DT 29318 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29318

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29318

Hints and tips by Falcon

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ***Enjoyment ***

Greetings from Ottawa where not many businesses or institutions — apart from grocery stores, pharmacies and medical establishments — are open these days due to the COVID-19 pandemic that is afflicting the planet. However, the situation here is less dire than it appears to be in much of the rest of the world. Emergency measures are still being enforced more through moral suasion than through the more drastic means being implemented elsewhere.

Today, I am returning to blogging duty following an absence of several months that was necessitated by a medical situation. After a good many years in the Thursday slot, I will be joining pommers as the other member of the Monday tag team.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.

Across

1a   Scare king during crusade (6)
FRIGHT — introduce the Latin abbreviation for king into a crusade or battle

4a   Just right for salesman retiring (6)
PROPER — a synonym of for or in favour of preceding a reversal (retiring) of a short salesman

8a   Household servant having row in private (8)
DOMESTIC — a double definition, the second denoting a spat behind closed doors

A couple of comments below point out that one might also consider this to be a triple definition which I had assumed to be:

Household servant having row in private (8)

with ‘household’ being used as an adjective. The second definition ‘servant’ would be somewhat imprecise but certainly could not be considered incorrect.

As Gazza replies, he had actually parsed the clue as:

Household servant having row in private (8)

which would seem to leave open the possibility of a quadruple definition:

Household servant having row in private (8)

10a   Gaudy trim, not new (6)
GARISH — remove the abbreviation for new from a word meaning trim or decorate as a verb (or trim or decoration as a noun)

11a   Couple, almost an item (4)
UNIT — remove the final letter (almost) from a word signifying to couple or join

12a   Together, also being dealt with by hospital (4,2,4)
HAND IN HAND — append a synonym for also and a phrase meaning being dealt with to the abbreviation for hospital

13a   Strangely, three sevens divided by 50 could be just the same (12)
NEVERTHELESS — an anagram (strangely) of THREE SEVENS is split by the Roman numeral for 50

16a   Form of psychiatric treatment one can’t receive? (5,7)
GROUP THERAPY — cryptic definition of a type of therapy that could not be applied to a lone patient — unless, perhaps, they happened to be afflicted with a split personality?

20a   Common vegetables area produces (10)
GREENSWARD — some leafy vegetables followed by a local electoral district; The clue is written in what linguists would call object-subject-verb order (commonly known as Yoda speak). Translated to standard English grammar, it becomes “Vegetables area produces common“.

21a   Jack, perhaps taken from vehicle by daughter (4)
CARD — string together an automobile and the abbreviation for daughter

22a   Power: film actor (6)
PLAYER — the physics symbol for power followed by a thin covering

23a   Difficult to understand, man behind English boozer (8)
ESOTERIC — a word sum consisting of E(nglish), a boozer or drunkard, and a man’s given name (an Idle chap, perhaps)

24a   Caddie initially glued broken club (6)
CUDGEL — the initial letter of caddie and an anagram of (broken) GLUED

25a   Lean film, name unknown (6)
SKINNY — another thin covering followed by N(ame) and one of the algebraic unknowns

Down

1d   Fish from lake caught by father (8)
FLOUNDER — L(ake) inserted into one who establishes an institution

2d   Awkward writer turned up in it (5)
INEPT — reverse a writing implement and place it inside the word IT

3d   Important person in recently taken photograph (7)
HOTSHOT — an adjective applied to goods recently recently taken without permission followed by a colloquial term for a photograph

5d   I’m great playing Scott Joplin music (7)
RAGTIME — an anagram of (playing) the first two words in the clue

6d   One buying almost flawless jumper (9)
PURCHASER — remove the final letter (almost) from a word denoting flawless, especially from a moral perspective, and append a horse that races over jumps

7d   Feel bitter about gift head disposed of (6)
RESENT — a substitute word for gift with the initial letter removed (head disposed of)

9d   Chapter on model may make one think (11)
CONTEMPLATE — concatenate C(hapter), the ON from the clue, and a model or pattern

14d   A delight, the old being entertained by editor quick to notice things (5-4)
EAGLE-EYED — a charade of the A from the clue, a delight or joy, and an old-fashioned equivalent of the word ‘the’ is consumed by a short editor

15d   Scantiness may suggest strip, say, in resort (8)
SPARSITY — an anagram of (in resort) STRIP SAY; resort is used in the sense of to sort again

