DT 29054 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29054 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29054 (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.  My choice may or may not include those that you find difficult – if it doesn’t then feel free to ask (but read the text in red below first).

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    Pounding beat from loudspeaker system giving offence electronically (10)
A verb meaning pounding the beat, as a policeman does used to do, is derived from a two-letter loudspeaker system followed by a verb meaning giving offence electronically / online

10a    Reckon car damaged kind of rail (9)
An anagram (damaged) of RECKON CAR gives a bird of the rail family

14a    Make slow progress over a note at an early stage (8)
A four-letter verb meaning to make slow progress is followed by O(ver), the A from the clue and a musical note of the scale in sol-fa notation

15a    Six-footer belonging to religious group (6)
When this six-footed creature is split (2,4) it could mean belonging to a religious group

19a    One tries to make contract, more expensive collecting 100 pounds (8)
This term for the player who is trying to make a contract in bridge is derived from an adjective meaning more expensive around (collecting) the Roman numeral for 100 and the Latin abbreviation for pound sterling

24a    A failure to hold club right, something few golfers achieve (9)
The A from the clue and a failure around a type of club and R(ight) gives an exceptional score on a single hole of golf

26a    Rogue that may be Cuban (4)
This part of a shoe could be Cuban!

27a    Accident producing return of scarlet fever? (10)
The reversal of a three-letter colour, of which scarlet is an example is followed by a condition, of which fever is an example (both indicated by the question mark)

Down

1d    Exercises to such an extent to be ready for Mexican (4)
Some Physical Exercises followed by a two-letter word meaning to such an extent – ready, as in ready cash, being a currency

4d    Doctor to assess wound (8)
A four-letter verb meaning to doctor, for example, a drink followed by a verb meaning to assess

7d    Bugs found under tea cup used in company with host (7)
Some bugs follow (under in a down clue) a a colloquial word for tea – an example of avoiding the surface reading of a clue by splitting tea from cup

8d    Three consecutive characters spelt out attempt to accept American in his kind of school (10)
Spell out Three consecutive characters of the alphabet and follow them with an attempt around A(merican) gives a kind of school that has been obsolete in the UK since 1944, but is still current in America

13d    Fifty-one people initially depicted in forged Hogarth print (10)
The Roman numerals fifty-one followed by the initial letter of P[eople] inside an anagram (forged) of HOGARTH

16d    Exotic breaks in North American state (8)
An anagram (exotic) of BREAKS inside the abbreviations for N(orth) and A(merican) gives a US state

20d    Opera served up in Irish TV company’s broadcast (7)
The reversal (served up in a down clue) of a famous Verdi opera inside the abbreviation for an Irish TV company

23d    Latest of models in fashion photograph (4)
The final letter (latest) of [model]S followed by an adjective meaning in fashion

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: wife+runts=Y-fronts


34 comments on “DT 29054 (Hints)

  1. Short but sweet so no excuse not to continue yesterday’s gardening task. Yet another type of short word in 9a. My Fav for its surface was 22d. Thank you Mysteron and BD.

  2. It was a slow start and I had to work my way round clockwise and back to the tricky NW corner, finally finishing in** time with *** for enjoyment. Thank you to BD for assistance in parsing 4d and 8d. Thanks to the setter, I particularly liked 10a, 14a and 7d.

  3. 3*/4*. I thought this was a nicely challenging, well constructed and very enjoyable puzzle.

    Fighting it out for podium positions were 21a, 27a, 4d & 22d.

    Many thanks to Mr Ron and BD.

  4. A pleasant start to a Saturday morning but, echoing Agellov’s comment, it was over too quickly. At first, I thought I’d detected a theme – that the setter was a birdwatcher – but three like answers doesn’t really qualify as a ‘theme’.

  5. Just right for a Saturday and much enjoyed here.
    20d was the last to fall as I can never remember the Irish TV company.

    Podium places went to 21a plus 4&22d.

    Thanks to our setter and to BD for hosting the club.

  6. Early and rather quick solve but very enjoyable.
    Only spent a bit of time on the bird in 10a but Google told me that it wasn’t an Irish haulage company.
    Thanks to the setter and to BD for the club.
    Enjoy the Saturday market.

  7. Fantastic , so many excellent clues to admire that picking a favourite is impossible .
    Many thanks to the Setter & BD .

  8. Pleasantly challenging this morning with some excellent clues. My particular favourite was 24a. An enjoyable and rewarding challenge, so thanks very much to our Saturday setter and BD.

  9. Just about perfect for a Saturday prize puzzle, completed at a gallop – **/****.

    Candidates for favourite – 1a, 14a, 24a, 20d – and the winner has to be the Oldie but Goodie 14a!

    Thanks to the setter and BD.

  10. Reasonably straightforward. You need to be a very patient or lucky twitcher to see a 10a so drawing thereof appropriate. 16d my fave today (brooooooce) 14a LOI and required trip to BRB to confirm it meant what I thought.
    Thanks to setter and BD.

