DT 30455 (Hints)

90 comments on “DT 30455 (Hints)”

1. Very enjoyable. 1a, 13a and 17d got my ticks today.

   Thanks to CS and today’s setter.

2. I have no puzzles in the DT electronic edition, has any got a copy of todays puzzle?

   1. Sloop John Bee kindly provided

      Click to access puzzles.telegraph.co_.uk_print_crossword_id49892.pdf

      in a comment at the end of yesterday’s puzzle comments

      1. Thanks Sue
         Lovely puzzle today but got to dash out with Mama Bee TTYL

         1. No puzzles for me too. A very rude man at DT told me I had to pay to access them despite paying for my sub.

            1. If that’s the case I will simply cancel my subscription.
               Thx for the pdf, it was very tough to solve but with some clever clues.
               ****/**
               Thx to all

               1. I see them on my iPad, but I am 5 hours behind you, so might have been an earlier problem. For what it’s worth, it’s a waste of paper and ink anyway.

                  1. can i ask why that is?

            2. Interesting. After reading here that people had successfully reduced their subscription by ringing to complain about the big increase, I tried it and got £10 off each DD. However, despite being bombarded with letters telling me I still have two online subscriptions to give away, when I tried yesterday to pass one onto my brother in Sotogrande I was told I would have to pay a higher subscription! What is going on?

               1. That is bizarre as I got a reduced DD and kept my online subscriptions to give away…..

               2. Do they not appreciate just who they’re talking – multi published of the letters page & major contributor to the BD site devoted to their cryptic guzzles. Tell ‘em that aint ‘aving it – from memory I was offered £170 for an annual digital subscription with 3 people piggybacking & full puzzles access (only use it get the Sun Toughie on the old site & of course today when the daft buggers forgot to include the puzzles page) so that’s a benchmark figure

                  1. It’s not just the puzzles. The paper always has errors. Recently they published yesterday’s TV listings in the digital edition.

3. A beautiful morning following a good nights rest. Hot mug of my favourite coffee. Dog welcomed my descent of the stairs. Settled now in my favourite corner. Aaaaah what no cryptic crossword!! Good lady wife looks puzzled at my grief until I explain.
   Yes I agree it’s not the end of the world and we do (especially today a day of remembrance) need perspective.
   All wasn’t lost though as I found the puzzle site and have just finished with my favourite clue being 13a followed by 16d. Thanks to CS for the help!

4. Like Brian, my online Telegraph failed to download any puzzles, so I had to download the puzzles app onto my phone, and it took a while to get used to the format on a small screen (my ancient iPad doesn’t like the puzzles app). That is my excuse for taking a fair while to crack this one anyway. Nicely challenging with lots to enjoy, particularly 13a, my favourite.

   My thanks to our Saturday setter and CS.

5. Another Toughie masquerading as a SPP? Struggled a bit with this one but the preceding comments show that it might just be me.

   Struggled to find the anagram indicator in one or two clues but found a website which lists almost every second word in the dictionary as an indicator!

   Favourites 1a, 9a, 28a and 16d.

   Dreadful example of the linguist’s Intrusive R (nothing to do with rhoticity) but I won’t say which clue in fear of the naughty step.

   Thanks to the setter for the entertaining challenge and to crypticsue.

6. A very enjoyable SPP perhaps somewhat trickier than usual – 2.5*/3.5*

   Candidates for favourite – 13a, 26a, 8d, and 24d – and the winner is 26a.

   Thanks to whomsoever and to CS.

7. Like CS, I found it very hard to get into this guzzle. I eventually finished it, largely by using the checkers, having a vague iea what the ccompiler was driving at and guessing. The word ‘Why?’ Is written in my newpaper, next to 9 clues, which I couldn’t parse or could only partially get. There was little enjoyment involved in the solve, for the second day running. 1d was the best of the clues for me. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. Thanks to CS for the hints and to the compiler- not my cup of tea I’m afraid.

