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DT 30497 (Hints)

by crypticsue  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30497 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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The last Saturday of 2023 brings a very grey and gloomy morning but hopefully the Prize Puzzle will have brought some cheer to your morning. I was amused this morning to find that, unusually for the week after Christmas, there was not a single crème egg on display, although I could if I wanted have chosen from a huge display of Valentine cards.

I have already emailed the ‘contact us’ option to report this problem but if anyone from Telegraph Towers is reading this, I am not at all amused by the fact that, since Thursday,  the Old Puzzles Site refuses to let me open the crossword to solve the puzzle but instead insists I subscribe to the New Site, although I can open links such as the ‘Toughie Compilers list’ on the Old one. I subscribe to both, and each recognises my alias and welcomes me, so why it won’t let me open the puzzle on the old site is beyond me, not least because the Word template for a blog post works with the old puzzles but not with the new so it takes extra time to prepare the template and then draft a blog post (and this is my weekend to prepare three Telegraph puzzle posts!)

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

9a    Fish served with duck’s tongue (5)
A fish of the cod family and the cricket score known as a duck

12a    Odd speller in Scrabble? (7)
The capital S in Scrabble is there to mislead. A slang word meaning odd and a person who casts spells

14a    Found priest quiet nursing wound (9)
An Old Testament priest often found in crosswords and an interjection asking for quiet ‘nursing’ a verb meaning to wound with a pointed weapon

16a    Fancy nabbing extremely serious politician for media event? (5,10)
The liking of one thing more than another ‘nabbing’ the extreme letters of SeriouS and an abbreviated member of a particular political party

23a    Bear in one piece one hears? Indeed one does! (7)
A verb meaning to bear or carry something heavy and a homophone (one hears) of an adjective meaning in one piece

25a    Get into trouble – look inside for crew member (2-5)
An archaic interjection meaning look goes ‘inside’ an informal way of saying ‘get into trouble

28a    Grind away in bar in central Greece? (5)
A bar inserted between the central letters of Greece

Down

1d    Good base for warm light (4)
The abbreviation for Good and a synonym for base

4d    This pot some occasionally steal? (6)
The occasional letters of the first three words of the clue – steal here meaning to move quietly or stealthily

5d    Rampaging pirate provided opening shot (8)
An anagram (rampaging) of PIRATE and a conjunction meaning provided

8d    Vulgar – and a notable stinker! (4,6)
An informal word meaning vulgar or obscene and something of excellent quality (notable)

15d    Attacking winger endowed with incredible vision? (4,2,4)
A cryptic definition of a type of bird (winger) whose hunting and attacking abilities are aided by its incredible eyesight (vision)

20d    Marksman at Agincourt more cunning? (6)
A marksman at the Battle of Agincourt or an adjective meaning more cunning

26d    Flower kid picked up? (4)
A homophone (picked up) of a verb meaning to kid

Could new readers please read the Welcome post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.

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: NECK + TAR + PHEW + BIERS = NECKED A FEW BEERS

90 comments on “DT 30497 (Hints)”

  1. 0.5*/3*. This was as light as yesterday’s back-pager was hard with my only slight delay twigging how the first three letters of 7d were clued by “spot”.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.

    1. Me too. Had to say it in my head until the penny dropped.
      It is always the four letter answers which cause me the most bother.

  3. Far more fun than yesterday, yep, enjoyed it a lot. Plenty of great clues, especially liked 4d and 28a. Off to brave the elements for my walk now in a very bleak looking Sandhurst.

  4. I think most people will be relieved with this one after yesterday’s beast.

    Lots of concise clues with some nice constructions and a few multi-worders thrown in for good measure.

    My podium is 12a, 19a and 21a (great surface…in more ways than one)

    Many thanks to the setter and CS.

    1*/3*

  5. Super puzzle after yesterday’s horror (I get in trouble if I call it a stinker!). I just hope that yesterdays setter is confined to the Toughie.
    Just goes to prove a puzzle does not need to be hard to be enjoyable.
    Thx to the setter and for the hints.
    **/*****

    1. ‘I get into trouble if I call it a stinker’.

