ST 3319 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 3319 (Hints)

by Senf  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3319 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where serious wildfires continue in NW and SE Manitoba with air operations for ‘water bombers’ and RCAF aircraft for evacuation being hampered by the smoke and some towns have been evacuated completely.  Similar conditions prevail to the West of us in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

For me, and I stress for me©, Dada very friendly once again – six anagrams (two partials), three lurkers (one reversed), and one homophone all in an  asymmetric 29 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues.  And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Candidates for favourite – 12a, 23a, 27a, 4d, and 6d.

As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.

Don’t forget to follow the instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!

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

1a Jump a quarter of the year (6)
A double definition – the second is the quarter in progress (astronomically, there are still 19 days to go).

9a Commercial banker from Asia facing test (10)
A favourite Asian river (banker) placed before (facing) a synonym of test (of new equipment?).

11a US city beach I say, opening in October (3,5)
Plenty of Lego® – A synonym of beach (or what might be found there?), I from the clue, the Latin based abbreviation that is equivalent to say, and the first letter (opening in) of October.

12a Type that is offensive (6)
A synonym of type (as in classification) and the Latin based abbreviation for that is.

18a Hefty fine (8)
A double definition – the first might relate to generous (in Dada’s thesaurus).

23a Assess too highly how quick the bowlers bowl? (8)
Written as (4,4) a statistic of how quick the bowlers bowl (but nothing to do with the speed of a single ball).

25a Leader of Rome in new emperor (4)
The first letter (leader) of Rome inserted into (in) a ‘combining form’ of new found, for example, in a term relating to newborns.

28a Rather quicker (6)
A double definition – the second might relate to an earlier time of arrival.

Down

2d Animal rescued by sheep and antelope (5)
A lurker (rescued by) found in the last three words of the clue – the illustration is the Red breed and, strictly speaking, the other breed is a bear.

5d Unfortunate mistake upsetting fool when drunk, he claimed (4,2,3,6)
HE from the clue contained (claimed) by an anagram (when drunk) of UPSETTING FOOL.

6d Salad in the rule of an old king? (8)
Written as (4’1,3) the answer could be equivalent to the rule of an old, probably mythical, king eulogised in a nursery rhyme.

16d Red, Labour’s camp oddly revolutionary (9)
An anagram (revolutionary) of LABOUR’S and alternate letters (oddly) of CaMp.

22d A gateway for discussing love (5)
A from the clue and a homophone (for discussing) of a type of gateway.

24d Primarily treasure really, or valuables essentially in hoard (5)
First letters (primarily) of five words in the clue.

Quick Crossword Pun:

RIFF + RIDGE + AERATORS = REFRIGERATORS

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American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host and philanthropist Patrick ‘Pat’ Boone is 91 today. This is one of his best performing UK releases which reached number 2 in 1962, not one of his ‘typical’ recordings:

47 comments on “ST 3319 (Hints)”

  1. I had to use the puzzle app this morning because the papers did not arrive at the village shop. The delivery van had broken down! Not the same having coffee with a laptop – no place to write notes or set out anagram letters.

    A fairly straightforward guzzle from Dada but enjoyable, nevertheless. The Greek philosopher raised a smile at 5a as did the US beach opening at the start of October at 11a. I had completely forgotten the wine at 16d so had to await the arrival of checkers. My COTD is the top card at 14d.

    Thank you, Dada for a fun challenge. Thank you, Mr. Mustard for the hints. Stay safe with those wildfires around.

    As I now have no paper to read, I better get on with some household chores I’ve been putting off. 😔

      1. Hi M

        Second is a short moment in time which is a playing card followed by the verb to top.

        1. Doh! Thanks! I had the right card but the wrong top and asked D of he had heard of the word it made. He got it at once!

    2. It’s funny Steve. I can’t imagine doing the crossword using a newspaper anymore. I use my Ipad and another app to scribble my notes and sort anagrams using my finger. When I started dabbling back 30 odd years ago , I had the books of crosswords. When I ve used them more recently it feels odd. I’ve got used to the tech sadly.

