Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2567 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them.
Don’t forget that you can give your assessment of the puzzle. Five stars if you thought it was great, one if you hated it, four, three or two if it was somewhere in between.
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A full review of this puzzle will be published on or after the closing date.
Across
7a Newspaper in LA translated for singers in 15 (3,6,6)
Put a newspaper inside the translation into English of LA, the American city, to get these singers – replace 15 in the clue with the answer to 15a
15a Inspirational book – frantically cram with it as scholar (1,9,5)
This seasonal Dickens book is an anagram (frantically) of CRAM IT AS SCHOLAR
19a Ruler given one-page report on Boxing Day (9)
This ruler was given a report by a page on Boxing Day, which is also St Stephen’s Day!
26a Geezer, once sober, transformed (8,7)
A character from 15a is an anagram (transformed) of GEEZER ONCE SOBER
Down
1d Pack in point-to-point (4)
A word meaning to pack is created by replacing the points of the compass
5d Small present – for 19 across, it was 3 and 13 and 22 (4)
A charade of S(mall) with present, as in at this time, gives something 19a saw when he looked out of the window – this should give you three other answers as well!
12d Move to another place a problem for rail passengers? Not I (9)
To get a word meaning to move to another place take a problem for rail passengers (6,4) and remove the I (not I)
14d Behold river up North in preliminary survey (5)
The Latin for behold is followed by R(iver) and then all is reversed (up North, in a down clue) to get a preliminary survey
25d Winter transport Santa primarily has guided (4)
This winter transport is a charade of S (Santa primarily) and a verb meaning has guided
If you need further help then please ask and I will see what I can do.
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put whole or partial answers or alternative clues in your comment, else they may be censored!
I found the puzzle to be exceptionally enjoyable – very much in the Christmas Spirit!!
Best clue for me was 19a but of course 7a, 15a & 26a set the tone.
Great work from Virgilius?
I do love a festive themed crossword and this was a fine example – didn’t take me long to solve but I did smile a lot while doing so. Hard to pick a favourite clue out of so many. Season’s Greetings to Virgilius and thank you for the fun. Thanks to BD too – love the animation for 7a.
For me the Christmas Theme made this very predictable and didn’t inspire me at all. Lost interest half way through.
Thanx to BD.
“Bah! Humbug!”
Nice one !!
Needed a harder workout today due to lousy weather but still most enjoyable. All very good clues of which 7 and 16 were best. Now to the GK which looks very similar!
Great stuff from Virgilius – loved the Christmas theme. My favourite clue was 26a – brilliant!
Finished this after watching Australia wrap up the third test – pretty happy about that – have been an Australian cricket supporter for over 30 years. Not confident even now though. Apparently the MCG wicket will be more like Adelaide and England won there easily.
Seasons greetings to Virgilius in Oregon – I have really appreciated his puzzles this year – top class.
BD Is it possible to asterisk-out such comments about the cricket?
Bad loser? What me? :smile:
We were rotten. We done the Ozzies (and I could asterisk these comments out!
gnomethang,
I agree that we were rotten!
But, without being too pedantic, “We did’nt do the Ozzies – the Ozzies did us!
It was very close! Australia only won by 267 runs!!
Well Done, the Aussies!!
I’m sorry! I meant WELL but fat fingered the iPhone!
One each with 2 to go – I can live with that! Melbourne should be good for us and Sydney is anyone’s guess. Keeps life interesting!
Why are there all these cricket comments? Isn´t this a crossword blog?
I may be wrong, but I thought that comments on subjects other than the Crossword have always been welcome on this Blog – especially at the week-end.
Quite correct- as long as they don’t get out of control!
Perhaps it’s because of the frequent allusions to cricket that come up in the clues! I know some of the ladies object but the female setters could retaliate by using netball allusions! God help me then!
Although i was a founder member of the “Bah! Humbug!” Society in the village pub where I used to live, I really enjoyed the Xmas theme!
Favourite was 5d. I actually solved this before any of the other clues it refers to so it rather gave the game away!
Seasons greetings and thanks to Virgilius – excellent puzzle!
