DT 30113 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30113 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30113 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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On a very sunny but chilly October morning here in East Kent, we have a Saturday Prize Puzzle where, not only do we have to play Guess the Setter, we have a set of clues where your blogger wasn’t entirely sure which ones to hint! I have my thoughts on the name of the setter and your comments will tell me whether I’ve picked the right clues – if I haven’t picked those you are struggling with, see it if/they are anagrams!

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

8a    Fuss having tea reportedly by ditch (8)
A homophone (reportedly) of an informal term for a drink of tea followed by a type of ditch forming a barrier between a garden and parkland without interrupting the view

10a    Harry to keep on complaining (3)
A double definition – to annoy continually or to persistently complain

13a    Went along after another all the way and completed the stroke (8,7)
Part of a verb which means the same thing as the first four words of the clue and an adverb meaning all the way

15a    Underneath bed in part of play (7)
A prefix meaning underneath and a garden bed

21a    Too much for boss of boat race crew? (3,4,3,5)
An informal expression meaning have too much to drink could be a description of the boss of a boat race crew

26a    Punishment with nothing getting in the way (3)
The letter representing nothing inserted into an abbreviated way

28a    In part of church, finally buried genius? (8)
The first word of the clue followed by part of a church and the final letter of buried

Down

1d    A South American city so songlike (6)
A (from the clue), a South American city and SO (from the clue)

2d    Common to both Greek character and you in Paris taking nearly everything (6)
A letter of the Greek alphabet and the French word (as used in Paris) for you plus (taking) a truncated (nearly) synonym for everything

7d    Reacting in rash fashion? (8)
A cryptic definition of a condition that may make you react in a rash

16d    Weakened the spirit (8)
Nothing to do with diluting alcohol, more to do with disheartening or discouraging a person

17d    Likely to be on the cards (8)
I toyed briefly with the idea that this might be an all-in-one clue, but decided that it was a double definition as the definitions are very slightly different to each other

19d    Fix the match gear (3)
Double definition – the first being an informal way of saying fix the match, the other a synonym for gear

23d    Rush experiences with half-hearted youth (6)
A simple way of saying experiences and a youth without one of the middle letters (half-hearted)

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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!

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.

If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then save yourself (and me) a lot of trouble and don’t leave a comment.


The Quick Crossword pun: ART + TEASE + IAN + WELLS = ARTESIAN WELLS

59 comments on “DT 30113 (Hints)

  1. As I’m prone to not 13a with driver in hand it’ll have to be my favourite in a puzzle that I found as straightforward as yesterday’s was tricky.
    Thanks to the setter & CS

  2. A couple of new words for me in 1d and 11a, but all doable with the wordplay and checkers.
    Fairly straightforward solve, though it took an age to get 15a for some reason, which then allowed me to get my LOI of 16d.
    Favourite was 9a.
    Thanks to all

  3. Very straightforward, with several clues seeming barely cryptic. I liked 8a (a lovely word) and 7d. Thanks to today’s setter and CS.

  4. What a relief after yesterdays problems (no idea who yesterdays setter was but I hope not to come across him/her again).
    Todays was a very enjoyable puzzle with a new word for me in 1d and two excellent clues in 9a and 13a.
    Must admit to googling 25a as I did not and still do not understand any part of the clue.
    Thanks to all
    ***/****

    1. Yesterday’s setter identified himself before you commented (Comment 16) and you will come across him again as, for the time being at least, he is a regular member of the Friday triumvirate.

      1. Indeed. Zandio has become one of my favourite back-page setters. I’d be very happy to see him every Friday!

        1. I am not sure that too many would agree with you on how often Zandio should ‘appear’ on a Friday!

      2. Me too. I have to remember not to look at the trajectory of the ball until I have completed the shot!

  5. Very refreshing after yesterday’s head-banger. I would say that the setter is likely not our pangram-man (it could be Chalicea; it’s that clever), but I think it’s someone else altogether. Really enjoyable, with 8a, 13a, 15a, & 21a my highlights. I also liked the three-letter clues, which got me going. Thanks to CS and today’s setter. ** / ****

    All four of my preferences won in the first round of the MLB (baseball) playoffs yesterday–yay! finished the 3rd Thursday Murder Club installment while watching the matches–never want to read about cryptocurrencies again! Ugh.

