DT 27265 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 27265 (Hints)

by Big Dave  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27265 (Hints)

Big Dave’s Crossword Club

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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

1a           Two loud experts communicating in person? (4,2,4)
The musical notation for loud followed by an expert and the same again separated by a preposition meaning communicating

9a           Criminal organises, embracing start of gangster hostility (10)
An anagram (criminal) of ORGANISES around (embracing) the initial letter (start) of Gangster

13a         Diplomat‘s secured missing diamonds (7)
A verb meaning secured without the D(iamonds)

15a         I affectionately will wave goodbye to daughter, giving an expression of regret (2,4)
The I from the clue followed by an adverb meaning affectionately without (will wave goodbye to) the D(aughter)

17a         One could show a woman the time of her life (10,5)
A cryptic definition of an in-built mechanism which regulates the body’s physiological rhythms and cycles

21a         Hopelessness of the French duo (7)
The plural version of the French for “of the” followed by a duo

25a         Fixer and Mafia boss, unconscious (10)
Someone who fixes, for example, cars followed by the first name of a famous American gangster

27a         Italian staggered into a plane (10)
An anagram (staggered) of INTO A PLANE

Down

1d           Anxiety‘s extreme, going over point (4)
An adjective meaning extreme around (going over) a compass point

4d           Unexpectedly find posh chap his place for a takeaway (4,3,4,4)
An anagram (unexpectedly) of FIND POSH CHAP HIS

8d           Broadcasting simultaneously with web in operation (10)
Another word for a web or mesh followed by an adjective meaning in operation

11d         What you might call hell of a liberty? (10)
This adjective meaning “of hell” is often applied to a liberty to indicate an extreme case

12d         Crazy reason to support and train leader (10)
An adjective meaning crazy followed by a reason to support an action

13d         Conceded we should block everybody overdrawn (7)
The WE from the clue inside a three-letter word meaning everybody and the abbreviation for OverDrawn

20d         Outstanding indicator (6)
Two definitions

24d         Mountain climbing nationalist’s scheme (4)
Reverse (climbing ic) a European mountain and follow it with N(ationalist)

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

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!

The Quick crossword pun: (hay} + {press} + {tow} = {hey presto!}

43 comments on “DT 27265 (Hints)”

  1. I was slightly disappointed by this puzzle because everything fell into place very quickly but, amusingly, the last answer I put in was 6a and I was left wondering why it took so long for the penny to drop…

  2. A relatively easy romp through this today but nevertheless enjoyable. */***

    My last one in was 12d, although, like Caravaggio with 6a, I’m not sure why it took me so long. I needed BD’s hint to explain the liberty part of 11d.

    Many thanks to Mr. Ron and to BD.

  3. A nice gentle weekend offering over far to quickly but very enjoyable . favourite has to be 15A. Many thanks to BD for the review.

  4. Pretty straightforward this week, but enjoyable nonetheless. 12d last in, favorites 17a & 12d. */*** for me.
    Thanks to compiler and BD.

  5. Thank you setter, good fun and thanks BD for your hints. SW corner last in for some reason. I have just had a sneak look at the hints for yesterday’s Toughie. My goodness ! Great admiration for someone who could devise such a puzzle – and even more for those who can solve them !

  6. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints. Mostly straightforward, but a couple of headscratchers to make it interesting in 12d and 15a which was last in. Favourites were 16&26a and 11d. A nice puzzle was 1*/3* for me. No Cricket at the momen, gonna wa tch the Gooners instead.

  7. A nice Saturday romp. It’s a pity that we don’t know the Saturday setters. Amusing puzzle and thanks for the hints BD. Now, it’s 13.30 in the Languedoc. The crossword is finished, the cricket is rained off, the Tour of Spain (cycling) doesn’t start until 18.30 and there is no rugby on. What to do. The toughie? where is it?

    1. It should be the turn of Cephas (Peter Chamberlain today) and the fact that there are so many anagrams makes this being one of his crosswords a certainty.

  8. DT editorial directive;
    “Make Saturday’s puzzle easier than the rest of the week in order to draw in new subscribers”
    Ah, that explains it.
    Many thanks to the setter and to BD for the review

  9. Thank you for the hints….needed you for 15 across. Now red red faced. Like the elephant with big ears.

  10. If its raining as much where you are as it is here, why not have a go at the NTSPP. It isn’t one of Alchemi’s trickiest and has a helpful theme.

  12. Hate to be smug, but there’s plenty of sunshine here in Devon. The prize crosswords seem much easier than when I first tried them some 40 years ago, but that may be because I’ve had more practice recently.

