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DT 30089 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30089 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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A pangram with anagrams – this Saturday Prize Puzzle has to be the work of Cephas

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

3a    Drunk with two men taken along the way, unusually (10)
An adjective meaning drunk and two men’s names

10a    Rabble-rouser with odd gait returning roster (8)
An anagram (odd) of GAIT followed by a reversal of a roster

20a    Was different entry included that was diversified in colour? (10)
An entry included into part of a verb meaning was different

22a    Feel acute embarrassment, His Excellency has court order first (6)
The abbreviation for His Excellency goes after a court order

23a    Religious wing (8)
A cryptic definition of the wing of a church or other religious building

24a    Appeal to restrict god’s excess (8)
The Scandinavian god of thunder is restricted or put inside an appeal

26a    Put one’s foot down (10)
A cryptic definition of what you do when you put your foot down while driving

Down

1d    Difficult situation in wet low-lying ground (8)
A double definition, the first one presumably getting its name from the second one

2d    Twelve-inch rung, it might be left in blanket covering the ground (8)
A measurement of twelve inches and a rung combine to give something that you might see in a blanket of snow, for example

5d    Weary end to game after squash rally (8)
To weary or annoy with tediousness and the ‘end’ to game go after a verb meaning to squash or squeeze tight

13d    Beam when Sarah turns up with leading lady (5)
A reversal (turns up) of the diminutive form of Sarah followed by the regnal cipher of our already much missed leading lady

16d    Blue piece of music, perhaps (8)
An emotional piece of music, a famous one having blue in its title

18d    Away with learner in charge, resulting in playful behaviour (6)
An adverb meaning away, the usual letter representing a learner and the abbreviation for in charge

23d    Inferior articles given a farewell (2-2)
Some inferior articles with (given) A (from the clue)

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The Quick Crossword pun: YEW + REEK + CARR = EUREKA

 

65 comments on “DT 30089 (Hints)

  1. Tougher than usual I thought for a Saturday back pager. But got there in the end the Pangram alert helping significantly as I located the J. Thanks to Cephas and CS for the hints which I was able to forego.

  2. Quickly identifiable as a Cephas pangram. All over in pretty short order without any head scratching though not used to seeing this spelling at 3a. Top 2 for me were 5d&24a.
    Thanks to Cephas & CS.
    Ps The third word in the Quickie pun was new to me. Bet I wasn’t the only one who thought it surely can’t be haar which would have fitted the pun but not the definition.

    1. I think it’s mainly northern dialect. Mrs N and I had a little trouble with it. Like you we reckoned it couldn’t be ‘haar’ and then it dawned! Chambers defines it as “(a copse, esp of willow, in) boggy ground”.

    2. I lived in the Wilmslow area for quite a few years and the lovely walking area on the edge of town was called The third word of the pun only pluralised. Now at least I know why – it certainly answered the description.

        1. Was it the famous Harlow Carr, the Royal Horticultural Society’s famous site? I’ve always wanted to see it.

        2. Ah, thank you, John — I’d failed to make the connection! Yes, that does make sense. And also makes me think we should visit there again soon.

          Spouse and I made the mistake of visiting it early one November on a rare child-free day (both children at school, being collected by grandparents); what we’d failed to take into account was Harrogate (North Yorkshire) having different school holidays to Ilkley (Bradford Council), and so the attractions that day included a trail based on a popular Julia Donaldson–Axel Scheffler picture book — and our child-free day turned out to feature rather more children than we’d anticipated.

  3. 3*/3*. This was all going smoothly until I got held up for quite a while in the NE corner. Being on pangram alert eventually got me over the finishing line.

    I enjoyed this apart from my usual gripe (twice) in 3a, and I am not sure why “unusually” is needed. 23a seems to me to be a totally non-cryptic definition.

    My podium comprises 14a, 24a (lovely word) & 5d.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.

    1. RD, 3a. I suspect that the “unusually” is there to indicate that the spelling of the answer is unusual. I’ve never spelled it like that before.

      1. That’s what I think. it was my last one in. Got the first four letters and guessed the last two but could not think of a word that fitted.

