DT 26510 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26510 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26510 (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.

Could new readers please read the Welcome post before asking questions about the site.

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also”.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.

Across

1a    One tucking in tucks it in (6)
Someone eating a meal in a restaurant might tuck one of these in to protect their clothing

4a    Launch is cancelled after reprimand (5-3)
The launch of a space rocket is constructed by putting a word meaning cancelled after a reprimand

18a    It’s the last thing a tragedy is expected to do (3,2,8)
A cryptic definition of what how a tragedy might finish

29a    Perhaps guest’s one with lasting qualities (6)
A double definition – another name for a guest who stops for one or more nights and someone with lasting qualities

Down

1d    Make known it’s not provided before end of May (6)
A word meaning to make known or inform is a charade of NOT, a two-letter word meaning provided, or on condition that, and the final letter (end) of MaY

3d    In former USSR, capping gold tooth (7)
A charade of IN, a loose association formed by former members of the USSR and the heraldic term for gold gives a cutting tooth

23d    You are said to be featured in short man’s picture (5)
Put textspeak for “you are” inside a shortened version of a man’s name to get a picture painted on a wall

25d    Stitched all ways (4)
A word meaning stitched is made up from all four points of the compass

The Crossword Club is now open. Feel free to leave comments.

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

The Quick crossword pun: {ducked} + {billed} + {platypus} = {duck-billed platypus}

115 comments on “DT 26510 (Hints)”

  1. After a week in Cornwall armed only with the Good Beer Guide that eased me back in to things quite nicely. Never heard of 15a before but I’m pretty confident about it. 22a was probably my favourite. Thanks to the setter and welcome home BD.

  2. My only struggle this morning was remembering the cryptic significance of ‘may’! Thanks to, I presume, Cephas for the puzzle and BD for the hints.

    Harrumph once again to the DT. I might be a mother and hope for a mother’s day present, but I prefer to read proper books and certainly don’t need an advert for one of those modern reading contraptions where my crossword puzzle ought to be.

  3. A pretty good puzzle for a prize one. Clues were fair and the whole thing was a little harder than the regular ones.
    Fav clue was 22a by a country mile.
    Thanks to B Dave and the Setter. woof woof

  4. All done today but can’t fully justify 7d (if the last three are a word meaning ‘rim’, for example, why the first two? Liked 10a, and 22a made me laugh. Thanks to setter and (a hopefully now rested) BD.

        1. Having looked in Chambers, it refers to an archaic definition, neat-cattle, neat-herd, etc.

          1. I had a problem justifying my answer for 7d so thank you for enlightening me. Like Crypticsue, I take exception to having an advertisement on the back page and, like her, I am a bibliophile and have absolutely no inclination to read books electronically.

          2. Thanks for that – something else to add to that part of my brain marked useless but necessary crossword definitions :)

      1. Thanks to you both .. a new one to me. Must read up on ‘the mine’ and the other sources of info some time!

        1. It’s not in The Mine yet – but I have an entry in preparation on “Top Tips” and I added that one to the list this morning.

    3. I also liked 22A best. Couldn’t really understand 7D or 20D (tho’ I did solve them, 20D being the last in) so thank you all for the explanations!

  5. Favourite clues were 11d & 20d which were also the last in. Now that BD’s back in the driving seat after his sojourn in God’s own county could we please have the NTSPP?

      1. Thank you BD. Given that you’ve been experiencing Tilsit’s hospitality in Yorkshire over the last few days then this morning’s tardiness can be excused on this occasion but please do not make it a habit as it throws one’s Saturday morning completely off kilter.

    2. Just left with 11d… shops? The only big shops I can think of are department stores. Please help so I can go to the shops for weekly shopping!

      1. Threw me too but got there. Think of a synonym (one of several) for a ruler, chop of the “hesitant” (er) then turn the abbreviation for very good, or first class round and put that on the end instead, and you get a somewht pompousand rather outdated word for big shops (the singular of which ends in “um”). And this is my first attempt ever to explain a clue, so have probably just confused you even more!

        1. Addicted, I tried to give an explanation but gave up – it’s a lot easier to solve the clues than to explain them!

  7. Certainly needed B.D.’s blog to finish this. Some clues just fell into place, others I had absolutely NO idea what I was trying to find, like 11d where I was looking for someone like Ethelred the Unready, instead of shops. Favourites are 22a and 16d

  8. got all he answers but can’t understand 20 down at all. I can only assume I have it right, it sort of makes sense. Also 15 across was a new expression to me, I got it quite quickly but had to look it up to check it was a real phrase.

    22a was my favourite.

    1. 20d was the last one that I got. The first letter and the second three letter word are a four letter word meaning ‘solicitor’ – the three letter word in the middle is another word for ‘may’ in the horticultural sense and, I think, usually followed by ‘thorn’. Hope that I haven’t put too much in here – may get censored, it being a prize puzzle.

      1. Thanks for that – I got it but couldn’t really justify it, apart from the word meaning “solicitor” – now I understand, very clever if a trifle obscure!

