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DT 30971 (Hints)

by crypticsue  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30971 (Hints)

The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)

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Many happy returns of the day to Tilsit, who I hope enjoyed this NY Doorknob production as much as I did.  Once again, the best thing to do is to ignore the multi-light clues until you have some checking letters, and hopefully the couple of clues that made me smile will have had the same effect on you.

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

1, 10a and 14a     Deceived Telegraph hadn’t bothered to keep its boss well-informed (3,2,3,6,4)
An anagram (bothered) of TELEGRAPH HADNT into which is inserted (to keep) the abbreviated newspaper boss and an adverb meaning well-informed

25a         Minus tail, small cat chasing a mythical sculptor (9)
Small or diminutive without the final letter (minus tail) and a big cat ‘chasing’ or going after A (from the clue.   I will say a bit about the mythical sculptor in the full review.

27a         Simple abode in block in country (6)
A simple place to live inserted into block or prohibit

29a         What Cockney repairman does? Makes alterations! (6)
Split 1,5 this would be how a Cockney would describe what a repairman does

30a         Respect sappers guarding position, so to speak (2,2,4)
Reverential wonder (respect) and the abbreviation for the army unit known as the Sappers ‘guarding’ or a verb meaning position

Down

1d           Operatic melody lieutenant pens – something catchy? (6)
Something used to catch – an abbreviated lieutenant ‘pens’ an operatic melody

6d           Wound in malicious act involving Romeo (9)
An adjective meaning malicious and an act, the letter represented by Romeo In the NATO Phonetic Alphabet being inserted into the latter.   The meaning of the definition isn’t that which might be implied by the surface reading of the clue!

8d           Iron Mike absorbing Lennon regularly – some poet! (8)
It was obvious from the checking letters who the poet was, but I had to look at it for a while to see the ‘Iron Mike’ that absorbed the regular letters of lEnNoN

15d         Pests in a group that grips one’s tresses? (5,4)
Some parasitic insects (pests) inserted between A (from the clue) and a group

23d         Explosion somewhere under the bridge? (6)
An explosion that comes from a part of the face part of which is called the bridge

26d         At sea stop son boarding a vessel (5)
A nautical interjection meaning stop!  The abbreviation for Son inserted into A (from the clue) and a vessel

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:  BELLE + WRINGER  = BELLRINGER

 

55 comments on “DT 30971 (Hints)”

  1. My heart sank when I saw the linked clue at 1a but it all turned out ok. I managed only three across clues on the first pass but, as is ever the case for me, the downs came to the rescue. They gave me enough checkers to solve 1, 10 and 14a and I was away. I had to check the Mexican city because, although I solved it from the clue, I have never heard of it. An enjoyable solve with my COTD being Mike and Lennon at 8d, which beat the explosion at 23d by a whisker.

    Thank you, NYDK for the fun. Thank you, CS for the hints.

    I spent many a happy hour being a Quickie pun.

    1. I filled in a few clues, then decided not to bother as I just don’t enjoy the Saturday puzzles with linked clues and the object of the exercise is, after all, to enjoy doing the crossword. I think I might give the Saturday SPP a miss, in future too, there are plenty of other things to do on the puzzles page.

      1. Don’t give it up, CC. I find the linked clues are not so daunting if, as CS says, you ignore them until the end when there are checkers.
        Mind you, if you do give up, it gives me a marginally better chance at winning The Mythical! 🤣🤣

        1. The main reason I buy the telegraph is because I really enjoy the crosswords. Like others, I will not be rushing out for the Saturday crossword in future.

      2. I really enjoy the linked clues, and for me Saturdays are the best puzzles of the week.

        Each to their own though, think I may be in a small minority here….

      3. Like you Chriscross, I’ve largely given up on Saturday’s crosswords, partly because of the linked clues but mostly I’m just not enjoying them. I can appreciate the skill in putting them together but they’re just not for me, sorry NYDK.

      4. That’s been my feeling for a few weeks now Chriscross. But at least there were only two sets of linked clues today.

      5. Me too. If it weren’t for the (vain) hope of a “mythical” I would certainly not do Saturday puzzles any more.
        Not for me. Sorry.
        I appreciate the good clues that show the wonderful art of the setter, but the linked clues spoil it for me.
        With tanks to the setter for the good bits, and of course to CS.

