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DT 29335

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29335
The Saturday Crossword Club
Hosted by Tilsit

BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

Until the Telegraph resumes the award of prizes for the Saturday puzzles, this post, and tomorrow’s, will be just like the Monday to Friday posts, with hints for every clue and revealable answers.  BD


Greetings from Lockdown Central in Warrington.  It’s the Bank Holiday weekend and I guess this is probably going to be the hardest period of the lockdown.  I hope you are all coping well and staying infection-free.  I have been out of my flat twice in the last seven days; once for leg dressings with my nurse and the other for a click and collect shop that I’d booked almost four weeks ago!

Anyway, here we go with today’s challenge and once again it’s a ‘normal’ blog rather than the official Saturday hints and tips.  I rather enjoyed this and suspect it’s the work of the Naughty Canine that’s contributed to the blog recently.  However today I couldn’t see anything too troubling, although for a short moment, I had the wrong expression at 16, but when I actually read the clue properly, I realised the error of my ways.

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also”. Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious.

Some hints follow.

Across

9a               Ancient blubber and unusual bone enthralling one (5)
NIOBE         We start with an anagram of BONE around the numeral for one, which gives you someone from mythology famous for her tears.

10a             Roadside pillar indicating Northumberland far away? (9)
MILESTONE  This is almost one of those rebus-type clues.  You are looking for a word for a stone found alongside a road, which is how you would say it’s a distance to Northumberland.

Mile Marker Stock Pictures, Royalty-free Photos & Images - Getty ...

11a              Greek character embodying powerful scene (7)
TABLEAU     A name for a scene depicting an event is found by taking a letter of the Greek alphabet (the 19th) and wrapping it around a word meaning powerful.

12a             Mum and dad, not in Paris, touring Split (7)
PARENTS     A suffix denoting a negative in French goes around something meaning torn to give you a name for mum and dad.  At first, I thought there was a mistake and it should have been a word for fathers around torn, but the clueing here is quite precise and correct.

13a             Dance in study with Georgia (5)
CONGA        The name of a party dance [now banned because of social distancing ;) ] is found by taking one of the standard words found in crosswords for study and adding the abbreviation for Georgia.

SJB Community Events: Fall Festival Line Dancing - Conga Line!

14a      Graduate in leather mixed drink (6,3)
HERBAL TEA      A type of hot drink is an anagram (mixed) of leather going around the abbreviation for a university graduate.

16a      Mashed potato father had just like that (2,3,4,2,1,3)
AT THE DROP OF A HAT An expression meaning impromptu or ‘just like that’ is revealed by rearranging (mashed) POTATO FATHER HAD

19a      Vain Tory in chair for hearing (9)
CONCEITED       Someone who is vain may be said to be this and you find it by taking the abbreviation for a Tory (or one of the words for study!) and adding a homophone of a word describing someone in a chair.

21a      Man who gives the okay? (5)
ROGER        A man’s name that is how you say things are ok or understood in radio communication.

23a      Carlyle so thought to contain kingdom (7)
LESOTHO     A hidden answer (to contain).  Look carefully and you’ll spot the name of a kingdom from Africa.

Happy 52nd Birthday to His Majesty King... - Lesotho Career ...

25a      See one US soldier covered in hair (7)
IMAGINE     The abbreviation for one and the name for a bush of hair goes cover / surrounds a way of saying an American soldier to reveal a way of saying to see (mentally).

27a      Normally one admits a grave wrong (2,7)
ON AVERAGE    An expression meaning normally is found by putting an anagram (wrong) of A GRAVE inside ONE.

28a      Vassal for example tucking into pork pie (5)
LIEGE   A word, often used in Shakespeare, denoting how you would address a vassal is found by taking the word for which a pork pie refers in East London and placing it around an abbreviation for ‘say’, as in citing an example.

Down

1d        Posh idiot in military detachment (4)
UNIT    The name for a military detachment is found by taking the abbreviation for upper class and adding something meaning an idiot.

2d        Sweetie turned heads (6)
BONBON     A word for a type of sweet is found by a slang word for head, doubling it and reversing it (turned).