  9. Oh and can we have our regular place back please, back page is for the crossword, not for an ad.

  10. Hope this comment doesn’t fall foul of the Sat puzzle terms – if it does I am sure you will fix it for me BD.

    I did something really stupid with this one for 18a second word I put of and that meant that 19d wouldn’t work for ages (until I changed it to the correct word).

    Hadn’t heard of 15a – but it was easy to work out. First in for e was 4a – liked it and then of course spent agest working out what 7d would be.

    Enjoyed it – thanks to setter and to you BD for the hints. Hope you had a good time with Tilsit

    1. Don’t know what you put for last word in 18a Lea but I put ‘laughter’ which made more sense to me :)

      1. Now that’s a good one Mary – I like it – it does make more sense. No I got the right final word first off – didn’t think of laughter…..

        1. I too put laughter which threw me out until I got 1d which had to be right. I agree with Mary that laughter made more sense but of course it would not have been cryptic then!!!

  11. Great crossword although to begin with I thought that it was going to be “one of those days” when I was going to have a bit of a struggle – VERY few answers went in on the first read through.
    Couldn’t do 20d at all – it was the only one left so I went up the garden to cogitate (and sulk a bit) – had a quick look at our hedge and there it was ….
    Lots of wonderful clues – 10 and 24a and 7, 17 and 20d – favourite by miles was 22a.
    Thanks to Cephas (?) and Big Dave. Wonder how the crossword course is going. Have a good weekend all.

  12. Thanks to Cephas for the puzzle. Last one in was 20d (one of those penny drop moments!).
    Fav clue – 10a.

  13. Excellent Saturday Puzzle! Favourites: 22a and 18a.

    18a held me up for some time as I originally entered “laughter” for the third word.

    Never seen Crosswordland’s definition of “neat” before (or, maybe I’ve forgotten it). So, thanks for the above explanation.

      1. How do you expect a tragedy to finish? I thought this was a really clever misdirection.

          1. 18a It’s the last thing a tragedy is expected to do (3,2,8)

            Which bit of the clue do you lift? And which bit do you separate?

            2. I really don’t think that this is a ‘lift and separate’ clue. I think it is a gentle cryptic definition for how the last act in a Tragedy usually ends. The cryptic part is using ‘the last thing’ as ‘the least unexpected thing’ which is in fact the complete opposite.

              1. I shouldn’t be pedantic – but isn’t it…..

                “…..the most unexpected thing” or “…the least expected thing”. :grin:

                No matter, I enjoyed this clue – very difficult to explain to those who don’t see it immediately ! Is there a technical term for this figure of speech

  14. If you have done the prize puzzle and have time to spare on this misty murky afternoon, the NTSPP is well worth everyone giving it a go.

      1. Here in West Bridgford we seem to have had Spring. It’s absolutely Baltic outdoors and I’m typing this with the lights on.

            1. A Victorian throwback – how quaint. Similar in meaning I suppose to “Fur coat & no knickers”?

              1. Quite so. Originated from Victorian times I think but still alive and well North of the Trent.

    2. I’ll have a go at it tomorrow but Javascript seems to have stopped working on my PC. It gets halfway to loading then freezes. I’ll get pommette to sort it tomorrow.

  15. Afternoon Dave, more difficult I thought than the last few Saturdays, 7d took a while and I had to look it up to see where it came from, last to go in was 20d! no real favourite clue today and although I found it tough I didn’t use the hints but plenty of other help!

    1. Big match today, come on Wales only a hundred or so places below England in world rankings, still you never can tell with the hwyl in the Millenium Stadium today, we could do it??

      1. I didn’t know that Hwyl was playing today. Hope that Wales win followed by the instant resignation of the Italian!

        “Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,………..”

  16. Life gets tedious, don’t it? After the rigours of yesterday’s Toughie non clue they stick the cryptic on the inside page. Still, its better than Sundays as it takes me an hour to find the thing among all the supplements. Groan over. I thought today was a stroll and the best were 15 18 and 20. Girls note – no cricket.

    2. Hi eileen I’ll try to explain 16d for you – you are looking for a word meaning ‘safe to fly’ a 6 letter word for digntary follows a three letter word that sounds like a Scottish resort don’t know how to give any more without breaking the rules!

      1. 20d you need a four letter word for solicitor, not the legal sort! around the three letter word for ‘may’ as in the May tree, I think! that’s how I saw it anyway, hope these help somewhat, not the easiest two clues to explain :)

        1. Right on both clues I think!
          There may be more to16d than meets the eye but I can’t work it out. The reasoning you give is fine for the solution but if you read the answer it also means to ‘fly a dignatory’. Maybe I’m reading too much into this one!

          1. I think you are reading too much into it, but I may be looking at it too simply.

  18. very enjoyable puzzle today , all fell into place after correcting 18a , favourite 10a, stuggled for ages on 24a hopefully i have the correct answer , thanks to BD for the hints

  19. Hi folks! I got all my clocks shifted on except the radio-controlled pair – they move on in the early hours overnight.
    Enjoyed this puzzle from Cephas. Some nice clues : 1a, 10a, 13a, 15a, 7d, 11d, 16d, 20d & 25d.
    Looking forward to seeing the Boat Race on Eurosport soon.

