Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27133 (Hints)
Big Dave’s Crossword Club
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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 Drink that lacks body (6)
An alcoholic drink that can also be a disembodied soul
9a Jack’s answer: ‘Pardon?’ (10)
A two-letter abbreviation for a jack or sailor followed by the S from ‘S and an answer
10a Epidemic requires change, taking steps (10)
Some small change or coins around some steps often found on a footpath
14a Telegraph covering left-winger with sex appeal — it’s to be admired (10)
A telegraph message around a three-letter word for a left wing politician and the two-letter word for sex appeal
18a Ducking duel arranged in middle of night (7)
An anagram (arranged) of DUEL followed by IN and the middle letter of niGht
21a General‘s weapon left out (4)
This adjective meaning general is derived by dropping (out) the L(eft) from a weapon with a long barrel
25a Delegate makes entrance with hunk (10)
A charade of an entrance or opening and a hunk or fragment
26a Showy beasts, odd characters misplaced in dull surroundings (6)
Drop the odd letters (odd characters misplaced) from bEaStS and insert the result inside an adjective meaning dull or uninteresting
Down
2d Not very exciting and lacking drive apparently (10)
Someone who is on foot rather than driving a vehicle
6d What water may be below zero, and may do above, it’s said (4)
This frozen water sounds like what running water may do
7d It is inclined to raise one’s standing (10)
A cryptic definition of an item used to reach something too high to reach
13d Attackers like to travel by sea — soldiers may go under (10)
A word meaning like followed by a verb meaning to travel by sea and some soldier insects
16d Armies come down on railroads (10)
A verb meaning to come down to earth followed by a verb meaning railroads or compels
20d Get up late! (6)
A cryptic definition of digging up a deceased (late) person
24d Book sent for my attention (4)
Split as (2,2) this could mean sent for my attention
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: (reef} + {fuel} + {ling} = {refuelling}
What a fine crossword. I particularly liked 9a and 20a. Well done to the setter
Well done today collywobs
Many thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle today, which I rate **/****. It cheered me up despite waking to find another fall of snow overnight in London
. Some lovely clues. I particularly liked 9a, 2d & 6d but my favourite was 20d. Thanks too to BD for his usual excellent weekend hints.
Not sure that “misplaced” is strictly correct in 26a wouldn’t “removed” be better? Two of the checking letters for 1a made me obsessed that the answer must be claret – probably because I like it so much – even though I couldn’t see the “lacks body” connection. The penny finally dropped when I got 2d. I probably shouldn’t be thinking about claret in the morning, but I blame the snow.
At least our cricketers turned up on the second day of the final Test in NZ.
20d was fun. ***/*** for me, last solved was 25a that took ages. I had the last, err, part of the charade but could not get the first bit.
Hard work but done without hints (though quite a bit of electronic help!) Except for 12a, at which I am still staring blankly, so a hint would be appreciated so I can get on with the rest of my life on this particularly foul morning. Thanks to setter for a worthy diversion!
12a Mount comeback for four members of Italian team (4)
The first word is the definition for this old chestnut of an answer. ‘Comeback for four members’ indicates a hidden reversed word in the remainder of the clue.
Hi Addicted. The answer (= mount) is hidden in reverse (comeback) in the clue
Thanks both – just how thick can one be??!! I think I’ll blame the weather.
At first pass I only put in 3 answers! Obviously drank too much wine last night. So I did something else for a bit and when I came back to it everything sort of fell into place. Most enjoyable.
BD, regarding your hint for 9a, I don’t think the ‘s’ from the clue is used, unless your word for answer begins with ‘o’! Also, shouldn’t 16d be listed as (4,6)?
Thanks to setter and BD, though I managed without your hints for once.
Thanks for that – I think I was on Autopilot!
As far as 16d is concerned, the answer is “not according to Chambers”. Almost invariably Telegraph puzzles use the enumeration from Chambers.
Oh yes, I should have checked
Wow, that was hard! Needed BDs excellent clues more than once today so Thx for that.
Best clue for me was 20d but worst clue def 25a and I think life is just too short for clues like 26a!
