ST 3022 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 3022 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3022 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where we had our mini-heatwave at the beginning of the week with 30 degree temperatures plus another 6 or 7 degrees for the effect of humidity!  Then we have ended the week with a stormy Friday and a very ‘soggy’ Saturday with very soaked fields, flooded streets, and flooded basements.

The benevolence that we enjoyed last week did not last very long, Dada is definitely quirky today, I hope Brian took his BRB to Tenerife because he is going to need it – six anagrams, one lurker, but no homophones.

Candidates for favourite – 23a, 24a, and 7d.

Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in red at the bottom of the hints!

As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues 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 Hideous thing in story, most crude (11)
An anagram (crude) of IN STORY MOST.

11a Old chronicler has stuff to write about, old sport (5,4)
A synonym of stuff reversed (to write about), the single letter for old, and a sport (played on horse back).

12a Egyptian queen jogging in, fitter having run around Egypt’s capital (9)
An anagram (jogging) of IN, FITTER containing (having run around) the initial (capital) letter of Egypt.

16a Hybrid of rodent and ox, very close! (4,4)
Another anagram (hybrid) of RODENT and OX.

23a Group of nine fishermen made redundant then? (5)
If fishermen were in the situation described when the answer is written (2,3) they could be made redundant.

24a Tongue out, eat! (6,3)
A tongue (as in language) used in a European country followed by a synonym of out.

27a Might they take part in musical, to sing? (5)
The lurker (might they take part in) found in the rest of the clue.

28a Second-rate, I gathered, lack of respect on church property (11)
An anagram (gathered) of SECOND RATE, I.

Down

2d Both cricket sides constantly interrupted (2-3)
The two sides of the wicket separated by a hyphen.

5d Fish, ridiculous in a dress! (8)
An anagram (ridiculous) of IN A DRESS.

7d Ridiculous concern for devilry (5,8)
Synonyms of ridiculous and concern.

9d Bad job: bone to chew on, perhaps? (4,9)
The chewer of a bone may have one for one of its meals.

15d Four neighbouring characters, one entering wood — dark entertainment (4,4)
Take a three letter type of wood (or tree) and insert (entering) four consecutive (neighbouring) letters from the alphabet and the single letter used for one (and the answer is in the BRB).

17d Turn off course over Channel for bomber, for example? (8)
A single word for turn off course (yes, it’s in the BRB) and a synonym of channel.

21d Parvenu happy before initiation (7)
A two letter word for happy placed before a synonym of initiation.

25d Unfashionable affair, better (5)
Synonyms of unfashionable and affair.


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Canadian singer, songwriter, poet, and novelist, Leonard Cohen, was born on September 21, 1934, this from a concert in London in July 2008:


 

52 comments on “ST 3022 (Hints)

  1. Fast start , steady finish today with 9D my COTD.
    Summer finally over it seems as into the rainy season .
    Thanks to everyone .

  2. A nicely challenging crossword for an unaccustomedly damp Sunday morning (**/*** for difficulty and *** for enjoyment). There were a lot of anagrams but I don’t mind them. Some people may feel differently. Favourites were 24a, 7d and 15d. As usual, thanks for your help with a bit of parsing for one clue, Senf. Thanks to Dada.

  3. Had to look up the word for “turn off course”, but apart from that pretty straightforward today. My last one in was 9d and I loved the penny drop moment.

    Many thanks to Senf and Dada.

  4. Lovely puzzle finished quite quickly for a Sunday.
    28a caused the most trouble I didn’t expect another anagram and couldn’t see the fodder mainly because I made a 9d of the ending,
    Favourite was 15d when I saw the neighbours.
    Just love the Leonard Cohen clip too I read on some feed somewhere his son is working on some posthumous material to be released soon.
    Thanks to Senf and Dada.
    Off to watch the Mixed team time trial now, hope the weather clears up those corners will be very slippery at speed.

  5. Finished in a standard *** time for a Sunday. Where I come from, the ‘bad job’ was always later in the day and only 6 letters. (How much later in the day is another discussion altogether).

    I’m giving COTD to 8d.

    Many thanks to Senf and Dada.

  6. Great. Really enjoyed this cross section of satisfyingly testing clue types leading to several ‘of course’ instances. Joint Favs were 23a and 7d for their amusement value. Thank you Dada and Senf. Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah always a joy to listen to. Now come on England in Japan.

  7. Motored quite happily through most of this but slowed down when it came to justifying 19d and to gathering 28a. Like our blogger, I checked the first part of 17d in the BRB – sheds a whole new light on the voyages of the Starship Enterprise!

    No particular favourite but definitely smiled at 24a plus 7&9d.

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the Sunday blog. In light of John Bee’s comments, I shall refrain from giving my opinion of Mr Cohen!

    1. No need to be shy. If you don’t like him feel free. I probably won’t see it as stuck on a bus in a downpour.

    2. In light of yesterday’s discussion re 6d (if you can’t justify it, it’s probably wrong), I believe my 19d must be wrong, but have done the thesaurus thingy and I can’t think of an alternative.

      1. Have a look at the comment thread @15 below but take more notice of what Gazza says rather than what Jane says ;)

        1. OK – no need to rub it in, CS, I have apologised :sad:
          At least I gave it a shot – and I do get it right sometimes. A bit like life, really!

  8. A wonderful puzzle for a lazy Sunday with 1a going in immediately, which always gives hope and inspiration. 9d was a delight although I did not get it without the hint. Not a problem – that’s what they are there for.

    My COTD were 24a and 17d.

    Afraid I do not like Cohen – too morbid for me.

    Thank you to all concerned.