      6. My irritation is the Americanisation (sorry, Americanization) of everything.
        I too am tiring of the Saturday Prize Puzzle. 🙁

        1. Welcome to the blog

          We have several other commenters using “Andrew” so, if and when you comment again, it would be helpful if you could find a new alias

  2. Very enjoyable puzzle despite the two words vying to be on the list – that’s you 1d & 26d. Thank you setter and CS

  3. A very enjoyable SPP, with just enough chewiness to make it a challenge in places. I particularly liked the cockney repairman and the adult with the large drink, but podium places go to 12a, 7d and 27a. Thanks to NYDK presumably and CS.

  4. I enjoyed sorting three quarters of this enigma but the SE threw a spanner in the works and I turned to MrG in order to finish without conceding defeat. Like Chriscross the SPPs are certainly not my scene particularly as multi linked clues are my bête noire. Thank you setter (NYDK?) and CS.

  5. The Saturday policy of ignoring the linked clues led me to start on the downs and the operatic cowboy was first and stayed on top of my podium until the mythical sculptor joined the fight. 1a etc fell eventually with checkers but the other linked one held out until the end.
    Thanks to Sue and Donnybrook

  6. A real Joe Bugner of a puzzle, hard and fair.

    Nearly gave it up as a bad job after taking ages to get only one clue, but gradually got on to the setter’s wavelength, and glad I did, cleverest puzzle in ages.

    My two of the day were 6d and 23d.

    Can’t wait to see who set it, a real gem!

      1. Ta Steve, I’m rubbish at guessed ’em, apart from Ray T on a Thursday as he never does multi word ones.

  7. Couple that I needed to check on today – the aerial which I always forget and the Mexican city which I’d worked out but hadn’t heard of previously.
    My favourite, for the laugh it produced, was 13a and I also ticked 6&23d.

    Thanks to NYDK and to CS for the hints.

  8. Challenging in the south which held me up after the north flew in.
    3*/4*
    Tactic of ignoring the multi word clues and starting with the downs pays dividends.
    6d fav for the penny drop moment – very clever!
    Thanks to Sue and NYDK

  9. Ignoring the multis, more of a head scratcher than usual for a SPP but as enjoyable as ever – 2.5*/4.5*

    Candidates for favourite – 13a, 27a, and 22d – and the winner is 22d.

    Thanks to NYDK and CS.

  10. 3.5* / 5* I thought this was excellent, I had to really work through it and just kept gradually picking them off. Plenty of humour and brilliant misdirection (how many people tried the chemical symbol for 8d?).
    Favourites wound at 6d, 17d great word I’ve never used and bless you 23d
    Many thanks to Sue and NYDK

  11. I struggled with this, even ignoring the multiword clues for as long as possible. Lots of very good clues which made me smile though. All very clever.
    Had to check that I hadn’t invented a Mexican city.

    Top picks for me were 15d, 23d, 27a, 20d, 1d and 6d.

    Thanks to CrypticSue and NYDK.

  12. Not my cup of tea today.
    Not keen on linked clues…. but that’s down to me.

    Needed help not only from cs’s excellent hints but also from the electronic gizmo.
    Had to check on the Mexican city as I had never heard of it.
    And , although I have an answer to 20 I am struggling to parse it.

    Thanks to the setter and to crypticsue.

  13. I was pleased to see a return again from NYDK and a couple of multi-word clues. I found this week to be pretty straightforward for those two clues, but had one in the grid that I was unfamiliar with in the SW.
    The puzzle this week was definitely a tad more difficult than the last few of the NYDK offerings have been.

    2.5*/4* for me.

    Favourites include the two multi word clues, 8d, 11d, 22d & 23d — with winner 11d … and it was very hard to eliminate the others I had picked as favourites.
    Smiles/grin for 19a/21d, 29a, 15d & 23d. Not quite sure how I remembered 15d from the past, but somehow I did.

    Great puzzle NYDK … thanks … and thanks to CS for blog/hints

  14. Nicely awkward in places, and, as a fan of linked clues, this was right up my strasse. I think it was CS in an earlier blog who suggested that the best way to solve linked clues was to ignore them until you have loads of checking letters, then they solve themselves. Anyway, my favourite from this little gem of a puzzle was 25a.

    Thanks to Donny and Sue.