Feel pleased to have finished and at least it gave Mrs B and I something to do whilst the snow continues to fall. Please Lord, give us Spring soon, this weather is playing the very devil with my golf handicap!
All too much for me ! Used some hints at the half way stage – thank you BD, which enabled me to finish. Think I might have finished eventually, but other things to do ! Thank you setter for a fair but, for me, rather challenging puzzle. Good fun though.
Morning Dave and everyone, I found this tough once again today, needing some of your hints Dave, thanks, two favourite clues 20d and 24d, as for the rest I found this a puzzle with a lot of misdirection, and if there is misdirecting being done then I always fall for it! This week I feel as though my solving skills, such as they are, are going backwards rapidly! At least a three star for me today, dry and fine here but no sun as yet, I hope everyone is safe from the rain, floods and snow
Snowbound today so crossword takes precedence. really enjoyed it but was glad Addicted asked the question on 12a as I was still looking at it too. Really liked 6d, 8d and 20d. Agree with the ratings and thanks to setter and BD.
Rosie,
Your comments are going into moderation because you’re leaving out the full-stop between your first and second names in your email address.
Gazza, there is no full stop between the two names! I think the problem is with the avatar that worked with my previous email address but does not with the new one even tho I have changed it . Not sure how to resolve that except to give up my flowery avatar!
I’ve approved this one as it stands so future comments with this email address should be ok.
thank you.
Lovely puzzle but wasn’t thinking at first so needed some hints to get me into it! Liked 17a, 10a. 20a, and 20d.
Not getting 4d, 23a, 25a, and 15d. Anyone help? (probably quite simple!)
Thanks to setter & for hints.
Part simple and part more complicated!
4d is a cryptic definition of something you lay out for dinner
23a is ‘printed matter’ and is anagrams (organisation) (after a fashion) of two of the words in the clue
25a is a charade of a word meaning entrance (way in to something) and hunk (a part rather than a heartthrob!)
15d is an anagram of ‘drill master’ once you have removed the abbreviation for miles.
Thanks! Simple, if I’d thought more about them!
Lovely puzzle and more challenging than the usual Saturday offering, I think. I did finish without help, but it took a while for some of the pennies to drop. I liked 10A and 25A in particular but I just loved 20D. That has to be my favorite clue of the year, so far. 16D was the last one in and I, too thought it should be two words. Many thanks to the setter and to BD for once again taking time on a weekend to compile the hints.
I agree about 20d. I only got it from the checking letters though, which was a shame!
As others have said seems to be following the recent trend of “improving” the Saturday puzzles .Enjoyed the misdirection .Faves 10a,6d,16d and 19d.
Thanks very much .
I thought this was really good, and really difficult. Finally finished but needed the hint to explain 10a which I totally failed to untangle for myself.
I’ve never heard of the nuclear process in 20a. 25 and 26a took for ever. So did 20d – my last answer, and favourite clue. I always forget about the kind of ‘soldiers’ in 20d.
I liked too many of these clues to pick out any particular ones, apart from 20d. Oh and 16d.
With thanks to Mr Ron and BD.
Still snowing here – going to have a go at NTSPP later.
PS Thought 6d was good too.
It is not a common word. I tried to explain isotopes to Mrs T, she glazed over at Uranium 235…, hit me at uranium 238, went to make tea as I covered types of radiation. During my explaition of fission vs fusion she threatened divorce so I didn’t get to explain the word. Guess that is why it is not well know.
Sunny and warm in Boston. Thx to setter and all the bd team
This sounds pretty similar to what happens here if husband or elder daughter try to explain something ‘sciency’ to me – hopeless!
Glad that it’s sunny and warm in Boston but today could be quite a good one to keep quiet on the subject of the weather.
I’m late commenting because I’ve been into town to do some shopping but I’ve really enjoyed this puzzle and think that it’s the best we’ve had on a Saturday for a long while. As some of you know, I live in Cheshire and, looking out of the window, there’s now no evidence of snow having fallen but a friend who lives just outside Chester has posted photographs on his Facebook page which show his garden is under six inches of snow…
I really enjoyed this – a good distraction from this dreadful weather which is beginning to drive me nuts. 13d was my favourite. Looking forward to getting away in Easter to warmer climes. Thanks to the setter for a marginally tougher Saturday challenge.
