DT 26588 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 26588 (Hints)

by gnomethang  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26588 (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           White collection in Paris fashion (7)
A collection (of photos perhaps) and a French word meaning in leads to a translucent food protein that turns white when cooked

11a         Burial mound, see, for Spooner’s craft (10)
This craft might be seen on England’s waterways, not in a knitting circle. Imagine how the Reverend Spooner might confuse ‘a burial mound of earth or stone’ and a word that sounds like see or record.

18a         Most important element generated by insect queens (12)
The overwhelming characteristic or archetype of a thing or person is an anagram of INSECT QUEENS

28a         Kick off with skill after half-time perhaps (7)
This is an All-In-One where the specific definition is the entire sentence and is comprised of a synonym for skill following one of the things that players do at half-time (apart from eating oranges)

Down

1d           Nut gathered from palm on Dominica (6)
This nut is hidden in the last three words

8d           Sickness with rapidly rising disease grips the man and is terminal (3,5)
To get the problem associated with rapid ascent while SCUBA diving place HE inside an abbreviation for a lung disease and follow with a word meaning ‘is terminal’. [Having done the training I happen to know that the three most common types ar an air embolism, an interstitial emphysema and a spontaneous pneumothorax]
ARVE Error: need id and provider

13d         Cooks bring in container holding special dishes (10)
An insertion of Special inside a type of container inside a synonym for ‘cooks in a pan’ gives a generic stewed poultry or meat dish

24d         Star group putting end to tour in America (4)
Does exactly what it says on the tin!. The end of touR goes in a word for America.

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 is {ANNEKA} + {WREN} + {INNER} = {ANNA KARENINA}

154 comments on “DT 26588 (Hints)”

  1. I didn’t mention in the preamble that Big Dave is up to Brum today for the second “Not that London” Sloggers & Betters, this one being organised by Anax (at least he is the one making all the name badges!. Hope you all have fun there!

      1. Actually it was only 2 minutes on my computer. 3d is giving me a problem, I can’t seem to get into it. A gentle nudge would help.

        2. Tks Gnomey, I got that by having a Gnomethang moment but I now can’tsee the almost caught bit

  3. I am not enjoying this and would love a hint for 5a or for 7d.

    Unfortunately – or fortunately – I didn’t need the hints above as had them but thanks anyway. Explanation for 13d was good – thanks.

    Am stuck in the top r/h corner

    1. 7d Very large and not very small animal back-to-front
      A word for ‘and not’ and a very small animal with its last letter removed and placed at the front of the entire clue gives a synonym of very large.

  4. Apart from a couple which I had to read out loud to Mr CS in order for the penny to drop, I found this quite a quick and easy solve today. I am always disappointed when there’s a Q in the puzzle, that I can’t find the remainining letters of the alphabet to make it a pangram. Thanks for the crossword, Mystery Setter, and Gnomey for the tips.

    It’s our parish fete this afternoon and we are surrounded by heavy black clouds so if people could make representations to their sun god, we would be very grateful.

      1. She should be OK looking at the forecast. The cloud will break up and the sun will come out (although she is a bit close to ‘The Island’ where strange weather patterns occur ;-P )

        1. I am going to hedge my bets and take mac and sunglasses. And enough of the West Kent prejudice about the’island’ – it actually looks a bit brighter over the border :)

          1. I live about 10 miles away from ” the island ” and locally it is known as “Planet Thanet”. :D.

            1. Careful Gari!, CS gets a bit touchy about the subject (Iknow because I gently remind her ever so occasionally) even though you could, by her own admission, bung an apple core from her front doorstep into ‘Planet Thanet’!

              1. You should be in the Olympics if you can throw an apple core a couple of miles or more :)

            1. Unfortunately CS he is in the Languedoc but I’ll try to get him to move it across

              1. According to BBC South East, he’s moving it over later on today and leaving it with us for a few days.

  5. Tough one today I think. Thx for the hints which I needed but totally stuck on ne corner. Can’t even sort out 5a which is probably obvious but has me foxed!

