DT 28450 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28450 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28450 (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    Skill put over by bridge partners wanting manuscript changes (10)
The reversal (put over) of a three-letter skill is followed by some partners in the game of bridge a word that can mean wanting or desiring and the abbreviation of ManuScript

10a    International meant playing for declaration (9)
A international sporting match followed by an anagram (playing) of MEANT

12a    Head may maintain a large place to fire 13 (4,9)
A headland followed by a word meaning may, a verb meaning to maintain, the A from the clue and L(arge) gives a place in the USA from which to launch (fire) a 13 Down

14a    Quietly belie running article that’s working-class (8)
The musical notation for quietly followed by an anagram (running) of BELIE and the two-letter indefinite article

15a    Make Oscar for actor (6)
A make or type followed by the letter represented by Oscar in the NATO Phonetic alphabet

19a    Indifferent physician hiding nothing with note (8)
A five-letter physician around (hiding) O (nothing) and followed by a note of the scale in sol-fa notation

24a    Confront after a fight’s reversal (5-4)
A verb meaning to confront preceded by (after) the A from the clue and a fight

27a    Shares, perhaps, like vicar? (10)
These shares, if split (2,8), could describe, for example (definition by example indicated by the question mark), a vicar

Down

1d    Ruffian in hospital in tower (4)
H(ospital) inside something that tows (tower)

3d    Dealer in quarrel over chart men ruined (5,8)
A quarrel or argument followed by an anagram (ruined) of CHART MENT

8d    Easily riled, like a dinosaur? Anything but! (3-7)
Dinosaurs were not this type of creature!

11d    Pre-Christmas period restricts Queen broadcast times, becoming commercial (13)
The period leading up to Christmas around (restricts) our Queen’s regnal cipher and an anagram (broadcast) of TIMES

13d    Art room first to show heavenly vehicle (10)
Another word for art preceded by (first) some room

16d    Save theatre with regularly praised view (8)
A three-letter word for a type of theatre where different plays are performed throughout the run followed by the even letters of the last two words in the clue (the convention is that the two words be considered as being run together)

20d    Fall of rogue in lawsuit (7)
A three-letter rogue inside a lawsuit

23d    Round pound (4)
Two definitions – the kind of round pounded by a policeman and a verb meaning to pound

The Crossword Club is now open.

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The Quick Crossword pun: soup+earn+over=supernova

35 comments on “DT 28450 (Hints)”

  1. Completed at a fast gallop and very enjoyable – */***.

    Unless I am mistaken, which is not beyond the realms of possibility, another puzzle with a sprinkling of oldies but goodies.

    Favourite – the 12a/13d combo – the second combo this week?

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

  2. Unlike Senf I had a slow start and then reasonably easy going but definitely not a gallop. To mix metaphors the North was plain sailing but the South was a different kettle of fish. Several good clues however no stand-out Fav. Thank you Mysteron and BD.

  3. A nice Saturday crossword to do on a sunny (ish) morning.
    I didn’t have too many problems apart from a couple that I made “all my own self’.
    I started off with the wrong second word in 24a.
    There are a few words that I know I can’t spell so always check them – I didn’t know that 14a was one of them. :roll:
    I always forget about the 16d kind of theatre and 23d was my last answer – the four letter ones often cause trouble.
    I liked 12 and 27a and 8d.
    With thanks to today’s setter and to BD.

  4. A nice puzzle which would have been quite straightforward had I not, like Kath, put in the wrong second word for 24a. Message to self, yet again, read the clue properly!
    I did need to check the spelling of 14a – my version didn’t contain enough letters.

    Favourite was 27a.

    Thanks to Mr. Saturday Ron and to BD.

    Now to tackle the NTSPP – think I found the last Drummond puzzle quite hard but well worth the effort.

    1. My first attempt at 14a had the right number of letters – the problem was that a few of them towards the end wobbled a bit.

