DT 29325 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29325

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29325

Hints and tips by Mr K

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BD Rating  -  Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone.  Tuesday seems to be going through a spell of rather straightforward puzzles.  Today's offering was an enjoyable solve with no obscurities or convolutions and only a few words needing hyperlinks.  I look forward to reading what the commentariat thought of it. 

In the hints below most indicators are italicized and precise definitions are underlined.  Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers.  In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background.  Clicking on a picture will enlarge it or display a bonus illustration.  Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

 

Across

1a    Leave a bar with university teacher (7)
ABANDON:  Chain together A from the clue, bar or prohibit, and a university teacher 

5a    Fizzy drink, cold or not, initially it's enjoyed at the cinema? (7)
POPCORN:  Concatenate an informal name for a fizzy beverage, the abbreviation for cold, OR from the clue, and the first letter (…, initially) of Not 

9a    Bad move to grab scorpion's tail: poison! (5)
VENOM:  An anagram (bad) of MOVE containing (to grab) the last letter of scorpioN (scorpion's tail)

10a   Mock failing after Liberal leaves (9)
IMITATION:  A failing or shortcoming with the single letter for Liberal deleted (after Liberal leaves)

 

11a   Moral sense against discipline at school (10)
CONSCIENCE:  Follow a short synonym of against with a discipline taught at school and, sadly, scorned by some leaders

12a   Sack female with temper (4)
FIRE:  The abbreviation for female with temper or anger 

14a   Provide posts for animals (12)
CATERPILLARS:  Provide food for a function, for example, and posts that might support part of a building

18a   I return and seem upset about Queen's demands (12)
REQUIREMENTS:  An anagram (upset) of I RETURN SEEM containing (about) the playing card abbreviation for queen 

21a   Give up completely? Not completely (4)
QUIT:  All but the last letter (not completely) of an adverb that can mean completely (or somewhat) 

22a   Ben's issues developing concerns (10)
BUSINESSES:  An anagram (developing) of BEN'S ISSUES 

25a   Large former lover nervous to eat four (9)
EXTENSIVE:  A usual former lover is followed by a synonym of nervous containing (to eat) the Roman four 

26a   Picture that is in periodical? On the contrary (5)
IMAGE:  Reversing the wordplay (on the contrary), we insert an informal synonym of periodical in the Latin abbreviation for "that is"

27a   Splash and support little swimmer (7)
TADPOLE:  Follow a splash or small amount with a support for a tent 

28a   Indicate some newts e.g. Gussie returned (7)
SUGGEST:  The answer is hiding as part of the reversal (somereturned) of the remainder of the clue 

 

Down

1d    Help notice immorality (6)
ADVICE:  Cement together an informal contraction for a notice and a synonym of immorality 

2d    Showing tiredness, perhaps, leaving yard for shade (6)
AWNING:  An action indicating tiredness loses the single letter for yard (leaving yard) 

3d    Popular comrade upset by nervous twitch (10)
DEMOCRATIC:  An anagram (upset) of COMRADE is followed by a nervous twitch 

4d    Easily deceived one in part of church (5)
NAIVE:  The Roman one inserted in the main part of a church 

5d    Rule head teacher stated (9)
PRINCIPLE:  A homophone (stated) of a head teacher 

6d    Top dog, reportedly (4)
PEAK:  A homophone (reportedly) of an informal name for a dog breed 

7d    Nothing worrying in a girl's master (8)
ORIGINAL:  The letter that looks like zero (nothing) is followed by an anagram (worrying) of IN A GIRL 

8d    Nancy's refusal to pick up rubbish (8)
NONSENSE:  "Nancy's refusal" here indicates the French word for no.  After it comes pick up or feel

13d   Turing left shaking and quivering (10)
FLUTTERING:  An anagram (shaking) of TURING LEFT (not turning left, which is what my brain saw on its first look at the clue) 

15d   Engineer holds one very big wheel (9)
EXECUTIVE:  Engineer or carry out contains (holds) both the Roman one and the abbreviation for very 

