DT 27145 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 27145 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27145 (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 and the FAQ 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           Concealed weapon revealed in argument between two seconds (5-5)
Put an argument (5) between S(econd) and another word for a second or instant

9a           Egg’s general character is about right for starter (10)
An egg is a word that only turns up in crosswords for this explosive device – add the S from ‘S and a general character or manner around R(ight) to get this first course in a meal

12a         Loss of power taking heart from scandal (6)
Drop (taking) the middle letter (heart) from a scandal

18a         Traveller’s joy seeing father’s to tolerate daughter (3,4,5)
Another name for the climbing plant Clematis vitalba is derived from a colloquial word for father (3,3) followed by the S from ‘S, a verb meaning to tolerate and D(aughter)

25a         Have a large holding of Grammar School property (10)
A three-word term (2,4,2) meaning to own a lot of a particular security in order to profit if the price of the security goes up is followed by the abbreviation for Grammar School

27a         A doctor in the Oval returned casual footwear (10)
The A from the clue and D(octo(R inside the reversal (returned) of an oval shape, like the Earth’s orbit

Down

1d           Bold character in a manuscript held by boy (6)
The a from the clue and the abbreviation of ManuScript inside (held by) a male offspring

2d           Fancy spout round back of urn (6)
A verb meaning to spout or sermonise around the final letter of urN

4d           Pie Italian restaurant served up (4)
Reverse (served up in a down clue) the abbreviated form of an Italian restaurant

11d         Confusion of Cameron’s advice on petty criminals in speech? (6-6)
This word for a confusion sounds a bit like (in speech) David Cameron’s advice to embrace a hoodie

14d         There’s virtue having a gun in game (10)
Put the A from the clue and a four-letter word for a gun inside a board game

16d         Old Labour leader’s diary for March (8)
Split as (4’1,3) this could be the duffel-coated Labour leader’s diary

20d         Swimmer swears violently (6)
This fish is an anagram (violently) of SWEARS

23d         Garment, a Roman one (4)
At first this doesn’t look very cryptic – a three-letter word for a garment followed by the A from the clue gives a Roman garment

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: (ebb} + {anise} + (ask) + (rouge}= {Ebenezer Scrooge}

72 comments on “DT 27145 (Hints)”

  1. Bit of head scratching needed here, but all done now. 18a has appeared within the last few weeks as well, hasn’t it ? Thanks BD for the ” eggsplanation” of 9a

    No big LOLs but ***/*** for me.

  2. And after a reasonable Friday solve, we grind to a juddering halt….three words sum this one up for me, unfortunately. Not a clue. Even with the hints I am struggling. Ah well, there is always tomorrow’s.

    Interestingly, my online copy of Chambers does not list the word in 12 as a synonym for scandal.

    1. Hi Roger

      That seven-letter word to do with 12A is listed as a synonym for “scandal” in my Chambers Thesaurus. However, I have the expensive but wonderful WordWeb Pro; I suspect that you’re using the free offering, which Big Dave has pointed out is only a subset of the real thing…

      :-)

      1. Thanks for that tip, Steve. I hadn’t realised I had the wrong version. Now downloaded, et voila ‘astings, it is the first word !

  3. Failed to parse 9a and took a while with 25 a which was last in .
    Fave 1a .
    Now to unravel the Grand National !
    Thanks very much .

  4. A lovely puzzle, which was thoroughly enjoyable and was completed with the sun streaming through the windows on what is probably the nicest day this year.

  5. When I first read through all the clues I thought I’d be doing this crossword all day. Once some of the longer clues had been answered it all came together quite nicely, although I have to say that 11 down was the one that held me up right to the end – once it dawned my reaction was to say a ‘naughty word’ twice – and that word could have been fitted twice into the spaces when when all else was solved – not that it answered the clue though ;-) Most enjoyable.

  6. Started well but got slower ! Some straight-forward clues to get started but then some tricky ones. Pleased to finish, thank you setter for an enjoyable start to the W/E. Mrs SW’s birthday today – her treat – a trip to The Reebok !! At least it is a nice day up in the grim North. Thank you BD for your hints.

  7. That’s more like it! **/**** for me today. A very enjoyable challenge with lots of amusing moments. Everything eventually fell into place nicely without help, although I did need BD’s excellent hints to understand fully the wordplay for 9a and 25a.

