ST 3008 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 3008 (Hints)

by Senf  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3008 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg, where we have had some typical late Spring weather, including a frost warning in the middle of the week!

Benevolence continues!  5 anagrams (two partials), two lurkers, and no homophones all in a slightly asymmetric 29 clues.

Candidates for favourite – 11a, 17a, 9d, and 17d.

Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in red at the bottom of the hints!

As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.

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

8a Seafood sailor has without garnish? (7)
A usual abbreviation for sailor followed by a single word that could mean served without garnish?

11a Most ignorant, it’s implied — if nothing else (9)
A single word for if nothing else which when written as (5,4) could mean (it’s implied) most ignorant – I thought this might be an unindicated Americanism but the BRB says (rare or US).

14a Look at cricket, for example, to catch Pakistan’s opener (7)
What a cricket is in the animal kingdom containing (to catch) the first letter (opener) of Pakistan.

17a Together, needing no further inspiration? (2,3,4,6)
A double definition(?) – the first can relate to two things that are said together but are contradictory.

21a Start in film? (5)
Written as (2,3), a term that relates to making a film.

26a Spell words wrong here: typos! (3,6)
An anagram (wrong) of HERE: TYPOS.

28a Mother-in-law perhaps initially disappearing — joy! (7)
What a mother-in-law is by marriage (perhaps) with the first letter removed (initially disappearing).

Down

1d This thick-skinned? Give us a ring (6)
A single word for a ring precedes (give) US from the clue – not the best clue of the day.

2d A collector entertained by favourite bird (8)
A from the clue and a garden tool that could be considered a collector contained (entertained) by a synonym of favourite.

3d Gin swilled in happy party (10)
An anagram (swilled) of GIN inserted into (in) a synonym of happy.

7d Caged by parvenu, that chirruping bird (8)
One of the lurkers (caged by) – the other is 23d – contained in the rest of the clue.

9d Bad electrified lifts (4)
A term that indicates that something is electrified reversed (lifts).

16d Jack, for example, out of tune — a playing fiddler? (4-5)
What Jack can be an example of followed by a single word for out of tune.

17d Familiar prisoner keeps it up (8)
A synonym of prisoner containing (keeps) IT from the clue reversed (up).

22d Difficult Norse god nearly dispensing with earl (6)
A Norse god followed by what is left when EARL is removed (dispensing with) from NearlY.

25d Welcome drop of the hard stuff? (4)
A double definition to finish – the second is a type of precipitation.

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Number one for one week starting this day 46 years ago:

39 comments on “ST 3008 (Hints)”

  1. No problems today in this enjoyable puzzle which was over too quickly. I wasn’t keen on 11a but in general liked the rest. Many thanks to all.

  2. Very enjoyable Sunday morning entertainment with some clever clues. Just one query however. My answer to 15d has two letter o’s in it. Am I wrong, is the clue wrong or am I just confused? Probably the latter 😂
    Thank you to all involved as ever.

    2. So does my 15d but surely it can’t be anything else? Otherwise enjoyable. Thanks to Senf and setter.

    3. I just came back on to say the same thing. I was checking my answers prior to submitting online and I agree Faraday

    5. I am confused that you are all confused :wacko:

      There are two Os in the anagram fodder (“boors react”) so what is the problem?

    6. I am very confused by all these comments – the solution does have two Os as does the anagram fodder (well it does in the version I printed off from the Puzzles website

        1. The newspaper has the ‘ boors react ‘ version. Like Rabbit Dave, I couldn’t undestand what Faraday and the others were talking about. Glad that’s been cleared up.

          1. Apologies for the duplication. I must stupidly have pressed the button twice. 🤭

    8. So, after identifying that there were different clues depending on the source (and the on-line DT web site also has ‘boors react’), it may be interesting to note that the answer refers to languages (per the BRB and other sources) while, for me, the definition in either clue appears to refer to peoples or might be incomplete.

      1. Yes, that was my next point! Isn’t the answer a language, not a nationality? Sorry about the slow response, a rather nice lunch intervened. Thank you to everyone for the clarification.

  3. Lovely start to the day from our setter. Terrific clues with a great mixture of types to keep us interested. Lots to choose from for a favourite, but I will go for 11a.

    Thanks thanks Dada, I assume, and Senf.

