DT 28036 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 28036 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28036 (Hints)

Big Dave’s Saturday 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.

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 as “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

4a    Some bits of cricket, fiery, went too far (8)
Some series of six balls in cricket are followed by an adjective meaning fiery

10a    A liberal college head entertains jolly local dignitary (8)
The A from the clue and L(iberal) are followed by the head of a college around our usual naval jolly

12a    Runs into Greek character with gun to bring into church (8)
R(uns) inside a character in the Greek alphabet and followed by a type of gun

13a    Enjoyed touring North, then fell in farmyard tip (8)
A three-letter verb meaning enjoyed around N(orth) and followed by a fell or tor

21a    Make mistake about every other letter of answer? You need this (6)
A mistake around the odd (every other) letters of A[n]S[w]E[r] gives what might be needed to correct the mistake

23a    Ready for business (4,4)
A cryptic definition of the ready or money in a business

24a    Cleese character, one around church (8)
Start with the first name of John Cleese’s character in Fawlty Towers, then add I (one) and the two-letter Latin abbreviation for about

26a    Standard equipment for jousting in a manner of speaking (8)
A standard, typically a standard golf score, followed by a piece of equipment used in jousting

Down

1d    The yawl in storm is rolling (7)
This anagram (in storm) of THE YAWL gives an adjective meaning rolling in money

3d    What to do with hair? Pass (6)
Split as (4,2) this pass could be what to do with one’s hair

4d    It’s clear-cut what to do at start and finish of packing (4-3-4,4)
This expression meaning clear-cut describes what to do at start and finish of packing before going on holiday

5d    Difficult old partner on stage (8)
A two-letter word meaning old or former followed by the stage as a profession

7d    Queen entering cricket ground left protective cover (7)
Our Queen’s regnal cipher inside Surrey’s world-famous cricket ground and followed by L(eft)

15d    Flamboyant Grant’s is Aquarius (4,4)
An anagram (flamboyant) of GRANT’S IS gives a twelfth part of the zodiac of which Aquarius is an (unindicated) example – it is usual to provide an indication, like “say” or a question mark, that a “definition by example” is being used

18d    One investigates the method of passing oxygen in tight spot (7)
The chemical symbol for oxygen inside a tight spot or predicament

22d    Work following South Pacific (5)
A verb meaning to work on the land follows S(outh)

The Crossword Club is now open.


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The Quick Crossword pun: span+dhow+Bali=Spandau Ballet


58 comments on “DT 28036 (Hints)

  1. Straightforward R&W puzzle today but nevertheless a pleasant diversion. My only pause for thought was with 24a, my last one in. 13a conjures up a wonderful image and gets my vote as favourite.
    Many thanks to Mr Ron and to BD.

  2. I took a little longer than I should’ve done to get on the setter’s wavelength, but once I’d managed to do so, it all fell into place pretty quickly.

    Thanks to BD and setter 1.5*/3*

  3. I agree with Rabbit Dave – mostly R&W, almost completed before lights out last night, with a few head scratchers completed easily this morning. Last one in was 18d so I make that my favourite. Thanks to the compiler and BD.

  4. Agree with RD. Very straightforward, which leaves me plenty of time for the NTSPP, which has been giving me trouble of late. An enjoyable puzzle and a good one for those new to cryptics, I think. 22D was my last in, with 23A as my favorite. I did like 13A, too. Thanks to today’s setter and to BD for the early blog.

    BD, I think the puzzle number at the top of the page needs fixing.

  5. Like Rabbit Dave, I didn’t experience any problems with this puzzle but – and I know I may seem to be over-critical – I was disappointed by the repetition in 4a and 7d. At first, I was undecided what the correct answer was for 2d but re-reading the clue provided the answer, although it’s a moot point whether ‘restraining’ should have read ‘retaining’.