Chocolate Bonbons (Variety) at Stick With Me on Foodmento

3d        One from Dakar perhaps seen buffeted by winds close to village (10)
SENEGALESE      The nationality of someone from the city of Dakar is revealed by taking an anagram (buffeted) of SEEN plus a word meaning (strong) winds and the last letter (close) to VILLAGE.

4d        Attack in surfacing French submarine? (6)
AMBUSH          Another hidden answer, but you have to look backwards!

5d        Charlie having to drink gin? That’s nonsense (8)
CLAPTRAP    A word meaning nonsense can be found by taking C (Charlie – NATO phonetic alphabet), a word meaning to drink and something of which a gin is a type.

6d        Employer the manipulative sort? (4)
USER    A double definition.  One who employs, and one who exploits.

7d        Better score’s excellent (3-5)
TOP-NOTCH      An expression meaning excellent is found by making a phrase that you may score a piece of wood better.

8d        TV personality about to appear in remade westerns (10)
NEWSCASTER    An abbreviation of about ( the Latin word for it) goes inside an anagram (remade) of WESTERNS.

Fiona Bruce | presenting BBC News | C.M.O. Images | Flickr

13d      Opportunity to turn up for finance minister (10)
CHANCELLOR    One of the main political offices of state is found by taking a word for opportunity and adding something meaning to turn reversed (up).

Rishi Sunak Chancellor Exchequer leaves No11 Downing Editorial ...

15d      Pleasant housing over road within budget (10)
AFFORDABLE     A word meaning pleasant or friendly has inside (housing) O (over) and the abbreviation for road to give you something meaning within budget.

17d      North African unsettled in Austin (8)
TUNISIAN    The name from someone from N Africa is an anagram (unsettled) of IN AUSTIN.

18d      Helping advanced student is reasonable (8)
RATIONAL    Something that means a helping or portion takes the abbreviations for advanced and student to give a word meaning reasonable.

20d      Club chauffeur? (6)
DRIVER        Double definition.  A word for a (golf) club and a chauffeur.

22d      Covering carried in short German aircraft (6)
GLIDER        This held me up longer than it should have done.  Something meaning a covering or top goes inside the abbreviation for German to give a type of aircraft.

Soaring

24d      Affected material daughter ignored (4)
TWEE   A type of material (especially from Scotland) needs to lose the letter D (daughter) to give something meaning delicate or affected.

26d      First Lady having concern ultimately quits (4)
EVEN    The name for the first woman to be mentioned in the Bible plus the last letter (ultimately) of CONCERN and gives a word meaning something is over.

All in all, a pretty enjoyable solve and a nice way to start the day.

As usual, there are other puzzles around for you to tackle:

The Guardian Bank Holiday Puzzle is by Busman under one of his other names and will make you

think.    https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2020/04/09/Cryptic_28105_web_print.pdf

The FT Prize puzzle is a jigsaw by our very own Hudson under another name.

https://www.ft.com/content/38a6b346-5784-11ea-abe5-8e03987b7b20

And the Independent puzzle is by Tyrus and will be suitable for those missing the Toughie:

https://puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/cryptic-crosswordindependent/?puzzleDate=20200411#!202004

I’ll be back next week.

Your music today is this one, another from Alexis Ffrench.


Could new readers please read the Welcome post and the FAQ before posting comments or asking questions about the site.


The Quick Crossword pun: book+arrest=Bucharest


94 comments on “DT 29335

  1. A nice Saturday puzzle – thank you to the Setter and Tilsit

    I did look at the combined solutions of 19a and 21a and think ‘yes I know one of those!’

    Rhea update: The two young gentlemen are still happily booming away – you can hear the noise from quite a distance away – perhaps they are hoping there’s a female of the species in the next village. Loads of skylarks singing away this morning too – it is easy to hear why their collective noun is an Exultation

    Stay safe all

    1. Please ask their Mum to provide a young lady for them before they pine away from unrequited love!
      I didn’t know the collective noun for skylarks; how apt!

      1. Apparently, both Exultation and Exaltation are correct, the latter of which I’ve seen over here.

  2. Completed alone and unaided and understood all the clues so hurrah for me!
    Haven’t had a hurrah day for ages.

    Thanks to the setter and to Tilsit.