    1. You need to know what a Tamworth is a type of, then you can see who might take care of them and add the initial of Tamworth at the end. The definition is ‘colour’

  6. Thx to Mrs B who knew [the animal breed] ( more than I knew!) and the rest has one fallen into place. Tough but enjoyable today although 13d caused Mrs B some angst as she was convinced that these types of dish were ***** not stewed. Personally I kept out of it.[Admin – I slightly reworded that Brian so as not to include parts of the answers in your sentence, GT]

    1. I half agree with you – tough but unenjoyable! Very few smiles, plenty of shrugs.

      Village fete with dog show later!

      1. There is an insertion of an abbreviation for Special inside the container synonym which is ALL inside a method of cooking. The answer is the last word only.

            2. I assume the double entendre in the English pronunciation of “hors de service” was unintentional. ;-)

        2. Lordy this one is complicated I can see the picture hint but for the life of me I cant see how its done?

          1. Steph,
            A word for cooking (usually with oil) around (brings in) a word for a container, (e.g. the sort of container you might put your clothes in if you were going away) plus an abbreciation for Special. Definition dishes.

            1. Ha ha! got it – thanks so much can you guide me on 16d I have the creature I know what an Ormer is – the rest is blank

              2. Steph,
                The what an ormer is – is irrelevant. You need to find a sea creature with eight arms, and then put inside ormer without the outside (shell) letters.

                    2. The fact that my quotation appears to be verbatim from an online dictionary does not preclude the fact that I already knew what the word was, my dear! ;-)
                      Alas the thread has become too nested for further comment!

  7. 11a. Despite the hints from Gnomethang I still can’t see how the clue works. Found this crossword the hardest of the week for me but very enjoyable.
    Thanx to compiler and to Gnomethang.

  8. On first inspection this might just as well have been written in Chinese! But light eventually began to dawn and finished most but NE corner (seems I’m not the only one there!) so gave in and looked at hints, which have got me 8d – thanks Gnomethang. Could someone give me a nudge on 6d and 10a, PLEASE – they’re driving me potty.
    Apart from the first word I don’t really understand 14a? Liked 5 and 9a and very pleased with myself for getting 12a – one of those words lodged in the brain somewhere that suddenly made itself known.

    1. 6d is farm resident that split 2, 2 means to attack. 10a is an Indian city which split 3, 6 means bar 3 and then a good supply (lots and lots) 6. 14a – surely you are cricket person – think about it and come back later if you still can’t see it.

    2. Addicted, the farm animal, when split as (2,2) means to attack or assail. I’ll leave you to muse on the Indian City at 10a for a while!

      1. Thanks both – went to make a coffee and 10a suddenly registered – had thought of 6d but couldn’t “see” it – doh! No, CT, I am very NOT a cricket person, so still can’t see it!!

  10. Did not really enjoy this…. not sure why! Managed the bottom half easily but had to look at the hints to get going at the top. Many thanks Gnomethang! Still moaning about the website! Took me ages to get on again and then to submit!!!

  11. Although this puzzle has taken me longer than usual to finish, I found it to be most enjoyable and thought 5a was quite clever, although that’s probably due to the fact that I saw the answer straightaway… I’ve just had a look at your clues, Gnomey, and, whilst we do have some similar musical tastes, Radiohead don’t do anything for me!

    1. I nearly went with the studio version for the better quality but this live one has so much energy I thought I would use it. I’m still hanging out for someone to clue ‘creep’ on my watch! You can all count yourself lucky you didn’t get ‘The Screaming 3 Downs’ as a video link as well!

  12. Did no one else suffer with 12a ? I had never heard of this and had to resort to cheating (ie crossword solver). I really enjoyed this one.. some very clever clues, especially liked13d

      1. 12a or 13d?

        12a – Definition: a type of duck. Surround the abbreviation for Marks (Old German Currency) with a synonym for “catch sight of” or “set eyes on”.

        I bet the Germans now wish it was still the German Currency!

        1. Thank you so much Im nearly there mind you a year ago I would be hard put to do a third of it!

  13. I liked 25a in particular and 14a.

    I did not like 11a – where is the ‘sounds like’ element for “see”?

    13d was a given from the checking letters and “cooks”, but the remainder of the clue leaves me puzzled.

    1. See my comment in #6 for 13d.
      I considered the lack of homophome indicator at 11a – I figured that Spoonerism clues are all homohone anyway. I would be interested to hear of other peoples opinions on this one.

