ST 2595 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2595 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2595 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Big Dave

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I have added some pictures of the last two S&B meetings to the blog’s facebook page.

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           Line inserted in prophetic book ahead of time, virtually (6)
Put L(ine) inside a book of the Old Testament containing the prophecies of a minor Hebrew prophet and end with T(ime) to get a word meaning virtually or nearly

13a         A bit of work, as goalkeeper finally put in save (7)
A passage selected from a book, opera, etc. is created by inserting (put in) the final letter of goalkeepeR into a preposition meaning save or leaving out

17a         Tube option for Londoners, say? Underground trains travel below it (7,7)
What could be a tube or conduit for residents of London (or Birmingham, but not Glasgow or Cardiff) is actually a stretch of water below which trains can now travel

21a         Part of journey on European river that contributes to correspondent’s expenses (7)
… reminder to Gnomethang – this river is in Italy not China!

27a         Protection for head male learner had encounter with (6)
This protection for the head is a charade of the masculine third person pronoun, L(earner) and a word meaning had an encounter with

Down

1d           Despotic sovereign getting mad at a court (8)
A despotic sovereign is an anagram (getting mad) of AT A COURT

5d           Whence money’s readily available for electricity bill? (7,7)
The place to keep money where it is readily available for paying bills, but not by cheque for much longer, could be interpreted as being the electricity bill

9d           Tissue in calf hurts badly inside — take care of leg (8,6)
This tissue, the attachment of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles of the calf of the leg to the heel-bone, is constructed from a verb meaning hurts with one meaning badly inserted both followed by a verb meaning to take care of and another name for the leg side in cricket

18d         Something found on plane, say — permit for flier (7)
… the plane here is a type of tree

22d         So-called fleecing operation that’s easily seen through (5)
What sounds like (so-called) a fleecing operation is an adjective meaning easily seen through or diaphanous

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 Tom Cruise (49), Tom Stoppard (74) and Ken Russell (84)

56 comments on “ST 2595 (Hints)”

  1. Most of this excellent went in a 2-3 star time but the NEcorner took ages as I couldn’t see my way past TRACTOR. Thanks for the reminder on the Chinese river – I’ve mad a note for Friday’s review. Thanks also to Virgilius. Wot no hidden word?

    1. Ditto Tractor, though I couldn’t quite make it work.
      20d was last to go in, and a nice clue. Thanks guys – tennis beckons!

    2. I’m a Tractor Boy as well! The Chinese river did cross my mind! :wink:

      The Sunday Crossword is always my favourite and I thought this was even better than usual! (Wot! no trademark “hidden” clue – or have I missed something!)

      1. The missing “hidden clue”! Virgilius must have been teasing us – I tried to find it in 13a and 21a.

  2. Absolutely – I was totally confused by the NE corner having put in tractor as one of the first to go in. Thanks BD for sorting me out and thanks to the setter for a great crossword, the clues are so elegantly written. favorite clues are probably 9d and 18d for the misdirection.

      1. thanks for the welcome Gazza. I have posted a few times before, but as in my crossword solving, I lack consistency. in the words of Mary, I need to persevate.

        1. Hi Kate, yes I’ve seen you a few times and certainly perservation is the name of the game here :-)

  3. Must admit I also put in ‘tractor’, not for long though. Favourite was 14 and also liked 2 and 7. All the rest were OK so thanks to setter for a good contest.

  4. I got to the bottom of the across clues and had only written in three solutions but luckily the downs came to my rescue. I too put in tractor! I assumed that Virgilius knew that Gnomey would be doing this week’s review and so carefully included the location of the latter’s favourite river so that there could be no doubt this time :D Thanks to Virgilius for the nice start to a lovely sunny Sunday and to BD for the hints and illustrations.

  5. As Kate above says ‘so elegantly written’.
    Thanks to Virgilius for an easier, but no less enjoyable puzzle this week; Favourite clue – 2d.

  6. Tractor had me ploughing to a halt as well, however after lots of furrowed brow I got back on the rails. Lovely puzzle thanks to Virgilius and to Bid Dave for t’hints

  9. Welcome Adrian. Two abbreviations to start with one for European and one for Clubs in a game of cards. Then a word meaning still. The solution means you are very happy :D

  11. I agree about the NE being tricky today – that pesky ‘tractor’ didn’t help at all.

    Don’t know why but the replies to comments seem to be appearing in separate boxes rather than linked boxes. Perhaps it’s the warm weather.

  12. I toted with tractor but as I could not justify the wordplay, left this one until later when some crosschecking letters confirmed it was not the correct answer.

    Another enjoyable masterpiece from Virgilius for which thanks to him.

    For 17a, I wondered if tube option referred more to television choices than to conduits.

    2. My least favourite clue and only gripe.Given that I have to explain it on Friday I would say that an e.g. London TV viewer would watch it (tube being definitely TV!), and also some trains go underneath it between the UK and France. By far my least favourite clue.