  3. I gave this one**/**** as well. It was pretty straightforward but no less enjoyable for all that. I liked the anagram at 16a, 10a, 3d and 5d. Thanks to Tilsit for the hints, the I needed help parsing a few. Thanks to the setter also. Have a nice Easter and keep well.

  4. 1*/3*. A puzzle which was both light and good fun. 4d was my last one in and favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Tilsit.

  5. Enjoyable though very gentle. It would have all been done and dusted in comfortably under ** time had it not been for my inability to spot the reverse lurker in 3d and instead scratching my head thinking about synonyms for subs – boats or sandwiches. Once that penny dropped 11a was the last in. Google confirmation was required for 9a as Greek myth continues to remain one of my many areas of near total ignorance. Other than that all fully parsed for a change.
    10a & 21a were the two picks of the clues today.
    Thanks to Tilsit & to the setter.

    1. I’m not surprised you struggled to see a reverse lurker in 3d – there isn’t one :wink:

    2. How did you go on with yesterday’s Toughie? I was hoping to see a comment from you later in the day.

      1. Yesterday’s toughie is still on the clipboard! Having had no problems with today’s offering I will get back to it after I have had another walk for wild asparagus. The lockdown is great as virtually no one else is going out to pick. They’ve just announced that we will continue with the lockdown until May 3rd – that will be 8 weeks!

        Anyway very nice puzzle … my 93 yo mother should enjoy it. I type up the clues for her in 18pt and email them to my brother who prints them for her. But she still has problems with the size of the grid – pity there is no option to download and print a larger grid for the people who have issues with their sight … remember we are all heading there (any comment CS?).

        Thanks to setter and tilsit for clarifying 11ac.

        1. If your brother’s printer is a 3-in-1 type, ie it has a scanner, then he could scan the grid into a file, blow it up to a larger size using free software (such as https://www.irfanview.com/) and then print it. He could do the same for the clues removing the need for you to type them.

          3-in-1 printers are very common nowdays. My HP deskjet 1050 cost only £30 a few years ago but they seem to be about £50 now but the ink is expensive.

  6. I struggled with this a bit and I can’t see why. Maybe it’s the heat. I needed some help from the hints but I managed most of it unaided. Some really good clues. I thought 10a was clever and this is my COTD. Honourable mention goes to 5d also. Although I found it a struggle it was enjoyable especially as I got there in the end.

    Grateful thanks, as always, to the setter and to Tilsit.

    Ironic, isn’t it, that we have the best Easter weather for years and we’re all in lockdown?

    Managed to cut the grass for the first time yesterday and sorted out the asparagus bed. Looks like it might be a good crop in a few weeks,

    Keep safe and well, everyone.

    1. We’ve already had our first two spears – they were extra delicious, probably because they were such an early surprise

      1. Mine are just starting to peep through. We’re a bit further north than you are, which is probably why we have yet to start cutting. The bed is now eleven years old so I will have to think of starting another.

      2. We are having ours grilled on the barbecue in an hour’s time. Absolutely delicious!

    2. I must have a green, any green, on my plate for every meal, with the exception of asparagus. I think it smells like cat’s pee.

      1. It doesn’t when it’s cooked, Merusa. Try it slathered in Hollandaise, garlic mayo or aioli – absolutely delicious!
        It’s catmint and the leaves on fig trees that remind me of cat pee…………

        1. I’ll definitely try it in aioli. Godson likes it so try to make sure to have some when he’s here – though heaven knows when next that’ll be. My fave is baby bok choi, yum yum.

          1. It also has to be freshly picked from the bed. If it hangs around too long the sweetness dies. Mrs. C and I like ours raw dipped in mayonnaise when they are young. To cook them, I steam for about four minutes and serve with slightly salted butter melting on top.

            The spears in our garden have never smelt of feline urination.

            Where do you get you asparagus from, Merusa?

        2. Elderflower blossom smells of cat pee when it’s starting to die down. If making Elderflower wine young blooms are essential. Otherwise the result is undrinkable.

          By the way, on a slightly different tack, the Elderberry would have become the main fruit for wine production in the modern world had not the grape been discovered. Please don’t ask me to give references!

