DT 27038 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 27038 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27038 (Hints)

Big Dave’s Crossword Club

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There’s a new Monthly Prize Puzzle out today.  Why not have a go?

As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, an assortment of clues, including some of the more difficult ones, have been selected and hints provided 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.

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Across

1a           Have forty-one winks? (9)
A cryptic definition of to be in bed for too long

12a         Commonplace parking requires licence (9)
Commonplace in this context is a noun, not an adjective – P(arking) is followed by a word meaning licence or freedom

15a         It is made to scale (6)
… when propped up against a wall

17a        See slip being adjusted in coat (7)
An anagram (See slip being adjusted) of SEE SLIP gives this long fur-lined cloak

20a         Window decoration keeps out unknown missile (6)
Drop (keeps out) the final Y (mathematical unknown) from a window decoration

27a         Member’s turn to compose form of delivery (3,4)
A member or limb followed by a verb meaning to turn about an axis gives this form of cricket delivery

29a         Scented drink could be got up stream perhaps (9)
A charade of a verb meaning got up out of bed, after 1 across’s 41 winks perhaps, and a stream, or more accurately what is in it

Down

2d           Article in house that adds taste (7)
The two-letter indefinite article inside a largish house gives this flavouring

4d           Four-fifths of regulation twisted cord (8)
An anagram (twisted) of the first eight letters (four-fifths) of the ten-letter word REGULATI(ON)

5d           Take a little from top and bottom of loaf, getting put in dock (6)
Put the L and F (a little from top and bottom) of LoaF inside a dock or jetty

13d         Determined to have detectives involved in act (7)
The police department where detectives may be found inside (involved in) an act

22d         Learned European wants hors d’oeuvres topped and tailed (7)
E(uropean) is followed by raw fruit and vegetables served as an hors d’œuvre without the initial C and final S (topped and tailed)

24d         You need to get over replacing a tray (6)
You, the person completing this crossword – start with a tray and insert an O(ver) in place of the A

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: {absolute} + {Dick} + {taters} = {absolute dictators}

56 comments on “DT 27038 (Hints)”

  1. Very enjoyable – not as hard as last Saturdays ! Thank you setter and BD. Held up in SE corner by putting wrong 3 letter word in the middle of 25a. Having corrected that, life became a lot easier ! New word for me at 17a.

  2. All delays were of my own making .Never heard of 17a before nor indeed 20a before shortening .Not unenjoyable 2*/3* for me .
    First light covering of snow overnight .

  3. No complaints – a workmanlike puzzle, perhaps lacking a sparkling moment or 2?
    December dawned very cold and foggy in Heavenly Henfield, but a lovely day has now developed, and the tennis courts beckon.
    Thanks to our (***?) setter and to BD.

  4. Took two sittings but much better than last Saturdays. Never heard of 23a but Mrs B had. Thought 1a was clever but a bit unfair. Needed the hint for that one then all the rest fell nicely into place. Would give 2 and 3 star for diff/enjoyment.

  5. I’ve had a bit of a battle with parts of this one – think it’s probably me – must be having a slow/dim day.
    I only had one missing letter in 20a but it still took me ages to get it – thought of curtains and blinds etc – wrong kind of window decoration! I needed the hint to understand my answer for 5d and also needed the hint to get as far as even having an answer for 29a – just couldn’t see it. I’d never heard of the 9a type of selling. I had the wrong middle word for 25a but 18d sorted that out.
    I liked 1, 11 and 14a and 2, 15 and 16d.
    With thanks to the setter for the crossword, and to BD, particularly as two of the ones he picked to give hints for were giving me grief!

    1. Kath just so you know you are not in a minority of 1 I probably spent more time thinking about 29a than the rest put together !

  6. I found this very straightforward, although I’m not entirely convinced about 24D. I’d rate it **/***

    Re the quickie, I did wonder at first where the pun was leading!

  7. Afternoon Dave and thanks for hints, didn’t need them today and quite enjoyed this one, needing the usual helpful electronic friends for some answers, not heard of 14a or 20a (the unshortened word) before, liked 1a, 15a, 25a and 26a, a few iffy readings IMHO only of course, eg 28a, nice and sunny here at the moment after a hard frost and rain

    1. I’m late too, Mary, as I’ve had to get one or two things done before this afternoon’s offering from the Millennium Stadium but I don’t hold out much hope for a Wales win… One of the answers, which I particularly liked, is my favourite breed of dog and I have a friend who has one which I swear must have been human in a previous existence.

      1. No cara after our last performance I’m not to hopeful either and so many injuries, ah well, you never know what a bit of hwyl will do :-)

        1. Unlike last week I’m quite optimistic about Wales this afternoon – after all it’s only Australia we’re playing, not the All Blacks.

                1. Aargh!

                  Excuse me, but some of us have been doing chores all day and recorded lots of sport to watch this evening – in a single sentence you’ve told me three things I didn’t really want to know…

                  … well, not until I’ve seen my recordings, obviously…

                  COYS!

                  1. I had one very disgruntled son here and one very unhappy grandson due to that result, but come on the Swans I say, but don’t tell them that ;-)

  8. As usual for a Saturday our setter does not let us down. Very enjoyable with no recourse to BD’s hints which are nevertheless always welcome. Now is it going to be the NTSPP, the new monthly puzzle or putting up the Christmas lghts outside in a temperatuture of 3°C. Go figure!

    1. Correction! I’ve just taken a look at the NTSPP & it’s not for the faint of heart. The monthly is one of Gazza’s which are always 3 pint problems so it’s up the 15a I go…

      1. Good luck with the 15a! I’m having fun with the NTSPP – it’s only the second one of them that I’ve ever done and I absolutely loved the last one (also a NTSPP, I think, by the same setter) – it kept me quiet for ages. Do have a go at it.

