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DT 30413 (Hints)

by crypticsue  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30413 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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A beautiful, but very chilly, September morning brings what I thought was a fairly typical Saturday Prize Puzzle

Another crossword where it is hard to select which clues to hint.  Quite a few of the ones I haven’t hinted are anagrams or hidden words, but if you are still stuck, just ask and I’ll help where I can without breaking the red rules

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

1a    Blundered, as writer failed to charm? (10)
Made a mistake when writing something does sound like it could also mean what would happen if a witch failed to charm

12a    Trendy wife stops performing in choir? (8)
An informal synonym for trendy – the abbreviation for Wife inserted into (stops) what someone is doing if they are performing in a choir

17a    Corbyn perhaps returned, then departed to find banker (7)
A reversal (returned) of a colour associated with things left-wing (Jeremy Corbyn being an example of such a person) followed by a simple way of saying departed combine to give the name of a river (banker)

19a    My boss stops me for dancing in play (7)
The abbreviated boss of the setter ‘stops’ or goes inside an anagram (dancing) of ME FOR

27a    Produce I have is serviceable (9)
A verb meaning to produce and an abbreviated way of saying I have

28a    Mail for one person who does the cleaning? (5)
The Mail is an example (for one) of a regularly appearing newspaper; the same word can also refer to someone who does the cleaning

30a    Taught once more to keep son under control (10)
Part of a verb meaning taught once more into which is inserted (to keep) the abbreviation for son

Down

1d    Pointers obtained from trio in nursery rhyme? (4)
Computer ‘pointers’ or three creatures in a nursery rhyme

5d    Promised good period of time in conclusion (7)
The abbreviation for good and a period of time inserted into a conclusion

9d    Ascertains size of hands and feet, for example (8)
A double definition – the first relating to a verb and the second to what hands and feet are examples of

16d    Rambling about being put in charge (8)
The usual ‘about, on the subject of’ inserted into a verb meaning to charge with a crime

18d    Happiness over English vicar’s first promotion (9)
A synonym for happiness goes ‘over’ the abbreviation for English and the first letter of vicar

20d    Church in Spain supports graduate organisation (7)
The abbreviation for Church, IN (from the clue) and the IVR Code for Spain ‘supports’ or goes after in a Down solution, an abbreviated graduate

26d    Got a good look at fish, we hear (4)
A homophone (we hear) of a type of fish

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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: OWE + POSY + SHUN = OPPOSITION

62 comments on “DT 30413 (Hints)”

  1. It’s probably me but I found this a little harder than usual. I didn’t solve many on the first pass but the checkers they gave led me into the rest but a few needed some head scratching. Plenty to like though and my COTD is 21a.

    Many thanks to the setter for the fun challenge. Thank you, CS for the hints.

    Sent off for The Mythical and received an acknowledgment this time.

    The Quickie pun raised a huge groan!

    A very Happy Birthday to Orphan Annie. :rose:

  3. I had a similar experience to Steve, not many at first pass but subsequent passes and checkers eventually led to a full grid.
    My first thought for 19a was wrong but I came up with a somewhat creative parsing of my error, but as it is a Prize Puzzle I will try and remember to pop back for the review. When 20d came to me it provided the checker that made me rethink 19a and became my COTD.
    Thanks to CS and setter

  4. 1.5*/3.5*. Nothing here to frighten the horses and good fun all the way.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.

  5. After breezing through the top half, I found it difficult to get a start in the the bottom half of this guzzle. However, o ce a few checkers went in, it fell into place. It was a really enjoyable crossword, made all the more so because of yesterday’s DNF. There were some clever double definitions , which I particularly liked. 4d was my COTD and 14d, 19d and 24a were pretty good clues too. Thanks to CS for the hints and to the cimpiler.

  6. A pleasant Saturday cryptic with the odd self-inflicted head-scratcher (like trying to fit Jeremy into 17a!). Good fun.
    Thanks to our setter & CS.

  7. It was a joy today to immediately find the friendly wavelength particularly after my DNS (start) yesterday. To coin a phrase, CS, it was one of your tasty products with all wholly credible clues. Fav 20a once I had realised that something like ‘iglesia’ didn’t come into it and the other podium places go to 19a and 6a. Thank you sympatico setter and CS.

    2. I have a feeling that, if I knew what you were on about, you might both be in wrong answer territory but as I haven’t, I’ll leave you unredacted

  9. Not quite the breeze it initially looked like it was going to be. 16d&19a the two head scratchers that extended the solve to ** time. Very pleasant to complete in the sunshine bathing the first tee & I’m guessing a welcome respite for many after the demands of yesterday.
    Thanks to the setter & to CS

    1. Not as easy as some Saturdays, but I’m probably still shell-shocked from the last couple of days.

      Some nice clues, especially the Corbyn one and the actors. 20d was a bit oblique.

      Time for a curry.

  10. A very enjoyable SPP – **/****.

    But, no double unches, not a pangram (but that doesn’t seem to matter any more), Chalicea Toughie on Tuesday (is that significant?). Having had two successful days on Wednesday and Thursday, I might just keep my half-crowns in my pocket. Oh, what the heck, cautiously, one half-crown on Cephas.

    Candidates for favourite – 17a, 16d, 18d, and 26d – and the winner is 26d.

    Thanks to Cephas, or whomsoever if my two and six goes down the drain, and thanks to CS.

  11. An entertaining SPP for a sunny but slightly chilly Saturday morning in NE Scotland.

    Favourites include 19a, 28a and 5d.

