ST 3048 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 3048 (Hints)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3048 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg, where I have been self-medicating with Tanqueray and Tonic and Mouton Cadet and it appears to be working as I have not succumbed to any virus or malaria :wink:

Seriously, wherever you are in our cruciverbalist world, stay safe everyone. 

Dada back to very quirky with a few Hmms – I counted five anagrams (two partials), one lurker, and no homophones – all in a symmetric 26 clues, with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues.

Candidates for favourite – 8a, 26a, and 5d.

As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.

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

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

7a Number on both sides in small craft (7)
A cardinal number placed after (on) the first and last letters (both sides in) of SmalL – Hmm.

10a Nothing fine about a fine romance! (4,6)
The tennis term for nothing and a synonym of fine containing (about) A from the clue and the single letter for fine.

12a Behind me, light winds catching a standing stone, say? (8)
An anagram (winds) of LIGHT containing (catching) A from the clue placed after (behind) ME from the clue.

15a Distant position of angle (11)
A synonym of position (for example, when expressing an opinion), OF from the clue, and a verbal synonym of angle.

19a Somewhat infectious, her parent a probable carrier? (6)
The lurker (somewhat) found in the rest of the clue.

23a Something funny about a boy — saucy thing (5,5)
A single word for something that could be (very) funny containing A from the clue and a synonym of boy.

26a Hang around an old house (7)
A synonym of hang containing (around) AN from the clue.

Down

1d Loaf rose, say? (7)
A generic term that can describe a rose or any other flower.

3d Check building if shut (6)
An anagram (building) of IF SHUT.

5d End up with horrible mess under something sticky — oh dear! (8,2)
END from the clue reversed (up) with an anagram (horrible) of MESS all placed after (under) a three letter term for something sticky.

9d In a flash, one bit endlessly fractured (11)
An anagram (fractured) of A FLASH, ONE BIt with the last letter removed from bit (endlessly).

16d Shark on with a cuckoo in floating zoo? (5,3)
An anagram (cuckoo) of SHARK ON with A.

17d Ancient carrier requires map to orbit moon (7)
A synonym of map containing (to orbit) a moon of Jupiter.

24d Bird man (4)
A double definition to finish – the second is RD’s favourite chess piece.


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.

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.


Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich about half way through a week at number one, with their only number one, on March 22, 1968 – The Legend of Xanadu – whips included:

And, if you are wondering about the e-mail address that appears on the screen about three-quarters of the way through – that is the individual who posted it on YouTube.


 

88 comments on “ST 3048 (Hints)

  1. Slow start but finished in a reasonable time . Last two in 7A & 9D , will pick 23A as favourite.
    Not my favourite Dada puzzle but kept me quiet and occupied for a while !
    Thanks Senf and , once again , Dada .

    1. The iPad appears to allow a prize submission entry but typing something in the grid seems impossible !!

      1. Beware . In trying to enter something on the submission grid , it actually alters the entries in the crossword grid !!!

        1. You have to give the Telegraph credit for inventiveness! It’s pretty ingenious to come up with so many ways to cock up an app. Then again they have been working diligently to create innovative ways to make normal submission impossible, using the grid erratic(it skips grid squares and all this more it catalogue of malfunctions built into an app that up until maybe six or more months ago worked flawlessly.

          1. Welcome to the blog from me as well, although I would guess that you have been lurking for some time. However, I find it a little frustrating that your first comment is a rant against the DT, which the blog has no control over, and you did not comment on the puzzle or the hints.

            1. Well said. Send such comments to the DT instead. I thought this was a really enjoyable crossword with some excellent clues. Thanks very much to the setter and to Senf for the hints.

      2. Those IT chappies at the DT are such a tease, aren’t they? I was dreaming of what to do with my £50 Amazon voucher when I encountered the same problems. One step forward I guess but….
        As for the crossword I enjoyed it. 7a confused me but Senf clarified matters – thank you. I rather liked 15a and 16d.

