DT 29766 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29766 (Hints)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29766 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by Gazza)

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Tilsit has been called into work at very short notice this morning so I’ve been called off the bench to provide a few hints to get you started.

There’s nothing very frightening in today’s puzzle so I don’t expect most solvers will have too many problems.

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 Clues
1a Don’t promote record, our era (10)
A straightforward charade of a) a musical record, b) OUR and c) a synonym of era.

11a Pay a second visit, eh? (4,5)
Double definition, the second an informal request for a repeat of something said that you couldn’t hear or understand.

15a Public scoffing enormous apples initially – have too many? (7)
An adjective meaning public or visible contains the initial letters of Enormous and Apples.

29a Dutch ball fluffed, a Mexican nets (4)
Hidden in the clue (indicated by nets) – this ball is red.

30a Beat learned, bad for Glenn Miller perhaps? (10)
An anagram (beat) of LEARNED BAD. If you’re too young to remember Glenn Miller (who died in 1944) the picture should give you an idea of what he did for a living.

Down Clues

1d Hurry a little (4)
Double definition, the second a small amount (of something added to a cooked dish perhaps).

3d Covered in grease like cooked eggs, surface wiped (5)
How you might like your eggs cooked with the first letter (surface) erased.

23d House  eleven in Aston (5)
Double definition, the second being the short name of a football team based in the English Midlands.

26d Look dance up (4)
Reverse (up, in a down clue) a Scottish dance.

The Crossword Club is now open.

Charlie Watts, the Stones’ drummer, died this week (RIP). Here he is at work:

 

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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!

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The Quick Crossword pun: AUNTIE + PASTY = ANTIPASTI


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52 comments on “DT 29766 (Hints)

  1. A most enjoyable puzzle, which I managed to finish unaided. The east fell fairly quickly but the west held out for quite a while. No real favourites – I just enjoyed solving it.

    Many thanks to the setter for the enjoyment. Thanks, also, to Gazza for the hints, which I will now read, and for stepping in.

    Best wishes to all members of the blog who are ailing at present. Hope to see you all back soon.

  2. Nothing obscure. The lurkers were quite well disguised. 10a was my last one in and it took a while for that penny to drop. It’s all in the pronunciation, I suppose. **/*** Favourite 1a. Thanks to all.

  3. 1*/3*. This made a light and pleasant diversion to start the weekend.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Gazza for stepping into the breach at the last minute.

  4. Like Steve, I found the West of the puzzle most tricly and the rest fairly straightforward (**/****). It was an enjoyable and entertaining puzzle. 2d was a new word for me but accessible from the clue and 1a was cunningly constructed but COTD was 15a for its smooth surface. If this is Cephas again, thank you for your well written clues or if it is Miss Terry thanks to you. Thank you to Gazza for stepping into the breach to tod the hints for Tilsit

  5. Unlike others above I found the east slightly trickier but all in all fairly straightforward. No particular favourites but very enjoyable. Thanks to the setter and to Gazza for stepping in.

  6. Very straightforward but a pleasant solve all over in short order. Like Greta 10a was my last in & provided the only brief head scratch.
    Thanks to the setter & to Gazza for stepping in.

  7. It’s good to see you making an appearance, Gazza, because I was beginning to think that you’d hung up your boots. As you correctly predicted, I didn’t experience too many problems today and found this puzzle to be most enjoyable.

    1. If you would like more of Gazza, he is in the NTSPP setter’s chair today. Much more of a challenge than this one, but a lot of fun.

  8. Nothing to instil fear this morning, just an enjoyable Saturday jog.
    Thanks to our setter and to Gazza for stepping in to host the club.

  9. Whizz, bang, wallop.
    Blimey, that was quick.
    Especially for a Saturday.
    */***
    Thanks to the setter for the confidence builder, thanks, Gazza for the review.

  10. Lovely puzzle today.
    My only holdup was 10a but Mr Meringue came to my rescue.

    Thanks to the setter and to Gazza.

    Beautiful day again here. Warm and sunny.

