ST 3072 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 3072 (Hints)

 

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3072 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg, where, with the start of ‘Meteorological Autumn’ on Tuesday it got very autumnal very fast!  I hope those who rely on the dead tree Sunday Telegraph did receive their papers today.

Keep staying safe everyone. 

I don’t think Bluesking will be disappointed, Dada is benevolent this week, but I did have a couple of Hmms – I counted six anagrams (two of which were partials), one lurker (unhinted, but it’s 11a), and two homophones – all in a slightly asymmetric 27 clues, with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues.

Candidates for favourite – 12a, 13a, and 21a.

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

1a Elegant tree (6)
A double definition – the second is a conifer.

4a Andean camelid, as primarily seen on mountain? (6)
The first letters (primarily) of Andean Camelid As placed after (seen on) a three letter mountain.

10a Drink back in pubs close by (6)
The last letter (back in) of pubS and a single word for close by (as in convenient).

12a Carefully considered, still sell (7,3)
A 6 letter synonym of still and a 4 letter synonym of sell.

16a Flock in ignorance got lost (12)
An anagram (lost) of IGNORANCE GOT.

21a After conflict, little time for growth (4)
The single letter (little) for time placed after a type of conflict.

24a Dashing, hurried to collect skirts in Kigali (6)
An adjectival synonym of hurried containing (to collect) the first and last letters (skirts in) of KigalI.

25a A great foot perhaps? (6)
Written (3,3), how a foot could be described (perhaps).

Down

1d Redraft contains official approval (8)
An anagram (redraft) of CONTAINS.

3d Wild animal taking weasel by the ears? (7)
The first homophone (taking . . . by the ears) of a synonym of weasel.

6d Flat bit crew installed in middle of location (9)
Synonyms of bit and crew placed in the middle of a 2 letter synonym of location.

9d This cyclist might need closure after crashing during journey (7,4)
An anagram (after crashing) of CLOSURE inserted into (during) a 4 letter journey.

15d Bishop, say, into fruit — bon vivant (8)
How a bishop may be referred to (say) in RD’s favourite board game inserted into a type of fruit.

18d Worrier upset and hurt: sweet, saucy thing (7)
A 3 letter worrier reversed (upset) and a 4 letter hurt.

21d Reportedly untamed author (5)
The second homophone (reportedly) of a synonym of untamed.


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Roger Waters, in 1965, co-founder and bassist of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd and later lyricist, co-lead vocalist, and conceptual leader, is 77 today.  For those who don’t know much about Pink Floyd, this is from Wikipedia – “Gaining a following as a psychedelic pop group, they were distinguished for their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and elaborate live shows, and became a leading band of the progressive rock genre.” I presume that recreational pharmaceuticals were somewhere in there. This is Pink Floyd’s only UK number one from 1979, the major success appears to have been with albums:


 

45 comments on “ST 3072 (Hints)

  1. Can’t disagree with Senf’s difficulty assessment as I can’t remember the last time, if ever, I’ve waltzed through a Dada in under **time. Other than the SE corner it was all plain sailing & that yielded after the 25a penny dropped. Although not difficult I thought there were some lovely clues & I’ll plump for a podium of 12&25a with 9d in top spot.
    Thanks Dada & Senf
    Ps very pleasant Everyman this week & similarly straightforward.

  2. A very pleasant Sunday stroll today which I rattled through unhinted. I liked 12a and 13a the most. Lots to eat today 5d 22a 18d make a fine meal for a 15d.
    Thanks to Senf and Dada
    I have plenty of time to have a go at the supposedly easier EV and at least I have got a start which is more than usual for these puzzles.

  3. This was the usual fine Dada Sunday Crossword, with a few wily clues mixed in with the straightforward ones.It took me a while to get going today but I ended up finishing in 2* time and with 4* for enjoyment. I particularly liked 12a and 7d. Thank goodness the paper arrived unimpeded by protesters, thanks to Senf for the hints and thanks to Dada.

  4. My brain just shut down at 25a mainly because I couldn’t de-code 18d, and so I failed to finish my first Dada without electronic aid: Onions to me! Settled for one digital gift (a letter, which turned out to be a ‘g’ in 25a) and thereby hangs a tale. I’ll never forget that ‘sweet, saucy thing’ at 18d, which I had never heard of and which looks rather messy (though I’ll bet it tastes yummy). Otherwise, a really enjoyable Sunday treat of a puzzle, with my favourites 9d. 15d, and 12a. Thanks to Senf and to Dada.

    Yes, Everyman is a delight today.

    1. The brain is a funny thing Robert. After finishing the Everyman I returned to last week’s one which I’d looked at once or twice during the week & couldn’t crack 6 clues for the life of me. Must have been something in the muesli this morning as I rattled them off one after the other…
      Am sufficiently emboldened to have a stab at the MPP which is bound to bring me back down to earth with a thud

  5. Sadly needed my trusty electronic friend for one clue and some clever misdirection,but got there in the end.
    Took a while to start and S E corner was last in.
    This week’s offerings seem to have been harder than usual, or maybe old age is messing with my brain.
    My mum always told me not to get old !

