DT 29138 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29138 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29138 (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

1a    One slaying behemoth finally in land of dragons and scary monsters (6,6)
Someone who slays another followed by the final letter of [behemot]H inside the so-called land of dragons

9a    Personal extension often given a ring that is put through or hangs on (7)
A cryptic definition of a part of the body that can be pierced to hang a ring

13a    Feeling faint, sleep comically interrupts home repairs (5)
The double letter that comically represents sleep inside some home repairs

16a    Henry Marsh welcomes parking beside US city — little money is needed (9)
The three-letter shortened version of Henry (like the future Henry V in Henry IV parts I and II) followed by a three-letter marsh around P(arking) and the two-letter abbreviation for a US city

19a    Reporter’s style cut (5)
Sounds like (reporter’s) a style

21a    Legendary creature in college — something afoot! (7)
the three-letter abbreviation for a college followed by a growth on the foot

24a    Was fashionable tailor’s outer coat finished? (7)
The outer letters of T[ailo]R followed by a word meaning finished

26a    Exercise? Right kind should be easy to follow (4-8)
A three-letter verb meaning to exercise followed by R(ight) and an adjective meaning kind

Down

1d    One promotes growth in the Middle East (7)
A cryptic definition of a communal agricultural settlement in Israel

4d    Like a weed — just put energy in to make it flourish (5)
An adjective meaning uncultivated, like a weed, around E(nergy)

7d    Hack with press making argument from both sides (3,3,6)
A verb meaning to hack followed by a word meaning with and a verb meaning to press

10d    Rail traveller with no ticket who gets in first (6,6)
A cryptic definition of the railway employee at the front of a train

18d    Place stranger finds tortoise? (7)
PL(ace) followed by an adjective meaning stranger

19d    Woman, originally, mariners admire at sea (7)
The initial letter (originally) of M(ariners) followed by an anagram (at sea) of ADMIRE

20d    Wife all over infant with no top or jumper (7)
W(ife) followed by ALL from the clue and an infant missing its initial letter (with no top)

22d    All-time low turnover of desperate man tailed by Inland Revenue (5)
The reversal (turnover) of a “desperate” cartoon character from The Dandy (am I the only one who can’t remember whether characters were in The Beano or The Dandy?) and followed by the abbreviation for the (no longer existing) Inland Revenue

If, like me, you do not enjoy this puzzle, look on the bright side as there is an excellent NTSPP, from Marg, coming up at midday.

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: sigh+sate+feat=size 8 feet

56 comments on “DT 29138 (Hints)”

  1. Nothing too taxing today, which leaves me to get on with all the Saturday chores.

    I liked 1a and 26a. Thanks to BD for the early blog and to the setter for his/her work.

    1. Hi Margaret. Another 0/27 last Saturday – have you cracked it yet?

      Enjoyed this today in ** time.

        1. No – still struggling. Even worse at technical stuff than I am at crosswords!

        1. The trousers that you are wearing are flesh coloured. Either that or you are displaying a very wide pair of Old Speckled Hen underpants!

      3. Hi HJ, it’s funny you should ask that as for a good few weeks now I’ve had a full house and I thought the IT bods at the DT had finally got their act together – that is until last weekend when my score was a big fat nil for both Saturday and Sunday of the previous weekend.

        Today, I’m back to a full house for last Saturday. I’m keen to see what tomorrow brings.

            1. I wouldn’t mind from an ego viewpoint but it would be nice to be reassured that we were at least in the draw!

    2. I had to work at this, finding that most of you, with 15d being last in, and then only from the checkers. I still don’t understand the clue. Thanks to Big Dave for the hints and to the setter.

  2. This was challenging enough to make it interesting (**/***) and rather enjoyable (****). Favourites were 16a and 10d. Thanks to BD for the hints, I wasn’t sure about the second part of 9a. Thanks also to the setter.

  3. I agree with Margaret in that there was nothing too daunting about today’s exercise so steady progress was made working from top to bottom. No outstanding Fav(s) but I did like a couple of littluns – 13 and 19a. Not keen on 9a clue. Thank you Mysteron and BD.

  4. 2*/2*. Nothing here today either to frighten or to excite the horses.
    Thanks to the setter and to ND.

  5. Lots of nice anagrams but too many wordy clues for my taste. Not my favourite.
    Thx for the hints
    ***/**

  6. Yes , a little gem today devious yet delightful.

    Hard to single out one clue but will pick 1A as favourite .

    England to win as batting should be easier due to the fine weather ? Fingers crossed!

    Thanks to everyone.

  7. Today a bit of a write in for this genius. Normally I’d have a half time break for a couple of hours to fix my hair. Not even time for my cup of coffee to reach drinking temp.

    The hint on 9a may not be right I think. The hangs on bit refers to a phone call reference? Just me? Didn’t like the clue anyway

    As you were

    TH

    1. Some of the ring devices can be hung using what I understand is a ‘clip’ as an alternative to piercing.

  8. Have to say that I don’t share our blogger’s dislike of this setter’s puzzles, I find them quite entertaining.
    Podium places this morning went to 1,13,16 & 26a.

    Thanks to our setter and to BD for the Saturday club. Looking forward to Marg’s latest offering.

      1. I can’t remember last Saturday’s crossword – maybe I didn’t get round to doing it . . .

  9. Nice gentle start to the day, which suits me. 26A and 18D tickled my fancy. Thanks BD and today’s setter.

  10. Hmm, I can’t quite get on the same wavelength as this setter. Not overly challenging – completed at a gallop – but also short on enjoyment – **/**.
    No obvious favourites.
    Thanks to the setter and BD.

  11. Nice one to aid the digestion of my breakfast. Couldn’t get my head round 16a so it went as a bung in. After seeing the hint I now get it. 4d last in. Had a sexist moment with 14a as it never occurred that it meant *********** (woops!)

