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DT 29431 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29431 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club
Hosted by Tilsit

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

Morning everyone!

Here we go with another Saturday challenge.

I felt the difficulty rate was slightly up today, with the top left corner slightly trickier than the rest of the grid.

Today is the first of the month, so it’s time for the monthly Grand Prix of Quizzing, where quiz aficionados get their ranking points It is still mostly on line. Today’s quiz has been set by one of the top quizzers and TV personalities and I’ll share a few of the questions here a little later.

Remember usual rules apply and anyone who misbehaves will not only be sent to the naughty step, they’ll have to buy everyone an ice cream. Mine’s a Ruby Magnum. See you next week.

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

7a Lighting-up time? (8)
We start with a cryptic definition of when the darkness ends and the (sun)light aapears.

10a Range of notes, not English, found with old book (6)
A group of notes (eight of them), minus the last letter (E for English) and the abbreviation for old gives a name for a size of printed book.

11a Old drink Edmund did not sell locally (8)
Often in puzzles, particularly the barred harder puzzles, the name Edmund means that the word is from the era of Edmund Spenser, so is fairly obscure. Here it’s just a name. So be careful how you enter this answer and don’t make the initial mistake I made by adding the name of a type of stout. You’re looking for a way of saying old or former, add a four-letter name for a drink and then the abbreviation for Edmund.

15a Picnicker Stan upset and terrified (5-8)
An anagram (upset) of the first two words.

18a Fight with no admission charge (4-3-3)
The name for a punch-up is also a way of describing an event with no admission charge,

20a Waiter is stirring something in the garden (8)
The name for a plant is an anagram (stirring) of WAITER IS.

24a Particular skill about pa’s undoing bag (8)
A type of canvas bag is revealed by taking a word for an aptitude or skill and inserting a jumble (undoing) of PA’S.

Down

1d May Anglican novice withdraw? (6)
A word meaning may be able takes the abbreviation for someone of an Anglican persuasion and one for a novice.

3d Frenzied comedian, 16 (8)
Something that means the same as 16 is an anagram of COMEDIAN.

5d Moving picture and description of onion? (4-6)
The name for a film that may move you is also the cryptic definition of an onion.

8d Do not tell people how to save electricity (4,2,3,4)
Two definitions, one cryptic.

13d Article I included in depot for waste disposal (10)
A short word for the indefinite article and I go inside the name for a depot to give the term for waste disposal.

16d Conclude Leanne regularly turned up to be very annoying (8)
A word meaning to conclude takes the alternate letters of LEANNE reversed to give the word needed.

19d Folly of girl crossing North America (6)
The name of a girl goes round the abbreviation for North America to give something meaning a folly.

22d Flood stopped by bogus handyman (4)
One of the two hidden answers today.

Of course you spotted the pangram, didn’t you?

For those who fondly remember our much appreciated former Sunday setter will be pleased to see he’s in today’s Guardian puzzle available here; it’s slightly trickier than his Sunday challenges, but great fun.

The Crossword Club is now open.

Find it here: https://crosswords-static.guim.co.uk/gdn.cryptic.20200801.pdf

See you later with the quiz and next Saturday for the hints.

 

Here are the quiz questions I promised (some will appeal to crossworders!)

The Grand Prix quiz was set by Paul Sinha of The Chase.  Incidentally, if you’ve never heard his Radio 4 shows, they are utterly wonderful, and his new series starts on Tuesday week at 6:30pm.

  1. With no link to the 4th of the 31 ‘Carry On’ films, which English landscape painter was born in East Bergholt, Suffolk (1776), and is known for his landscapes of Dedham Vale, including 1821’s ‘The Hay Wain’?

John CONSTABLE

  1. His name an anagram of “Blame Minstrel”; which man was a pretender to the throne of Henry VII of England in 1487, claiming to be the 17th Earl of Warwick?

Lambert SIMNEL

  1. Self-dubbed “the grandmother of performance”, which artist’s works include ‘Rhythm 10’ (1973), in which she stabbed a knife rapidly between her splayed fingers?

Martina ABRAMOVIC

  1. The first on this list gives its name to a doughnut; the second to a beef patty; the fourth to a fragrance; and the fifth to a sausage. What city is third on the list?

MUNICH / MUNCHEN

  1. Founded in 1910, which car manufacturer derives the first part of its two-word name from an acronym in which the “L” stands for “Lombardy”? Although it was founded there, its current headquarters are not in Lombardy.

