DT 30743 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30743 (Hints)

by crypticsue  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30743 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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A very chilly and damp Saturday, perfect for staying indoors and solving crossword puzzles while taking care of a man with a recently-replaced left knee

There are possibly two candidates for Guess The Setter – one because of the fun clues and the other because of the less than usual words in the solutions.   I will be interested to see who turns up to claim ‘ownership’

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

6a, 9d and 1a Distracted abroad, accompanied by 21 & 14? (4,4,3,7)
If you do solve like I do, working my way down the Across clues and then the Down clues, reading this clue is not a good start to your morning’s solving.  A synonym for abroad, a simple way of saying accompanied by and the folklore creatures who were ruled by the solutions to 21d and 14a

12a         Is it Fudd in tree? Let me think (5)
The forename of a Loony Tunes cartoon character (Fudd)  – A type of tree and an interjection expressing hesitation (let me think)

 

13a         This we wrote on church chaps filling role (9)
An abbreviated church and some chaps ‘filling’ a role

19a         Cans for singer Stevie? (5)
Slang name for prisons (cans) or the surname of Stevie, the singer in Fleetwood Mac

26a         Notice Elizabeth dropping by spontaneously (2-3)
An abbreviated notice and a diminutive form of Elizabeth without (dropping) the BY

30a         Shield lets axe in once and he’s ruined! (10)
A synonym for axe inserted into an anagram (ruined) of ONCE HES

Down

1d           Calvin Klein in row shows heart (6)
The abbreviated way clothes by Calvin Klein are labelled inserted into a row

3d           Soldier dropped in wearing apt US equipment (9)
An airborne soldier who ‘drops’ inserted into (wearing) words five and six of the clue

5d           Roast ox with rice prepared and consumed (9)
Criticise severely (roast) An anagram (prepared) of OX with RICE followed by another way of saying consumed

15d         Infamous old port guarded by other people? (9)
The abbreviation for Old and a South American port often found in crosswords, ‘guarded’ by a two-word expression meaning other people

17d         Smell Communist victory — I must leave conflict (9)
A Communist and a synonym for conflict without (just leave) the letter representing Victory and I (from the clue)

18d         Storyteller with Irish name (8)
A conjunction meaning with, Irish Gaelic and the abbreviation for Name

25d         Believer in church in Dumfries (5)
Hidden in the last three words of the clue

 

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: DALEY + NOOSE + PEPPERS = DAILY NEWSPAPERS

76 comments on “DT 30743 (Hints)”

  1. My heart fell when I saw a multi-word answer linked to two others but it was fairly straightforward.

    Was hoping that 16d would be hinted as I cannot get anywhere trying to parse it.

    22a favourite of the day.

    Thanks to the setter and CS on this miserable day.

  2. 1.5*/3.5*. I found this light and a lot of fun.

    I’ve never heard of Fudd so had to resort to Google to understand 12a. Isn’t 20a obsolete now?

    18d was my last one in and favourite and it is joined on my podium by 22a & 17d.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.

    1. Re 20a, not really. It’s now “- formerly known as ——-“. I’m trying not to get into trouble.

  4. Gosh! This surprised me.

    The south was a tough but extremely enjoyable workout that pushed me into 4* territory. But, I piled through the north, averaging it out to 3*. I use the multi-worded expression a lot as it’s a goodie.

    I’m surprised you haven’t heard of Mr Fudd, RD. [redacted]

    Lots of excellent constructions and surfaces were on display with my podium being 11a, 22a and 18d (my COTD).

    Many thanks to the super Saturday setter and she of the crypt.

    3*/4*

      1. Apologies (x 2) Sue. I was trying to give nothing away but epically failed.

        I am on that naughty step.

        1. Sadly for you, Mr CS says the sponge cake I made yesterday, filled with homemade Victoria plum jam, is too good to share with naughty people

          1. This gets worse!

            You’re teasing me, Sue. You’re teasing me.

            I forgot to say how much I enjoyed today’s excellent pun.

            1. You can imagine Officer Crabtree in Allo Allo saying the pun.

              He was TV gold.

  5. Quite an enjoyable puzzle, once the multiword answer was dealt with. My LOI was 18d as I was struggling with the Irish thing. Once I got it I quite liked the clue.

