Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27361 (Hints)
Big Dave’s Crossword Club
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Don’t forget the December Prize Puzzle.
Congratulations to Hieroglyph on his national debut in The Independent today. Online users will have to wait a further week as the Indy doesn’t publish prize puzzles on their website until after the closing date. His NTSPP puzzle, originally scheduled for today, has, by mutual consent, been postponed until a later date. His next NTSPP puzzle will be a New Year special on 4th January 2014.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, an assortment of clues, including some of the more difficult ones, have been selected and hints provided for them.
Don’t forget that you can give your assessment of the puzzle. Five stars if you thought it was great, one if you hated it, four, three or two if it was somewhere in between.
Could new readers please read the Welcome post and the FAQ before asking questions about the site.
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”.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.
Some hints follow:
Across
1a One might have stock to sell (7)
A cryptic definition of someone who might sell garden plants like Virginia stocks
5a Muslim leader’s free to make a comeback somewhere in Morocco (6)
A Muslim leader followed by the reversal (to make a comeback) of a verb meaning to free
11a Off hurried Spanish hero (6)
A verb meaning hurried by an 11th Century Spanish hero
12a Article about unknown author (4)
The two-letter indefinite article followed by a word meaning about
13a Made more sour beer in Eastern Mediterranean (10)
Some beer inside E(astern) MED(iterranean)
17a Dismantle empty box, revealing series of drawings (5,7)
a verb meaning to dismantle followed by a box with O (nothing) inside it (empty)
21a Bridge — after shuffle, ace is held by academic or cleric (10)
A bridge followed by an anagram (after shuffle) of ACE inside (held by) an academic
24a Strike loafer (8)
Split as (3,5) this means to strike or attack someone) violently
26a Learner left daughter by waterway (1-6)
L(eft) and D(aughter) followed by a waterway
Down
2d The Parisian seller’s perfume (8)
The French definite article followed by the alternative spelling of a seller
3d About to organise second showing (5)
A two-letter word meaning about followed by a verb meaning to organize
4d Common plant in the main? (7)
A cryptic definition of a plant found in the ocean (main)
10d Diving boat on river trapped by current from a hot region (11)
The three-letter abbreviation for a diving boat followed by R(iver) inside an adjective meaning current or up-to-date
18d Hastily announce: ‘Dance cancelled’ (4,3)
A Scottish dance followed by a word meaning cancelled or postponed
22d Originally desert, ultimately becoming an international Gulf city (5)
The initial letters (originally) of five words in the clue
The Crossword Club is now open. Feel free to leave comments.
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. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted.
The Quick crossword pun: {camp} + {Anne}+ {ology} = {campanology}
BD, I have trouble seeing the printed puzzle and the other day you did it for me. Can you tell me how you did it?
I told you in my comment – i took a screen print and edited it offline. It would take ages to explain fully, and you may have different software available anyway (I use Microsoft Office 2010 Picture Editor).
All I wanted to know is how you took the screen print
Try pressing the button on the keyboard that says Print Screen, then paste it into an application such as Paint.
Many thanks Jezza for your help
I’ve just tried it Jezza and it works. I’ve got a nice big copy and I can read the clues properly. Many thanks for being so helpful
And on mac try Command Shift 3. (I think – too cold here in Boston for me to leave my nice warm bed and Mrs T to check).
Well done, Collywobbles.
Am getting sore eyes from these puzzles, especially the Sunday ones which are miniscule. My laptop simply will not do a print screen/screen dump. It never has! Maybe ‘cos it’s Vista!!! Back to the magnifying glass… 
Thank you setter. Thank heavens for anagrams – enabled me to get a start. Thanks BD for your hints and dedication to the task !
Like Sweet William, I saw the anagrams fairly quickly and everything else seemed to fall into place with little difficulty. May I take this opportunity to wish the Compliments of the Season to Dave and to the other contributors to this wonderful site.
agree with sweet william. the anagrams started me off and then forward from then on. many thanks to all on this site.