8. To get the electronic version, delete app and reload from the App Store. Problem solved

   1. Tried that 3 times, doesn’t work for me.😪

      1. Didn’t work for me either

         1. Give it another go Brian, 4th time lucky!😁

      2. Me neither & the old puzzles site refuses to recognise my correct password. Oh well guess I’ll just have to give the golfers teeing off in splendid autumnal sunshine my undivided attention

   2. Worked for me. Thank you

9. Quite, quite brilliant. Nearly a DNS let alone a DNF as only got one after about five minutes. Stuck to me guns though as I was in a belligerent mood, and it finally took shape.
   Put myself back a bit by trying to force ‘xxxx’ into 23a for the keyboard, maybe trying to overthink it
   somewhat.
   Absolutely fantastic clue for 13a with great misdirection, who else couldn’t get their head away from football? Can’t see how 18d works so will see the hints. Many thanks to our setter today, best puzzle for ages.

   1. Took a while to get going but eventually nailed the north. 9a and 13a favorites. Could do with Some hints for a few. Pretty sure I got them correct but not sure how the clues worked

   2. I got hooked on a fooball related answer too Tipcat. It took ages to sort out that NW corner.

10. Fantastic puzzle. Tremendous clues throughout for me.

    Standouts probably 11 and 13 across, but 16 down has the laurels for me today, what a spot that is!

    Many thanks Mysteron, and CS for the very nice run-through.

11. Not my cup of tea today at all but can’t really explain why. Can’t get half of them even with the hints. Maybe just crossworded-out after yesterday’s challenge.

    6d is such an old chestnut, it appears almost verbatim in Prolixic’s guide to setting crosswords on this site! There must be more original ways of clueing this now rather outdated word 🤔

    1. ‘Outdated’? I’ve only recently found out what it is!

       1. Ha! Fair comment, I know it’s recent but the term was only really about late 90’s and I haven’t seen an example of 6d for yonks (trying to be vague). My main objection was the clue has been lifted almost word for word which feels lazy and can only hope it was unintentional – it’s there in black and white courtesy of our good friend Mr P. I was trying to work out what was bugging me about today’s puzzle – almost a third concerns places or names, a few is fine but that’s way too many, I want proper words dammit 😅

12. Just in case some of you are experiencing problems accessing the Sunday PP tomorrow (and I am not), I will include a link to the puzzle in the preamble to the Sunday blog.

    1. I was at school with Justin… Or was it his cousin Justin Stead

13. Got off to a bad start by entering a completely wrong but seemingly viable answer for 1a which rather put a downer on the rest of the solve. Thankfully, Ms Murdoch eventually rescued the situation.
    Top two here were 5&17a.

    Thanks to our setter and to CS for the hints – nice to see that your knitters have marked the occasion.

14. Cor! That was tough.

    Nothing ‘picnic at the pub’ about that one. Enjoyable but hard.

    There was some lovely misdirection and lots of lego which you don’t normally see on a Saturday.

    I’m struggling to see ‘doctor’ being a synonym of the 4d but maybe that’s me.

    My podium is 1a, 16d (great fun) with the winner, of course, being 13a. I was way off track with that for a good while.

    Many thanks to CS and the savage Saturday setter. (that’s the best adjective beginning with an s I can come up with)

    4*/4*

    1. It’s not just you. What I call a NUBIC – nobody uses, but in Chambers.

       1. Like it

    2. TDS, Regarding the doctor clue at 4d, think about taking your pet dog or cat to the doctor for a routine elective treatment. Bettervnot say more or I will end up bon the naughty step!

       1. So, does the verb ‘to 4d in that instance mean ‘to doctor’? Obviously a doctor would 4d the pet.

          Apologies if I’m being slow out of the traps.

          There is a ? at the end. So, maybe the compiler is asking for a bit of latitude but I can’t see it.

          1. TDS65, I’d always thought that “doctor” could mean 4d informally when referring to animals. Out of curiosity, I looked it up in the BRB and it appears there as verb definition 6.

             1. Thanking you, RD.

                A new one on me.

