Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29036 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
Hosted by crypticsue
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Big Dave’s at the monthly village market and Tilsit has major broadband problems not of his own making – unless of course he was the one who set the ‘box over the road’ on fire. So the fifth cavalry has hurriedly bashed out a few hints. I’m sure people will ask for more assistance, but have a good look at the clues and you may find them more straightforward than you thought on first reading
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 Party’s rejected a constituent for boozy tipples (4)
Reverse (rejected) another way of saying party’s and then add A (from the clue)
9a Did butterfly perhaps bring about gaping mouths? (4)
Reverse (bring about) what the BRB refers to as mouths of voracious animals and the connection to butterfly will become clear
14a Review after seeing ‘Devil and Saint’ show (11)
Another word for review goes after a devil and an abbreviated saint
18a Choose twisted or clever end with a shock? (11)
A synonym for choose, a reversal (twisted) of OR (from the clue) and another word for clever
23a Common uniform, wearing stockings in see-through construction (10)
A piece of land (common) and some stockings into which is inserted (wearing) the letter represented by uniform in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
26a Something often in wood that bears nosh (4)
A wooden article that carries nosh
Down
1d Shelves in which American lifted forks out (8)
A verb meaning shelves is obtained by putting the abbreviation for American into a more formal way of saying ‘forks out’
8d Say Trotter’s around, one could go downhill fast (6)
A reversal of an abbreviated way of saying ‘say’ followed by the name by which a certain Mr Trotter is commonly known
12d Facility being new in bay, northern relative’s trapped inside (11)
Insert the abbreviation for new into a bay and then insert (trapped) the abbreviation for northern into a relative
19d Terrible automatic reaction after picking up newspaper (6)
Insert (picking up) an informal term for a newspaper into an automatic bodily reaction
20d What’s coming up on and off from one exec rocks TV (6)
The solution can be found reversed (coming up) in alternate letters (on and off) in the three words before the definition
22d Writer’s accepted as essential (5)
AS (from the clue inserted into (accepted) a brand name for a particular ‘writer’
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The Quick Crossword pun: seep+lane=seaplane
A classic .
Biggest problem was 8D was it ****** or ****** then realisation dawned .
Lots of favourites.
Thanks CS and congratulations to the Setter
A tricky little devil for a Saturday morning. A fair amount of misdirection, or possibly just me missing the point on the first read-through, but a very enjoyable challenge and rewarding to complete. 26a was my final entry, with 9a my favourite once the coin had hit the floor.
Many thanks to our setter for a fine puzzle and to CS for filling the blogger’s chair.
As you say C Sue, this was much easier than on the first glance. Really enjoyed it but needed your help for the final three. Thanks as always to you and the setter. A good puzzle for a wet and windy morning.
For me this was an unsatisfactory solve due to too many unparsed solutions. SW corner was the most 6d. Needed help with 15d but it then became Fav. Thank you Mysteron and the CS TA brigade.
I too thought, upon first pass, that this was going to be a stinker (after yesterday’s humourless slog) with lots of over-wordy clues. But as I got stuck in it quickly revealed itself to be a nice puzzle. Some cracking clues: particularly liked 11a, 15d, 19d and 26a.
LOI = 20d
Many thanks to the setter (is this same setter we’ve had for the last few Saturday’s?) and to CS for the short-notice hints.
I think he was here a fortnight ago
There were some difficult clues here and, although I speeded up as I went along it was a *** for difficulty. Ienjoyed the challeng and gave this **** for enjoyment. Among si many clever clues it is hard to pick a favourite but I enjoyed 9a, 15a and 26a. Thanks to CS for stepping into the breach to do the blog and to the setter.
A bit of a sleepless night meant I had an early start at the website version. Like Angelov all except the SW went in easier than first sight but 19d and 21a had plausible alternatives that buffered things up somewhat. Thanks to CS and setter.
Is the writer in 22d a brand or as universally acceptable as it seems? I needed help with12d but liked it the most when I understood it.
