DT 27444 (Hints)

59 comments on “DT 27444 (Hints)”

1. A pleasant solve today with no real problems. 2d last one in, I must have lead a sheltered life. Thanks to setter and to Big Dave for the hints which were not needed this morning.

2. Morning Dave I found this one of the easier Saturday puzzles, once again no real favourites ( 4 credits now!) Thanks for the hints although I didn’t need them today, after a lovely sunny start it is now ‘hailing’ quite heavily and looking like snow!!!!

   1. I’m watching!

      1. 

         1. Could be a long watch!!

3. Rather easy solve today.
   Faves : 18a & 4d.

4. All done on a bitterly cold touch line watching under 12s football! 24a was rather nice but over too quickly for me. Thanks to the Setterabd keep warm folks. Off to buy a cricket bat for the new season!

5. I agree with all the previous comments but, as Little Dave will appreciate, the sight of the word ‘Lords’ in 8a initially sent me in the wrong direction… I soon realised my mistake and agree with Mary that this was one of the easier Saturday puzzles. It’s just starting to rain here – and there’s a bitingly-cold wind – so I’ll forego standing on the touchline, watching Sandbach RUFC, and content myself with Chelsea v Arsenal on BT Sport instead.

   1. Arsenal getting hammered!!

      1. Yees! good for ‘us’ Cara :-)

6. Nice crossword with very few problems.
   I started off with the wrong hidden answer for 20a – it was someone whose surname is Turner! and . Sorted that out pretty quickly.
   My last answer, for no obvious reason, was 25a.
   I liked 12 and 23a and 5 and 17d. My favourite was 4d mainly because I love Corsica so much – a rotten reason I know!

   1. PS Sorry – manners seem to have gone missing today.
      Thanks to Mr Ron and BD.

7. 2*/3*. My first answer in was 17d but I was horrfied to find after writing in my “obvious” solutrion it only had 7 letters :oops:.
   I’d better keep my pencil handy in future.
   Thanks to the setter for an enjoyable puzzle and to BD for the hints.

8. Thank goodness for today’s puzzle. After the last two days this came as a pleasant solve, even if it is considered easy by many. We actually didn’t need the clues but thank you BD anyway, & also the setter too of course.

9. Please some help with 6a and 7d

   1. Hi Eileen, it’s a double definition you need a word for something teachers do and also a currency no longer used (money no longer)

   2. 6a Something teachers do is also a term for a former currency (money no longer)
      7d Brother is an example of the solution – the abbreviation for Rex followed by ecstasy (a feeling of happiness.

      1. Snap :-)

   3. 7d… you are looking for a word for what a brother may be or a sister or a mother etc. etc. you need the one letter abbreviation for Rex with a 7 letter word for ecstasy to get your answer

10. We had ATTILA in both yeterday’s DT and Grauniad puzzles and now one of the answers in this one was in yesterday’s Toughie, is the English langiuage running out of words?

11. most enjoyable arguments with Mrs T over 26a and also the spelling of 10a. Toast crumbs in bed did not detract from a fun puzzle so thanks to the voice of the Mr Ron and to BD & the cryptognomethings.

12. Very quiet here today….where is collywobs…doesn’t he need us anymore!!

13. all done, didn’t need any help finally

14. If you’ve done this, and the NTSPP (and if not, why not?) , and the wind is too chilly outside like it is here, I can recommend Arachne’s alter ego Rosa Klebb in today’s FT.

    1. I have done this but haven’t looked at NTSPP yet – my excuse is that I’ve unearthed an ancient hedge cutter and it still works so that’s what I’ve been doing all afternoon and, yes, the wind is arctic!

15. I found that quite easy today, so thanks to Mr .Ron & BD as always.

16. Thanks to the setter and to Big dave for the hints, which I managed without today. Quite a nice puzzle, but nothing too difficult. No real favourites. Was 2*/2* for me. Not a great day for me, as Arsenal were thrashed by Chelsea

17. Finally managed to polish this off in three sittings whilst waiting in between times for my brain to come up with something

    Thanks as ever to BD for the hints, not all of them needed today but still good to read them

    18a made me grimace once the penny dropped and I made short work of 6d after I’d excluded another Spanish white as my answer which I am not naming because the naughty corner is cold and wet :)

    1. Hmm, the penny hasn’t dropped for me yet I am afraid, I just cannot see the “sounds like” connection with a vocalist. (I’m already for a “doh” moment if I can be enlightened.)

       1. Vocalist is used here as a homophone indicator – if you say a word meaning closing up out loud it sounds like the upper limit of something.

       2. Aah, that use is new to me, many thanks for enlightening me.

18. Thank you setter . good fun and no real problems. Managed to finish without external aids – other than Mrs SW ! Thanks for the hints as usual BD

19. Just thawed out having planted some bulbs hopefully not too prematurely. I doff my cap to BD and the The Setter. Chilled wine now deserved.

20. Just troublesome enough to be enjoyable. ***/*** Thanks as usual to Mr. Ron and BD. Am aware of an xxxx——— but have never heard of word in 28a being used instead of drugs such as beta blockers. Liked 10a.

    1. I have edited your comment as I think those four letters are drifting into the realms of alternative cluedom.

       1. So be it – I guess it’s a spell in the naughty corner for me then.

       2. I was quite chuffed…this past weekend was a long weekend here in South Africa, Friday having been a public holiday, so off we went to our beach cottage at a seaside village 80 kms from home – and I finished Saturday’s crossword without any hints, without Mr Roget and without Chambers! I say I WAS quite chuffed about that, until I saw that everyone else (well, nearly everyone else) said it was an easy crossword! So I’m NOT getting smarter!
          Incidentally, I agree with what I assume was Angel’s comment about the answer to 28a. (Her comment was edited before I saw it). The drug in the answer is (in my respectful opinion) NOT soothing. Quite the opposite, I would think.

