DT 28516 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28516 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28516 (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    National falsification in general situation (3,2,3,4)
This could be a national falsification or untruth

11a    Serious attention needed by cosy home (7)
A three-letter word meaning attention followed by a cosy home, usually for a bird

12a    Skit about Liberal is standard for Scots (7)
A piece of humour (skit) around L(iberal)

13a    More than one mythic creature still lives (5)
A three-letter adverb meaning sill followed by a verb meaning lives

16a    Series of balls are due to exceed budget (9)
… if you are looking for the cricket clue, look no further!

19a    What’s beginning to deal with downpour? (5)
What deals with a downpour is derived from the initial letter of (beginning to) D[eal] followed by the downpour itself

21a    Payments demanded to secure North for king’s followers? (7)
The payments requested or demanded around (to secure) N(orth) give those from whom the next king will be chosen

23a    Cause pain to stern arresting French cop (7)
A three-letter nautical term for the stern around (arresting) a colloquial word for a French policeman

26a    Someone coming from Paris, say, to trampoline acrobatically (12)
This person from a city such as (say) Paris is an anagram (acrobatically) of TO TRAMPOLINE

Down

1d    Young runner always filling in permit (7)
This is the young of a fast-moving animal – a final letter word meaning always inside a verb meaning to permit

5d    Enchanting singer learning to accompany Hawaiian band (7)
Learning or knowledge followed by a Hawaiian band or garland

 

6d    Making fishermen’s equipment (7)
A verb meaning making, after all deductions have been applied, is also equipment used by a fisherman

7d    Irritable people one associates with ancient guild (6,7)
An adjective meaning irritable followed by the people with whom one associates

I once went to a dinner with the Joiners and Ceilers!

15d    Press and TV upset Aussie tennis star that’s dropped right out of the Dark Ages (9)
A collective word for the Press and TV followed by the reversal of the surname of an old Aussie tennis star without (that’s dropped) the R(ight)

18d    Encourage dupe by speech (7)
Sounds like (by speech) a dupe or mug

19d    Rat circling lake to change direction (7)
A verb meaning to rat or change sides around (circling) L(ake)

22d    Undresses going up for a rest (5)
The reversal (going up in a down clue) of a verb meaning undresses

The Crossword Club is now open.

No Café and Market as it’s the The Hanleys 65th Village Show today.  We moved to Hanley Swan 40 years ago this very day I have entered, for the first time ever, runner beans, courgettes, herbs and jam.


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The Quick Crossword pun: wart+aloo+rowed=Waterloo Road


48 comments on “DT 28516 (Hints)

  1. 1*/3*. Light but enjoyable with nice surfaces throughout. The French cop in 23a was new to me but it couldn’t have been anything else. 7d was my favourite.

    Many thanks to Mr Ron and to BD.

    1. Yes, I agree with you on all three points, Rabbit Dave. I understood from a French girl, many years ago, that the word in question was, in fact, a slang expression and Ultralingua actually describes the word as a ‘colloquial ‘ expression.

  2. 7d gimme. The things you learn whilst browsing this blog. I never knew what a “ceiler” was – according to Google, a tradesman skilled at fixing wooden panelling to walls and ceilings.

    1. Quite right. Yesterday’s 17a was a new word for me in that sense. We call them Bridle Paths. We live and learn

  3. Bit of a slow start, then a race to the end. The French cop was new to me too, and had to do a googlething to check. Sailed past 5d. 9a made me smile. There seemed to be a few GK answers which may not have been to everyone’s liking, but I enjoyed it. Thank you setter and BD.

    1. I got the French cop by default. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

      1. Jane and I thought the same as you – see below – but decided to obey the instructions given in red at the end of the hints.

        1. Sorry about that. I thought I had edited it enough myself to ensure I was not giving the game away. I am now undecided as to whether I did know the word or whether I am confusing it with another slang term for something else with all but one of the same letters. I shall now resolve to remember both words in my ongoing and longstanding french studies!