    3. When you, or one of the other mischievous boys, talked yesterday about the Gibbs Brothers I suddenly thought this morning , does that mean the BeeGees? ‘Cos I have heard of them.

       1. I was hoping that me saying ‘Barry, Maurice & Robin’ and ‘Night Fever’, baby!’ would have given it away.

          You can most definitely count yourself in the ‘mischievous mob’, DG!

15. Just popped on to say that deleting the telegraph app completely and reinstalling it has lead to the return of puzzles in the digital newspaper edition

16. I also don’t have the puzzles pages in my electronic version

17. Hmm. Printed the puzzle off the old site with no problem around 6.15/6.30 GMT this morning.
    Made steady progress and thinking I’d be done in a really short breakfast time (having made milady’s) but got held up guessing and parsing the last few for another loong breakfast.
    Loved 1a, memories of parties gone by! But 1st equal are 17 and 28a, and 17d. Liked 16d too!
    All in all lotsafun!
    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.
    11, 11, 11.

18. I’m please to see I wasn’t alone in finding this a bit of a Toughie. It took me ages to get a toehold and even with a few checkers I had to drag the rest out kicking and screaming. Still, I got there in the end but with no great sense of satisfaction. My COTD is the clever, to me, 13a.

    Thank you, setter for the tough challenge and grateful thanks to CS for the hints.

19. Is it me or was this a little harder than usual Saturday fare?
    Very enjoyable and entirely fair ( no technical or esoteric words ) and all therefore quite doable even without Doctor Google!
    Many thanks to the compiler.

20. Interestingly the puzzles section appears on the app on my iPhone. I will try reloading the app on my iPad

21. For those who have LOST PUZZLES from today’s digital edition- apologies CS for shouting, I can’t seem to bold on here. Perhaps one of the moderators could add a note at the top of todays intro?

    Signing out of the app and then signing back in did not work.

    Deleting the app completely and reinstalling does.

    I hope this helps those of you who like me were feeling bereft.

22. Just to say I have just accessed the old site in the same way as usual. Luckily I had no problem with logging in and printing off the puzzles.

23. 23a very funny. I don’t think I’ll be able to visit again without remembering this clue

24. Hmmm. I found this tricky and had to turn to CS to reassure me of my goals, needless to say the ones I was stuck on are not listed. Hey ho. Just a puzzle. But I got there in the end. I liked 1d, 13a and 25a. No favourite. George has gone to Hertford, lunch then rugby , no cooking tonight, the sun is shining so the day is mine! Did my duty by representing the 17th/21st Lancers at The Cross at noon , on behalf of my dear departed father. Hope all goes well with Remembrance services tonight and tomorrow with no dramatics. Many thanks to the setter for the struggle and CS for the liniment.

    1. I do so hope there is no trouble at the Remembrance Services tomorrow, Daisy. Like you, I shall have my mind firmly fixed on 4 family members; my dad, sent out to the Far East 1941-5), my father in law, takenprisoner by the Germans fighting in Italy in WW2, my uncle, who landed at Arromanches on D-day and went all the way to Berlin and my grandad, a Royal Engineer, gassed while building trenches at Ypres in WW1. Any demonstration of opinions about Gaza can wait for another day, which is not sacred to other, deeply held feelings.
       D

25. The regimental motto. From Rourkes Drift to Monte Casino via Balaclava. Now amalgamated and known as The Queen’s Lancers.

    

26. This was a flippin’ tough puzzle that followed the expected Friday tough one. Not a nice surprise for a Saturday puzzle. Certainly not what I was expecting. At least 50% of the clues I can’t figure out the parsing but yet the word fits. Not a fun solve for me and I’m putting 5/- on this NOT being a Cephas puzzle.