      That has to be the ‘Quote of the Year’, Brother Ian.

      Saying that a crossword is a horror, dreadful, terrible and awful is fine but a stinker? Heaven forbid.

      That is crossing the line and then some.

      Truly brilliant.

        1. During this period, he billed himself as Thomas (or Thos) Stevens, but rearranged the name to its backward spelling of Mot Snevets;[26] the name did not last long and he changed it to Thomas Terry. He soon realised that people were mistaking him as a relative of Dame Ellen Terry, so inverted the name to Terry Thomas. He did not add the hyphen until 1947 and later explained that it was “not for snob reasons but to tie the two names together. They didn’t mean much apart; together they made a trade name”: the hyphen was also “to match the gap in his front teeth”.

          He did like to insist on the hyphen though

            1. I remember him best for greeting a lovely young lady named April, bending over and kissing her hand, then grinning as only he could, showing the famous space, “oh to be in England now that April’s here.”

  6. Back to normal with enjoyable & much gentler fare though I clearly found it a tad trickier than RD. 12,16&23a plus 7d the standouts for me. Reckon someone has poured glue into my ears overnight as it’s full blown man flu so a day of guzzling by the fire seems the best option.
    Thanks to the setter & to CS

    1. Maybe a little liquid guzzling as well to ease the pain? You have to keep the fluid levels up.

    2. My Christmas Bottle would clear the sinuses is no time, but maybe you tried the Deanston Distillery when you were in the Trossachs, I have a barrel slowly maturing there for my retirement

        1. Anything to keep warm – as long as I don’t have to share a candlewick bedspread with my sisters like in the photocube adjacent ( I was about 9 then

      2. Speaking of whiskies, I bought a bottle of a New Zealand whiskey for Christmas, but never got around to opning it – it’s called Scapegrace. I saw the word for the first time in a Telegraph crossword puzzle and so I just had to buy a bottle to try. Maybe the 2Ks are familiar with the brand?

  7. What a lovely puzzle. I enjoyed it very much, especially after yesterday’s struggle. So many fun clues that made me smile, I can’t pick a favourite. Thank you to the setter and crypticsue – hope the old site was just having a hiccup and behaves itself again soon!

  9. A fine SPP, 23a amused the most when the penny dropped I had similar thoughts as RD and Tom about the first part of 7d and the homophone in 26d but soon resolved
    I didn’t have time for the rather tricky Zandio yesterday but I notice he is back on Sunday for the Toughie, hopefully with something from the easier end of his range
    Thanks to CS and Setter

  10. Glad to see it was not just me who struggled yesterday. Today’s fare was much more gentle and enjoyable. My picks, in no particular order, are 9A, 4D and 26D (when the penny dropped). Thanks to CS and the setter.

    1. Taking this opportunity to wish you a healthy and happy 2024! I hope the floods are hot affecting you too badly.

  11. Agree that this was nice and straightforward after yesterday’s workout, with the excellent Quickie pun my favourite.

    Thanks setter and Sue.

  12. Light and very enjoyable – **/****

    Candidates for favourite – 12a, 14a, 17d, 18d, 24d, and 26d – and the winner is 18d.

    Thanks to whomsoever and CS.

  13. If anyone would like another light and very enjoyable puzzle today, look no further than our very own Shabbo’s NTSPP. It’s a joy to solve.

  14. That’s better! An enjoyable solve dotted with real posers (for me). Two of the short ones, 24d and 26d held me up for ages but then hit with huge pennies on the kitchen floor. My LOI was 7d because just could not see the first part. My COTD is the marksman at Agincourt because it reminded me of the origin of a certain rude gesture that Churchill used until he was told to turn it round.

    Thank you to the setter for giving me another go at The Mythical. Thank you, CS for the hints. I do have the Telegraph Puzzle app but prefer the paper. From what I read on here about the app I’m glad I do so.

