DT 28522 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28522 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28522 (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    Run place near Manchester, and one in Kent (10)
A six-letter verb meaning to run followed by a place near Manchester – one of our bloggers will have no trouble with this one!

12a    Back everyone to move quickly around one — it’s a wrap! (8)
A three-letter word meaning everyone and a verb meaning to move quickly reversed (back) around I (one)

15a    Again, agent’s made to take too much on board (7)
A charade of a four-letter word meaning again and an (unindicated) US agent

17a    One just looking for place to surf (7)
Two definitions – someone who is just looking and a program used to surf the internet

21a    Too much silver found in church building (7)
A three-letter abbreviation meaning too much and the chemical symbol for silver inside the abbreviation for the Church of England

This one is in the village adjoining mine

24a    Forcibly removed, being drunk due to endless port (8)
An anagram (drunk) of DUE TO and POR[t] without its final letter (endless)

29a    Challenge revolutionary retailer advertising clothes (4)
Hidden (clothes) and reversed (revolutionary) inside the clue

30a    Money paid for somewhere to live (10)
Two definitions – payment for a bill and somewhere to live, such as a colony

Down

1d    Start to create fuss over ending (4)
The initial letter if C[reate] followed by the reversal (over in a down clue) of a fuss gives the ending of, for example, a piece of music

4d    Fought rough having spilt blood outside (7)
A three-letter adjective meaning rough with a verb meaning spilt blood outside – did you, like me, waste time trying to fit an anagram (spilt) of BLOOD into the answer before deciding it doesn’t work?

5d    Regret broadcast jibe? Nonsense (7)
What sounds like (broadcast) a verb meaning to regret followed by a jibe

8d    One’s hopeless car with a flat battery? (3-7)
Two definitions – what is it that a car with a flat battery won’t do?

9d    Document concise after-dinner instruction? (8)
This after-dinner instruction (4,3,4) usually includes the word “the”, which is why it is concise here

18d    Fellow Arab, say, squandering billions to get position on board (9)
This fellow Arab is a horse – drop the B(illions) to get a position on the chessboard

21d    A duke wears this gold one in court (7)
I liked this one as at first it appears to be just a cryptic definition – the heraldic term for gold and ONE from the clue inside the abbreviation of C(our)T

26d    Pound where copper usually goes? (4)
Two definitions – easy when you realise that pound is a verb and the copper is a policeman

The Crossword Club is now open.


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The Quick Crossword pun: board+toot+ears=bored to tears


82 comments on “DT 28522 (Hints)

  1. I didn’t know there was a Saturday Toughie, a lot of head scratching, similar use of Chambers, and a small amount of electronic assistance to finish at a trot – ****/***.

    But, on review, I can’t help thinking that there was a liberal sprinkling of oldies but goodies and recent repeats.

    Favourite – too many candidates to choose from.

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

      1. That applies to Monday puzzles. I think nobody needs my hints but wordpress shows over ten thousand people have nosied in

  2. 4*/5*. Phew. This was fairly tough in places but really enjoyable. My favourite was 10a closely followed by 18d.

    I’m probably wrong but I’m going to stick my neck out and suggest that this was the handiwork of Mister Ron. Many thanks to him and to BD.

    1. …almost as difficult as trying to imagine how the illustrated position at 18d could possibly occur!

      1. 18d. The gimme is just a highly contrived and simplistic position to illustrate “*********”. But, being pedantic, it’s only ******** if it is Black’s turn to move – which isn’t stipulated.

            1. Sorry, BD. I was just browsing, saw the chess position and dived in without thinking. I’m truly flabbergasted that this is from a game between two Grandmasters. It must rate as one of the biggest blunders by White or one one the greatest escapes by Black in history.

  3. Gosh! This took some doing but got there eventually. Difficult to choose the top clue as there were so many contenders – 18d, 9d, 15a, 17a but I think I will plump for 8d as the best of them all.