    3*/2.5* for today

    Favourites that made sense include 1a, 9a, 12a, 22a & 21d — with winner 1a/9a toss-up … they both made me smile

    Thanks to setter & CS for hints/blog

27. Ooops.no photo above, what went wrong?

    

28. I did not have any problems accessing the puzzle (that is a KODS moment if ever there was one), but as I do in future, as do my crosswords on my laptop what should I do? I found the crossword hard to get into, but in the end enjoyable.
    KODS = Kiss of Death Syndrome

29. No problems accessing the old site now back home. Enjoyed this slightly trickier than usual SPP. Happily sailed through three quarters of it but there was a wee bit of head scratching at the starting block NW which I left until last. Suspect my first thought for 1a the same as Jane but 2&3d KO’d that. 1d & my clear fav 13a the last 2 in.
    Thanks to the setter (X-Type maybe) & to Sue

30. How disappointing. Another day, another stinker. If it goes on like this, will be cancelling my sub. Shame DT has so little regard for the less than Mensa solvers.

    1. I agree. After the first read through I found it didn’t sing to me, so I tossed it. I’ve got a life!

    2. i think it was not intended to be completed in the time it takes you to drink a cup of coffee (as you recently commented) . It took me a lot longer and i was very pleased to be able to finish it.

       I am, in no way a member of Mensa. I do, however want DT crosswords to be varied and challenging. I don’t think i’m alone .

31. Having lived in the US for many years, I find that I occasionally forget British slang, such as 1a. And on top of that I found this a struggle, but got there in the end (with a little help from crypticsue). **** time and ** enjoyment.

32. 2*/3*. I solved this over breakfast as usual but have been busy since then so unable to post until now. I thought this was a good solid SPP with nothing to frighten or excite the hoofed creatures.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS.

33. Really difficult! Not sure we deserved this for a Saturday, nor expected it either. Not what we’re used to it at all!
    Oh well – at least it’s kept me out of trouble and not making a mess anywhere!
    Thanks to who set this one and, specially thanks and admiration to CS – what a way to spend your Saturday!

34. Today was a day of cryptic struggles, firstly finding the ‘missing puzzles’ then completing the puzzle which was, for me, impossible without help from CS and google.

    I thought it much harder than normal, and see I am not alone, which is always reassuring.

    Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints, I will need more to understand some of my answers.

35. Does anyone know who is setting tomorrow’s Sunday Toughie? The list hasn’t been updated (presumably as a result of the problems mentioned elsewhere) It has been Robyn alternating with proXimal, but we haven’t had a Zandio for 5 weeks?

36. 22a was my last one, had to resort to the electronic solver – I’ll just have to think in an English accent from now on.

37. Just run out of available Saturday for this with over three quarters unsolved.

    The Saturday crossword seems to always be more difficult for me recently, but today was very hard.

    I recycle the vast majority of the Saturday paper without reading so, to have the one bit I look forward to be this difficult, it is making think about a 5 day subscription.

    Thanks to all.

38. No just didn’t finish this. Have abandoned with 3 to do (9a, 15a and 4d). Just not on the wavelength of the setter. Any clues? Shame, as I can normally finish the Saturday ones.

    1. 9a Our country, some weather and the beginning to Ease combine to make a country

       15a an anagram (running) of Cinderella but only using one of the abbreviations for left

       4d is another anagram (working) of tireless into which is inserted the symbol for electrical current

       1. Thank you! Finished at last. 4d my last one in. Phew

39. Miffed, very much so.
    Beaten by 1a and 2 and 16d.
    Latter, very stretched or
    Rather too obscure.
    And, as a whole, puzzle in
    Toughie territory.
    Nevertheless, thanks to
    The setter and CS.

    1. Correction – beaten by 2 not 3.
       Latter being 16d.

40. Relieved to read other posts saying this was tough … but also fun. So enjoyed 13a. Thank you setter and CS

41. Great puzzle, unusually challenging for a Saturday. Slow start, then steady and accelerating progress to the end.

    2 / 3

    Many thanks to the Setter and to CS

42. ‘Twas your NYDK today. It appears that some of you think it is pretty much right on the line, over which one must not step, for difficulty, so noted.

