Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27372 (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.
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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.
Some hints follow:
Across
1a Open space for said hall of justice (9)
A word that sounds like (said) for followed by a hall of justice
6a Live band’s opening work is jazz (5)
A verb meaning to live followed by the initial letter (opening) of Band and a musical work
12a Oarsman catches lake fish that’s smoked (7)
Put this oarsman around (catches) L(ake)
13a Last place to catch a plane? (7,8)
A rather weak cryptic definition of the final placer a traveller goes before boarding a plane
17a Sort of 12’s not a crustacean (7)
An anagram (sort) of 12 across after an S has replaced the A (s not a)
24a Puzzle of engineers going by public transport (5)
The regiment of engineers followed (going) by a public service vehicle
25a A British composer, one on the wagon (9)
The A from the clue followed by B(ritish) and the English composer remembered for his church music
Down
1d Tentative proposal makes sense with cockney girl (6)
A sense followed by the female pronoun without the initial H (cockney style)
3d Grasp small volume in French, going to church (6)
A small metric measure of volume followed by the French for in and CH(urch)
4d Result of firing into the air? (6)
This could mean firing a gun towards the heavens
7d Move tons of money allocated (6)
A verb meaning to move or shift followed by T(ons)
13d Signal no doubts (3-5)
There are no doubts because it’s …-…..
18d In alibi, car-bomber’s stashed acid (6)
Hidden (stashed) inside the clue is an acid salt – I’m not sure that makes it an acid
19d Summary not quite correct (6)
This summary comes from most of (not quite) a word meaning correct
21d Note: pair of kings ranks double (6)
The third note of the scale in sol-fa notation followed by a pair of Latin abbreviations for king and the Other Ranks soldiers
The Crossword Club is now open. Feel free to leave comments.
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT, or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment. If in doubt, leave it out!
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The Quick crossword pun: {leader} + {hosing} = {lederhosen}
I found this puzzle quite hard. In fact, on first pass there were no clues resolved. However, with due diligence I managed to finish it before BD published so my personal target was achieved. Thank you BD for the hints but I did not need them this week and thanks to Mr. Ron for a challenging puzzle
Well done collywobs
Hi Mary, how did you get on?
Oh! I see it below
Thank you setter. A great pleasure to sit down for a while and do the puzzle ! Family despatched to the swimming pool, so all is peace and quiet…..for now. Thanks BD for your hints as always.
first of all many thanks to Dave and Prolixic both of whom answered my plea of help for todays crossword
Having put the wrong word in at 3d straight a way didn’t help me with 9a!!!
Also spelling of 25a or should I say misspelling! didn’t help either!!
As for 1a we do not pronounce the first part like that and I don’t know anyone who does!! ( not posh enough)
Got loads of cakes and biscuits needing to be eaten if anyone ends uo in the naughty corner
For me it was an OK puzzle today no favourite clue and a two star for difficulty IMHO of course
Well, it looks as though there’s a link to the puzzle but it don’t work for me! All I get is “page not found”!
Anyone else having the same trouble?
And now it’s working – how bizarre
Really struggled to get started and then got held up in the NE corner. I really should have got 10a sooner, particularly as I use both meanings of the word prolifically!
As we reach the end of 2013, I would like to thank all the setters and bloggers – I couldn’t manage without you and I’m full of admiration for the speed in which the hints are posted. I don’t always comment, but I always visit! Good health and good luck to everyone for 2014!
One of those puzzles which in riding terms would be called a ‘Rider Frightener’. Tough to start then you wonder why you struggled. I found it very enjoyable and educational in that I didn’t know that the ********** **** was a puzzle or that 6a was a form of jazz and the composer was new to me although I thought the clue very clever.
Thx to all concerned.
It never fails. Whenever you enjoy a puzzle, I know I’m going to sweat bullets to work it out!
Isn’t that the case
I managed to solve this prior to the hints being posted. The difficulty I had was getting started. But the bottom right corner came about and the rest followed. I liked the wordplay of 8d but thought that 21d was tortuous and laboured. 3 apiece for difficulty and enjoyment and a full 5 star to Big Dave for his hints.
Welcome to the blog Graham.
Thank you Gazza, you all seem to be a friendly crew.
Oh we are Graham
welcome
I hope that everyone’s had a wonderful Christmas and my best wishes for 2014. Like Caroline, I got stuck in the NE corner and, factually, it’s taken me 20 minutes or so to see the answer to 7d but I’ve got there in the end. In last Saturday’s giant GK crossword, there was a clue which related to the ninth Jack Reacher novel and I had to use Wikipedia to look it up. Rather spookily, I was bought the DVD for a Christmas present…
This looked really difficult at first sight, but with a bit of help from the electronic device, we managed to finish without help from BD. I’ve never heard of the composer in 25a, but we looked him up & there he was. Thank you to the setter & to BD of course. I wonder how the gentleman from the Netherland’s feet are?
A relatively straightforward Saturday puzzle, nonetheless enjoyable for that. As is ever my way, a few went in because “it has to be that” before working out the derivation: I’m not enough of a perfectionist to have to understand the rationale exactly before putting pen to paper. I’ve learned a new fish and composer too. No Tipp-Ex required today. Many thanks to the setter and BD for the blog and the review.
I found this very straightforward, today, which surprised me because I’m still hazy after partying ’til 3 am. I am way too old for such doings! 9D, 7D and 8D are my favorites.
Enjoyable stuff so thanks to the setter. Only niggle is 18d which isn’t an acid – in solution it is mildly alkaline.
**/**** from us with 23a favourite.
Thanks also to BD.
Pommers, 18d is amphoteric because it can act as an alkali in some chemical reactions and as an acid in others.
