DT 29000 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29000 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29000 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

4a    Prompt check on car — that is to save tax (8)
An annual check on cars in the UK followed by the Latin abbreviation for “that is” around a type of tax

8a    Power given by Irish water that produces agricultural turnover (6)
P(ower) is followed by he Irish for lake (water)

11a    Old rocker’s following used to be dissipated (6)
This old rocker was famous for his Edwardian style clothes – put him after a verb meaning used to be

12a    Repress what head and tail of pups do? (6,2)
This was easy to guess and a tad more difficult to parse! – what do the P (head) and S (tail) of [P]UP[S] do?

19a    Doctor envied church grounds (8)
An anagram (doctor) of ENVIED followed by the abbreviation for the Church of England

21a    It’s left on Dec 24 by Santa and his reindeer, and grand to put around rhubarb (6)
You need to work out which meaning of left is used here! – put G(rand) and the TO from the clue around a word meaning rhubarb or nonsense

24a    Learned folk will be polite, rational, internally … (8)
Hidden (internally) inside the clue

25a    … more calm, sitting back in chauffeured limousine (6)
… and another hidden word, this one is reversed (sitting back)

26a    Northern god missing nothing, consumed in menace (8)
Start with one of the four-letter northern gods, drop (missing) the O (nothing) and add a word meaning consumed

Down

1d    Puzzle seeing married male, strong beast, oppressed by what he calls a cold! (7)
The abbreviations for married and male are followed by a two-letter strong beast and preceded by a type of cold, the male version of which is often scornfully suggested to be exaggerated as an excuse

 

2d    Traitor after endless fate or fortune — one has to be well-paid (9)
A three-letter traitor follows a fortune without its final letter (endless) and is followed by an abbreviated phrase meaning one has to be

4d    False impression made by undertaking absorbing little program about chicken (15)
An undertaking (should you choose to accept it!) goes around a small program, a word meaning about and a female chicken

5d    Reject that could show worth? (5,3)
The second word indicates that WORTH is an anagram of the first

15d    I will join good number going to rave in the dark (8)
A charade of the I from the clue, G(ood), a two-letter abbreviation of number and a verb meaning to rave

17d    Like a mere stain? (7)
This could mean like a mere or small lake

18d    Half of school rejected studying sacred books by this writer, one inventing plots (7)
The first half of SCH[ool] followed by the reversal (rejected) of the study of sacred books and the pronoun for this writer (the setter)

22d    Melody that gives those people energy (5)
A pronoun meaning those people is followed by E(nergy)

The Crossword Club is now open.


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 – they are not subject to debate or discussion. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted. In all cases the administrator’s decision is final.

If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then save yourself (and me) a lot of trouble and don’t leave a comment.


The Quick Crossword pun: whether+fork+caste=weather forecast


64 comments on “DT 29000 (Hints)

  1. 7d my last entry, I just couldn’t see it. 12a my COTD. Overall I found this a moderately straightforward solve with one or two quite tricky clues which pushed out my completion time. Good fun though.

    Thanks to our Saturday setter and BD. Now for an afternoon of rugby.

  2. I thought this was quite a slick production and an enjoyable solve.

    Thanks to BD and setter **/****

  3. Lots to admire and appreciate today . My medalists are 5D , 7D & 20D not necessarily in that order .
    Thanks to Setter and BD .
    Cannot understand why Ireland want to expose everything to the wind and rain today .

    1. KFB. I think it is a tribute to tha atmosphsre created at the Millenium.
      And Wales’ problem in the lineouts will be exacerbated in the windy wet conditions that will apply with the open roof.

  4. I found some of the some of the clues difficult to parse in this crossword so thanks to BD for a bit of reassurance that I wasn’t barking up the wrong tree. I would rate it *** for difficylty and ** for enjoyment. Thanks to the mystery setter.

    1. Again this week, a good challenge for me, well satisfied on completion.
      Thanks to setter and to BD, two or three hints needed for confirmation.
      ***/****.

  5. I found some of the some of the clues difficult to parse in this crossword so thanks to BD for a bit of reassurance that I wasn’t barking up the wrong tree. I would rate it *** for difficulty and ** for enjoyment. Thanks to the mystery setter.

  6. When I first read through this puzzle, I thought I was going to get nowhere, but gradually they began to fall and surprisingly, I finished in a little over my average time. Very strange how that happens. I had the right hand side in fully with only a couple in the left hand side,but then before I knew it they were done.

    Took a while to parse 11a, but on the whole I enjoyed it. Many thanks to the setter and BD

    By the way, I’ve had some problems getting onto the site today, hope the morons are not around again!

    1. I was ambushed by the gremlins too. Then my first attempt to contrbute was timed out. So I tried again, correcting a typo at the same time. It seems to have eventually printed both. Curiouser and curiouser.

