DT 29006 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29006 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29006 (Hints)

The 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    Season meals provided something to give you a boost (11)
one of the four seasons of the year is followed by meals provided at, say a hotel

11a    Something very funny after spells of cricket go too far (9)
A four-letter word meaning something funny follows (after) some spells of bowling in a cricket match

14a    One may be lucky to run out of gear (6)
Two definitions – a noun to which the adjective lucky might be attached and a verb meaning to run without one’s gear

16a    Deliver energy suffering from cold (8)
A four-letter verb meaning to deliver or release followed by some energy

23a    Pants with holes around back of knees (5)
Pants here means puffs or blows – put some holes or spaces around the final letter (back) of [knee]S

24a    Take nourishment amidst eking out precarious situation (5-4)
A verb meaning to take nourishment inside (amidst) an anagram (out) of EKING

27a    Trained in computer science and medicine (5)
Trained here is as in trained a rifle – a two-letter abbreviation of a computer science followed by the shortened form of medicine

28a    Light snack — santé (6,5)
This light snack could also describe the word santé (what language is it and when is it used!)

Down

2d    Petty Officer welcoming opposite of cold snap (5)
The abbreviation for Petty Officer around (welcoming) the opposite of cold

4d    Coming out with pithy remark (6)
An anagram (out) of COMING

5d    This may need log on to start ‘shoot-em-up’ (4,4)
Two definitions – the log is a piece of wood!

7d    What manager of grouse moor does gives improved performance (6,3,4)
This could describe what the manager of grouse moor does when he rears the pheasants

8d    Public school‘s disadvantage (8)
… no clever wordplay, just a straightforward double definition

9d    Disagreeing with a lumberjack appearing in the promotional films? (2,11)
The A from the clue followed by a lumberjack inside THE and some promotional films

17d    Material for pillow to avoid bumping head (4,4)
This could describe what one needs to do in order to avoid bumping one’s head

22d    Snag besetting European using latest devices (2-4)
A snag around (besetting) E(uropean)

25d    Ends relationship with sadness (5)
A verb meaning actively ends a relationship is also a state of sadness or depression

The Crossword Club is now open.


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The Quick Crossword pun: ice+Ted+ford=eisteddfod


51 comments on “DT 29006 (Hints)

  1. There was much to enjoy in today’s Prize Crossword. I particularly liked 7 down and 28 across, but several more clues hit the spot, so to speak. Real good fun this one – for me at least. Thanks to both setter and hinter.:-)

  2. Appreciation grew as progressed through this excellent crossword .
    13A fooled me and 28A my favourite just ahead of several others.
    Loved the punny in the Quickie .
    Thanks to everyone .

  3. I liked this one a lot, not overly-difficult but with mostly fine clues giving much enjoyment. Favs: 11a, 16a, 28a, 4d. 3* / 4*

  4. 2.5*/2.5*. I found this moderately challenging and largely enjoyable with a lot of fine wordplay spoilt by some iffy surfaces. I didn’t know the computer science abbreviation nor the public school, and I put the wrong middle word initially in 7d.

    Joint favourites: 28a & 4d.

    Many thanks to Mr Ron and to BD.

  5. Pleased to see that I’m in good company – had to verify both the computer science abbreviation and the public school and then dithered over the middle word of 7d.

    Favourite is 28a, one of my all time favourites.

    Thanks to our setter and to BD for the club.

  6. This was very enjoyable and had some interesting double meaning clues and charades. I did have problems parsing 13a, however. Favourite clues were 1a, 14a, 9d and 17d, but there were lots of others that were intriguing Thanks to BD for the hibts and to the setter.

  7. I’d never come across the word 4d before, and I had to find a list of public schools to solve 8d. I still don’t understand 13a. Overall a nice Saturday morning puzzle and I particularly liked 9d (I shall be singing a Monty Python song all day now). Thanks to setter and for the hints.

          1. Started this today (Sunday) as was out at the March yesterday. Really enjoyed it. 4d a new word for me too and 28a took a while.

  8. Really tough but at least the anagrams let you start. Some really nice misdirection clues. My only problem is that i have never heard of the school before so it was off to Google.
    Thx to all
    ****/***

  9. Struggled a bit in the NE but got there in the end.
    The school was more GK than Cryptic but got it eventually. Last part of 1a and first part of 5d eluded me until nudged by the hints.
    4d my fave today.
    Thanks to BD and setter.

  10. Hmm, a raised eyebrow here and there (equates to RD’s ‘some iffy surfaces’) which resulted in completion at a fast canter – 2.5*/2*.

    Favourite – 9d.

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

  11. I loved this one. It took me ages to get 28a. Not sure why. It made me smile once I’d got it. Thank you setter and BD. Oh dear, now the weather has cheered up, looks as though I might have to go outside and start some weeding.

  12. Managed things at a reasonable canter. Very enjoyable.
    Apologies to admin for the security change to my user name — gone cryptic.

    1. Although it is a good idea to ‘go’ cryptic, we have another commenter who has used the Badger alias for a long time now, so I’m afraid you’ll have to think of a new name

      1. Thanks Sue, I have just caught up with the blog at 5pm Sunday having had lots of chores this weekend… Thought – I don’t remember writing this…had me worried. I too had trouble parsing 13a and then the ‘Doh!’ Moment.
        Very good crossy, some very entertaining clues, liked 7 and 9d particularly. Thanks to all and BD for making sure I got in the last two, 27a and 25d.-just like Merusa!