16d   Regular  visit (8)
FREQUENT:  A double definition, the first an adjective and the second a verb 

17d   Shot tiger's head held by country gentleman and daughter (8)
SQUIRTED:  The first letter (…'s head) of Tiger is inserted in a country gentleman who is followed by the genealogical abbreviation for daughter 

19d   Large car from Spain, say (6)
ESTATE:  Put together the IVR code for Spain and say or declare 

20d   Claim a lock is upside down (6)
ASSERT:  A from the clue and the reversal (… is upside down, in a down clue) of a lock of hair 

23d   More than one thought I would relapse, regularly (5)
IDEAS:  Link together the contraction of "I would" and alternate letters (regularly) of RELAPSE 

24d   Keen on badminton, in part (4)
INTO:  The answer is hidden in part of the remaining word in the clue 

 

Thanks to today’s setter.  The clues I liked best were 9a, 21a, 8d, and 19d.  What were your favourites?  One upside of being locked down and working from home is that it should be easier for many of us to monitor and respond to comments on the blog, so please don't hold back.  In addition to your assessments of the crossword, with all non-essential 22a closed I'm probably not alone in seeking both advice on cutting one's own hair and thoughts on the wisdom of attempting that task.  How hard could it be? 

 


The Quick Crossword pun:  HUE + MAN + WRITE = HUMAN RIGHT


121 comments on “DT 29325

  1. A fairly straightforward puzzle and much more enjoyable than yesterday’s (**/****). I like 11a, 14a and 25a but there were lots of good clues to choose from and very few dubious synonyms. Thank you to Mr K and to the setter.

    1. You beat me to it Chriscross! I was there first but you must have edged ahead whilst I was writing my Comment! 🙂

      1. I think these days to be sure of being first, you have to compose your comment ahead of time and then cut and paste it into the comment box as soon as the blog appears.

        1. Noted thanks MrK but to be honest I’m not really bothered about being first and in any case I don’t know how to cut and paste! I can hear you saying “you can’t be serious”!

  2. Great, always good to have MrK hinting ‘cos he’s there bright and early. This was a gentle cruise but no less enjoyable for that. The SE was my last corner to fall into line. First thought for 27a was tiddler but Downs sorted that. Somehow it’s strange to think of 14a as an animal but then again it’s not an insect. 1a was my Fav. TVM Mysteron snd MrK.

    1. Sorry about that but I am a very early riser and the dead tree version of the crossword is still being delivered. I managed to get my two pennyworth into print despite having to clean out the detergent solution pump on my washing machine before finishing my breakfast tea! The fates must have decided that I needed the honour of being first today.

    2. My blog might be there bright and early, but I’m often still asleep when it appears. Here now though.

  3. The rather clunky lurker at 28a and the yet again mention of the church part in 4d apart, I really enjoyed this bright and obscurity free puzzle.
    No doubt 14a will be popular but my podium consists of 21a along with 7 and 23d.
    2/ 3.5*
    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for his top review.

    Ps…I’ve literally just trimmed the hair on my temples with clippers and I’m very pleased with the result 👍

    1. Thanks, Stephen. I believe that the surface reading of 28a refers to a character in the Jeeves novels written by P.G. Wodehouse.

      Thanks for the hair cutting advice.

      1. Thanks for your feedback Mr K. ..much appreciated as always.
        Second piece of advice re the hair trimming……Don’t be too ambitious!

      2. Aha, THAT Gussie! I believe this is the 100th comment today, unless someone beat me to it.

    2. Better half got some too, but he’s not too thrilled with his first attempt, think he’ll let me do it next time 😊

  4. Apart from the parsing of 8D , everything fell into place quite quickly and enjoyably . Liked 14A but “animals” ?
    Thanks again for the hints and pictures Mr K . Well done to the Setter

    1. KFB, Chambers’ first definition of animal is: “an organism having life, sensation and voluntary motion”. So 14a certainly fits the bill.

