DT 29192 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29192 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29192 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
Hosted by Tilsit

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Morning all

This blog comes to you courtesy of TransPennine Express as we hurtle over to the Elgar Birthday Bash in York, where many of the great and good (and a few not-so-good!) will be meeting to celebrate the birthday of the Tormentor known as Elgar, Nimrod and Enigmatist, or John to his friends.  Incidentally, if you are a masochist for his puzzles, he is on duty today in the i Paper on the IQ slot, following yesterday’s mayhem in the Toughie.

I found today’s back-pager straightforward with a few little traps. I was a bit bothered that the definition at 25ac might have been a misprint, but thanks to a little bird, I am wiser.  My defence m’lud is no Chambers on this train….

And now slightly delayed, as someone helpfully lifting my walking aid off the train managed to drop my laptop bag onto the track here is the blog for today…..

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 Wild cat is stalking cobra, writhing and tumbling (10)
Rearrange CAT IS after an anagram of COBRA to give something describing gymnastic tumbling.

9a Motorway with illuminations, westbound excellent for emergency service? (7)
Take the abbreviation for a motorway and add a word referring to being illuminated, then reverse (westwards) an abbreviation for excellent. This gives you the name given to an emergency force seen abroad.

12a Rash of surplus plastic noticed around northern France (4-9)
An expression meaning rash is revealed by taking a word for surplus, and then rearranging NOTICED around the abbreviations for northern and France.

15a And what have you from Rome? (2,6)
A cryptic way of saying ‘and what have you’ in Latin!

19a Weep as son rejected the wine in Provence (6)
After the abbreviation for son, take how you say ‘the wine’ across the Channel’ but reversed to give you a word meaning to cry.

#

24a Quintet sit rabbiting about incorporating singer? (7)
A reverse hidden answer.

25a Best essence of citrus, small amount (7)
I’d forgotten this definition. Take the middle two letters (essence) of citrus and add a small amount in weight to get a word meaning to outdo, or beat.

27a British disarmed revolts, including one person holding up train (10)
After an abbreviation for British goes an anagram (revolts) of DISARMED with the symbol for one inserted, to give you someone who may carry a train.

Down

1d Handy to be associated with this force? (4)
Think a little bit off the wall with this. A word that refers to a force (of people) is sort of where you’d find your hand-y! I am reminded of the old joke: Where did you find Napoleon’s armies? Up his sleevies!!

4d Dream to be 25 with a piercing, instead of old and posh (6)
Take the answer to 25 and swap the abbreviations for old and posh for ‘A’ to give the answer here.

5d Cases found in taxi this person catches (8)
A word for a taxi is followed by how the setter may style themselves and something meaning catches reveals a word meaning cases.

11d NY-based organisation shortly becoming French one? (6,7)
A name for an organisation has its home in the Big Apple has an abbreviation that is the French for one.

18d Top of singles 100 chart, composed score (7)
Take the first letter of singles, add the Roman numeral for 100 and an angram (composed) of chart.

20d Home extension also gripped by unruly rave (7)
A word meaning also is surrounded by an anagram of rave to give part of many homes.

23d Daughter supports that woman’s family of 16? (4)
The name for a group of the answer to 16 is found by taking a word for that woman and the abbreviation for daughter.

The Crossword Club is now open.


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The Quick Crossword pun: beech+buoys=Beach Boys


62 comments on “DT 29192 (Hints)

  1. Thanks Tilsit, I though this was a superb puzzle, almost Dada like in its cleverness.
    As a non-rugby fan, I though the game this morning was fantastic.
    A couple of parsings to check.
    Thanks to Mr. Ron

  2. I am sure Saturday’s are getting harder.
    **** for difficulty for me.
    Very craftily clued, loved 22a.
    Many thanks to the setter and to Tilsit for the review.