  11. A pleasant untaxing puzzle today with just a slight hiccup in NW mainly due to my plumping for wrong solution to 1d and needing confirmation of 12a. 2d not exactly everyday parlance. 11a raised a giggle. Thank you Mysteron and particularly Gazza for filling in at last minute. It would seem Quickie pun might work best for Northerners with their shorter vowels.

    1. Angellov,
      No “might” about the pun.
      Nowt wrong wi’ it.
      Satisfied, North of Watford Gap.

  12. A very pleasant end to my Friday – **/**** – which also included, courtesy of Dada, a very pleasant hour or so in the ‘electronic’ company of Virgilius, our erstwhile Sunday setter.

    My only adverse comment is on 2d, one of the most dreadfully cringeworthy words that have ever been invented.

    Favourite – a toss-up between 1a and 4d – and the winner is the unpretentious charade 1a.

    Thanks to the setter, sorry the Quickie pun doesn’t really work for me, and to Gazza.

    1. Isn’t it dreadful? Ugh! I had to use e-help for that, I had no idea, the only one that needed a nudge.

  13. Thanks to Gazza for stepping in at the last moment to blog this very pleasant SPP. I enjoyed it while it lasted, especially 1a and 11a. Thanks to today’s setter. ** / ***

  14. I enjoyed solving this one and, particularly, was amused by 24a and 16d.

    I always find it tricky when the cricket and football seasons overlap. I don’t know whether to look one way or the other. India are coming to my rescue this weekend by collapsing in the Test match thus allowing me to concentrate on football.

    Thanks to the setter and Gazza

  15. A gentle but pleasant SPP, thought the lurkers were good. Wouldn’t be surprised if this was the work of Chalicea.
    1.5/3*
    Many thanks to the setter and to a busy Gazza who is blogging and setting today.

  16. Agree with Senf. 2d is a word that should never have been created! Didn’t know it had been till I saw it here.
    Apart from that I found this to be fair and enjoyable workout.
    Thanks to all

  17. I found this Saturday puzzle a gentle and nice offering. I was able to solve this in the afternoon sun on a nice Friday evening here on the west coast of B.C. Rate this 1*/***** today.
    Some great clues and favourites include 1a, 19a, 21a, 24a, 4d & 7d … but there were so many others I liked … but the winner is 19a for the way DI Frost used to deliver it on “A Touch of Frost” !!!! Such a great TV show.
    Great puzzle and lots of enjoyment solving and completing without hints.

    Thanks to setter and Gazza for the, (unneeded for me), hints.

  18. That was good for my morale having tried the toughie last night and only getting the two central 3 letter words! I have to say I managed to get a few more in this morning but it was beyond tough. 29a was a new handling of an old Dutch ball and I liked 29a and 4d. Many thanks to Gaza for his overtime and to the setter. Dahlia day tomorrow and the weather is against me. It has been so dry and cold, should I pick some now and bring them indoors? Such a dilemma.

  19. What a super puzzle for Saturday. First look through didn’t prove too encouraging but subsequent readings provided the solutions without needing any help. All done with my own little brain and very satisfying for that.

    Grateful thanks to our setter and to Gazza for stepping in at short notice.
    Agreed on 2d about its awfulness but find nothing wrong with the quickie pun. It must be a Northern thing.

      1. It’s a lurker (into), with the definition being the first word. I thought it was a great clue.

  20. Pleasant, bright and brief giving plenty of time to enjoy the glorious weather up here beside “the UK’s Route 66” (if you believe that you will believe anything – I would make reference to a clue but it is the SPP).
    COTD 28a across, reminds me of my mother who loved his music & puts me In the Mood for the Bank Holiday.
    Thank you to setter and super-sub Gazza for the hints & the example of Charlie Watts’ simple genius.
    I would welcome “CR7” back to the MU but when I think he will be earning more in 2 weeks than I earned in my lifetime there’s something that says it’s not right. Especially when my other team, Oldham Athletic, languishing at the bottom of the pile with no points after 5 games probably couldn’t afford one of his feet!