  4. That was tough, but fun to unravel. THanks to BD and the setter. Too my shame 1a was very nearly my last one in.

  5. A lot of head scratching for me here…and I’m still stuck on 3d……any chance of yet another clue, please? I might go as far to say pretty please or even pretty please with molasses as I have a lot to do today ………

    1. I believe the expression you use here is Gnomethang’s Law.

      Got it now….or rather can see how I get it now.

  6. This certainly taxed the grey matter for a while particularly in the West and I have to admit to a bit of bunging in however I have now managed to parse most which stupidly had included 3d and 23d. 21a seems to make regular appearances these days yesterday included. I’m with RD in choosing 10a as Fav. Thank you Mysteron and BD.

  7. The best Saturday cryptic for ages!

    Last one in and my favourite is the wonderful 18d.

    Now back to Radler in the MPP – much more difficult!

  8. This has taken me ages in fits and starts to finish but I did manage without the hints but with lots of help from my electronic friend!!!! Thanks Dave I still needed the explanations for 29a and 12a to see how they worked … perservation is the word today :-)

  9. Once more all the clues that I need explanation are not hinted – 15a, 19a, 28a, 3d and 23d. I have answers to all but cannot parse the clues. This I found extremely tricky, by far the most difficult Saturday for a long time. No fav clues and for me ****/*.
    Just a real wet towel around the head slog.

    1. Look on the bright side – if you solved and parsed all the clues for which i did provide hints you are doing very well.

      Briefly:
      15a – there is a hint
      19a Secretary’s learned piece of writing (7)
      A two-letter abbreviation for a secretary, the S from ‘S and an adjective meaning learned
      28a Kid read out letters (5)
      Sounds like (read out) some letters
      3d Incident‘s clear with papers going missing (5)
      An adjective meaning clear without (going missing) the abbreviation for some papers which prove you are who you say you are
      23d Co-star, possibly, if not front of stage? (5)
      An anagram (possibly) of CO-[s]TAR without the initial letter (font) of S[tage] – semi all-in-one

  10. It was all plain sailing apart from 18d which I couldn’t see at all, once the Arab/Horse bit fell into place it all went swimmingly. It seemed to me that this was a bit of a step up from the usual Saturday fare.

    The boss has taken herself off to Lakeside with our youngest and I’ve already completed my allocated tasks so it’s Cricket all the way today, I’ve got the Rugby on the planner for later consumption.

  11. Oh good – glad it’s not just me – I thought this was very tricky (and very enjoyable).
    I got completely stuck with 12a (was thinking of the wrong kind of wrap), and was also thinking of the wrong kind of 17a surf.
    27a was my biggest problem – was about to plead for some help but I’ve just understood my answer – I thought the definition was the first four words of the clue rather than just the first two. Oh dear!
    I also had trouble with 6 and 29a – it’s often the little short answers that get me – and the 15a agent always catches me out too.
    I liked 6 and 19a and 5 and 8d. My favourite was 10a.
    With thanks to the setter and to BD.

  12. I didn’t find this as tough as others have done but that could be down to comparison with the fiendish Radler MPP that I opted to tackle first.

    Like BD, I tried to make an anagram of BLOOD to fit as part of 4d and I have to confess to the relevant blogger that 1a wasn’t my first clue to fall. In my defence, there are many types of ‘run’ and a great many places near Manchester!

    So much to enjoy here but I think 18d takes the red rosette with 10a coming up on the rails.

    Many thanks to Mr Saturday Ron and to BD for the club.

    Right – off to have a look at the NTSPP from our very own Silvanus.

    1. You’ve changed your email address – both should work from now on

      As to 3d, ‘going missing’ indicates that a particular type of ‘papers’ has been left out of a word meaning clear to leave you with the letters required for a synonym for incident

      1. Angellov, 3D.
        A seven letter word for clear, minus a two letter abbreviation for a type of ‘papers’. (As in: Excuse me sir, do you have any xx papers).

      2. I think perhaps CS got her wording the wrong way round – you need to remove a particular type of ‘papers’ from a word meaning clear to leave you with the letters required for a synonym for an incident.

        1. CS definitely did but she’s put it right now. Been a long day – usual Saturday stuff, two cakes for work on Monday, sun-drying tomatoes in the car and I’m now drafting my third crossword review of the day.