17d   Watch old boy start a game of tennis? (7)
OBSERVE — the abbreviation for old boy followed by the initial act in a game of tennis

18d   They may be caught at sea and obtained on wharf (7)
HADDOCK — a word denoting obtained or acquired preceding (on in a down clue) another term for a wharf

19d   Student, one wearing short dress for a prank (6)
FROLIC — the usual student driver and a Roman one enrobed in a type of dress missing its final letter (short)

21d   Innocent, the Parisian in jail (5)
CLEAN — a French definite article confined in a colloquial term for jail

There are plenty of nicely crafted clues in today’s puzzle, but as I am especially fond of cryptic definitions, I can’t resist nominating 16a as my favourite.


Quickie Pun #1: WAUGH + LOCHS = WARLOCKS

Quickie Pun #2: SATYR + LIGHT = SATELLITE


94 comments on “DT 29318

  1. I will admit to being two short today. The answer to 8a is obvious, but parsing it is beyond me. Exactly the opposite for 20a, where the parsing is clear, but I didn’t know the word.

    Other than those two, it was all over in *** time.

    Many thanks to the compiler amd Falcon.

    1. With regard to the second definition of 8a., the row doesn’t have to be in private. It’s merely a tiff between two people who are married/living together.

  2. Enjoyed this puzzle. Thanks to setter and Falcon.
    There seems to be a second quickie pun.

    1. Monday’s regular setter, Campbell, almost always adds a second Quickie pun and today is no exception.

    2. Sorry, all. Being new to this spot, I wasn’t aware that I should be looking for a second quickie pun. The oversight has now been remedied (correctly, I hope).

  3. I tried to get my husband involved this morning in solving, but he walked off after four clues, saying that it was not for him. He went off into the garden to weed the patio. My plan worked. I wasn’t so keen on 23a. I don’t like it when I have to guess at anyone’s name. I liked 16a. We all might need a bit of it if we are isolated for too long. Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon.

    1. Unfortunately 16a is presumably proscribed under present restrictions but I would regard BD’s blog as an excellent substitute!

  4. More difficult than the usual Monday offering and the clue weren’t that enjoyable to puzzle out . I put ‘hmm’ next to 10 of them which is probably a personal record. So a rating of ***/* from me . Thanks to Falcon. Welcome back and I hope you are well now. Thanks to the setter. Although it wasn’ for me, there will be a lot of folk who find this puzzle enjoyable.

  5. 2*/3.5*. I found this light but very enjoyable. I was on the verge of awarding 4* for enjoyment until completing 23a, my last one in. All it needed was to replace “man” by Cantona, Clapton, Morecambe or, Falcon’s suggestion, Idle; or, perhaps best: “Idle man behind English boozer difficult to understand”.

    I had lots of ticks, and making it onto my podium were 13a, 16a, 25a & 5d.

    Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon – welcome back.

    1. With respect, I thought 23a was a fine clue RD, it jumped out at me immediately as did the parsing.

    2. I liked 23a too but not surprised you’re not keen RD with ‘man’ represented in that way.

    3. I liked 23a – perhaps it’s time to stop going on and on and on about nebulous forenames?

      They have been in cryptic crosswords for years and years and years.

  6. Firstly welcome back to Falcon.
    I found it difficult to concentrate today, given the present circumstances but the setter has been relatively sympathetic and supplied us with a light and breezy puzzle, which I enjoyed. I needed the hint for 20a, what a strange word. Podium contenders go to 8,16 and 23a plus 18d.
    Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for a top review.

  7. Welcome back, Falcon – we’ve missed you and it’s good to know that you’re restored to health and will be blogging regularly once more. Thanks to the setter and you for today’s puzzle and blog respectively.
    I thought that this was a pleasant puzzle – my ticks went to 12a and 16a.

  8. Thanks to Falcon for joining Pommers as our regular Monday reviewers. Thanks also to double punster Campbell for the puzzle. Tip to Pommers and Falcon, look for the second pun. It’s not always there which means that some weeks you will spend far too long repeating two words over and over again searching for a connection that doesn’t exist No qualms with the puzzles today. Just right for a Monday.

  9. Took a while to get going with 12a being the first in. Thereafter it picked up to a 2/3* pace although 20a took me a little while and I needed to check the answer as I wasn’t familiar. No real stand out clues for me today. Welcome back Falcon and thanks to you and the setter.

