Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26582 (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 Want to contain creeper that’s prickly (7)
Start with a want or desire and insert a reptile that creeps and you get an adjective meaning prickly or petulant
11a Shelter in sound by a European lake (5)
The first part sounds like a word meaning to shelter or protect – just add the A from the clue to get the largest lake in Italy
13a Loyal Irishman in charge imprisons threesome (9)
To get this word meaning loyal put the stereotypical Irishman (3) and the abbreviation of In Charge around a threesome
27a Quiet toy that turns convertible (4,3)
A picture hint for this one – just to please Pommers!
28a Maintained supporter to have negotiated deal outside (7)
A word meaning maintained or asserted is created by inserting a supporting limb inside (to have …. outside) an anagram (negotiated) of DEAL
Down
1d Disgruntled pig Dawn found in dry valley (4,3)
You learn something every day! An anagram (disgruntled – very appropriate!) of PIG DAWN gives a dried-up river valle
5d Lasting a long time with the continental record (9)
Start with a word meaning lasting a long time, usually associated with a long illness, and add the French (continental) for “the” to get a record or account
6d Slip and fall, missing pass (5)
… the pass that’s missing from the front of a fall is a COL
15d Concocted even if put incorrectly (7,2)
A phrasal verb meaning concocted or devised is built up from a word meaning “even if” followed by an anagram (incorrectly) of PUT
16d Cook finds fish grating (9)
A verb meaning to cook quickly at a very high heat is a charade of a fish and a grating
24d Strip Rex leaving crowd (5)
A narrow strip, usually of leather, is created by dropping the R(ex) from a crowd
One for Gazza and one for Sue! Try and work out which is which.
The Crossword Club opens at 10.00am. 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: {wain} + {roo} + {knee} = {Wayne Rooney}
Click here & select Favorites to Bookmark in your browser
Admin
Big Dave
bufo
crypticsue
Digby
Falcon
gazza
gnomethang
Jon88
Libellule
pommers
Prolixic
tilsit
Straightforward solve today, easiest Saturday Crossword for a long time. Liked the illustrations.Thanx to Compiler and BD as usual.
Only 2d I can’t get…….anyone got any hints or is it someting obscure? Liked 19d today
Could sound like a *********.
Please read the note about not providing alternative clues.
Sorry !.
2d One broadcasting outdoors (5)
The original meaning of to broadcast – well before radio and TV – was to cast seeds “broadly” so you are looking for soeone who scatters seeds by hand or machine rather than placing in drills or rows.
Thanks BD ..not a term I am familiar with. Now I can get on with my day.
Morning Dave, What a nice crossword today, though I have to admit to using you for a couple
thanks, my fav clue was the simple 10a, good luck everyone especially those in the CC haven’t heard much from there lately 
even managed to get 9a today, look out for that one Kath!
IMHO this was the easiest Saturday puzzle for many a day. I had to refer to the dictionary for 1d only but after that it was very straightforward. Looking forward to the NTSPP as it is looks as if it is going to persist down this afternoon here in West Bridgford.
No favourites but thanks to setter & BD anyway.
After a fairly slloooow start I managed to rattle this off quite quickly although I confess that 1d I had to check. 9a was quite nice. Have a good day folks. Hope the rain stays away from the Rose Bowl – I feel sorry for everyone who has been there for the last 2 days.
Morning all,
As with comments above, I thought this was the easiest for a number of months. I sort of liked 1a, 5d 15d and 21d although nothing classic here.
Thanks Big D for explaining above how to get to the answer to 6d…the answer is obvious with 3 of the 5 letters but the clue was the hardest for me.
Thanks
Enjoyed today’s and not just because I finished it over breakfast. Some clever clues esp 27a and 9a (sorry ladies a cricketing term). Come on Rory, don’t choke this time
Agree that it was an easy puzzle but it has some very good clues, my favourite being 20a. Thanks to Cephas for the crossword and BD for the hints and pics – a lovely view of a lake
The question is will Gnomey get the right country of residence for the river in 10a in his review 
Ah So! I’ve already written the report!
It damn well ought to be in China with a name like that!