    My last one in was 11d. My first thought (with the six checking letters suggesting the possibility for rhyming words for the two parts) was an unprintable phrase used longer ago than I care to remember by the soccer players at school to describe a rugby player, but then I remembered our PM’s advice regarding minor criminals.

    5d was new word for me but having worked it out I checked and found it in the BRB. When I saw “woman” in 17d my immediate reaction was Una, but it wasn’t her today.

    Many thanks to the setter, and to BD for his hints.

  9. Top half went in quickly, then a bit of a grind for the bottom, still, fairly clued and a few smiles.
    Thanks to BD for the hints needed for one bit of wordplay…egg!!
    Thanks to the setter for an enjoyable puzzle

  10. Many thanks to BD for the hints for 23d & 25a. I had the answers but couldn’t see why. Thanks to setter for a very enjoyable puzzle albeit it was over much quicker than I had planned so now Mrs S is planning the rest of my day. I suppose I could always start the MPP…

      1. Many thanks, CS. I’ve never tried an MPP before, but on your recommendation I’ve just done it over lunch and it was a delight!

  11. I, too, completely failed to parse 9A and 25A although the correct answers were obvious. I’ve clearly been away from the Mother country for too long, because the spelling of 13A threw me. I’ve never seen the the first three letters of 23D used in the singular before, either. Otherwise, a nice puzzle, thought-provoking but not too taxing. I liked 1A and 16D. Thanks to the setter and to BD for the hints.

  12. That was fun! I need to work on my memory, though; 18A took much longer than it should have…

    The Quick Crossword pun was wonderful :-)

      1. Hardly ever, Dear Lady :-)

        I had a little trouble entering my comment at first, and had to subsequently edit it to actually give it some content.

    1. It is an anagram (wickedly) of COVEN DO ACT. It isn’t a word you hear very often meaning assembed or called together. Apart from that I am not sure what to say.

      1. You’re pushing your luck aren’t you? I’ve only got some “Fat Rascals” but you’re welcome to one if you’re sent to “The Step”.

      2. Yes I thought it was an anagram, CS, but my anagram solver didn’t provide the answer and neither did ‘Andys Anagram Solver’ and I can’t figure it out from the letters but I’ll have another go

          1. Yes, I don’t think I’ve seen the verb form before. The associated noun is much more common.

          1. Thanks BD

            I’ve just checked it out and it’s great and I’ve also got a date with one of the brown lovlies at the top of the page

          2. My anagram solver didn’t get it either. Once I had ALL the checking letters I did it by hand, but I still didn’t believe it because (like Steve_the_Beard) I had never heard of the verb form. Moreover, I didn’t ink it in until I had read the hint because my iPhone app version of the BRB (a bargain at £1.99 when I got it) doesn’t recognise it as a word!

  14. Saturdays are getting harder, IMHO.
    Some pretty deft clues, eg 21a.
    Many thanks to the setter and BD

  16. After a slow start I got the bit between my teeth and hurdled to a fast finish (sorry, have been watching racing on the TV). Favourite clue – 16d

  17. I can recommend Hieroglyph’s enjoyable NTSPP – it’s not too difficult but it has a few clues where you have to think hard about the wordplay.

  20. Feeling a bit like a BFG – not Roald Dahl’s Big Friendly Giant but a Brain Frozen Grump having been defrosting my Mum’s freezer all morning. :sad:
    I thought this one was quite difficult – hopefully just a result of the above.
    I ended up with most of the top left corner that I just couldn’t do so sneaked look at the hint for 1a. I’ve never heard of it but once I had read the hint I got the answer and all the rest of that corner fell into place.
    I needed the hint to explain 9a – would probably have managed that for myself if I could spell it but having an ‘I’ for the fourth letter didn’t really help. Also needed the hint to explain 25a. I’ve never heard of 5d.
    I liked 6 and 10a and 11 and 16d.
    Sun at last – going out to the garden – will have a go at NTSPP and/or MPP later.

