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DT 30725 (Hints)

by crypticsue  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30725 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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The sun is breaking through the mist over the marshes and it is warming up nicely, so it looks like we are in for another good autumnal day

I thought the trickiest thing about today’s Prize Puzzle was trying to decide which clues to hint. I would imagine at least one person will tell me I have picked the wrong ones!

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.

Across

1a           German girl caught by part of fork sticking out (10)
A German girl’s name ‘caught’ by part of a fork

12a         Where one might find steps to make a type of movie? (2-6)
Without the hyphen, the solution would mean a place to find steps

15a         Bridge is a card game (7)
A type of bridge or a card game

21a         Wheels not working in plant? (7)
A vehicle informally known as ‘wheels’ and a word meaning ‘not working in’

22a         Nothing in close call (5)
The letter representing nothing inserted in a verb meaning to close

27a         One girl drinking a short? Unreal! (9)
The Roman numeral for one and a girl ‘drinking’ a spirit usually drunk as a short measure

30a         First of edifices started in rebuilding: put back as before (10)
An anagram (rebuilding) of the first letter of Edifices and STARTED IN

Down

1d           Flier not in? That’s a blow! (4)
A type of seabird without (not) the IN

4d           Figure one month to have suffering reduced (7)
An abbreviated month and some suffering without the final letter (reduced)

7d           Cut is sharp, we’re told (5)
A clue to read carefully, especially if you want to win The Mythical  – a homophone (we’re told) of a synonym for sharp

9d           Maybe clogs opening to outlet of water supply (8)
An anagram (supply) of the ‘opening’ to Outlet  and OF WATER

18d         Daily supplier of novel stuffing ingredient before middle of winter (9)
A synonym for novel and an ingredient in No2 son’s favourite stuffing go before the middle letters of wiNTer

23d         Examinations showing elements of reef with crab’s head cut off (5)
Elements of a reef without the C (crab’s head cut off)

26d         Briefly train boss (4)
A truncated (briefly) synonym for train

 

 

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: NEARLY + THICK = NEOLITHIC

52 comments on “DT 30725 (Hints)”

  1. A very satisfying SPP and thoroughly enjoyable. Some great surfaces, lots of dropping pennies and some smiles. I liked the clogging of water outlets at 9d and the German girl caught by a fork at 1a but my COTD is the daily supplier of stuffing at 18d because it had me trying to enter another word. Once the proverbial dropped it was so heavy it nearly knocked me out.

    Thank you, setter (Professor Plum in the library?) for a great and enjoyable challenge. Thank you, CS for the hints.

    It has been sent to Telegraph Towers in another hopeless try at The Mythical.

    Apparently, we are due for thunderstorms in The Marches but it is just grey and breezy at present.

  2. 2*/2*. Nothing here to frighten or excite the horses, although I could have done without the vague girl in 26a and there were some slightly strange surfaces.

    The Quickie pun was my favourite.

    Thanks to the setter and to CS.

  3. Apart from the time I wasted trying to fork ‘xxxx’ into 1a and the rather embarrassing age it took me to spot the anagram at 9d, this was a gentle and pleasant solve for a SPP. Single cuppa rating only.
    My COTD 14d for the doh moment. Thanks to setter and Sue.

  4. A solid Saturday crossy with plenty of nice constructions on a friendly grid that should be within reach of most punters …and all that caper.

    21a reminds me of the fishmonger in the oh so splendid Camberwick Green…..as well as The Great Gatsby, of course.

    I live where Gordon Murray, the creator of the aforementioned plus Chigley and Trumpton, grew up. He named the programmes after the villages Plumpton, Chailey and Wivelsfield Green though the last one is nowhere the name Camberwick.

    What great entertainment they were. Windy Miller walking into his windmill, casually missing the sails every time. Such a dude.

    As always, I digress.

    My podium is 1a, 11a and 16d.

    Many thanks to the setter and CS.

    1*/3*

    1. Wivelsfield Green, A camber could be a bit where the road swivels (very loosely) and wick is an old English word for farm or field so not so far off matching Plumpton and Chailey

  5. Another enjoyable SPP.

    I had the answer to 9d but struggled with the parsing until CS hinted that it was an anagram.

