DT 27229 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 27229 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27229 (Hints)

Big Dave’s Crossword Club

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Don’t forget to have a go at our Monthly Prize Puzzle.

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.

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.

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

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”.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.

Across

3a           Why one is attending sale that’s uninviting (10)
Split as (3,7) ths could be a reason for attending a sale

8a           A jolly lady that sailed from Spain (6)
The A from the clue followed by a jolly or member of an armed service who is trained for service at sea, or on land, and a lady’s name – strictly speaking the abbreviation used in the wordplay applies only to the armed service, not to a member of said service

12a         Sort out a profit — one grand, possibly (10)
An anagram (sort out) of A PROFIT ONE

14a         Grand, having immensity of good food (13)
G(rand) followed by an adjective meaning massive or having an immensity

22a         Line of fat — or lean — right inside meat (6)
R(ight) inside a prime piece of meat

24a         After said dancing who reported commotion? (8)
What sounds like (said) some classical dancing is followed by a homophone (reported) of who

26a         Criminals’ environment in life and death? (10)
This collective word for criminals is also where they may end up in the afterlife!

Down

1d           Generating good manners (8)
Two definitions a verb meaning generating or producing and good manners or refinement

2d           Doctor spotted personal hygiene issue requiring three directions (8)
This slang word for a doctor is derived from a charade of a verb meaning spotted, a personal hygiene issue and three compass directions

3d           Gambling game played very loudly in the distance (3-3)
A gambling game played by betting on the order of appearance of certain cards followed by the musical notation for very loudly

6d           Gather Scottish course is detaining French duke (6)
A river (course) in NE Scotland around the French for duke

15d         Quantity of hay and old wood in carriage (8)
A quantity of hay followed by an archaic (old) word for a small wood

16d         Being in credit, getting article with initial deduction (8)
CR(edit) followed by a magazine article without its initial letter (with initial deduction)

19d         This writer needs a rest from South African corn (6)
The first person objective pronoun followed by the A from the clue and a verb meaning to rest or recline

23d         Pair of braces (4)
The number to be found in a pair of pairs (braces)

The Crossword Club is now open. Feel free to leave comments.

PLEASE DON’T PUT WHOLE OR PARTIAL ANSWERS OR ALTERNATIVE CLUES IN YOUR COMMENT, ELSE THEY MAY BE CENSORED!

The Quick crossword pun: (high} + {Dee} + {hie} = {Hi-de-Hi!}

32 comments on “DT 27229 (Hints)”

  1. */*** for me today for a very enjoyable puzzle on a lovely summer morning. I particularly liked 26a and 2d.

    The only clue which held me up was my last one in – 12a – as I had convinced myself that the answer must contain either g or m. I needed to check the meaning of the answer to 19d, which was a new word for me, as was the old wood part of 15d.

    Many thanks to Mr. Ron and BD.

      1. I used to live near a Tithe Pit [old wood] Lane so had no trouble at all with that one.

        1. I googled it and it’s a lovely area. On bright summer days, we used to go down to Guildford to watch cricket on the village green … or, at least, I think it was Guildford. So long ago, in the early 60s.

  2. An excellent Saturday morning puzzle. Thanks for the explanation for 16d, which I answered, without being certain how I got there!

    Have a great week-end everyone, and come on England!

  3. A lovely way to pass a lovely morning, many thanks to the setter, and of course to BD for explaining 8a and 16d.

  4. I thought that this was a most enjoyable puzzle, which I’ve completed while listening to Test Match Special, but I was grateful to you, Dave, for the explanation to 16d because I was toying with one or two ideas…

  5. I thought this was a super puzzle today.
    16d was very well disguised and I had to check the dictionary for the game in 3d.

  6. Very enjoyable, mostly finished before lights out last night. Thanks to BD for helping on 1d, 2d, and 16d. Last one in was 25a – had to stare that one down with help from the BRB.

  7. I too enjoyed this. Thanks setter. thanks Dave for the explanation for 8a and 16d. Once I had the explanation I added 16d to my list of good/enjoyable/clever clues. Got through most of it relatively painlessley – total of ten across and ten down. Then left the sad remainders being located in NW and SE. On return not too much trouble leaving 25a and 16d. Got them without hints. Favourites 10, 12, 14 and 24a and 1, 16, 17 and 21d.

  8. Agree with the rest, a very enjoyable puzzle.

    Thanks for the review and to the setter.

  9. I agree with everyone else too – a very enjoyable puzzle.
    12a took me almost for ever – ended up with alternate letters and then still couldn’t see it for quite a lot longer.
    The other one that took a long time was 16d and I was stupidly slow to understand why 6d was what it was.
    I didn’t know the 3d gambling game or the 15d wood.
    I liked 26a (yet another one that held me up a bit) and 13, 17 and 23a. My favourite was 24a.
    With thanks to Mr Ron and BD.
    Might have a go at NTSPP but brain might be a bit too hot to work.
    Quiet here today . . .