  5. I agree with Mr. K’s assessment of this puzzle, enjoyable and straightforward.

    Like Angelov, I hmm about 14a.

    Many thanks to all.

  6. 9a was the pick of the clues for me this morning. This was most certainly at the easier end of the setting spectrum but still managed to be enjoyable and diverting. 15d was the last one to fall.

    Thanks to both Misters.

  7. I see that 14a belong to the Lepidoptera family which is in fact part of the “insect order comprising butterflies and moths”.🦋

    1. True but is still an “animal” in that it has independent motion and is a living, independent entity. Insects, mammals and fish etc are all examples of animals. Well, that’s my humble opinion. :grin:

      1. You are correct. I did also question the “animals” and googled it to be told insects are animals. So I learnt something today. One of these things they taught in school when I was busy daydreaming clearly.

        1. As someone else said, there are only two kingdoms – animals and plants. Nice to know we are no better than worms!

  8. All very straightforward & pretty unremarkable after yesterday’s ingenuity. Steady completion in 2.5* with 15d the only hold up & my last in – not sure why as can’t think of any other word that could have fitted in with the checkers in place. 14a would be my pick of the clues today. Thanks to the setter & to Mr K for his review. Amongst the bombardment of WhatsApp funnies that keep pinging through I received a video of an acrobatic goalkeeping cat managing a series of impressive saves. Shame I lack the technical know how to post it as it would be right up Mr K’s street.
    The sun is shining so I think a good walk with a newly compiled Free & Bad Company playlist beckons….

    1. Great music choice, Huntsman. Paul Rodgers was and still is one of the finest rock singers ever.

      1. Wow that is one very impressive cat. We used to have two Somalis (brother and sister of Mary Archer’s Somali to name drop) who were pretty agile but nothing to compare with that!

        1. I also liked how the white cat is so completely indifferent throughout the clip. Cats are so individual.

      2. I think the one circulating on WhatsApp is a cat in a narrow hallway, it’s in black and white.

        1. Correct & it was a full size ball. Mind you that moggy isn’t too shabby either…

  9. 2*/3*. This was straightforward, apart from taking a bit of time to remember what Nancy referred to, and good fun.

    My joint favourites were 9a & 21a.

    Many thanks to Mr Ron and Mr K. Great pictures as ever. I was spellbound by the technology for the salmon run.

    1. I can imagine the conversation in the lake – ‘you won’t believe what just happened to me……….’

  10. Another very enjoyable Monday puzzle on a Tuesday, completed at a fast gallop – 1.5*/3.5*.
    Candidates for favourite – 27a, 15d, and 20d – and the winner is 27a.
    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

  11. Solved alone and unaided today, but no hurrah as I could not parse 8d.

    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

    I have no advice as to hair cutting other than don’t do it . I know of what I speak.

    1. I managed to trim my hair last night so it looks ok around the ears. Trouble is, when cutting your own hair you can only see it from the front. My head probably looks like a toilet brush from behind!

      1. It’s pretty simple Steve, if you have two mirrors.
        Either you hold and look into a hand mirror with your back to the bathroom mirror. Or you face the wall mirror with your hand mirror showing the back of your head. Either way you have one hand free for the scissors.

        If you insist on having both hands free, you get someone else to hold one of the mirrors. This is probably essential if you have long hair at the back. But as you’re trimming round your ears, then you can’t have long hair at the back. That would be a mullet and, therefore, beyond the pale.
        Even a toilet brush would be better.

        I’ve done this a lot either to cut or see the back of my hair. I think most women have. It never occurred to me that it was an esoteric skill…

        1. Hi Bluebird,
          I’ve found it to be OK if you just want to look at the back of your hair but if I need to apply scalp lotion or, worse still, take scissors to my hair then I can’t cope with everything appearing to be the wrong way round. Mind you, I’m hopeless when it comes to discerning left from right at the best of times!

          1. Yes, Jane…you can get by if you have a few layers, even if they aren’t quite horizontal. But if you had a very sculpted bob or something, I reckon you would have to wait till June (or whenever), otherwise there is a risk of looking mad and needing to wear a red hat a la Jenny Joseph.

