DT 27219

80 comments on “DT 27219”

1. Couldn’t get on with too much of this today, so thanks for the tips. You have enhanced my education!

2. 2d caused me big problems, word I’d never heard of, and thinking I was looking for a fellow prisoner, 4d got fixated with blue as first word, still, much cogitation and head scratching later it all fell into place.

   Always very satisfying to solve a puzzle after a bit of a struggle.

   Thanks to BD for the review.

   Thanks to the setter for a challenging (for me) puzzle.

3. I agree with BD: Difficulty **; Enjoyment **. Unlike BD I got held up for a while on three answers: 2d (which I had heard of, but had no idea until today what it meant!), and 13d & 10a (both of which were new words for me). I finally cracked all of them with the help of the BRB.

   Many thanks to Mr. Ron and to BD.

   P.S. BD I think you must have pressed the shift key when you entered your hint for 15a.

   1. Every now and then my keyboard mapping gets screwed up – I was getting @ instead of ” and vice versa.

   2. Mrs BD hosted a Womens’ Fellowship meeting last year when there was a demonstration of Aloe Vera products. A bit of a flash-in-the-pan as I think we still have everything that she bought.

      1. We use Aloe Vera toilet paper. Just thought you would like to know, but perhaps too much information. 2 down is a new word for us. Thank you to setter & especially hinter, always needed.

         1. Aloe Vera loo roll is the best – tried the Touch of Luxury Shea Butter but my husband didn’t like the colour (it’s sort of creamy beige).

   3. I did know 10a but there is also a word which turns up occasionally in crosswords – ‘cavies’ which are a bit like guinea pigs – and always have to think which is which. Oh dear – the thought of a guinea pig in the mouth is not a nice one – don’t like them anyway!

      1. I would have agreed with you a couple of weeks ago, but for the past ten days I have been looking after my four year old granddaughter’s pair of guinea pigs while she and her parents are away on holiday. They are actually quite entertaining, and, fortunately, my rabbit seems totally unconcerned about having two foreigners on his patch!

         But, in any event, I wouldn’t much like one in the mouth!

         1. Neighbours of ours have guinea pigs – when they go away we feed them sometimes. A few months ago one died – they got another ‘little friend’ for the survivor. Then the survivor died so they got another little friend for the new one. This seems, to me, like a vicious circle – when do you stop? By the way their daughters lost interest a very long time ago.

4. I needed help today on two clues 2D which is a new word for me & 13D, apart from these two it was a nice offering with a good selection of clues my favourite today was 4D but was trying to fit blue something until a doh moment. Many thanks to BD for the review which was required today.

   1. The presence of the homophone indicator “reportedly” should have ruled out blue – you’ll know to watch out for it next time!

      1. Until I got 18a I had this answer as Bluebell. Worked as a homophone for me as in “blue belle”!

         1. Welcome to the blog Sheenypops

   2. Mostly finished before lights out last night. Quite enjoyable, not as tricky as Rufus yesterday – I would give it **/*** – last one is was 4d, with help from BD, I was also hung up on “blue something.” Favourite is 2d.

   3. Unlike BD, I had no problem with 2d or 13d but struggled with several others, 22a and 25a for a start. I shot myself in the foot by putting “hash” in for 7d and so screwed up 19a, which I knew was an anagram, and 17a.

5. Another really enjoyable puzzle – 2d was a new word to me, I had all the checking letters and looked it up BD’s explanation about how to work it out ‘cryptically’ was enlightening.

   Thanks to all

6. Really enjoyed today’s exercise ***/**** although 2d and 10a were new to me and initially made problems for myself ‘cos I put “pinch” in 13d and “shed” for 15a (surely her is possessive?). 4d amused me too.

   1. It’s “her” as in “her indoors”.

7. As with most, 2D took a while as I was trying to fit MAE in at the end, 13D would have been quicker if I hadn’t managed t spell 12A wrong – for some reason I put an S in (must be an early sign of me coming down with Alka Seltzer). Other than that, no real problems and some very enjoyable cluing .

8. Glad to see it isn’t just me struggling with 2d and 13d. Not having 17ac isn’t helping and 9d is proving elusive. Patience and perseverence Miffypops,

9. I’d rate it **/***. For some reason, when I was at school, 2d was one of my favourite words.

10. 2d has long been one of my favourite words.

    Anyone looking for great fun in their crosswording today should look at Punk in the Indy and Arachne in the Graun. Super stuff.

    1. I’ve just finished the Graun – puzzle of the day for me.

       1. I agree – the Arachne is superb.

11. Bit mean today BD, thought it was a **/*** with a few difficult clues thrown in like 13d and 2d, was’nt his brother the scarlet P?. Liked the blog pics, thought Mrs Duckworth was a shoe in for 4d,never mind.Remembered Danny and the juniors and the Coasters but the Clovers escape me.