P.S. Still struggling with Friday’s Toughie, may have resort to Tilsit’s hints soon!.
One of the easier Sunday puzzles for a while, but great fun, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks to Virgilius, and to BD.
Highly enjoyable seasonal fare from Vigilius. Compliments of the season to him and thanks to BD for the review.
Wasn’t able to get the ST today due to snow.
Nice clue for 15A.
Not finished yet, but what I’ve done has been great fun! Church twice, off to rehearsal for carol service this evening and two drinks parties – busy day!
have fun :)
Just finished this after starting it this morning and then having to do some shopping, once I got into it I enjoyed it but although I have answers for 16d, 21a, and 19d, I don’t completely understand them?? 19d I thought it was only chickens that had a ‘what we would like’ bone?? maybe I have 21a wrong I just can’t see the ‘unopened enclosure ‘ bit?? and 16d I can see the first part but don’t know where the rest comes from!! So yes I’ve finsihed, yes I enjoyed but no I don’t understand all of it :)
Can anyone explain these please?
16d A three letter (scottish origin?) for knowledged inside a word meaning raced like a rabbit-like animal.
21a remove the first letter from an enclosure you would put a budgie in. That’ll give you the first part of the word which should then make the wordplay make sense.
19d All birds have those bones – its what we want and we make them when dividing the bone in question
Thanks for taking the time Sue all is now clear, I can’t believe I thought only chickens had that ‘magic’ bone :)
Thanks crypticsue – can now do 21a – now that means that I’ve got 12d wrong damn it – wasn’t very happy about it anyway!
You are looking for a word to mean to move to another place, not a word I would have used for it Kath!
see Daves hint above
A lovely seasonal puzzle.
26a and particularly 19a were faves
Thanks Virgilius and BD.
Enjoyed this very much – not as difficult as some Sunday puzzles but some of the seasonal clues certainly helped. Am completely stuck on 21a – have alternate letters, assuming they’re right that is, and STILL can’t do it – any help anyone? Thanks to Virgilius and BD. Where is everyone today by the way – thought that lots of people would be snowed in and therefore doing crosswords and writing comments.
have a look at the hint I gave Mary (11) above and see if that helps.
Kath, ….”Where is everyone today?” ……….Snowed in, but I still managed to reach the newsagents! Unfortunately, I arrived before the papers! Must try “Clued-up”/”Screwed-Up”. I will definitely try the free(?) seven-day trial of Telegraph Puzzles.
As it’s free, why not!
Regards, Scrooge!
I tried it and kept in Franco, I have had very few problems with it and it is really good value for money :)
Good fun today! Liked 19a the most. Thank you Virgilius and B.D. for confirming what I thought. Happy Christmas, everyone! I’m confined to the house AGAIN until today’s snowfall clears, and it isn’t icy underfoot. Boring!
Back from carols and drinkies, slightly the worse for wear, but ever mind! Down to four I don’t quite understand: 11a and 6d, unless 11a happens after 31 inst; 24d, are we looking for some initials here, on which a 14a often appears?; and 18a, I don’t understand at all. Anyone still awake ??
Geoff, You are correct in your placement of 11a: A word for ‘not far’ around (across) a UK river.
6d – You need a word for ‘judge’ around a standard abbreviation for cold then add “be right”
24d – correct. A diamond is an axample of one of these things (as is a heart!)
Hope that helps!
Jolly good, I’m done then, in spite of today’s excesses! Thanks, and glad you still up and about! 18a just dawned on me …
I’m up and strumming my early Christmas present – A Ukelele!
Forgot to say thanks to setter and BD, delightful puzzle, so enjoyable!
Eventually got hold of the puzzle – for which many thanks to “the GB”.
It was a thing of beauty. None too tricky, but the setter worked on this one, I think. I enjoyed it immensely.
My favourite clue was 14D, for memories of youth and Cornelia.
After a day of church and family I didn’t get down to this until I went to bed but then – what a delight! A super end to the day, many good fun clues but my favourite was 12d. Thanks setter & BD for a fine start to my Christmas hols :-)