ALFA ROMEO

  1. Born with the forenames “Johnny Allen”, which legendary rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter joined the “27 Club” in 1970, owing to an overdose of barbiturates?

Jimi HENDRIX

  1. Which popular entertainer and broadcaster was part of the Iranian national ballet company before fleeing to the United Kingdom following the Iranian revolution? She found fame as a magician’s assistant, and her popularity is such that her name has become synonymous with the adjective “lovely”.

Debbie McGEE

  1. In Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ five-stage model of grief, what is the first stage? An anagram of this word is presumably what Rachel Weisz calls her husband.

DENIAL     (Daniel Craig)

  1. The Indira Gandhi National Open is not, as it might sound, a mid-ranking golf tournament; rather, it claims to be the largest what in the world?

UNIVERSITY

  1. What is the largest lake in the world to share its name with a national capital city?

Lake VICTORIA (Hong Kong)

  1. Which host of the BBC television quiz-show ‘A Question Of Sport’ reached a high in her tennis career in 1976 when she won the ladies’ singles tournament at the French Open?

Sue BARKER

  1. In 1966, who became the first man to play in an FA Cup final and a World Cup final in the same year?

Ray WILSON

 

How well did you do?

 

Today’s music is from a project by British horn player Sarah Willis, who has worked with street musicians in Cuba and after, finding a statue of Mozart on a visit there, decided that Mozart and Mambo worked rather well together. See what you think!


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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!

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The Quick Crossword pun: read+dial+ling=redialing


90 comments on “DT 29431 (Hints)

  1. This was a good challenge and I found it very enjoyable (**/****). Strangely it was the top right rather than the top left which gave me pause for thought. There were were lots of great clues and Iiked 12a (its not often a clue is three times as clever as usual), 14a (great misdirection) and 5d, which made me smile. Many thanks to Tilsit for the hints and to the setter.

    1. Struggling with 9 across – I have an answer but can’t see how I got there! Any hints?

      1. Welcome to the blog Cricket Watcher

        9a Cut support after finishing early (6)
        A support for a golf ball is followed by a word meaning after without its final letter (finishing early)

        1. Wow I didn’t dare risk the naughty corner by going that far with a hint but then of course you are the boss!

          1. There are some orange and ginger scones donated by Mrs T… if BD pleads guilty.

            Enjoyed the puzzle – NE corner notwithstanding. Thanks to Messers Ron and Tilsit.

            Mr T

            1. Almost worth transgressing so as to possibly enjoy one of Mrs T’s delicious sounding scones!

            1. I can recommend Mrs T’s baked goods after my last visit to the naughty corner. Scrumptious!

        2. Thanks BD. You have confirmed my thoughts but I’m always confused when in my BRB Thesaurus if A is listed as a synonym of B, why is B not listed as a synonym of A. I’m a simple soul 🤔😂

        3. Thanks for the hint. I think I have the answer now, just need 6d. Thinking cap on. I found this tricky for a Saturday.

          1. Hi Steve,
            It is absolutely ok to give a hint as long as it is a proper worded hint.
            We might not have seen one for a while on Saturdays or Sundays but it is totally permitted.

        4. Grateful for the hint – I was also stuck on that one! I found the word via Crossword Solver (don’t like having to resort to that!), but I couldn’t see why. Thanks!
          Strangely, although at first glance I could only solve two clues, I must have got on the wavelength somehow, and completed it (apart from 9a!) in one session. I liked 16d and 5d, also 12a and 15a. I’m sure I have seen 18a before, at least once in these Prize Puzzles!

  2. As for Tilsit, the NW was certainly trickier for me than the rest mainly due to my inability to come up with 1d or 3d. Otherwise a pleasant enough exercise to begin the weekend – thank goodness for cooler temperatures. Thank you Mysteron and Tilsit.

  3. A solidly constructed Prize puzzle, rich with juicy anagrams and some good, old-fashioned (even old world) wordplay. I thoroughly enjoyed it, with these podium stars: 10a, 3/16d. and 6d. (Still having some trouble parsing 9a, however.) Thanks to Tilsit and today’s compiler. ** / ****

    Hurricane Isaias has its eyes on the entire Eastern US Coast, but Charleston may not get a direct hit. Good luck to all of my blogging American friends, especially Merusa and BusyLizzie. Stay safe.

    1. I had the same problem with parsing 9a but the penny dropped after finishing early for last 3 letters. Support is of course chestnut.