  4. Tough as always on Saturday but apart from the rather clumsy 3a and 5d for which I needed the hints all were well clued.
    My fav was 26a. Little too churchy for me but on the whole enjoyable.
    Thx to all
    ****/****

      1. It is a double definition clue – the synonym for equipment also being, as Celia says, something you change when driving/cycling up or down a hill

  5. Silly me, I first thought that ‘drunk’ was an anagram indicator in 3a, and that held me up a bit until I remembered this was likely a Cephas pangram. And that Eureka! moment led nicely to 5d, my COTD, followed by 24a and (what else but the greatest orchestral piece of the 20th C, IMHO) 16d. Thanks to CS and Cephas. ** / ****

    1. As others have said, tougher than the usual Saturday puzzle, especially in the NE. Some of the clues were very oblique and cryptic i n an understated way like 26d. I liked some of the charades and lego clues like 3a, very subtle and 24a and 9a too. For once, the pangram was a help. Thanks to Cephas and to CS for the hints.

    2. An excellent Picaroon prize puzzle in the Graun today. Well worth a look. Trust that you’re swerving the NYT following Jasanoff’s opinion piece.

      1. Don’t know what or whom you’re referring to, Huntsman. Jasanoff? ‘Swerving the NYT’? Please enlighten me. I did finish a very punishing NYT puzzle this morning, but it took all I had. Thanks for the heads-up on the Guardian Prize; I’ll try to get to it this weekend.

        1. Oh my goodness…I just found the dreadful piece by Maya Jasanoff…haven’t had time to read opeds in the NYT this week…what horrible judgment by the editorial staff…is nothing sacred?

  6. Couldn’t see why the 3rd word in 6a was pluralised otherwise after much contemplation (whilst watching the Proclamation) all was straightforward — but did need Sue’s hints for 3a/5d. Thank you Sue and Cephas

    1. Celia, I think you must mean 6d (as opposed to 6a) in which case I agree with you – see my 13 comment below.

  7. Brilliant puzzle today, a real brain-stretcher, thought I was beaten after about ten minutes as I’d only got a few in, but stuck with it doggedly.
    Some really clever clues which needed a bit of the lateral again today.
    My two favourites were 4 and 5d.

  8. Last in 1d.
    But it should not have been.
    As there were far more difficult and brilliant clues.
    Excellent puzzle, loved especially 5 and 16d.
    Many thanks, Cephas and CS.

  9. Is Cephas having a little laugh with us, with the first syllable of 3a and 23d?
    Thanks to our Saturday setter and CS too

  10. So obviously an entertaining Cephas pangram I didn’t do a ‘roll call’ of the alphabet on completion – 2.5*/3.5*.

    Perhaps a bit of an unintentional Oops in 13d.

    Move one letter in a four letter anagram, 10a, Hmm.

    Candidates for favourite – 14a, 24a, and 17d – and the winner is 14a.

    Thanks to Cephas and CS.

  11. I found this at the trickier end for a Saturday puzzle, not helped by bunging in the wrong answer at 15d. The pangram came to my aid for 1d and 3a, and I eventually fell over the line.
    All in all a very enjoyable challenge, I’ll pick 4d as a favourite for the PDM when I finally understood the wordplay.
    Thanks to Cephas and CS

  12. Late in for me – new tablets prescribed by the GP are making me sleep the clock round, although sadly don’t seem to be doing the job they were intended to do!
    No real issues with this pangram just a silly spelling mistake in 20a that caused a few moments grief.
    Top three here were 14a plus 4&5d.

    Thanks to Cephas and to CS for the hints.

  13. Still with one eye on tv I gradually came to terms with this fun enigma with SE holding out longest. 2d is a bit obtuse IMHO. Is 4d in fact equipment and likewise is 23a always religious? Can’t see why plural in 6d clue. Fav 14a. Thank you Cephas and CS.

  14. Thanks for your kind comments.
    What is wrong with ‘churchy’ Brian? You will find more religious words in general knowledge crosswords. I compile three crosswords each month for religious publications.