  6. Stone me and I thought yesterdays was tough! Very satisfying to finish one this tricky. Some super clues such as 4a and 22a. Needed some electronic help to confirm the answers to 9d and 25a (both clever but very cryptic).
    At least this week we only have to solve the electronic clues once! I did get an answer from the DT saying it had corrected the problem by 7.30pm Sunday but the email didn’t arrive until Tuesday. Hey ho! Don’t suppose anyone actually wins the prize anyway.
    Thx to all
    ****/***

    1. Yes Brian – I have won twice, over a period of some 40 years! A pack of DT Paying cards and a couple of years ago a very smart notebook, pen and pencil. Of course, way back when you had to cut it out and pay it so goodness knows how much I have contributed to Royal Mail coffers over the years.

      1. I send in rarely but won the last time I did. What annoys me currently is that if you submit the electronic version which comes with the DT subscription you are entering a different competition – one sponsored by Amazon. There is no way of submitting the screen shot to DT who require the coupon and the postal address. I can’t do that as I made a mess of the entries so as to make part of it illegible! It does not tell you you are not entering the DT competition – you have to work that out for yourself!

  7. 2.5*/4*. This was a lot of fun. 4a was an exemplary all-in-one and makes it onto my podium alongside 12a & 9d.

    Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.

  8. Good challenge that seemed to be passing quickly until I noticed a nearly blank NW corner. Strange how often we seem to struggle with different quarters.
    Still, completed without needing Senf’s efforts. On balance it was slightly towards the easier end of the spectrum.
    COTD 15d, wish I could say I was one.
    Thanks to Dada for the entertainment & Senf for the enlightenment.

  9. It took me a little while to get going but it all fell into place nicely. I wasn’t too sure where the bishop fitted in to 15d so thanks for the hint on that. Likewise 24a. I was still trying to locate a skirt of some sort in the answer. All becomes clear. ***/*** Favourite 9d. Thanks to all.

  10. Senf, the lurker at 11a is very much hinted at by the second word of the clue.
    My top favourites this Sunday are 8a and 1d for their superb surfaces and very well disguised answers.

    1. You might have misunderstood the ‘unhinted’ in my preamble – I am using it to indicate that I am not providing a hint for 11a. But, of course, there is a lurker indicator within the clue.

      1. Of course! Silly me. Apologies and thanks for all your Sunday blogs. I always read them but rarely comment.

  11. I found this quite a struggle, and got within inches of the line, but just couldn’t see 4a. I had taken the ‘primarily’ to act solely on the ‘as’ and was therefore looking for a five-lettered mountain. Darn it.

    Over in ***/**** time, with COTD 13a.

    Many thanks to Dada and Senf. (And, yes, thank-you, I did get my dead tree version today, containing much “XR are a bunch of *******” content!)

  12. Finished without needing the hints but it was a bit of a slog. No real favourites and no smiles. Perhaps it’s the weather or the endless clearing in the garden with more to come. Or even both.

    Thanks to Senf and Dada.

  13. Phew, what a relief to have the paper sitting between us at lunchtime. That’s put paid to visions of George and me sitting at either end of a baronial dining table. That only happens at dinner. But enough of this cosy DT chat, Bill wouldn’t approve. A lovely puzzle 1d was so neat and so it continued down to the concise definition at 25a. And to make the meal complete, a young friend, young enough to be my daughter, came round with a cake straight out of the oven as she knew how low I am at the moment. Truly blessed, despite the knee! Thanks to Dada and Senf for the Xword and hints.

  14. At 3.00 a.m. I was staring at a blank grid having failed to get anywhere but then at 6.30 a.m. I tried again and suddenly started seeing the answers. Got there! I sometimes think my brain is like one of those little plastic puzzles we used to have as children – a maze that you had to tip and turn to get the little ball bearing into the hole in the centre. My single brain cell eventually drops into place and I suddenly have common sense and a bit of knowledge. Doesn’t last though………… :-) possibly because some of the puzzles had mercury rather than ball bearings…….
    No real favourites, but altogether pretty enjoyable.

  15. Got side-tracked by the EV today although not sure that those are ever really going to be my scene.
    Enjoyed this one though and awarded podium places to 1,4&12a plus 3d.

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints – never saw the appeal of Pink Floyd but obviously others did at the time!

    1. Very pleased with my full EV I have to say. A big spin off is the quietness allows me to have a conversation at normal volume in the car despite needing ear trumpets.
      With a South facing house & as big a solar array as I am allowed for a domestic supply linked to all my domestic supplies & the car charging point I am doing my bit to stop ER needing to worry themselves. If only I understood the problem.

      1. got most of the EV too but cant make anything fit 1 and 34a I must have some errors in the crossing letters

  16. For my part Dada wasn’t that benevolent but then again I do usually find it hard to locate his wavelength. However I did enjoy grappling with today’s challenge. Associations with that game often escape me as per 15d. Back in fooled me in 10a so it was my last to go in – silly me! 25a raised a giggle so I’ll make it my Fav. Thank you Dada and Senf. Lot to read today as have received all yesterday’s DT sections bar the News in addition to today’s complete newspaper.