Agreed. It can react with sodium hydroxide but to call it an acid is misleading in the extreme.
Good point Pommers, your chemistry is spot on. Happy New Year.
Good offering today no help required which makes a change. Many thanks to the setter & B D for the review.
Welcome to the blog Graham
Had little difficulty with lower half but am struggling with top left corner. Just a few more, but may have to wait until later in the week to see the answers. At the moment, can’t seem to work out the answers from the hints……! Perhaps a warm mince pie or piece of Christmas cake might restore my line of thought!
Bottom half except 21d went in like a dream, one to go which is 9a and I obviously have my dense head on, any help gratefully received.
Thanks as ever to BD, without which I would not be any good.
I hope all had a good Christmas and best wishes for 2014
Just realised whilst doing some ironing my mistake, I did the same as Mary and had the wrong answer for 3d, at least I’ m in good company
The best
No real problems with this although I had to rely on the good offices of BD & Prolixic to get the puzzles by e-mail. Thanks to they & to the setter.
I know this isn’t the place but I felt I must share this one from The Week :
O! (4,6)
I love the clue you have “donated “, no solution yet , of course, and it is a little harder without checkers, but I’m working on it.
I give up. I’ve had it churning in my brain all day, put me out of my misery!
I’ve given up, what the answer ?
Is it the traditional score for Norway in the euro-vision : null points ?
Fact Orials? Circle line?
Open letter ??
Holy vowels! (In a Batman kind of voice). West Hamnil?
Just Oxygen?
Free Radical or Only Vowel … Are we sure it is an O (Oscar) and not 0 (zero)
LOVE LETTER!
Well, honestly, what can I say ! Where does the exclamation mark fit in ? If it had been: “o”(4,6) it would make more sense to me.
I think the shouty sign is used by setters when they want to make you think laterally – although I stand to be corrected by my betters.
Well, that is clever!
What’s love got to do with it?
Love as in nOught at tennis
I was claiming my “speaking in song title” bonus! Tina Turner.
By Victor Young
Of course! My apologies for being a dimwitted jobbernowl.
I do wish BD wouldn’t psychically work out which clues I’ve not solved and not provide hints for them. It seems unnecessarily mean.
Top half has two gaps. Any hints for 5 or 8d?Nm, got them.Also, while I’m here, have any puzzle subscribers looked into whether we’ll be getting a refund for the ludicrous downtime of the site? (I run a website for a living, and I cannot fathom how any error could take a month to fix!)
5d – think of two ways something could be material
8d – split the answer 4,5
I got £2.99 back in my account by contacting the helpdesk
Many thanks.
My rating is 2*/3* for this enjoyable puzzle today.
I thought 17a was clever and 7d was my last one in. 21d was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to BD. Great picture for 24a!
I found this a real slog. I had only four answers first read through, then the bottom half went in quite nicely. Then I hit a roadblock with the top left-hand corner. Eventually weakened and looked at the hint for 1a, then the rest went in. Thanks setter, and special thanks to BD for your help today.
Thank you for your welcome Mary.
Graham if you click on ‘reply’ it will link the comments
Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints. Just needed the one for 7d. Managed the bottom half first, then slowly got the top apart from 7d. Was 3*/3* for me. Managed a run this morning on my Birthday, have got the Bus pass ready for this evening! Favourite was 17a.
Wishing you a very, very Happy Birthday and many more!
Many, many happy returns ! My husband is going to get his bus pass , and train pass, next May and I can travel with him as his helper ! We plan to go and have lunch in Killarney or Connemara .
Enjoyable massage of the grey matter.
Liked 7d and the connected 12a and 17a.
Vaguely remember 12a from childhood.
Never see it now.
Does anyone still eat them?
Many thanks to the setter and BD.
PS
I notice the DT don’t put the copyable version on line until about 11 am
Hey Ho.
Not too hard and not that easy either. Re 13a, not just the last place is it ? One of those not really cryptic clues. Re 18d, personnally I don’t expect setters to be au fait with the pH of various chemicals and it was really not at all well concealed. I was annoyed with myself for not getting 4d immediately, as I have come across that clue and solution before in various guises.The clues I liked best included 22a (another oldie) and 23a and 2d. Thanks to setter and BD for the hint for 1d.
Would someone be kind and send me a copy of the Sat crossword? I’m in Oz and missed my window yesterday to download the PDF! Many thanks (ssgarner@gmail.com)
You’ve got mail.
Thank you Dave – much appreciated!
Done yesterday listenin to the topsy turvy game at West Ham. First impression was that it was going to be tricky but once I got going all was well. Like others I incorrectly answered 3d which cocked up 9a. Anyway, now resolved. Beautiful day here in Hertfordshire. Thanks to BD and the setter.
24a and 21d answers obvious but thanks Dave for the confirmation and the explanation for 21d. I had not heard of the puzzle in 24a. I was OK with 3d but had thought of several “answers” for 9a before I got the right one. Thanks BD and setter (not taxing but interesting) and to all bloggers and setters I with you a Happy New Year. Enjoying a very pleasant (so far) day in Cornwall
Hi Folks,
I tend to start the paper copy some days in. I commenced at lunchtime and I’m OK apart from the last two.
9a – I presume the clue is ‘iron’ and it’s a whole-pun clue. But whether it is a ferrous metal or a flat iron I don’t know.
2d – is it the name of a drink and also a writer?
Any help appreciated. Thanks.
9a Old iron, say (7)
A prefix meaning old followed by a verb to iron.
2d One writes about drink (8)
A prefix meaning about or concerning followed by an alcoholic drink.
Brilliant, thanks very much, Gazza. I was barking up the wrong alehouse!