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DT 30335 (Hints)

by crypticsue  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30335 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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A gloriously hot and sunny morning to solve the Saturday Prize Puzzle which, today, actually appeared on the back page of the paper

I will be out from just before midday until at least five o’clock as it is the Church Summer Fair today and my friend and I will, as usual, be trying to sell grand draw tickets while again attempting to persuade the announcer(s) that the whole point of a public address system is that you do not need to shout into the microphone! We live just over two miles away and Mr CS can usually hear every word while he is in the garden

I am sure there will be plenty of people to assist if you are stuck but please remember to read the instructions in red at the bottom of the hints and any previous comments before putting fingers to keyboard

Having prepared both the Hints and the Full Review, I have a fair idea as to where to place my 50p wager – I wonder who will agree with me and whether the setter will claim ownership in due course

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.

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

6a    Supporter assisting in what Oliver wanted? (6,7)
A supporter and a synonym for assisting

8a    Having stripped off, made green commercial (6)
The inside (stripped off) letters of mADe and a green colour in heraldry

12a    One’s shelled quietly coming into land (8)
The musical abbreviation meaning to play quietly inserted (coming into) in some land

14a    Georgia accepts inexperienced driver, one in another state coldly hostile (7)
The abbreviation for the State of Georgia ‘accepts’ the letter using to indicate an inexperienced driver. The letter representing one is then inserted into the abbreviation for another US State

23a    Uncompromising detective leaving area (6)
The abbreviation for a detective is removed (leaving) from an area or locality

25a    Blow whistle in passage (8)
A verb meaning to blow and a type of whistle

27a    Especially talented linguist’s present? (4,2,7)
A present giving the command of foreign languages also the power claimed by the early church of being able to converse in and understand unknown languages

Down

1d    Catholic‘s chosen to keep head of church in charge (8)
Catholic in the sense of universal or general, borrowed from several different systems – a synonym for chosen into which is inserted the ‘head’ of Church, the result followed by the abbreviation for in charge

7d    Communicating one’s ideas but achieving a wrong mark (7,6)
To achieve a wrong mark, the second word of the solution would have to be split 1,5

17d    Young flier in a comfortable position (8)
This young flier could also be a way of describing something in a comfortable position

18d    Angry speech managed to stop former Conservative leader (8)
A synonym for managed inserted into (to stop) a former leader of the Conservative Party

19d    Score below ninety (7)
When you have the checking letters, the solution is obvious but why? Because the setter wants us to find the number that is a score less than (below) ninety

21d    Spymaster I tip for position in the field (3-3)
James Bond’s spymaster, I from the clue and a verb meaning to tip (one’s hat)

22d    Inventor moved onside (6)
An anagram (moved) of ONSIDE

Could new readers please read the Welcome post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.

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!

Please read these instructions carefully – they are not subject to debate or discussion. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted. In all cases the administrator’s decision is final.

If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then save yourself (and me) a lot of trouble and don’t leave a comment.


The Quick Crossword pun: POMP + ADD + OAR = POMPADOUR

85 comments on “DT 30335 (Hints)”

  1. Most enjoyable with a few teasers thrown in for good measure. I got off to a flying start with eight across clues and ten downs. This gave plenty of checkers and first letters to complete the rest. 25a and 1d proved to be a problem and it took me quite a while to sort these two out. To some extent, it was the same for 14a but the clue gives precise instructions and this became my COTD.

    For the life of me I cannot parse 19d assuming it is correct but I cannot get anything else to fit. (Just seen the hint – how devious!)

    Many thanks to the setter for the fun guzzle. It feels like Chalicea to me but what do I know? :grin:

    Thank you, CS for the hints. I hope you enjoy the fete. It’s Kinnerley fete on 8th July.

    I will now submit for The Mythical.

      1. Fifty years of faith have produced nothing, DG. Brian will, of course, be able to help me understand why. 🤣🤣

    2. Must admit – 19d was my first in – straightforward!
      A really enjoyable solve today.

  2. In perfect harmony with
    The setter.
    Until last in, 1d
    And even with its generous supply
    Of checking letters, took some time
    To eventually twig.
    Thanks setter and CS.

  3. 1d also loi for me but otherwise an enjoyable Saturday stroll. Steve, 19d went straight in, but agree, still an excellent clue.
    Thanks to all.

  4. Woke early and completed fairly quickly with only 18d slowing me until I had the checkers.

    Tried to include “ex” in 15d but there were too many letters. 😀

    25a favourite.