  2. 3*/4*. This was an enjoyable Sunday puzzle which I found mostly straightforward although my last few in proved quite tough nuts to crack.

    My podium today comprises 26a, 18d & 24d.

    Many thanks to Dada and to Senf – you have misnumbered your hint for 1d.

      1. I don’t think you can have too much of that sort of thing at the moment. I liked the comment: “I heard that Bourbon kills the coronavirus. Probably not true, but why take a chance?”

      2. Just wondering what elder daughter will say when asking for our essential grocery list (she has volunteered to do our shopping) if I include a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream?

          1. I buy my Famous Grouse 1.75L at five bottles at once! Now due. Well, if you’re going to pay a delivery fee, buy mucho at one time, think of the savings.

  3. Tough as always on a Sunday but with some electronic help it was completed. Tried to submit via the new app but now it will not accept input from an iPad keyboard. You just couldn’t make it up.
    By the way I did not get a chance to reply on yesterdays blog but its a good job I am not thin-skinned or I would take offence at Wandas crass remarks. It seems even when one tries to make a reasonable point there are still some trolls out there.
    Hey Ho, back to self-isolating.
    ****/**
    Thx for the hints

    1. Hi Brian
      I don’t think you replied to me last week either, when I was trying to establish some common ground between us regarding the age of our iPads. Something doesn’t like the most recent iOS updates. Yes 6 months problems at least, as someone noted above.
      Anyway I quite enjoyed this one, stranded in isolation ( can a married couple be isolated?) in sunny, warm Mallorca. Not missing my golf one bit!

  4. I really enjoyed this fairly tricky puzzle despite a couple of leaps of faith and late parsing. A great lurker at 19a, but my favourite was the admirably brief 26a. My final entry was 6d.

    Thanks Dada for the challenge and thanks too to Senf. At least the sun is out to cheer us all up in these troubling times.

    1. 6d would not have been difficult had I put the correct synonym in for 11a, one of the checkers. What I thought was entirely plausible was completely wrong. I find it is often the case that if you cannot finish a crossword, you should look for your own mistakes first.

  5. A testing puzzle with some very wily clues (3.5*/3.5*). I gave a big ‘hmm’ to 7a, although it appears that I guessed correctly(thank you Senf). I thought 12d and 13d were good clues. Thanks to Dada too. It’s good to have an absorbing puzzle to stretch one’s faculties in these days of self-isolation. Senf’s on the right track too, although, in my case, it’s the Remy Martin and the port. Stay well everyone.

  6. I thought this was a super-great Dada for me, although the SE corner held me up for ages–esp.18d and 26a. Lots to like here, misdirections and anagrams and a couple of absolute hooters (5 and 23a drew big laughs from me). But my top three are 7a, 12a, and 9d (I kept looking for things happening instantaneously), with 12a my COTD, probably because I couldn’t get menhirs out of my mind. Thanks Senf and Dada. *** / *****

    It’s the quietest Sunday in my suburban abode I’ve ever experienced. Not even the squirrels are down from the Sweet Gum or the Oaks. I think that Senf’s liquid diet is a grand idea, and I have some pinot noirs I’ve not touched yet, but I wasn’t expecting that they might aid my immune system. And why can’t I get On The Beach out of my head? ‘Waltzing Matilda’, indeed.

  7. After the initial read through I had only filled in about half a dozen and thought this was going to be a real tough nut to crack. In the end completion was in a shade over ****time with the NW corner the last to yield. As per usual some of my parsing was suspect and agree with Senf’s pick of the clues.
    Off for a good long walk in the lovely weather (armed with a comprehensive Neil Young playlist I put together yesterday) to ward off mounting cabin fever.
    Thanks to Dada & Senf & wishing all continued good health.

  8. I was a bit doubtful about the answer to 7a so left it until all the checkers were in place and it couldn’t really be anything else.
    Clever lurker in 19a and my favourite was the saucy boy in 23a.

