Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2730 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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Don’t forget the monthly Prize Puzzle – with a very special prize
In response to a number of requests, I have added a page, The Usual Suspects, to the Crosswords section of the blog. This lists some of the wordplay elements commonly used in cryptic crosswords. I hope it proves to be useful, especially to newer solvers.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a number of the more difficult 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.
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”. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submission
Across
1a Male is part of formal arrangement? That’s not true (14)
M(ale) and IS followed by a phrase meaning part of a formal arrangement (2,9)
10a Hesitate on moral grounds? It’s of little weight (7)
Two definitions – verb meaning to hesitate, possibly on moral grounds and a unit of weight equal to 20 grains, used by apothecaries
11a Party politician elected by Conservative area (4)
The two-letter abbreviation for an elected politician preceded by C(onservative) and A(rea)
15a After short time, deposit finally put in bank, under the counter (8)
A three-letter abbreviation for a short period of time followed by the final letter of deposiT inside a verb meaning to bank or depend
18a Drive home is easy task, with learner tucked in behind leader (6)
This verb meaning to drive home a deal is derived from an easy task with L(earner) inserted after its initial letter (leader)
21a People perusing paper showing academic position (10)
Two definitions – the totality of people perusing a newspaper and a junior position at a university
22a A list of courses university ultimately dropped, as agreed! (4)
The A from the clue followed by a list of courses for a meal with the U(niversity) dropped from the end (ultimately)
25a Left champion in lead, old pill having no effect (7)
L(eft) and a champion or expert inside the chemical symbol for lead and followed by O(ld)
26a Well-oiled combination of scorers from Europe (6,3,5)
To get this adjective meaning well-oiled or drunk combine two European scorers of classical music
Down
1d Show, with numbers, claim’s wrong about setter and solver (7)
This show which has a number of songs is derived by putting an anagram (wrong) of CLAIM around a pronoun which represents both setter and solver
2d Wise man I malign, person living in the Pacific (7,8)
A person of unusual wisdom, from a king of Israel whose judgement called the bluff of a false claimant, followed by the I from the clue and a verb meaning to malign
3d A short lead that’s inserted in collar (4)
Two definitions – a short distance used to measure a horse’s lead in a race and something inserted into the collar of a shirt
5d Service to elderly that’s relieved tension, in a way (8)
A church service followed by another word for elderly
6d Capsize in vessel time after time — third time breaking rule, stupidly (4,6)
T(ime) and T(ime) around a vase-like vessel followed by T(ime) inside (breaking) an anagram (stupidly) of RULE
7d Counterparts work on book about river location (8,7)
The two-letter musical work and a book of the Old Testament around Gnomey’s favourite river and a location
17d Poet Rembrandt initially included in ‘Night Watch’ (6)
The initial letter of Rembrandt inside (included in) a watch, particularly at night
23d Bowled over completely — or partly (4)
B(owled) followed by an adverb meaning completely gives a cricketing term for a part of an over
If you need further help then please ask and I will see what I can do.
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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.
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| Today it’s Happy Birthday to Carole King (72) | ||||
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Very enjoyable. Hope no one was 22a after the celebrations yesterday.
You mean 26a methinks
Going by the time of this post I recken yesterday must have been a corker
Sorry I couldn’t be there – maybe at the blog’s sixth birthday? Hope you had a great time as you deserve it.
Crossword was just the usual excellent stuff expected on a Sunday so there’s not much more to say, apart from this seemed maybe on the benign side. Penny dropped quickly on 1a and then I knew I was in for some fun.
Thanks to Vorgilius and BD.
Thx to BD and ***** [reference giving away an answer deleted – please think before posting BD]!
I will enjoy eating Chambers’ words.
Another great puzzle, thanks Virgillius.When I saw 17d and 15a I wondered if I’m missing something.I never heard of 6d or 26a before but they were guessable.All great clues so it is quite impossible to pick a favourite. Thanks for the blog, BD.
Hear hear. Our fav was 26a (but most of the hammers fans don’t know who they are).
The usual enjoyable Sunday treat from Brian!
Faves :1a, 24a, 6d & 13d.
