ST 3328 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 3328 (Hints)

by Senf  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3328 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where the heat, humidity, and smoke continue – roll on September when it should start cooling down.

For me, and I stress for me,© after yesterday’s GCHQ brain mangling normal service has been restored!  Dada quite friendly with 6 anagrams (two partials), two lurkers, and two homophones all in an almost symmetric 30 clues; with 15 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 – 9a, 18a, 19a, 28a, 3d, 5d, 20d, and 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.

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 Approximate shape for plain brick? (5,7)
A synonym of approximate and a rhomboid figure.

9a Series of events held on ground, dude entering (9)
A synonym of dude inserted into (entering) an anagram (ground) of HELD ON.

12a Canal I’ve rediscovered in European city (8)
An anagram (rediscovered) of CANAL I’VE.

18a Allow New York Liberal back – in one of its boroughs? (8)
A synonym of allow followed by the reversal (back) of all of the abbreviated form of New York and the single letter for Liberal.

19a African republic in old money? (6)
A double definition – the second would now be worth £1.05.

26a Chance totally gone where header missed (5)
A single word for totally gone (after over indulging on alcohol) with the first letter deleted (where header missed).

28a Excess rage in barking canine (12)
A synonym of rage inserted into an anagram of CANINE.

Down

1d He dared to sprinkle ginger (7)
An anagram (to sprinkle) of HE DARED.

5d Spoil clothes also in orange (8)
A three letter synonym of spoil contains (clothes) a synonym of also, followed by IN from the clue.

7d Warrant contains everything rewritten (8)
An anagram (everything rewritten) of CONTAINS.

14d Third and fourth in field on opening stretch (8)
The third and fourth letters in fiELd, ON from the clue, and a type of opening.

16d Game, beefcake with hot rod? (4,5)
An informal synonym of the equally informal beefcake and (with) a type of rod used in managing something hot.

17d Fascination lost, “yikes” did you say? (8)
A homophone (did you say) of the combination of synonyms of lost and yikes as an interjection expressing alarm and astonishment.

22d “Coco” originally, short name – for him? (5)
The first letter (originally) of Coco, a synonym of short, and the single letter for Name.

25d Some scoundrel, I’m pretty loose (4)
A lurker (some) found in three words in the clue.

Quick Crossword Pun:

BUGS + SEEM + ALONE = BUGSY MALONE

Some trivia to finish – What is the third most populous British Isle? Portsea Island – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsea_Island

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American jazz and traditional pop singer Anthony Dominick Benedetto, better known as Tony Bennett, was born on this day in 1926. This is from his second collaborative album with Lady Gaga released in 2021:

36 comments on “ST 3328 (Hints)”

  1. What a great puzzle for a Sunday after yesterday’s slog. I’ve got ticks all over the page but my top ones are 27a, 8d, 18d, 5d and 18a.

    Thanks to Senf and Dada.

  2. A solid offering from Dada and, thankfully, he left his personal thesaurus on the bookshelf. Not that it was straightforward because a few caused the mind to falter. In 18a it took a while to get the correct “allow” and “brainy” in 27a eluded me for quite a while. I loved the wisdom of 21a but my COTD is the lost fascination at 17d.

    Thank you, Dada for a great Sunday challenge. I will send it by carrier pigeon to Telegraph Towers in search of The Mythical. Thank you, Colonel Mustard for the hints.

    The harvest continues apace here in The Marches much to Hudson’s delight. Loads of space to run around in.

  3. This was a welcome gentle relief after the Osmosis toughie on Friday, and yesterday’s very tricky themed puzzle.
    Many thanks to Dada for a most pleasant puzzle. Favourite clue 18d, and the runner up is the one that names where I live.

  4. Normal prize puzzle service resumed. An enjoyably brisk solve with 28a may pick from a good number of ticks.
    Thanks to D&S – & particularly for the TB with LG clip.

  5. It would be an impossibility to match yesterday’s tour de force and Dada has gone for an enjoyable gentle puzzle. Thanks to him and Senf.
    I liked 18a, 3d, 16d, 18d and the excellent Quickie pun.

  6. Not entirely straightforward, with, as Steve said, some less common aynontyms to leave you puzzling but it was an enjoyable SPP. Both 7d and 9d werecleverly disguised but the COTD for me was 27a which made me laugh, always a plus in a cryptic puzzle. Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints

  7. Certainly not as gruelling as yesterday but it still had its moments. In fairness, our setter did give us a couple that we’ve had within the last few days so at least we had a head-start. My favourite was 27a with 26a &17d close behind. Hopefully, RD is out playing cricket because 13a would do nothing for his blood pressure!

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints and music – that has always struck me as being one of the most unlikely pairings of singers but it obviously worked well for them to have released two joint albums.

  8. One or two made me pause for thought for some while and the old crumpet was scratched vigorously. So not a complete walk in the park after yesterday, but a very enjoyable challenge. 17d made me smile and gets my vote for cotd. Thanks to Dada and Senf

  9. A lovely if rather gentle puzzle. Perhaps the gentlest dada (since I’ve been paying attention to whom the setters are) that I can recall. Extremely enjoyable nonetheless. Favourites for me were 15, 18 and 21a.
    Many thanks to the setter and to Senf for the hints which I shall now read.

