Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30383 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)
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After the heavy thunderstorms (and half an inch of rain) in the middle of the night, the weather now can’t decide whether to be sunny or cloudy.
I am not going to hazard a guess as to the setter, although it isn’t a pangram and the grid doesn’t have double unches which may or may not help you decide where to place your bet. It has taken me a bit longer than usual to prepare the hints as I had to type out the clues from the newspaper version as when I tried to get onto the Puzzles Site(s), I got a Timed-Out message on both. Luckily the old site is working now so I can create a template to do the full review, much easier than typing out 30 clues!
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
9a Name anything that is primarily randy and racier (9)
The abbreviation for name, a synonym for anything, the abbreviation meaning that is and the primary letter of Randy
10a Low sides of savage ungulate (5)
The noise made by a cow (low) and the ‘sides’ of SavagE
12a Desired goal: post office in funds (7)
The abbreviation for Post Office inserted into a sum of money (funds)
17a After test, donates – but not good causes (7)
A synonym for donates without (not) the abbreviation for good goes after an abbreviated test for your motor vehicle
24a Officer commanding highest US influential organisation (7)
An abbreviated Officer Commanding, a synonym for highest and US (from the clue)
28a A legal right to retain property from elsewhere (5)
A (from the clue) and a legal right to retain property
29a Worked out decree with six changes (9)
An anagram (changes) of DECREE with SIX
Down
1d Comes in and records (6)
Two definitions for part of one verb
2d Taken away and prosecuted over second-rate pamphlet (10)
A synonym for prosecuted into which is inserted (over) the letter that indicates that something is second-rate and a pamphlet
7d Two calls for effort for indecisive person (2-2)
Two lots of an interjection calling for effort
8d Protected action involving ward (8)
An action into which is inserted (involving) a verb meaning to ward [off]
16d Fierce eagles seen initially in uncultivated region (10)
An adjective, one of the many meanings of which is ‘fierce’, some [sea] eagles and the initial letter of Seen
18d Spotted hut under mountains getting turned over (8)
A hut goes under a reversal (getting turned over in a Down solution) of mountains
27d Cunning masonry construction (4)
An adjective meaning cunning or a masonry construction
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The Quick Crossword pun: CORE + ALLY + LAND = CORAL ISLAND
Thwre were a lot of lego clues in today’s Saturday Prize Guzzle . The best of them were 16d ( my COTD),6d and 9a. Some ofcthe parsing was hard to fathom aand I had a few question marks next to some clues. However it was a doable guzzle, if you guessed the answer, using the checkers and reverse eengineered the parsing. Thanks to the indefatigable CS for persevering with the hints against the DTsite odds and for help understanding 2d. Thanks to the compiler Lso for a good challenge, if not a vintage puzzle
I thought I’d succeeded today but alas no, I failed in the final furlong; two of the smallest words tripped me up! Thoroughly enjoyable though and as for Chriscross, 16d was also my COTD.
It’s always the small words which cause me problems too. Less checkers to narrow down the options. 🤔
This was a tricky solve for me – possibly the most challenging Cryptic of the week. One or two of the answers may be in more common use across the pond.
No question marks for me as they all seemed clearly clued.
Favourites were 10a and 17a.
Thanks to setter and the busy crypticsue.
How is Emma, Dave? Is she getting any better?
Emmy is back to normal thanks, just doesn’t like the warmer weather which the rest of us are enjoying at the moment.
Good news!
Stuck on 7d…can’t see why either the repeated instruction to act or to leave means an indecisive person?
Welcome to the blog
The two instructions are to make an effort to lift something. The ‘indecisive person’ is the dictionary definition of the solution
That explanation is equally baffling. I managed everything else .
A big kick was needed cos I got 29 across but thought I needed the latinised six to start with.
You’ve changed your alias from the one you used in your previous comment (in 2020) so this needed moderation. Both aliases will work from now on.
Troubled by 7d as the two possibiities of indecisive person needed close study of the BRB, but I think I have plumped correctly. Trickier than some Saturdays but still fun.
Thanks to CS and setter. No bets from me as I am boracic and hopeless at setter spotting anyway
I’ve got the same problem with 7d but my ancient BRB doesn’t help. I will just have to guess!
Try removing the ‘former’ from your solution and looking up the word that’s left in the dictionary
I’m obviously barking up the wrong tree as your kind help makes no sense at all! Both my words are the same.