  14. I thought this was very good today. Slightly harder than normal for a Saturday, but plenty to enjoy. Thanks to setter, and to gnomethang.

  15. Struggling with 26a can’t see the overdraft connection! Any thoughts? Good back page puzzle though!

    2. Eat out is the definition (and is nothing to do with food) – constructed by an abbreviation for overdraft, inside (indicated by covering) a word meaning before.

      1. Thank you! Got it now – [Blankety-Blank] – ah!
        [Please don’t put whole or partial answers into your comments!]

        1. An old three letter word for before is placed around (covering) the abbreviation for OverDraft, to produce a word that means to wear away (or eat out).

  16. Thoroughly enjoyed that. Favourite clues got to be 11a & 16d. Thanks to the setter & to Gnomey for the hints which I didn’t refer to! Now on to the NTSPP or watch the rain at Wimbledon? Mmmmm….

  17. Finished. Blimey that was like pulling teeth. Tks to Gnomey and others for help

  18. Always used to find the Friday and Sunday crosswords the most difficult of the week but have had SUCH trouble with this one, and a few of the last Saturdays, that I’m beginning to change my tune! Have eventually finished but wouldn’t have done if other people had not been unable to do 6d – I just pinched the hints that were given to them so thanks to all who contributed. Managed about three answers having gone through all the clues for the first time and one of those turned out to be wrong – I had “money” for the second word of 25a but sorted that out quite quickly. Some really good, if a bit devious, clues. 11a was the last one in – I was beginning to think that I must have got something wrong as I couldn’t even think of a word that would fit with the letters I had, let alone one which would fit with the clue as well. I don’t quite understand the “charming” bit of 5d. I thought 14a was brilliant. Also 5 and 27a and 16d. Thanks to the setter and Gnomey.
    Please could someone send a bit of sun in the Oxford direction? :smile:

    1. Kath, did you solve yesterday’s Quickie Pun? I thought they had taken you away!

      1. No I didn’t solve it but muttered it VERY quietly so that no-one could hear me so that I wouldn’t be taken away! Gave in when I got home and looked at the explanation. :smile:

    2. Kath,
      The answer to 5d is used in mysticism and magic, i.e. charming is used in the sense of casting spells.

      1. Thanks Gazza – I didn’t know that – I did look in Chambers and, unless I missed it, there is nothing about that in there.

        1. Kath,
          If you look up the first word in the Chambers definition it should be clear.

  19. Very enjoyable, with lots of excellent clues. I found this a lot tougher than the usual Saturday puzzle – maybe my brain is still suffering from yesterday’s Elgar?

    I’ve read the hints for the Spoonerism, but I’m still in the dark as to why? The reference to “knitting circle” doesn’t help either.

    Didn’t realise that gnomethang was on duty today. Somehow I didn’t associate BD with SCUBA diving. :wink:

    1. Sorry Franco, I was only trying to say that the craft was a water craft and not an arts and craft.

    2. Spooner might swap the initial letters of the two parts of the answer to get a) an ancient burial mound and b) a non-existent word that sounds like a verb meaning to pay attention to (see).

      1. Thanks, gazza. Am I the only person who has never heard of this word as an “ancient burial mound”?

  20. Nearly lost the will with this one despite industrial quantities of help from both hints and blog. Looking back on it, if I must, both 5&8down were neat but found some other clues pretty gruesome, especially 13d. Thanks to all. Off now to relax with a book about relativity and the spacetime continuum…..or something.

      1. Anything written by or about Richard Feynman comes highly recommended – and I’m serious :-)
        (Gnomethang – I assume the reference to James Gleick is the same person who wrote “Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman” ?)

          1. Gnomey,
            If you haven’t read – I suggest you should, now about to get me a copy of Chaos :-)

            1. Steady on Gnomethang & Libellule. I’m talking populist stuff. Brian Cox and Why Does E=MC to the power of 2 (and why should we care?) Man on train with clock etc. But no pictures. Damn!

              1. In that case Centurion, pick up ‘Einstein for Beginners’; lots of pictures to help and if you actually take a pencil and paper (and a friend) you can derive the famous equation yourself.

                By the way, the equation E + MC^2 is not correct since M is the unit of momentary force and C is a unit of Capacitance. YOu probably are looking for E = mc^2.