  13. Joint favourites 28a and 7d. Tricky in places but very solvable. Good fun too.

    Thanks to our Saturday setter and BD.

  14. ***/***. Enjoyable puzzle with some clever clues. 28a was my favourite closely followed by 9d. Thanks all.

  15. Spent inordinate amount of time on 13a. Eventually put in the obvious – but still don’t get the parsing; hate it when that happens… :(

    1. Before commenting, it is always a good idea to read what people have said before you – the comment thread starting at 7 will explain the ‘obvious’

  16. Good crossword with some very nice clues of which 28a was the stand out example.
    Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints.

  17. This was excellent late afternoon entertainment, I liked it on every level.
    Clues like 11a and 7d really appeal to me so they, along with 24a just pip a number of other excellent clues to make it on my podium. Last one in was 4d but once I realised it was an anagram, even though I’d never heard of it, it couldn’t be anything else. 3*/4.5*
    Thanks to BD for the review and congratulations to the setter for a fine puzzle.

  18. Well, wotta treat, from start to finish. I failed on two, 27a and 25d, but I don’t mind, the rest was so much fun. Didn’t know the computer science, I thought that was IT. live and learn.
    I only solved 4d from the anagram, new word for me. I’ve come across the school before, maybe in another puzzle?
    Lots and lots to like, 7d and 9d stood out, but I think fave has got to be the very clever 28a.
    Thanks to our Saturday setter and to BD for his hints, needed today.

  19. Most enjoyable, fun clues and my favourite grid. Favourites 7d & 9d. Nostalgia too – I had an early teens crush who attended 8d some 50 plus years ago! Ahh youth …

  20. Middle word of 7d stumped me for ages, tried all sorts of variants and then finally the penny dropped. Liked 2d and 20a for their simplicity, 28a for being so “refined”.

    Enjoyable solve for a Saturday, thanks to setter and BD.

  21. Pleasant Saturday plod,,, one or two clues which were difficult to put together otherwise moderately good fun. 2*/3*
    Thanks to setter & BD

  22. A good puzzle, about middling difficulty. I’m not convinced that the two-letter abbreviation in 27ac is really a synonym for Computer Science, but perhaps I’m just a little too close to the subject. As I got it after a bit of head scratching perhaps it doesn’t really matter.

  23. I thought this was really good and in retrospect probably not as difficult as I found it at the time.
    When I was actually doing it I found it tricky and blamed tiredness (been looking after grandson), wrong wave length or/and being dim, and other stuff to think about.
    Oh well – whatever, as they say, whoever ‘they’ are!
    A lovely Saturday crossword.
    The middle word of 7d caused grief – wanted to make it something else but I was sure of 18a.
    I’ve never heard of the public school but Mr Google had and husband bailed me out on 27a which meant I could get my last answer which was 25d. :roll:
    Clues that stood out for me were 1 and 23a and 11a (but all spells of cricket go too far for me) and 5d. My favourite was 17d.
    Thanks to our setter today and to BD.

  24. New word for me in 4d, never heard of 8d (had to Google it), struggled over middle word of 7d and failed to spot the lurker in 13a. About the same as most others then. Overall enjoyable, favourite 9d.Thanks to setter and BD.

  25. It started off so well with some Read and Write answers and then I hit the skids half way through. I had a few where I was sure of half the clue but couldn’t quite get the whole word in (1a, 11a, 28a). 7d was the last in; the grouse moor reference had me overthinking it (surely it applies to any shoot, why grouse moor?). Fav was 28a for sheer simplistic beauty and cleverness.

  26. Completed quickly without problems. Nephew was a master at 8d & remembered 4d from sundial pointer. Thoroughly enjoyable, just suited my level of brain power at this time of night!
    Thanks to all.

  27. Weekend in Cornwall. Returned from night out and a few pints of Tribute and completed most of it left with two answers remaining for this morning. They were 4d and 14a. Quite why in relation to the latter I do not know. Could not think of anything to fit for the former until I twigged it was an an anagram. Finished all without help. Same comments as most others but I did know the Public School. 28a has to be an all time favourite. Having realised that 4d was an anagram I should have thought “lurker” when I failed to parse 13a. I went through contortions quite unnecessarily. Did not have too much trouble with the middle word of 7d as once I had 18a it had to be what it was. Thanks setter and BD.

  28. Slow start but got going once a couple of anagrams solved. 9d and 7d favourites. Thanks to setter and BD

  29. Late on parade but have to acknowledge such an amusingly clever collection of clues including 14a, 28a. 7d and 17d. TVM Mysteron (who I wonder?) and BD.

  30. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, but quite tricky in places. Needed the hints for 4&25d. Favourite was 28a, a real penny drop moment. Was 3*/4* for me.

  31. My first time posting despite having referred to the wisdom on prior Saturdays

    I enjoyed this one & living in Scotland 7d in particular stood out

    Thank you

  32. 2*/5*…..
    COD & LOI 28A (light snack — santé);
    very enjoyable crossword I thought.

  33. Just to say thank you for your help with this. I completed the puzzle, scanned it and emailed it off to the Telegraph. Yesterday I got a runners-up prize through the post, with a letter saying I was mentioned in the court and social page of the paper on Monday! Great excitement, and a pick-me-up as I’m in the middle of the most horrendous hay fever/cold/chest infection.

    Thank you again!

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