  10. How nice to have you back on a regular basis, Falcon, looks as though we now have a formidable Monday team!
    A light delight this morning to ease you back into harness. 17a made me think of all the times I watched my dear old Dad playing at his local club – he could still wipe the floor with me in his seventies. My favourite was 13a.

    Thanks to our Monday setter and to our re-vitalised Falcon for the blog.

  11. Welcome back Falcon from me too. Thanks also to the Double Punster

    A nice friendly Monday puzzle apart from a slight hold up in the NW corner. I did wonder whether one of the two instances of ‘film’ in 22a and 25a might have resulted from a late editing change

    1. I also noted the two instances of “film” but didn’t think this detracted in any way from the puzzle. Their use could even be seen as a bit of misdirection to a non-existent minor theme.

  12. Good to see you back Falcon, usually monday puzzles for me are quiet easy, but this ine took some teasing put. However once some of the long ones went in it stiil didn’t look much better. Its usually at this moment when I take the dogs out, clear the head and tesume a couple of hours later. This worked pretty well and all I was left with was 23a & for some reason 21d. The hints though sorted them out. We have a fairly remote life in North Cornwall and the dreaded virus does not seem to have struck to many people. Lets hope we all manage to keep safe.
    Thanks to Falcon and Setter.

  13. Enjoyable work out this morning – I did puzzle over the parsing of 20a as the ‘area’ befuddled me! Had to be what it was from the checking letters – but why? Not too tricky as a whole though.

  14. Thought this was a relatively gentle offering which I breezed through in bang on ** time. Started at the bottom and worked my way up & wonder if I was the only one who briefly ran through DL’s filmography in 25a before the penny dropped. 20a is not a word you hear often & though I was vaguely aware of it Mr Google was used to confirm. Unlike others no issues with 23a although I like RD’s proposed alternative. Like MalcolmR the parsing of 8a similarly eluded me which is annoying as it was pretty obvious really. I too spotted the 2nd Quickie pun & wondered if it was intentional but RD has answered that.
    Off now for a walk over the greensward while we’re still able to though yet to find a 2 metre stick to ward off the muppets who can’t seem to get their heads around the concept of social distancing……
    Thanks to Falcon & the setter. Continued safe health to all.

    1. It’s not just the non-distancing muppets that are the problem. We can walk here without meeting another soul apart from the idiots in cars who think because there isn’t much traffic about, they can drive even more dangerously than before.

    2. Yes, Huntsman, I kept running through the Lean films (the ones I could remember) and got mentally lost revisiting his magnificent ‘Passage to India’, thinking again of the days in the classroom when we discussed Forster’s masterpiece. Ah, to be back there right now….

    3. No, not the only one to google DL’s filmography. I spent far too much time and energy on that.

  15. A couple of clues gave me a bit of a hard time today.
    Parsing 7d was one of them. I took About to be Re and Disposed of to be Sent and couldn’t understand the Gift Head bit. D’oh.
    20a was unknown to me and almost settled for Greensland, having previously dismissed Greensalad for obvious reasons. Double d’oh.
    I even thought that 8a was a triple definition.
    Not a very good start of the week.
    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon.
    Glad to have you back.

      1. A valid argument could definitely be made to support the triple definition position. As an adjective, ‘household’ would certainly be a suitable definition of the solution. On the other hand, ‘servant’ is a comparatively imprecise definition of the solution with ‘household servant’ being far more precise.

        1. Thanks, Falcon. My thought was that the 3 definitions are 1) household servant, 2) row, 3) private. “Private” is one of the meanings of domestic as an adjective.

          1. … which seems to leave open the possibility of a quadruple definition — as I have included in an updated explanation of the clue in my blog above.

            1. Arguably a heptuple definition, a bit like one of those compound triangles: four single word definitions, one two word, one three word, and an all-in-one!

    1. I’m very relieved that someone else settled on greensland… I had heard of the correct word but it didn’t come to mind.

  16. A wonderful offering today although I do agree with MalcolmR that the parsing of 8a is beyond me. Thank you, Falcon for the explanation – simple once the answer is known! Some really good clues by the setter and my favourites are 9d and 15d but my COTD is 23a.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints as well as a welcome back from me.

    Our local Sainsbury’s has opened slots for home deliveries on one day a week. Whether or not they have in stock what we ordered is another matter but it’s a start I suppose.

