DT 28396 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28396 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28396 (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    Kicked around a match official having forgotten trainers? (10)
A verb meaning kicked goes around the A from the clue and a (football) match official

10a    Get stuck going round flipping motorway diversion (7)
A verb meaning get stuck or glued around the reversal (flipping) of our usual motorway

12a    Medal for person succeeding with first clue (8,5)
The person who succeeds in a contest followed by the first clue in this, and many other, puzzles (1,6)

14a    Most of the ethnic group in SE European region (6)
Most of TH[e] followed by an ethnic group

17a    Sort of sin of the flesh — I’d slipped back into that (8)
An adjective meaning of the flesh around (into that) the reversal (slipped back) of I’D

22a    Potters around these items of furniture having a nap (7,6)
These potters pot balls not ceramics, and the nap is a woolly surface

25a    Rouse to action gathering right support (7)
A phrasal verb meaning to rouse to action (4,2) around (gathering) R(ight)

27a    After teaching degree, lecturer initially gets teased about being scruffy (10)
A three-letter teaching degree followed by the initial letter of L[ecturer] inside (gets … about) a verb meaning teased

Down

1d    Carry animal (4)
This double definition is a hoary old chestnut!

3d    Dawn perhaps before insect appears — something to amuse children? (6,7)
The surname of an actress/comedienne whose first name is Dawn followed by a chirping insect gives a game for children

11d    Every boxer has this dietary supplement (6,7)
This dietary supplement won’t help you lose weight!

13d    Put ingredients in place to make whisky without stirring (5-5)
This could mean to put ingredients in a place where whisky id made

16d    The French old city energy fed prize-winner (8)
The feminine French definite article followed by our usual old city, E(nergy) and a verb meaning fed with food

18d    Where birds hatch eggs, sheltering fine over railway (7)
Some fish eggs around a two-letter word meaning fine or alright and followed by R(ailwa)Y

21d    Sounds like the people to put a rocket up former Arab leader (6)
The surname of this former Arab leader sounds like the agency responsible for the US space program (people to put a rocket up)

23d    Vegetable popular primarily in South of France (4)
The initial letter (primarily) of P[opular] inside the French word for south

The Crossword Club is now open.

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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: Trident+rusted=tried and trusted

44 comments on “DT 28396 (Hints)”

  1. I liked this one – just right for a Saturday morning.
    Plenty of ticks littering the page from which I’ll select 1,12,22&25a plus 11d for special mention.

    Thanks to Mr. Saturday Ron and to BD for a good selection for the hints.

  2. A bit trickier than the usual Saturday fare in my view but highly enjoyable. Thought 12a was a lovely clue.

  4. Relatively gentle compared to the last three days, with some entertaining clues – 1.5*/4* for me.

    A number of contenders for favourite – 12a, 22a, 8d, 11d, and 13d – and the winner is 11d.

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

    P.S. I like the Matt cartoon with the ‘Aintree’ theme that I can see in the DT on-line (and which is presumably in the print version).

  5. Just right for me this morning, not too difficult but gave my brain a workout. Favourite is 12a. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave

  6. 22a my favourite by a short head from 11d on Grand National Day. A really fun crossword for a beautiful, sunny morning here in the Marches. It took me a while to get going, but then it fell into place nicely. 3*/4* overall with many thanks to our Saturday setter and BD.

  7. Hello from The Oval. The sun is shining and I’m watching my favourite sport.

    I completed today’s puzzle on the journey (I wasn’t driving!) and jolly good fun it was too.

    Lots of ticks but favourite spot goes to 12a.

    Many thanks to Mr Ron & BD.

    1. What a glorious day to be at the Oval, Rabbit Dave! It was a good start to the day to find the grid on the back page of the paper and, yes, I thought that it was good fun too. Like you – and others – 12a was my favourite clue.

  8. I really enjoyed this. Plenty to make me smile today. I ticked 12A, 17A. 11D and 23D. Thanks to the setter and to BD.

  9. Super crossword with the usual Saturday enjoyment. Many thanks to the setter and especially to BD for some very helpful hints. My favorite was 12a

  10. Enjoyed this today. My favourite is 17a, not that I’m guilty of this. Thankyou for the hints which helped with 23d, a totally blank moment, also thankyou to the setter.

  11. Tricky for me with some I would not have got except for Big Dave’s excellent hints.

    Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave.

  12. Oh dear! I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this as much as usual. Probably because I am pedantic about certain things. I hate getting the answer and then feeling that it doesn’t really match the clue or that it is a bit obscure. Clearly I am not at all on this compilers wavelength, but, on the plus side, it does make it more challenging. Enjoy the lovely weather everyone 🙂

  13. Best crossword of the week for me. After a fairly slow start I thoroughly enjoyed solving some excellent clues.

    Thanks to the setter and Big Dave.