  2. A stern chat to my printer after yesterday’s debacle has restored service to normality. I’m with Steve C on needing to do crosswords on paper. A very light and enjoyable Dada with some wit and a couple that needed a tad more thought. I thought the Greek philosopher was excellent and makes my podium alongside the libation in 16d and 27a. Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  3. 3*/3*. For some reason that I can’t fathom with hindsight, I found the SW corner extremely tough in stark contrast to the other three quarters of the puzzle.

    I don’t much care for “rescued” as an anagram indicator in 2d but, hey ho, anything goes. Also “me” is not a valid synonym for the first letter of the answer for 3d.

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf.

  4. This was a very pleasant solve on a friendly grid my with LOI being the clever 18a.

    I initially was trying to crowbar an anagram of Lao and Latin thinking ‘this one HAS to go on The List’.

    My podium is 3a, 9a and 18a.

    MT to Dada and Senf.

    2*/4*

  5. Not the easiest Sunday puzzle, but very high on the enjoyment scale. 16d was my favourite clue.
    Many thanks to all.

  6. An enjoyably straightforward Sunday puzzle, nothing contentious, I thought, but with a generous dollop of anagrams around the middle to keep one moving. Good red herring at 15a. Honours to COTD 6d and runner-up 27a.

    Many thanks to Dada and Senf

  7. An enjoyable and fairly gentle puzzle – thanks to Dada and Senf.
    My ticks were awarded to 18a, 21a and 14d.

    It’s a Red Letter Day in Toughieland because Robyn has returned to the fray with an absolute belter of a puzzle.

    1. A red-letter day indeed, although it has chucked a bit of a spanner in the rota. I have no idea who we will be getting next Sunday!

  8. I definitely thought that our setter was making full use of his personal thesaurus today and put me down as another who tried to make an anagram out of Lao Latin. No particular favourite but a mention for the US city where both of my cousins have chosen to live. I presume that the surfing must be good there?

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints – strange song for someone like Pat Boone to record!

  9. Add me to the Lao Latin anagram camp! I enjoyed this offering from Dada.

    Top picks for me are 3d, 17d, 12a and 5a.

    Thanks to Senf and Dada.

  10. To just miss out on a single figure finish is a famous effort for me with Dada, in fact with any of our esteemed setters. Couldn’t believe it when the top half went in so easily. The bottom was more tricky with several clues unsolved until I read the comment at 1 by TDS which sorted the rest.

    4d my favourite, as grouper, guppy and grayling were no use it took a little while to come up with it but had a silent chuckle.

    Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  11. Some members of the committee are very grumpy this morning, and I have received a volley of emails and text messages of complaint. They were woken from their slumbers by a false alarm. Several were found, in their nightshirts, outside the committee room.
    Many of you will know that the app version of the puzzles now contains a red button where you can highlight potential words for consideration by the committee. However, we believe Mr Lancaster has set up the button in a manner that is, we feel, over sensitive. Each time the button is pressed, it sends an alarm to each member, which can only be switched off by typing in a code available on the screens outside the meeting room.

    Consequently, those that pressed the red button due to an unfortunate misunderstanding about an anagram of ‘Lao’ and ‘Latin’, will all receive demerit points. There is no appeal system.

    For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), this was the setter at his least weird quirky, and thus an enjoyable solve.
    May the sky be darkened by hats thrown in the air for appreciation of Da-doo-ron-ron and The Man From Manitoba – one hopes the conflagration stays a very long distance away from his neighbourhood.

    2. I could do with the committee casting an eye over an obscure Renaissance writer in the Toughie, but they are probably a bit too busy handing out demerits here

  12. I agree with RD that the SW seemed very difficult compared to the other quadrants today.
    6d, 14d, 3d and 17d favourites today.
    2*/4*
    Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  13. I agree with Senf for the most part one Dada being friendly again this week. But, like last week it started off gangbusters until I reached the SW. I agree with RD and for me the SW took as long as the rest of the puzzle. Not sure why.

