Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27438 (Hints)
Big Dave’s Crossword Club
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Today is your last chance to enter the March 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.
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.
Some hints follow:
Across
1a Indicator of wind’s blow (4)
A cryptic definition of a device mounted on a mast to show the direction and strength of the wind
9a Acknowledge version of the Bible with cry of pain (6)
The abbreviation for the Authorised Version of the Bible followed by a cry of pain
13a Deception taking in engineers is very funny thing (6)
A deception or fraud around the usual military engineers
17a One put on guard supports family (8)
This headgear for a guardsman is a charade of a verb meaning supports and a three-letter word for family
19a Boy catching gnat gets bit (8)
A boy around a small gnat-like fly
22a Eden Hazard? Golden feet work deftly with energy (4,2,9)
The source of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden is an anagram (deftly) of GOLDEN FEET WORK with E(nergy)
23a Place serving officers Horlicks (4)
The place where officers are served with their meals is also a Horlicks or shambles
25a Blue stuff upset stomachs (4)
Reverse (upset, usually a down clue indicator) a colloquial word for stomachs
Down
1d Host a former athlete dispatched outside (9)
This host is the bread consecrated in the Eucharist – the A from the clue and a former middle distance athlete with a verb meaning dispatched outside them
2d Provide comfort to computer games player (7)
This verb meaning to provide comfort to is also an electronic device for playing computerised video games
3d Fish expert catches indefinite number possibly (9)
A freshwater fish followed by an expert, the latter around an indefinite number in an equation
4d Regular correspondent‘s report of Scottish island (7)
This newspaper correspondent sounds like (report of) a Scottish island
6d Changes the character of area in false set (9)
A(rea) inside a set of false teeth
7d It will make you go about carrying a sign of injury (7)
This laxative (it will make you go) is derived by putting the two-letter abbreviation of the Latin for about around (carrying) the A from the clue and a sign of an earlier injury
14d Name item in pie around Christmas primarily (9)
In this all-in-one clue, pie is a term used in printing for type which has been confusedly mixed, hence it indicates an anagram – put an anagram (pie) of NAME ITEM around the initial letter (primarily) of Christmas
16d Regret about detective (7)
A two-letter word meaning about followed by the surname of a famous TV detective
20d Michael Finnegan’s content being small (5)
Hidden (content) inside the clue
Highlighted words can be found in The Usual Suspects.
The Crossword Club is now open. Feel free to leave comments.
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. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted.
The Quick crossword pun: {salve}+ {adored}+ {ali} = {Salvador Dali}
I solved this before you blogged it! My faves : 17a & 7d – the latter a good laugh!
Fab-u-lous!! 2.5*/5*. I was slow at first to get onto the setter’s wavelength with only a couple of answers going in on my first pass, but it all fell steadily into place with lots of smiles along the way. Would anyone like to venture a guess who the setter is?
This puzzle was such a joy that I could have chosen all the clues as my favourites but I am saved from the wrath of Kath by 22a, which is a construction of pure genius and my stand-out favourite. I think I am on safe ground by predicting that 16d will be Kath’s choice today!
Many thanks to Mr. Ron and to BD.
… and now for an exhausting afternoon watching rugby!
Nice quick fill in today, but it did get the feeling I’d solved this puzzle before!
Thanks for hints, needed for some wordplay.
Thanks to the setter.
Thanks setter for great puzzle with lots of fun and more challenge than some Saturday offerings but still straightforward enough to be completed ahead of the eagerly awaited p.m. series of rugby matches. Come on England!
Several great clues with no particular fav. 7d a bit of a giggle (nearly eye make-up again!) **/****.
Thank you setter – one of the most enjoyable puzzles for a while ! Some terrific and amusing clues – great fun. 22a and 7d stood out for me. Thanks for the hints BD.
What a hard slog
I loved it but, like RD, was slow to get started and thought to begin with that it was going to be difficult.
) and 20d. I can’t pick just one favourite.
4d was my last one – I didn’t know the word and please could we add Scottish islands to the very long list of things that Kath can’t do.
I was also slow with 1d – I always forget that meaning of host – and the 8a anagram took me a long time to see – don’t know why.
I didn’t know that meaning of Horlicks.
I liked nearly all of these – so many clever clues but the ones that I liked best are 19, 22 and 25a and 3, 7, 16 (
With thanks to Mr Ron for a really good crossword and to BD.
I’m now going to spend the day alternating between snivelling about John Thaw and singing ” There was an old man called Michael Finnegan”!
Me too Kath with Michael Finnegan!!
It’s been going round in my head all day – needs to stop now – going to some friends for dinner and they’ll all think that I’ve gone barking mad.
Loved this puzzle, no help needed today which makes a change! 7D made me smile. Sat at the poolside watching his highness having his weekly hydra therapy session.Many thanks to the setter & BD for the review.
This was done relatively speedily with the assistance of my mother who joined me for a rare joint effort. 7d drew on her medical knowledge and is a new one for me. All done my favourite being 22a. A nice distraction between gardening jobs and enjoying the beautiful weather here in Hertfordshire. Thanks to The Setter of course,
A masterpiece of a crossword and I agree with Rabbit-Dave’s rating of 2.5*/5*. Did get a bit stuck in the NE but, switched off the music, took up a pencil and worked the thing right out without assistance. 22a and 17a joint favourites.