  15. Never troubled by multi-light answers. Most of the papers do them, especially The Guardian and The Independent, upon the thorny offerings of which I cut my teeth around 100 years ago. Do I recall someone here saying it’s something to do with the app that makes them harder to see? If anything, as these usually open up the grid for further solutions, I find them helpful.

    Another nice NYDK production today for this solver. The two linked items are a joy, with 1 10 14 the pick. 29 is a giggle, and 23 a nice cd.

    Thanks Sue and NYDK.

  16. A tad on the obscure side today particularly in the SE. Didn’t know the mythical sculptor in 25a or the moment in 5a and we have an answer to 20d that we can’t parse and are not completely convinced it’s correct. Also had to check the Mexican city. Favourite was 8d. Thanks to NYD anyway and CS.

      1. Thanks for explanation of xxxx; this should really have been in the original CS hints

        1. when you start blogging prize puzzles you will be able to decide what clues are included

  17. I enjoyed that. Mostly straightforward, but a bit more tricky in the bottom half. 1d the favourite for me.

    Thanks to CS and NYDK.

  18. Some very nice misdirection here and there with a satisfying “aha, you can’t fool me” moment when the penny dropped. 26a is my favourite but I also liked 6d. Many thanks to the Setter and to CeeSue.

  19. Managed most of this today, probably because there were only 2 sets of linked clues, and rest of clues pretty much within my solving capabilities. Actually 1a etc. filled itself in despite the clue. However couldn’t finish unaided as I had never heard of 16a, 22d and didn’t think the Cockney reference in 29a really works. Thanks to NYDK for the challenge, and to the ever competent CS.

  20. One of those most satisfying of puzzles, where I thought “no chance” after the first run through, but which then slowly resolves itself piece by piece. Very pleased to get both 16a and 25a from the wordplay alone. LOI was the explosive 23d which raised a smile, so it also gets COTD. ***/****

  21. Also didn’t think I’d do this without help, but came back to it a couple of times and various pennies dropped. Enjoyed learning new things – or dredging them from the depths. Many thanks to Mr Big Apple and CS

  22. I don’t like linked clues especially when several,more than 3, appear together and have often thought about giving up on the Saturday Telegraph but ! Had to look at hints today so I DNF .
    Thanks to all

  23. It’s a DNF thus far as I just can’t see 22d – I see Senf has it as his pick so I’m intrigued & perhaps the penny will drop. I wasn’t familiar with the Tennyson lassie but the wordplay was clear & also needed a bit of reminder on the Greek myth.The linked clues were neat but 23d was my fav.
    Thanks to Donny & CS

    1. To get a type of aerial (don’t ask Mr CS about it unless you have time for him to reminisce about his younger days), reverse (erected) how our setter might say he had and put it on, inn a Down solution, a post

      2. Never heard of it – had the reversal bit but not the synonym (xxxx) – only dawned when I read Manders’ advice. Ta both.

  24. I completed this earlier whilst we were travelling down to see family and I needed some help to finish as I found this tougher than some weeks and got bogged down in the south east. I would not have got 22d or 25a without help.It was however very enjoyable even if some took along longer to crack than normal.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints

  25. Really enjoyed this with the explosion below the bridge as my favourite clue. Thank you NYDK and CS

  26. We like linked clues! Gary and Val
    Thank you to those that make it all happen.

  27. Tbh, I don’t mind the linked clues. It may take a little longer to solve but there’s usually a satisfying “gotcha” feeling. And the solution usually opens multiple doors.
    Not sure what the much-missed Brian would say….

  28. Late comment: Another nice puzzle although I had to give up on 23d and come here for a hint.

    As anyone commented on the possibly unintended link between 25a and 29a?

  29. Can I humbly point out there is an error in the hint for 30A.It should read ‘Reverential wonder (respect) and the abbreviation for the army unit known as the Sappers ‘guarding’ or going round position (as a verb).

    1. So there is. Probably one of those more haste less speed things last Saturday morning!

  30. I’m seriously behind with my comments. I would like to say how very much I enjoyed this NYDK cryptic.
    This is my top selection from the many ticks on my page: 8d/11d combo, 15d (which made me laugh), and 23d, and 25a, 29a, and 19a/21d.
    Super puzzle, for which many thanks to NYDK.
    Thank you very much crypticsue for the hints which I didn’t need. Lovely illustrations!

  31. 4*/4* …
    liked 29A “What Cockney repairman does? Makes alterations ! (6)”

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