    2. Might be worth cutting the answer in half – might get you nearer?
      Careful now – naughtiness not allowed today…..

    3. Thank you Robert. We need to stop working on the crosswords now, time to close the shutters before the winds get too strong. And get out all the battery supplies before the power goes out. Battery fans are brilliant, as I am sure you know. Good luck to you too. Hopefully Isaias will push further away from shore.

    4. It seems, fingers crossed, that we’ll get just by blows, nothing too severe. I haven’t closed the shutters. Good luck to you and BusyLizzie, keep safe.

  4. I agree with Chris. The top right was more challenging. I didn’t know 10a is an old book and did wonder where that came into the answer. Thanks Tilsit for the explanation. I also checked the dictionary to make sure I hadn’t invented the answer to 6d. It’s workable from the clue and apparently common in Australia. I liked 15d but favourite is 12a. I didn’t notice the pangram, needless to say! Though my grid has no X. Thanks to all.

      1. Found it! Seconds after the time limit to edit the post.
        All done now. Very satisfying 😊

  5. Definitely a trickier Saturday offering than usual and I was still struggling with the NE corner when Tilsit’s words of wisdom appeared. Unfortunately he didn’t give any hints for my three missing solutions but he did, latterly, mention that it was a pangram. Thank you – the missing Z (in a word I’d discounted earlier – why?) was the key I needed.
    I too am struggling to parse 9a. A good tussle, with 5d and 15d probably being my favourites. Thank you to all involved as always.

  6. A testing puzzle for a Saturday that is for sure. It took me a while to get into the setter’s mindset, but once I got into a rhythm it fell into place at a decent clip. 9a was my LOI and 5d my favourite.

    Thanks to our setter for the challenge and to Tilsit.

  7. 3*/3.5*. This was an enjoyable pangram with a wide mix of difficulties.

    I wrote in my answer to 7a instantly when I started the puzzle, and I thought it was a rather quirky but accurate cryptic definition. The only trouble is that I had got it wrong (although fortunately for me the final five letters were correct), which held me up in the NW corner.

    The cluing was commendably brief with smooth surfaces. Some of it was quite unusual and it was a shame that a good puzzle was spoiled slightly for me by 19d.

    5d was my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Tilsit.

  8. I probably had the same final three missing in the NE corner as a few other folks. Luckily I’d decided it was a pangram, which helped with 14a. 6d a less familiar term and re 9a, there’s always one synonym of ‘back’ (of the many available) that escapes me until the bitter end and this was one of those times. That was the cleverest clue, I reckon.

    8d is something I’d like to use the next time they ask me if I want a smart meter and, when I don’t, they put up my bill by 50%.

    I really don’t like those words (3D) that have those endings – always redundant in my view, so when it happens, I feel as though someone is trying to make something fit in a space.
    Enjoyable if slightly tricky.

    Thanks to setter and Tilsit. The Cuban musical interlude made me cry – I’m not sure why. They rely so much on tourism, it must be a desperate year for them.

  9. Found this one pretty straightforward apart from 9a & 6d plus 10a. Pangram alert helped with the latter though I wasn’t familiar with the meaning. I bunged in an answer that seemed plausible for 6d & assume it’s correct & then spent an age trying to figure out the missing 2 letters for 9a figuring the first 3 were the usual support. By the time that penny dropped I was nearly at ***time. No particular favourites today but really enjoyed it with high quality clues throughout in my view.
    Many thanks to the setter & to Tilsit for the review.
    Ps a surprisingly gentle Prize in the Graun today allowing me plenty of time to return to Paul’s fishy cryptic yesterday where I’m floundering helplessly. Wonder what he has in store for us tomorrow?

  10. Flunked it! I was sidetracked with 7a when I instantly thought of sxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx so, although I had the second letter correct, the first and third were obviously wrong. It’s all so easy with hindsight! Couldn’t fathom why the answer to 9a was correct until I read Big Dave’s description.

    1. Welcome to the blog

      We do ask that people don’t mention ‘alternative/wrong clues/answers’ when commenting on the weekend Prize Puzzles

    2. Welcome, David. Don’t worry, most of us have been placed on the naughty step for saying too much about a prize puzzle. Even Big Dave himself came close today!
      I did not say that! 😱
      Hope to to see more contributions from you.

  11. I found this fairly straightforward except for the NE. Like many I struggled with 9a. Had the right word but couldn’t see why, so thanks to BD for the explanation. Silly me for missing the classic support; I was looking for a 7-letter word. Otherwise very enjoyable. Thanks to setter and Tilsit. Loved the music!