I think that CS is helping with 11a rather than 7d but as it is one of her four blog weekends it is understandable, either way the BRB was invaluable for both clues
Very probably. In addition to preparing and eating Saturday lunch, with courgettes and runner beans from the garden, I’m now typing my third draft blog. Once I’ve finished that, I’m going to go and find a sheltered spot in the garden and read my book through my closed eyelids, until I’ve recovered enough energy to turn the reduced to clear strawberries I bought this morning into jam
Woman’s work is never done … I don’t know how you do what you do!
I dont use a dictionary. I prefer to puzzle things out. So 7d remained incomplete. What did you mean by ‘remove the “former” ‘?
I enjoyed that, my head was clearer than the last few days and so I was able to fully engage all the grey cells.
It was tricky in places but I got there ( well there are answers to all the clues!). I enjoyed the lego clues and the misdirections, 21a my favourite.
A beautiful day here, washing on the line…..it does not take much to make me happy!
Many thanks to CS for the hints and to the setter.
Like CC I didn’t think this was quite up there with some recent SPPs but it was still enjoyable & it turned out for me to be not quite as plain sailing as I initially thought it would be. Not sure I’ve encountered the influential organisation before & still don’t know what it is but the wordplay was clear. 2&16d my top 2.
Thanks to the setter & to Sue – I’m still typing out the clues on a Tuesday but am getting faster at it
I too had to check the influential organisation with the BRB finding it there make me lean towards Chalicea but as above too much month left at the end of the money precludes a bet from me.
Currently enjoying tea and scones with Mama Bee in one of our favourite haunts. It has an interesting approach to apostrophes being known varioysly as D’oyl’s Doyle’s or Doyleys?
An interesting approach to spelling variously from me to 😉
Re the clues, I copy from either old or new sites and as long as I remember to “paste as plain text” they usually work fine. I can add a’s and d’s and embolden or underline stuff at will
On the whole not a problem except for 7d which is a complete mystery (Google has an answer but it makes no sense) and 11a where I cannot account for the ‘C’ in the clue.
Best clues for me were 9a and my fav 5d.
Quite enjoyable but rather spoilt by 7d.
***/***
Thx to all
I can’t work out the c either in 11a!
I can only think that without the “c” it isn’t a word.
Further: I’ve just looked it up and there is such a word with the “c”.
When in doubt, look in the dictionary.
If I had a pound for every time I’d suggested people do that…..
I too had problems with 7d but narrowing the possibilities and checking the BRB revealed a single answer that best fit the wordplay. The C in 11a is also revealed by a check of the last 5 letters of 11a in the BRB too
Completely agree Brian. 7d is a nonsense. To “C” or not to “C” is alternative spelling.
Think I’ll leave my stake money in my pocket as our Saturday setters do seem to be trying to fool us recently.
Enjoyable puzzle today although I can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone use 17d in a sentence.
Ticks here went to 13&28a plus 2&16d.
Thanks to our setter and to CS for the hints – hope you’re making good headway through the vegetable glut!
A bit of a curate’s egg for me and after two successive pangrams from Chalicea and today’s not being one and no double unches I have an idea of who the setter might be but my half-crowns are going to stay in my pocket.
Favourite – a toss-up between 10 and 23d – and the winner is – oh dear, my threepenny bit is like the 7d person and has landed on its edge!
Thanks to the setter, except for 7d, and thanks to CS.
I found this crossword to be a bit of a Saturday morning slog. Managed to complete it in one and a half mugs of coffee time, although still not entirely convinced that I have the right answers to 3d and 7d. Am struggling to nominate a COTD but will go for 9a for the randy and racier references. Thanks to the setter – I will submit my grid to the prize lottery in the hope that I plumped for the right letters in 3d and 7d – and to CS for the hints. Off to the Cottage this afternoon – Come on Fulham!
Does today’s match ‘count’ as a Local Derby?
I would say so Senf, the matches against Chelsea, QPR and Brentford all fall into that category in my mind
The answer to 3d is revealed by a careful look at the clue.
As to 7d, I toyed briefly with a homophone for something a seamstress [non-woke word] does, before the answer dawned.
Look closely at clothing and you will know if you are right or wrong with 3d. I am still indecisive about 7d . I can justify the answer I have but may resort to the BRB. Everything else went straight in this morning. Every answer (apart from said 7d) could be built up from the clue. 3d could have been difficult if I’d not twigged the clue type. Favourites 17 24 26 28a.
7d was my last one in too and I am still not happy with my final answer. That aside, all good clean fun with solid wordplay that produced 17a as my favourite.
My thanks to our setter and CS.
Finally, for me this week, a decent crossword that makes sense. Cephas does that for me, so my 5/- is on this puzzle being one of his today. But then again the last time I was fooled into thinking it was Cephas it was our esteemed editor CL … hmmm … I wonder. I’m no expert, but no matter, even if I lose it, the crossword was great … best of the week for a BP.
