DT 28228 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28228 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28228 (Hints)

Big Dave’s Saturday 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.

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”. Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.

Some hints follow.

Across

1a    Tune librarian composed that’s played at the Proms (4,9)
An anagram (composed) of TUNE LIBRARIAN gives something that’s played at the Last Night of the Proms [and, rather spookily, on Classic FM as I am writing this!]

  ARVE Error: need id and provider

9a    Criminal’s touching screenplay — one’s impressed (9)
A charade of a three-letter criminal next to (touching) a screenplay – this meaning of impressed is forced into service or pressganged

10a    Rogue that’s shunned in football club (5)
Start with a rogue and then drop (that’s shunned) IN to get the name by which this football club is known

11a    What may be dummy run, not hard to go round (5)
To get one of the four bridge players who may be the dummy start with R(un) and put NOT H(ard) around it

17a    You and I beset by noxious gas put in office (5,2)
The subjective pronoun for you and I inside (beset by) a noxious gas

18a    What you do with holy books having resources (7)
What you do with this puzzle followed by one of the two parts of the Christian bible

22a    Very small container with unknown quantity (4)
A container followed by a mathematical unknown

28a    Writer on crime‘s done paralegal working (5,5,3)
An anagram (working) of DONE PARALEGAL

Down

1d    Casing from time arts flourished receiving study (14)
Here casing is a verb, as in “casing the joint” – put a time that The Arts flourished in Europe around (receiving) a three-letter verb meaning to study – what on earth does the surface reading mean?

2d    Left aboard Queen Elizabeth or similar (5)
L(eft) followed by a preposition meaning aboard and Queen Elizabeth’s regnal cipher gives a word for the Queen Elizabeth, or a similar ship

3d    Sweetener producing stroke on US medical drama (4-6)
A tennis stroke followed by a two-letter US medical drama

5d    Miss performing Hair following a cold (7)
This female performer comes from a long lock of hair preceded by (following) the A from the clue and C(old)

7d    Where in the West End you can get luxury goods for free (2,7)
You can get luxury goods when you are in this shop in Regent Street

16d    Sideline a team that’s secured draw (9)
Cleverly hidden (that’s secured) inside the clue

20d    Official’s providing prime minister with test (7)
Note that the definition includes the possessive apostrophe – the surname of our current prime minister (a construct that I’m sure we will see again) followed by a spoken test

25d    Pray to circumvent river hazard when sailing (4)
A three-letter verb meaning to pray around (to circumvent) R(iver)

The Crossword Club is now open.  I’ll be back at lunchtime after my monthly trip to the Village Café and Market.


Could new readers please read the Welcome post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.

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!

Please read these instructions carefully. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted.


The Quick Crossword pun: spectre+culls=spectacles


64 comments on “DT 28228 (Hints)

  1. No great problems and completed comfortably before lights out last night – **/** for me.

    No outstanding favourite, but I did like 1d as the non-anagram of the four long answers.

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

  2. I agree with Senf with a rating of 2*/2* with a special mention for 1d. I think I see where the answer to 12a comes from but if it’s a lurker once you’ve linked the names of the two states where is the lurking indicator?

    Many thanks to Mr Ron and to BD.

  3. This wasn’t really my cup of tea. Some of the clues were too clever by half hence I found myself bunging in several so thanks BD for elucidation. Rather heavy on the anagram front. Good to see 5d used now that it is no longer PC. Thank you Mysteron. ***/**.

  4. A fairly easy romp today, Luckily I could still remember a bit about the West End! An enjoyable solve for me.

    1*/4*

  5. An enjoyable solve today. I liked 1d and 16d, but thought that 12a was rather poor. Thanks to all concerned.

  6. Like Angel, I was a little disappointed by the number of anagrams and, unfortunately, I identified them all too quickly. Anyone who has any knowledge of the Last Night of the Proms will have written in 1a without thinking and, for that reason, there was a parallel with ‘unemployment’ last Saturday.

  7. **/**. Need the explanation for 11a knowing nothing about bridge apart from the 4 points. Apart from that fairly pleasant; I don’t mind anagrams and didn’t spot them all to begin with.
    Thanks all.

  8. Enjoyable but over all too soon with only the 16d lurker needing more than a second glance.
    1d would have got my vote had it not been for the strange surface read and if only Thomas Arne had started out in life as a librarian, 1a would have been perfect! As it is, 7d takes the honours for me – would that it were true.

    Thanks to Mr. Ron and to BD, particularly for the clip from the Proms.