    Overall 2.5*/3.5*

    Favourites 1a, 27a, 28a, 5d, 8d & 16d — with winner 27a

    Thanks to Dada & Senf

  14. I am also one who got stuck in the south west, 18& 21a held out right to the end. Otherwise a great guzzle. I loved the sister at 3d, I didn’t see
    that one coming! I clumsily scalded the back of my (right) hand this morning – agony. I sent George running 😀 for a leaf of Aloe Vera which has worked a miracle, although I am still pleading incapacity. Many hanks to the Setter and Senf – those wild fires sound horrendous. Hope you are well clear of them.

  15. Tricky in places and I realise I have put the wrong answer to 14d ( my excuse is I was deriving with my husband reading the clues, I had 3 clues left in the south west when we set off!). Generally I thought this to be a fun puzzle and particularly liked the anagrams.

    Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints

  16. Very enjoyable! 👍
    Like others I got a bit waylaid in the SW and took ages to parse 21A as trying (incorrectly) to crowbar 2 letters into the Gobi stuff before the ‘Doh!’ moment arrived!
    My COTD was definitely 3D…made Mrs H & I chuckle!
    Thanks to Dada for another fine challenge, and of course to Senf for the blog ‘n hints! – stay safe up there!
    Cheers!

  17. A relatively gentle solve today , and enjoyable too. I puzzled for a while at 16d one of my last in , but resorting to going through the alphabet , all became clear – I got a too misled by the word oddly Missing the obvious. Resorted again to the alphabet for my last in 28a , and when concluding ‘there’s no such word’, I realised that one of my checkers was incorrect and sure enough 20d was wrong. Thanks so much Dada and Senf.

  18. Add us to the SW strugglers and the wrong anagram for 15a. A step up in difficulty for us too. Favourite was 27a. Thanks to Dada abs Senf.

  19. After a stressful week packing for our departure today for the airport to join our river cruise through Germany, France and ending up in Switzerland (I loathe packing, always wondering what to take or not), I was very happy to find this kinder Dada waiting for me this morning. There were several friendly clues that helped get a good foothold, although I did eventually grind to a halt, having been misled by 18a, 8d and 20d. Thanks to Dada. And here’s hoping your wildfires are soon under control.

  20. I found this quite a challenge and have been dipping in and out of it over the day and persistence did finally pay off. 14d took some unscrambling as did 16d. Can’t say I found this a barrowload of fun. Thank you Dada and Senf – do hope the wildfires can be brought under control.

  21. Add me to the list of Lao Latin anagrammers and SW strugglers….with a bit of an issue in the SE too.
    Eventually got it all sorted out but had to resort to electronic help for 20d and am still wondering how that one works.

    However, it was mostly enjoyable for me.

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf.
    Hope the wildfires come under control very soon ….and before they reach you!

    Had very good news from the son and heir …..he has been appointed Professor!
    Joy unconfined in Angus, large drinks all round.
    Might have to curtsey to him now……or maybe not, what with my hip and all.

      1. Thank you, Steve.

        We are just delighted .
        Cannot quite take it in yet….my son, the Professor.

        1. Congratulations from me too. I know ‘Meringue’ is your alias but I keep seeing images of a Professor Meringue :)

          1. Thank you CS.

            Now I have that picture in my mind…….

            I think I’ll keep it from him, though. At least for now.

  22. A close run thing today. Equal winners with 3 votes each
    6d. Old Kings rule
    14d card top
    17d download (clever …)
    I’d agree with those choices

    2. But as I say in my preamble, I list ‘candidates for favourite’ not an actual favourite. As blogger, I personally do not think it is appropriate to identify my favourite as I do when I am not blogging.

      I work by ‘Kath’s Rule’ – you can only have one favourite.

      1. Good point, Senf. I should’ve announced the highest totals as “likely candidates for favourite”. Some folk give ticks, and others a firm COTD. Difficult to impose ‘Kath’s rule’ here.

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