      1. Hi Dave late signing in though finished early on, not because I found it easy but because I started early!! fav clues 2d, 5d, 8d, not sure about 9d – isn’t the xxxxxxxxxxxxx in the heel not the calf? I see we’re back to cricket and the tennis isn’t even finished yet :-( By the way where is Kath? anyone? right back to watch Nadal come back and win :-)

        1. Oh yes, I also took a ride on a tractor! Sorry Dave please delete my comment on 9d Duh! sorreeeeeeee

        2. Hi Mary – haven’t been here since Thursday – nineteen people for weekend and proper “sit down” dinner last night so was v busy getting ready for that. Everyone gone now – house looks as if several bombs have exploded and will have to stay like that until tomorrow. How was the duty visit to France!

          1. Hi Kath, thought you’d done a bunk! what was the occasion, 19 people! France was OK we had lovely weather 36 deg two days and we managed a day and a half off :-) unfortunately another coming up in Sept but no days off this time, sister-in-law needs holiday already!! alright for some :-(

            1. No – not done a bunk although I have to say that we are heading for our “bunks” now – don’t care if it it’s early, and still almost light – totally knackered. Occasion was younger daughter’s 30th birthday – she had a “do” with friends on her actual birthday in March in London and wanted to do something here for the whole family. Lots of people – lots of food – LOTS of wine – our generation had the beds and the rest of them camped in the the garden – lit bonfire etc etc. Really lovely evening – we have spent this evening congratulating ourselves on how well it went. Glad that France was OK and that you had a bit of time off – September is a long time away – enjoy the next couple of months until your turn comes round again.

  15. I too fell headlong into the tractor trap. Now, though I think I know the answer, I can’t justify it (to put it another way, I can’t solve the clue!). Will one of you kind people please provide a tip to help me out?

    Thanks to the setter and BD (for confirmation of 13a).

      1. Hi Sue,

        Well that’s what I’ve put but I think it’s a bit of an iffy synonym for crash myself.

        Thank you

        1. Although Chambers doesn’t mention crash in relation to this word, the other definitions are very crash-like!

        2. My Chambers Thesaurus certainly DOES mention ‘crash’ under this word. Crash into – replace crash for the word in the clue. No worries here!

          1. Took me all my strength to lug the dictionary upstairs to the computer – didn’t have the strength for the Thesaurus as well :D

          2. Okay, I surrender. I began to think ‘*** raid’ etc etc and I don’t have a problem any longer. I was too intent on thinking in terms of ‘push or thrust’.

              1. Perhaps you could pop over to the naughty corner and let Mary out – I sent her there some hours ago and she hasn’t reappeared yet.

                1. I’m in there now, we’re having a cuppa and a slice of cake! She’ll be out directly to resume pleasantries. I’ve never been moderated before although dear old Pommers did tell me off once for committing the ultimate sin of giving a solving time. I might be running out of lives. Wonder if the cat’s got any spare!

                  1. enjoyed that cake Don, did you make it yourself? Hi Sue I’m out now and thanks yes there was a tv set just for today in the naughty corner :-)

                    1. Hi Mary. I did in fact. Lemon drizzle cake with extra lemon and lemon zest on top. I’m glad you got out ok. Can you e-mail me the escape plan.

                    2. Lemon drizzle, I don’t know how you could have known it was my absolute favourite :-) and sorry someone should have let you out by now, but cant give you the plan I’m afraid not even for lemon drizzle cake! You will now find you can leave

    2. I have just got into work and dipped into the blog as I have only 13 a outstanding. I now realise that I have 2 clues to solve as I also plunged headlong into the Tractor pit.
      Regards to Pommers I walked our mutual former residense in the Cheadle Hulme sunshine.

      Fondest……..D. D.

  16. Well I STILL can’t do the “tractor” one! It’s the only one left now and I have alternate letters in – can’t even think of a word that would fit. Oh dear – bottom of the class again! :sad: I found this quite difficult – a VERY late night probably hasn’t helped. I can’t explain my answer to 15d – I’ve accounted for the “boy” and the “brace of ducks” which leaves me with a fairly random four letters – any help – or perhaps my answer is wrong. Liked 2, 18, 19 and 20d. Thanks to Virgilius and Big Dave.

    1. Kath,
      The 4 letters that you’ve got left over in 15d should be the initial letters of a long-range unmanned weapon.

      1. Thanks Gazza,

        Just looked up my 4 extras – of course – when I saw them all jumbled up with the boy and the ducks they just didn’t seem to make sense! Now they do.: smile: You’re so good at picking up the questions from the late stragglers – thank you.

  17. Finished this after being glued to BBC1 watching Novak Djokovich take the crown from Rafael Nadal. Tennis now over until Flushing Meadows!
    Another nice puzzle from Virgilius.
    1a, 11a, 14a, 17a, 6d, 9d, 15d & 18d were my favourites.

  19. I was another to be caught in the TRACTOR beam.

    Very nice crossword, as we’ve come to expect on Sundays.

  20. I to fell into the tractor trap – which meant I was completely stuck on 13a – thanks for the explanation as I could not see the link to GoalkeepeR even after I corrected tractor and only got the answer by inference…

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