  3. Pleasantly tough with some fun misdirection to increase the enjoyment. This took longer than it should have as I was watching the rugby semifinal and was subsequently glued to the box rather than my iPad. Fabulous win for England. Many fine clues but my favourite was 27a.

    Thanks to our Saturday setter and to Tilsit.

  4. I managed to finish this puzzle in ***/**** time but found a half dozen clues that were difficult to parse completely. I bunged them all in and it all seemed to work out but it left a vaguely unsatisfied feeling. Hence ** for enjoyment. 13d was a fun clue. Thanks to Tilsit for the hints and to the setter.

  5. I was just one away from completing this without help, but 10a just didn’t want to play ball. Perfectly good clue, just couldn’t see it.

    With the two given checkers, 26a can only have one answer, but I couldn’t parse it.

    COTD has to be 8d, brilliant.

    Many thanks to the setter and Tilsit.

    1. You need to move the hospital back.
      Unable to submit online competition entry – any clues as to what I need to do. Using IPad operating on iOS12.4.2

      1. This was what they suggested last weekend

        Apologies to solvers who are currently unable to submit entries to the Saturday and Sunday Prize Cryptic Crosswords via the Telegraph Edition App. Our technical team is working to resolve the problem, which does not affect puzzles played on the Telegraph Puzzles website.
        Whilst this is being worked on, completed prize puzzles on the Edition App can be submitted to the main prize draw for these two crosswords by taking a screenshot of the completed puzzle on the mobile device on which you have completed it and emailing it to prize.puzzles@telegraph.co.uk, where it will be entered into the main draw for that prize crossword, along with postal entries and other email entries. The prizes for these draws are as follows:
        Saturday cryptic crossword: three first prizes of a boxed Telegraph fountain pen, and twelve consolation prizes of crossword companion notebooks
        Sunday cryptic crossword: one first prize of a boxed Telegraph fountain pen
        If submitting into these prize draws, please ensure that the email subject field is either “DT NN,NNN” (where NN,NNN is the puzzle number) for the Saturday crossword, or “Sunday Cryptic NNNN” (where NNNN is the puzzle number) for the Sunday crossword. In both cases, the body of the email should also include your name and postal address.

        1. Thanks CS for this, I have been emailing the DT for weeks without any reply at all.
          All I need now is a puzzle that I can complete to submit and this one is most certainly not one.

  6. Late start having to calm down after the rugby, but I found this tough going. Could not have completed without the excellent hints, thanks Tilsit. 19A and 11D,13D made nice surface reading.
    Let’s hope Wales win tomorrow, setting up an incredible final.

  7. A bit of a head scratcher with a few Hmms and, yes Hrothgar, based on the last two or three weeks the SPPs are getting harder.
    Candidates for favourite – 10a, 8d, and 16d – and the winner is 8d.
    Thanks to the setter and Tilsit.

  8. Started after the rugby ( well deserved win ) finished before seeing the hints and submitted via iPad screenshot as advised by DT ( surprised to note that fountain pens are given as prizes ) .
    Like the rugby it was quite tough & clever in parts .
    A mixture of clues with some over complicated in my opinion .
    My favourite 13D , last in 15A .
    Thanks Mr T and the Setter

  9. This is on the far side of Tough. For me completely and utterly impenetrable even with the hints.
    Only for those who enjoy this sort of puzzle, for me I’d rather listen to a Brexit debate! Absolutely no fun at all.
    Well done England, a superb exhibition of running rugby that they should be proud of.
    ********/-******

  10. Eventually finished but found it quite tough. A bit curate’s egg-ish, I thought….some clues were very good eg 3d and 13d but too many I could really make sense of eg 10a. Thanks to the setter and Tilsit for the hints.