    Stay safe and stay well, everyone.

    1. My local Tesco have introduced a ‘silver’ hour of 8-9am but I went at 8.10 and nobody was checking. Found loo rolls and kitchen paper towels so took 2 of each and was told at the checkout that I could only have 3 paper products but as I had already entered them in the hand scanner they could not work out how to take them off the bill so let me have them anyway!
      Life is def becoming tricky!

      1. Brian. Please see my comment to yours yesterday. Please don’t feel obliged to reply, but a simple acknowledgement would be appreciated.
        I haven’t started the crossword yet. Busy trying to change a two week trip to Mallorca, due to end tomorrow, into a 3 month self – enforced stay. Lots of things to arrange. Cars, house, meds, commitments.
        Please keep this blog running, folks, – it’s helping to keep me sane ( ish).
        Will comment on the puzzle later, I promise.

        1. John, really really sorry not to have replied, my only excuse was I was so tired with all the jobs Mrs B keeps finding for me that I went to bed early and forget to check the blog. Mea culpa. My iPad is a 6th generation iPadAir running iOS 13.3.1 and is 18 months old.

  17. Finished quickly and happy with all. clues. No hints needed. I’m on a roll now two puzzles completed without difficulty. I found last week’s quite hard. Don’t know why but there we are.
    Gardening next.
    The puzzle on my Android tablet is however, showing as a prize crossword and has been since the last update. I’ll try going to Google play and updating it again. Has anyone else got this problem

    1. Yes. On iPad. Updated end last week so weekend would have the submit box, not that it was possible to submit it. But today we still have the Submit puzzle box and of course you can’t check for errors whilst trying to solve puzzle

      1. You’ve used the initial of your surname rather than the whole word. Either ‘alias’ will work in future

      2. The Daily Telegraph is very frustrating. It’s telling me I have some mistakes but going through it I’m blowed if I can see where and you can’t check for errors 😠

  18. A pleasant solve but not too demanding, a small groan over the unidentified man in 23a, completed at a fast gallop – **/***.
    No standout favourites but I did note a number of oldies but goodies.
    Thanks to the setter and Falcon – welcome back.

    1. I know that you and others (including RD for whom it is a particular bugbear) dislike forenames clued by ‘man’, ‘girl’ etc. What puzzles me is that we never get criticisms of, say, ‘river’ to clue a named river. There are probably more names of rivers worldwide than forenames – so what’s the difference?

      1. I do agree with you about rivers, etc., but I wouldn’t want to be thought to be a curmudgeon about rivers too. :wink:

        I don’t have any data to support this, so it may well be wrong, but I have a feeling that the use of nebulous rivers is much less common than nebulous names.

  19. Very enjoyable. My last in was 20a as I have not come across that word before or if I have I’ve forgotten it!
    No particular favourites today, just a pleasant solve.
    Thx to all
    ***/****

  20. A nice easy workout to start the week although I did mess up by putting green space although I know the correct word and at 22a my first thought was Tyrone. Anyone remember him, a heart throb of my youth! Isn’t cudgel a lovely word. Nice to hear good news of Falco’s return, I am still scheduled to have my new knee done on Wednesday but flinch every time the phone rings! Wish me luck.

    1. Re: Tyrone

      Yes, I even went so far as to write it in the grid and then puzzle over what was cryptic about it. Luckily, 17d quickly allowed me to see the error of my ways.

      1. Oh glad I wasn’t the only one to quickly pen in Tyrone, and corrected after filling in 17d

    2. Good luck. I will be thinking of you. I have had both knees replaced and it’s worked out really well.

    3. I thought I was so smart keying in ‘Tyrone’, Daisygirl. (Pride precedes fall!) I thought he was the ideal Jake Barnes in The Sun Also Rises. Poor chap.

  21. Weird. I found most puzzles last week extremely difficult but sailed through this one before the hints were published. Some days I’m on the right wavelength. I liked 18d – it amused me.

  22. An enjoyable solve this morning with no real stand out moments. Glad to hear you are recovered now Falcon and look forward to you and Pommers providing beginning of the week goodies. Thanks also to the setter. Now back to the onion patch.

  23. I didn’t find this to be plain-sailing but it’s good under boring self isolation conditions to have a challenge. Although thinking it too simplistic Tyrone occurred to me for 22a. Failed to parse 14d and 15d (a similar word had originally come to mind). Joint Favs 13a and 16a. Thank you Mysteron and Falcon to whom ‘welcome back’.