Thanks Mr Ron for a very enjoyable session on this grid and BD for the hints. Being egregiously ignorant of all things football I did not know who M. Hazard was so I have learned something (great name dontchathink? Seems he’s quite handy with his feet too)
Enjoy the game everyone, I am stuck overseas this w/e … again.
PS I like the quickie pun.
I imagine that it’s going to be quiet here today – even I know that there is Rugby, although how you can all sit inside watching it on such a lovely day is a mystery to me.
Ah, but I’m sat outside watching it on my computer!
Too cold here to sit although the sun is lovely. It’s either do energetic stuff in the garden or sit inside with the NTSPP.
What an enjoyable crossword today. Many a chuckle and I especially liked 6d, 7d, and 14d, the latter being my favourite because of the elegant anagram.
I also, like RD and Kath thought it looked harder at first than it turned out to be once a few went in. 2*/5* for me.
Thank you to the setter (pity they are so often anonymous) and to BD.
If you aren’t interested in rugby
and the wind is too cold to make working outside a pleasant experience, can I recommend you have a go at today’s NTSPP.
As you know I’m not interested in the rugby
and it is pretty nippy. I keep trying to tell myself to go and do stuff in the garden but, so far, the NTSPP is a more attractive idea. It’s also putting up a good fight.
Totally stumped on 4d…I don’t know anything about Scottish islands either, Kath! Is there any help out there?
Hi Kingsley,
The definition is “regular correspondent” ie someone writing in a newspaper. It is a homonym (report) of a six letter Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides.
Hope that helps and that it doesn’t put me in naughty corner!
I’ve added a picture of the island’s best-known feature.
I’m taking this opportunity, while it’s half-time at the Millennium Stadium, to add my praise for the setter’s delightful puzzle and, while there was a lovely piece of misdirection in 22a, I saw the answer straight away. Back to the action in Cardiff…
Lovely day here so between sitting in the sun and watching the rugby I managed to finish this, loads of clues to like today it’s hard to pick one favourite so I won’t, alright then I will, 17a, Wales doing really well today
shame about last week!!! 
Delighted to finish this before setting out on a trip down memory lane which took me on the Gosport Ferry across to Portsmouth and back – big sigh for the decommissioned Illustrious aircraft carrier – and a smile at the Victory (how on earth did the sailors cope?) while Mr P was doing clever stuff nearby. 19a took me (of course) in completely the wrong direction at first. I have to get my favourites out of my head before I can think of anything else! Glorious sunshine and ozone galore has got me in fighting fettle for tomorrow’s puzzle. Thanks setter & BD. Only one more day to go before we see the piggies, Miffypops … Hope they’ve posed suitably
Great stuff. Best back-pager for some time IMO
Many thanks to the setter and BD.
Well! What a joy! I have been without crosswords for a couple of days and this offering is most welcome. Taken my time though,in the office this morning with a break for the Italy v England conflict; then dash home for the Wales-Scotland encounter. The crossword has been fitted in between. Thoroughly enjoyed this chain of A1 smilers. I would rate this 2.5*/4* So many good clues. Must go, France have just made an opening 3 points.
Lovely puzzle. Like you Kath I keep forgetting that “host ” . I was doing it while my marmalade was boiling up and both the puzzle and the marmalade were very satisfactory ,the marmalade especially so as the oranges and the lemon were off our own trees. Thanks to the setter.
Oranges and lemons from your own trees? Where do you live?
We’ve got lemons in our East Kent greenhouse but there are only three and they are too small to make more than a 19a of marmalade.
In northern Spain ,Kath
A lovely crossword, many thanks to setter and to reviewer for the hints.
Agree with all the comments. I was very slow starting though with 20d first in. All fell into place gradually. Last two in were 6a and 6d. Enjoyed many but 17a and 7d stand out. Thanks Setter whoever you may be and enjoyed the clues and comments although did not need the clues today. Penny took a long time to drop on some clues!
Thank you again bloggers and setters. Great help indeed. New to the DT Cryptic but have completed more than i have in the past, 8a and 22a solved first
Mr Nice
Could it have been a Rufus?I found it quite a struggle , actually , so perhaps a Shamus ?Then there was that unexpected religious clue….I got there in the end , using some of the hints above, which I haven’t needed for a while now.
The good news is the rugby and , quite unexpected since Ireland haven’t beaten France in the Stade de France in 42 years !! B O D We salute you !!
Well, as my morning was filled with Formula 1 and afternoon was rugby all the way, I didn’t get around to this until the evening. Struggled a bit on the top half but it all slotted into place eventually, despite not having heard of 7d before. 22a was very clever. 2*/3*. Thanks setter and BD. That picture of an Atari 2600 at 2d brought back some memories from the early 80s!
Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints. A great puzzle, one of the best I can remember for ages on a Saturday. I got to the point where I had 16 clues unsolved, I resisted the urge to look at the hints, and eventually completed it. Well worth the effort, favourite was 19a with 6d a close second. Lots of really well written clues, was 3*/5* for me.