Pretty straightforward today. I’m a little equivocal about the right solution to 21d, though – went with the solution which implies the forehead, rather than empty pockets. Anyone sure which is right?
I’m also unsure about 21
The drops are beads of perspiration – confirmed by the online site.
Thanks, BD
BD – when you say “confirmed by the online site”, what does that mean?
If you solve the puzzle on the Telegraph web thingy, if you have the wrong answer when you press ‘submit’ it will tell you you are wrong so what BD had for 21d must have been correct, or it would have told him so.
I’ve never used the “Web Thingy”, but I am surprised that you can get the answers/confirmations for a Prize Puzzle!
Thank you CS – I too have never been on the web thingy but all is now clear.
Is the web thingy the ‘clued up’ web site CS?
That’s it, Collywobbles. Telegraph Puzzles. It is close to getting its old nickname back!.
Tks Gnomey
That’s a good wheeze Gnomey because now I don’t have to wait until Friday to find out whether I got it right or not
Thanks, just in time to allow me to concentrate on England’s innings – or if the last two days ar anything to go by, watch the rain
oops sorry, that was meant to be a reply
A very entertaining puzzle today, if on the easy side. Pleased to hear that Mary got 9a and i await Kath’s contribution with bated breath. Would also like their opinions on Quickie pun. Favourite was 20a with 9a and 18a close seconds. Thought BD could not resist 24d!
HI UTC nice to see you too
Kath may be still in France
Hello Mary. Did you get the pun?
No don’t do the quickie usually since I converted to cryptics, might guess its something to do with cricket though??
Not cricket.
Well – back from France – feeling slightly rejuvenated – managed 9a AND the Quickie pun. Please tell me that you are impressed UTC!
I am very impressed. Have you done 20a today?
There is one query Dave, 26a, what tells us to shorten the name??
Nothing – it would have been a lot harder if it had said “Boy tours riot damaged area”
I know but shouldn’t there have been some sort of instruction to do this?
Only thinking this because Terence is my brothers name and we never shorten it to the other
I hate having my Saturday morning routine disturbed but I had to go into town and, for that reason, I have been late starting today’s puzzle. However, I’ve not experienced any problems and, judging by the previous comments, evryone else has found this to be relatively straightforward.
If you can’t think of anything else to do in the deluge, I can highly recommend the NTSPP and the themed Paul Guardian Prize Puzzle is particularly user-friendly today too.
I have temporarily run out of crosswords so have no excuse but to get on with the housework
I heartily endorse both of those recommendations.
The NTSPP is available on this website by following the links on the homepage, and it’s great fun.
Evening CS
Thanks for the pointer to the Grauniad. Don’t usually look at Paul’s as he’s a bit beyond me, especially his prize puzzles, but this one is OK.
Once you twig the author and the book the rest drops out in a very satisfying manner. Enjoyed it so thanks again.
As said, not the toughest of challenges in recent weeks, but no real complaints. Solved in 2 sittings, with a (losing) mixed doubles match in between. As to the Quickie pun, didn’t the over-paid, spoilt, little brat appear in a fairly recent Quickie?
We have the answer to 6 down but aren’t quite sure why. Can anyone explain please?
BD explains it up above in his hints.
Thank you! Should have the read the clues before asking the question – sorry!
I think today’s puzzle is proof once again that it doesn’t have to be hard to be enjoyable! Solved over moring cuppa before going out on my errands.
thanks to the setter, and to BD (for the E-type).
Agree with others this was easier than normal for a Saturday Prize – finished in pretty good time, for me!! Late posting because have played a golf match since completing puzzle – and didn’t get wet, which was a plus! Loved 3d, but there were a lot of good clues, I thought. Most enjoyable – thanks to setter and BD (where DO you get the pics??)
Sorry, very rusty, but can someone help with the first six letters of 20a?
What might you us eto remove the rust/make sure the mechanism works smoothly and doesn’t jam??
Rob
An easy one today, completed while waiting for Tim Maddams to cook my breakfast at the River Cottage Canteen.
I liked 1d, 10a and 13a, but 20a didn’t work for me as a clue.
Very enjoyable crossword from Cephas. Many thanks to him and to BD for the notes.
Started this 11 hours ago! First cryptic crossword I have ever finished unaided.