I found this really hard going today – Saturdays crosswords are normally a lot easier but I couldn’t get any momentum going and had to slog my way through it.
Welcome to the blog, Michael.
I think I’ve finished it – without any hints! – but I’m uncertain of the answers I’ve got for 8d and 19d.
For 8d, I think the answer is a word meaning “storm” [remaining words 'edited']
For 19d, I have the answer as a person who lives off his capital, but I don’t understand the logic.
(I hope my question doesn’t break any rules and cause me to be reprimanded – or sent to the naughty corner!)
You are correct for 8d. For 19d you hvae the wrong answer. The definition is ‘one may not believe’. HE from the clue followed by almost all of a capital city.
Thank you, CS. Got it! (The answer describes me perfectly!)
Send him down! (To the naughty corner)
All the corners round here are far too cold – what is this ‘sun’ and ‘warm’ you mention?? Grey, damp, sleety, and blooming freezing, that I understand!!
Boston USA warmer than Boston Lincs, in March! But we’ve had
6 inches of snow on the ground since thanksgiving. (Sad face)
I found this puzzle really hard, took a good handful of hints and cogitation to complete.
Still not sure of some of the wordplay so will have to wait for full review.
Thanks BD for the hints, and CS for the extras.
Thanks to the setter.
Now on to the Radler.
What a miserable day, all plans on hold, hope there’s something decent on the telly…some hope.
Hi a good crossword and have completed it but please could someone explain 19d I have a word but not sure if it’s right even though all letters fit. Thanks!
I just explained 19 to Kingsley.
Lovely puzzle. Really liked 20d but took me ages to get 8d. Has just stopped snowing here in Kent for which relief much thanks.
Just can’t believe it but Mr T still won’t help me with 26a, the only missing answer in MY puzzle. Can anyone help – have read the hint, mental block (probably caused by the rantings of a lunatic about isotopes). Mrs T
The definition is showy, remove the odd characters of beasts and insert into a three letter word meaning dull, uninteresting.
Tell Mr T not to be a meanie – it obviously goes with boring husbands who ramble on about isotopes etc until we fall asleep from the tedium of it all – well that’s my experience
Please can you ask Mr CS to get an account so we can defend our honor (honour). We can’t take this kind of abuse lying down – sorry, MrsT reminded me that I can take it standing up if I wish.
Good to know I am not the only one. Thx
This seems like good timing to let you know there are other Mrs Ts in my life.
What a perfect puzzle, just the right mix of difficulty and fun. I got there but not without help from gizmos and google. Needed the hints to know WHY some of my answers were correct, but I often have that problem! Thanks to setter and BD.
I found this difficult, verbose clues, long words and double-unches. Still, got there in the end.
20D made me smile.
Thank you for a challenging puzzle (for me). I needed help from BD and gleaned some more from the comments. It’s finally complete and I think I ‘ve the correct answer for8d but do not understand the clue at all.Help please. Thanks to all.
The definition in 8d is storm but it’s not anything to do with the weather. You need the ‘in’ from the clue followed by the two letter abbreviation for Virginia followed by two letters for the lowest classes.
I’m SO glad that other people do the hints, and I bet everyone else is too! It’s only when you try that you realise just how difficult it is.
Thanks Cath. I don’t get around to the prize until late Sunday / Monday so rarely post. Always need the hints and only just got 8d from yours.
Just 3 left. Cannot get 19d or 25a despite the hints so far!
Just got 17a whilst typing. I have been trying to misspell another word because I was focused on lass as a young girl!
C
Apologies -Kath
Not a problem – lots of people, some of whom I’ve known for donkey’s years, STILL spell me with a C!
19d – the definition is someone who doesn’t believe. You want the ‘he’ from the clue and then five of the six letters that make up a European capital city.
25a – quite tricky to help here but I’ll have a go. The definition is ‘delegate’ as in someone who is landed with doing the talking. The first five letters is a word for ‘entrance’ (like a river) and the second five letters is a word meaning ‘hunk’ but not the good looking bloke kind.
Hope that helps.
Kath, you just earned yourself the Thursday blogging slot which I have recently vacated