21. Unlike most people , I didn’t find this a walk in the park.I ended up using lots of hints for which I am truly grateful.Don’t know why this didn’t quite click with me, thanks to the setter , anyway.It was nice to be reminded of that Obama visit with his cousin Henry Healy, whom he resembles quite remarkably, especially around the ears.

    1. Have a look at the NTSPP. You get a mention albeit not a very flattering one.

       1. Totally disgusting misuse of my name ! I much prefer “sex appeal girl” (sauna).

22. 2*/2*, l think, and 6d was my favourite. Thanks to the setter, and to BD for hints (which l didn’t need on this occasion).

23. After a very busy Saturday I woke early on Sunday, aching all over from the jobs I was doing yesterday, and decided to have an early breakfast and a go at this puzzle. Probably bad timing but I couldn’t get on the setter’s wavelength at all and unlike most of you I found it rather hard going with very few chuckles. Still completed it without hints but rather slowly.
    3*/1*
    Thanks setter (it’s me not you!) and BD for the unused hints.

    On a slightly different tack, am I right in thinking the work experience teenagers who code the online telegraph puzzles site may have fixed the cookie issue? It actually remembered who I was when I logged on from my laptop this morning.

24. Interesting puzzle, but it took a few hours to get started. Just managed to complete.

    fav was 1a which I only managed to work out when I’d got 4d.

    I’ve got 26a by a process of excluding everything ele, but I can’t work out why!!!

    1. If you have the correct solution, BD’s hint should make all clear.

    2. I too had a mental block on this one, I was determined to reuse one of my old ironing jokes but Mrs T just would not have it. CS’ note is accurate – here is BD’s hint:

       26a Someone who presses a suit for favour (8)
       Two definitions – someone who presses a legal suit or a verb meaning to favour or endorse

25. I’m with Una and Howdoo on this one. Just not on my wavelength or rather vice versa. Did not get it. Still haven’t got 23a but think I may have the first word of 16d wrong (23a just came to me so I clearly do have the first word of 16d wrong!. Just hoping my effort is a blip. Thanks to all.

26. Hello! I am new to this cryptic stuff and finding it a joy! Done all of yesterday’s prize dt bar 8a which is baffling me, despite big daves hint. Thank you for all your other hints big Dave … Wouldn’t have done it without you. My favourite has to be 21d where it took me ages to make connections and not focus too much on the ‘arousing’ bit!!!

    1. Welcome to the blog Manuela.
       The boozer that you want in 8a is not a person but a place.

       1. Thank you but my general knowledge is obviously lacking!! Been on web re ******** Lords but … Missing something obvious! Sure all down clues are good. This is driving me nuts

          1. What I’ve edited may give you an idea of what’s obvious.

          2. I read your earlier comment a while ago and have been trying to construct a helpful hint in the meantime.
             I hate the thought of someone being driven nuts as I can remember how it feels – until I found this brilliant blog about four years ago I was in the same position and it’s very frustrating and discouraging.
             Stick with this blog – you will learn lots very quickly. At weekends it’s a bit tricky as the Saturday and Sunday crosswords are prize ones so no-one is allowed to say too much – it’s very different from Monday to Friday.
             Read what gazza has said carefully – the boozer is not a specific place but a general term for one, even if it’s not used all that much now.

             1. Hello and thank you! The penny dropped at six this morning whilst I wasn’t thinking too hard!! Doh when I got it … I was making it more complex than it was!!

27. I found this Sat Prize Puzz a wee bittie harder than norm along with quite a few of the later bloggers. Like 16d best.

    One needs to keep daily practice at solving or one’s Edge is lost. I have been restricting myself to the weekends only with the occasional dip into weekdays if they are not too obscure to me.

    About ten years ago I was lamenting to myself that the end of Cryptic crosswords as a mainstream activity might be in sight with my younger colleagues showing little interest or aptitude and the growth of Sudoku competing for solving time. It would have been such a shame. Then along comes the Internet and turns it all on its head (as is it’s wont) with sites like this to get people going in a fun and painless way. It’s great to see this most British of activities enjoy a revival. Thanks for you efforts BD – ’tis a great thing that you do.

28. Well I found this very tough. Might not help that I am out of practice and with a head cold.

    Thanks for everybody’s hints – very helpful and needed. 2 more hints sought to complete:

    25a) not a clue (no pun intended) on this.
    12a) I think I have all the checking letters which leaves only 2 possible answers. Neither of which I understand. Ok, 3 possibles. Suspect last one I have just thought of is right but still don’t get it.

    Many thanks in advance.

    1. Your comment needed moderation because you’ve changed your email address.

       25a Timid person takes care of district (6)
       The abbreviation for ‘care of’ followed by an electoral district.

       12a Woman from Limerick, say, without husband (4)
       How you’d describe someone from Limerick without the abbreviation for husband.

    2. Hello and following gazzas reply re 12a …think of where Limerick is, which is where I got my answer via a helpful teenager!

29. I enjoyed this puzzle. Fave clue was 8a. Many thanks to the setter.

    Can’t believe that I had a mental blank re 24a. So many thanks for the hint, Big Dave.

30. Thanks Big Dave, a great help to us beginners

    1. Welcome to the blog John

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