  10. Good fun and a deal easier than yesterday’s difficulties. So much to enjoy spread across the grid, but my favourite was 18a plus the Quickie pun.

    My thanks to Dada and Senf.

  11. A solid crossy from Radio with my LOI being 8d as I couldn’t get ‘Good day’ which is excellent.

    I did smile when I saw 13a, thinking of RD or, going with the theme, ‘Are Dee’.

    My podium is 21a, 28a and 3d.

    MT to the aforementioned and The Big S.

    2*/4*

  12. Solid is just right, I agree with Senf and Gazza that nothing could top yesterday’s special puzzle so back to normal service. I did have a couple of plausible alternative answers in the SE, but they soon sorted themselves out.
    Thanks to Dada and Senf.

    Beam equally “Normal for Norfolk” in t’other place.

  13. The answers are clear from the other letters but can someone please explain the logic for 17 & 18d and 23 across? I kind of get 17d but it seems a bit tenuous, particularly the second half. Same for 18d can’t see any justification for last 3 letters. Hope someone can help!

    2. Welcome to the blog from me also.

      17d is hinted as one of the homophones. What is required for the ‘yikes’ part is an interjection most likely seen in a comic strip.

      23a is the other homophone (Listener’s).

      In 18d – ‘in and out’ is a Dada-esque way of saying alternate letters.

      Now, what did you think of the puzzle overall?

      1. Perfect, thank you. I read this regularly and have now plucked up the courage to ask a question!! Enjoyed the puzzle, even more so now that I can see the reasoning for these 3!

      2. Perfect, thank you. Would never have worked that out for 18d without your input. Read this blog regularly as there is always at least one clue I can’t get. Hopefully you can help put me out of my misery more often!! Enjoyed the puzzle, more satisfying now I can see the logic. Thanks for your help. Have been having trouble posting a reply, this is my third attempt!!!

  14. Thank you Dada for a gentle Sunday puzzle after yesterday’s brain frier! Senf for the hints although we didn’t need them. COTD 17d but plenty of others in contention. Gary and Val

  15. Well this Dada had to be easier than yesterday’s puzzle no matter what!
    However I thought it was at the mid-end of his spectrum this week with personal thesaurus use as well as some quirkiness within the puzzle.

    2*/4* for me

    Favourites 1a, 15a, 27a, 1d, 3d & 17d — with winner 27a
    Smiles for 19a, 6d & 8d

    Thanks to Dada & Senf for hints/blog

  16. An enjoyable puzzle with only 17d stumping me today. Off to look at yesterdays puzzle now…..

    Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints

  17. 1a threw me as I have never used the phrase in that way, but enjoyable as always.. thank you Dada and Senf

  18. I struggled through this today .. I think my brain must be worn out after yesterday’s tussle. My cotd and last in was 17d. 18d .. I’ve never noted the use of “in and out” before for alternative letters .. but I reverse engineered it. As was previously discussed .. innovation and evolution required to keep us on our toes.

  19. Phew, that’s a relief after yesterday. The perfect combination of clues, none too easy and none too difficult, but requiring some thought. 27a gets COTD from me, even though it was almost LI. A few years ago I found Dada to be on the tough side, but now he is one of my favorite setters, so a big thank you. Thanks also to the dependable Senf.

  20. Thanks to Mr G I enjoyed this tricky devil but there again all clues are very fair. Thank you Dada and Senf.

  21. 2* / 3.4* Not easy, but compared to yesterday !
    Plenty of excellent misdirection and very enjoyable.
    Favourites include 8d seize, 9a series of events and 27a sucker
    Thanks to Dada and Senf

  22. I too think I’ve been drained by yesterday, as I found this very tough – but having completed it (with help of course, thank you Senf) I really don’t know why. Favourite was 8d.
    Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  23. 8D my favourite in a very enjoyable puzzle. Yesterday’s from GCHQ was great, but couldn’t manage one of those every day!

    VMT Dada & Senf.

  24. Smashing puzzle, ticks all over the place and too many to narrow down to a podium.
    Not sure if I think 17d is a cracker or a damp squib.
    Either way, this was top notch.
    My thanks to Dada and Senf.

  25. Came to this late. I can’t believe we are seeing the awful 13a yet AGAIN. It is an unnecessary fabricated word and has no place in a crossword let alone the English language! 17d is a poor clue too.

    Thanks to Senf.

    1. Tsk Comment etiquette No.5 ????
      It could be worse – emcee perhaps!
      I am sure we can all come up with words we don’t like but they are all fair game.
      A gentle breeze today and much better than yesterday’s nightmare, which even looked ‘wrong’ with its word count for each clue.
      Thanks to all.

      1. In almost all cases I would agree with you, RogB, but 13a is so awful that shouting is completely justified in my book.

  26. I agree with you, RD, about 13a – a horrible word – but not about 17d, which – a sort of double homophone – I felt was the COTD. Each to their own!

  27. As is customary for me, I tried the prize cryptics midweek. I didn’t complete the GCHQ offering (yet!) but this one I managed and found far more enjoyable. My personal favourite was 17d with the double homophones. Thanks to all, in case anyone happens to read this…….

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