  24. Having spent more time Ranting to Brian and my wife about the DT common enemy ( I know I shouldn’t keep on about it) than I did solving this beauty, I have had a good day in our second week of lockdown. I finished with a ‘Puzzle incorrect’ grade but have no idea why!
    ‘Completed’ the puzzle in *** time and awarded it **** for enjoyment. Started it relatively late in the day – I am a lark- but it fell into place nicely and particularly liked the psychiatric treatment clue, which I might need shortly!
    There is warmth in the sun, our shopping is on its way and we are, so far, in good health on the beautiful island of Mallorca where we are now intending to stay until July or whenever this thing blows itself out.
    Keep ‘em coming – as always one of the highlights of the day, as is reading this blog.

  25. I have come from the times now I’ve been doing them for years the age is getting the better of me the times was causing me too much aggravation the Daily Telegraph not a lot of pressure at the moment very enjoyable and the coffee puzzles really interesting doesn’t tax the brain too much and it’s all good training to ward off all us all these illnesses they say if you keep the brain going you’ll keep going hopefully I spent nearly 30 years in the army with codes and cyphers it fascinates me the whole thing and I enjoy your blog and look forward to it now plus the fact I think the Daily Telegraph is £2.50 whereby the Times is now £2.80 I started getting both but having read the paper and then turn into crossword it was too exhausting having a great time I hope everyone else keeps in touch

    1. I really enjoy the crosswords and blogs. Keep them coming, especially during the present crisis.

    2. Hmm, a little bit of Finnegans Wake to keep us all hopping, eh Nick Quish (is that a non-de-plume)? I actually loved your post.

  26. Good to know you are OK Falcon. Waving to you from about 2 hours west of you. Where it is snowing, again, sigh.

    Still the crossword is great today and helps a lot with what little remains of my sanity. This is not virus relaated, sanity seems to be a bit on and off at the best of times. :-)

  27. Coming to this late today as working outside on a few jobs as it is too nice to be indoors. Not for the first time I am relieved to be living in a rural environment where you can go for long walks without seeing a soul. As for the puzzle, an enjoyable and straightforward delight for this sunny Monday. 13a stood out for me as my favourite of many fine clues.

    Thanks to our double punster and welcome back Falcon.

  28. Enjoyed all of this with great satisfaction in getting 20a right.I had more trouble with 16a not knowing the medical term.aThanks to the setter and to Falcon.

  29. I would like to thank everyone for your warm welcome back and kind wishes. My recovery is still very much a work in progress but I am slowly but surely getting there.

    1. Sorry, I’m a bit late on parade today but a warm welcome back from me too. Makes a nice change for us to be doing Mondays after many years of Wednesdays and latterly Thursdays.

  30. Welcome back, Falcon! Hope your health is good now. I was a still a lurker when I read your pleasant hints back then. I breezed through today’s very enjoyable puzzle, many hours ago now, and the NW corner held me up longer than the rest. My last one in was 1d, but just why I have no idea now. Podium medals go to 3d, 20a, and 23a, my COTD. Thanks to Mysteron and to Falcon. * / ***

    All of our beaches are closed now, which seems like the last kind of resort.

  31. Nice one to start the week and give confidence.A few challenges for me.1 Down,20 across because I did not know the words and 21 across -esoteric-was a challenge.I look to attempt the Toughie on Tuesday and Wednesday and go to the back page again Thursday and Friday-not too far off the same level of difficulty in my estimation. Elgar on Friday would scare me off.

  32. An enjoyable puzzle that I managed to complete with just the help of my dictionary and thesaurus.
    Thanks to setter and Falcon

  33. Just beaten by 20a. I knew the vegetable, but the area foxed me, but I had never heard of the answer either.
    Nice crossword, a bit trickier than normal.
    Thanks all.

  34. While I found this to be a bit 23a today, it was still a good challenge and very enjoyable. Even more so, seeing as Falcon rated it *** difficulty. Welcome back, hope the medical problems are all fixed. Although I needed the hint for 8a it ended up as my COTD for its cleverness. Did enjoy the anagram at 13a. Thanks to setter. Hope you and your fellow setters can keep setting us these puzzles as we all work our way through self isolation and social distancing.
    Shocked at the pictures of the muppets ignoring the social distancing. I’m sure it is the same over here, although not where we live as there are at least 12 communities for the 55+, so we’re all rather more careful. Sadly, the younger folk seem to be under the illusion that they won’t catch this virus, and us oldies are the ones with the problem.