            1. I read about it on line and did some last weekend when it was hotter and sunnier and they are as good as the ones you buy in the supermarket. I’ve got some more on a tray on the dashboard but it hasn’t been quite such good weather today so they may take a little longer.

              I’ve already made enough tomato sauce for the freezer to last us round to next summer, so I had to try something else with the, what seems like millions, of tomatoes that are ripening as we watch.

              1. I think it’s a brilliant idea although I do wonder what the car smells like afterwards. Sun-dried tomatoes obviously but is that OK in such a confined space?

          1. I won’t be offended if some sun dried tomatoes come through the post. Just keen to help with the surplus.

  13. I was mightily relieved to find that so many fellow commenters struggled with this one. Probably the hardest back-pager for some time, and certainly a worthy Prize Puzzle. 18d was my stand out favourite of many excellent clues, with the much-fancied 10a as my runner-up. I have to mark this one 4.5*/5*.

    Many thanks for a terrific challenge to the Saturday setter, and to BD.

  14. I look at this blog almost every day, but since I am solving 4 month old puzzles as they are published in the Jerusalem Post in Israel I have never added any comments.
    Today I am in the UK for a short family visit and I have just completed today’s puzzle. So this is an opportunity to have my say and to thank all the contributors and regular commenters for adding to my daily pleasure.

    1. Welcome to the blog.

      If you do ever wish to comment on the old puzzles, your comment will be seen both by the person who did the original blog and other people too.

  15. What a great work out. Some lovely clues here and some great mis-directions rating a ***/**** . Favourites 10a and 23d. Many thanks to the setter and BD.

  16. I am thrilled that I managed to work this out, but it’s a good job we don’t talk about time taken. 10a was my favourite by a long mile. Very funny, and great mis-direction. I was held up by putting the wrong word into 11a which was made from the same anagram, and meant the same thing. Great mis-direction again. Thank you setter, and thank you too BD.

    1. I worked out the same anagram and got two answers, so waited until I got some letters, which were a loooong time coming!

      1. I wondered if anyone else did the same thing! I think if I’d put the letters into an anagram solver I would have been given a choice. I didn’t, and bunged in the first thing that came to mind, which looking at it, probably wouldn’t be the first thing in someone else’s mind. At least you were clever enough to spot two answers straight away. Funny how the old mind works, mine anyway.

        1. I usually solve anagrams by looking for prefixes and suffixes. The suffix here was pretty simple, and when I looked at the rest of the letters I realised that I could make two words!

  17. Too tough for an old lady with a rapidly diminishing brain, bit sad because I have done quite well this week. Not even going to print MPP having seen setter. Pass the tissues and roll on tomorrow.

  18. Blimey, that was hard! My brain is now totally frazzled, good thing I don’t have anything more intellectual to do than watch the US Open.
    Guessed the wrong word for 12a, 3d was a bung in too, I don’t think it’s correct and I certainly don’t understand it – don’t bother trying to explain it to me, I’m way too thick.
    I had to get electronic help for too many, but agree it was a very clever puzzle.
    Fave was 18d, with 1a and 10a hot on its heels.
    Thanks to our Saturday setter and to BD for his hints and tips.

  19. A great puzzle. My favourite clue was 5d, hotly followed by 12a and 18d.
    Re 19a, am not sure that the last four letters are a true synonym for learned – ‘learned person’ maybe but not just the adjective? Am almost certainly missing something though . . .
    I eventually parsed everything except 28a which needed BD’s extra hint above for which am truly grateful – would have had a tormented evening otherwise!
    Many thanks to all concerned.

    1. What you are missing is that in Chambers the last part of 19a is listed as an adjective and then as a noun. Chambers Thesaurus lists learned as a synonym.

  20. Finished, but a number that I could not parse…6a, 10a, 14d, 15a.
    It was very tricky, and I did have a peek at a couple of hints.
    Thanks to all,

    1. 6a – At first didn’t have feathers (4)

      The first letter of “didn’t ” plus a synonym for “have” gives you feathers,

      Very nice plumage … but.