    Thanks to setter and hinter

  5. 1*/4*. This was as light as yesterday’s back-pager was tough. I did enjoy the solve but it was all over rather quickly. No excuse not to get on with some gardening.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.

  6. What a difference a day makes – enjoyed every minute of this solve although 8a and 25a were unparsed bung-ins (thanks CS). East was smoothest half. Fav 20a. Thank you Mysteron and CS for a fun way to kick off the weekend.

  7. Great puzzle just up my street. Some super clues in 11a, 27a, 6a and 7d. And my absolute fav was 21d.
    My only problem was 1d. Just couldn’t unpick CS clue so I had to ask Google then the hint made sense! Probably the word Catholic put me off.
    Thx to all
    ***/*****

    1. Agreed on all counts ! “Bless me Father for I have sinned… “

      Mrs T (Mr T now out on his new bike).

  8. 18d was my final entry, with 19d my favourite clue selected from this user-friendly and most enjoyable Saturday puzzle.

    My thanks to our setter for the fun, and to CS.

  9. A very enjoyable SPP with not a pangram and no double unches in sight so I am ruling out Cephas as today’s setter. That leaves a coin toss between Chalicea and X-Type? After careful thought and consideration two of my half-crowns are going on X-Type.

    Candidates for favourite – 6a, 23a, 1d, and 3d – and the winner is 23a.

    Thanks to X-Type, or whomsoever if my five bob goes down the drain, and thanks to CS.

    1. You’ll have to up your wager to 10 shillings if you want to meet CS’ bet. (10 bob, 4 half-a-crowns, 2 crowns. 120d… all equal 50p.

      (I recall a 10 bob note… but it was much smaller than a pound note??? I folded one up and hid it in the heel of my shoe. )

  10. I fairly flew through this, which was nice after a couple of days of throwing up my hands in defeat. I did wonder about the verb tense in 1D, but nobody else has mentioned it, so…

    25A is my outright favorite. Thanks to CS and today’s setter.

    2. I thought the same about the tense of the verb in 1d, but I suppose you do say ‘ president …..’ to mean the one chosen.

  11. New to cryptic crosswords this year and first one done completely unaided. Feel a real sense of achievement!
    1D was the last one I got. Took going and doing other things before coming back to it, then so pleased to puzzle it out.
    Thank you to the Setter, and CS for the hints. Couldn’t have got to this stage without the hinters on this blog to teach me how the clues work!

    1. Welcome to the blog, MerryRose.
      Now that you’ve introduced yourself I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter.

    2. Welcome from me, as well, MerryRose. Congratulations on your first unaided solve. A great feeling isn’t it? Please comment again and not just when you complete a puzzle. :good:

    3. Welcome, always happy to hear from someone new to these crosswords. Hope you continue to enjoy as they can provide so much enjoyment.

  13. Think I’ll leave my money in my pocket today – several clues felt like Chalicea’s handiwork but the odd one or two pushed me towards X-Type. Heaven help us if yet another setter were to join the Saturday gang!
    Ticks on my sheet went to 6&23a plus 6&7d.

    Thanks to our setter and to CS for the hints and illustrations, particularly the ‘aah’ factor of 17d.

  14. A nixely judged SPP, with something for everyone, some GK, a fine lurker a couple of great Cryptic Definitions and a few nice anagrams. It had a few head-scratchers to keep you on your toes too. Joint COTD’s werec6a and18d with 1d and 19d as runners up. Thanks to CS for the hints and to the compiler– someone new maybe?

  15. Lovely puzzle, thanks to setter. Needed hint for 25a, so thanks CS (usually the ones I need help on aren’t there!). Favourite 19d

  16. I found this relatively light and fluffy for a PP. I was helped considerably by being on the same wavelength as the setter right off the bat, quickly solving three of the four long’uns straight away. Only hold up was 25a which I had to stare at for a while. Joint COTD, England’s capitalists, of which I am one – 26a – and the angry speech featuring the former Tory leader – 18d. Thanks setter, thanks CS – hope you sell a lot of grand draw tickets on this fine day.

  17. A very enjoyable solve with just enough challenge to keep the grey cells ticking over. I liked all the long ones and solving them first meant that the rest went in in a very haphazard manner. Its good sometimes just to go with the flow instead of sticking rigidly to a system. Favourite today was 1d, joined on the podium by the very clever 20a and 19d. Thanks to our setter and Cripticsue.

  18. Found this Saturday puzzle solved on my Friday evening in the wonderful sunshine on par with most we seem to have had recently.
    Not sure if it is a Cephas offering this week though.
    I don’t recall him having the four 3 letter clues/words around the centre area of the puzzle.