      1. Due to the problems with performance I have rebooted the server 4 or 5 times (I’ve lost count) which may explain some of the timeouts.

    2. Margaret, your solve was exactly as mine, although 12a was my last.
      Thank god I finished before the rugby and before the chores…Many thanks to BD for his confirmation and the setter for some very amusing clues.

  7. 2*/2.5*. Curate’s egg time. This was a very wordy puzzle with some good bits and some not so good.

    6 clues stretched to three lines of print, one of which comprised 16 words. 21a, the 16 word clue, was wonderful and made me laugh at the thought of what reindeer might do to a bed of rhubarb. I also liked 12a & 7d a lot. On the other hand, 4d was long winded with a nonsensical surface; the definition in 9a is decidedly dodgy; and I didn’t understand the wordplay for 5d (thanks for the explanation, BD).

    Thanks to the setter and to BD.

  8. A slow start but the pace picked up, especially in the East, after 4d went in for completion at a gallop – **/***.

    Favourite, a toss-up between 16a and 17d.

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

    Now for the oval ball TV marathon.

  9. Liked this puzzle a lot, some great clues. I too pondered about 12a but I think the answer means that the P and S surround the middle bit. Hope I haven’t said too much.

    Thanks to all.

    1. Saying little in case of getting my wrist slapped but many thanks for the Google suggestion you made the other day!

      1. It sounded so easy and so reasonable didn’t it! but we are where we are. thanks for the comment

  10. You can usually expect a cracker when the crossword number is significant and 2900 is no exception.
    Some excellent clues some nice anagrams and a few headscratchers.
    Thanks to BigDave and Setter.

  11. Very enjoyable. 4a was the opener so I started in NE and progressed clockwise. A little delay in finishing by 2d (from which I needed a checker to finish 12a to confirm the first word) and 12a were the last ones in.

    Incidentally Big D, do the words “to be” in 2d really form part of the answer as your hint says, or are they just an indicator of the answer, if you see what I mean. I just used “one has”.

    Loved the huge Lego at 4d and the Father Christmas clue.

    Thanks to all. Enjoy today’s sporting events!

      1. The views from the top of the hill on the LHS of the photo (Ben Donich) are absolutely stunning! Had a couple of lovely Spring days up there although I reckon it might be snowbound today!

  12. Super elegant crossword. The setter let you get a start then made you work harder especially in the NE corner. For me one of the best Saturday puzzles for a long time. COTD for me was 1d, a real smiler.
    Thx to all.
    ***/*****

  13. I struggled most in the NW but got there in the end.
    17d my fave today and liked the photo.
    Thanks to BD and setter. Some gremlins getting here too but ok now.

    1. I remembered Rest and be Thankful, yes it’s a real place, from a journey from Glasgow to Inveraray, via Luss (where Take the High Road was filmed) and the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, many years ago.

      1. I recognized the view from a childhood hol there I my dad’s Morris. What I particularly liked was that while it wasn’t exactly the body of water the clue was looking for it looked like it and therefore fitted the second part of the answer.

  14. Found ths very pleasant start to the weekend. 12a was COTD, because of the canine connection. Plenty of others to choose from for me
    BD’s illustration for 11a made me remember the drain pipes, long powder blue jacket with the velvet collar & string tie: those were the days!
    Thanks to Mr Ron & BD for hints.
    Now for 80 minutes of fingernail biting. Confident NO, hopeful, certainly.

      1. I bet Ireland wish they’d allowed the roof to be closed! So far so good – come on Wales!

      2. Gwlad, Even Even the Aberflyarf would have predicted that!
        It is a good job they were tired who knows what they wpuld have done if they had been fresh.

    1. 12a still a mystery to me. Can’t do anything with p and a no matter how I say or read it???

      1. Welcome to the blog, Puzzled.
        You don’t have much longer to wait. The full review of the puzzle will be published at 9am tomorrow morning.

  15. ***/****. Excellent puzzle which took me a while to get into. Once on the right wavelength it was most rewarding. Favourites were 1,7&17d with the latter getting the gold medal for such elegance. Thanks to the setter and BD.

  16. Finished before the Six Nations kicked off but couldn’t make contact with BD so now grabbing half-time interval of Wales vs Ireland to comment. Oh dear it looks like result of Calcutta Cup will be immaterial. North was achieved prior to South. Pleasant puzzle in spite of some wordy clues but my Fav (17d) was cleverly concise. Thank you Mysteron and BD.

    1. I’d never heard of the Calcutta Cup, so I dutifully asked Mr. Google. Now, isn’t that an interesting history! Loved it.