    Off to watch Keith play Luncarty in the first round of the Scottish Cup.

    Thanks to setter and crypticsue.

  12. Today’s NTSPP is Alchemi’s last crossword – it isn’t one of his most difficult and as I said to Mr CS over lunch, what a pity he won’t know how enjoyable I (and hopefully others) found it. Do give it a go and see how you get on

  13. Nice and breezy solve for a Saturday in which 12a made me smile in remembrance of Norman Vaughan’s catchwords and thumb gestures.
    Ticks here went to 2&16d and I’m keeping my half crowns in my pocket – not as brave as Senf!

    I’d second CS’s recommendation of the NTSPP – seems sad that it is the last of Alchemi’s puzzles we’ll ever get to solve.

    Thanks to our setter and to CS for the review and the laugh-out-loud illustration.

    Many happy returns to our little Orphan Annie.

  14. A bit trickier than usual I thought. I have got there but not without a few stumbles and the need to peek at the hints only to discover my problem was I had accidentally put a wrong letter in which had caused my problem. Very enjoyable and satisfying to solve.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints.

    Beautiful sunshine today although still an autumnal nip in the air.

  15. Ironically I xxxxxxxx 1a which threw off the down clues. The US version just doesn’t look right, even more so when it’s not xxxxx correctly.

    Like a lot of others, I found the top half pretty easy going but I’ve ground to a halt on the bottom, but it’ll keep me busy later on. But first the shed needs tidied, seems like it was only last week I did it. There’ll be spiders galore at this time of year, which means a convenient excuse for Mrs.D to avoid helping.

    I’ve not managed to spot individual setters yet, so thanks to whoever it may be and as always a big thanks to CS for the welcome hints.

    1. D’oh!!! I totally missed that….apologies. Please delete the entire comment, spiders and all

  16. So sorry, Senf, I thought that this week you would get it right! Yes, I’ll be there on Tuesday, too and in tomorrow’s EV (a nice easy one to encourage solvers to have a go). As always, I am delighted that solvers are enjoying this one and finding it entertaining. CL is in there too, as usual. In 28a, for example, I had a hard-working ‘lady’ like crypticsue’s lovely illustration but an editorial tweak told me that it is not always ladies who do the cleaning and we try to avoid that kind of sexism – so she became a ‘person’.

    2. I should have guessed it was one of yours, a tad more difficult than usual, but very enjoyable and doable. Thank you.

    3. Thanks ‘whomsoever’ but you will have seen that cautiously only half-a-crown went down the drain.

      I am already looking forward to your Tuesday Toughie.

  17. For me a puzzle of 2 halves. The right hand side was almost R&W in some clues but the left was a different story. However, apart from struggling with 19a (play?) the rest yielded to careful thought.
    Some super clues in 1a and 17a but my fav because it made me smile was 1d. Very enjoyable puzzle.
    Thx to all esp the hints for explaining 16d.
    ***/****

  18. Rather fine puzzle. Liked 12a because I can remember when it was common parlance. Also liked 4d. because it was so obvious once you got it. I will believe the pen exists when I get it otherwise it is like quantum physics which I don’t get .
    Many thanks to the whole Big Dave community.

  19. Went in with all guns blazing but then came to a standstill with a couple of teasers. 14d was LOI.
    Some nice deviation and misdirection – I shall be jostling with Steve for the Mythical. Happy Birthday to everyone and enjoy the sun whilst it lasts. Thanks to the Setter and the indefatigable CS. Incidentally I have not said thankyou for the reinstatement of the email notifications. How nice to get them back.

      1. The definition is artists. A reversal of a type of theatre followed by an adjective meaning old and the last letter of costumes

    2. Happy birthday to ‘everyone’? That’s very nice but I am not sure what you mean. It’s not the blog’s birthday is it?

      1. It is bound to be somebody’s birthday, isn’t it? The birthday banners are up ( on the heading of the blog) for Orphan Annie – so I was just being friendly. 🥰

        1. I remember when Orphan Annie used to comment regularly on the BD blog. Seems like many years ago!

          Hope she is well!

          Wonder if she is related to Annie Oldiron?

  20. Another nice Saturday puzzle this week with the bottom half taking me 2X the time of the top half. Nothing was clicking in the south for the longest time. Overall a good puzzle in the end, though.

    2*/3.5* for me, today

    Favourites include 1a, 10a, 12a, 30a, 4d & 23d with winner 10a/4d toss up

    Thanks to setter and CS for hints/blog

  21. We felt there were a few stretched synonyms but everything progressed smoothly. Favourite was 14d. Thanks to Chalicea and CS.

        1. Oh thank you, I had the answer but couldn’t work out why. Some more straightforward clues, others rather challenging. I loved 1d – my last one in.

  25. A trickier Saturday but doable and enjoyable. I had a problem with parsing a few, now all explained. There were quite a few that stood out, mainly 1d, 9d, 14d now I know the why, and 21a, but others amused as well.
    Thank you Chalicea for the fun and CS for the enlightenment.

  27. Whizzed through then
    Abruptly stopped in the
    South East.
    An age until it all nicely
    Fell into place, 14d
    Being the culprit until this particular
    Penny dropped.
    Thanks setter and CS.

  28. Absolutely no relation to cryptics but, in an age when it is increasingly difficult to get satisfaction from major companies, I had a pleasant experience today.

    I have a Fitbit Sense watch. Yesterday the battery would not charge. I tried everything suggested on Fitbit’s web site but it still refused to charge up.

    I contacted Fitbit. No hassle. A replacement watch is on its way to me.

    That is service!

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