  10. Agree with all, a really enjoyable puzzle. No help needed but always enjoy the hints anyway, So */**** today. In fact a good week of puzzles. I love the simplicity of 23d and used to live in Africa as a child. so 19d presented no problem. Thanks to setter and BD

  11. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints, which I didn’t need for once. Very enjoyable puzzle, no major problems. Started with 9a, finished with 16d. Favourites were 8&26a. Was 2*/3* for me. Staying near Bideford for a few days, scorching!

    1. We’ve just come back from Devon – lovely county and I think we have left some terrific weather behind for you ! Enjoy the ice cream. Thank you setter for an enjoyable puzzle which I thought was a bit easier than the last two. Thanks BD for the hints.

      1. Thanks for the weather, we don’t normally get it this good. Saw a heron earlier from the hide near the estuary.

  12. Lovely puzzle, had to think but it was great fun. I had no trouble with anything but the wood in 15d, had to look that up as had never heard of it in that sense before. The gambling game in 3d is a great scrabble word, rather old fashioned and, I think, would appear in such books as Jane Austen ‘s, or those Georgette Heyer books I read as a teenager. The “grand” in 12a gave me enough hint to get the answer but I completely missed the anagram.

    Thanks to all for a bright start to the day.

  13. My first post…Greetings from Kentucky USA. I very rarely finish a puzzle without the help of BD, today was no exception! I’m quite new to the Telegraph Crossword and thanks to this site I’m improving each day. I enjoyed 7D purely because of the ‘Endless Abundance’ element…what a lovely word.

    2. Welcome from me too. You didn’t say how long you’d been doing the Telegraph cryptic but you will learn SO much SO quickly from the helpful, friendly and generally nice people here that before long you’ll be finishing without hints. Keep commenting and if there’s something you can’t understand just ask – someone always replies really quickly – particularly useful at weekends when there are no answers hidden inside brackets. :smile:

  14. Enjoyable puzzle to solve – not very taxing.

    Today’s faves : 3a, 23a, 2d & 16d.

    Another beautiful day of sunshine here in NL.

  15. Hi-Dee-Ho!

    Thanks to the setter … I’m posting this from Maplins (Am i really in Skegness?)!

  16. Very nearly didn’t do this today. Been to visit the Moseley Festival in Birmingham then home with the Teleg but preferred doze in the shade to mental exercise. Glad I did though, because this was a very enjoyable puzzle with some humour and nifty wordplay. Seen a few of these less common words here before so no real problens, though I’d forgotten 2d and 19d was new to me. Although I didn’t need the hints today, the explanations and blog add another dimension to the puzzle, don’t they? Thanks to Dave and the setter.

    1. I thought 2d was an expression from the Wild West, Roy Rogers and Gene Autrey, etc

      1. I know exactly what you mean, but the Chambers App only gives the surgeon and doctor definitions…

  17. At this time of the year, Saturdays are busy days for me. In the mornings, I have to take my wife shopping, and then in the afternoons, I am “compelled” to watch two or three (usually three) Super 15 Rugby games. (For those of you who live in the Northern Hemisphere and who may not have heard of the it, Super 15 rugby is a competition in which five South African, five Australian and five New Zealand teams compete annually. This weekend was weekend 20, and the last of the round robin matches were played. Next week will be the semi-finals and the following week the final will be played.)
    As a result, I can get down to the Telegraph prize crossword only on Saturday afternoon (between matches and during half-time intervals).
    Happy to say I finished today’s without any help from Big Dave. One of the compilers at the Telegraph must have South African connections, because I have seen the answer to 19d in a previous puzzle a few months ago. I found 8a difficult, and although I got 11a, I didn’t understand the reference to a comb.

    1. i originally thought the solution to 11a was something to do with a rooster’s comb on his head, but a check in Chambers before replying to you says that it is a comb for flax or hemp, as well as a cock’s neck feather.

      1. Thank you, Sue, I have just Googled the answer and find that as a verb, it means “to comb” and as a noun it refers to one of the hairs on an animal’s back which stand up when the animal is angry AND also a rooster’s comb.

        1. That’s a wonderful ‘added extra’ to crossword solving – you go to check a word and find a whole lot of stuff you never knew before.

  19. Just returned from leaving the brown trout population of the River Esk in tact ,took this puzzle for the coffee breaks and was more successful with this (Cephas) than my use of 11a in it’s other meaning .Lovely puzzle and nice to see CS in better form (even though she was uncertain about Midsummers day)
    Thanks BD and setter.

  20. I agree with everyone, a great puzzle. Favourites 26a and 14a. 17d took me ages. Thanks to BD for several pointers and to the setter.

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