    1. Hope you enjoyed the Boat Race Derek – an excellent race and an excellent result (but then I cheer for Oxford so I would say that).

      I have problems with one of my radio controlled oneds as it is set to ClassicFM and doesn’t automatically renew itself – frustrating!!

  20. I found this a very enjoyable Saturday offering from Cephas that I am looking forward to reviewing this Friday. The only clue that was habging out before I teed off this morning was 20d until prompted to remember the ‘may’ by crypticsue – Onr of those that I always miss!
    Thanks to Cephas and to BD

  21. With a huge amount of help, I’ve just got 17d left, some more help would be appreciated!

    1. Geoff:
      17d – I agree to receive information twice (4,4)
      It is a vocal endorsement or agreement, often heard in meetings and governments. It is a word meaning ‘to receive information’ repeated.

      1. Thanks, got it now. The most significant thing I learned today was how little I know about these, as confirmed by today’s puzzle! Good day, very interesting and some/all of us came away with a copy of Don’s Chambers Crossword Manual for only a fiver – bargain!

  22. Youv’e probably all gone away but if there is anyone left I would appreciate an explanation of 13a. I’ve got the answer but I don’t really understand it

      1. Do n’t forget that one can mean A or I in crosswordland! – That should help you parse the clue but let me know if it doesn’t.

    1. I like it Libellule but, again, I don’t understand it. I’m really struggling today

      1. What doesn’t a Manx cat have? Then think of a term for a cat and remove its ‘missing part’

        1. Blimey CS, that’s more complicated than the clue. I’m completely lost on it

          1. Well you have a go then. It’s not as easy as you think to work it out and then put it in an answer without giving the solution away. A Manx cat is without a **** so you take a word used when calling a cat and remove its **** or last letter.

            1. Ah, got it now, after trying to find another name for a cat, minus the letters t a i l … :oops:

            2. Thanks CS. I’m having a bad day. Now for 18a which, apparantly does not finish with ‘laughter;

          2. Collywobbles, you need a synonym for strange then a familiar word for a cat. The adjective Manx describes a cat with no tail so knock the end of the word off.

  24. Collywobbles,

    Think of it as a part of an asparagus and take out one letter from one of the remaining words in the clue to give you a drink.

    Hope this helps without giving too much info!

  25. As pommette would say – ‘a tricky little rascal’ but enjoyed immensely ove a pre-prandial drinkie in the local.
    Liked 18a!
    Thanks to the setter (Cephas?) and BD.

    1. Anyone who describes a crossword as “A tricky little rascal” is likely to be pretty good company for a pre-prandial drink (-ie if you must!).

  26. We arrived early in Oxford and made rapid progress with this as we killed time before the course. Left with 7d, 20d and, embarrassingly, 10a.
    Kept checking these throughout the course hoping to apply new found knowledge but no joy.
    Back at home, immediately did a Doh! with 10a and worked out 20d by process of elimination before remembering the alternative word for may. Nice clue I thought. Similar process lead me to the solution to 7d without knowing why. Some “neat” research required to work it out led to discovery of Falstaffian insults – “You starveling, you eel-skin, you dried neat’s tongue, you bull’s pizzle, you stock-fish”. (to Hal). May have to dust some of those off for re-use.
    Thoroughly entertaining and informative time with Don and his helpers and fellow would-be solvers.. Thanks to all concerned.

  27. Struggled in part today – some obvious some less so. I managed to do it waiting in terminal 4 at Heathrow.

  28. Was on course today. Met geoff. A really good day. Thought Don was brilliant. Realise practice is the key

    2. Hi Jan, it was good to me you. Yes, a really good day, but still need lots of practice!

  29. Nice puzzle, seems fairly typical for current Saturdays at the moment.

    Thank you to BD, to the Setter and to the various contributors who have explained some of the wordplay. I’d also never heard of 15ac, and it was nice to have the ‘may tree’ explained – I’d never seen that before.

    Nick

  31. Thanks to this blog I have finally got 20d. I’m so glad to have got out of that freezer, I was completely stuck before. Thank you to the setter for a really good puzzle and thank you to many people’s comments here for finally pointing me in the right direction.

  32. Enjoyed puzzle and the comments. Interesting solve. I got seven across and the same number down on the first read through. Then the NW corner revealed itself to me. 1a very good. Finished most of them quite quickly with the checking letters with no real hold up in a particular corner. As I said in a comment above getting the wrong third word in 18a did not help, but this was very clever and truly cryptic. Last 2 in 24a and 20d, but both excellent clues. Other favourites 22a, 11d, and 25d. Do we know the setter? Seems to be a certain coyness.

  33. I’m completely stuck on 24a – I got everything else in without resorting to the hints – but this one is defeating me. I can’t even decide which part of the clue is the answer and which is the clue (if you get my drift!) H E L P

    1. No need to reply – I’ve just found it in Crossword Solver. I think it’s a horrible clumsy clue!

  34. Following from last week I thought that this was again, a little tougher than the norm. I liked 22a, 2d and 14d. I needed the help given above to clarify 11d.

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