  13. Finished all but three on my own before looking at the hints.

    Thanks as ever to BD for the hints which were as ever gratefully received, 6a first one in.

  14. Help! I have everything except 27a. Can someone give me a hint, please?
    By the way, is the cricket back on yet? Been doing the crossword and watching rugby (I’m in South Africa). As far as the cricket is concerned, I support SA (of course!) and any team that is playing Australia!

  15. Doh! (as they say).

    I’ve just got it. I made the mistake of thinking that the answer was a synonum for “Yikes”, so I was battling to find a three letter vegetable after the (L)asagne starter. Just realised that the answer was a vegetable and that I needed a three letter synonym for Yikes after the (L)asagne starter. Thank you to anyone who answered my cry for help before this second comment from me gets in.

  16. Loved it, though it wasn’t a walk in the park as some comments above. I did manage to finish but needed hints for the why of 1d and 11d. Favourite, and last one in, was 15a, very clever. To be a setter really requires a very special talent. Thanks to all

    1. Hi Merusa!

      It is often very useful to consult a dictionary of slang to see extra slants on the fodder.
      I have had a copy of Cassells for years!

    1. Phil,
      You’ve shortened your alias so your comment needed moderation. Both aliases will work from now on.

  18. An enjoyable puzzle today – not very taxing!

    Liked : 6a, 16a, 17a (but why feminine?), 5d, 11d & 14d.

    Grey skies with a few spots of rain now.

  19. The top half went in easily but SW corner was harder than it should’ve been. Favourite clue 21a

  20. Straightforward today, tok me a while to get 17a and 8d. I found Thursday’s the toughest this week, I sweated over it most of the day and completed it the next morning.

  22. Absolutely fab , really enjoyed it.I was too impatient to keep staring at it and I accepted a nudge for 17a.Thanks to setter and Big Dave.

  23. A nice crossword today to end a day in the Loire Valley and a chance to improve my knowledge of English monarchs which may help in crosswordland at some future date. The guide explained how the Count of Anjou and King Henry of England were related and why a painting of a Frenchman wearing the English order of the garter hangs in the Chateau de Saumur. Probably common knowledge to many of the bloggers but not to a historical philistine.

  24. Thank you Big Dave for your excellent website. I have over the last few months started out on the telegraph cryptic crossword having never really before tried them. Your blog has been a wonderful way of discovering how the cryptic clues are made up and the pleasure in “discovering” the answers has become addictive! Saturday’s prize crossword was a pure joy. I managed well over half on my own, and the rest came together having looked at your hints and another few hours of pondering.

    I still find the toughie too much… And most days are also for some reason harder than the Saturday prize, which is now a feature of my Saturdays.

    Thank you
    Michael

    1. Welcome to the blog Michael

      Glad you like the site – why not be a regular commenter? We’d be interested to follow your progress.

  25. Hi Dave

    Can I echo Michael’s comments. I started the telegraph Saturday cryptic four weeks ago (having tried and failed to ‘get’ cryptics much before then) Your blog has been essential reading in that time – thank you. I’m slowly making progress and yesterday’s puzzle was the first I’ve managed to complete on the day itself!

    Like Michael, the toughie is a bit beyond me but I’m at least spotting how the clues work.

    Just one question on yesterday’s clues. I’m pretty sure I’ve got the right answer for 22a but I can’t quite see how the clue works? Any help appreciated.

    1. Welcome to the blog Neil.

      22a Cut makes Conservative on edge (4)

      The abbreviation for Conservative followed by an edge (that of a cup, for example).

      Why not have a go at the Sunday Telegraph puzzle, usually the best of the week (IMHO)?

      1. That was one of my last to go in; seeing the word ‘on’ in an across clue, I would expect to see the abbreviation for Conservative to come at the end. However, I suppose the ‘on edge’ is all part of the intended surface.

      2. thanks Gazza. Hadn’t spotted your reply only having read Jezza’s underneath it. Appreciated.

  26. 22a I had something similar as I thought it was a cut of meat so I had ****. Stopped me getting 12d

  29. Dave – your site is top class – I have just dropped on it as a recently addicted Torygraph x word solver…. Solvent?? Anyway… Quick question you choose not to offer hints to all clues… Is this because they are the easier ones and should be nailed by even the greenest of solvent abusers?

    And by the way, I still cant get 12d of 27265….

    Best.

    Bondsman

    1. Welcome to the blog Bondsman

      I only provide a few hints for prize puzzles – there will be a full review of this one next Friday.

      Try hovering over the picture hint for 12 down – that was one of my gimmes.

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