  11. Two clues in this 14 across and 2 down appear differently in the online crossword and in actual print…confused here

    Saturday crosswords have been harder in recent weeks for me but persevering

    Thanks as ever to all who work on this splendid site, it has been a great help on many an occasion and when I read the review each week I realise there is still so much for me to learn

    1. I presume by the ‘online’ crossword you mean the I-Pad version? The clues on the Telegraph Puzzles site and in the newspaper are exactly the same

      1. Yes indeed, the IPad version has 14 across as hawk about to face dog and 2 down as regret keeping left, leading to blooming ban, just noticed 23 across reads picked up learned group of 16 on iPad too

        No wonder I’m finding this a slog again

  12. A couple of ‘guess and then parse’ moments but so satisfying when all was done and dusted.
    1d, despite becoming something of a chestnut, made me laugh and it took far longer than it should have done to sort out the French in 11d (dim, as Kath would say!).

    Hard to pick a favourite but maybe 12a just had the edge.

    Thanks to our setter and to Tilsit. Hope you enjoy party time in York!

  13. Found it very hard today. Eventually finished but not without hints. Thanks to Tilsit and setter. Hope the laptop is ok.

  14. I found this quite difficult and absolutely loved it.
    It’s taken me ages but as it’s either still raining or raining again – not sure which – it doesn’t really matter.
    10a was my last answer and, like Jane, the French bit of 11d caused trouble – definitely dim!
    Lots of really good clues including 12 and 19a and 3d. My favourite was 1a because it made me laugh.
    With thanks to today’s setter for the distraction from the awful weather and to Tilsit for the hints.

  15. I thought this was a great crossword with loads of good clues but my favourite was 11 down which I thought was very clever. Hooray for England – wonderful match

  16. Completed alone and unaided , so hurrah for me.

    Found it tough, though and took a long time to figure out 26a which had to be what it is, the why was the puzzle.

    Sorry to crow, but up here in the frozen north (coastal Angus) we have a beautifully sunny if cold day and my washing is drying outside as I type.

    Thanks to the setter and to Tilsit

  17. Another very interesting puzzle. At first glance I thought it would be easy but oh no! Thank goodness. I love getting a few in the beginning and then having to really ponder for a while to get there and then for really hard ones hope that the hint masters here have chosen to give extra help for the ones I am stuck on. Thanks to everyone, BD, setters and the entire team here.

    It is an absolutely beautiful, Goldilocks’ Porridge day here today, not too hot, not too cold, just right. Have been outside pruning the roses piling leaves around them to overwinter. It is so good to be alive even if I do groan and moan as I am bending down and creaking a bit :-)
    Happy Autumn everyone.

    1. A Goldilocks’ Porridge day: such a delightful phrase. Epitomizes my bright clean memories of childhood.

      Thank you.

      Mr & Mrs T

  18. Lovely puzzle to tickle the synaptic clefts – thanks as always to Mister Snottily.

    I do like the new site BD – well done. Especially since Mrs T can’t find the search button and for once it is not my fault. Beware a chilly air from that far country blows.

    Mr & (ex) Mrs T

    1. 7d the definition is ‘jumper’ – you need to put the abbreviation for husband and a synonym for permitted into a verb meaning tucked in

      22a look carefully at both your solution and words 6-10 in the clue

  19. I found this really tough, marginally better than last Saturday but much more fun. The SE corner beat me and I had four unsolved.
    I still don’t know why 26a is what it is but it must be.
    I think my fave is 13d, if only because I enjoy them and you can’t get them here, but 1d was giggle worthy.
    Thanks to our setter and to Tilsit for his hints, several needed today. Hope everyone had fun.

    1. Hi Merusa, I think 26a is a word to get something to ‘get away’, like you might do a wasp, then move the ‘H’ (for hospital) to the right (late arrival), but may be wrong.
      Either way its a poor clue IMHO.

  20. A joy from start to finish.
    Great constructions all round.
    Favourite 4d. Fabulous surface.
    Thanks to Mr Ron and to Tilsit for the hints.

  21. This was quite a challenge, but I managed to complete.Very satisfying. My last one in was 21d and my favourite.
    Thanks to Tilsit and the setter.