  6. Another Saturday cakewalk but today’s had an unusually engaging feel to it. Thank you Mr. Ron and BD also. Liked 3d and 13a (once I had dispensed with wrong last three letters which admittedly I couldn’t really parse). Not sure about 16a clue – don’t think you pick OUT in this context. */****.

  7. The normal straightforward Saturday morning fare – nothing too taxing but enjoyable nonetheless and over too quickly!

    Sport all the way this weekend – I’m recording the Rugby and watching the Football – the boss has gone to Lakeside with our her friend and eldest Daughter to give the credit card a caning – I’m like a pig in the proverbial – lovely!

    *note to editor – for some reason I can’t enter the emoticons or whatever they’re called this week – confusing?

  8. All done, but not keen on 6d even though it is in the BRB as an alternative spelling. Favourites were 3d and 26a, both of which raised a smile.
    I did this puzzle over a late breakfast, just after watching highlights of England’s 4th ODI in South Africa and 1a sounded like a good description of various shots in Chris Morris’s innings!
    Thanks to both the setter and BD. 1.5*/3* from me today.

  9. :wacko: I thought this was going to be very cricket influenced with some answers being linked. Nothing to really challenge I thought favourite being 18d. Thanks to BD and to The Setter. Have a good weekend one and all. Off to watch Stevenage v Cambridge United.

  10. One of the easier ones for sure, 24a a fav if pressed, should the image alt tags be coming up with the actual answers BD? Thanks to to the setter and BD as usual. Hopefully the rugby will be a bit easier on the eye this weekend, looks like a long day/eve in the pub acting as the 5th unofficial official.

  11. Ahh, thank you crypticsue; being new, I hadn’t come across this before so I suspected it could be a glitch, didn’t realise there was a FAQ to deal with it, another bit of info in the bank.

    1. Another thing to note is that if you click reply in the comment to which you are replying, it keeps the comment thread together.

      There are FAQs for most things as the same questions do seem to turn up on a very regular basis.

  12. Not quite R and W for me but still at the easier end of the Saturday spectrum. I enjoyed 14 and 18 down, but my favourite has to be 23 across – a very elegant yet simple clue.

    1.5*/3* with grateful thanks to our setter and BD. Looking forward to the first two rugby internationals this afternoon. 13 and 25 across remind me that I should also offer belated thanks to Miffypops for his advice yesterday regarding toilet seats. All is once again serene and calm in the Salopian household.

  13. Was looking for a hint on14d -there wasn’t one! But when I read it again I realised there was an anagram in there, and confirmed my answer. So all done.

    Thx to BD and setter -with his cricket clues as usual!

  14. As JonP, it took me a while to get on the setter’s wavelength. Two readings in fact.
    But once I got a foothold, everything fell into place without the need of electronic help whatsoever.
    Favourite 14d.
    Thanks to Mr Ron and to BD for the blog.

  15. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave for the hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, took me ages to get the SE & NW corners. Thought 21a was clever, but favourite was 24a. Last in was 12a. Was 2*/3* for me. Dull and dreary in Central London.

  16. Straightforward but very enjoyable puzzle. Favourites 13&24a and 3&22d. Thanks to the setter and BD for the review.

  17. This flowed very nicely for me until I got to 25a and 18d, it took as long as the rest of the puzzle to get those, and they weren’t that difficult!
    Fave was 24a, with 4d running a close second.
    Thanks to setter and to BD for the hints.

    Going off subject for a second, I’ve just finished watching Poldark series one where it ends with him being hauled off to prison, but I can’t see any reference to a series two. Is there a second series and is it being aired now in UK? Amazon doesn’t seem to have a release date. Thanks.

    1. Merusa, series 2 is not due to be shown until the Autumn. So no more topless scything for a while yet. I think a third series is also planned later.

  18. I’m with Jean-luc on this one. But I did enjoy it. The first reading did surrender several clues and then, once I was on the right wavelength, the rest was fairly straight forward. Very cold here today, just what the children needed at the start of half term!! Have a good weekend everyone

  19. Strange.
    First thing this morning, I filled in about half with no problems, now I am completely stumped!! Shame after yesterday’s good effort.
    At least Millwall won!!