  9. Bit slow this morning so took longer than it realistically should have.Last in the lurker in 16d, as BD says cleverly hidden . Was COTD for me.
    Thanks to setter & BD for hints.
    Have a good weekend all.

  10. Must be just me – I was very slow to get going, apart from 1a which did go in instantly and without even writing the letters out.
    Everyone seems to be going on about the number of anagrams – I only make it five – not that many at all, unless I can’t count.
    10a made me go blind to begin with but turned out to be OK.
    11a and 3d were my last answers and took for ever.
    I don’t quite get 12a because it isn’t a real lurker.
    I liked 17 and 26a and 7d. My favourite was 24d.
    With thanks to Mr Ron and to BD.
    Feeling a bit lonely – Elder Lamb and her partner have gone to Tuscany for a week and Younger One has gone to Croatia with my nephew, her cousin. :sad:

      1. No, not really. Having woken us up at some ridiculous hour this morning they’re both a bit tired now so completely flat out.

        1. :(. Don’t be lonely, Kath! If there was a hug emoticon I’d send one of those, but you’ll have to do with a flower, though in my book they’re far less companionable than even the most sleepingest of cats. :rose:

          1. Thanks Kitty – at least flowers don’t wake you up at silly-o’clock wanting breakfast and, because one of them is a diabetic, insulin. :roll:

    1. Well on days when the clues don’t jump off the page, for me anyway, I say TG for anagrams to help me get started, and am only too pleased to have them.

  11. I found this a bit of a mix, with some nice touches and some bits I wasn’t so keen on. I didn’t understand the definition of 11a until at the last minute guessing that the dummy might be cards-based, but didn’t bridge the gap from there to the game in question, even though the bridge players are crossword staples – so I guess “what may be the dummy” is me!

    The beautifully hidden 16d was my penultimate one in, but for some reason I didn’t twig 18a until after that had provided me with the final checking letter.

    Thanks to the setter and to BD.

  12. Totally agree with BD about 1d. At the risk of giving an alternative answer, I think gobbledygook would have been more suitable.
    The rest didn’t cause too much trouble.
    Thanks to the setter and to BD for the blog.

      1. As it says in big red letters at the end of the hints

        please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT, or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment

  13. A restless dog disturbing my sleep meant that I started and finished this crossword at a ridiculously early hour although my mind does seem to cope well with anagrams before sunrise. I too have reservations about 12a but at least my knowledge of USA geography has improved somewhat whilst vainly searching for an answer😂
    Thank you BD for your sterling efforts.

  14. I too enjoyed this. I had 3 stars in the margin but the excellently hidden lurker gets my vote for favourite clue today.
    Completed whilst listening to Radio 2’s pick of the pops from 1972 which brought back many pleasant childhood memories.
    Thanks to setter, BD, and BBC Radio for the entertainment.

    1. Childhood memories? You must be a spring chicken – I’d been a qualified nurse for two years by then – maybe it just makes me old. :sad:

      1. Never old Kath, just more experienced!
        The other year they featured today was 1967 which, whilst the music was good and I was familiar with most of it, I’m afraid I have no recollection of it from the original time.
        I’ll be a less experienced 52 in a couple of week’s time.

  15. Well, 1d makes perfect sense to me! My last but one was 16d and then I didn’t see it as the lurker. D’oh! I actually quite liked the surface reading of 27a so that is my fave.
    2/3* overall.
    Thanks to Mysteron, and to BD for the hints.

  16. Like everyone else, 1a wrote itself in without having to think, brought back fun memories.
    When I worked in Lower Regent Street, I used to love visiting 7d; couldn’t afford to buy anything, but they didn’t charge to look. Nice to know they’re still there.
    I missed 11a and 3d, should have got 11a, but never heard the phrase of 3d and never watch medical dramas anywhere.
    Otherwise, there was much to like, especially 28a and 24d.
    Thanks to setter to BD for the hints.

  17. Liked this one very much, but found it harder than most people seem to have.

    Being a novice, I really like anagrams as they ‘get me in’.

    Thanks to the setter and as always to Big Dave.

  18. Fairly R&W. I had the wrong ending for 9a which held me up on 5d. First in was 1a followed by 28a, then moved up the grid. Just spent the day in the garden, but it started to feel a little chilly once the sun disappeared. Thank you BD and Mysteron. Does anyone know who the setter is ?

  19. My inability to spot a lurker in the SW corner put me just into 2* time. 3* for enjoyment, though. I enjoyed 18a – quirky, I thought. Ta to the Mysteron, and to Big Dave for the hints.