2*/5* for me
Favourites include 9a, 10a, 12a, 17a, 6d, 18d & 23d — with winner 9a, with 17a runner up
Thanks to Cephas and CS for hints/blog
Enjoyable crossword, apart from 7d which is one of the worst clues I have seen, ever, full stop.
Phew that was a relief after my no-show effort yesterday. No serious hitches. NW came in last. Bunged in 7d and also 11a where for me ure was missing. Fav 9a which was fun to fathom. Thank you Mysteron and CS.
See above, I looked it up and there is such a word.
No idea on 7D. I’ve put one answer but it makes absolutely no sense to me
We didn’t like 7d either. The last 5 letters of 11a were new to us. Not much else to say really. Cotd was 16d. Thanks to the setter and CS.
In agreement with the 7d moans about which one of many doubles it might be but otherwise very enjoyable with some fine clueing(?)cluing. 17a, 21a, and 18d getting very honourable mentions.
Thanks to CS for overcoming the difficulties of the morning and to the setter.
Just thought of the answer to 7d which I hope is now right after so much dithering up and down in the dictionary. (is that oblique and opaque enough to avoid the naughty chair?)
A whoosh of a SPP
Problem with submitting 7d
As my first attempt was rejected
Then accepted later.
Pretty obvious clue
I thought.
Enjoyed building the
Many Lego clues.
All good fun.
Thanks setter and CS.
Right up my straße, with a “what??” at 7d. I have never heard of the organisation at 24a but I did find it in my dictionary. I’ve learnt a lot today. Fave was 16d.
Thank you setter for the fun, and to CS for taking so much time out of her busy day to help us unravel a few.
I don’t think I’m going to play with who’s-the-setter-today game – with a little bit of luck someone will tell us before too long!
I enjoyed this one very much – not too difficult but not too easy either – must be perfect then.
I thought I’d stopped missing lurkers a long time ago but apparently not – 20a was almost my last answer and 3d was slow too!! – dim!!
Some lovely clues today including 9 and 10a and 6 and 16d. I think my favourite was 18d.
Thanks to whoever set this one and to the hardworking CS for the hints.
I’m worse than useless at naming the setter, but if I were a betting person I would say very likely x-type? Thoroughly enjoyed today, and thought this was going to be an “all my own work” except I needed help to confirm my answer for 2d and 17d. One of the best Saturday puzzles for a while. Thanks to the setter and to the many talented CrypticSue.
I’m backing DanWord for 7d but it really could be anything. A very poor clue
My COTD is 24 a because I learnt it had another meaning
Found it trickier today, lots of head scratching and like many others 7d was the hold up and still not quite sure if I got to the right answers. Thanks to the setter for the challenge.
Thanks to CS for the pictures. Had a lovely holiday a few years ago where I spent a day exploring around the Pont du Gard. Superb structure and amazing that was built about 2000 years ago.
I wasn’t sure whether it was the Pont Du Gard or a similar structure. I went for a paddle and started chatting to the man next to me. Amazingly he lived very close to me in Norfolk. I shouldn’t talk to strange men!
I am with you BL in being pretty useless at setter spotting but I enjoyed this apart from the bung- in at 7d which I think is right so I am hoping for another pen (sorry🤭). Also had to guess 24a though it was fairly obvious and George knew the footbally one. I liked 21a but the spotted hut at 18d gets my big Daisy. I be had to wait until now to post as we are at a big bash tonight and I have been at the local posh beauty parlour for a re spray and have had to wait for my nails to dry. Dying to go to the loo and I think that I should now be safe! Many thanks to the setter and the intrepid Sue – I too have beans and courgettes in abundance but I am afraid I just guzzle the strawberries, they don’t make it to jam!
Found this relatively straightforward.
We are back in Norfolk visiting my wife’s parents. Much amused by the reports of heavy thunder storms and 1/2 inch of rain. Back in Austria a heavy thunder storm can yield up to 1/2 metre!
Senf I thought you would get one of your 5 bobs back today, but oh dear no! No pangram games today or double unches. I thought it was typically one of mine (though there were a few CL editorial tweaks). Apologies to X-type, Cephas and others blamed. Sorry too that 7d bothered so many but CS gave a fine hint and Chambers fully justifies that one if you have the patience to read five lines into a ten-line definition. A three-letter desciption would have been a bit of a give-away and far too obvious, I thought.
Thanks for the challenge, Chalicea, enjoyed it! And for pointing out that the 5th line in Chambers confirmed my guess!
