a homophone of the waterway and the definition is the non-comedic acting role.
I should have re-read the clue and not answered from memory! – D’Oh!
Got it! thanks…of course the answer is a homophone of the word meaning moving water between two pieces of land.
21a- I have the “about” bit, and a small coin, but Time is one letter? which i don’t get -unless it stands for the 1/60 of a M?…the resulting word means about time so maybe i have it.
Thanks again for all your help.
Time abbreviation from physics: speed = distance/time etc.
Night!
I am trying to catch up – have just finished this one and really enjoyed it. My last one in was 7d as even with the cross letters I couldn’t make it work – stupid eh and felt that DOH minute when I did. Lots of lovely clues.
Thanks to Virgilus for puzzle and BD for hints.