    1. Definition is ‘deserving love’ – put a girl’s name (woman) into a word meaning ‘with skill).

    3. Brian, you are having a bad week. We all have them. When I came back to the cryptics after about a 25 year absence (work), I really battled. I used this blog to relearn forgotten skills, read the hints then returned to the puzzle to understand the wordplay. I also learnt so much from other contributors to the blog. And by the way over the last couple of months, some of the puzzles you found easy, I and others battled with. It’s all relative.

  23. I’m stuck in the top right hand corner. I can’t get 8d (mainly because I can’t get 6a or 10a either). Those are my last three. All help gratefully accepted…

    I needed many of the hints today but enjoyed those that I managed to do myself!

    1. 8d Think of the abbrevation for small followed by our nuclear deterrent
      6a A well know British writer

      1. Doh! Thanks!

        I had the other deterrent (the one starting with P) stuck in my mind and it just didn’t leave room in my tiny brain for the right one…

        Thanks again. all done now.

        1. Now, Arthur, this is my last one and I know it’s a small one but I can’t get 24a. Can you help?

          1. Well what I have is as follows:
            The abbreviation for Liberal (1) followed by the 3 letter abbreviation for the sort of award you might get from the Queen. According to the BRB it means a division of the lungs etc.

  24. I found this quite tough today unlike the normal Saturday crosswords – good fun!

  25. This crossword was certainly rough today. Even when I got the answer eg 22a I had to scratch my head to find the cryptic clue. But I think I have solved it!! And 14 d I had the wrong game so no wonder I couldn’t get 25 and 27 a. Thank you for the help.

  26. Finally finished this off, with many thanks to BD and all contributors. Some answers arrived at before I understood the wordplay but eventually twigged them all.

    Thank goodness for BRB too!

  27. An enjoyable Saturday puzzle.

    Faves : 1a, 18a, 21a, 27a, 8d, 11d, 14d & 16d.

    Il fallait savoir français un peu pour 6a et 27a!

    1. Non – je ne le pense pas bien que mon mari n’a jamais entendu parler du mot 27a.
      My French has now run out – apologies for mistakes but thought I’d have a go! Goodness knows how he has never heard of 27a – I used to wear them all the time – they’re wonderful until they get wet!

  28. I’ve managed to finish this one but needed the hints to explain several of the answers! Many thanks Big Dave. Now 25a has been explained I think it’s a great clue.

    I’ll never mange to submit a prize crossword because I always scribble my notes on the name and address section!.

  29. Just as a quick PS – where’s Mary? I don’t think she’s been around for a day or two (or three or more) – has anyone seen the necessary paper work?!!

  30. last one left, 21a, definitely appreciate any assistance going.Favorite so far 17d .Thanks to setter and BD ,of course.

    1. Modern day acronym for personnel inside (retained) by something that directs e.g.steers .
      Checking letters should do it

      1. thank you for replying, OF,though I confess I can’t work out what you mean exactly.My slow typing meant I didn’t see you help until afterwards. But it’s nice to know that’s someone is out there.Thanks !

        1. What the personnel dept in an organisation is often known as (2) surrounded by something that directs (a boat perhaps?) gives the sort of film that might have you on the edge of your seat…

          1. thank you Arthur Dent, I ‘ve finally got it, TG, quite convoluted, don’t you think ? It’s really wonderful to think that there are others out there who share our obsessions and are willing to help.So thanks a lot.
            are you in the nuaghty chair perhaps ? I’d send over some of CS’s lemon drizzle cake, if I had any .

            1. That’s OK Una – But if I do get sent to the naughty corner I expect you to slip a file into that lemon drizzle cake so that I can escape!

    2. I suppose( the temporarily missing) Mary’s advice to perservate worked again.I finally got it! But only from “exiting film” and I can’t work out what personnel and retaining one have to do with it.

  32. As always a day late from me. I enjoyed this and give it ***/****. My Collins has 11d as one word. Last one in 25a.
    Thanks to BD and DTT.

  33. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints, which for once I didn’t need. Started with 6a, finished with 27a. Favourites were 1,10,21a and 8,16,23d. Lots of clever clues that made me laugh. New words for me 5&11d. great fun.

  34. Didn’t need hints or anagram solvers to complete this one but thought it was very challenging. Highly enjoyable nevertheless. Many thanks to the compiler and BD.

  35. I couldnt get 22a so cant even scratch my head yet. Got everything else though.

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