  4. Made a good start but did something monumentally stupid which held me up a little until I spotted my mistake. (The naughty corner prevents me from specifying, but I will just say that I am carp at anagrams.) I have such a talent for doing stupid things!

    The 23a French cop was new to me too but I nabbed him anyway before he could catch me.

    Lots of nice touches but no stand-out favourite.

    Thanks to the setter and to BD with the winning produce.

  5. Wrapped this up almost at the push of a button but it was no less entertaining for that. Expected 11a might be Fav but then along came 13a followed by 7d and couldn’t really differentiate between the three to allocate podium places. TVM Mysteron and BD.

  6. 7d also my favourite, and one of the last that I got. Found the rest pretty straightforward…and I live in France, so got the slang expression

  7. A gentle Saturday brain workout but 13a only became clear with BD’s explanation. A “d’oh” moment for me. Good luck at the show. Hope ‘points mean prizes’ for you.

  8. Standard fare, nothing to rave about, nothing to complain about. I was very happy to get 7d which was also my favourite clue. Liked the pont d’ and the French policeman both of which were familiar courtesy of a previous existence in a former French colony a long time ago.

  9. Missed my objective of completing before publication of the hints because of BDs’ speed and distraction of the cricket. Many thanks to BD for hints which were valuable and to Mr. Ron for a fairly easy puzzle without too many holdups – except for the French police

  10. Reasonably straightforward which enabled finishing at a gallop – 1.5*/2*.

    Favourite – 1a.

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

  11. I agree this was straightforward but I was quite glad of that as all is quite busy round here at the moment.
    I’ve never heard of 7d and had forgotten the French cop although I have met him before and he is in the BRB.
    I liked 1a and 15d. My favourite was 13a and I thought the Quickie pun was a good one.
    With thanks to Mr Ron – thanks also to BD for the hints and good luck with all the veggies and jam.

  12. Not too difficult although a little harder for me than some earlier commenters suggest. There were a few gentle head-scratchers but it was enjoyable enough so 2*/3* for me. I thought 7d was the best of the bunch. Like Collywobbles, I suspect my slower time was the result of listening to the cricket from Leeds while solving the puzzle, proving I cannot successfully multitask.

    Many thanks to the Saturday setter and to BD.

  13. A gentle stroll – just right for a Saturday morning. Surprised to note that so many didn’t know the French policeman – there’s such a good reason why most of you should, but CS will wield her big axe if I dare to mention it………..

    Quite a few that earned ticks but I’m awarding the gold medal to 1a.

    Speaking of gold medals – good luck at the show today, BD. I understand that these ‘friendly’ competitions can generate fairly strong emotions! Thank you for fitting in the Saturday Club alongside of it and thanks to Mr. Ron for the puzzle.

    PS Maize, one of our erstwhile Rookie/NTSPP setters, has a puzzle in today’s Indy which folk might like to try.

    1. I do happen to have a large knife by my side as I’m currently turning what seems like tons of tomatoes into sauce for the freezer.

      I thought the same as you about the policeman so I’ll mention it in the review ;)

      1. I have loads of runner beans I’m slicing for the freezer. Shame we couldn’t do a swop.

        1. Our runner beans were a huge failure this year which is a great shame as for me they do mean summer. The courgettes and peaches have as per usual overdone it big time

          1. I have to confess. I did not grow the runner beans. A neighbour has an allotment and she popped round this morning with a huge bundle of runner beans and some rather large courgettes. I will fry some of the courgettes in garlic, but I have so many, I will make some ratatouille for the freezer. Your tomatoes would have come in really useful for that. How nice to be able to grow peaches.

            1. I have two courgette cake recipes – one is for chocolate courgette cake and the other for a tray bake with desiccated coconut, raisins, cherries and dates in it. All scrumptious but I am getting a bit fed up of the courgettes now. Did some Nigel Slater courgette and feta fried things today which were nice. Goodness knows what I’ll make with them tomorrow but I have a whole basketful to use so I’ll be searching through the recipe books again in the morning.

        2. Oh yummy, I really miss runner beans and marrow. We get a great assortment of veg here in S. Florida, but not those. We make due with frozen French beans and zucchini, but not nearly as good.