                In any case – all books listed above are well worth the effort and populist science is no science at all!

                1. Harsh Gnomey. Us Bears of Little Brain (ie Arts graduates) have to start somewhere and, anyway, it was cheap on Amazon. Also I couldn’t work out how to get mcthingy2 on my phone. Will follow up your tip at the Library…… if it is still there on Monday. (Weird. This post originally appeared at the end of the blog)

                  1. I’m not joking about ‘Einstein for Beginners’, it’s a great book to learn from! The Capital M and C bit was a response to an ill-informed article in Private Eye Magazine; The section is currently called “Pedantry Corner” because there were too many comments when it was named both ‘Pedant’s Corner’ and ‘Pedants’ Corner’. I hope we don’t start the arguement here but as an Arts graduate i am sure you can appreciate the niceties.
                    Thanks for your support above – why do I feel like a supply teacher who has let the kids run riot?

                    ** Re: Weird – you are right! – It came in to my email twice as well. I replied below and then deleted both comments from the bottom and left them where they should be – nested here.

                    1. “why do I feel like a supply teacher who has let the kids run riot?” No. Cat’s away. Mice play.

    1. 25a Prepare mint? (4,6)
      Double definition – think of a slang term for what can be minted.

    2. 25a – this was one of my favourites, Difficult to explain without breaking the rules, but think of the Royal Mint and slang for cash.

  22. I thought this was quite tough. I liked 25a, 8d, and 15d.
    For me the crunch clue was 1a where I thought aspirin was a good fit !

    1. Rod,
      I agree with you – an anagram (fashion) of IN PARIS could be a collection of white pills.

  23. Am I on the right lines m*** r**** still finding it hard as not sure I have 23D correct. but thanks for the help. Very tricky!!

    1. Eileen,
      Looks like it re, 25a because – 23d is a shortened version of a “stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice” (dressing) plus R (right).

  24. Re 13d : got it, but don’t see why in spite of the explanations above ! How do letters nos. 4 to 8 mean special ?
    Am I thick or something ?

  25. All completed now but in 23D if I have it correct dignitary is the answer……..I have the R for right but where does ‘dressing’ fit into the answer, what am I missing. Thanks.

  26. Thanks I was right and I now fully understand. never thoought of dressing in that way!!!!

  27. Found this a tough one to be frank. Can anyone help with 17d and 25a please? Onloy vague clues please? HELP!

    1. 17d Note money for betting slips (8)
      You need to split the clue: Note/money for betting/slips

    2. Little Dave – There is a hint to 25a at comment #21.
      For 17d you need a musical note in the tonic sol-fa scale then a word for ‘betting money’. The definition is the last word.

  28. DOH! Thank you Gazza and Gnomethang. Not tuned in! But I am now. Lovely and hot here in Hertfordshire.

    I am obliged.

      1. Collywobbles prayers to the sun god worked – about 3 o’clock the clouds cleared and the sun came out and we have lovely sunshine, blue sky and its still warm even now. thanks CW.

  29. Have been meaning to ask this for weeks – why are these gatherings called “Sloggers and Betters”? Keep looking at it and wondering – perhaps some “slog away” while others get “better” but somehow I don’t think that’s right! :grin:
    Back up the garden for another hour before time for wine and supper.

      1. Well at least I chose the right day to ask that one!! :grin: Thanks for putting me out of my misery – and, yes, I did kick myself!

  30. I agree it was quite hard for a Saturday (glad it was not just me!), but I thought it was an enjoyable offering.

    Enjoyed 10a and 23d in particular.

    Thank you to the Setter and Gnomethang.

  31. need help with the following,

    acc, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, (26)?

    down, 2, 4, 5, (13)? if not begining with f, 15, 19, 20, 23,
    need help with, even after going through all your clues,
    Not working well today as arthritic pain is taking away my concentration?

    1. Stuart, sorry about the arthritis – I know people who suffer as well. With the best will in the world I don’t feel that I can list out hints to approximately 50% of the puzzle, particularly a Prize puzzle (there’s a pen riding on this you know!).
      All I can say is that of those you listed there is a good deal of help available from the hints and in the comments above. Please endeavour to check these, I am sure you will get some answers in after a bit of application but if you are still having difficulties then perhaps you could come back with a few ‘landmark’ clues that would help with checking letters elsewhere.