        2. Well, being a dentist and doing all my work via a mirror, I should not find that a problem.

          I hope!

          1. Presumably you don’t do your own dentristy though – unlike Bob Mortimer in this funny clip from “Would I lie to you”:

    2. I’ve been cutting my own hair for about 9 months now, and most can’t tell the difference. But if you have a really layered look I can see where that would be tricky. I get help for the back though. Elder daughter has done hers for years and looks great.

  12. No problems today beyond a ridiculous blind spot where the ‘top dog’ was concerned – ‘dim’ as Kath would say, I’m sure we’ve met him plenty of times before!
    Just to help Stephen L prove his point, I put 14a at the top of the pile with 27a swimming into second place.

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K for both the blog and his usual great selection of clips and pics. I’ve been doing my homework and reckon your 14a is a Black Swallowtail – am I correct?

    1. Hi, Jane. I’m afraid I have no idea about the classification of the 14a primary pic. I just searched for something colourful to hide the secondary picture.

      1. Well – I’m disappointed in you, Mr K. I’d formed the impression that you know (or can look up) anything!

  13. A straightforward and enjoyable puzzle, which I managed to complete without hints. I liked 5a, 9a and 14a but have no real favourites.

    Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.

    Time to take the dog out. Keep well, everyone.

  14. As far as ‘animal’ is concerned, I always go by Animal, Vegetable or Mineral, which encompasses fauna, flora and … well, the rest.

  15. Dear oh dear, what a terrible slog!! No, the crossword was fine but the Telegraph in their wisdom have changed the format on a device. The puzzle takes over the whole screen and you can only see one clue at a time. Has this happened to anyone else? It was truly mind numbing to fill it in like this. What has possessed them? If this continues I will give up doing it, as now we are isolating I cannot get the actual paper. Is there anyone out there with any influence over this, if so please help. Thank you.

    1. The Daily Telegraph Newspaper App subscription or Telegraph puzzles subscription? Not that I can help but somebody might

    2. Now that my paper isn’t being delivered, I’ve subscribed to the puzzles app. It’s not too bad on an iPad, although there’s a bit of scrolling involved, but I wouldn’t want to do it on a phone.
      To be honest, I prefer paper, so I just print out the grid and the clues beneath, giving me some paper to doodle on ( I’m not at MP’s no-pen level).

      1. Sadly, solving the crossword on a phone using the puzzles site is hopeless. On my phones you can’t see the grid and the clue and the keyboard at the same time. Scrolling for every clue gets old very fast.

        As MP would say, don’t believe everything that MP says.

        1. With the daily Cryptic it’s fastest finger first. No pens or pencils. All done mentally with an occasional but rare google usually to check a spelling. With The Toughie it’s a red Uniball Gel Impact. No writing allowed other than in the grid. Never put the last answer in. It’s a waste of ink.

    3. Hi, Manders. There are several electronic versions of the crossword, so to find out if others are experiencing the same issue you’ll need to be more specific about your device and whether you’re using the newspaper app or accessing the puzzles site.

  16. No problems today. I laughed at a school discipline not being a punishment and took some time to realise the Frenchness of Nancy’s refusal. I’m not sure about the enjoyment of popcorn at the cinema. I don’t partake myself and don’t want the smell or the noise of anybody else partaking anywhere near me. I’ve got round that one by only going to the cinema for the first showing at 10.30am. Often we are the only audience. Bliss. Thanks to the setter and thanks to Mr Kitty. My mum used to cut and style her own hair in the mirror. She was a hairdresser though. My advice is to go for it. Either you look great and all the girls come running after you or you look very individual and all the girls come running after you. Its a win win situation.

    1. Thanks, ST, for the sage advice. Not sure though that I am fast enough to maintain social distancing when being pursued by all those girls.