    1. You may have heard an inferior cover version of Love Potion No 9 by The Searchers.

       1. I do remember the Searchers version but the coasters also recorded it in 1971,which was pretty good.

12. Thanks to the setter and to Big Dave, found this very tricky as usual, but most educational and enjoyable. Still no completion, my worst run ever ! Got stuck on 2,4,9&13d. Never heard of 2&13, should’ve got 9 and thought Blue was the first word of 4. Favourites were 12&18a and 7d. Cold and grey in Central London, looks like Summer has been cancelled.

13. Difficulty rating right I thought. At least *** for enjoyment.

    I did have to look up 2 and 13d, and found I had heard of them, but wasn’t 100% sure of definition. I’m sure they will come in handy for other puzzles, although I’m unlikely to use them in conversation……
    Waylaid by momentarily wanting to put ‘sea’ instead of ‘pea’.
    Loved 4d and once had the pleasure of using the actual plant on sunburn in New Zealand ( growing right outside bedroom window)…..

    Finally, in12a, is the word ‘originally’ redundant?

    1. Originally is the anagram indicator, so it’s definitely needed.

       1. Oh, OK. Thanks Gazza. I didn’t think of ‘originally’ as being an anagram indicator. If anything, I think of it as maybe suggesting the first letter or something like that.
          I might have to start compiling a list of anagram directives….

14. Being two hours ahead in sunny Cyprus I had finished the on line version whilst you were still in dreamland. 2 down was a tricky one but overall quite pleasant today. 35 degrees and rising, phew.

    ZS

    1. Welcome to the blog Zeet Scooter

       1. Thanks

15. I quite enjoyed this – would give it 2* for difficulty and 3* for enjoyment.
    Like others I spent far too long trying to make 4d a blue something – did wonder about the homophone bit but thought it might be the second word that was a homophone of a woman’s name – should have known better. Once you have an aloe vera plant you have it for ever – nothing kills them and they just get bigger and bigger and produce more and more – they’re not even nice!
    I’d never heard of 13d. 2d wasn’t a problem – spent many years giggling at Wogan first thing every morning (he was the only person or thing capable of giving me the giggles at that time of the day) and it was a word that he used a lot. He was also quite keen on its synonym – badinage.
    I got into a muddle with 9d – forgot about the cricket stuff, just for a change, and tried to make the boundary a rim so looked up ‘amir’ to see if it was an acronym for some alliance that I’d never heard of – it wasn’t.
    I liked 8 and 19a and 7d.
    With thanks to Mr Ron and BD.
    Chilly and raining now in Oxford.

    1. The aloe vera plant is very good for burns, and you do get rid of quite a few ‘leaves’ by using them to soothe and heal.

       1. I read your comment without my glasses on and, without being able to focus clearly, typed words with the letters rn in them look suspiciously like m …

          … which links very neatly back to SheilaP’s gratuitous information about her toilet paper under comment 3!

          1. 

          2. That reminds me of the overheard remark from an old Devonian gent ‘My missus bought one of them newfangled toilet brushes, but we couldn’t get used to it – we’ve gone back to paper.’

             1. And another for that too.

          3. 

          4. I just read Sue’s comment with my lenses in, and thought it was an m

16. Gentle fun from the mystery setter and an enjoyable review fro BD, thanks to both. The toughie from Excalibur is equally gentle.

17. Needed hints for 13d and had to check dictionary for 2d although I was pretty confident it must be right from wordplay had never heard the word before. Other than that it all went in a bit too quickly for me so agree with BDs star ratings. Thanks to BD for review and to the setter.

18. Just going to get away from what seems to be the topic of the day (loo rolls) and to do a bit of my usual completely-off-the-subject-of-the-crossword rambling.
    I am really pleased to see so much stuff in the paper at the moment about the dangers of throwing sticks for dogs. Ever since I nearly killed my sister’s dog like that – and I mean really nearly killed her – one of my missions in life has been to stop people doing it.
    Ramble now over – well, it is raining and I’ve nearly done everything that I have to do today.

    1. Oh, thank you so much for that. Sadie likes nothing better than chasing after a thrown stick, but she’ll have to make do with tennis balls from here on. We use something called a chuck-it at the dog park and she likes that best!

       1. Really, really, really don’t do it! I thought that my sister’s dog was going to bleed to death before I could even get her to the vet. I was “looking after” her for two weeks – my sister had only gone away the day before. Mimi (another collie) spent four days at the veterinary hospital – drips, general anaesthetics, stitches, the lot. It was very scary, and so was the bill and she wasn’t even insured.

          1. I have taken it to heart and I’ll spread the word … only tennis balls from now on.

             1. Oh good – a convert! Do please spread the word.
                I might have to write a letter to the paper in response to an article today. I’ve only ever done that once before and it was published.

19. Thank you setter. Found this difficult – and like others, new words for me at 2d and 13d. Thank you BD for review and hints. It’s grim up North !

20. Well just to be different my big struggle was with 9d. Like Kath I was trying to fit words like rim or lid backwards in case there was an alliance so named… Dotty! But loved the puzzle – thank you setter. And BD I was totally entranced by Danny and the Juniors whom I had never come across before. (Mr P came to check why I was playing the same thing more than once while boogeying round the room!) So thank you for your hints and for the music. Wouldn’t it be grand if your next event was somewhere where such sounds were on the menu?