    Rain, rain and yet more rain in The Marches! Hudson and I are developing webbed feet!

      1. He loves the water when he’s out. Diving in rivers etc. However, he hates being wet when he’s back indoors and desperately tries to dry his face on the rugs. 🐶

  15. An extremely enjoyable stroll. That is to say, not hard, but with a plethora of great ideas in the clues, all of which were pristine in construction, I thought. Lovely stuff.

  16. What a difference a day makes! I enjoyed this just as much as yesterday, but without the headache. Off to a good start with 9a and 1d. I always like it when I can start at the beginning, inasmuch as there is any beginning. Favourite today was 23a. Even though I’m not a fan of the slang answer I bow to the cleverness of the clue. Podium places for 14a, my favourite type of clue and 8d, which made me smile. Thanks to our setter and Crypticsue.

  18. Enjoyable puzzle which was not a read and write but needed the checkers in several cases and in some a head scratching, but I do stress for me.

    23a a fun clue the saying of which would have brought shrieks from guardians but what did they know. Others I thought deserved honourable mentions are 2 and 17d.

    Many thanks to CS and the setter for brightening up the eve of New Year’s Eve

  19. A much smoother run than yesterday, finished unaided. Lots to enjoy and some gentle head scratching.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS for consistently providing excellent hints.

  20. A nice gentle SPP which was greatly appreciated after yesterday’s marathon slog. Decided early in the solve who was the likely setter but had to revise that opinion once I reached the lower reaches and particularly the Quickie pun which put me in mind of two setters, one of whom doesn’t contribute to the DT.
    Top clue here was 16a.

    Thanks to our setter and to CS for the hints.

  21. That was fun and enjoyable with many smiles along the way, especially 23a once the penny dropped. Also liked the rampaging pirate at 5d. Thanks to the compiler and CS.

  22. I think we are all agreed that yesterday was a bit of a hard slog but did anyone try the toughie? I looked at it in bed last night – absolutely zilch – and again this morning and managed one! When I have time I must go back and read the hints to see if I can sort any of the out. Today was a joy, I only got held up on a couple, 26d and 23a, horrid word. 21a,4. & 17d (my favourite tipple after G’nT) had daisies, 14a favourite. At Coffee Stop this morning I was talking to a friend who said she only ever attempted the quickie, so I put her on to Big Dave. She was amazed and delighted. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Sue, and have a great weekend everyone. We have to see how George’s op goes in the morning before we go gallivanting.

  23. Not my favourite for a Saturday puzzle this week. Some awkward clueing for my way of thinking. No weird words or anything … just had to work hard at this.

    2.5*/3*

    Favourites include 11a, 13a, 27a, 8d, 15d & 26d — with winner 26d … clever!

    Thanks to setter & CS for blog/hints

  24. No real hold-ups for us today, all pretty straightforward but enjoyable. Favourite was 20d. Thanks to the setter and CS.

  25. Very enjoyable puzzle. Needed some head scratching here and there but pretty much a steady solve with some chuckles along the way. Like Rabbit Dave and others I’m a bit unconvinced by the first 3 letters of 7d – the only quibble. Last one in was 23a which produced the biggest grin when the penny dropped. Podium places to 5 and 8d with top spot going to the aforementioned 23a. **/****

    Thanks to the setter and CS for the review.

  26. Phew, today’s smooth ride was a joy after yesterday’s awfulness although I did have to read right through once before getting on wavelength. 14a Fav with 10a and 12a running up. TVM Mysteron and CS.

  27. Enjoyed this puzzle. Plenty of variety in the clues, plenty that had to come back to to work out and keep it interesting rather than read and write in. Great to do while keeping warm inside on a cold wet day. 26d last one in, favourite 14a – finally I remember the priest!

    Thanks to the Setter and CS.

  28. What a relief to have a crossword that I could do – not that I’m saying it was easy.
    I still have a couple of answers that I’m still saying, “Yes – it’s definitely ***** but why”?
    I particularly appreciated 11 and 25a and 15 and 26d. My favourite (and last) was 22d. How could it have taken so long to see this one.
    Thanks to whoever’s set this one and to CS for the hints.
    When did we lose our little piccies by our names?