  6. My rating is 2*/3* for an enjoyable but not too taxing SPP.

    The pedant in me thinks that 3d might be considered as slightly inaccurate as “nameless” means “having no name” not “remove one name”.

    Like CS, I struggled to decide what type of clue 17d was either a (not really cryptic) CD or a same-sidey DD.

    I originally wrote in an alternative answer for 19d. My wrong answer fitted nicely a triple definition based on “fix”, “match” & “gear”, but it worried me because the “the” would then be surplus to requirements. The penny finally dropped after I solved 18a.

    8a was my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.

      1. Yes, it does Angelica, but that would involve the “lift and separate” device (i.e.: “nameless” becomes “name less”), which allegedly is not accepted by the editor in puzzles for the Telegraph.

  7. Two new words for me, 11a and 1d, constructed by experimenting.
    Slow to start, gathered pace.
    All round challenging and clever puzzle.
    Many thanks to the setter and crypticsue.

    1. Mostly straightforward, with a few clues rhat were barely cryptic, i got through this puzzle fairly quickly apart from the last few in the SE. I liked 11a, 18a, 21a and 22d. I’ve no idea who the setter is but tho ught that perhaps it might be someone new today. Thanks to CS for doing Saturday Club duty again and to the mystery compiler.

  8. Light and Floughie (sic) so my five bob, rightly or wrongly, is going on this being a Chalicea production – 1.5*/4.5*.

    Candidates for favourite – 8a, 9a, 15a, 18a, and 7d – and the winner is 8a.

    Thanks to Chalicea and CS.

  9. All good fun on such a beautifully sunny morning in West Sussex. Solving the four longuns made for a helpful launch to this friendly enigma. 11a and 1d new to me but now stored for future reference. Too many crafty clues to pick Fav(s). Thanks to Mysteron (didn’t feel like a Chalicea but who knows) and also to CS for offering a fall-back position.

  10. My first thought was that this was penned by our lady setter who is quite partial to throwing in the odd curved ball to keep us on our toes – 1d being a case in point. Nobody else has suggested her so perhaps I’ve got it wrong, wouldn’t be the first time!.
    I’m going with Robert’s choice of top clues – 8,13,15&21a.

    Thanks to our setter and to CS for the hints.

  11. A very pleasant and typically well-clued puzzle that contained my favourite, 21a. My 50p each way is going on Chalicea, so thanks to her and CS.

  12. Always nice to get through without aids……….but always disappointing when everyone rates it as “easy” in the comments…….crestfallen.

    17d of interest as, it seems to me, the end letter could be one of 2 (one nearer the start of the alphabet, and one nearer the end of the alphabet). Given I would like to send this in as a correct prize crossword, what does everyone think?……… Beginning? or end?

  13. What a fun solve, for me */****. I seldom whizz through as fast as this so thanks to the setter who seems to be on the same wavelength as I.
    Great long anagrams. I always think of 27a when visiting the Imperial War Museum…

  14. I really did laugh out loud (or LOL as they say which in my old fashioned book stands for lots of love) at 9a, very clever. I was proud of getting the golfy one but naturally got the boaty one. 15a gave the most angst and was last one in. I can see the problem about the last letter of 17 d and I too opted for the earlier letter. We had the flu jab this morning, our doctors working in the Village College. Hallo, she said, how nice to see you both! I thought that was rubbing salt in the wound, how often have I wanted to see her instead of having to tell the receptionist my symptoms and then being told to go to A & E or the chemist! I’m really annoyed that DD1 didn’t marry a nice doctor when she was nursing and we could have had our own in-house medic. Many thanks to the setter and Cryptic Sue for her hints.

    1. I am with you on LOL, Daisygirl. I was first exposed to the alternative about 15 years ago when one of my team sent me an email signed off with LOL, and I was much relieved when the newer meaning was explained to me.