  15. Nice puzzle, no problems in solving but I’m struggling to see the relevance of boxer, either pugilist or dog, at 11d

  16. I struggled at the start with this one, but enjoyed it by the end. All our lecturers were more 27a than than we were. Favourite was 11d. Thank you BD and setter.

  17. Loved it all! I had never heard of 3d but knowing the Dawn, I bunged it in and then googled.
    I’m hard pressed to choose a fave amongst such a good selection, but I’m going to go with the excellent 12a, with 22a and 11d nipping at its heels.
    Thanks to the setter and to BD for the hints.

  18. Hello everyone! About to go back to Hyères – see you soon Jean-Luc! Enjoyed this puzzle very much and managed to complete it unlike quite a few disasters of last week – seriously thought I had lost it. Fifi is growing both in size and naughtiness. I hope to be more present on the blog from now on. 23d made me smile but my favourite is 12a – needed the hint to understand my answer, so clever! Many thanks to setter and to BD for the hints – I certainly needed quite a few of them to justify my answers.

  19. That was excellent, especially as I had the 6a with yesterday’s crossword!! Lovely cluing that I could actually make sense of.
    12a, 3d, the list goes on. Favourite was 11d, a loud ‘clang’ in south London when the penny dropped.
    Beautiful day here, all the veg is looking good, and the blades got to the bottom setting on the mower, and what with all the skylarks, chiffchaffs and blackcaps singing, spring is definitely here.
    Thanks as ever to BD for everything and to Mr.Ron for a great crossword.

  20. Relatively straightforward, thought the bottom half was a little trickier than the top. Last in 21d, which I didn’t know how to spell.

  21. We agree with everyone who liked it. Lovely puzzle for a sunny Saturday. We hadn’t heard of the region in 14a but we got it anyway! Thanks to BD and to Mr Ron.

  22. Yesterday was a wash-out for me and I thought ‘here we go again’ today as I got absolutely nowhere this morning and then, as so often happens, I have just had another go after being out all day and hey presto it gradually all began to dawn on me starting in the North. Not sure in last part of 16d whether fed is actually a synonym. In spite of my initial struggle I must acknowledge several ‘goodies’ including 1a, 11d and 13d. Thank you Mr. Ron and BD.

  23. Enjoyed this, except still stuck on 2 clues, 4d and 17a. Hopefully will spring to mind over a cup of tea later. Favorite was 11a. Glorious weekend here in South Florida where we are enjoying a reprieve from recent hot and humid days, only supposed to reach 79F today. 🌴☀️

  24. Lovely weather & Mr ron’s offering make for a great day. Like others 12a my COTD with 17a next, but a number of others could have had a mention.
    Thanks to setter and BD for review.
    Now for a Masters-fest – the one sporting event I would love to see live.

  25. Right on the 1*/2* cusp, and 3.5* for enjoyment. I enjoyed 1a and 22a particularly. Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints.

  26. I wasn’t particularly in a solving mood today due to double figures in pints of Guinness yesterday evening/night which I’m currently regretting.

    The puzzle took me into 2* time although I failed on 21d despite having all the checkers…

    Thanks to BD for helping and setter 2*/3*

  27. Good fun this one. 12a was my favourite with 11d a close second. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave

    Silver SLOTH

  28. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, a bit tricky in places. I liked 12a,but have seen it before. My favourite was 21d, I do like a good homophone. Last in was 11d, which was quite tricky. Was 3*/3* for me.

    1. My Egyptian is a bit rusty but I’ve been trying all weekend to make it sound like the space agency to no avail.

  29. Very enjoyable. Didn’t get 21d .. but the rest were straight forward.11d & 22a good. 17a was great.

  30. Saturday’s crossword had to give way to son and girlfriend arriving for a rare visit. However they have now gone so things can return to normal.
    This was gentle challenge on a sunny day. No real problems encountered. Like most people 11d, 13a and 12a were appreciated, and the laurel wreath goes to the latter.
    Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints.

  31. A bit late to comment on this one now but I will anyway.
    I enjoyed this one but would never have got 21d without the hint – seems as if I’m not the only one who had issues with the homophone – good – I thought I must have been pronouncing it the wrong way.
    I liked 12 and 27a and 3 and 11d.
    Thanks to Mr Ron and to BD.

  32. This was marginally better than the usual Saturday offerings which, for me, are often very and elementary and unchallenging. Quite enjoyable. 2*/3*.

  33. Late again with family staying and daughter pinching my office… Took a while to get going but got there in the end -except couldn’t parse 4d…Had to be the answer though.
    Liked 12a -very subtle clue there. Struggled on 13d -not the standard phrase came to mind initially. 1a was very clever I thought.

    Many thanks to BD and the setter.

  35. Still struggling with 13 down and 17 across, and its Thursday now! Any help appreciated.

    1. Welcome to the blog Lottie

      There were hints for both of those, but the full review will be available on here at 9:00 am tomorrow.

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