DT 30887 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30887 (Hints)

by crypticsue  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30887(Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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A beautiful morning brings a Prize Puzzle with a large number of quite wordy clues.  Time to play Guess the Setter again, while you are stuck with an earworm or two – the memory of the first one may depend on your age!

I have to go and feed next door’s tortoise and make sure she is in a sunny part of the greenhouse that is her spring home; hopefully finishing in time to look at the partial eclipse from the safety of Mr CS’s welding helmet

Please ask for help if you are stuck on clues I haven’t hinted, but before doing so, please read the comments that appear before yours, so that you are not duplicating questions,  and make sure you obey both THE INSTRUCTIONS IN RED at the end of the Hints and the blog’s  Comment Etiquette – Big Dave’s Crossword Blog)

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           Repeated sound from screech owl (4)
We begin with an obvious hidden word

10a         Three notes, the last penned by my tardy guest (9)
Three notes of the tonic sol-fa scale, the final one inserted into (penned) by an expression of surprise (my)

13a         Dog kept outside home finally found niche therein? (3,6)
A childish name for a dog goes outside the usual two-letter home and the final letter of founD

19a         Representing this country: male team in green? (6)
The abbreviation for Male and a combining form indicating being green or having concern for the environment, into which is inserted  the Roman numerals for a team with a particular number of players

27a         Reckless kid able to withstand the cold (9)
Deceive, especially with a joke (kid) and able to withstand the cold (quite often used in descriptions of plants)

28a         Affluent living the simple way? (4,6)
Simple and a type of road (way)

29a         Drunk secures parking place (4)
A drunk person ‘secures’ the abbreviation for Parking

Down

1d           Ecstasy and white powder elevated striking effect (5)
The abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy and a reversal (elevated) of some white powder

5d           Clever wife coming in to destroy documents? (6)
The abbreviation for Wife coming into a verb meaning to destroy documents

6d           Several overcome by river current like bore (9)
An adjective meaning several goes under (overcome by in a Down solution) a river in North East England and the symbol for electrical current

14d         Old Italian we hear recognises feature with bridge (5,4)
An old Italian and a homophone (we hear) of recognises

18d         Boy with nothing to support Yankee sweetheart (4-4)
A boy and a score of nothing, the latter supporting the letter represented by Yankee in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet

21d         Losing heart maybe pine for award (6)
Remove the middle letter (losing heart) from a type of pine tree

25d         Country poem without the Spanish part (5)
A type of poem without the Spanish definite article and the abbreviation for part

 

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 please don’t leave a comment.

The Quick Crossword pun: MISTER + MEANER   = MISDEMEANOUR

49 comments on “DT 30887 (Hints)”

  1. An entertaining start to the PP and NTSPP weekend but guessing the setter, as one of my ancestors would say, je ne sais pas – **/****

    Candidates for favourite – 14a, 1d, 5d, and 18d – and the winner is 18d.

    Thanks to whomsoever and CS.

  2. Excellent. The DT puzzles are so good these days, and this one was very enjoyable.

    Just to select two from each list (Across and Down), I’ll have 19A, which I think is a great spot, the appalling attack recounted at 26A, 8D for the misleading surface, and 24D for its inherent, if general, truth about gentrification. There were many others worth the candle in my opinion.

    Thanks to Cryptic Sue and the setter.

  3. 2*/3.5*. This made a pleasant start to the weekend’s cruciverbal entertainment with the &lit 19a my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.

  4. Good, straightforward puzzle.

    Favourite the takeaway whale at 4d.

    Our chances of seeing the heavenly event have been eclipsed by the overcast skies 😪.

    Thanks to the setter and CS

  5. Doesn’t feel like a doorknob production but an enjoyable puzzle to start the weekend. Think I’ll go with DaveP and show favouritism to the takeaway whale with the reckless kid slipping into second place.

    Thanks to our setter and to CS for the hints – good luck with the tortoise-sitting!

  6. What a great puzzle, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 26a was a new word for me but easily gettable from the wordplay.

    I wondered what the earworm was which CS referred to and then it hit me and embedded itself. Oh well, at least it has replaced another one which has been plaguing me for days.

    Top picks for me were 14d, 2d and my LOI 3a.