Thanks to CS too for the overtime!
Bon weekend, all!
Not really overtime, more a regular Saturday job
I meant the clue-typing!
Thanks for that, I had a hunch it was you when the BRB solved all my queries, especially the influential organisation. My doubts about which 7d was the right one, also confirmed by reading down to the third definition of my initial guess. I am fast realisint that the BRB is a solvers best friend
… and a setter’s best friend, Sloop John Bee (as well as Mrs Bradford’s Crossword Solver’s Dictionary which is great for providing synonyms).
My own Bradford’s is by my Sunday Toughie table as we “speak” The BRB and companion Thesaurus is an app just a flick of the stylus away, consulted innumerable times. Considerably more dog-eared since that pic was taken on the day it arrived from Mr Bezos
It did feel like one of yours but as you did a Toughie recently I thought otherwise. But thank you, a delightful puzzle.
An enjoyable puzzle, however I had no idea about 7d. For the first time in a very long time I used 2 hint letters on the Telegraph website to give me the 2 missing letters on the grid…. I would never have got that one.
Many thanks to Chalicea and to crypticsue.
Incidentally re 7d, I have no problem with the definition; my problem was with the synonym for effort…. that’s why I failed on that one.
I had already submitted before I realised I had the wrong answer for 7d. I now see others were bamboozled by the clue. Anyway, no point in going to the attic today!
A very enjoyable guzzle if a little quirky (to me) in places but the enjoyment came from the fact the guzzle was set by my favourite setter. My grateful thanks to her and to CS for the hints.
Catching up on the blog I realise that more bad luck has been knockin on your door, I hope that Mrs C improves soon and that The Mythical wings its way in your direction soon
Thank you, SJB. Mrs. C. is awaiting physio to build her muscles up. I haven’t got transport at the moment but I used the local community car service to take me to the hospital. Excellent service!
They are a boon, I used the local volunteer car service to get Mama Bee to various appointments, but she spat her dummy out and refused so now I have to work weird shifts later in the week so I can get her to hair do’s and doctors
Going against the flow, I thought 7d was quite a good clue, it makes sense to me!
Thanks to Chalicea for yet another fine puzzle and the ever busy cryptic Sue.
I have never heard 7d used in the sense required, although my Oxford dictionary says it is chiefly N American, which may be why. I hadn’t heard of the building blocks being used in the sense required either! So, no matter how fairly clued 7d might be, I was never going to get the answer unaided. I hadn’t heard of 27d in the sense required either. I can’t quite imagine Baldric saying “I have a 27d plan” and it be taken by many to mean a cunning plan. Anyway it’s in Chambers, and I imagine that it might be a regular in crosswordland, so I had better remember it for future trips there. I liked the rest though. I might have associated 24a with organisations because of something in a film, but anyway, it was all that would sensibly fit and Chambers confirmed. Favourite was 3d. Thanks for the hints Cryptic Sue and the crossword Chalicea.
That being the logo for the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion of Mr Bond’s acquaintance
Indeed. 🙂 👍🏻
I’m not great with cryptic but have been doing Saturday cryptic for years, today I just didn’t get any of the clues, even after seeing the answers.
Might stop buying Saturday Telegraph for the cryptic crossword..
Welcome to the blog, Carole.
What is BRB that everybody is referring to? The only definition I’ve found is be right back.
You aren’t the first person to ask this and so the information you seek can be found here http://bigdave44.com/faq/#12
Thank you.
I finally got 7d to complete the puzzle. I dont use dictionaries (am I allowed to say “shame on them that do” ?) .
I stick by my earlier criticism of this clue and especially the hint.
You are, of course, allowed to say it, but as Crossword editors recommend the Chambers dictionary, and setters and bloggers all agree that a good dictionary, thesaurus and even Bradford’s guide should be widely used, I doubt that many would agree with you.
3*/3* …
liked 2D ” Taken away and prosecuted over second-rate pamphlet (10)”
I often store up DT crosswords and do them later, hence the belated comment. Like so many 7D was my final clue. I (think I) got there because of the indecision bit but I have zero idea how the two calls for effort works unless it is a reference to some Eddy Murphy GI movie? Very poor. Though perhaps not as bad as Scapegrace the other week?
Good to see people keep having a go. As i recall 7d was everybodies downfall, if you want a look at Sue’s explanation of the unhinted clues there is a comprehensive review out on the Friday following the puzzle
7d Two calls for effort for indecisive person (2-2)
YO-YO – Two lots of YO (interjection calling for effort
That was how she saw it
If you put the puzzle number in the search box (top right) it should show both the hints and review blogs