  6. A bit chewier than recent prize puzzles I thought, but enjoyable nevertheless. I don’t recall seeing the last word of 1A spelt that way before. An awful lot of real/imaginary names today, but I won’t 5D the setter for that.

    Pen on it’s way by now I should think. 😃

    ***/*** Thanks to the setter and CS.

    2. How do we know which way to spell the last word of 1a? The two spellings, when in the grammatical form used here, only differ by one letter — which doesn’t cross with any of the down answers. And the wordplay isn’t the sort that specifies the exact letters to use.

  7. Most of this fine puzzle went in fairly quickly, but the last four or five had to be teased out and produced my favourite, 18d. I thought this was nicely balanced for a Prize Puzzle with a terrific clue selection.

    Many thanks to whomsoever compiled this little gem, and Sue.

  8. Good SPP fun – **/****

    Favourite by a country mile, the 6a/9d/1a combination!

    Thanks to NYDK, surely it must be he, and thanks to CS.

  9. Since I tend to follow the CS way of solving this was quite a challenge! However having had the relevant work of the bard for O-level some 65+ years ago certainly helped today! Probably haven’t heard 5d & 30a much since then either! What a lovely trip down memory lane, making it a long breakfast solve.
    Many thanks to the setter for the great challenge and to CS for the blog. (Stay dry!)

    1. Lots of likes, but will go for 12a, 22a (where I went to uni) and 16d in that order as faves du jour!
      Thanks to them again!

  10. I enjoyed this tricky little fellow. A handful of stick-em-ins and some bonce-scratchers. A heady combination.

    H has popped out to Kw*k-F*t because her car has developed a rattle at exhaust level, as reported by The Youngster when she drove it the other day. However, when we listened out for it yesterday, we heard nothing. No doubt H will return with the bank account several pounds lighter. My guess – a twig or similar had become snagged underneath and then fell orf. Let’s see what the ‘experts’ say.

    Thanks to the setter and Super Sue

  11. Very enjoyable. All the required knowledge was in my brain for a change. The downs needed more thought, particularly 16,17 and 18 with my favourite 18d but 16d was beautifully misleading.

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

  12. Good clean fun for a prize puzzle , my favourite is 30a.

    First came across the word in school [redacted]

  13. Late on parade today because I had to take a very sick Hudson to the vet – diarrhoea and sickness (Hudson not the vet). He had an antibiotic injection and an anti emetic whereupon he was promptly sick! Twenty four hours of no food now and, being a Lab, that will not go down well.

    Lovely guzzle if a little on the tougher side than normal. There seemed to be a preponderance of famous names throughout. Plenty to like but my COTD is infamous old port at 15d

    Thank you, setter for the challenge. Thank you, CS for the hints.

    1. Oh dear. Poor Hudson, the trouble is you cannot explain to dogs that they are ill. He probably ate something! Hope the treatment works.

      1. Yes, poor Hudson, although from what I remember when Annie was ill I think we should probably say poor Steve!! Hope he’s better very soon!

        1. Yes, it took me over an hour to clean the utility room yesterday. Dogs! Not his fault, poor chap and if we take them into our lives we have to take the rough with the smooth. Fortunately, it is mostly smooth.

    3. Thank you all. Hudson has slept most of the day and, when awake, is drinking copious amounts of water. He seems to have accepted the fact that he is not going to be fed and I have a sneaking suspicion he knows why.

    4. Get Well Soon Hudson, and maybe next time he won’t eat something unspeakably nasty found on a walk!

  14. I didn’t share Sue’s dilemma about ‘one of two’ setters, the long clue seemed a perfect description of our New Yorker! Apologies to him if I’m mistaken.
    Such fun for a wet Saturday morning and I don’t think I’ll ever view that particular city in quite the same light again!

    Many thanks to NYDK and to CS for the hints.

  15. It would appear to be the work of NYDK, who is a dab hand at the multi-word connections.

    Another well-crafted and amusing puzzle from him (here’s where I look a fool if it is someone else), the 6/9 thing is well up my list, but I have to hand the gong to 30 across today. Quite an unusual word, but I thought the story-telling clue was particularly good among the usual nifty constructions. Good quick pun too.

    Thanks NYDK (I hope) and Sue.