    Favourites 1d – these fliers are found along our local coast but have now left to spend the winter at sea. 18d – enjoy this type of lego clue.

    Thanks to setter and crypticsue

      1. After hatching onshore (obviously), the young spend their first few years at sea only returning to land to breed at about five years old.

        1. I’m going to read up on them, that sounds so fascinating. I saw them on the west coast of Scotland, I was so surprised at how small they were.

  6. Second day I’ve thought the Spoonerism was my fav, 5d. Maybe because we went to the same school. Normally I avoid them until the end.

    Anyway an enjoyable puzzle.

  7. I enjoyed this puzzle so much that I was disappointed when I realised I’d completed it and there were no more clues.

    Top picks for me were 6a, 18d and 20d.

    Thanks to CrypticSue and the setter.

  8. A lot of guessing today! Guess a girl, guess a German girl, and guess the setter! Hmm. But, overall, very entertaining, and more or less right for a SPP.

    Candidates for favourite – 15a, 5d, and 21d – and the winner is 15a.

    Thanks to whomsoever and CS.

  9. Pretty straightforward for a Prize Puzzle with very little to hold up the solving process. It was fun while it lasted, with 18d my favourite.

    Thanks to our Saturday setter and Sue.

  10. Like Madflower , I enjoyed rhis SPP immensely. There were onlyv a few ild chestnuts and some clever misdirection. I liked tge German girl at 1a, the lego clue at 4d, the Spoonerism at 5d and the film reference at 21d. Thanks to the compiler and to CS for the hints . Watch ot for the thunderstorm, Steve. We’ve had 2 with tirrential rain yesterday and 3 days ago. It was so bad, I had to go out and deflect the water with a broom as it washed down our drive. The water caused a small flood in our garage and my neighbours were wading ankle-deep in their garage trying to rescue stuff rhey had stored.

    1. Thanks for the warning, ChrisC but the weather here remains the same as it was this morning. Overcast with a slight breeze. No sign of bad weather as yet.

        1. We had a rumble of thunder at about 4pm followed by a torrential downpour for about 30 minutes and that was it.

          We were hardly thunderstruck!

  11. Thought this was a ‘something for everybody’ type of puzzle, ideal for the Saturday prize – Steve C has to be in with a great chance
    this week!
    My own selection would be 1,5&8d but several others raised a smile.

    Thanks to our setter – possibly NYDK although I’m not totally convinced – and to CS for the hints.

    1. I doubt I will be in with a great chance, Jane. Too many will be after The Mythical following today’s delight. I can only hope everyone submits via the guzzle app. The prize there is a book token.

  12. SE corner called for rather more cogitation than the rest. RD you of course spring to mind with “vague girls” of which there are more than one of different nationalities today so much so that at first my thinking went for the wrong one in 27a. I gave up pursuing the mythical years ago but CS without your hint for 7d I would not have qualified anyway. Fav 18d. Thank you Mysteryone and CS.

  13. Very much on the setter wavelength today so this was a straightforward and enjoyable solve. I liked the cluster of anagram indicators of 16a which momentarily misdirected . Last one in and favourite was 14d. Thanks to setter and CS.

  14. Another vote for 18d as pick of a good bunch of clues. Pretty straightforward other than being a tad slow to peg the anagram indicator neatly disguised in the surface of 9d so that one can have a podium spot along with 1a.
    Thanks to the setter & Sue.
    Ps I’ve now downloaded the puzzles app to the mobile (for solving on the 1st tee) which is infinitely preferable to the puzzles option via the digital paper. Curiously (unless my dodgy eyes are playing tricks on me) I found the clue numbers on grid far easier to see on the phone screen than on the iPad

    1. I’m struggling with the puzzles option via the digital paper, but where do you find the puzzles app and do you have to pay more? Thanks for any help

      1. The puzzles app is available to download from your App Store and it should be free. Once downloaded, you just need to enter your log-in details and you should be up and running. I use iPad and it seems to work ok (still not as good as the old site though!).

  15. The east took some teasing out, but got there in the end. Enjoyable for a damp Saturday having dodged the weather to visit the town artisan market. Eclectic mix of goodies, local goat’s cheese, Croatian wild boar sausage and pastel de nata came home with me. Anyway, cotd for me was 21a. Thanks to compiler and CS.