    Thanks to CrypticSue and the setter.

  7. Spot on for a Saturday: lots of multi-word dooberries, a bit of gentle GK (though 14a was a new one for me) and some nice humour.

    My podium is 3a, 19a and 17d.

    Many thanks to the setter and she of the crypt.

    2*/4*

    1. Not yet sat down to guzzle but in reply to your comment yesterday, I am now completely unbearable. Did it in 3 again this morning and this elicited a comment from the NYT saying well done and asking me to look at my “stats”. I’d never checked them before. 98% win ! I am thinking of appointing an assistant to deal with the fan mail.

      1. That is a fine percentage but the key stat is your average.

        Thanks to this morning’s 2 (!), mine has dipped under 4 which I’m very happy with.

        WhatsApp me a screenshot of your stats and I’ll work out yours. Anything approaching 3.5 is truly remarkable.

      2. Not to prick your bubble Daisy, but just checked my Stats and NYT says is it 99% win. I check my stats most days as I like to watch my current streak and number of wins in 2.

        1. Wowee. I bow to your superior Wordleship. George says good, my bubble needed to be pricked. Hmmm.🤭

          1. Sorry, but I have a 100% record in Wordle.

            2. Wow, that means you never missed a day or didn’t solve it. Very impressive. My best streak is 384 and trying to outdo that now.

  8. Well this was very good. There are certain stylistic elements here which push me in the direction of NYDK, but without the various molestations of the grid, it’s hard to say for sure.

    Neat clues throughout, and the plaudits from me go to the splendid 19A and 8D. Does anyone remember Schiavone btw? She won the French Open in 2010. Interesting fact of the day it may not be, but still. She’s also an anagram.

    Thanks to CS and setter.

  9. Great puzzle. Faves are 4d and 13a. An initial error in my entry for 17d held me up for a bit and 26a was a new word for me. Nice start to a sunny day! ☀️

  10. Welcome back 26a! A rare award! Second induction to THE LIST.
    Please don’t forget the exhibition hall is open daily. Guide books available. Dogs must be kept on leads.

    Grand guzzle; great fun to solve with my gruel and orange juice with no bits.

    A sunny day, so orf out with my 18d for a lovely walk somewhere in the Surrey Hills.

    Thanks to the setter and PC Security. Shout out to the tortoise – may she always find sunshine in her life.

    Today’s crossword soundtrack: Young Gun Silver Fox – Stevie And Sly

    1. Terence – if, on my next visit to the UK, I wanted to visit the Exhibition Hall of The List where would I find it? Is it in a shed in your garden? And, somewhat mythical, like a DT Prize Pen and the Doctor Who Police Telephone Box, when one enters the shed, like the telephone box, does the size of the interior bear no relation to the size of the exterior? 😉

  11. Really enjoyable Saturday solve. A few head scratchers and lovely PDM’s. Ticks to 19a, 1d and 2d and my favourite was 14d.

    Thanks to CS and the setter whomever they may be.

  12. My only pause for thought today in this otherwise straightforward puzzle was with 25d, which became obvious once I had 27a.
    Many thanks to the setter and to CS (btw my earworm came from 13a).

  13. First run-through was fruitless but then I eventually managed to complete and even without electronic help. East was smoothest patch. 26a new to me. Altogether a lot of fun. Thank you setter and CS.

  14. I made slightly heavy weather of this with my final two entries, 27a and 21d, taking far too long to get the checkers in place. That said, I enjoyed the tussle, with 19a my favourite this afternoon.

    Many thanks to our Saturday setter for a fine challenge, and to Sue.

  15. A Saturday puzzle again this week without the multiple-word clues, so likely not a NYDK … perhaps.
    New word for me in the SW

    1.5*/4* for me.