We’ve had 26a many times!
26a was new for us 30somethings.
Thank you Virgilius. I found this harder than most Sunday puzzles and for me at any rate it didn’t seem to have the usual “fun” element to it. Probably just me ! Thanks BD for your hints. I am glad you gave a hint for 23d. I had the answer, but was unsure of the wordplay. Hope you all had a good time yesterday. Will there be lots of photos so we can put faces to names ?
There are photos on the ‘Bristol Celebrations’ post and I am just about to email BD/Prolixic with a copy of the group of bloggers present so that can be added by one of them, together with a couple of others BD can add to the gallery in due course.
Excellent ! A handsome group I am sure ! Thank you CS.
The photo has been added.
Wonderful – just about to do supper but will look later.
I agree that none of the clues made LOL, which did happen in the past.
Dave, should you not go to the naughty corner? Your hint for 1d equates numbers to songs, which is giving an alternative clue, and alsoit gives the game away big time.
The hints often include synonyms or further explanation of definitions – what I object to is a hint which relies on a different meaning to that given in the clue.
First one I’ve ever finished without the hints! Did, however, use some electronic aid. Next goal is to complete one without any assistance – some way off methinks, but at least vaguely visable on the horizon… Thanks to setter and hinter – would therefore have to be a ***/***** from this colossal novice.
2.5*/4* rating for this excellent and amusing puzzle today. I was working steadily through it but got held up a bit in the NE corner with 10a & 8d taking a while to unravel. I had never before heard of the “little weight” in 10a, but as ever the BRB provided enlightenment.
I particularly liked 1a and 23d, but the brilliant 26a was the stand-out clue for me.
Many thanks to Virgilius and to BD.
P.S. I am glad everyone who was able to join yesterday’s celebrations seems to have had a great time and I hope there are not too many hangovers today.
BD, I parsed 1a slightly differently to you, but I think both work. For your (2,9) enumeration I took “part of” to be the (2) and “formal arrangement” to be the (9).
A really good crossword. At one stage I’d finished the left side and only had about two answers in the right.
12a took absolutely ages even though I could see it was an anagram and had alternate letters in. I was also slow to get 8d – don’t know why.
However many times he comes up in crosswords I always have to check the spelling of the last bit of 26a.
I liked 26a and 6d. My favourite was 13d.
With thanks to Virgilius and BD.
I hope that everyone managed to get home safely last night and that no-one was too badly held up by weather related problems. I also hope that there aren’t too many sore heads today.
Having no electricity until midday, I was late getting started, so fortunately it wasn’t one of Virgilius’s devilish offerings. I enjoyed it, though I never did get 26a, even having all the letters. I googled and see it’s our old pal Cockney rhyming slang. No objections, just hope that one day I’ll remember to check that before giving up.
Hope a good time was had by all yesterday and weather is not too horrendous. Thanks to Virgilius and BD.
Great fun as usual, thank you Virgilius. Lots to smile at.
Thanks to BD too – hope the slice of cake didn’t get too squashed and was enjoyed by Mrs BD.
As an afterthought, “Happy Birthday” to Carole King, a superb singer and song-writer. One of her best was it might as well rain until September, and it looks like it’s going to.
Yes – “Happy Birthday” to Carole King – how the hell can she be seventy-two?! I agree – fantastic singer and song-writer.
As for your last sentence, should we “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”?
PS I do know that’s not by Carole King – it’s just that it came into my head and I can’t hear it without smiling.
I agree! I loved the rendition by Eric Idle during the Olympic closing ceremony, but I do wonder what non-Brits made of it.
Greetings from Portland, unusually snowbound, thawing today. Didn’t get to Kells to see Ireland surprisingly dominate Wales.
Thanks for the photographs from the clan gathering.
Another great crossword, Brian. Thanks for these Sunday treats.
Kells? Aviva/Landsdown road surely. Wonderfully difficult but where are the jokes ?
Truly great puzzle, just the right edge for me.
Some brilliantly complex clues, eg 16a, 24a and 6d.
I rermember, having time to wait in Amsterdam, sitting in front of the ‘Night Watch’ for two hours.