Only to find it was easy. Oh well.
Brilliant site just what I was looking for when I started cross wording a couple of weeks ago.
Welcome to the blog SixPoints
Well done!
Well done, SixPoints – this is THE most amazing blog – you will learn SO much. Everyone here is friendly and helpful – even with the weekend puzzles where the answers can’t be given you only have to ask and someone will help, almost immediately. Keep going – good luck!
I’m a newcomer too
great site – thank you
just stuck on 7down
Welcome to the blog cruisenuts96
7d Put almost all letters of ‘gloominess’ in different order to produce new word (9)
An anagram (in different order) of GLOOMINES(S) gives a newly coined word or expression
THx!!
Would fault the compiler in only one respect, as my dictionary states that the solution to 16d is a hyphenated word with 4 and 5 letters not 9 letters as shown in the clue..
As a frustrated cricket enthusiast intermittently watching the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka in between the heavy showers in the last 3 days in Southampton,
I particularly liked the the clue for 9a. Also, a neatly disguised anagram in 18a.
Terence
The rule to which most Telegraph setters keep is that all words (other than proper nouns) must be in Chambers 11th edition and the enumeration must be that given in the same dictionary. Needless to say, the answer to 16d is given as unhyphenated.
Back from France – lovely, if very short, break. Feeling quite smug – managed Thursday (Ray T) and Friday (Giovanni) apart from one tiny little clue, with no dictionary or any other kind of help. I do think that it’s quite useful to be without any help at all – it really makes one use the “little grey cells” when it would be all too easy to resort to dictionaries, hints or even answers if they were available.
Anyway – on to today. I thought it was quite easy but got a bit tangled up with 15d having convinced myself that it had to be an anagram – was about to say how and why but I think I would be censured as it would involve letters …. ! For some reason 5d took me for ever. Never heard of 1d but worked it out and looked it up.
Really liked 1 and 9a and 3, 4 and 6d. Good night all – sleep well.
Greetings from Night Duty! All done except for 22d? Any help welcomed from owls or larks. Enjoyed the rest.
Drop last letter off a word meaning ordinary or regular for a woman’s name. My mother-in-law! Or more helpfully Marilyn Munro’s alternative name.
Thanks Beangrinder!
Very late getting to this little beauty because of a long drive through downpours and spray thrown up by juggernauts. Tiring or what? So it was relaxing to complete this puzzle without any fuss but much enjoyment. 9d was neat. Thanks all.
Thanks to Big Dave & Cephas for a very enjoyable puzzle, only started it today as Saturday was taken up building my spreadsheet for the forthcoming football season.
Favourites were 20a and 9a.
Hi – I have got the answer to 8d but don’t understand it. Can someone explain? Thanks.
Abbreviation of stone (as in weight) and then reverse a sailor (normal crosswordland sailor).
Oops! Wrong Crossword! I was thinking it’s Sunday!!
It’s a colloquial term for a brief inspection or a quick peek. It’s made up of 2 words, both of which can mean watch observe.
Well, I got in from the Notts 20/20 game last night and Doris and the Dorisette (partner and her daughter) were midway through a film. xx minutes later, all done! I think the first time ever I’ve gone from blank to finished in one sitting.
I’m glad everyone else thought it was easy!
Well one Bob. I have removed your time as we don’t put actual minutes, or even hours
, just say quicker than usual, or longer than usual, or something like that. I do like the sound of Doris and Dorisette (they sound like a musical combo in the 50s – no offence meant!)
Apologies Sue, my rather pathetic “best time” is one of life’s small victories for me! The stories of the Blectchley Park geniuses who had to solve the puzzle in the time it takes me to work out the first anagram to stand a chance of being in Turing’s team are quite something…
Doris is my nickname for SWMBO, her daughter is the younger version of her, hence the nickname. I agree, they could and should be playing a minor stage at Glastonbury this weekend, or similar.
Thats the first time I’ve seen SWMBO written, my sister-in-law and myself have written an ‘e’ book on HWMBOs !!
Keep practising Bob and you will get faster and faster. I have been doing the DT cryptic for so long that I can solve them very quickly so should war ever break out again, and you don’t hear from me,you know where I am