      13d DOES begin with F though!

    2. Having said all that, Stuart, 2d probably needs an hint:

      2d Shady American low-lifes hang out here (6)
      This is a double definition, the first is shady or leafy and the second is a New York city district known for cheap bars and derelicts.

      I suspect that most people got this from the first definition and the checking letters, the second definition was unknown to me in any case.
      Hope this helps!

      1. How strange! I got this from the NY istrict – must have watched too much CSI New York!

      2. ????? can find a leafy area something / a toxophilite may use? but ref to NY,
        low life out there something you sit on over here, not a chair.
        so if I go for the sit upon, the m does not fit with the w in 9ac?
        or maybe I have the whole thing wrong?

  32. A good workout today. 12a is a bit perplexing, some help would’nt go amiss even though I think I have a solution. Fav clues 10a and 27a (Morecombe and Wise to the fore!!!!) Weather here on Anglesey is the usual, sun, then cloud, then sun, then seamist, which takes ages to clear.

    2. Hi Nalced – 12a is a sort of duck – you want a three letter word meaning spot (as in look at rather than zit) around an abbreviation for the previous currency of Germany.

    3. Nalced, I’m a great admirer of Morecombe and Wise but fail to see the link – help, please!

      Nothing to do with the crossword, but how many times does Djokovic bounce the ball before eventually serving? There should be new rules for tennis – less bouncing and less screeching!

        1. The same, who was much maligned for his singing, even when he turned on the show.

  33. Thought this an odd puzzle. Bottom half went in very quick then hit the wall!
    Difficulty? Bottom half 1*, NE corner 2* and NW corner 4*, that corner must have taken me longer than the whole of the rest! The New York bit was what got me in to that corner once the penny dropped!
    Thanks to setter and Gnomey.

  35. Yet again – what a lot of comments – off to bed now, well soonish anyway – sleep well all.

  36. I found this a bit tougher than usual but very satisfying to solve. Many thanks to the setter and to Gnome for the hints.

  37. Thanks to the mystery setter & Ghomethang for the hints. Also to Crypticsue for comments. Managed to finish, but only after looking at all the hints, then reading the Blog. There’s some very clever people out there :-)
    Thought this puzzle was much harder than the usual saturday one, but enjoyed it.
    Favourite was 4 across, probably due to the connection with my Avatar :-)

  38. 1A is really a bit poor. The answer could be spelt in two ways which would not affect the other words, but one would be “English fashion”, but also repeat a previous word so making the last bit redundant, if you see what I mean!

    1. Welcome to the ‘blog Duggyson .
      Whilst the answer has an alternative spelling the wordplay is quite specific.I am not sure I get the nub of your gist.
      I also cant see the ASPIRIN argument in previous comments either as the definition would have to be ‘White Collection’ which is clearly daft.

      1. The alternative spelling is the usual and scientific spelling and because of that the last part of the clue seemed redundant to me at first. Rather confusingly in my dictionary they are listed separately but I could not determine the difference between the two. Perhaps better brains than mine may follow this. Sorry that I have desolated someone.

    1. 20d Priest in a religious group gives direction (6)
      Put the abbreviation for priest inside a religious group (1,4) to get a word meaning direction (as you may see in an estate agent’s description).

    1. 10a Indian city bar with good supply (9)
      This Indian city is a charade of a verb meaning to bar or prohibit and a good supply – like Whisky in the classic film!

      5d Charming figure gives writer confusion (9)
      To get this charming figure, used as a defence against demons, requires another charade – a writing implement (3) and a confusion or muddle

      P.S. Smilies only work if preceded by a space – I’ve updated yours.

  43. A very enjoyable Saturday puzzle (thanks BD) which I did this morning. Then we did our annual boat trip Ste.-Maxime to St.- Tropez and an excellent meal there. So my late comment this afternoon.
    Faves : 5a, 11a, 25a, 5d, 6d, 8d & 19d.

    Summer has definitely come to the Côte d’Azur – blue skies and warm weather.
    Have now to tackle Sunday’s and later today’s.

    Good posting Gnomethang.
    Having been a physicist, I support your and Libellule’s recommendations to Centurion (post20).

Comments are closed.