DT 26576 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 26576 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26576 (Hints)

Big Dave’s Saturday Crossword Club

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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           Government soldier in Engineers (6)
To get this government put a US soldier inside the corps that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army

9a           Buffalo Bill engages first person in entertainment (6)
Put the surname of Buffalo Bill around (engages) the first person objective pronoun to get this entertainment

10a         Public school’s disadvantage (8)
A double definition – a public school in Somerset and a disadvantage or drawback

13a         Lean back keeping good and evil figuratively (5)
Reverse (back) an adjective meaning  lean or skinny and insert G(ood) to get evil in the figurative sense used, to devastating effect, by Ann Widdecombe when describing Michael Howard

27a         A nose for advancement (6)
Combine A, from the clue, with a verb meaning to nose or smell to get this advancement

Down

1d           Ornate legendary bird circles round about (6)
An adjective meaning ornate, in the  style of architecture, decoration and furniture-making prevailing in Louis XV’s time, is constructed from a legendary bird followed by two circular letters, themselves placed around the one-letter abbreviation for about

6d           Cricketer’s turn profits with loss of wicket (7)
To get a cricketer’s turn at the crease, start with some profits, maybe from gambling, and drop the initial W (loss of Wicket)

16d         Face including concessions raised in settlement (8)
Put another word for the face of a clock around a reversal (raised, as this is a down clue) of some concessions to get a settlement or clearance

22d         Turkish officer at home once more (5)
A charade of a Turkish officer and a word meaning at home gives an adverb meaning  once more

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: {docked} + {orgy} + {Fargo} = {Doctor Zhivago}

76 comments on “DT 26576 (Hints)”

  1. A slow start but I managed to accelerate to the finish. I quite enjoyed this today with the excellent definition and clue at 12d being favourite.
    I’ll guess that 16d and 12d may well cause more problems than most clues today (but I thnk people should be left to work out 12d themselves for the ‘penny drop moment!)
    Thanks to the setter and to BD

  2. Ooh… the website’s changed. I hope I get this in the right place.

    A nice crossword today. Nothing too difficult, but I must agree that 12d was a wonderful clue.

    Thanks to the Setter and BD.

    Nick

  3. Found this one plain sailing today, always helps to have anagrams to get started. Last in was 26a.
    Thanx to Compiler and BD as usual. Re: Quickie pun, in paper edition it gives three words, last being “Wells – , stagecoach service”
    Got the three clues but still can’t work out the pun.

  4. BD, paper version of Quickie pun includes 9a, giving the title of a novel by Pasternak.

    On a wider point, has there been any discussion of the merits and pitfalls of the on-line Club versus the paper versions?

  5. Quite enjoyable. Liked 4a,1d and 12d. The end of a strange week in which I did Thursday’s quicker than Monday’s, yet couldn’t finish (in sensible time) on Tuesday. The pun in the quickie today is indeed as clever as any of the clues in the prize puzzle. Have a good day all.

  7. Nothing here which should worry anybody although the NE corner was the last section to be completed which was all down to me reading “lean” as slant!
    Quickie pun was very clever – yet again. How do they do that I wonder…
    Thanks to setter & to BD although I haven’t needed to refer to the clues – a rarity these days.

  8. Good Saturday puzzle – thanks to setter and to BD. Agree with everyone that 12d was very clever but I also liked 5d for its simplicity.

  9. I thought that this was a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle and, in two cases, I saw the answer and then had to work out the construct. In the case of 6d, the ‘Eureka!’ moment came quickly but 26a proved to be more difficult and was followed with an exasperated ‘Doh!’ as the penny dropped.

    1. I’m still waiting for that “Doh” moment with 26a I have all the checking letters, the only word I can find to fit doesen’t seem to have anything to do with the clue.
      Help anyone?

      1. The ‘letter’ is a person. A reversal of a word meaning amusing around or ‘packaging’ probably the most used conjunction.

  10. Well I did enjoy this but not quite as strightforward as everyone else seemed to think, lots of clues to like especially 12d, never heard of that school, guess that’s a disadvantage for me :-) ! didn’t understand my answer at 16d til I read your hint Dave, also don’t quite ‘get’ 2d came unstuck there! is 4a starts hissing? doesn’t seem right to me? them I’m just letting off steam maybe , I wish I could say my solving skills were on the 27a but unfortunately not, just as well or I would be 14a! Thanks for hints Dave, enjoyable crossword but still a 3* for me for solving

  11. Great fun. Didn’t take long and there are some very good clues. Will pick a favourite or two as I sort out the review.

  12. Very enjoyable crossword today with lots of clever clues, favourites are 4 9 and 26a, 5 7 12 and 19d best of all probably 12d. I hadn’t heard of that school, either, Mary, so that was a guess fitting supporting letters. Thanks to the compiler for so much fun and B.D. for clearing some queries, 16d for example. Have a good weekend everyone, it’s POURING here but the garden is so dry at least it’ll get a proper watering

    1. Not raining here yet but the clouds look very threatening, not sure if the garden needs rain more than I need some sunshine
      :-)

        1. Apparently it’s a weather phenomenon called the ‘European Monsoon’ – hot air currents from the continent coupled with water from the melting Greenland icecap. I thinik it’s got more to do with the fact that a drought was announced :)

          1. No happy medium, last week I got sunburn for the first time in years – this week I have the heating on!

            1. We are still at the threatening clouds stage but I am hoping the sun and wind combo will dry the washing before the monsoon sets in.