I too wondered about the 22d writer but guess it has become nearly as universally acceptable as hoover.
Were it not a Saturday, I’d add to this discussion – I’ll have to put a knot in my hanky for Friday morning
Only problem was of my own making – initially entering 9a the wrong way round. Penny dropped when I couldn’t come up with answers for 1&2d.
Don’t think I’ve ever possessed ‘one in wood’!
Thanks to our setter and to CS for stepping into the breach.
I still use my granny’s 26a – it has lasted a lot longer than more modern ones
I did the same thing with 9a until I got 1d, after a tough struggle.
2.5*/3.5*. Another late start for me today as, for the second day running, my newspaper was several hours late.
It turns out that our delivery boy is unwell and his mother, who has been standing in for him, has been putting our paper in the letterbox of our neighbour who is away.
After a slowish start I warmed to this and it all came together nicely in the end with 9a my last one in and favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS.
Well that was fun, a bit tricky in places but with hindsight I was overthinking several of the clues. 15d made me laugh out loud, when I realised the significance of “so,” which is a word with which many young people pointlessly start their sentences nowadays, (anyone else notice that?) hence I’d overlooked it completely.
So, many thanks to Csue and to the setter. 😁
Not just young people. Try listening to virtually any radio interview and you will get the same thing at the beginning of each response.
Politicians, mostly.
What a lovely treat to “see you” on a Saturday CS. Nice selection of pics. My only struggle was with1a. I had the right “party” written down, but had forgotten to reject it. I forgot to reject something a few weeks ago too, so I must commit it to memory. No doubt my brain will reject it. Many thanks setter and CS.
Got it done but needed the hints to understand 9a and 20d. Thanks Sue
This was reasonably plain sailing for me, except for 9a which totally flummoxed me for quite a while, another word to try and remember – 3.5/3.5*.
Candidates for favourite – 14a, 6d, 12d, and 15d – and the winner is 6d.
Thanks to the setter and CS.
Dear me that was tough. Not sure if 20d is very clever or simply hideous.
A Dentist puzzle, you know you should do it but you know its going to hurt!
Thx for the hint for 20d which explained the complex wordplay.
*****/**
Nice way to put this offering Brian. Trouble was at noon it was too early for any alcoholic aneasthetic to ease the pain.
Even with the answer I don’t see how 26a is cryptic. From the clue 9a could be either way round for me. Of course I had it the wrong way round for ages.
Thanks to CS for hints and setter.
For 26a, I saw ursine creatures eating in a forest. I thought it was a splendid bit of misdirection.
The sun is over the yardarm at 11.00 a.m. so surely you would have been in the clear for at least a tot of rum or something similar at midday! 🥃🍷🍺?
True but a car journey was scheduled precluded alcoholic intake but thanks for the thought.
Time for one now methinks.
That was fun – a few tricky bits here and there.
As soon as I see ‘shock’ in a clue I automatically think ‘hairdo’ of some kind – how well trained we’ve all become!
When I first read the 26a clue I thought of the right answer but, like LROK, didn’t see what was cryptic about it so dismissed it.
Having never watched the relevant programme the ‘Trotter’ always catches me out.
I missed the anagram in 16d which was just plain dim and took ages to see why my 20d was right.
My last answer was 9a – that kind of butterfly always fools me too.
I particularly liked 9a (eventually) and 15 and 19d.
Too windy to do anything useful outside so about to have a look at the NTSPP – I don’t usually do well with Radler’s creations . . .
Oh dear – manners seem to have gone AWOL – thanks to the setter and to CS for standing in at short notice.
Funny how many found 9a so difficult, it was my first in but had it the wrong way round and it held me up for ages.
My problem was that an empty mouth was a ****. I was going to complain that it wasn’t the same thing at all. That did hold me up.
My first reaction was oh no!, but I soon got going and loved it, tricky as it was.
It took ages to remember the writer and the Trotter, both peculiar to Britspeak, but they’ve both appeared often enough that that is no excuse.
I found so much to like, I’m not sure I can choose a fave.