  17. Not too tricky but it had it’s moments. Not very comfortable with 27a, splash=tad, seems more than a little stretched to me. More than a little annoyed with myself for missing the anagram indicator in 7d, could see the answer but couldn’t see why! 5a was my favourite, wonder when we will again be allowed to the cinema again?
    Thx to all
    **/***

  18. Thanks, Mr K, and all the bloggers and commenters. I’m the opposite, in that this lockdown is meaning I’m doing home-schooling/childcare during the day when I should be working, and working when I should be crosswording. So I don’t often have time to comment — or even to complete a crossword the same day I start it — but I am still enjoying reading the site.

    After reading today’s intro and glancing at a few ratings, I might try this one with the 7-year-old.

    Let us know if you work out the hair cutting. I reckon my best hope is getting the 5-year-old to learn from some online videos.

    Today they asked for macaroni cheese. I’ve never even made a white sauce before. I’m going to roux the day I let the children choose what’s for lunch …

    1. After just one week of home-schooling her two boys both of my grandsons were suspended and their teacher sacked for excessive drinking on duty

    2. Don’t bother with the roux……use cornflour and add butter afterwards.
      I only do it the proper way if I’m trying to impress.
      I have no flour at the moment anyway…..

        1. The empty supermarket shelves certainly give the impression that many people have started baking their own bread. I wonder how that’s going.

      1. Thanks, Bluebird. I might try cornflour next time. It was worth doing properly today if only for the “roux the day” pun.

        John Bee, as it happens while making the macaroni cheese I was wearing my ‘Keep calm’ apron, bought at Barter Books. It’s certainly the best second-hand bookshop I’ve visited, but I haven’t been to Shaun Bythell’s bookshop in Wigtown, after reading his splendid Diary of a Bookseller.

        As for the crossword, the 7-year-old and I successfully completed the top-left corner this afternoon. In every clue at least one of the wordplay or the definition was within the 7yo’s range, though there was much dictionary checking.

        The bottom half will prove trickier though: our printer ran out of ink partway through printing the page …

        1. 7yo and I managed the top-right corner today, including Nancy (via the 7yo looking up where that was, and what the French is for various ‘refusal’ words). New printer ink is supposed to be arriving tomorrow, so hopefully we’ll be able to have a go at the bottom half.

    3. A roux must be used if at all possible. I believe it gives a smoother sauce. However, Bluebird’s cornflour works well.

  19. Must learn to read the clues as a solver not as a narrative. Then I might find the puzzles easier. Did manage to finish. Thank you Mr K for your help and thanks to the setter.

      1. Yes, MP I can bear testament to you providing that advice regularly during my early days.

  20. Nice steady puzzle today. I will go along with the 3d choice and elect 9a as fave today.
    Thanks to Mr. K and setter.
    Re hair cutting- I haven’t paid for a haircut for 20+ years but I am quite happy using clippers to give me an all-over No. 2 once a month. If I wanted to get a bit more creative I would probably struggle and a few times I have gone out in public with errant tufts but I have improved and that rarely happens these days.
    Re lunch – we had Macaroni cheese here too. A white sauce is not to be feared, mix an equal-sized dollop of butter and flour and when it has melted the dribbling in of milk is unnecessary as long as you whisk while you pour you can put it in as fast as you like just keep whisking till thick enough. Salt pepper and plenty of cheese and you are good to go. Crispy bacon fried til dry crumbled on top was a lovely addition.

    1. I add the milk a bit at a time and whisk the roux in until it is homogenous before adding more. I then whisk that until smooth. I repeat this until there comes a point where the rest of the milk can be added. I find if I add it too fast the sauce is lumpy. I never boil a white sauce, either although I know some do.

      We always have crispy bacon with Macaroni Cheese. :good:

      1. The crispy bacon idea was stolen from Barter Books the best 2nd hand bookshop in the world found in the old railway station in Alnwick. The old station cafe does the best cheesiest bacony macaroni cheese. They also put some toms in there (maybe sundried) but I can’t get any of those under lockdown. Barter Books is the home of the original Keep Calm and Carry On poster a motto that we are all trying to keep in mind.

