ST 2607 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2607 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2607 (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 more difficult 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           Visit taking in South American plant producing oil (6)
Start with a word meaning to visit, as in to go to ___, and insert S(outh) and AM(erican) to get a plant which produces oil

4a           Change temperature to 500 in metals such as gold and silver (6)
Take METALS and simply change the T(emperature) into the Roman numeral for 500 – the result could be gold or silver (or bronze)

13a         Foreboding — tense people gripped by it (12)
To get this foreboding start with a grammatical tense and then add some people inside (gripped by) IT

25a         Point to craft in artist’s early work (6)
A charade of a compass point and a small two-masted sailing craft gives the early stage of painting a picture

Down

1d           Where boat is fitted out with small and stylish attachment to mast (8)
This place where a boat is fitted out is a charade of S(mall), stylish (3) and a  cylindrical spar attached to a ship’s mast from which a sail is hung

7d           What’s said, parts of which can be found in overblown announcements (6)
A double definition – what is spoken, at a function for example, and parts of the answer can be found inside each of the last two words of the clue

15d         Admonish ring-leader for interrupting a head (8)
A word meaning to admonish is derived from the initial letter (lead) of Ring then a word or prefix meaning for inside a word meaning per head

21d         Believer in higher power — that is, after I moved to centre (5)
To get this person who believes in a higher power start with the full Latin expression for “that is” and move the initial I to the centre of the word

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 Catherine Zeta-Jones (42) and Michael Douglas (67)

44 comments on “ST 2607 (Hints)”

  1. Taking a while to get into today’s challenge. There always seems to be a point on Sunday when suddenly the BIG PENNY drops, and then everything falls into place. More perservering methinks!!

  2. I’ve struggled with this one but have now finished although I have several answers that I don’t understand. i can’t believe that what I have for 4a is right as it seems a bit simple, even if it was the last one to go in – is the answer something that could be awarded at the Olympics? Can’t quite explain what I have for 8a or 7 and 15d. I thought that 17d was brilliant. Also 12, 16 and 21a and 1, 3 and 18d. With thanks to Virgilius, I presume, and to Big Dave.
    Where is everyone today?

    2. 7d – I couldn’t explain it for a long time – but hidden within “overblown announcements” are 2 grammatical classifications. Therefore “parts of ______”.
      Sorry, not very well explained.

      1. Thanks Jezza and Franco – all is now clear! AND I’ve managed to sort out 8a for myself. I think you explained 7d VERY well, Franco. :smile:

        1. Kath, Thank you! But I’m sure that it’s not up to the standard of BD & Gazza et alia. It will be interesting to see how it is explained in the review.

  3. What a brilliant puzzle – my favourite of the week! It took me a while to get going, then everything fell into place.
    Thanks to Virgilius, and to BD for the hints.

  4. Tottaly stuck on the top right corner can somone give me a hint for 4A maybe that will unblock things

  5. Bit like Kath, I’ve done it too but don’t quite understand some of them! Thought 7a clever, once the penny had dropped, agree 17d brilliant – don’t understand 15d – if what I’ve got is correct, that is? Perhaps someone could explain it without giving too much away? Thanks to setter and hinter.

  8. 15d – The definition is ‘admonish’. R(ing)-leader is followed by a word meaning ‘a head’, as in every one individually, and inside this (interrupting) is a word meaning ‘for’, or in favour of.

  10. As always, the best puzzle of the week! Took a lot of time but well worth the effort – a bit distracted by Scotland v Argentina in the Rugby!

    Favourites were the ones that took me a long time to comprehend even though I had the solution – 17d & 7d. Also, the trademark “concealed” clues – don’t want to go to the naughty corner for giving away 24a.

  11. A very big penny dropping day for me, especially 4a. Once again a very nice Sunday puzzle, thank you Virgilius and BD too.

  12. This was tough but ultimately rewarding. The Penny Drop Moments make it all worthwhile and please dont give up on it!.
    Thanks to BD and to Virgilius for the wondeful puzzle including a self referential reverse indicator to one of his his trademarks. Made me laugh!