21. Although in the blue corner for a while with 4d ,my only other real difficulty was two of the simpler clues ,23d and 25a which seem so obvious but were my last two in .
    Thanks to DT and the setter .

22. Very enjoyable and satisfying and many thanks for “At the hop” which was probably my favourite hit from the 50’s after “Young love”

    1. Hello CW I’m a new fan to this, and absolutely loved “At the Hop”. Don’t know “Young Love” , but wonder whether you’ve heard of a song ‘You are my first love’ (I think), which I’ve a vague memory of, and have been hunting for? Any clues gratefully received. Excuse me while I go off to bop again….

       1. This one?

          From the Ruby whose name is now synonymous with Curry!

          1. That’s the one, BD – you’re amazing!! Thank you so much. And as for Jack Scott – I’m a total convert. My only sorrow is that I didn’t know this music years ago, but definitely better late than never. Pardon me, I simply have to bop hop yet again

          2. OK BD – you’re clearly in the mood for keeping us all happy with the music. Husband has now made it possible for me to listen to all the clips – all far too clever for me – the sound wouldn’t work. So what about finding “Young Love” for me and for Collywobs? I think it might have been by Tad Hunter but could easily be wrong – I so often am!
             It’ll make me cry – so what doesn’t? The first major love of my life was when I was seventeen – he was twenty-four. He used to sing it . . . sniff, sniff . . .

             1. Close – it was Tab Hunter

             2. Thank you so much – am now in pieces and a snivelling wreck – think that husband probably wishes he’d never made the sound work!!
                I do hope that Collywobs sees and hears it.

                1. I heard it Kath, albeit a little late and it reminds me of my first love at age 15. My friends and I used to meet at a café just around the corner from my school, Rutlish, and play these tunes on the juke box. Then, we would load it up for a dozen plays with “Young Love”, which is very repetitive, and walk out leaving the old folk to listen to it

                   1. Thanks for that BD. In fact, hearing it again it reminds me that I am still in touch with that first love and she and her husband visit us from time to time in the Languedoc

       2. Not quite the same title, but this is my favourite:

          1. … and if you like that one, this is even better::

             1. Not sure that Ruby is quite to my taste, but the rest of your musical selection today BD has been excellent. Not that Ms Murray was your choice, of course.

                1. She has a very pleasant voice and well suited to that genre

                   1. My Poppy would probably sing that to Banana Joe, given half a chance!

             2. Love all the music today

23. I have just snuck a look at 2d. Never heard of it. Toughie time now. I expect to be beaten up again.

24. Just got back from a long weekend in an isolated lodge in Yorkshire without access to the papers & no wifi so I’ve printed every crossword, quickie & codeword & am now steadily working my way through them.

    Persiflage & badinage are among my favourite words along with ptarmigan. Thanks to setter & to BD now I must crack on as Mrs S is expecting a hand in the garden. No sense of priorities that woman!

25. I loved today’s puzzle, such good clues. As above, I got stuck on a couple and had to enlist help of gizmo. A huge surprise was getting 9d, knowing very little about cricket, but I do remember my brother talking about hitting sixes. So,so long ago it could have been a different world. Thanks to BD and setter, good fun.

26. 3d is new to moi and I failed to get 4d as I was convinced it began with “blue”. Nice clue now I have see the answer. Thanks to the setter and for the interesting comments above.

27. I had Bluebell(e) for 4d and was convinced it was correct, but also equally convinced Apex was correct for 18a, so was a tad confused. Thought there may even have been a mistake. Still think Blue Bell(e) fits the clue, accept that Bluebell is a flower, but aren’t all flowers plants? Understand that (a) at the beginning of the clue becomes redundant, but could argue that it was adding to surface reading.

    1. It’s a very ingenious theory, Alan, but wouldn’t the answer would need to be clued as (8) and not (4,4)?

28. We have marked 4d as our favourite. No significant problems and a pleasant solve.
    Thanks Mr Ron and BD.

29. Rabbit Dave – Yes, your quite right, sometimes I can’t see the wood for the trees (or plants in this case!)
    Alan

30. This was nearly a write-in for me, but also got stuck on 2d and 13d, which seemed very out of place compared to the rest of it.

31. Lovely comments and music on the blog today – it’s been really good fun.
    That gives me another opportunity to thank BD et al for all the help (and the general silliness) – I love it and solving crosswords was nowhere near such fun in pre-blog days. As I’m sure I’ve said before the blog has turned what can be quite a solitary pastime into something completely different. Please keep going for ever.
    to all.

    1. Hear, hear!

    2. Well said Kath, I know I’ve not been on as much this year but I totally agree with everything you say and thanks to Dave for the music, as to throwing sticks for dogs my other half just won’t listen even though I have shown him the newspaper article, ‘Shadow’ just loves swimming out to fetch them in the sea and isn’t interested in fetching anything else!

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