  22. I will struggle to make a coherent comment as I have spent most of today in a euphoric alcoholic haze after watching the rugby at my stepson’s house then walking home late this afternoon (in a not very straight line). In the circumstances I found this puzzle strangely easy but I did enjoy it.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Tilsit.

  23. Walk in the park compared to yesterday’s (in which I got 2 unaided!), Just needed a little e-push for the last 2.

  24. Perhaps thanks to post rugby match euphoria I took forever to get off the ground with this and then the ensuing solve brought no satisfaction at all due to numerous unparsed bung-ins for clues with which I quibble. Nevertheless thanks go to Mysteron and to Tilsit to whom I amazingly managed not to turn.

  25. At first pass I only solved 3, and began to despair. But perseverance paid off, and several other answers fell into place. Then over lunch, it all came together and ended being a puzzle I absolutely loved. Took me ages to see 10a, which was my penultimate answer, with stupidly (on my part) 8d being last in. Big thanks to the setter, and to Tilsit.

  26. S’funny how crosswords become almost impenetrable when the dreaded man flu strikes. And so it was today; akin to pulling teeth!
    But somehow I did complete. 18d was my top clue.
    Thanks to the setter, and to Tilsit for the hints.

  27. Hi thanks for all your Saturday hints. I never look at your hints till Sunday as I try and solve it without help, but can never complete without your help .

  28. Quite a successful week although Wednesday and Friday were difficult for me. I agree that for the last two weeks the Saturday price has been more difficult than of late. I couldn’t have finished without your help and wish to thank you. Thanks also,to the setter as it was very enjoyable.

  29. I found this more 3.5* for difficulty, doing it on Sunday morning. I should have taken the paper with me to London Stadium yesterday. There wouldn’t have been much to distract me from the crossword !

  30. Managed all except 7d & 10a, eventually. Tilsit chose not to assist, but thanks to other contributors, got there eventually. So thanks to those who gave those extra hints.

  31. Late as usual-rugby and other chores took up too much time but thanks to Tilsit got down to 10a and still not sure, and will settle for my guess and send in. 26a I had a choice of 2 words for pt 2 and think I chose the correct version.
    Very pleased with England’s best performance ever against tough opposition, but found Wales & SA disappointing.
    Well done setter for most of the clues but not 10a. !!

  32. Well finally finished – my downfall was 17a where I had the first two letters wrong stumping me on 13d… worked in reverse by guessing 13d’s first word – already knowing the second – then re-thinking 17a across with a couple possible first letters. I liked the 25a/4d interplay and kept thinking 19a didn’t look right but parsed fine.

    R.

      1. Welcome to the blog

        Big Dave always asks that people don’t ask for help from specific commenters – just post a comment and someone will answer

        The definition for 13d is ‘food’ – you need the letter to indicate second rate, a highway, a way of saying outlaws seizing the abbreviation for English

        1. I thought this was a lovely puzzle but struggled with 14a and 21d .

          My clever hint machine in Sydney (my daughter) has provided me with the answer to 14a but 21d still outstanding. Could some kind person help please?

          Many thanks

          1. 21d – if you take the first word as the definition and the rest as a cryptic definition of a synonym for qualified, you should get the solution

        2. Thank you, crypticsue. It was my (as I now see) incorrect answer to 17a that was causing the problem with 13d. All is well now. Apologies for not knowing the rules of the blog and asking for help from a specific commenter. Mea culpa!

  33. Solved on a wet, foggy, cold and dismal (apart from doing the crossword!) bus ride over the Cat and Fiddle on Sat morning. Then I never got near a computer in the afternoon to comment in real time, so to speak. I thought this was an excellent puzzle with very good clues providing a decent challenge and much enjoyment. 3* / 4*

  34. 4*/4*…………….
    liked 3D “smashing things made from flour mix using metric weights”

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