    2. Flu jabs for him and me together yesterday too. We were called in together at 9.10 by two GPs in unison but ushered into different rooms. Wearing a mask mine could have been either of the two senior partners but, on reflection, he could have been Paul Sinha.

  15. Coming back after 3 weeks on the high seas, I’ll admit to using DanWord for 18a as my alternative ending for 6d gave me an answer that fitted part of the clue but was, I felt, too obscure for even the Saturday puzzle Just as well I’ve no interior of entering the competition after such blatant cheating.
    My COTD has to be 21a
    I do so sympathise with DG. Salt in wound indeed!

  16. I found this more difficult than most of the above bloggers, with 8a as a new word and 11a as new spelling. But great fun all the same with 9a as a brilliant clue. Thank you Cephas and DG!

  17. Great puzzle which I enjoyed from start to finish in one sitting. A first for me with 8a the supreme champion among many which on any day without a xxxxxxxx might have won. But a xxxxxxxxx is such a lovely word and wonderfully deflating when used to comment on some disagreement that the teller has inflated beyond the point of rationality.

    Thanks to Cephas and CS.

  18. Found this Saturday Cephas puzzle harder than normal for some reason.
    3*/4* for me today.

    Tough to get going with NW first area completed.. New word for me in 1d

    Favourites today include 8a, 9a, 18a, 21a & 25a with winner a toss up between 8a & 9a

    Thanks to Cephas and CS for hints

  19. 3/4. Quite a bit of head scratching to finish this. Enjoyable but required a bit of googling to confirm a couple of answers. Thanks to the setter and CS.

  20. Thanks to Cephas and CS, I particularly enjoyed 8a but lots of others to like. Seemed like we had a pretty white grid today but it might just be me.

  21. Very enjoyable.
    No real difficulties and no stand out COTD for me .
    LOI 23d , couldn’t be any thing else but I don’t think I would have parsed it correctly without the hint if I had looked at it for a week .

  22. A puzzle in the Goldilocks territory : not too hard and not too easy.
    Thanks to all concerned.

  23. Thank you Cephas, a lovely Saturday puzzle to accompany a whisky after an exhausting day.

    Thank you also to CS

  24. Mostly straightforward until it wasn’t but then we stuttered towards the end. 20d was a bung in which we still haven’t parsed and the same new words as others. Favourite was 7d. Thanks to Cephas and CS.

  25. Having miraculously completed the last two Saturday puzzles without any assistance, I found this weeks a real struggle, so was quite disheartened to read that most of you found it fairly easy. Whilst I parsed 22d with the letters I had making a part of Europe, the first half of the clue didn’t make sense at all. I managed to rearrange letters in 11a but checked it as I hadn’t heard of it before. I did enjoy the long answers which helped a bit with rest. Thank you to Cephas and CS for the hints.

  26. Thanks Cephas and CS. Sorry I’m a day late but had a day of flu jab, shopping, afternoon party, grocery delivery and evening quiz. I did not find it at all difficult but bow realise I most likely have 17d wrong. (Just changed that to avoid breaching the rules). 15a and 16 and 17d were last in. 5 12 21 and 27a and 5d are favourites. Least favourites 13 and 25a.

  27. A lovely wee puzzle – thank you setter. I had jabs yesterday too – do I need an excuse for leaving it till a relaxing Sunday morning? My favourite clue was 5d – great fun as I’m suffering from labyrinthitis!

  28. I hope that I am not breaking the rules, can anyone enlighten me as to 11a? I think it’s an anagram, but why is removed in the clue?

      1. Thanks Sue, I thought that might be the case. Still trying to workout why removed indicates an anagram though.
        I enjoyed the puzzle 8a my favourite.

        1. Move is in the list of anagram indicators but I can’t find remove – presumably we are supposed to read it as re-move, but then we didn’t move it in the first place so we can’t really move it again??

          1. Thanks Sue,I shall just accept that remove indicates anagram in this case.
            I see that you are also in East Kent, isn’t the weather glorious today?

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