    1. Try sleeping on it and looking at it again in the morning. You may be surprised to find that a tiny part of your brain has been working on the clues while you’ve not been thinking about them at all.

      1. Yes,will do.
        Out of interest, for a novice what’s ‘our usual naval jolly’?? A xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

          1. My son is training to be one of those and I’ve not heard the term yet. I’ll ask him if he has :)

            1. Strictly speaking the construct is invalid – a jolly is an individual and the desired two-letter abbreviation refers to the organisation to which he belongs (and is shown in Chambers as a plural).

        1. You’ll find it under Usual Suspects. I’ve edited out the last bit of your comment because it is straying into wrong information territory.

        2. In the prologue it says “Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects”.

  20. Re 22d. What is the convention for a capital P for Pacific, it being the definition? Apart from this quibble, a ***/*** for me.

    1. You quite often get ‘misleading capitals’ in cryptic crosswords. Just another of the setter’s sneaky tricks to watch out for.

      1. Hmm. Just doesn’t sit right with me. Pacific with a capital has a different meaning to pacific without. Thanks CS

  21. A pleasantly diverting R&W on a hungover, sleepless Saturday. Is it only my weekends that are like this?

  22. It’s definitely a wavelength thang! I ran into problems in the SE corner; I got there eventually but it was no R&W for me. 14d was ultimately my favourite as well as being my last one in. Overall 2/3*.
    Thanks to the setter and to BD for his hints.

  23. I seem to be at odds with most people. This was largely a read and write in. In the main over all too quickly for me. However, 22d was lingering. I had one or two possible solutions including the correct one so looked up the meanings of Pacific (or rather Pacific). However I am not sure whether I am right with 6d which no-one else has mentioned. I assume it is a winter sportsman but cannot parse it as my winter sportsman does not seem to spell anything upwards.

      1. It’s the answer itself that needs to be looked up – the second half of the clue is about a different sport. See my further hint at #27.

        1. That’s what I was implying …. I was obviously trying too hard not to break the “rules”.

          1. Of course as soon as I got into bed last night I had one last look and spotted it right away. I was barking up the wrong tree as to how to work out the reason for the answer

  24. It all went fairly smoothly , until the lower right corner. I had the chequers but I looked at the hints for 18d and 23a.
    I liked 4d the best.
    Thanks BD and setter.

  25. While I got 23a, I don’t understand why the middle bit of the word is what it says it is in the clue.
    Funny that.

    1. If I had a pound for every time I say ‘have a look at your solution in the dictionary’ I’d be a very rich woman by now.

      Although, on rereading your question, I’m wondering if your solution is wrong as the clue is a straightforward cryptic defintion clue.

      1. If I had not the correct solution, I would not have posed the question.
        You are richer by £1..00
        I thought I knew every meaning of the word but I now know I did not.
        Many thanks, crypticsue, I will henceforth heed your excellent advice.
        :bye:

  26. A few novice issues made this hard for me today…
    Cant parse 6, the answer spelt back makes no sense
    Don’t know what the answer to 22d has to do with the definition
    Cant get 2,16,14,23
    Tomorrow’s another day…

        1. Sorry for the previous entry, hit the send button too soon. As newbies we usually take the week to complete the crossword with a little help from the hints. We were delighted to have finished this one in the day but accept this means it was probably easier than usual. Last one in was 2d, had to check the definition of pacific before completing 22d.What do we do the rest of the week?

  27. Took a while to get the last four letters of 13a, must have tried every possible permutation, but yielded in the end. Several favourites – 11a, 21a, 25a and 1d.
    2*/4*

  28. Sorry this is so late. Just got round to finishing it. In Madeira for a few days. Just taken a little while to sort wifi out. Thanks to the setter and to BD. Glad 4a didn’t happen on way in.

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