  7. Much better than yesterday’s back pager, almost the proscribed term completed at a fast gallop – 1.5*/3.5*.
    However, no stand-out favourites; although, I did like 21a but I don’t think I would pair it with 19a.
    Thanks to the setter and Tilsit.

  8. Pleasantly straight-forward with some nicely constructed clues. Favourites are 9a, 16a, 19a, 28a and 4d. Needed help parsing 12a, but makes sense now. Thanks to setter and Tilsit.

  9. A nice straightforward puzzle.
    What a pity we couldn’t listen to Flanders and Swan for 16a. I must look out my old CD.
    I liked 14a once I realised it wasn’t alcoholic…..I’d started thinking it was some sort of “ale”. Well, these times are driving some of us to strong drink!

    1. You very nearly got Flanders and Swann but the only video of them performing I could find was er…. shall we say a bit non-PC.

      1. Just be glad it wasn’t Tom Lehrer who, I was glad to read the other day, is still with us.

        1. I do enjoy whistling poisoning pigeons in the park while I put the toast crusts out for the local birds. the birds don’t know the lyrics tho so it doesn’t put them off.

    2. Alexa finds At The Drop of a Hat with no problem! Various songs then become earworms…

  10. Started out thinking that this was going to be a bit GK heavy but it must have just been the particular clues that had caught my eye.
    Like our blogger, it was 22d that gave me most pause for thought.
    An enjoyable weekend puzzle for me with podium places going to 1,5,7,15&18d.

    Thanks to our setter and to Tilsit for manning the club – smiled at your choice of 8d, it’s Tom Bradby who’s my favourite. His irreverent asides are often priceless. Enjoyed the music choice – puts me a little in mind of Einaudi, my all-time favourite.

  11. Very solver-friendly today. 22D was my last one in, too. Favorite is 10A

    Almost a month into self-isolation for me. I began well before we were put under a stay-at-home order except for essential trips. Son or D-I-L shop for me if I need anything. Flying solo here in the house but keeping occupied. It’s warm enough to have the doors open later in the day so that I can walk around and despair at the sad state of my garden. Any planting will have to be late this year, but no matter. Stay safe y’all!

    1. Nice to see you back and glad that you’re coping well. Stay well and safe, hopefully this won’t go on forever!

    2. Isn’t it nice to have these offspring to help us out in our hour of need. I knew they’d come in useful at some point………..

  12. I love your breakdown and explanations of the clues – as a novice that often struggles, I really appreciate it. All the way from Singapore! Stay safe ……

    1. Hi Raj – we’re all in this together and it doesn’t sound as though Singapore is doing much better than we are in the UK. Stay safe yourself and please do continue to add your thoughts to the blog – nobody minds if you make a fool of yourself, I do it on a regular basis…………

  13. Very enjoyable puzzle today, not too difficult with many smiles and a cheery fist in the air for 22d my last one in. 10, 19, and 21 across my favourites today. My thanks to Tilsit and the setter. (No verbs in this post)

  14. I put “marks” into the bottom of 7d, though I did wonder why the clue was hyphenated. I changed it when I realised that 14a was an anagram. 10a was my favourite clue, but a bit sad as Northumberland is where I would normally be for Easter. I do not have a second home there, and even if I did, under the circumstances, I wouldn’t have been going to it. Instead, my family will be spending the afternoon in the garden, if we can stand the red kites making a dreadful noise. Many thanks to the setter and to Tilsit.

  15. I would like to say that I enjoyed this crossword, but just as I settled into my garden chair, pen and paper in hand, some inconsiderate ****** in the next road, decided to hold an impromptu Caribbean music festival in his back garden with about 25KW of amplification. Even now, indoors, my blood pressure is through the roof.

    Last one in was 9a, because I haven’t heard of him/her.

    Thanks to the setter and Tilsit.