  17. Enjoyed this so much, however, some were hard to unravel, e.g., 21a, but seeing the pic, I’m assuming it’s a Brit tradition.
    I had three stand outs, 7d, 17d and 20d, fave is a toss up.
    Thanks to our Saturday setter and to BD for hints and pics.

  18. Couldn’t access the site this morning and haven’t had the chance to try again until now – No.1 daughter came over for lunch and has only just left.
    I found plenty to enjoy in this one, just 9a & 7d that earned an ‘umm’ here.

    Think my favourite was 17d.

    Thanks to our setter and to BD for the club.
    Off to tackle the Alchemi NTSPP now.

  19. Enjoyed this so much, however, some were hard to unravel, e.g., 21a, but seeing the pic, I’m assuming it’s a Brit tradition.
    I had three stand outs, 7d, 17d and 20d, fave is a toss up.
    Thanks to our Saturday setter and to BD for hints and pics.

    I was impressed that Jacinta Ardern promised to revisit their gun laws after one terrorist attack – what a concept! Maybe she should educate some other leaders?

  20. Much enjoyed today, with 2d being last in. Thanks to Setter and Big Dave, for the hints and for persevering with getting the site back up. Couldn’t get it to open earlier. This one was right up my street. Preparing to do battle with tomorrow’s offering.

  21. It took me longer to work out 21a than it did the rest of the puzzle. Once I’d filled in 15d, the penny dropped, and it brought a smile to my face. 1d had to be my favourite clue. Thank you setter and BD. Going off to watch the rugby. We still have The Calcuttta Cup to win.

  22. Have 7d left not a clue any assistance please! Also I have an answer I’m confident with for 12a but just can’t work out the word play. Help please …

    1. For 12a see comment 9 above

      7d was my last one in too – if you have only have defeats and victories then you don’t have some other sort of result which might sound like you’re in an open necked shirt

        1. Welcome to the blog Rai

          There’s only a limited amount of help we can give for prize puzzles – but the answer and explanation will be available in the full review on Friday.

  23. Bit of a slog I’m afraid, but completed in 2* time but 2.5* for entertainment. I struggled to parse 7d but fav was 4d.
    Thank you to setter & BD for his ever helpful blog.

  24. 1d is a great clue and most were quite gettable .
    21 puzzled me for a bit and as for 7d , I had to trawl through the comments to find it .
    Thanks to CS and BD and setter .

  25. I assume that where there is no hint given the clues are thought to be easily solvable. Once again I am out of kilter ‘cos I sailed through but am now stuck on 22a and 20d. Ah , 23a has just come to me so that may help me! What IS this sport my husband is glued to?

    1. Watch it. Learn it be enthralled by it. The finest team sport in. The pan galactic universe. Saint Sharon’s life is so much richer because of it. As you will be aware your husband kno a best.

  26. Thicko here, in 17d, I can’t find any reference in the dictionary to the answer = a mere or lake, what am I missing?.

    1. Ah, just found it, new word for me.
      Excellent crossword today.
      Thanks BD for the hints and for sorting out the site.
      Also Mr.Ron

  27. Looking at wordy clues, I thought i ll give up half-way but very delightful when it started getting lots of answers. Thank you setter

    My quibble is on 7d which i cracked at last.
    How can it be defeats AND victories, should it not be OR? Plural confused me too

      1. Thank you BD. I m following the blog regularly since a year or so but mobile browser wouldnt let me comment. I just discovered to comment successfully when i tried via incognito mode

  28. Would have finished this excellent crossword yesterday morning but for putting in a spelling mistake. I have puzzling friends who enjoy taking over my puzzles just to negotiate the extra dimension of finding the spelling spanner in the works. Many thanks to all.

  29. 17d was my top clue in this reasonably tricky (to begin with) crossword. However once I broke the back of it everything came together smoothly.
    Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints.

  30. Hurrah, finished, never mind I am at the tail end of the weekend! Like many others the last In For me were 17d (it should have been staring me in the face: only 2 letters missing and I’ve swum In a number of those meres in the Lake District!) and 7d (a groaner once I got it thanks to the hints In The comments). Thanks to the setter, Hint Master and the commenters.

  31. I tried umpteen times on Saturday to get onto the site, from about 10 till 12, but had to give up and carry on with my day. I found this puzzle to be fairly mild with too many long-winded clues. Not entirely my cup of tea and not a good one to pick for a Sat Prize, I think. I’ve ticked 11a, 16a, 2d, 17d. Sorry to be negative, but I’m just being truthful. 1.5* / 2.5*.

  32. 3*/4*….
    liked 1D (puzzle seeing married male, strong beast, oppressed by what he calls a cold!)… & 21A (it’s left on Dec 24 by Santa and his reindeer, and grand to put around rhubarb)-did not twig the “what reindeer might do to a bed of rhubarb” implication until reading Rabbit Dave’s note 7.

Comments are closed.