  9. I thought this was Dada being a little less benign than of late. Some really excellent clues; 24a and 9d spring to mind. A thoughtful and enjoyable puzzle. Like Jane I spent too long on 19d at the end of the crossword.

    Many thanks to Dada for the challenge and to Senf.

  10. Enjoyed this a lot, and not too much trouble. Another zero score for last Sunday though, after full marks on Saturday, as I reported yesterday. No logical explanation, just frustration!
    */****

    1. Oh dear HJ that is frustrating and things were going so well. I was ok again today with a full house for last week, but my aged iPad is about to be pensioned off as I’ve ordered a new one and I’m worried that I’ll go back to problems – we’ll see

  11. I always knew 9d to be at a different time of day, am I the only one? But a nice crossword and at last it has started to rain here in very dry Cambridge. Thanks all round.

  12. A real slow plod for this genius today. 10a and 17d are useful reminders of your obsession with the wars you won 😂 I don’t associate 24a with eating but maybe that’s just your limey wit. Liked 13a as the answer means both vile and a number which I would not expect many to understand, except maybe your Boris, who is a great guy by the way.
    See you in the twittersphere

    As you were

    TH

    1. Really enjoy your comments on here – more than I can say for some of those that come out of your owner’s mouth!

      1. I am the greatest deal maker ever. I know more about deals than anyone who’s ever done a deal.
        Your English Brexit will go just great if you listen to me.
        Enjoy the chicken suckers

        As you were

        TH

  13. The upper half went in quickly but thereafter I found things a bit trickier. A nice challenge with 7d being my favourite.
    Thanks to Dada, and to Senf for the hints.

  14. Another absolute stunner for me… quirky, well perhaps I don’t wish to admit it! These clues were right up my street, well constructed, and solvable with a bit of wavelength correction… marvellous.
    2.5*/4.5* favs 24ac & 7d, with 26ac explains a lot perhaps 🤣😜
    Many thanks to Dada for the workout & Senf for the review.

  15. I found this very straightforward. So much so that I thought it wasn’t Dada.
    However, I could not finish it and I am stuck on 19d and 20a if anyone can help, within the rules of course!
    Thanks to Senf for the hints even though I didn’t need them and dada

    1. Hi Toni,

      19d fooled me for a while as well. Read the clue again and imagine there being a comma after the third word.
      20a – consult the BRB for definitions of ‘ready’ given after those for ‘read’.

      1. Agree – “ready” is not immediately obvious because it is usually spoken differently. Even the BRB does not give the definition.

      2. For 19d I’d put the imaginary comma after the second word with the first two words as the definition.

        1. Quite right AGAIN Gazza – so pleased that I have the knight in shining armour to step in to correct my errors. Any chance I could tempt you to relocate to an island retreat?!!

        2. THUNK – that was the sound of the penny dropping! Blimey, that took me long enough, and now it’s so obvious!

  16. Last one in 17d. I do not agree with the BRB on the use of this word to mean Turn Off Course. But then who am I? Loved this crossword thanks for the hints which I needed, having filled in 28a without clocking the anagram. Lots of other great clues. **/****

  17. Needed the help to understand 19d – thanks for that. Still struggling with 14a which seems odd given nobody else commented it. Maybe I’m on the wrong track completely.

    1. 14a is a double definition clue – just look at it carefully in conjunction with the letters you already have from the Down solutions

    2. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

      Sorry Toni but as BD used to say when you use ‘think of’ you are definitely giving too much away for a weekend crossword

  18. Lovely puzzle with a few head scratching moments. Favourites were 8&9d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  19. All the left hand side across clues went in as if it was a kiddies puzzle, even experienced a frisson of disappointment that it would be over too soon – and then…… I hit the rest of it, virtually ground to a halt but then really loved the remaining solve. Many thanks to Dada and to Senf whose hint gave me the final leg up for the first word of 15d which had maxed out what is left of what I laughingly call my brain. Overall, ***/****.

    Also liked your comment about Brian, Senf. I always look forward to what he has to say which on occasion reflects very much my thoughts and always strikes me as a nugget of raw truth. Keep it up Brian, enjoy Tenerife.

  20. I didn’t have too much trouble today – don’t know why but it just seemed to go OK – I enjoyed it.
    My blind spot used to be lurkers but seem to have swapped that for missing anagrams – 1 and 28a today.
    It took me ages to remember Dorothy’s companion – it was the younger Lamb’s favourite film when she was little.
    I liked 24a and 7 and 15d. My favourite was 5d because the thought of fish in dresses made me laugh.
    Thanks to Dada and to Senf.

  21. Well, wasn’t that just a super treat! I had to struggle over a few, I missed the anagram at 28a and the neighbouring characters at 15d, I felt they had to be right but failed to unravel them. Then 19d, how thick can a brain be.
    There were so many “faves” but as Kath is here today I’ll restrain myself. I’ll just go for 9d, followed by 24a and 7d.
    Thanks to Dada for the fun, I’m quite a fan now. Thanks Senf for unravelling some as I was going 26a unable to justify them.

    1. Call me a pedant if you like but 10/10 and :smile: to you. I can’t be doing with this multiple ‘favourites’ malarkey!

      1. Kath, can’t understand why you are so against joint Favs, a situation which often occurs in races/competitions! 🙂.

  22. Like Blackbaron above, I sailed through the left hand side. Then I came to a shuddering halt. Needed lots of help from Senf (thank you) which made me realise that it really wasn’t that hard and that I was making a 9d of it.
    Favourites were 15d and 8d.
    I was just about to ask for help in parsing 19a but have just had a head-slapping moment.

  23. Doing Sunday’s a day late because today’s edition won’t download. Plain sailing until 20a. Took us ages to click! Oh well… Favorite 23a.

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