  16. So much better than yesterday’s offering, at least this one you could work out the clues from the answers!
    Never come across the slang term for cans as given here, [redacted]
    Thx to all
    ***/****

  17. Excellent entertainment over Saturday lunch. A nice mix of straightforward and head scratchers and at one point I wondered whether there was going to be a theme emerging. My podium comprises the linked clues beginning with 6a, 17d and the Chillean red at 11a in top spot. Thanks to compiler and CS.

  18. Much as CS and DaveP I baulked a bit when seeing that the first clue was part of a multiple solution, but the answer came quickly along with the other two linked “characters”
    The bottom half required a bit more cogitation but fell eventually
    Thanks to Setter and Cryptic Sue

  19. I enjoyed the puzzle even if it took a while to tease out some of the solutions. Needed CrypticSue’s extra hint above to parse 16d.

    Top picks for me were the multi-clue, 12a and 15d.

    Thanks to CrypticSue and the setter.

  20. Another trickier Saturday puzzle again this week with three new words for me. That didn’t exactly help me get a good grip on solving for a while. Needed some e-help to get this one done.

    3*/2.5*

    Favourites 20a, 22a, 1d, 3d, 8d & 7d — with winner 22a
    Smiles from all the above as well as 19a & 26a

    Thanks to setter (NYDK??) & CS

  21. Nice puzzle but defeated by 17d, didn’t twig you had to do more with the second half. I’ve tried to word that so I avoid the naughty step, Toms already there and he never shuts up😂. Thanks to all.

    1. Extremely fair.

      I’m still waiting for ‘Sponge Cake Sue’, hoping she will change her mind as I’m getting hungry…

    2. You listening to me on the naughty step reminds me of a great story….

      Tony Jacklin said to the garrulous Lee Trevino on the first tee of the final round at The Open…If you don’t mind Lee, I’d rather not talk today. To which Lee replied…Don’t talk. Just listen.

      Lee won.

      Marvy parvy

  22. I really don’t like the clues with umpteen bits to them – by the time I’ve found them all I’m dizzy, not to mention bored!! Apology to our setter and grump over for now!
    11a took me ages – I thought I was hunting for a wine.
    I’d forgotten about that Stevie which was silly as I’d always liked her voice.
    I liked 14 and 26a and 2 and 23d. My favourite was 8d even if it’s a bit early!
    Thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints.

  23. Steve, the pen may well be yours this week as I went all regal because of 21d – I had not taken in the letter breakdown. Messed up my grid. All good fun, though 12a was a guess even with Sue’s hint. I think 16d was my favourite but there was a lot to admire here. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & CeeSue. We both had our flu and Covid jabs this morning. it was like a conveyor belt. I bought a couple of bottles of Merlot yesterday on offer. We’ve just tried a glass and it is delicious- have I got the energy to drive to Royston again to get a dozen bottles with Christmas in mind? Decisions, decisions.

    2. After fifty years of submitting the prize guzzle with no luck, I doubt The Mythical will be coming my way now, DG. 😏

      1. Sorry to say Steve, but now I find by finishing it, I seem to be automatically entered for it! The mythic I mean!

        1. Ah but if you enter via the app the prize is only a book token not The Mythical.
          The Mythical evades even Indiana Jones!

          1. According to the list (not Terence’s The List), it depends which app: those entering via the Telegraph Puzzles App are competing with those entering via the website and the physical newspaper for 3 Mythicals. It’s only those entering via the Telegraph app who can win a book token.

            I’ve never apped in my life — I don’t own a device which can app — so I don’t know the difference between them or who is using which one, but apparently it matters.

  25. Oh, PS – I never thought I would see Jesus of Nazareth as a crossword answer as in yesterday’s toughie! That was a surprise.

  26. A puzzle of two half’s. North flew in and the south held out for ages. Solved 30ac from the parsing and had to check the shield – new word for me. I agree with Kath on COTD.
    3*/4*
    Thanks to all

  27. A quick shufti through the comments tells me the spongeless naughty step is a tad overcrowded so I’ll try to avoid any infringement. Quickly on wavelength for the week’s fastest finish. All very enjoyable. It struck me as pretty straightforward provided you were familiar with the folk at 19a + 8&23d, Will’s comedy (doesn’t do it for me I’m afraid) & cartoons. I actually bunged in 6a/9d/1a straight off from the enumeration before reading 14a&21d – it’d have to be my fav with 5&15d on the podium – Steve’s forlorn quest for the mythical made a tad easier by my failure to notice I’d mistyped the penultimate letter inputting the answer to 15d.
    Thanks to Donny & to Sue.