    1. In the absence of a reply from the dissident – there is nothing wrong with it. I assume from Brian’s aversion to religious clues that he is a non-believer. My take on that is that you do not have to be religious to be able to solve a clue with that theme. I don’t play chess, golf or cricket but I have learnt some of the terms so that I am not handicapped.

  15. Another enjoyable Saturday puzzle . I should know this by now having done crosswords for a while but what is the BRB? Big red book is one possibility but that’s not very helpful.

    1. It is a Frequently Asked Question so you could find the answer by clicking on FAQ at the top of the page.

      Chambers Dictionary is a Big Red Book so it is usually referred to as the BRB

  16. 3a gave me the most trouble, I don’t know why! I liked 14a and 24. So much going on at the moment, it is hard to keep up! Thanks to Sue and Cephas or maybe Cephas and Sue, either way it sounds very odd!

  17. We found this challenging but we were on pangram alert after 7d which helped. We also noticed the oops in 13d. Most enjoyable though. Favourite was 14a. Thanks to Cephas and CS

  18. 24a was my runaway favourite from this very enjoyable if slightly tricky pangram. It took me longer than it should have done to complete it, and looking back at my answers I fail to see why why. Must be that famous wavelength thing.

    My thanks to Cephas for the fun, and to CS.

  19. Nice to have a Cephas pangram again this Saturday. A pleasant stroll through the puzzle today.
    2.5*/4* for me today.

    Favourite candidates today include 3a, 24a, 26a, 1d & 17d — with winner 3a … with 26a close behind for the misdirection.

    23d made me smile as did 22a & 15d

    Thanks to Cephas and CS for hints.

  20. Rather slow going for me – perhaps being distracted by tv viewing of regal proclamation and then the cricket hasn’t helped.
    Pangram alert helped for 1d. Last ones in were 16d and 23a which together with 26a and 3a I felt were rather unsatisfactory clues
    Overall a **/* rating I thought
    Thanks to Cephas and CS for the usual high quality review

  21. Quite a struggle for me and only got there with 3a and 5d thanks to spotting the missing letter in the pangram…..lots of clever clueing without any standout favourites

  22. A dnf for me today.

    I needed the hint for 1d.

    20 and 23 across are new words to me.

    I only managed to get 16d once I had the checkers after getting the answers to 20 and 23a elsewhere.

    I still don’t understand how the first three letters of 18d are “away”.

    Enjoyed what I could solve.

    Thanks to all.

      1. I, and crossword answer sites, must have got the wrong word because the online version of the BRB has nothing for the three letters I have.

      2. After further research I have found the answer. I doubt if anyone outside of crosswordland has ever used this word to mean away (the men in white coats would be called if they did). Back, at a stretch maybe, but away…

        Obviously this is common knowledge with everyone else, so it is my ignorance at fault.

  23. Above my paygrade.

    Needed almost all of the hints plus some electronic help.
    Must try harder.

    Thanks to Cephas and to crypticsue

  24. Finished having had to look up 10 letter words beginning with the first four letters. I guess this alternative spelling is in the BRB but I find it so heavy to pick up. Some of the ones I found difficult sprang to life when I had a break to watch some more TV. With regard to TV I don’t know which was worse – David Cameron in blue at the proclamation or Huw Edwards in black five hours before HM’s death was announced. Favourites 20 and 24a. I should add 3a for the word play. Then 3 4 5 6 and 17d. I would add 2d but feel that the answer does not quite fit the definition. The first four letters are fine but would need a five letter word to give the answer. thank you Cephas and CS.

      1. I think some people like me remain permanently logged into the old site and that, I hope, is why it is still working for us.

    1. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/puzzles/
      is the new site. I believe the old site is still operating for a while but for how long nobody knows. Others have had problems accessing their accounts in the new site but best I can offer is to wish you luck.
      I am concerned that I may have difficulty getting the toughie for tomorrow’s blog at the stroke of midnight. The alternative of waiting for the dead tree to arrive would leave me little time to solve and blog.

  25. The new site doesn’t seem to work on my (old and slow) iPad…..I can’t see the bottom of the puzzle and the keyboard doesn’t appear, so I can’t fill in even what I can see…..is anyone else having similar problems?

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