  13. Understood 4a and got answer in (snake + angry = hissing) but having read BD’s clue to Mary I don’t see what the first letter of Hissing has to do with it!

      1. The letter H is a 4a i.e. snake + angry = the first letter of hissing – if that makes sense

        1. 4a = the answer you have which is the first letter of hissing something to do with the way the letter H is pronounced, Dave help, I’m getting all tangled up!

          1. Even more confused now! Am I right in thinking 4a answer has an alternative definition i.e it’s what we do when we pronounce H as haitch and not aitch?

                2. Hi Stuart I wont try and explain any more on this clue I’ll leave it to Sue I think?? Sue?

                3. Stuart, The definition is “H” (…,it starts hissing”) as a noun.

                  From Chambers on-line: “The sound represented in English and several other languages by the letter h”

                  1. Thank you for all the clues, still! if was not so wet and the farm a little closer, I would be getting a 14lb hammer and explaining it to my computer.
                    And still have to wait to a week on monday for the answer,
                    love trying to do these things, but !

                    1. The answer will be available at 9 am on Friday morning which is when my review can be published as it will be after the closing date for entries for that elusive pen.

  14. Doing much better thus week than last. All but ssvsm clues done. Can’t think of another word for clock face but
    enjoyed hissing. Lots of these occur in French which is my subject.
    Was thinking of charabanc for 11 until I noticed there were too many letters. (shows my French roots )
    otherwise happier today.

  15. late start today due to daughters flight home being delayed, by 5 hours so back to bed at 8am and then crossword. Slow start and galloping finish my favourites were 12d and 26a

    1. Seemore21,
      Your comment needed moderation because you’ve added “21” to your handle since your last comment. Both old and new should work from now on.

  17. Enjoyed this one – probably because for once I managed to finish without the hints, though did need my electronic friend for a few suggestions/checking. Don’t really understand 12d – only got it becos of the last three words – don’t grasp the rest of the clue? Am I being thick?? Will have to wait for the review and see what CS has to say. Thanks to setter for an enjoyable Saturday.

    1. I too struggeled with this clue – had the answer but couldn’t make it work. The I had a “lightbulb” moment: The “mean person” has a “store” in!

      2. Thank you Cali – I believe “DOH” is the blog in-word? Of course – now it makes all the sense in the world! So, yes, I WAS being thick.

      3. I still haven’t got this one – I know Im a novice but I just dont get it!

  18. Finally got everything sorted out. Never heard of the Public School and was beginning to disbelieve surrounding answers. Bradford got me the school eventually. Fav. clues were 26a and12d.
    Could not see the quickie pun. Thanks for the help everyone. Weather awful here in the N.E.. :( Thanks mystery setter and BD

  19. Have finally struggled to a finish (I think(, after a slow start.
    I think I am right on 18d, but don’t understand why.

  21. This new system is really odd. My message at 16 originally was further up the page as a response to Mary’s question in 12. Very peculiar.

  22. A lot easier today … I’ve just got the “Bradford’s Crossword Solver” gadget by Franklin!
    I still needed the clues from here for 22d and 16d
    10a and 13a needed Google, too
    I liked 26a once I worked out what it meant :)

  23. Evening all,
    Completed this early then went out for the day. Like many I enjoyed this one with 2d, 6d and 12d being my favourites. Needed a bit of help for 25a.

  25. First chance to sit and have a look for a few weeks, and got 90% unaided.
    Not keen on 7d as a word, but I guess it must exist..!
    Fave clues 26a.
    I too had no idea about the Public School, but that’s what a Crossword dictionary is for!

      1. Peter, when I plug the answer into my Chambers for iPhone it goes straight to the infinitive of the word. I would say that it does exist in Chambers.

        1. Hi gnomethang & BD
          Many thanks to you both for the helpful feedback re the word at 7d. Must get Chambers for my iphone!!

          Kind regarda

      2. From the Oxford English Dictionary:

        Etymology: Formed as ****** n. + -*** suffix2.

        Causing dread, reverential fear, or solemnity.

        1632 J. Hayward tr. G. F. Biondi Eromena 188 This queene bare in her countenance‥an ***** majestie.
        1799 S. Turner Hist. Anglo-Saxons (1828) I. i. 24 The ***** head of Memnon.
        1881 M. A. Lewis Two Pretty Girls I. 187 There is something ***** in looking down upon the great city.

    2. well believe it or not Im still stuckon that flippin Public school its driving me mad!

  29. Thanks to Big Dave and the setter for an enjoyable puzzle. Seemed straightforward. Favourites were 4 across and 26 across, with the latter being very amusing!

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