Thanks to our Saturday setter, and huge thanks to C’Sue for stepping in on short notice and the fun hints and tips.
***/***. This was definitely a wavelength puzzle. Once I got into it the answers became obvious but it took me a while to get there. Of several clues 23a won by a nose. Thanks to the setter and CS for the hints.
Well that was a real tester for a Saturday afternoon and had me struggling from the word go.
3*/3.5*
But it was very cleverly put together to wake Saturday afternoon dozers!
Many thanks to setter & to CrypticSue for review & welcome hints .
In the help for 9ac what does BRB stand for?
Frequently Asked Question No12 will tell you that we refer to Chambers Dictionary as the BRB because it is a Big Red Book
Why not call it Chabers then?
Because that is not it’s name Daid
Sorry about the typo!
Oi, MP! Leave the satre to me.
Never quite saw either of you as Existentialists
Thanks to the setter and to crypticSue for the hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, that I found very tricky. Needed the hints for 1,14,23a&20d. Still couldn’t get the synonym for common in 23a, and despite looking at the picture, still had to use electronic help. Can’t parse 5d, so not sure if I’ve got it right. I liked 15d,but my favourite was 9a, although I think it could be both ways round, luckily I picked the right way around. I thought 26a was bizarre. Was 4*/3* for me.
A challenging but very enjoyable puzzle. Like others, It took a while for the penny to drop with 9a. Some excellent clues, but my favourite was 23a. Many thanks to all.
That was a lovely crossword, especially for a Saturday! As usual it took me a while to get underway but thereafter everything seemed to get easier.
9a was my favourite (and last entry)
Thanks to the setter, and to CS for standing in with the hints.
A fun puzzle that was tricky to get into, but fell gracefully after a little progress. Which is as it should be, especially on a Saturday. I remain unsure about the parsing for 4d so look forward to the full blog.
Providing of course you have the correct solution for 4d, try splitting it 1,4 and then read the clue again
Ah yes, thanks!
So (only joking) its one of my current pet hates, along with for free, different to and a host of others too numerous to list. Any road up I didn’t start this until after I got back with my Saturday evening treat, fish and chips, lovely. Difficult but made steady progress. I can’t remember the last time I saw a 26a made of wood and I thought the hood in 13a was a bit iffy. Many thanks to the setter and CS for hosting the blog. Must dash as the news and MOTD are imminent.
A fun prize puzzle indeed. 26 across fooled me completely, but I did like 16 and 20 down, as well as 18 and 23 across. Grey matter was well on the wane by the time I finished this, having interspersed one or two solving sessions with grand-parenting activities. I think I’ll leave tomorrow’s cryptic for until after the grand-children and grand-dog have been returned safely home. Thanks to today’s setter and CS also.
I’m a bit out of practise ,and I found it quite hard .
Finished in the end with a bit of help from this site .
18a is my favourite .
Thanks to all concerned .
Nice not to be last to comment today. Oops.
please advise to what BRB is a reference
Welcome to the blog Nick
Below the post it says “Could new readers please read the Welcome post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.”. The answer to your question is in the FAQ.
Reading the earlier comments also helps – see No 19 above
Sue, Well done for bravely standing in! However despite having gone through my ‘decoder’ I still can’t get the last two letters of 9a to complete!
I must be thick or something..
Generally there were a few ‘unusual’ clues and it was a bit tricky I thought.
2d and 18a were favs but needed few others in to get there.
Thanks to setter also.
If you have the right word for ‘gaping mouths’ then it’s a simple reversal to get the required answer.
Sorry Jane and Sue -still didn’t get it!,,
Look up butterfly in the dictionary
Got it at last !
I was xxxxxxx in self doubt….
Nothing to do with Today’s Crossword … but I was more than impressed when Dada compiled a crossword when running the London Marathon a few years ago. Amazing!
This was meant to be a comment on the Sunday Puzzle … but I did say “Nothing to do with Today’s Crossword”.
3*/3*….
liked 8D (say Trotter’s around, one could go downhill fast).