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf – I’m on a similar self-medicating regime, let’s just hope the deliveries continue to get through to the stores! All credit to those men and women who are doing their best to keep our supply chains operating.

  9. I do like a challenge and this certainly was.
    Really thick headed eg over 6d until the penny dropped.
    So, **** for difficulty and five for enjoyment.
    Many thanks DT for generally raising the difficulty level.
    The result of your survey?
    And thanks to the setter and Senf.

  10. Tricky but enjoyable and far better than yesterday’s prize offering. Like others, I had a very slow start with the fog not clearing for about 12 minutes. Then the SE corner revealed itself and things began to fall into place. Some good clues today, I thought. 23a was a gem and I liked 12a. There were also some clues that I just had to bung in having got the checkers. One of these was 4d and for the life of me I cannot parse it. Still I managed without too mush help.

    Grateful thanks to the setter, whom I believe to be Dada and to Senf for the hints.

    Anyway, keep safe everyone. I have a book that people used during WW11. It’s called The Blackout Book and contains simple puzzles, cartoons and things for families to do throughout the evenings during the blackout. It contains 365 pages – one page per evening. What did they do in a Leap Year? Maybe it should be updated and given to all of us who are stuck at home.

  11. Phew, tough for me with 7a last in….but as always with Dada I had few if any quarrels with this clueing and enjoyed the challenge….

  12. 7a my last one in and was glad to see Senf’s hmmm. Apart from that no problems and I enjoyed it.

    Many thanks to Senf and Dada.

  13. Starting our second week in confinement down here with even more drastic measures. The sea front is now a no go area. 135€ fine if you get caught. Can’t go out either if you need just one loaf of bread. Not a valid excuse anymore.
    At least we had our local producer’s market on Saturday. Had to stay behind barriers throwing money at our peasants while they threw fresh vegetables back at you.
    Ubuesque situation.
    Today’s Dada wasn’t too quirky however.
    Short and concise clues made it a real joy.
    Great construction in 5d.
    Thanks to him and to Senf for the hints.

    1. Don’t understand why a sea front would be closed. As long as you maintain the 6ft distance I would
      have thought breathing in the sea air would be very beneficial. Same here with beaches and most parks closed. Ours is not to reason why …

      1. I think the beaches here are closed because the spring breakers are gathering at the beach at crowd numbers, making a mockery of the order to isolate.

        1. It’s certainly true in big towns such as Nice or Cannes where the sea front is rather short but in Hyeres we have 39km of coastline totally accessible with that famous Chemin du Littoral where private property has to allow a passage to all.
          The likelihood of meeting another soul is quite remote.

    2. Thanks for the word ‘ubuesque’, Jean-luc. Didn’t know it. Will now use it all the time. Stay well down on the Med. Can’t imagine the seafront closed; it’s open here, but only to ‘the locals’ living on the islands. (Coastal South Carolina.)

      1. My pleasure Robert.
        A propos of nothing, the other day you said you were a retired English professor.
        Does that mean:
        a) You are English and professor now retired in the states.
        b) You are English and a professor in English retired in the states.
        c) You are American and a retired professor in English in the states.
        I must admit that I am very confused. Specially with the term professor which applies to Universities in the Uk.
        Sorry to be nosy. I won’t be upset if you ignore my queries.

  14. Can somebody help me. I am ancient and isolated. I am a telegraph subsciber with the app and registered on line but cannot find the crossword. I know its there somewhere. Can I get the Toughie on the same app?

    1. I don’t know about the subscriber app sorry. It is clear from other comments that the app is causing a lot of problems at the moment

      I do know the only place to get the Toughie if you don’t buy the newspaper is on the Telegraph puzzles site https://puzzles.telegraph.co.uk/ You can get a seven day free trial if you don’t want to spend out on a year’s subscription, although it is very good value, especially now it is a bit risky to leave the house and go and buy a paper

    2. To qualify what CS said about the app; all the reported problems are confined to Apple devices, no problems at all (fingers crossed) with Windows devices.

