Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2814 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Big Dave
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As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues 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”. Where the hint describes a construct a “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.
Some hints follow:
Across
1a Diction’s modified by subtle difference in end (14)
An anagram (modified) of DICTION’S followed by a subtle difference
9a Player is put in room inside, with temperature reduced (7)
Put IS between an inside room and the abbreviation (reduced) of T(emperature)
10a Get together in Queen’s returning train (7)
A verb meaning to get together inside the Queen’s regnal cipher, all reversed (returning)
15a Faithful person has to live with deception, endlessly jolly (8)
A two-letter verb meaning to live followed by a deception and most of (endlessly) an adverb meaning jolly or extremely
17a Slacks, perhaps? It’s the opposite of kind taking in employer (8)
Start with a four-letter word meaning kind or type, reverse it (it’s the opposite) and then insert an employer
21a Like lions, affected outside protected area, finally (10)
An adjective meaning affected or flowery around the final letters of two words in the clue
24a With no attempt at concealment, devouring a cold ham (7)
An adjective meaning with no attempt at concealment around (devouring) the A from the clue and C(old) gives a verb meaning to ham or perform in an exaggerated manner
26a Hobbyist for whom mail brings items of interest (5,9)
A cryptic definition of a hobbyist who is more interested in what is on the mail than what is inside
Down
1d Person providing determination for crucial game (7)
Two definitions – a person who determines which course of action is to be taken and a crucial game between two teams, only one of which will achieve their objective
3d Expression of triumphant surprise about current state (4)
An expression of triumphant surprise around the symbol for electric current gives a US state
6d Religious work giving convert ease of mind, we hear (10)
This religious work sounds like (we hear) a verb meaning to convert followed by ease of mind
8d Over time, dressed up somebody in red (6)
An adjective meaning dressed in one’s finery around (over) T(ime) gives somebody who’s bank account is printed in red ink
13d A large mammal seen in part of country, no real reason for anxiety (5,5)
The A from the clue, L(arge) and a marine mammal inside something that is an intrinsic part of our countryside
17d Advice to European to proceed with caution (6)
Some advice followed by TO from the clue and E(uropean)
20d Replacing centrepiece of meal, possibly uses shellfish (6)
Replace the middle two letters () of M[ea]L with an anagram (possibly) of USES
23d Covering for shoulders, also head (4)
Two definitions – an item of clothing word on the shoulders and a headland
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Another terrific puzzle from Virgilius, not without it’s challenges.Re 21a, I played around with various versions of the meaning of this word before hitting on the right one.
My favourite is 26a and I also liked 8d.
Thanks V and BD.
Usual enjoyable Sunday fare, fairly gentle today, though I wasn’t familiar with 21a which was my last one in. My favourite clue is 8d (over time, dressed up somebody in red). I was a bit surprised with the definition for 5d, I’d never thought of it that way.
Many thanks Virgilius ( I assume) and BD for the review
Good start ‘seeing’ 2d because it is just what I need, then a gentle solve fueled by my mid-morning coffee. After a bad week this weekend has restored me and instead of giving up, which I was all prepared to do, I will soldier on – me and my trusty pencil. Grateful thanks to Virgilius and BD. Cannot safely choose favourite because there are too many on my list but a slight bias to 2d.
Gentle Sunday puzzle with some great clues and associated wordplay. Liked 24a but caused me problems to start with and learnt new meaning.
Favourite is 8d.
Thanks to setter and BD
2*/4*
I found this much tougher than the usual Sunday (which is usually tricky) but have managed all except for 8d which I still don’t see even with the clue and 22a for which there is no hint (it’s probably obvious but beyond me). Can make a word meaning someone who is in debt but why dressed up? Very frustrating.
For me ***/** no outstanding clues and all a bit pedestrian.
Thx to all
Up is a reversal indicator in a down clue and ‘dressed’ is what you have to reverse, the result then put around (over) time, just as the hint says
. . . and for 24a you need a little two letter word meaning accordingly or therefore followed by another two letters – homophones of you are.
. . . or even 22a!
Thx Guys, very much appreciated. I knew it would be obvious when I got it – eventually! Always frustrating when you have an answer that you think is right and cannot fully see why.
When some of us started solving the DT cryptic, in the days when the internet wasn’t even thought of, we solved on our own, did our best and then looked at the paper the next day to see if we could work out what the clues we’d struggled with were on about. Quite often we couldn’t but we ‘perservated’ until we could solve complete puzzles and understand the parsing too!
yes, that is exactly what we used to do..
I’ve only been doing any ‘serious’ solving for a couple of years, so have always enjoyed the luxury of having Mr. Google to hand. Would you say that setters nowadays include more obscurities and GK as a result of knowing that we can all easily access far more information?
Another great Sunday puzzle that was mostly straightforward. Mis-entering 7d did not help me with18a until I realised my error when I kicked myself for making it that much more difficult to complete!
2*/4* for me today.
3*/3* fare for me today. I liked 17a and 26a. Thanks to Virgilius and BD.
I thought this was quite a tricky Sunday crossword but got there in the end.
21a couldn’t have been much else but I needed the hint to explain why.
I was slow to understand why 10a was what it was and 6d took a while too.