A very enjoyable but untaxing puzzle on a pleasant Saturday morning here in London. My rating is */***
I was initially flummoxed by 2d because I have always spelled the seller in question with a different penultimate letter, but, as confirmed in the BRB and mentioned by BD in his hints, there are two spellings.
11a was my last one in as I was mislead by “Spanish hero”. I thought his appellation was always two words not just the second one.
Many thanks to Mr. Ron and to BD
The first word of the Spanish hero’s name is the Spanish for “The”, so it’s a bit like dropping “The” from “The Times”.
A fairly typical Saturday puzzle just right in the middle of a busy day. Thanks to Cephas and BD.
I can recommend the NTSPP – it is ‘different’ but very satisfying when you finish it.
Please could you help me get the NTSPP. I have across lite on my ipad but since the operating system iOS 7 update, it just says “download” failed when I try to get it. Thanks to anyone who can help.
I have emailed you a pdf which if you can print it off, is the best way to solve this particular NTSPP
Thanks a lot. I can’t print from the ipad but I can pick my emails on the laptop.
Another entertaining Saturday romp without much call for cerebral exercise. Thank you Cephas and BD although hints not needed. Now no excuse for not getting on with boring task of writing Christmas cards – better late than never!
Good luck with the Christmas cards. I took mine to the post box yesterday on my way to do some shopping – unfortunately I had my shopping list in my hand while I was posting the cards . . .
I made a bigger faux pas a few days ago. I split my cards into two – UK ones, on which I had put stamps, and overseas ones, which I needed to take the Post Office to get weighed and stamped. I scooped them all up, walked to our local Post Office and put all my cards in the pillar box outside.
Feeling very stupid I confessed all to the postmaster. Fortunately, as a regular customer there for over ten years, I knew him very well, and he turned out to be a good samaritan. He asked me how many unstamped overseas cards I had put in the box and said he would ask the postman to look out for them during the next collection which was due imminently. I went back a couple of hours later and he had kept them aside for me!
Long live local Post Offices!
I wonder if he would he have been so obliging if I had posted a shopping list by mistake
What a nice postmaster – lucky old you.
. . . not that I’d ever dream of calling anyone old!
Giving myself 5 minutes to recover from writer’s cramp! Unfortunately a cri de coeur calling “long live local Post Offices” doesn’t always work – we’ve lost ours in the village but fortunately still have a small shop and a separate renowned first-rate butcher – long live both of those, I say, because a vast Tesco’s is perilously close. Hope you/Santa Claus managed to remember all the shopping items you needed, Kath!
Hambleden?
I posted a birthday card which I didn’t mean to once.
I went to the local sorting office, 2 miles away, and they said come back in six hours time.
I did, and they gave it to me.
Good old Royal Mail.
Phew!!
Superb puzzle, thoroughly enjoyable. Nice mix of easier clues to get you going and some trickier ones to make you think. Best clue for me def 1a, thought of every meaning for stock except the correct one! Last one in but worth waiting for.
Many Thx to the new setter and of course to BD for hints which today were not needed.. Hope Kath gets time to do this one, I feel she would also enjoy it.
The ‘new’ setter is in the Independent. I think today’s DT is by Cephas.
Like Brian I misinterpreted BD’s remark as meaning today’s DT puzzle was set by Hieroglyph, so I was puzzled when both you and Angel thanked Cephas.
All is now clear, thank you.
Just me then? I found this quite tricky while I was doing it but can’t quite see why now that I’ve finished it.
I completely missed 9a and so that, and consequently 2d, were my last two answers – don’t ask me why – neither was very difficult.
I also missed the first letter bit of 22d so, although it couldn’t have been anything else, I didn’t see why for ages.
I enjoyed the battle with this one and thought there were some good clues.
I liked 1, 17 and 23a and 10d. My favourite was 24a – even that took me a long time – think I’m having another dim day!
With thanks to Cephas (CS seems to think this is one of his – don’t know how she knows but she’s usually right) and BD.
NTSPP looks a bit scary but will have a go later.
Congratulations to Hieroglyph.