      And, to completely endorse her comment on the DT puzzles web site – at an annual subscription of £35.88 for access to all the DT puzzles it is amazing value for money.

      A quick caveat on the subscription amount; as I live in Canada, the £35.88 may be ‘VAT free’ so a UK resident’s subscription might be more if it is subject to VAT.

      1. Do you mean android tablets?rather than Windows. I am an “e” paper subscriber. Since I joined I have never been able to submit a prize crossword. I can now. In fact everything works completely fine. So the programmers are making progress it seems.

        1. Well, stretching my computer knowledge to the extreme – I have an aging laptop which finds Windows 10 occasionally challenging, a Microsoft Surface tablet (which is more like a laptop) also running Windows 10, and an Android phone. For all three, I access the DT Puzzles Website through MS Edge, although I would never attempt solving a puzzle on my phone – far too fiddly.

        2. Hi Bob, if I get your drift…
          I use an android tablet using the telegraph crossword website, you get far too many puzzles for my small brain and I have never had a problem…

    3. Hi Geoff. I have a Daily Telegraph Subscription. The puzzles are right at the end. Just keep swiping left past the news, past the comments, past the features, past the obituaries, past the business news, past the sport, past the weather and you should then find four pages with a puzzle on each page. Usually in this order The Cryptic. The Quick Crossword. Codeword. Sudoku. As yet there is no Toughie.

      To save time, tap on the little open book at the top right of your screen. You should then see all the sections listed across the top of your screen in the order I mentioned earlier. On the far right will be puzzles. Click on that and the four puzzles will appear

      1. MP. Just to be clear can you confirm exactly what this app is called? Is it DTC?

            1. Can I ever be closed down? Boris asked that all pubs close after Fridays service. There is no legislation for this but we closed willingly. It’s a strange feeling but the right thing to do. Today I fit handles to kitchen cupboards at the new house. The precision is awesome. Once an engineer always an engineer. I also mowed two lawns at the new house. Cleaned the mower down and put it away. Took the clippings to the tip. Good lad. I have three lawns. Doh!

  15. Hi Geoff. Would like to help, but please be more specific. What app do you have?

  16. It’s been a good weekend for me. Both puzzles finished without hints. Thanks to Dada and Send for their help in this. 15 and 16a my favourites today. Everyone stay cool and safe.

  17. ***/***. Slow start but once I got a toehold it gradually yielded. Like Senf, I gave 7a a hmmmm! Otherwise quite good fun. Thanks to all.

  18. Like some others 7a gave me parsing trouble. I greee with Senef – of not in surely. Apart from that minor whinge a very enjoyable solve. I’ll give 5d down my vote today. Thanks Dada and Senf. I subscribe to the puzzle site but usually work on my desktop Windows machine-no problems (kiss of death, or what?)

  19. A long way to go but 8a? Surely more of a cuddle than a kiss? Hope that doesn’t get me sent to the naughty step.

    1. I suppose it is something other than mouth to mouth resuscitation?

      Having been sent to the naughty step once by CS it is not a place you would wish to go back to. Fingers crossed…….

  20. A fair bit of electronic help was needed for this. I’m grateful to Senf, as always, for the hints. I look forward to understanding the full reasoning behind 4d and 6a.

  21. A very enjoyable Sunday teaser that whilst slow to get going finished on an OAP sprint!
    3*/4.5*
    Favs 15ac (as we are in confinement) & 22 ac.
    Best wishes to everyone & be well.
    Grateful thanks to Dada for super entertainment & Senf for making sense of a couple of clues!

  22. 7a went in straight away. Unlike some crosswords this week I found this one a breeze. Clearly a wavelength thing. Tha ks for the hints etc as always.

  23. Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints. I’m still stuck on 7a & 6d. Was enjoyable, but very difficult for me. Favourite was 19a. Was 4*/3* for me.