    1. My sympathies!! I have the same problem. However, after the same “drum n bass” track played for the sixth consecutive time, I have the perfect solution. I went to a certain well-known electrical store last October, and for the princely sum of only £169, I bought a music system with no less than 3400 Watts per channel. All I do is take the trolley on which it stands, take it through to the kitchen, open the back door, load Wagner’s Pilgrims Chorus CD up, crank the volume up to 85%, play all 14 minutes of it, (sitting BEHIND the two speakers, enjoying it a reasonable volume). In front of the speakers, however….At the end of the track, I turn it all off. Outside.??? Blissful peace!! Nothing like a blast of decent music to let people know your thoughts on their anti-social behaviour. I fear a lot more of this this, as people (quite rightly) follow advice and stay indoors.

    2. I feel for you. We’ve had a neighbour pressure washing everything all day. Too annoying to sit in the garden and what a waste of water

    3. Feelinf your pain. Neighbours can be wonderful, or they can be just awful. We moved last year just so we could get our peace and quiet back. Praying it stays that way.

  16. Fairly straightforward once 16a (happy memories of Flanders and Swann at the Fortune Theatre) had gone in. SE came last. I didn’t fully parse Northumberland for 10a. Suppose that is surfacing in 4d. Mournful 9a is a new one on me. Fav 5d. Thank you Mysteron and Tilsit. Happy Easter everyone. 🌼🐣🐤🌼

  17. Enjoyable, fairly straightforward solve. Needed to check the answer to 9a as new to me.
    Do you need to add “had “ to your clue for 16a?

  18. I managed to complete most of this today without the hints, but thanks to Tilsit for the few I did need. 14a was my favourite. Now to start tidying and re-designing the garden which currently resembles a a building site, if I can drag myself away from my seat in the sun.
    Stay safe everyone!

  19. A really pleasant solve today, for me it flowed very well except for 9a for some reason just couldn’t see it. Its been nice to sit in the gsrden no wind or rain. The skylarks are doing their bit over the cliffs. It is really peaceful. Reading in the paper that the vulnerable and elderly may have to stay indoors for longer, how will they define “elderly” I am fast approacing 70, fit as a fkea walk miles eat sensibly I do not consider myself to be frail or vulnerable.
    Thanks to Tilsit and setter. Hey ho for Monday.

  20. A very pleasant and enjoyable African-themed puzzle today (even the mythic 9a sounds African), which I finished quickly last night. Top choices: 2d, 5d, and 3a (“Like N***e, all tears”–Hamlet’s lament for his father, and his mother’s stone-hearted tears, one of Shakespeare’s most shattering similes). * / ****

    Happy Easter, nonetheless, to all. I commemorated Good Friday by viewing all four+ hours of Parsifal yesterday, generously streamed from Munich Opera. Almost made me forget the plague.

  21. I have no idea about the setters on Saturdays – who’s the ‘naughty canine’?
    I enjoyed this one but could have wished for a crossword that took a bit longer.
    My last answer was 22d – thought I was hunting for a German aircraft.
    I was pleased to see the answer to 24d – so often ‘affected’ is ‘arty’. My sister is very ‘arty’ and is the least affected person anyone could ever meet.
    No major problems really.
    I liked 10 and 21a and 5d.
    Thanks to the setter and to Tilsit.
    On to the NTSPP now.

    1. Kath – I think the ‘naughty canine’ arises from a couple of weeks ago and in the form of ‘Slightly bad dog’ it turned out to be a pseudonym of Mr Paul Bringloe a.k.a. Donnybrook who owned up to setting that puzzle and may well be today’s setter (and setter is a canine?).

      1. I remember that Donnybrook had a Saturday outing some time ago and I loved it at the time. I thought that I should try one of his toughies, fortunately I recovered my sanity and passed on that. Imagine me doing a toughie? Weird.

      2. Ah – thanks, Senf – suspect that was three weeks ago and I didn’t see the late comments being rather tied up with family “stuff” that day.

  22. Comfy solve today. Very enjoyable though, I particularly liked 10a, probably an old chestnut though.
    Thanks for the links Tilsit, I fancied the Guardian prize until I saw it.
    Will tackle the NTSPP instead, which is thankfully free from special instructions, which I never understand.
    Thanks all.

  23. No problems with this early this morning and from what I remember I enjoyed it.

    I’m another who didn’t know 9a but having found the right order for the letters of the anagram and looked it up, I laughed out loud at the “ancient blubber” so that’s my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and Tilsit.