    1.5*/4* for me

    Favourites include 6a, 20a, 25a, 3d & 5d — with winner 6a

    Thanks to setter and CS for blog&hints

  19. Just finished – certainly not an easy one, at least as far as I was concerned.
    Not a clue who set this – think I’ll keep quiet!
    I had trouble with the last long answer across the bottom – I’ve never heard of the last word of the answer.
    I really liked the remaining long ones.
    My last answer was 9a and still don’t quite make sense of it – maybe I’m being dim, or maybe it’s wrong!!
    Also don’t understand 19d but it has to be right, I think!.
    I liked 23 and 26a and 4 and 5d. I think my favourite was 20a.
    Thanks to the setter, whoever he or she is, and to CS for the hints and pics on Midsummer Day.

    1. With naughty corner threatening am nervous to over-help with 9a and 19d but obviously you have sussed “upset” and “score” respectively, Kath?

  20. We found this relatively straightforward and enjoyable, despite me not having heard of 27a, with a number of really good clues. Favourite was 14a but I did like 19d when the penny finally dropped on the parsing. Thanks to the setter and CS.

  21. Sitting in my lovely garden with a blackbird singing his heart out and a glass of wine and thou beside me – what bliss. Add a super guzzle and we are in Eden. I tried to show you a photo of the strawberries I had just picked for my lunch but it was 2.1 gigathings and I lost the whole lot. You have to imagine 5 strawberries tastefully arranged on a leaf. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Sue – I liked 24a & 11a although I suspect it is old hat and my favourite is 19d.

    1. DG, a comment from you earlier in the week — together with subsequent ones from Chriscross and Tipcat — has prompted an addition to the FAQs. Your might wish to check out FAQ #34.

        1. I didnt expect that we would be mentioned in dispatches. Thanks, Falcon and Steve and Daisy. I’m glad the mystery is solved for those who missed my original typo and the subsequent conversation.

      3. Brilliant, how I do love this site. Only on Big Dave could we have an official Guzzle. Now if you could only tell me how I can insert a photograph without being told I am over the gigabytes. I wanted to prove to you that on my xxth birthday, far too large to be mentioned, I can still do the splits! I’ve been doing it all day on demand, but a photo of five strawberries was over the limit!

        2. So sorry, DG, forgot to wish you a happy birthday this morning. Hope you enjoy the rest of your day with a glass or two of wine to hand and George on his best behaviour!

        5. A very Happy Birthday, Daisygirl! I hope you are having a great day. 👍

  22. A slow start here (I think the lack of perimeter clues gives me the heebie-jeebies) but as it went on the pace picked up to a veritable 20a, and when that went in it became my favourite. I did permit a short diversion to the far side for some Larson Cow cartoons.
    Thanks to CS and setter for a pleasant diversion and thanks also to the fellow bloggers who helped diagnose my internet problems this morning. (As well as turning all the connected devices off Mama Bee has now burnt an iron shaped hole in the carpet) I’ve told her if she does it again I’ll put her in a home (just kidding) Aah the joys of living with Alzheimer’s, I better go and prepare for the Sunday Toughie before she does it again, not forgetting to try the NTSPP tribute to BD.

  23. Right up my straße, loved it all. Fave 1d, but many more candidates.
    Thank you setter for the fun, and CS for your hints and tips, needed you to explain 8a!

  24. What a superb puzzle for a Saturday afternoon after a trip to a German biergarten. I finished unaided understanding all the parsing, unlike yesterday where i finished with no idea why several answers were correct and with Thursday’s nightmare 50% unsolved. Many thanks to the setter , particularly for the simple but wonderful 15d with 18d, 19d & 21d also very enjoyable.

  25. 1/4. What a delightful puzzle. A few old favourites but my gold medalist was 19d. Such an elegant and simple clue but devious nevertheless. Thanks to the setter and CS.

  26. After two tough days a most enjoyable puzzle. 19d last one in as nothing I could think of fitted. A doh moment when I saw the hint. 😀

  27. Sat down with afternoon cuppa after completing all the Saturday chores & longish run thrown in too. A light delight after yesterdays cranial challenge, helped by solving the 4 long ones first.

    1*/4*

    Fav 12a LOI 1d.

    Thanks to setter and CS.