      1. Sorry about that; think before you type is the motto. I will consider my knuckles very firmly rapped! (and rightly so).

  12. Needed a hint or 2 to get me going in the west but rest flowed after. 22d is a recent repeat and I ought to remember my Dandy/Beano characters better. I subscribed/was provided with both as a lad until I found Dad’s Telegraph more interesting.
    Thanks to BD and setter. I shall have a go at Marg after we have been to check on the local blackberry situation.

  13. Probably wasn’t a complete waste of time reading about neuroscience while being misled for a time at 16a… 🤷🏻‍♂️

  14. I liked it, I enjoyed it, and I could do it without any hints. I’m a relative novice but I’m being taught well by BD and his crew this year. So I have no complaints at all.
    Unlike some I really liked 9a – by the sound of it many were misled, which I think makes it a clever clue.
    Thanks to BD and the setter.

  15. Can’t say I liked this one all that much. Took me ages to get into the groove so to speak. I’m still not sure if I have 13a right and I did not like 2d, which seemed to be wanting a plural answer – “restorers” is plural. Of course, I could have the wrong answer. If I were to choose a favourite it would be 10d.

    Many thanks to the setter and BD.

  16. Well I thought this was quite an entertaining puzzle with several smiley clues involved. My own favourite was 16a, but 9a was close behind.
    Thanks to the setter, and to BD for the hints.

  17. I enjoyed this – I suspect it wasn’t too tricky but it did take me a long time to get on the same wavelength as the setter.
    A sensible number of anagrams and enough misdirection to fool me several times – not that that’s very difficult.
    Once I realised that I didn’t need to hunt for the French dictionary to find the word for ‘leap’ 8a was fine.
    I’ve never heard of 7d.
    I liked lots of these clues – 1a and 1 and 10d. I think my favourite was probably 26a, or it might be 1a.
    Thanks to the setter and to BD.
    On to the NTSPP now – too hot to do anything useful either inside or out and off to friends for supper this evening so don’t even have to cook. :smile:

  18. Enjoyable over a little too quickly, had a retune from yesterday & steadily cracked it. Thank goodness nothing too scary as opposed to needing 360 for a win😱
    2*/4*
    Thanks to setter & BD for review & blog

    1. I stopped watching and went into hiding when we lost the first two. Is it safe to emerge yet?

  19. Best one of the week for me. Thoroughly enjoyed it, lots of good clues.

    Thanks to everyone.

  20. Enjoyed this one even though I found it a bit tricky…..different wavelength I suppose.
    Managed without either electronic help or hints which is a big plus for me.

    Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave.

  22. Once I saw the z and the k I started to think this was a pangram and was looking for an x and a q which led me astray as there were a couple of u’s. I am rambling, but I have had two weeks of daily visiting Addenbrookes (daughter, not me or husband) and am punchdrunk. So good to loose myself in the crossword – than you everyone.

  23. I have to say I quite enjoyed this puzzle although I found it rather quirky in places and It took me a while to get on wavelength.

    Thanks to BD and setter 2.5*/3.5*

  24. Hi everyone. I do my Puzzle on the iPad app, but recently entering letters has become a nightmare. It won’t advance to the next letter automatically. If I have just entered an F say, and then click to move to the next squares, it keeps on entering F. Not entirely smooth on the sudoku either. Has anyone else had similar problems and found a solution? I love my Cryptic crossword so this is really changing my quality of life though I realise others have far worse problems to bear. Tricia aka nelletap

    2. This problem occurs when solving online on the Puzzles site – you get part the way through typing in a word and it just stops and you have to click on the next square to enter the letter. Not all the time however which does add to the annoyance factor

      PS Three times in today’s Sunday Cryptic entry process – all vowels for some reason

    3. The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago and I had to remove the app entirely and then reload it. That seemed to do the trick. Good luck, I hope it works because I know how frustrating it is.

    4. I’ve had this in the past – you can “release “ the blockage by clicking the keyboard icon, but it’s only a temporary fix, and a bore to have to remove the keyboard between every letter, as is a longer press.
      I deleted the app and reloaded, which fixed it but it has happened with other apps. I also make sure I clear the cache on a regular basis, just to stay clean and sometimes power down the tablet – I’ve no idea whether any of these methods are any more than a placebo.

      I also notice ( looking below) that my name and pw have disappeared again, despite being present since the latest incarnation of the app. Just random bugs maybe.

  25. So… either my skill level has shot up or, and this is far more likely, this week’s was a little gentler on the brain. Once I got 13a, like Daisygirl above, I thought I knew what we were facing – foiled again!

    Very pleasant for a Bank Holiday weekend – 16a one of my favourites

    R.

  26. Enjoyed this. Liked 16a. Last one in 14a which I thought pretty clever. Thanks BD and setter

  27. At first look I thought this one could be a stinker – but once I’d cracked 1a and got on to the setter’s wavelength I found it a pleasantly stretching challenge. I loved the setter’s use of our wonderful language in the answers as much as in the clues, e.g. 11a and 3d. No technical hitches – I’m still using quill pen and parchment 😉. Thanks to all!

  28. I have to say I couldn’t get onto the wavelength -just like last week. I had to get some hints from dear old BD to get me going and how much easier when you have some letters to work with.
    With this weather and apples to peel and blackberries to pick -what a year for these!
    Had to wait till mid light to finish off. Well done BD and thanks!

  29. 3*/4*….amusingly quirky, I found….
    liked 10D “rail traveller with no ticket who gets in first (6,6)” , amongst others.

  30. Got there in the end! Really enjoyed it but clues seem more cryptic than usual? I can start on this weeks now!

Comments are closed.