    1. Did you not see the pics of Miami Beach before they closed it down? I thought maybe the admonition about social distancing was only intended for the oldsters, they were out in their thousands. As Cuomo pointed out, their disregard for the directions from those who know better, endangers us oldies more than them, so thanks for nothing!

  35. Enjoyed this a lot and finished in good time. Welcome back Falcon. Does anyone know if the virus can be carried on newspapers as our lovely volunteer now delivering ours is reluctant to continue in case it is? Funny old world, despite this awful situation lots of help has come forward to keep us isolated. Just wish Boris would bring in the army to sort out the unbelievably selfish oafs out there. This is going to get far worse before it gets better. Keep safe everyone.

  36. A good puzzle to start our solving week,,, a steady solve where the NE corner held me a while,,,
    2.5*/4*
    Thanks to Campbell for a great Monday start & Pommers for review

  37. I found this really difficult and gave up halfway through. It’s been a disjointed day, groceries delivered, (no eggs, paper products, only gallon-sized milk which I can’t lift) and Famous Grouse refuelled, probably too many distractions. I just could not get on wavelength.
    Welcome back Falcon, so glad you’re doing better. Maybe next week will be a little friendlier. Thanks to our setter. Off to the pool now to blow the cobwebs away.

  38. Late on parade today. I finished this early this morning before the blog was up and I don’t remember it being too difficult. I’m sure I enjoyed it though.

    Welcome back to Falcon; nice to hear your health is on the up.

    Many thanks to all.

  39. Late on parade today. I printed both this and the so-called prize cryptic 596 and spent ages on the latter. When I realized work was done for the day and I could make battle with Tesco. This took a little longer than normal and I needed a hint or two from Falcon (Welcome back and good health). I probably won’t make the same mistake tomorrow as I have a bit of a cough and have cried off work. I hope to get back to it ASAP but I don’t think Boris will approve if I go back to work too soon.

  40. I did my weekly shopping today but as the supermarket has decided to limit one to a certain amount of some goods, I’m going to have to go back again tomorrow to buy what they didn’t allow me to buy today thereby doubling my exposure time to the virus. I don’t blame the supermarket I blame the thoughtless, selfish, greedy people who have massively overbought more than what they really need so they can lock themselves in their atomic shelters and say f**k you I’m alright Jack. Rant over. I would have finished this earlier if people didn’t keep contacting me with: important business/what are we going to do about this/to see if I’m alright. Long may it continue. Nice crossword and many thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  41. Thanks to Campbell and welcome back to Falcon. A nice puzzle, with a couple of tricky clues. Needed the hints to parse 8a and 14d. Favourite was 25a, fortunately I thought about the film producer, but got the answer before I started looking up his filmography. Was 2*/3*for me.

  42. 23a is one of my favourite words, and has to be my COTD, although 13a is a very close second. Thanks to the setter, and Falcon. Thank goodness for this blog – self isolation would be insupportable otherwise! Stay safe, everyone. 🙃

  43. Probably no-one still looking at this but as I did it quickly this morning I thought I would fill in some time with a comment. I thank Falcon and wish him well. I did not parse 8a 1d and 12a. So far as 8a is concerned. I think it is a straightforward double definition. Why I did not spot it I don’t know having dealt with a lot of the second definition. A household servant was often referred to as “A domestic”. So far as the rows are concerned I take the point they are not always private ie They can spill out into the street but I see it in the sense which was used by the Police ie a private argument between related persons rather than public as between strangers. 12a I missed the “in hand” being work in progress. I’d I completely missed Founder as I thought of Fr for father. Happily though I knew the fish. Favourites 16a 13a and 18d. No complaints re 23a. Thanks setter.

    1. Like you I often don’t finish the crossword until the next morning because I get to look at the paper late in the evening. By that time, of course, all the buffs are on to the next day’s. But c’est la vie.

  44. Posting a day late as too busy yesterday.

    Nice to see you back, Falcon. Hope your health continues to improve.

    I found this crossword quite tricky, though I did manage to get through it eventually. Needed help with some parsings, though.

    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon

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