    1. A few years ago, I spent a couple of chilly hours in the company of some other birders gazing down on a field at South Stack in the hope of spotting a reported 10a. We did eventually hear it calling but it kept well out of sight.
      Such is life!

      1. Sorry just remembered that birders don’t like to be called twitchers. Even hearing one gets kudos amongst my birder friends.

    2. Was going to reference 16d but as I mentioned the great man yesterday I thought I’d better not!

  11. I also had to check out 14a but other than that reasonably straightforward. 7d was my favourite and also 24a. Thanks to all.

  12. **/***. Very enjoyable solve with 6a, 8&22d my favourites with 8d getting the podium place. Thanks to the setter and BD for the hints.

  13. Very enjoyable workout and like Jane I needed Big Dave to help me with The Irish TV company. The bells have just started to ring so I must nip down the drive and have a look at the bride!

    1. Bride?

      Aah – there is a Royal wedding today.
      You ARE the Queen, you are at Windsor Castle and I claim my £5…….

      1. Interestingly it is an all Swedish wedding in our church today- our vicar has had to get her tongue round the whole service! I live opposite the church so often pop out to have a shufti.

  14. After last Saturday’s prolonged rumination, this proved to be much more straightforward. I rather enjoyed 14 and 24ac but there was much to commend. Thanks to all.

  15. Thanks BD – I enjoyed this one and was about to do the electronic thing for my last one in -17a- then it just came into my head but not sure why – is “picked up” meant to be a homophone indicator as in ‘heard’?

    BTW, courtesy of my rather sad footwear obsession the relevant part in the 26 pic is a stacked one on a short riding boot rather than the Cuban variety which would be seen in a Flamenco context and which tapers inward. As worn by the Beatles after Brian E got hold of them.

    1. Much worn by our Queen also! She’s amazing, I stopped wearing 26a ages ago – nearly committed a faux pas there.

  16. Lovely puzzle, perfect for Saturday. Lots of great clues, 1a and 10a tied for favourite, also 15d for its cleverly misleading surface.
    Is it my imagination, or are setters starting to include allusions to 21st century life? Very welcome if so. Not saying any more, as I’m still sulking from being redacted last Saturday 😂😂
    Thanks all round.

  17. A really pleasant challenge that fell into place all too quickly, solved whilst watching Mayfly hatching in warm Hampshire sunshine,,,, Nirvana.
    Favs were 14ac & 20d.
    2*-4* for me today.
    Grateful thanks to setter & BD for review.

  18. I found it a bit tricky but very enjoyable.
    Thanks bluebird for explaining “picked up” in 17a.
    I needed electronic help for 14a, one of those silly words that has a negative but no positive – can’t say more or I’ll be in trouble, or maybe I’m already there.
    I liked a lot, hard to choose a fave, maybe 24a, one of my first in, or 25a, passed it many times on the train in Wales.
    Thanks to our Saturday setter, to BD for hints and tips, and to Senf for so kindly sending it to me.

  19. I thought this was good and I enjoyed it more when looking at it after I’d finished it than while I was doing it – don’t know why.
    I got stuck a few times mainly because if a clue was meant to be misleading I was misled – when my Mum was little she always thought that was pronounced ‘my’ at the beginning which makes it sound so much more misleading.
    Always forget the 4d doctor – when will I remember? Probably never!
    I’m a little bit surprised that no-one has quibbled about the 17a homophone.
    Good clues, in my opinion anyway for what it’s worth, include 21 and 24a and 22d. My favourite because it’s such an apt anagram was 3d.
    With thanks to the setter and to BD.

  20. Nice crossword! 1a was my out and out favourite in this well constructed puzzle.
    Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints.

  21. Late start for me due to work commitments. Felt strange doing it in the evening instead of mid morning while sipping Bud rather than coffee but a pleasent enough solve though quite tricky in places. My podium places go to 18d, which took me a little while to see, the subtly indicated17a and the excellent 4d.
    Hint of the day goes to 1a, the deliberate mistake did produce a wry smile.

    Many thanks to the setter and to BD.

  22. I agree tricky buy enjoyable, needing Big Dave’s hints to keep me moving through. Not familiar with the bridge or golf terms, nor the 10a bird. But otherwise very doable. Most of the 80 boxes now unpacked and sorted, so looking forward to having a bit more time for crossword pondering.

  23. I didnt find anything difficult, however i am sure we have seen a lot of those clues in previous puzzle could it have been cobbled together from past issues? Just thinking aloud

  24. There wasn’t time for me to open at my Telegraph yesterday, so the crossword puzzle was held over and it made for a very pleasant start to my Sunday morning before today’s papers arrive. Good clear clues and nothing too difficult to work out. Now for breakfast. Thanks to setter and BD.

  25. Well it is a bit off putting when most of the tweets are telling me how easy they found it……
    I did find some tricky and thanks BD I needed a couple of prompts to complete.
    I even had a different word for 24a as all the ‘downs’ had identical letters, and it sort of fitted! I also had the wrong rail in 10a – no wonder l couldn’t work it out,
    Must try harder. Got there in the end, so shouldn’t complain!

Comments are closed.