    2. Same for me on 14a, I had to go to the BRB to check the order of the letters in the back half.

  5. Echoing Angellov at #2, this was a slow starter, then I picked up the pace. Several good clues, but I particularly liked 21a. A very pleasant solve for an as yet not very sunny Saturday here in the Marches.

    Many thanks to the Mysteron and BD.

    Well done to the Lions, and good luck to all the England teams playing today.

  6. All good except 23d for me which I didn’t feel sure I had even when I had. 2d and 25a were favourites.

  7. I really liked this one. Had to think a smidge more than on some Saturdays, but perhaps that’s because I’m a bit dozy this morning. Having said that, I’m moderately* dozy on many a Saturday.

    I liked many clues, including the heavenly ones as well as 21a, 25a and 27a, but think I will go for 8d as favourite. Something is drawing me to give honourable mentions to 26a and 23d too.

    Thanks to the setter and to BD.

  8. Best one of the week or me. Took a while to get going but I really enjoyed it. I liked the 12/13 combo and 15a.

    Thanks to BD.

  9. Loved this! I found it a bit tricky but fun to solve. There are so many I liked I’m hard pressed to find a fave, 27a was in the running, so was 8d.
    Last one in was 15a; how fleeting is fame that I found it difficult to remember him.
    Thanks to setter, come back soon, and to BD for his hints.

  11. A relatively quick solve with no real difficulties 1.5*/3*.

    Like the way the first letters of 2d were clued.

    Thanks to BD and Mr Ron.

      1. But wouldn’t that be an **************t? I’ve never been on the naughty step 😂

  13. I was slow to get going; I only had three answers in place after the first pass. Then everything started to gel and I finished at a canter. 8d was my favourite and overall 2.5/4* overall for a good Saturday puzzle.
    Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints.

  14. Solved pretty quickly today, with a short pause at the close for 27ac and 23d, the former eliciting the biggest groan of the day. :-)

  15. Rather a doddle, but l liked 27a and 16d. Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints.

  16. I have a big problem with 10a which I have interpreted as xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    The problem is that it conflicts with 11d.
    Have I misread 10a?

    1. You have indeed misread 10a but I’ve had to xxx out your interpretation as it is straying into “alternative” territory.

      Try reading BD’s hint for 10a and see if that helps you put the right letters in between the checking letters you already have

  17. Took a couple of passes til I got into the swing of it today. Top half was the quickest to go in and provided my COTD (12a although because I got it before 13d I Ithought 13 referred to the designation of one of the most famous 13d to take off from there) I also doubted my spelling of 14a. last ones in were 22d and 27a. I needed the hint for 27a but managed to get 22d when i had the final letter.

    Thanks to BD and setter

  18. No problems here. A fun solve on the first day of relaxation for I don’t know how long. I liked 12a best. Ta to BD and the setter. 1*/3*

  19. Mrs BD & I have just returned from a drink with Pommers & Pommette. Of all the pubs in the area, Pommer’s sister booked a meal in the one next door to us!

    2. How lovely – I bet it was fun. I seem to remember that Upton has the largest number of pubs per head of population of any small town in the area.

  20. I was held up in the SW corner as I’d the wrong second word for 24a. 27a was last in. Could have kicked myself when the penny dropped. Thank you setter and BD.

  22. Glad to read the comments and see that many of us were in the same boat. I, too, could not spell 14a and confidently had the wrong second word in 24a. It eventually occurred to my that my difficulties with 16 and 22d could lie with that second word. Eventually got 23d which was my least favourite clue but needed to check with Hints that I was right before continuing my endeavours with 27a. 27a was my favourite once I got there and 4d the “seeing doctor” is clever. Last two in after I changed 24a were 22d and 16d. Not my favourite but thanks to setter and all.

  23. Did manage to complete by Saturday lunchtime but it was a slow start. As I started to get a few then the convoluted ones leapt out and I had to work out the parsing. Some were unbelievable….! eg 1a, 4d. 19a . Enjoyed it non the less.Thanks to BD & all.

  24. So late, apologies.
    I got the second bit of 24a wrong too.
    Fav was 27a, thanks to all

Comments are closed.