The DT Saturday puzzles usually run Cephas then Mysteron. The blogging rota is two weeks of Saturdays, then two weeks of Sundays. The changeover matches the Telegraph ‘rota’ so I should be blogging today’s Cephas puzzle and next Saturday’s Mysteron puzzle, while reminding Gnomey from time to time about his Sunday puzzle blogging duties
Blimey – that all sounds terribly complicated to me.
Hence the
although as Gnomey’s working all weekend he’ll miss the significance!
An easy puzzle */*** after yesterday’s which I spent a quick ten minutes with and then ran away from. With the ipad it’s a doddle to enter the comp – no need to break out the fountain pen out and lick stamps. Son and I are cooking (or trying to) this evening so first, its off for a bit of hunter-gathering at the supermarket. Have a good w/e everyone.
We thought this was going to put up a fair old fight after only getting 4 of the acrosses on first pass! Fortunately the downs came to the rescue (9) and then it all fell together nicely.
**/**** from us with 17a favourite.
Thanks to setter and BD
Congrats to Hieroglyph, looking forward to next Saturday.
Now for the NTSPP!
Maybe it’s my phone but hints to 6d and 8d are missing.
Great help as ever!
Sorry, it’s Saturday. I’ll go back to bed.
james,
You’ve changed your alias so these two comments needed moderation. Both aliases should work from now on.
Very enjoyable puzzle today. I liked 11a because it was so easy & not very cryptic. Some of the others though took a bit of working out. Thank you BD, again!! & to the setter of course.
Can anyone tell me why the setters of the cryptic are not given their due acknowledgment? They appear to be known and recognised by all you clever clogs, so it can’t be a secret – or not much of a one, anyway. The toughie publishes the names of its contributors, so why not the cryptic? Is it some esoteric convention from time immemorial? Only askin’.
Who sets the crosswords each day is in the FAQ bit at the top. I could spot a Ray T puzzle a mile off because he does have lots of trademarks but he’s about the only one I recognise easily – he sets alternate Thursday crosswords, well, roughly alternate – sometimes there’s a gap and then occasionally there are two of his in a row – I think they do it to confuse us!
I’ve also often wondered why the setter’s name isn’t in the paper – most of the other papers seem to do it.
Praise from a stranger is like Rabbit Dave’s unstamped cards. It’s the thought that counts!
What a difference to yesterday, loved it! No problems and just enough to make me work for the answers. Perfect! Thanks BD for your review, not needed today.
All over rather too quickly and done while listening to the football. Did anyone else have a cartoon character in the paper grid today – SW corner? What is the significance? I have not seen this done before.
NE corner took me too long and last lot of clues in. Bottom half went in like a dream.
After checking with Dad and being told my answer was not what he had, the penny dropped and I staggered to the finish
Thanks as ever to BD for the hints, most of which I didn’t need for once, but very grateful they’re there.
All done now, although the north -east corner held me up.I think I have 20d right, but I don’t understand or see any connection to the word I have and study.There is a fish in my answer.Thanks to Big Dave and Cephas. It is amazing how often we meet that cleric in 21a, although I’ve never actually met one.
Thanks to Cephas and to Big Dave for the hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, a bit tricky in places, I needed the hint for 1a, not being a gardener, I’d never heard of that context of stock. Also needed the hint for 3d. Favourite was 2d. Was 2*/3* for me. Officials did no favours whatsoever to the Gooners in Manchester.
A very enjoyable crossword today from ?.
But now back to the serious stuff – MPP -19 by Radler.
I still can’t finish it – but my abacus is nearly ready!
I’m completely resigned to being unable to do this one – I have three answers so far. I always find Radler’s puzzles difficult at the best of times – bunging in two languages that I can’t do at all make it not the best of times but might have another go over the next few days.
Many thanks for the congratulations. Look forward to gracing these pages again in January!
Congratulations, Hieroglyph!
Have just completed your super Indy puzzle. Wonderful! Greatly looking forward to your New Year Special…
Thought this a rather delightful puzzle.
Joint faves 2d and 11a. Didn’t need Big Dave’s excellent hints, but appreciate them nonetheless. (Apologies for the late posting of this comment.)
Thank you both very much, Cephas and Big Dave.