  13. More enjoyable fare from Virgilius – many thanks.
    Began to solve this in the early afternoon but stopped to watch F1 in Singapore – now finished it.
    Faves : 4a, 12a, 16a, 23a, 3d, 6d, 9d, 17d & 18d.

  14. It is ALWAYS the Sunday puzzle that makes me realise how much I have learnt from this wonderful blog. As I think I have said before, Sunday puzzles used to be ….. take a quick look, do a couple of clues (on a good day) and then give up and go and do something else. Yet again thank you to Big Dave, for having such a great idea, to Mrs BD for putting up with it, to Libellule, Gazza, Pommers and the occasional Falcon for their hints – pictorial, or otherwise. This is beginning to sound like a speech at the Oscars ….

    1. 6d Set of steps – it’s between short US politician and our monarch (9)
      The definition is a set of rules or steps to be followed in a calculation. The US Politician is a former Vice-President.

    2. 12a Criminal’s illegal activity, or that of many (10)
      It’s a charade of a slang word for a criminal (3), the ‘S and a crime (6). Together they mean a secret arrangement by many criminals.

    3. Usual three letter word for criminal then pluralled ( if that exists as a verb) followed by old fashioned criminal activity on the high seas…12ac

      6d seems complicated but is the two letter formal description of our Queen after “it” preceded by the name of an American vice-presidential candidate.

    4. 12a – Not the easiest to explain, but an abbreviation for criminals followed by an illegal activity (one example is to do with copyright) gives the answer to the clue, which is an unlawful plan put together in secret by several people (or that of many).

  16. Thanks for your help. Have got them both now and finished. I often look in here, but rarely post. I’ll do better in future. Many thanks

    1. 2d you are looking for a word that means dispatch or expedition. Insert (seizing) P for power into a old fashioned term for one’s children, Think biblical is all I can think of with regard to the children, sorry.

      11a Final parts means you need to look at the last letters of some consecutive words in the clue to get a word meaning examined

    2. No – you’re not clueless – if these are the only ones that you can’t do on a Sunday you’re doing really well! :smile:

    3. Thank you… 11a fell into place straight away after your hint but it’s taken me nearly 24 hours of thinking to finally get 2d. I’ve had everyone at work thinking of old fashioned terms for children, even had my class of 11 year old at it!

  18. Thanks to Big Dave and the setter.Didn’t enjoy this at all, puzzle was good but impenetratable.still can’t get 13a.

  19. Phew! Finished it thanks to Big Dave, and all the people on the blog.I had to use every hint.I only got 15 answers myself.Thanks again everyone.

  20. A very good crossword – I only do Sunday’s occasionally – and a pleasure to solve. Thanks to Virgilius for an excellent challenge and to Big Dave (and Crypticsue) for explaining a bit of wordplay that I couldn’t see. 21d, for example, which was a clever clue.

    Favourite clue was 24a.

    Not sure whether I liked 6d, but I have to respect the setting of such an original clue.

    Most crosswords have the occasional lazy clue amongst the jewels, but I think this one didn’t have any weak clues.

    Nick

  21. Big Dave

    I love your blog – I’ve learnt a lot here, and it’s a very friendly place.

    I was wondering if you could add a second ‘rating’ for each crossword so we could rate for difficulty and enjoyment, like the reviewer. Would that be possible? As a starting point, I’ll have 3* for difficulty and a rare 5* for enjoyment.

    Cheers

    Nick

    1. Sorry, but that’s not possible at present. WordPress provide the facility to rate the blog posting, which I have turned round and used to rate the puzzle instead. Just carry on leaving your assessment in a comment.

      1. OK. Thanks for taking the time to respond. I’ll have to speak to WordPress.

        A general ‘thank you’ for providing the forum. Sorry if you don’t see this, I’m a day behind.

        Best wishes

        Nick

        1. I can’t see WordPress providing a facility that would only be useful to a handful of sites.

          BTW I get an email for every comment left on my own posts and an rss feed provides the rest!

  22. Unfortunately didn’t get round to doing this although I printed it off, busy morning, then went to see film ‘Tinker, taylor, soldier etc. what a boring film, nodded off twice, last 20 mins best, then meal afterwards, just didn’t have time to do it when I got home being ‘X’ factor season :-)

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