  28. Most of it flew in , but held up by a couple of new words in the SE which I managed to parse eventually. I still haven’t solved 18d – the hint confirmed what I thought much but I will ponder some more over a dog walk given it seems to feature as a favourite. Thanks to setter and CS .

    1. Mmm so think it’s the word I thought given the picture hint as well but not quite sure about the parsing of the first 3 letters 🤔

  29. I had to work for that one but what fun doing it! I, too, almost despaired on reading 1a, but in the end it turned out to be a phrase I use all the time and I loved it! There were a few that stood out for me, first was 30a where I surprised myself by being able to spell it, second the lovely word at 11a, but fave was 22a. I only needed ehelp for 27a, I should have got it, an anagram and I had all the checkers.
    Thank you setter for the fun. I needed you to explain a few CS, in particular 15d and 18d, so many thanks. I hope Mr. CS is doing well with his knee, it can be quite painful I’m told.

    1. He’s doing well, thank you. A bit more pain than when he had the right one done back in February but not bad at all

      The worst bit for me, apart from the waiting on hand and foot, is that where last time he was given Aspirin to do the blood thinning, this time muggins here has to give him a daily injection and nursing was never my choice of career :(

      1. Blimey, I would never be able to do that! As a BTW, I’m on a drug trial for a blood thinner that doesn’t require stopping it before surgery. It certainly works as a blood thinner, I believe it’ll be out next year if all continues to go well.

        1. Presumably that means one’s blood is still thinned but doesn’t present a risk. I am on Rivaroxaban which at least, unlike Warfarin, doesn’t call for regular blood monitoring. What is your drug Merusa?

          1. I don’t know! I was on Eliquis, but I volunteered for this programme as I get my drugs free. I’m on either Eliquis or the new drug, they don’t tell you which one as it’s a blind test. The new drug doesn’t have a name, presumably at the end of the trial I’ll be told. You don’t need to stop the new drug should you need surgery, which you have to do with Eliquis. If I, God forbid, should need surgery at any time, they have a special hot line to call, then they’ll tell them which drug I’m on, go ahead with surgery or not.

            1. Thanks Merusa. You’re very public-spirited to sign up. Good luck for a successful trial. I’m always interested in new cardiac/bp related developments. xx

  31. A solve of two halves with a smooth run in the North but more effort required in the lower half however a few hours break worked wonders and I made it with the exception of 12a since I knew nothing of Fudd as was the case with 19a singer but did suss that one anyway. Not too keen on convoluted multi-word solutions but today’s was nice ‘n easy. Presumed 16d without tumbling to winds. Fav was the surface of 28a. Altogether a lot of fun – thank you NYDK and CS via whom best wishes for a speedy recovery to MrCS.

  32. Very Enjoyable, managed to get most of it without looking at the hints here, 25D brought a smile, 28A and 15D are my favourites.

    1. You’ve extended your previous aliases so this required moderation. All three versions of your alias will work from now on.

  33. Enormous fun — thank you NY Doorknob. A pleasing mix of clues I got straight away and those which took a little more pondering. I got the connected clues immediately, but wouldn’t’ve done so last year; it’s only because of a recent cultural experience that I had the knowledge.

    My favourite was 13a, for its definition, once I finally twigged that it was 4 words, not just 3. I also liked 12a, though I suspect it’s one of those which you either get straight away (because Fudd only really suggests one thing) or not at all (because you don’t know what Fudd is).

    Thank you to CrypticSue for explaining 17d, where I’d failed to work out that more than one thing was leaving.

  35. I am in the UK for two weeks, all the way from South Africa. Saturday was grandsons 1st birthday. Only just completed the puzzles this morning when I woke up, and managed without your clues, big boost for me. We only get the crossword a few weeks later in our rag in SA. I see the comments about winning the pen, don’t worry. It’s like playing golf, one day when least expected, you will have the hole-in-one.

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