  14. Yes, an easy canter finished well before lights out last night. No obscurities, no tricky clues, typical Saturday fare.

    Big game this afternoon – Newcastle v West Ham – pivotal for both clubs season and the losing team could press the ‘panic button’ and ditch their Manager with less than a week left in the Transfer Window!

  15. This was a quickie completed after a drive down to London. Temperatures seem to be soaring here. 17d was my last one in. The one I have circled as favourite is 8d. I love this grid particularly when I can fill in straightaway the four long ones round the sides. Only problem is that with so many longer clues the answers reveal themselves even before reading the clue, or after reading the clue but without parsing. Thanks setter and Big D.

  16. After disappointing lunch this cheered me up, 7d last one in but definitely my favourite today. Looking forward to tea and crumpet, thanks to setter and BD good luck with produce in the show. Reading reports in local paper about village show it can be dahlias at dawn especially if the reporter gets the winners name wrong, we had Don and Doug with same surname very tricky.

  17. This went by in a flash but enjoyable.
    I knew the French cop, I think it was in a TV show, ’nuff said or I’ll get in trouble.
    I liked the long outside answers, they certainly helped with the solving.
    Thanks to setter and to BD. The homegrown produce sounds delicious, so different from supermarket stuff.

    1. No not a television show. I am already in trouble about that! It is a familiar or slang expression for policeman, I do not know the derivation.

    2. Did you ever try growing veggies here? I had no success, not even with tomatoes. Orchids are much easier.

      Tried Sweet Peas once as they are my favorite flowers but they collapsed in the humidity.

      1. Only in the winter, tomatoes, aubergine and green peppers. It’s much too humid here, diseases and such like, but it’s humid in England too. I had a great gardener friend who reckoned that the beautiful and productive gardens in England were because of the long summer days. Alas, my gardening days are over, all my energy is used to stay upright!

  18. For the most part easily a * for difficulty, but 19d / 23ac and 7d pushed it into ** at the close. For 19d I was desperately trying to shoehorn a different word for rat into the answer. Oh well.

  19. Great Saturday puzzle, always happy when I am able to pass the finish line with nothing to click… Makes me exercise my brain more. 7d was last in, and 15d held me up as I had forgotten English spelling. 1a was favourite for me.

  20. I thought today’s puzzle was fairly straightforward and perhaps a little on the gentle side. However it is Saturday so….
    My favourite clue was 7d which was my last entry 2/2.5 * overall.
    Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints. How did you do BD?

    1. I expected nothing and that’s what I got! The idiot who assessed my blackcurrant jam said the fruit was slightly undercooked – proving that they know nothing.

      1. It’s all a matter of taste. I enter photographic competitions and the judges are exactly the same!

  21. I see, not only do we have to know slang, we now have to know French slang!! To be fair it is in the BRB but ……….

  22. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints. I enjoyed this one. There were a lot of good surfaces, needed the hints for 12a, even though I understood the construction I couldn’t think of the synonym of skit, and I was thinking of the other meaning of standard. Also needed the hints for 21a and for the second word of 7d. Favourite was 8d. Was 3*/3* for me.

  23. 7d How the heck are you supposed to know that [answer] is an ancient guild? In what universe does [answer part1] mean irritable? Sure have difficult clues but I object to *having* to use Google to solve clues that contain obscure, niche knowledge that most people have never heard of let alone be able to recall without the internet. It’s just not satisfying.

    1. Welcome to the blog Bob

      I had no difficulty with that one, and I have just looked up “irritable” in Chambers Thesaurus and found the first word of the answer, so I guess it’s this universe. The secret of solving crosswords is to stop being a “glass half-empty” person and become a “glass half-full” one.

    2. Not sure whether you are complaining about the synonym for irritable or the fact that you have never heard of the ancient guilds. In either case I would disagree with the assertion that this is obscure niche knowledge that most people do not know. Certainly I am feeling the first word of the answer at the moment and I can assure you that the ancient guilds are very much alive and thriving.

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