    1. Got 11a from the Thesaurus, and 6d from the wordsearch. Confident that I would never have thought of either!

      1. exactly the same holdouts here and a flash of inspiration for 14a sent me on the quest to the BRB for those last 2. I have an answer for 7a but I agree with Senf’s “hmmm” I see the bird and the desserts from yesterday have made an appearance again.

  24. Definitely more quirky than the past few Sunday offerings. Several answers did jump right out and then again a handful that took some grey matter scratching to coax out.
    Favourite clues for me were 8a, 23a & 17d (second to last in)
    Make sure EVERYONE reading this practises social-distancing … yours or a loved ones future depends on it

    Thanks to Dada and Senf

  25. With regard to incompetence at the Telegraph IT dept, Does anyone use the Telegraph Puzzles site? I have to enter each letter twice to get it to come up in the grid!

    1. None for me either, Yvonne.
      The problems seem to be the platform people are using (iOS, windows).

    2. Yvonne, I used to have that problem on my iPad. Someone suggested changing the auto-capitalisation setting to OFF – it worked.

      Settings => General ==> Keyboard ==>Auto-Capitalisation

    3. I have exactly the same issue & assume you are using an iPad. It’s extremely irritating & obviously not user friendly. Just in case you haven’t worked it out a double click on the space bar then the back key deletes errors (of which I make plenty)

  26. I really enjoyed this, even though I missed two – 7a and 1d, eh? = loaf? Maybe I’m getting on wavelength, but I’ve found that if you think you’ve found the magic potion to suss out Dada, the next week he lowers the boom again.
    Lots to like here. I liked 3d ‘cos, though I use it all the time, I didn’t know it was a real word, so it’s my fave. Then 8a was a smiler, and 26a was a hit for its brevity.
    Thanks to Dada and to Senf for his unravelling of a few. Keep well all!

        1. I’m not in the habit of saying y’all, all y’all. I think my admonition to keep safe all was a bit of a lazy shortcut!

  27. Completed in 2 sessions with a little bit of help. Thanks to Dada and Senf. Haven’t heard anyone say 3d for years 😊. Tie for favorite between 5d and 23a. Last in 7a and 6d, still can’t parse them.
    Went walkies in one of the few parks remaining open during self isolation.

    1. 6d ‘Rest’ from the clue is letters 4,5,6 from the answer and the ‘refuse’ from the clue are letters 1,2,3 and 7 in the answer.

    2. I need the exercise and want to get in the pool, but the heater isn’t working again and my little man who fixes it, hasn’t answered my calls for help. Now my fridge and heater need help! I’m trying to walk up and down the house.

  28. Quick jaunt home but got stuck on 25a. So obvious when you see it!.

    In the space of ten days we have gone from no worries to a hotspot of CV in Tirol, followed by total lockdown. Still the DT cannot get the app to work!

  29. Hard work today…got there unaided in the end, and very satisfying to complete.
    Such a shame about mother’s day, could be my mum’s last as she is unwell.
    I was not aware of Jupiter’s moon, but the answer had to be. One to remember.
    Thanks Senf and Dada.
    Stay safe everyone.

    1. Jupiter has 79 known satellites. How many may be classed as Moons is unknown to me. You have only one Mum which is one more than me. Do your best to take care of her how so ever that may be. Oh my golly bongs. I am turning into my father

  30. I believe 3D was brought back from North Africa by soldiers. My father used it a lot, it was always a ‘quick’——. Thank you everyone for the hints, comments and moans. Wonderful that with the world disintegrating around us people can get so worked up about an ap.

  31. For the first time for ages, we have had to give up. 6d, 7a, 11a, 25a all remain an impenetrable mystery. 😥😥

  32. Well above my pay grade.
    Filled the grid with lots of help from Senf and fro the electronic gizmo.
    Not particularly enjoyable for me.

    Thanks to the setter and to Senf.

    Please stop going out unless you have to .

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