      2. I have never figured out how to change mine but the software always seem to give me the same one.

  29. Like others I enjoyed this and thought it was deserved after yesterday,
    23a was my favourite and the picture clue above brought back happy memories from a long ago.
    Thanks to the setter and to CS.

  31. That’s more like it, a friendly and doable puzzle. Lots of great clues, with just a handful that took a bit more teasing. Not sure I understand 12a though, and took a while before the penny dropped on 15d. Very much enjoyed, especially after yesterday’s offering. Thanks to setter and CrypticSue.

    So happy to hear that Tony Blackburn has been recognized with an OBE. His radio program is a real boon for these expats listening in daily from South Florida.

    1. I was delighted that the little boy (youngest ever recipient) was honoured for his work
      trying to prevent cruelty to children. What a little star he is.

  32. Yesterday was a straight choice between playing host to 17 family members or fighting the crossword. No choice at all as family always come first. As it turned out I saved myself from a very tough battle. Today with some leisure, it was a pleasure. Agree about the 4 letter answers being difficult. When I submit the answer it goes in under my husband’s name so if the mythical appears it will seem as if he has won it !

  33. Wotta difference a day makes from that “horror” (ta Brian) yesterday! I loved it all. I was DNF with 4d, pure stupidness in my case. I had, as is my won’t, crossed out the alternate letters in the clue and still didn’t see it. Groan. I had to smile at 23a, I remember my Dad getting it in a crossword and his explaining to me that it was English slang, I didn’t know the English had slang, it was their language after all. So much to like, maybe 11a is fave.
    Thank you setter for all the fun, please come back soon, and CS for your tireless work on our behalf.
    It’s cold here today, didn’t want to get out of bed. Bamboo sheets are the best, warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot!

  34. Amusing to catch up on yesterday’s comments. Surely all can’t expect to finish every day, that is the point of an increasing level of difficulty. Just accept it as one of those that beat you! 🤷🏻‍♂️
    A gentle challenge today but enjoyable nevertheless. Thanx to all.

  35. Enjoyabe solve, and quite a few that I bunged in and then eventually managed to reverse-parse.
    I can’t for the life of me work out where the third letter in 18d comes from though.
    I don’t know if anyone can enlighten me without ending up on the Saturday naughty step…

    1. …ah – penny dropped.
      Something to do with the xxxxxx..
      (Hopefully that’s vague enough for me to not get in trouble!)

    1. Welcome to the blog

      A flower is not always something that blooms, in crosswords more often than not, it is something that flows

  38. 2/4. Eventually got round to the puzzle today and very enjoyable it was too. Favourites were 13d, 9a and the winner 18d. Thanks to the setter and CS for the hints.

  39. Not done many Xwords in last 2 weeks as I’ve been enjoying the sun in a lovely place Olhâo on the Algarve. I’ve my IPad with me but not as enjoyable using my digital subscription. Real luxury today as I found today’s paper (international edition) which is only 5.7€. I enjoyed the crossword very much. I completed it but left 26d unfilled in. I had the answer but could not justify it until I looked again and said tge answer. Thanks Setter and Sue.

  40. Sorry to be thick but how does the answer to 26d relate to (a) flower?

    I’ve searched for synonyms but can’s see it (and I’m not very horticultural)

    TIA

      1. Aha! Not come across that before (but I’m a relative newby with 15 years solving 🤣). Thanks for the reply.

  42. Late to the party but blagged a copy of the paper today, how lovely to complete a folded newspaper crossword for once 😁 Still not worth £4 though!

    Enjoyable puzzle, really liked 12a 23a and 15d. 26d last one in with a huge groan. Thanks to the Great Mysterioso and CS 🥂

  43. 26d. Took ages to pick up on “picked up”. Thought that the answer we got had to be correct (it was) didn’t know why. Standard reply to why in our house is “Because it fits!”

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