  12. I enjoyed my smoking answer to 7a and didn’t have to get up early to see it, more of a tail-end.

  13. I started OK but unfortunately had the wrong range of notes for 10 which also contained an e which I removed. Took ages to sort out. Then left with 9a and 6d which I also eventually solved but have never heard of 6d. Some excellent clues though and worked out it was a pangram quite early which helped 14a. Anyway thanks to all. Clouding up here in N Norfolk but still v hot and still heaving with incomers refusing to self distance. Beach so packed we won’t go back till September!

  14. Gave myself a problem by assembling the available letters for 3d in the wrong order – seemed like a reasonable answer but made a mess elsewhere. Finally got that sorted but the unknown 6d along with 9a made it a long haul to the finish line.
    Undecided when it comes to picking a favourite but it was a fair old challenge for a Saturday puzzle.

    Thanks to our setter and to Tilsit for the hints – I enjoyed listening to the street musicians.

  15. ***/*** for me & a dnf without a hint (does that make it 5*?)
    Tough but fair in my book. 9a eluded me, knew support, couldn’t then see anything that meant cut. Wasn’t sure of 6d. BD’s prompt in post 2 sorted 9a & this confirmed 6d.
    Spotted the pangram
    Although probably a chestnut my COTD is the triple definition 12a.
    Thanks to setter & Tilsit for hints.

    1. Strange that 9a seems to have foxed most (including me) but there was no hint!

  16. This was quite a tussle but managed in the end. I did need a couple of hints but most yielded after some head scratching. I did get the wrong drink in 11a but it didn’t hold me up. It wasn’t until I saw Tilsit’s hint that I realised I had the wrong answer. I completely missed the obvious support in 9a and, of course, I did not spot the pangram. I should have looked after solving 14a, which I thought a great clue. COTD was 12a.

    Many thanks to the setter for an interesting challenge. Thanks, also, Tilsit for the hints.

    So, those who are shielding can be released today. Not me. My consultant rang me to say “No way, Jose!” I have to wait for an effective vaccine. Ho hum! Thank goodness for crosswords and this blog. :good:

    1. We haven’t been told to stay in but we are being very cautious too due to my husband’s vulnerability. We’ll wait to see if things remain stable before booking a much needed haircut.

  17. Definitely a real head scratcher making it one of the most challenging SPPs for quite a while, completed at a canter – ****.***.
    Candidates for favourite – 18a, 21a, and 8d – and the winner is 21a.
    Thanks to the setter and Tilsit.

  18. I think I have had the same problems as others. 9a wouldn’t come until BD’s hint and another anagram that parsed perfectly messed up 3d and the whole NW sector until checkers in 7a and 10a saved me, and like Greta couldn’t read my handwriting and failed to find the X when pangram hunting. I thought that when filling 19d that it would elicit comment. 2d did they ALL sing?
    I still enjoyed the exercise but don’t think it is enough of my own work to submit for a book token.
    Thanks to ilsit BD and setter. Loved the music too.

  19. I resorted to e-help (crossword solver) for a couple in NW corner, which gave me the other two missing ones. 14A was last one in and is my favorite clue today. Thanks Tilsit and the setter.

    Finally the temperature has dropped below the mid-90’s and I can have the doors open again. Yay!

  20. Found this puzzle the easiest of the week. Completed at a gallop */*****
    No hints required for this one at all.
    Clues for favourites include 7a, 18a, 24a, 5d & 8d. Tie for winner with the two down clues.

    Thanks to setter and Tilsit

  21. I wonder if there a misprint in time newspaper as 3 down does not work for me at all

    1. Welcome to the blog

      I solved from the newspaper version and it works for me. You have have the 6th and 7th letters of your solution the wrong way round

      1. I had an ** in mine. I wondered how to put those in a grid. but got the right answer when checkers arrived.

  22. I comment with caution on prize days for fear of spending the week in purgatory. I found this challenging and needed hints for a couple.
    Lola is asleep in her favoured spot under the ivy and I, too, intend to have a snooze so that I am fully alert for the Cup Final later this afternoon. Come on Chelsea!
    Thanks to Miss Terri Setter, and Tilsit.

