Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3379 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg. Recall that four weeks ago I introduced the concept of ‘a ‘run’ of three ‘close together’ blogging milestones for me’; well, today is the second of those milestones my 400th Dada Sunday blog. However, only 99.5% perfect as, including today, there have been 402 Dada Sunday puzzles altogether, starting with the horror of ST 2978 on November 18th, 2018, with Crypticsue and Shabbo subbing for me once each,.
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada very friendly with two long ‘uns, four anagrams (one partial), one lurker, and two(?) homophones, all in a very asymmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, all BRB verified where necessary, you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 12a, 13a, 16a, 21a, 7d, 15d, 18d, and an HM for the Pun.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the what I very subjectively perceive to be the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
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 Head in old coin (5)
A double definition to start – I often refer to 50% of the second!
10a Many staff and I go out of business (8)
A verbal synonym of staff, I from the clue, and a single word term for go out of business.
12a Maestro, foremost of composers, I’ll give you a lift! (6)
Not guess a maestro! The first letter (foremost) of Composers and a (3,2) phrase one might use when giving a person a lift (in one’s car).
16a How medicine may be given, failing that partner (6)
A two letter conjunction that can mean failing that and a synonym of partner.
17a Glossy trap – something attractive (6)
An abbreviated synonym of the something that is often informally referred to as glossy and a synonym of trap.
21a Lead in pencil I gather wrong – it’s a form of carbon (8)
Pronunciation matters! An anagram (wrong) of the first letter (lead) in Pencil and I GATHER – this needed a Eureka moment during a zero dark thirty visit to the smallest room in the house!
25a Maxim, a little saying, no meaning (5)
The lurker (a little) found in three words in the clue.
26a Reportedly big jar (5)
A homophone (reportedly) of a synonym of big.
Down
2d Selfish driver who may sound like a bore? (4,3)
A term for a selfish driver where the second word is a synonym of a homophone (may sound like) of bore.
3d Person flogging fish is an impudent type (14)
A single word term for a person carrying out flogging (not the selling variety) and guess a fish (related to a bass).
8d Living ingredients in a pudding? (5-3-6)
Written as (5,3,6) the ingredients in a pudding can give a (5-3-6) term for living (or livelihood).
18d Old clothes on – yes! (6)
A synonym of old contains (clothes) the Latin based preposition equivalent to on.
20d Recognise when ready for mining work? (4,3)
A way of describing being ready for mining work in relation to holding an appropriate tool.
22d Judicial punishment swift, say (4)
Av double definition to finish – the first is a slang term and the second is a definition by example (say).
Quick Crossword Pun:
MAUDLIN + CALL + LEDGE = MAGDALEN COLLEGE – pronunciation matters!
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Odyssey is a vocal trio, formed in 1977, and originally from New York, who are best known for their disco hits. Now based in the UK, the band is led and fronted by Steven Collazo, although there has been quite a ‘revolving door’ for female members, and continues to perform and record. The trio has enjoyed only one number one in the UK, Use It Up and Wear It Out, which reached that position for two weeks on this day in 1980:
This was very much a game of two halves for me, with the RHS going straight in and the LHS taking a tad longer. I had a couple of chewy ones, most notably 3d, a terrific word. My favourite this morning was 21a, another problematic clue for me.
My thanks to Dada and Senf.
It was lovely to finally meet some of you yesterday in Birmingham, and I trust you all made it home safely.
I, too, had a few pauses for thought in the west but once 23a fell, all came together. Had to confirm the use of 25a but in retrospect it should have been obvious. 22a gets cotd for the chuckle factor. Thanks to Dada and Senf and congratulations on the blogging milestone. Awesome.
12a, not 22a even if the latter is a good clue.
What a fabulous puzzle, so many smiles forthcoming. I’ve got ticks all over the page.
Top picks for me were 3d (great word), 5d, 12a, 19a, 22a, 8d and 6d.
Thanks and congratulations to Senf on another milestone and of course to Dada.
One of the most enjoyable puzzles in ages. Took a while to get onto the server’s wavelength though. Favourites include 3d and 12a.
Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Initially I feared the worst, but a cuppa and a bacon sarnie seemed to do the trick and steady progress followed.
4a was new to me but fairly clear when I took it step by step. The impudent 3d and Living 8d were both on the podium with 24a being awarded today’s prize for optimism but my COTD was 12a…I thought this was a masterpiece. I do admire all of our setters skill level.
Many thanks to Dada for being slightly gentler than usual and Senf for the hints – congratulations on the milestone.
We were promised a few raindrops this morning but if any have fallen they evaporated before reaching the ground.
A terrific puzzle from Dada that was, for me, by no means straightforward. I needed the hint to confirm my answer at 21a so my thanks to Senf for the explanation. It also took a time for me to get the Asian at 23a. I have two contenders for the top spot. The first is where the devil lives at 13a and the second is the Maestro at 12a. The devil was winning but then came the maestro and that became my COTD. A lovely clue.
Thank you, Dada for a fun puzzle. Thank you, Colonel for the hints, which were needed more to check my answers than to help with the solutions. Many congratulations on your 400th Dada blog.
Good to meet up yesterday and, as YS says in 1#, put faces to names. I was going to post a picture of Alfiepops who has something to show TDS65 but it seems the picture upload feature has gone.
2.5*/4*. I enjoyed this a lot and was on course for under my 2* time after completing three quarters but the SW proved to be much more challenging.
12a was my favourite.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf. Many congratulations too to Senf on another terrific milestone.
Gentle fare from Dada today but very entertaining – many thanks to Dada and Senf (and congratulations on another milestone ticked off).
I have too many ticks to list them all – I’ll just mention 10a, 12a, 3d and 20d.