ST 2583 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2583 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2583 (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.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

7a    Behave amorously, with love repeatedly being seen in romantic light (8)
A word meaning to behave amorously is created by putting OO (love repeatedly) inside a romantic light

12a    Main directions and aims introduced by leading churchman (8,6)
North, South, East, and West collectively are derived by putting some aims after a leading churchman

20a    Send for, without scattering in all directions (2,3,4,5)
An anagram (scattering) of SEND FOR WITHOUT gives a phrase meaning in all directions

28a    Composing line in musical arrangement for song (8)
A word meaning composing or calming is derived by putting L(ine) inside a word meaning fitting a musical arrangement to a song

Down

1d    Worst possible performance by batsman in match (4)
The worst possible performance by a batsman in a match is to get a duck in each innings and the word used for this ignominious event also means to match or couple – when the two zeros are written down they resemble spectacles 0-0 !

5d    Make most of 12, being just out (5-3)
Start with a make or label and follow that with three of the four directions defined by 12 across to get a hyphenated word meaning just out or original

21d    It gets more than one player sent off (6)
The direction instructing more than one player to leave the stage – this instruction precedes “pursued by a Bear” in the famous scene in A Winter’s Tale, when Antigonus is attacked

26d    Six turned over — or beheaded? (4)
Turn a figure six over and you get this number – remove the first letter (beheaded) from six and you get the Roman numeral for the same number – another brilliant observation by Virgilius

Some music to play while solving, inspired by 20 across!

ARVE Error: need id and provider

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!

Today it’s Happy Birthday to Omar Sharif (79) and Steven Seagal (60)

24 comments on “ST 2583 (Hints)”

  1. Immensely satisfying. I think that to get 7a, 8d, 21d and 24d in one puzzle is spoiling us. Many thanks to the setter and to BD for his hints: I think 26d will be the one people are looking for/

  2. Thanks Dave, I got 26d but was struggling to see the beheaded bit, brilliant! Clue that is really enjoyed this, took ages to get going and then it fell into place. Thaks to Virgilius

  3. Excellent crossword solved early this morning. Loved all the linked clues but my favourites are 24d and 26d – a very clever clue IMHO.

    Lovely and sunny in East Kent and no wind for a change! Now that I have made Mr CS happy by cooking some of the rhubarb mountain, I am going to get him to take me out. WIll be back later to see what others thought of this vintage Virgilius. Thanks to BD for the hints.

  4. Another masterpiece by the Sunday Supremo. Thanks to him and BD. My favourite clues: 21d, 24d and 26d.

  5. Very very good. How does he get better and better each week? 24d was my favourite followed closely by 26d.

    Many thanks to Virgilius for another masterpiece.

  6. Brilliant offering from Virgilius a mountain of good clues but my favourites were 1d and 26d, loved the Fats Domino track. Thanks to Virgilius and to Big Dave for the comments.

  7. Yes.. very good! I also liked 24d, and 26d. 6d puzzled me for a while.
    Thank you to BG, and to BD.

  8. Hi Dave thanks for hints needed to see how 5d worked although I had answer, got 26d straight away but took ages to see the beheaded bit! A definite theme today, lets hope everyone sets off in the right direction :-) fav clues 26d, 2d, love triple definitions, 24d, beautiful day here, going to sit outside and listen to Arsenal comentry, too nice to stay in and watch it

    1. 26d – I’m very impressed that you got this straight away – it was the last in for me.

      I like the “beheaded” bit, but I would have preferred “rotated” to “turned over”. If you turn over “6” you get “P” – not “*”.
      Or, am I wrong again?

  10. Another struggle, but got there (with the help of BD – so many thanks) Was stumped (sorry, pun not intended!) by 1d, as always am by cricket references, so had to consult Wikipedia for that one, then light dawned on the remaining two – can’t believe 2d was last in for me, it was SO obvious once it “clicked”. 15a held me up for a while too, was too concerned with gold statuettes (as no doubt the setter intended). Liked 24d and 26d is clever – don’t think I’d have got there without BD! Thanks to the blog am completing more Sundays than before so my thanks to everyone out there!

  11. Quite the best crossword i’ve done in a long time. Excellent clues from Virgilius.17a and 4d were quite brilliant. Thanks also to BD.

  12. Another excellent puzzle that was sewn up too quickly. Loved the polar clues and 7a in particular. Many thanks to Virgilius and BD.

  13. Everybody seems to like 24d and whilst I got the answer, I have no idea why! I think 1d is general knowledge, not cryptic.

    1. Nora,
      1d is a double definition, the second requiring a synonym for match.

      24d. This involves raising a bit of money, it may be argued (4)
      Another double definition, the first cryptic. This involves throwing up some money (at the start of a sporting contest, for example). The answer also appears in a phrase after “Argue the ..”.

  14. I found this a three/four star difficulty puzzle. As is so often the case, I finally stalled within an answer or two of completion. Vaguely knew 21d but 26d just too clever for me. I’m also aware that I managed to find some answers from the available letters but couldn’t relate them back to the clues eg 5d.Thought 24d was slick. All in all not one of my favourites, but thanks all anyway.

  15. Immensely enjoyable puzzle from Brian as usual – many thanks!
    Very best for me was 17a.
    While solving it, I had a feeling that there was a kind of Mah-Jong theme behind it!
    I haven’t played that game for many years.

    1. Addition – I just played song and thought Back in Nawlins and when I saw the tram I was right!

  16. Might have to finish this another day, following an off-the-cuff invitation to a generously alcoholic lunch at the vicarage …

  17. Loved it – thanks Virgilius.
    Favourites are 6d,26d,23a but all the others are good so it’s not really fair to pick favourites.
    Only problem with this one was trying to solve it whilst pommette and her mother were talking while the telly was on as well!

  18. Very good Sunday entertainment, with some excellent clues.

    Thanks to Virgilius for another cracker.

  19. Excellent fare for a Sunday – completed this whilst laid out in the garden accompanied by my trusty cool box. Thanks to V & to BD.

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