        1. I’ve just looked up Barter Books. What a fabulous establishment! I love the model trains. Must visit it when this rigmarole is over, whenever that might be,

          1. I bartered a set of Dickens inherited from Grandma Bee at Barter Books and got some PG Wodehouse instead. So the reference to Gussie Finknottle and his newts came to me quite readily.

        2. Barter Books as recommended to me by our puzzles editor when we were stepping off for a weekend in Bamburgh Castle recently

      1. Saint Sharon has cut my hair since the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit CAMRA out. Always a No 1 all over followed by a shower immediately afterwards. I can’t stand the clippings inside my clothing

    2. Comments have become a good deal more entertaining since lockdown.
      Today it’s a tonsorial advice clinic & Masterchef…….

  21. Agree with Mr K’s **/***, and thanks for his picks , top draw as usual.
    As most bloggers say, straightforward and entertaining-as is todays toughie.
    Tinned salmon will never be the same!
    Agree with RD re Mr Rodgers-what a voice , I still play my old Free LP,s-special mention for the mercurial Mr Kossoff and the rest of the group -also listen to my Bad Company tapes.

    1. My playlist had some Back Street Crawler in it so PK was not forgotten – scandalously omitted in most lists of great guitarists in my view.

  22. After yesterdays debacle trying to download yesterdays puzzle todays made a nice change, nothing much to frighten us. Sometimes its nice to have straightforward puzzles lulls us into a nice sense of false security. All quiet here in North Cornwall.
    Thanks to Mr K and setter.

  23. On first look l thought this might be difficult but after a gardening burst it felt more like a traditional Monday.Still good fun and lam enjoying parsing each clue as well as just putting the right letters in the squares.Thanks to setter and Mr.K.I could wish to have enough hair to worry about cutting it.

  24. I agree with Jane on this one. Top spot goes to 14a followed by 27a. I think that we must be due an abundance of 14a soon, as Mrs bluetit is very busy feathering her nest ready for her little brood. Many thanks to the setter and to Mr Kitty. Lots of lovely kitty pics again this week.

  25. Nice enjoyable crossword **/**** 😃 Plenty of nice clueing but favourites 21a and 2d 👍 I am sorry but although 14a fits the strict definition I can’t think of insects as animals😳 sorry! Thanks to Mr K (especially for the video of animals being fired out of a hosepipe) and also to the Setteru

  26. This was the free puzzle today online (with free registration) – do you get more participation/comment then? I would prefer paper but my source has dried up now husband ‘locked down’…
    Started off quickly at top of board then slowed down somewhat, finally resorting to electronic help for LOI 15d. No particular favourites. Thanks all, for all the times I read but don’t comment too.

    1. Welcome de-lurker. Comments have gone up since we went into lockdown. NIce colourful Maple leaf. Canadian? maybe not as I don’t think they get the paper version.

        1. We are near a nice Arboretum next to Castle Howard. Last time I went the place was hosting a rare bird ( A Hawfinch colony from memory) and loads of twitchers were poised with binoculars and cameras.

      1. Can I say that the comments are getting to be almost as enjoyable as the crossword itself. Thank you everybody for the big laughs.

    2. Hi, Ezfer. Good question. I’m not sure if blog participation goes up when the crossword is free on the puzzles site, but I will try to find time to collect the data and analyse it.

  27. A very pleasant puzzle, though I did pause at the 14a animals – really?
    Thanks to the setter for the puzzle and Mr K for the blog and excellent illustrations.
    My podium selections were 11a, 8d and 16d.