  4. A gentle but enjoyable crossword (*/***) and a nice start to a Sunday morning, which started with bright sunshine but is clouding over, ready for the next instalment of the deluge. I liked 11a, 17a and 16d. Thanks to the setter, if it’s Dada, he is in a benevolent frame of mind. Thanks to Senf for the hints, I don’t know which is worse, your frost warnings in June or our never-ending wet spell.

  5. Plenty to enjoy , amuse and mystify today .

    The right hand side flew in , with a stumble on 15D , then the other side opened up slowly but surely .

    Quite a few favourites so will not single out one , last in was 1D .

    Thanks to everyone from sunny South Wales ( at the moment ! )

  6. By the way HJ and all members of our “nil points” club, today I have a whole new twist. The solution page is telling me that I have the e, the p and the r wrong (all the unchecked letters) in the word “leopard” in last Sunday’s puzzle.

    1. Well that’s very interesting Margaret. Sunday’s solution gives me the dreaded 0/28. I do wish someone from the Telegraph could give us an explanation to all this. Still, one consolation, as the online15d anagram doesn’t work, we electronicees have no chance of winning today anyway!

    2. I’m now in the same club and I hope it is because I have had to delete & reload the app on my iPad .

  7. What an excellent return to crosswordland after two weeks’ holiday. I trust you’ve all been behaving nicely whilst I’ve been away.

    This was a light delight except perhaps for 27a which is a bit of a dodgy word that looks like a fill-in as the only possibility that would fit with the crossing letters. That apart this was great fun throughout with lots of lovely clues to enjoy. My rating is 1.5*/3.5*.

    Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.

  8. Very enjoyable. Agree that 1d is clumsy but i did like 14a. Pleasant start for a quiet Sunday.
    Thx to all
    **/****

  10. I always have that extra spring in my step when I have managed to complete the crossword without help, especially on a Sunday.

    Boing, boing, boing, all the way to Sainsburys.

    Many thanks to all.

  11. Virgilius was a tough act to follow, but Dada has certainly managed it. His crosswords are consistently superb, always with clever, inventive clues.
    Solved this morning with the rain still chucking itself down. Come on, this is flaming June!
    Thanks all.

  12. Had a few problems with the differing versions of clues. As well as the wrong fodder in 15d I had a slightly different clue for 21a (theatre rather than film) I wonder how the nul pointers will be scored on that one.
    What I assume are editorial issues apart thanks to Dada for a fine puzzle also to Senf for hints that sorted things out. Thanks to Suzi too I had the hots for her aged 11

  13. Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, that I breezed through until the end. Needed electronic help for 11a, I wouldn’t have thought of that. Also needed the hints for 25d, I had forgotten that greeting. Favourite was 8a, was 3*/4* for me.

  14. Other than 15d which had to be an obvious bung-in, this was a nice challenge. The RHS was completed first and the other side then fell into place. I know it’s an oldie but I did like 20d.
    Thanks to Dada, and to Senf for the hints.

  15. A benevolent delight for Fathers Day from Dada, which I really enjoyed. This had all the best elements in place, I thought some of the clues were very well put together,,,,
    2*/4.5*
    Favourites 7d, 25ac & a cracker at 11ac ,,, a crossword that produced 28ac ,
    Thanks to Dada & Senf for review

  16. **/****. Very enjoyable. The east went in swiftly and then had to grind through the west. 1d held me up for ages as my spelling of this wouldn’t fit. You live and learn🙂. 11a also stalled progress as it’s such an obscure word, at least to me. Thanks to the setter and Senf for the hints.

  17. All went swimmingly in the East then there was a bit of heavy weather in the West but not for long and I did enjoy the head-scratching that was called for. I agree with RD re iffiness of 27a which was my last to go in and then only thanks to the row. Fav was 14a with 17a also in the frame. Thank you Dada and Senf.

  18. Now that Dada has become friendlier, I do enjoy his puzzles, so thank you for that.
    I agree with RD re 27a, my last one in and was a bung in.
    I liked that fun 17a clue, but must mention 26a.
    Thanks to Dada and to Senf for hints and pics. We are enjoying a gully washer rain right now, so glad I don’t have to go anywhere.

  19. Some v clever/amusing clues but yet again managed to delete the whole thing before the end!

  20. Only difficulty today with the greeting to the SW, and an incorrect entry for most ignorant to the NW that caused me no end of difficulty until resolved. Lots of fun as ever on a Sunday.

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