  17. Great puzzle today. Not sure why 25a took me so long but all very enjoyable so thanks to all. Lovely to see the cricket back on the Beeb but not nice to see Morgan’s discollated finger! Ouch!

  18. **/****. Another good Sunday puzzle. I thought 25a was a very good clue and raised a smile when I twigged the answer. Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  19. I found this rather tricky but I did complete it. I’m not sure how and I look forward to the explanations next week so I may understand the parsing of a few.
    ‘The Parsing Of A Few’ sounds like an Agatha Christie thriller in which crossword compilers are knocked off, one by one, and Poirot is called upon to find the killer.

    Not much of a Pink Floyd fan but David Gilmour is an incredibly gifted guitarist. I rather enjoyed their psychedelic ‘Astronomy Domine’ period but lost interest somewhat as they morphed into the ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ era and onwards towards their current ‘not speaking’ imbroglio.

    Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  20. I agree that this was a bit easier than Sundays can be sometimes.
    Most of it seemed reasonably OK and then it all went horribly wrong in the top right hand corner.
    I got the answers but the ‘why’ part of quite a few took some sorting out – don’t think I’ll try to go into individual clues as it really was just me being dim.
    I also missed the homophone indicator in 3d although it had to be what it was – ‘by the ears’ to me meant the first and last letters of ‘the’ – see, I said I was being dim today. Oh well.
    I liked 1 and 4a and 9d. My favourite, eventually, was 12a.
    Thanks to Dada and to Senf.

  21. A nice Sunday puzzle from Dada that was right up my alley. **/**** Another good breakfast coffee morning spent.
    Some great clues like 23a, 25a 7d & 18d and there is no winner today. Too hard to pick.They all win in my mind.

    Thanks to Dada and Senf for the hints

  22. I thought 12a was an excellent clue and was easily my COTD. Overall this a pleasantly testing but fair challenge which I thoroughly enjoyed completing.

    Thanks very much Dada and Senf.

  23. I’m in the friendly Dada today camp; not saying it was easy, I always find his puzzles hard, but I was able to solve all but one, 18d. I am familiar with it, just stupid. As always, I find it hard to fathom the “why”. I knew the 4a animal, but completely missed the mountain, thanks for the explanation Senf. Likewise15d and a few others.
    There were so many that I liked, not sure I can pick out just one for fave.
    Thanks to Dada for the fun and Senf for his help for the “why”. I think I must be getting Dada’s wavelength – bite your tongue, next week will be so hard I’ll quit halfway!

  24. Rattled along until the SE corner but all fell into place after 25a clicked. Good puzzle. Even Brian enjoys Dada now.

  25. I’m afraid this falls into the “straightforward until it wasn’t” category for me. I hadn’t realised there was an alternative spelling for 5d, I’ve only seen it with an e, and never heard of 22a or 18d. Favourite was 12a. Never got the chance to solve yesterday’s as the DT site wouldn’t let me print the crossword, I’ll refrain from saying what I think of the XR morons who seem to believe in freedom of speech only if it conforms to their narrow narrative. Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  26. This puzzle made me wonder if I’m losing the plot – I failed to spot the obvious and I really couldn’t get onto Dada’s wavelength whatsoever. It completely defeated me leaving me totally demoralised. Thanks Dada you win hands down this time :-) At least I can go to bed happy in the knowledge that the Aussie cricket team are likely to be feeling equally as defeated as I do. :-)

  27. 3*4*……
    liked 16A “flock in ignorance got lost (12)”
    I know that I have 13A correct, but I am puzzled by the parsing of the first third of the answer,

      1. Thanks-that is what I had thought, but seemed to me there was a lacking in synonymity-(ie all “a”‘s are “b”‘s but not all “b”‘s are “a”‘s)-still I suppose that is crosswords for you.

  28. Favourites 12 and 25a and 1d. 13a very clever but had me foxed for a long time as I had the wrong last letter for 5d. Now I cannot parse 5d which I thought I could before. I had two spellings for fish both of which required the incorrect letter. Thank you Dada and Senf (perhaps you can let me know where I’m wrong when you wake up!)

    1. You need a verbal synonym of fish, which I think is becoming a ‘favourite device’ of Dada’s, with the last latter removed (shortly) and reversed (up).

  29. A very unusual puzzle for me because I solved it alone and unaided.
    I was held up for a while by putting a wrong answer in for 23a, but 21d soon put that right.
    Have been waiting hopefully for years to see the clue at 25a…..definitely my favourite because of its silliness.

    Late in reporting as I have not had the time until today to get this one done. It’s the plums…..20lbs in the freezer, 9 jars of plum ketchup plus 6 jars of plum jam in the cupboard…..and the apples are almost ready now too, so I expect next week will be another busy one.

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf and hurrah for me!

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