    2. I’ve been waiting 4 years for my outside lights to be put up spindrift, if they ever get there I’m never taking them down! :-)

      1. Christmas lights have been delegated to youngest son who dropped by just at the right moment (for me anyway) and the Control Tower aka Mrs S.

        I’ve found the way to tackle the NTSPP is to solve as many answers as I can on paper then mark the entry spaces with the number of letters, have a large glass of Merlot then sit staring at it in the hope of divine inspiration from one of the Small Gods of the Discworld.

  10. Not much of a challenge today I thought.

    Was a bit surprised at the QuickCrossword Pun until I realised it was not a two-worder but a three-worder!

  11. Zoomed along enjoying it and then got stuck in SE corner. I needed the hint to tell me the culinary aspect of 22d – never heard of it. (And now I know why 29a was right so thanks to BD – saved by the blog again.)

  13. An enjoyable experience – finished it before lights out last night. Although I was not certain of 20a – so thanks to BD for confirming my guess at the fourth letter. I liked 17a, never heard of it before, but worked it out from the checkers and verifying on-line. Favourites – 6d and 22d – is 6d an oldie but goodie? **/***

  14. 32F (0C) and light flurry today here in Boston. We are not allowed to call them Xmas lights for fear of offending the American sensibilities (what sensibilities?). Ah well, I can almost smell the mince pies in the holiday naughty corner.

    1. Only 72F (21C), heading for 78F (26C), here in San Antonio – and already had too much of the over-commercialisation of Christmas (I refuse to use the term “holidays”).

      1. Hear hear! I still smile when I say Merry Christmas, it is such an alien phase here in the commonwealth.

    2. I took all the mince pies to the Church Christmas Fair this morning. Had to scrape around for something for Mr CS and I to have with our cup of tea so nothing left for any corner now, festive, naughty or otherwise.

  15. A pleasant enough diversion over lunch. 2*/3* from me.

    Never heard of a 17a but will file it away for future use. Favourite 1a.

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

  16. One of those puzzles that seemed to be taking ages but ended up 1* – I blame the frosty start to one of those Saturdays a bit like a European tour – you know if it is 11.30 it must be…the public library. Thanks to the setter and BD too.

    I can recommend both the NTSPP and the MPP – do give both a go and when you have done them, Araucaria in the Graun is entertainingly themed.

    1. When I’ve finished the NTSPP, that’s if I ever do, I don’t think I’m going to have the brian power to even look at the MPP today, let alone tackle another crossword. I’m going to store up gazza’s puzzle for tomorrow.

    2. I did the MPP today and actually managed to finish it totally surprised myself 8O

      A brilliant offering from Gazza with some wonderful wordsmithing and DOH ! moments couldn’t see the prize answer at first so walked the dogs over the fields for an hour, let the cold wind blow the cobwebs away and as soon as I picked it up again it jumped out and slapped me. :D

  18. Divorce over 9a – help please: what has “type of selling” got to do with it.
    Ps: I only just recovered from trying to convince Mrs T of that new ****** missile – the philatelist in me saw the light to late in 18d.

    1. I didn’t know either but it’s when you are sent something and, unless you send it back, you are charged for it. Sounds a bit of a con trick to me!

  19. Also never heard of 9a as a type of selling but put it in anyway and finished without need of hints, though 20a gave me a lot of grief and I DID need BD to explain it! Not nearly as difficult as last Saturday and therefore most enjoyable!! Thanks to all.

  20. Busy day and lots of distractions so have only sat down to do it. 2 to go. Found quite tricky in part.

  22. I’m not reading any more comments, I don’t want any more sports results until I’ve watched what I recorded earlier!

    So, to the crossword…

    It was fun, but all over rather quickly. Given that 17A and 23A popped out of my memory easily enough, why didn’t I know the architectural term to which 20A referred? Most odd, but the fact that five of the six letters are intersecting meant that it didn’t delay me! We Biggles fans know that answer well :-)

  23. Trust me to be 25a, I saw 17a and 23a straight away. I think that serves me right as now stuck on NE corner with 9a, 7d and 8d to go. Any help gratefully received.

    Thanks as ever to BD for the hints, I would not be this far without them!

    1. 9a is a type of scam (I think – others have mentioned it above) basically you need a word meaning still, not moving followed by a reversal (backing) of the two letters used to denote when something is first class.
      7d Double definition – the first four words of the clue refer to a person not continuing, and the last three to a type of plug
      8d the ‘local’ refers to a drinking establishment – the solution is a charade of words meaning the same as the first two in the clue and I can tell you that No2 son has just gone off down the road to our local to do that very job :)

      1. Dear CS

        please forgive the tardiness of my reply, thank you for the guidance. Eventually saw the light and finished this off this morning.

  24. An enjoyable Saturday evening solve!
    1a went in immediately!
    6d & 24d were a good laugh.

    Liked : 14a, 23a, 29a, 4d, 8d & 23d.

  25. Thanks to the setter& to Big Dave for the hints. Found this quite gentle, except for 19 down, I have an answere, but am not sure if it’s right. Any hints would be appreciated. favourites were 1&26a and 5&24d. 21d was an old chestnut, penny-drop moment with 15a.Was 2*/3* for me. Glorious Sun in Central London today, I’m a bit behind with the puzzles, after spending Friday at Newbury races, then yesterday afternoon at the Emirates.

  26. The answer is a synonym for set up. The first part is taken from the clue. For another word for booth I think of somewhere animals are kept.

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