    1. Me too Gazza, but I suppose it’s not a mineral or a vegetable, so only one thing left! Also only two ‘kingdoms’…

  28. For anyone of my equivalent limited ability at a loose end today, Matilda in the Guardian today is straightforward.

  29. Thanks for the hints, Mr K.
    No problem with this today, seemed a lot of anagrams, but possibly just my imagination.
    Everything else has been said.
    Thanks to the setter…

  30. I really must get my eyes checked. I waltzed through this only to be stumped by 1d until I eventually realised the last word was immorality and not as I had first thought immortality. Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

  31. Thoroughly enjoyed this one today, thanks to setter and Mr K for helping me fill in a few blanks. COTD for me was 2d, brief but delightfully cryptic. I was one who tutted about caterpillars being animals until I checked and found out that insects are indeed animals. I always have trouble spelling 11a, but no more. I shall just remember the 11a clue. Quite a successful 7:00am shop during the oldies slot this morning, but still no loo paper. But I did get a tip that they should have some later today, so I’ll venture back hopefully once more, masked and gloves of course. Still people out there who just don’t get the 6ft apart rule…sigh.
    Salvation Army is coming to pick up donations today, but we had to put out in the driveway as they are sensibly not entering homes now. They were coming tomorrow, but they switched today as they may be closing tomorrow.

  32. I think that’s the first time I see the single letter abbreviation for Queen.
    But it is in the BRB.
    This Q and the other one in 16d were the last to fall and completed the crossword in good time.
    Thanks to the Tuesday setter and to MR Kitty for the review.

  33. Most enjoyable, another day when I can’t pick a fave. Mr. K’s hints and pics are fabulous, loved the salmon cannon, must watch again. What sort of cat eats 5a? I suppose if you put enough butter on but I thought they had more discerning palates! I loved the subpic at 11a, Fauci says it all, with knobs on.
    Thanks to our setter, very satisfying to solve, and lots of thanks to Mr. K for the hints and pics.

    1. Yes, I thought the Fauci pic won a special Gold Medal today, Poor chap, he must put up with that Dodo in order to try to keep us all alive. What will that Dodo be charged with when all of this is (hopefully) over? The highest of all crimes and the meanest of all misdemeanors, I hope.

      1. He has such a cultish following, I think Der Gropenfuhrer is going to stick around for some time. Sorry to sound like the clappers of doom but COVID 19 is the least of our worries.

  34. Took us a while to twig what was going on with Nancy in 8d. Plenty to enjoy.
    Thanks Mr Ron and Mr K.

  35. I’m a bit late today because I slept through breakfast and lunch, and haven’t read the comments yet. I actually worked both the Cryptic and Toughie last night, and then sat up late reading another chapter of The Mirror and the Light (H VIII is about to wed Katherine of Cleves, and then I expect all hell to break loose with Thomas Cromwell).

    I thoroughly enjoyed the Cryptic, finishing ahead of my usual pace–did I gallop past Senf again, I wonder?–with 3d, 11a, & 21a being three of my many delights today. My last one in was 15d, which I took some time to parse. I’m always glad to see Mr Kitty at the helm, with many thanks to him and the setter. Where are you now, Mr K? * / ***

    I’m really looking forward to the comments; we all seem quite willing to share our experiences in these most uncertain times. Stay safe, everyone.

  36. Splendid crossword after yesterdays stinker. Needed help like others with parsing 8d, French is not my strong point. I would have finished this ages ago if it wasn’t for all the distractions of people messaging me. I hope I get just as distracted tomorrow. Favourite 11a thanks to the setter and Mr K.

  37. Thanks, Mr K, for the cats and the hints, and Gazza for the hilarious clip from WILTY! And thanks to the setter. Far too many favourites today to choose one! 🙃

  38. Please help on a semi related topic as customer service number is discontinued at the moment. I am a premium subscriber receiving vouchers for my daily hard copy . Can I access the daily digital paper as well and if so HOW? I have achieved access to the crossword and set up my account but there I am stuck, All and any advice welcomed.
    Ray.

    1. Hi Ray, we also have vouchers for the paper and had to ask the DT for the digital access via the App. They had to make an adjustment in their system to enable that. Can you try emailing the DT to request the access? They should respond to email even if they are not picking up the phone?

      1. Many thanks Peaky…I have got an email away to them. Did they swap subscription type or sel you up…lol

  39. 3*/3*…..
    liked 17D ” shot tiger’s head held by country gentleman and daughter (8) “

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