  21. A very satisfying Saturday solve. The most enjoyable competition tussle for some time. My compliments to the setter for his guile and humour.

  22. Lots of fun today. In typical Silly Kitty fashion, I ended up having a complete brain fail on one of the easiest clues. Not admitting which! Many thanks to the setter and BD.

  23. Thanks to the blogger and to those who have commented — and well done to Rabbit Dave for outing me as the setter!

    I’m glad that most enjoyed it. It proves that I am useless when it comes to judging how tricky my own puzzles are, as I thought it might be too easy. Must try harder …

    1. So – RD had you ‘banged to rights’ as they say!
      Thanks for popping in, Mister Ron – it was a great puzzle.

    2. Mister Ron, maybe you thought it was too easy because you already knew the answers.

      Thanks for a great crossword!

    3. I love your puzzles, but I think the general opinion today is that this was a stinker, not many found it easy. Don’t even think about trying harder!

  24. I enjoyed this one and found it tricky but not excessively so. However, i thought I’d complete it in my usual Saturday time before going to work and didn’t, so left home with four unsolved which I wrote straight in on my return. I think CS subscribes to the idea of the subconscious working away in the absence of staring at the grid: I’d agree.

    Thanks to BD and Mister Ron ***/****

  25. Thanks to Mister Ron and to Big Dave for the hints. What a super puzzle for a Saturday. I thought I was having a bad day, but was pleased to see that most people struggled too. I needed the hints and Bd’s answer to Brian in order to parse 24,28,29&23d. Last in was 28a, and favourite was 18d. Was 4*/4* for me. Excellent puzzle.

  26. For 11a, the clue could yield an alternative answer of “xxxxxxxxx” – also a word meaning praise. This threw me off quite a bit. Do you think that a clue that can give more than one perfectly correct answer is a bad clue?

    1. Welcome to the blog.

      We do ask that commenters refrain from giving alternative answers in their comments. The possibility of the alternative anagram answer has been raised in other comments. The word you mention isn’t a correct answer as it doesn’t fit with the letter at the beginning of the word produced by correctly solving 4d

  27. Great clues – didn’t struggle as much as others have done except for getting a perfectly good answer to 11a which turned out to be wrong – first four letters in a different order. Anyone else have same problem? Resulting checking letter in 4d made me sure there had to be an anagram of blood there too but in the end realised no word fitted the checkers…

  28. Another late solve. Although, agreed, harder than the usual Saturday fare, it did yield without too much angst – 2.5*/4*.

    We thought 6a was a great clue, although reasonably easy to get from the last part of the clue – on every read and reread it gets better.

    Thanks to BD and the setter.

  29. Hubby and I try very hard each week using both brains and still don’t get very far even with the clues. Perhaps one day we’ll manage to complete it, but in the meantime reading the comments is entertaining. We have great sympathy with the overload of tomatoes!!

  30. Longest solve ever – well for some years. Managed without cheating save that I confirmed 3d and 6a from some of the comments. Then last ones in were 10a and 1d the latter being easy once I had the second checking letter. The answer of 1d would not have occurred to me as a synonym of ending. Interested to hear what the setter thought of it. For me with the exception of 1a and 21a which we had yesterday either because I could not parse what had to be, or was likely to be, the answer or that I could not think of a word to fit even after going through the alphabet eg 10a. For once the “sleep on it” method did not work. Simply glad to know it was not just me…….Thanks all.

  31. I’m flabbergasted at some of the comments above, about this one being “difficult”. For me, it was a typical Saturday Prize – pretty unchallenging and completed at a fast gallop with a tail wind whilst drinking one cup of coffee, most of which was spilled. But I’m not complaining, it’s horses for courses – the clues were all OK and it was mildly enjoyable. 1.5*/2.5*.

  32. Left it till last night to get inspiration and managed to finish this a.m. after BD’s extra hint in Item 9 above-thx BD for 3d. Very difficult this week, as well recorded above.
    It can be a big time consumer, so hope next time is not so hard!
    Can send it in to DT to keep my 4year record intact!

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