    Favourites 1a, 11a, 13a, 16a & 4d — with winner 13a
    Smiles for many include 1a, 11a, 20a & 9d

    Thanks to setter & CS

  16. Completed without help but instead of enjoying the trip I just felt out of step. Favourite was 14 down. Bung in for 17 down which I’m sure is right but cannot parse – so feeling frustrated.
    It was a challenge and so it should be. I just didn’t feel up to it today. Will submit under my husband’s name even though he was mending a picture frame all morning. Thanks to CS although 17 d was not in her remit and our cunning setter

    1. I can’t parse 17d either, came here for some insight but alas!
      Somewhat tricky as far as Saturdays go, I thought

      1. To the north indicates in a Down clue the need to reverse something, in this case a synonym for excessive inserted into some areas

  17. As has been said, a delightful guzzle – thank you so much Mr Setter. I have daisies by 14,26a and 1,4,18 and 25d. But then I also liked the fish eating eels and the field of medicine. I’m going to have to do and lie down as my eyes are jumping all over the place, and no – we didn’t see the eclipse! Where is my favourite optician when I need him. Many thanks also to the Faithful SeeSue. Enjoy the weather.

  18. I made heavy weather of today’s PP and entering the incorrect country in 19a certainly didn’t help in making sense of 2d. I’ll give cotd to the pizza topping in 15d. Not to everyone’s taste, but certainly mine. Thanks to compiler and to CS.

  19. A very entertaining puzzle completed before I was tempted into the garden to weed. Too many enjoyable clues to pick one favourite.

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

  20. A lovely puzzle that was a challenge for me but solvable. Loads of excellent clues but COD for me was 2d. Took me ages to parse completely as had forgotten this synonym for men in crosswordese. Thanks CS and setter

  22. I set off at a pace with this one , and then spent ages on the last few. Really enjoyable solve have to say so much thanks to the setter and CS.

  23. That was slightly weird for me. I managed to complete it in my usual sort of time, but it never felt like I was ever on quite the right wavelength. Favourites were 10a, 19a and 20a.

    Thanks to the setter and CS.

  24. Now that was a great Saturday puzzle, although I do have to confess I would not have finished with some help at the end from CS. COTD for me 14d, although that’s the second time this week to use similar wording. LI was 26a, new to me. Now I’m off to print the Chalicea to make it a perfect Saturday. Thanks to setter and CS.

  26. 2*/ 4* Yet another very enjoyable Saturday puzzle with plenty of top clues.
    Favourites 28a, 3a and 13a
    Thanks to setter + Sue

  27. Very late on parade today due tothe fact that, having completed the ZPP early on,I spent the day in the garden pruning an overgrown white Buddleia and Caryopteris. The arrival of my son, who is 6 feet 4ins, at 11 am, speeded things up so that we finished in time for a late lunch. There were a few clues that were hqrd to parse but I liked the 4d double definition, the 8d anagram and th14d Lego/homophone. Thanks to the compiler and to CS for the hints. Thank goodnes for the lack of linked word clues.

  28. Hello. Thanks to Sue as ever, and also as ever to all for comments.

    I pulled that trick again of having no multi-light answers. It can’t last, I’m afraid …

    Cheers
    NYDK

    1. I know I’m probably in a minority of one but I’m really not keen on multiple clue answers! This crossword though was excellent, so I really wouldn’t grumble at more like this! Thanks NYDK and thanks to Sue too.

    3. I’ve waited until this morning to reply, and I’m going to whisper it very quietly and hope no-one notices but I like having multi-light answers. You have to admire the ingenuity involved in taking a multi-word phrase and spreading it around the grid, surrounding it with solutions where the words aren’t obscure, and then writing a clue that fits the solution perfectly. The only thing I might mutter about is when the first Across clue you look at says ‘see 13 Across’

      Looking forward to the next one

      3. Sorry, but I am also amongst those who aren’t keen on multiple clue answers 😞

  29. A pleasant romp and just completed the puzzle. Although in my defence I have taken daughter back to uni today so it was a case of returning to the puzzle on multiple occasions throughout the day. Identified the type of clue at 1a but saw an obvious answer and entered that then wondered why things were not working out in the NW quadrant. The penny eventually dropped.
    Thank you to the compiler and to CS for the hints.

  30. Well done JV for pegging it as a Doorknob production. Lovely puzzle. 10,13&19a along with 4&6d particular likes.
    Thanks to Donny & Sue

  31. Can’t say I enjoyed this very hard solve which was a big dnf. Solved around two thirds before resorting to other means to get the answers. I presume it was a wavelength issue.

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