    Someone wrote above about 6D being ‘an old chestnut’ ‘pretty much lifted (from somewhere on the site)’, but I have to say, in all honesty, that I really thought I’d come up with an original there. Sheltered existence you see. They haven’t let me out much since the offence. Nonetheless I am sorry for handing that one to you if it is a ringer.

    Anyway thanks all, have a good rest of, and thanks CS for the bloggery.

    1. Thanks, I thought that was a fine puzzle. I think that those (myself included) who had problems with the websites may have been a tad grumpy. I did like the detritus of a good night in 1a and 27a had me singing along (to the Sensational Alex Harvey Band – not Tom Jones) and a quick Roll 25a from Bellowhead to finish

    2. Ah, thanks Mr Stateside Knocker, ’twas me re 6d. No offence meant and I’m glad for your confirmation! I wonder how often this happens in crosswordland – has any setter here had it before? In all the puzzles ever made, some jokes must get repeated in original thought.

       I didn’t have any problem with the site but in all honesty I should’ve had a few days break from puzzling after Silvanus’ mega-challenge yesterday. That’s just life, nobody’s fault 👍😸

       1. Yup, it happens AgentB. Compilers often split words up the same way, so sometimes you get very similar clues from different people. Plagiarism it usually ain’t. Also the software doesn’t always help. That’s one of my very few gripes about Crossword Compiler actually, the anagram generator is a bit one-paced and doesn’t always give many usable options.

43. Oh dear, two days in a row that I have failed to get very far into the puzzles.

    Yesterday was a complete failure, and even when checking the hints I needed in every available case to uncover the “extra help” information. Never mind “wavelengths” I was in a different galaxy from yesterday’s setter.

    Today I started out on the basis of “be positive, yesterday was a one-off, today will be fine” … and once more I have made little or no progress.

    Oh dear. Never mind, on the (unimportant) sporting front England finally won a game of cricket and Leeds won at football.

    Many thanks to setters and hinters.

44. Didn’t really enjoy this as I have never heard of 28a or 29d.

    1. I hadn’t heard of 28a for many a long year but am intrigued to know which other solution you had never heard of as 29d doesn’t exist

45. Nice one. John brings me a cup of tea and a print out of the puzzle. Yes, I am spoilt but then he gets a good half hour of peace and quiet. There was certainly lots to like and with clear skies and a musical called Scrooge this afternoon the day was sorted. Cut John’s hair , pinned on my poppy and submitted the puzzle.

46. Not overly enjoyable today, especially fighting to complete the NW corner, but like yesterdays, finally finished and sent off for the proverbial pen.

    I accessed the puzzle on both the old and new websites not long after midnight, on both my iPad, mainly to look at the Giant General Knowledge puzzle, and then on my desktop ready to print the Cryptic from the ‘old’ site, with no problems. Although I keep getting reminders from the Telegraph, I haven’t bothered to download the app.

    Thanks to NYDK for setting the headache and crypticsue for prescribing the Paracetamol hints.

47. Many happy returns of the day to CS!

    1. Thank you

48. I thought this was trickier than normal but not as bad as I was expecting having read the comments while trying to work out why there was no puzzle in the DT App.

    If it happens again, rather than reinstalling the App, the simplest way is to go to Settings, delete all the downloaded Editions and then just reload the offending one.

49. Very tough. Still have no idea about 16d even though I put the correct answer in.Not enamoured with 19a . 13a very very good. Looking forward to an easier ST.

50. What a brilliant crossword! Thoroughly enjoyable, being a beautiful balance between entertainment and mental workout.
    I have ticked off so many clues I can’t list them all. Here is a selection: 1a, 13a, 28a, 3d, 16d, 17d (my fave), 20d, 21d and 24d. 24d is a description I haven’t heard in years. I think it was popular in the parlance of the RAF especially during WWII.
    Huge thanks to NYDK for a super puzzle. And the same to Crypticsue for the hints which I enjoyed reading but did not need.

51. Took us ages but got there in the end. Hardest Saturday puzzle for a long while! Favorite 9 across.

Comments are closed.