So much in it and to it.
Many thanks Virgillius and thanks BD for the review.
Another great example from Virgilius… a setting legend. NE corner certainly hardest to prise into shape for me and I did not know that 10a was a measure. I’m going for **/****. I got the younger members of the family involved in this one and they were tickled with the word play and ingenuity. So often stumbling over lack of knowledge because of generational differences (well-oiled for drunk?) they learn so much from crosswords – hardly any of it useful!
If I was being banished to that Desert Island, my luxury would be a never-ending book of Virgilius’ puzzles.
Glad that Brizzle seems to have been a great success, I look forward to meeting you all at some future event.
If I was being banished to that Desert Island, my luxury would be a never-ending book of Virgilius’ puzzles.
I hope Brian Greer reads that.
Now that I’ve , mostly, found the wavelength I couldn’t agree more Gazza. And on my desert island I could have a walk, swim etc, and then get back to the brilliant clues that I should have answered in the first place.
My desert island would, by definition, have sun and sea – that’s all I want – I’m very easily pleased.
You’d get bored – you would need a garden, a cooker and supply of food, and that lovely-sounding book of Virgilius crosswords.
Oh – but then I might need a book of crosswords so that my brain kept working (but why would
I need it on a desert island) and then, if I had a book of crosswords, I’d need BD’s blog to explain the ones that I didn’t understand . . . oh, sod it, I might as well just stay where I am!
Oh no! Why is my comment awaiting moderation? NOW what have I done?
A problem with the spam filter – “Akismet [that’s the spam check program] cleared this comment during an automatic retry.”
I don’t really understand but as long as I haven’t committed a deadly sin of some kind and been excluded for ever I don’t really care!
What comment my dear? Desert Island thread all in tact on reading. And if I could have a secret stash of Micawber Toughies just happen to float by in a bottle then my life would be enhanced.
. . . and a few Ray T back page crosswords too . . .
Good photo – well done.
Desert island or solitary confinement,give me an endless book of Virgillius crosswords and I’ll continue to exist.
Yes, a great puzzle introducing me to new words/phrases, e.g. 6d and 10a (in that context). 22a an old chestnut but amusing nevertheless. Afraid my rhyming cockney is rusty so 26a took a while to solve. Thanks Virgilius. Life on my desert island would also be enhanced by endless supply of your puzzles but perhaps with a BRB as my chosen book. ***/***. Here’s to your next 5 years BD – congratulations and thank you for camaraderie and guidance your blog offers.
A pleasing solve, just tricky enough to keep my interest. Thank you Virgilius, and Big Dave for the hints.
Many thanks to Virgilius and to Big Dave for the hints. I hope you all enjoyed Bristol. A very enjoyable puzzle as usual from Virgilius. I was beaten by the 17’s, can’t get either, even with the hints. Any help would be much appreciated. Favourite was 26a, but lots of good clues. Was 3*/4* for me. Got them both now, used electronic help to get the across clue, just couldn’t think of the helmet part, then made sense of the hints once I had the first checking letter.
Heno
17d – ********************************* [please stop giving alternative clues BD] ! I unfortunately did Latin “A” level – so I hate all Latin Poets!
(R)embrandt initially in Night Watch
17a Parts of helmets protecting it for away team (8)
Put ‘it’ into parts of helmets that cover the face. The answer is how you might refer to the away team at a football match.
BD has given a hint for 17d. The poet you want is a very old one.
This was such an excellent puzzle!
I have marked so many enjoyable clues I don’t think I’d better list them all. My fave has to be 26a — albeit it did take me ages to realise it was Cockney Rhyming Slang (am I allowed to say that or is it giving the game away?).
Many thanks for your most helpful hints, Big Dave. I simply couldn’t get 23d without your help. I knew it had something to do with the cricket over but was stumped!!!
Many thanks to Virgillius for a lovely puzzle. (Add my name to the list of those who’d like an endless collection of Virgillius crosswords.)
And special appreciative thanks to Big Dave for ‘The Usual Suspects’. (What a lot of expertise and hard work must go into the compilation of your Mine of Useful Information.)