  21. A very pleasant and comfortable solve for a sunny Saturday. A couple in the NW corner put up a bit of a fight but I think that was just me being a little dim. The capital music was my final entry and favourite.

    Thanks to our setter for the fun and to Gazza.

  22. Very enjoyable Saturday puzzle, which I came close to finishing unaided. Alas, no hints for the two that held me up, 10a and my last in, 2d. Despite recognizing it as an anagram I just could not make a word out of it, so had to resort of electronic help. Oh dear, what an awful word in a great puzzle. But loved 11a, 21a and 24a. Biggest smile from 5d, as I did wear one back in the dark ages and haven’t heard that word for the longest time. Thanks to the setter for not making me feel stupid and to Gazza for stepping in.

  23. **/***. Enjoyable solve with no stand out favourites. Thanks to the setter and Gazza for the hints which I didn’t need today.

  24. Loved it! Only 2d grated in an otherwise superb puzzle, I had letters scattered all over my page and I still couldn’t make a word out of it. I also solved 13a on reading the clue but don’t know the why, “time saved by”? Maybe I’ve got it wrong?
    I did like 19a and 24a, both giggle worthy, not sure which is fave. 10a presented no problems, it has appeared before I think.
    Thanks to our setter for all the fun, and to Gazza for his filling the gap once more at such short notice.

      1. Dingbat! Got to be careful here – I thought the letter at the end meant the penultimate word.

  25. Strange yesterdays I found brilliant and no problem. Todays is almost impossible and those answers I have got are awful clues to me.
    Hints not much help as there are none for the clues that I struggled with.
    Very little fun for me
    *****/*

  26. Well I have to contradict you Brian. Today’s crossword for me was a perfect Saturday challenge to do while watching the highlights of the Test.

    As I write we have just had a 2-hour storm that has dropped about 6 inches of rain bringing an end to a very long hot summer here … but forecast is good into next week😎

    I didn’t get around to yesterday’s crossword until today, but was interested in the tomato thread. I love tomatoes and here we have some called “pomodori invernali” (winter tomatoes). They are green and have a distinct point on the top of their “head”. Stored in the cool they last for months and are perfect for Pane e Pomodor (half the tomatoes and rub onto Pugliese bread, salt to taste and dribble olive oil … and add anything else you like on top. 🍷🍷🍷

    If you want to know more search for a book called “Pan e Pomodor” on amazon kindle.

    Thanks to setter and Gazza for the blog.

  27. I must have been on the setters wavelength as finished this unaided in a record time for me. My COTD was 17A, mainly because my daughter works for the RSPB.

  28. Fairly straightforward for us too and 25d didn’t work for us either. Favourite was 14d. Thanks to the setter and Gazza.

  29. An enjoyable puzzle except for 2d (what a ridiculous word) and 10a. For the latter, I have never been interested in the relevant music and, when listing capitals, it was one of the last I thought of! Perhaps it is because I was supposed to go and work in that country until I found another job in Vancouver. Being female, the decision was even easier and the rest, as they say, is history …

  30. What a delightful solve – just the thing to brighten up the twelfth day of lockdown here in New Zealand! My thanks to the setter, and to Gazza for the (un-needed) hints. Happy days! 😊

  31. Whoops. Whizzed through this having spent a lovely sunny day in Lincolnshire yesterday. I came a cropper with 13a. I only twigged upon reading the comments that I had the wrong poet. Last one in, but fun, was 19a. Favourites 1 21 and 24a and 14 20 and 23x. Thanks setter and Gazza. Not a lot of comments – perhaps all enjoying the Bank Holiday sun.

  32. I normally save the cryptic until late evening but did not start it until this morning and then completed in very quick time for me. Possibly the easiest SPC ever? Also that continues my record week with all 6 completed unaided! So thoroughly enjoyed this week. Thanks again to all.

  33. Hmmm, I thought I’d left a comment yesterday, but it doesn’t seem to be here. No problem!! Anyway I finished it unaided. with only just a slight hint for 12 across from a friend

  34. No problems and no mistakes for a change. Have to find something else to occupy me for rest of day.

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