  23. I thought this was going to be a quick solve but I got held up. I thought 2d was rather weak but it was compensated by 1d which I thought was clever. Thanks to the Setter and for the review. Happy weekend everyone. 👍

  24. I made heavy work of the bottom left corner because i had a wrong answer and that held me up, but I thought it was a nice Saturday workout, 3 down was my COTD, welcome to the blog The Cricket Watcher. Who do you follower in cricket terms? Surrey man my self but it is a joy to watch at all times.

  25. Thanks to the setter and to Tilsit for the hints. A very enjoyable puzzle. I got completely stuck in the NW corner, by having the wrong anagram in 3d. Once I fixed that I needed the hints to finish it off. Was 4* /3* for me. Favourite was 6d.

  26. Slight struggle with the NE corner, notably 14a, otherwise a pleasant solve. Many thanks to Cephas and to Tilsit.

  27. ***/***. I was anticipating a pangram as soon as 14a was in. All went well until the spelling of 3d sent me off track until frustration in the NW corner led me to revisit how the annoying word is spelled. Thanks to the setter and Tilsit for the hints. I’ve just been pruning my 20a only to find a young raccoon nestled in the top. I had wondered why our dogs were so excited.

  28. Enjoyed today’s **/****. Didn’t spot the pangram, nothing new in that tho 😀. Fav’s 6d & 19d.
    Thx to Cephas & Tilsit.

  29. Does anyone know roughly how many correctly solved Prize crosswords are submitted each day of the weekend?

    1. I use puzzles.telegraph … I think that ‘Daily Plays” gives the answer as to how many people solved it correctly.

    1. See my reply to you at 22 above. It is also one of the clues that Tilsit hinted at in the Hints and Tips

  30. I found this to be on the tricky side but hugely enjoyable. Some easy-peasy and others real head scratchers.
    I solved 14a and 5d early on so that gave me the heads up for a pangram, I don’t think I would have solved 10a otherwise.
    There was lots to like so hard to choose a fave, maybe the triple def at 12a? I think 14a deserves honourable mention.
    Thanks to Cephas for the fun and to Tilsit for the hints and tips. I liked the music choice!

  31. I’ve been in London with the Elder Lamb, her partner and their three year old since Thursday – just home – it’s quiet, peaceful and very cool at 23C and a breeze – bliss!
    I started off very slowly but then managed to get going – as usual I missed the pangram.
    Like others I had trouble in the top left corner.
    Everything else has been said already.
    My favourite was either 12 or 15a.
    Thanks to Cephas for a very good crossword and to Tilsit for the hints.

  32. Tested the little grey cells but got there in thr end. Held up by 3d, having used the spelling with a dipthong for letters 2 and 3.

    Thanks to Tilsit and setter.

  33. This was harder than the usual Saturday offering, in my opinion. Needed help with 10A.

    Did anyone else see a 10/1 winner at Goodwood on Friday ?

    Its name ? ………….Tilsit !

  34. Strange today, as I completed the bottom half without venturing into the top until the penny dropped on 8d -great clue!
    However, like many including Tilsit, had problems in the NE corner!
    Thanks for that 14a hint -Pound not being a weight or an item of cash!
    Like many 6d was not a term I was familiar with, but my New Roget’s bought in Jan linked Congregation with the first word.
    My last one fell apart after 20 odd years!
    Many thanks to all for an enjoyable outing!

  35. Again, the NW took some serious thinking.
    Nice short and concise clues.
    Thanks to Cephas and to Tilsit.
    Very sorry to hear about these redundancies. Hope everything goes well for you.

  36. That was very good. Finished this morning.
    One of those where you wanted to finish as it was so good, unlike Thursday and Friday.
    NE Corner the hardest, I don’t understand the answer as the ‘support’ comes after the ‘finishing early’ bit.
    Thanks all.

  37. More stretch than Lycra in this one. I feel it’s safe to say that now as no one will see it this late 🤪

  38. I don’t think the answer I have for 3d is a synonym for 16. It is more like a synonym for “frenzied”. I took 16 to be the anagram indicator.

    Have I messed it up?

  39. Not quite finished NW corner and stuck with 6d? As a golfer 9 across was ok but 9d??? Have to look up what a pan gram is.

  40. I needed hints and tips for at least 5 clues and 14a eluded me along with 6d and 9a, until the last minute when I got one and the others (being connected) followed) somewhat like the bloggers above probably, it seems; thank you! The dictionary was handy for two and Wikipedia for one(!) but all in all I’d say *****/*** as it could’ve been harder and was proportionally satisfying! Thanks to the setter, Cephas. Best wishes all!

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