  20. Trickier for me than most bloggers seemingly and not helped by my spelling for 1a – dipstick! 1d was ok for me so maybe it’s just my way of thinking. Otherwise very enjoyable so thanks to all. The royals arrive today so lots of local interest in them but especially the children.

  21. Brain must still be working as I only needed a little bit of electronic help mainly with spelling 1d. What a treat to look forward to picking up my trusty pencil and turning to wherever the crossword is lurking. Thanks to BD and setter off to try GK in Weekend.

  22. All done, nice Saturday puzzle.
    1a was a gift, but it doesn’t help if you can’t spell the second word, it made 5d impossible until I worked out where I had gone wrong.
    Last in was 12a, it was a total guess and luckily it was right. I have absolutely no idea why it is right and was surprised that there was not a hint for such a tricky clue, unless I am overlooking something obvious, which I probably am!!
    Many thanks BD for the hints and Mr.Ron for the puzzle…

    1. Hi HIYD
      It’s sort-of saying the answer, a synonym of state, would be a lurker if you put the States’ names next to each other (“links”).

        1. Problem at my age if I remember something new, something else is pushed out to make room for it!

      1. I still don’t get it. As I said in my comment no. 2 above, the clue tells you to link the names, but there is no lurker indicator.

    2. It isn’t a lurker in the normal sense. The answer (a synonym of state) is a “link” word that joins the two states together if you write them consecutively – but it would be a real lurker if they appeared thus in the actual clue.

  23. Found this a bit of a plod, but it always is for me if I get 1a before the print out settles on the breakfast table. Not sure if I have 8d right, but it fits with the checkers. Believe 12a is nothing to do with geography. Could not get 24d even with the “cheeky” comment above. Better luck tomorrow I hope.

  24. Not too hard but am still missing two answers. I am amazed at the speed and prowess of other readers. Recently discovered this site and am now another fan of Big Dave’s. Thank you.

  25. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints. I enjoyed this one a lot. Some great clues, favourite was 17a. I was beaten by 18a, had the S at the beginning, and figured it ended with xxx, but still couldn’t get it until I looked at the hint. Then I was left with 16d, and I thought the definition was sideline, and put in xxxxxxxxxxx. How wrong can one be? Was 3*/4* for me.

  26. After a very busy day yesterday I decided to do the puzzle today. I thought some clues were very clever and I thought16 d very clever. However I disagree with the definition of 15a Largo is slow! Or Lento or langsam….. Therefore a bit of a mixed bag for me. I’m still not completely convinced by some of my answers so I thought I’d check in to the blog. Thanks BD I needed you today

  27. Hi from rainy Mexico City. I really liked this offering with its smattering of slightly unusual clueing – good to mix it up a bit – but it did take me two sessions at it to finish, many of the answers eliciting a feeling of admiration at the cleverness of the setter.
    I’ll plump for ***/***. Thanks again BD and Mysteron (I only assume it is Mysteron by all he comments above – otherwise I wouldn’t have a scooby) the world would be a poorer place without you.

      1. Open question: Why the secrecy. Why not publish the name of the authors. It’s time isn’t it?

        1. Perhaps they’re just previous rejects, rookies, staff setters, database crosswords..? Dunno.
          :unsure:

    1. Err, not sure what you are getting at there. Which probably means it’s a bit witty or I am a bit thicky or both.

        1. Dave doesn’t give hints for all the clues, just the ‘more difficult ones’

          There is lots of discussion about 12a in the comments so I suggest you have a read of those.

          As far as15a is concerned, you’d be hard pressed to find a better example of an old chestnut, so look at the clue again and see if the penny drops.

          1. I often wonder that there are any hints at all on a Prize puzzle. The hints that are given often seem rather generous and stop just short of doling out the answer. Yet, when bloggers give the merest whiff of a hint at the answer, thunderbolts of opprobrium descent upon their heads. Just saying.

            1. If you don’t want to have hints, don’t read them.

              The “rules” on the provision of additional hints are there to stop smart alecs; as with any regulation they need to be applied rigourously or they become abused. The vast majority of the users of the website accept them in light-hearted vein. My hints are carefully constructed to point potential solvers in the right direction, using information that is present in the clue. This practise has been established over a period of seven and a half years yet there are still people who think it is their right to tell me how to run the website. The only reason your comment was not deleted was because you have been commenting here for a long time.

    1. I’ve had to edit your comment because you were giving too much away about the type of ‘or similar’

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