  16. Ok for a SPP but I made the error Sue warned about in 7d, I hope it will give SC a slightly improved chance at the mythical. Thanks to Sue and Setter

  17. Really enjoyed today’s solve 😁
    I didn’t spot the anagram indicator in 9D either so I’m glad this clue was hinted. I liked 21A best. Thank you crypticsue and setter.

  18. Another pleasant Saturday puzzle this week. No real hold ups and lots to like and chuckle over.

    2*/3.5 for me today.

    Favourites include 11a, 15a, 19a, 24a, 5d & 8d — with winner 5d
    Smiles and chuckles also from 22a, 29a &14d

    Thanks to setter & CS

  19. Barely a pause for thought required to complete this puzzle. Another vote for 18d as favourite. Thanks to the setter and CS.

  20. I agree with Steve C (setter), Rabbit D (difficulty level), and Tom DS (podium). A real breeze for me this one, but not without the occasional gust of entertainment.

    Thanks setter and Sue.

  21. Very straightforward, but entertaining solve. Favourites were 11a, 27a and 4d.

    Thanks to CS and the setter.

  22. At first I thought I was in for a spectacular failure, but once I found the wavelength I was away! Not easy but really enjoyable. I did have to use ehelp from time to time. I did think of the right films at 21d, but I had to google Cleo and Jack, how on earth were we supposed to remember those after 60 or so years! Some nice gimmes scattered around, giving much needed checkers. I was sniffing after the wrong spoor at 10a far too long, but I’ve pegged that as one of my tops; 1d and 14d are there too, but lots more could qualify.
    Thank you setter for the fun, and our CS for explaining a lot, eg 9d, which had to be!

  23. An enjoyable solve today.
    I needed to check 7d with crypticsue and fortunately we were in agreement.
    Favourite the German girl at 1a.

    Thanks to the setter and to crypticsue.
    Good luck again with the mythical, Steve.

    After a week of dazzling sunshine and very warm temperatures (for here) today, the day of the wedding our son and daughter-in-law are here to attend , we have overcast skies, rain constantly threatened and distinctly cool temps. Still, I expect all will go well.

    1. After starting with the wrong sort of cut I eventually corrected the middle letter but forgot to change the fourth. So ended up with the device rather than the cut

  24. That’s what I call a perfect puzzle, and a big relief after failing so abysmally yesterday. Every clue written with no need for deep dive into GK or cortortions. Too many favourites to pick a COTD, but 1a raised a smile. Big thank you to setter, and envying your autumnal weather CS.

  27. A very slow start but once getting going it was fine and enjoyable.
    I was so convinced that I was being ‘had’ with 9d and it meant something else (a verb) that I spent ages faffing around for ages – never mind!
    I liked 15 and 21a and 4 and 18d. My favourite was 27a.
    Thanks to today’s setter and to CS for the hints (and the pics especially of 21a that sorted out my answer).

  28. An excellent prize p which gives everybody a chance to submit an entry. A real contrast to most Saturdays but one for which I thank the setter.
    Thx for the hints (I needed two!).
    ***/****
    Thx to all

  29. I thought this was tricky to start with but then got going and found it great fun with the spooner being my favourite as so often I struggle with them!

    We had a lovely afternoon with extended family, it rained as we drove there and then within half an hour the sun came out and we were able to be in the garden! We then needed shade as it got too hot, what contrary weather. Fortunately no thunder troubled us.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints.

  30. It’s been a while – but I’m glad to be on the back page once more…and I’m pleased that a lot of you found fun in my clues: which is always my intention, as I’ve said before in these posts. I hope to see you again soon.😊

    3. I did wonder if this was one of your puzzles, a delight all the way to completion. And the quickie pun was brilliant! Thanks X-Type.

    4. For once, my guess was correct and I do have proof in the form of an email exchange with one of our bloggers!
      Nice to see you back again, X-Type, hope you’ll bring us another puzzle very soon.

  31. Very late on parade and perhaps talking to myself but spent Saturday getting ready for short break and most of Sunday by train and bus from Nottingham to Sidmouth. Left home 9.00 am arrived hotel 6.15 pm. 18d was my favourite. Last one in was the figure which I had never heard of. Thanks XType and CS although hints not needed but always worth reading.

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