  28. Whizzed through this apart from 18d and 19d….both obvious once you see them but elusive (for me)….18d must be COTD!

  29. My money is on Chalicea, but then it could well be X-type. Thoroughly enjoyed, this was right up my street. I was off and running from the start, it was if the setter was whispering in my ear. Too many great clues, but if I have to pick one (per Kath’s rules”) I would nominate 7d. LI was 4d. 19d just had to be because of checkers, but it took me a while to parse. 17d brought to mind the moorhens who have been recently visiting our garden in the late afternoon, two mother birds, closely followed by their fluffy little black chicks. Love watching them as they peck around in the flower bed and grass. Apparently they dine on insects so very welcome. Big thank you to the setter, and to CS, amazed you had time to do this before heading off to your fete.

    1. Thanks for being so obedient about my rules – no-one doesn’t bother much any more – perhaps I’ll give up . . .

      1. Don’t you dare, Kath! As I say to my students, “Rules is rules! “

        I always stick to one COTD.

  30. Thanks for your kind comments. No double unches, however eight words have three consecutive crossing letters.

    1. Thanks for popping in to accept the blame, Cephas. I think the bookies have cleaned up today!

    3. Well thank you, you made my day with this puzzle. I so enjoy my breakfast when I have a cryptic I can actually solve all on my own.

    4. As I was writing “feels like a Chalicea guzzle” I was thinking “I bet it’s Cephas!”

      Thank you so much for a fun puzzle and for popping in.

  31. Took a while to get into but then everything fell quickly into place. Favorite 19d.

  32. Was struggling with 14a. The setter has used an incorrect abbreviation for the second State. They are all 2 letters and not 3!

    1. The setter has used a commonly used abbreviation for the second state. It may not be an official US Postal Service designator but it is an abbreviation that is much in use and one that predates the advent of the Postal Service designators.

      1. You are quite right – that’s what comes of the Hint giver going out for the day

        1. Was my comment redacted as it was in a thread where a part of the answer was given, or did I break a rule?

          I was very careful only to use words or phrases that were already in the clue or hints, but I don’t remember the exact comment, but as a newcomer I’d like to know where I fell foul of the law 🙂

          1. Partly as it was part of the thread and partly because it was a bit too much discussion o for a Prize Puzzle

  33. Lovely puzzle for me ..a real treat after yesterday’s horror.

    Thanks to Cephas and to crypticsue.

    Hope the fete is going well and you have sold many grand draw tickets….suspect persuading the announcers not to shout is a lost cause, though.
    Another beautiful if a bit humid day here in Edinburgh. Had a walk up the Calton Hill to see the National Monument or “Edinburgh’s Disgrace” . When we lived here as students about 100 years ago, no one would ever have considered going up there as it had a “reputation”…. The Disgrace was that the Monument which was to the Napoleonic War dead was never finished. ….not the “reputation”.

  34. CS thank you for this. Hope you can now relax
    Knowing our interest in decorated pillar boxes, did you catch the programme on the Welsh “ yarn bombers”.

  35. Gardening and grandchildren all week have taken up most of my time so thank goodness today’s puzzle was one that played by SL’s rules as written in his recent crossword book.

    Thanks to Cephas and CS.

  36. Enjoyable solve.

    Spent almost as long on 25a as the rest of the crossword. This was down to me rather the clue.

    Thanks to all.

  37. A lovely guzzle, such fun, so many great clues. My ‘one’ favourite was 12a but could have been so many others.

    Many thanks to Cephas and to CS for the hints

  38. Friday night/Saturday morning, I couldn’t fall asleep so I thought I’d have a bash at todays cryptic online. As a novice who relays heavily on the hints, I didn’t think I’d get too far, but was well chuffed when I got 14a and 19d all on my ownsome.

    Unfortunately there are still a lot of unfilled squares, but progress is being made.

    Favourite has to be 19d, simply elegant.

    Thanks to the setter for a good challenge and to Sue for the always welcome hints.

  39. A very pleasant pre lights out solve having just come back from watching the old 70s B movie, The Wicker Man, at the lovely Odyssey cinema in St Albans. Wouldn’t have pegged it as a Cephas guzzle. 1d was last in & the only real head scratch with 18d my fav
    Thanks all & happy birthday to Daisy

  40. I was too tired when I got back yesterday to look at the blog or read the comments after a very hot but enjoyable afternoon at the Summer Fair – the draw tickets sold well and it was nice to catch up with people, some of whom I hadn’t seen for many years

  41. A very enjoyable puzzle finished with minimal help. Some headscratchers and of the four long ones 7d was the best by a short margin. LOI was 19d, waiting for the PDM took as long as the rest of the puzzle altogether, goodness knows why, had to be so obvious when you knew the answer. Had to be my COTD. Many thanks to Cephas and CS.

  42. 2*/4* …
    liked 18D “Angry speech managed to stop former Conservative leader (8)”

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