I liked 15 and 25a and 3 and 17d. My favourite, and last answer, was 13d which had me completely tied up in all the worst kinds of knots for ages.
With thanks to Virgilius and to BD.
Off up the garden now then will try to finish off the NTSPP from yesterday which is still causing grief.
A pleasant and gentle solve today. Thanks to BD for the review.
We really got in a stew over 21a. Got the answer easily enough from the def and checkers but we spelled it wrong with a * instead of *. Doesn’t matter really you might say as the */* isn’t a checker but . . .
What you have is an anagram (affected) of ******* placed around (protected) an * (**** finally) but where do the first two letters come from? I know it doesn’t really work but it’s near enough to have had me scratching the old bonce for ages before I realised what we had done wrong.
Anyway thanks to Virgilius and BD.
Please leave the discussion of what you did wrong until the full review has been published.
Poor pommers – he really didn’t mean to do anything wrong – please be nice to him – he does great hints and even better piccies!
Great fun for Sunday morning on another beautiful sunny day in paradise. Particularly liked 13d and 16 d ( do you think the addition of a comma after party might have been more of a misdirection?) but 6d has to be the favourite.
Thanks to V and BD. */****
4*/5*. What a homecoming from a great holiday in the sun in the Algarve to find a tough but wonderful Sunday puzzle! My last two in were 17d & 21a. Not having the first letter, I was originally convinced that 21a must be another word which fitted with the other checking letters and which could also describe lions. Then the penny dropped on 17d helping 21a to fall into place.
Many thanks to Virgilius and to BD.
Welcome back, RD, you’ve been missed – although there was an odd comment during the week that had your ‘friends’ feeling glad that you weren’t around to pick up on.
What a relief to know that pedants’ corner will be up and running again.
Now you’ve told him, he’ll go looking for it and get all bent out of shape!
You may be right, Merusa – maybe I just thought that he deserved a heads-up with regard to potential persecutors.
No time today to go hunting – unless one of you kind ladies gives me a clue as to which day(s) I need to check.
Noooooooooooo! Not on my head.
Wouldn’t dream of dropping anyone in it
but please don’t be upset if you happen to light upon comment 22 in the 27910 back-pager. 
I sorted out a drawer of kitcehen utensils this morning and found six wooden spoons. Would you like me to send you one to help with all the stirring you are doung?
Thanks for the generous offer, CS, but I reckon I’ve probably created enough of a whirlpool with the one I’ve already got.
Wooden spoons are OK as long as they are not used for preparing rabbit pie.
It’s an unpleasant thought that in some parts of the world they eat dog, but I might make an exception if it happened to be a Salty Dog.
:wink:
Touche!!
Much too late to get into all this now – probably just as well in case I said something tactless – it has been known!
RD – I’m glad you’re back and that you’ve had a great holiday with lots of sun.
Your paper work has been filed!
Now I suppose that I need to think about how much leave people are allowed in one year . . .
A great puzzle which gave me a lot of pleasure to solve. 26a made me smile but my favourite was 8d which was my last one in! Many thanks to Virgilius and to BD for the review – needed for understanding my answe ro 8d! 2*/4*.
Learnt a new version of a word at 21a, the only clue that really held me up and my last in.
It’s almost impossible to choose a fave but 6d comes the closest, followed by 25a and 26a.
Thanks to Virgilius for his Sunday offering and BD for the review.
****/****. Very enjoyable but for me a tricky but very fair puzzle. Thanks to all. Heavy rain will make our community garden work party a soggy event. Deep joy.
Visitors left just after Sunday lunch, so settled down to an afternoon of sport on TV and the weekend prize puzzles. Both enjoyable. Thanks to setter and to BD.
Another Sunday treat from Virgilius! No real problems; 21a was new to me but BRB confirmed the answer. 8d was my favourite and 3/3* overall.
Thanks to Virgilius and to BD for his hints.
**/****
found this one a bit more difficult than yesterday’s, but v enjoyable
favourite clue 26A
Thanks to setter and BD
I thoroughly enjoyed solving this puzzle. I didn’t find it particularly tricky – more of a steady solve to be savoured clue by clue. Thanks to BD and Virgilius 2*/4.5*
Most enjoyable solve.
Only really stumbled with 21a.
I kept thinking, at first, stupidly, about the current sporting contest plastered over our TV screens.
Then realised it must be a form of a particular word which it turned out to be.
Many thanks Virgilius, and BD for the review.
I took a couple of bites at this, but completed well within 2* time. Great fun, so 4* for pleasure thus derived. 25a gets my vote, in honour of the five ********* we’ve had, and the two currently curled up at my feet (one of them decidedly niffy since her evening walk, when l suspect she rolled in something undesirable). Many thanks to Virgilius, and to BD for the hints.
Well,
I am doing the rounds but haven’t done Friday’s Don yet.
This excellent puzzle from Virgilius was solved before lunch and didn’t put too much of a fight.
I suppose the long clues did help and the anagrams were solvable directly from the clues. MP will be glad to know that no ink was wasted.
Favourite is 17d.
Thanks to Virgilius and to BD for the hints.
This was great. Exactly the right length of time to solve so I still had plenty of the day to spend with other things.