  24. Clue of the day has to be the wonderful 10a, Memories it evokes..? Used to go camping up in Northumberland, down the coast from Seahouses, Miles of white sand beaches, wonderful fetes/fairs at Walkworth Castle, the magnificence of Bamburgh Castle from the beach. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. Never mind, in these troubled times, the back garden will have to suffice. In race horse distances, I would rate today as being a nice mile and two furlong puzzle, not the five furlong sprint, just sufficient clues to make me stop and consider. Nice start to the weekend. Last one in, like others, was 22d, Again, like others, I was looking for a type of German aircraft. Oh well, nice to know some folks are on the same wavelength!!
    Stay safe and be happy.

  25. I missed quite a few today and resorted to the hints fairly early. Thanks to tilsit for the explanations.
    I wasted way too much time (but wth we have plenty of time to waste) on 8d with the wrong crosswordy version of about.
    I missed the ancient blubber too.
    16a did bring back Flanders and Swann to mind and I will go and listen to a few of their greatest later (Along with Tom Lehrer I too am delighted he is still with us) btw you need to include the had into the fodder for 16a.
    Thanks to tilsit and setter.
    No asparagus this far north yet but I have a nice bit of simnel cake and a fresh delivery of coffee beans to keep me happy.

  26. Never been very good at Mythology and had to check 9a once I had all five letters in the right order. That helped me get 2d as I was far from thinking about a double singular word.
    21a and 22d gave me a bit of a hard time too.
    All in.all, a nice challenge.
    Thanks to the setter and to Tilsit for the review. Haven’t heard from BD for a while. Hope everything is all right.
    Didn’t know that Busman was Maskarade. Almost finished his super Easter crossword. Bearchen’s jigsaw shall be next. Thanks for the prod.

  27. Well this was just the opposite to yesterday for me. I completed yesterday in fits and starts over many hours. Today must have been quickest solve ever. No hold ups. It helped to get 16a in first. With no checkers did not give straight away but from the letters available the 1st 2nd 4th and 5th leaving just a few letters to assemble in the right order. Last corner was NW. Did not know 9a but with the checkers only one answer could be right. Parsing 11a was the only other head scratcher as not a Greek letter that sprang to mine. Light and frothy and fun after my first ever click and collect grocery order. I should be with my family including grandsons in a village in the SW well known to Miffypops and have to make do with FaceTime and Zoom. Thanks setter and Tilsit

      1. We have finger’s crossed for August and have arranged Christmas and New year down there too with an inflated party ranging in age from 1yr to 93yrs.

  28. The excellent rekrul at 4d was my COTD in this fairly gentle but very enjoyable romp through crosswordland. The sun continues to shine which makes being in a rural lockdown that much more bearable. Must be awful stuck in a city high rise with boisterous kids. Thanks to our setter and Tilsit, particularly for the links to other puzzles.

  29. Well, what can a girl say! What an absolute treat, a perfect puzzle, I loved it and had no problems.
    Fave, undoubtedly, 16a. I remember arriving in London as a country hick from the colonies where we didn’t even have paved roads, going to the theatre to see Flanders and Swann – what joy, especially as I had the LP in Jamaica and was familiar with their songs.
    I was familiar with the ancient blubber, first one in. Last in was 2d, got that with the checkers.
    Thanks Donnybrook, you’re a star, and to Tilsit for his review and making such a fun start to Easter weekend.

  30. With the exception of 22d, a very awkward clue IMHO, enjoyed puzzle. Thanks to setter and BD. Had never heard of 9a, and always understood “liege” would be the way a vassal would address his superior (28a), not the other way around. One definition does say “used by underlings for the lord of the land”, but I also found definitions saying the opposite. But an enjoyable Saturday puzzle nonetheless.

    1. Welcome to the blog, Babs.
      I’ve just had a look and you’re right. Is there any clue where you want to know the definition?

      1. All of them!! I’m pretty useless at the Saturday crossword & rely on the definitions to help me before I use the explanations!

  31. Pleasant puzzle with no real snags. 26d I took ‘quits’ to mean nothing lost and nothing gained – ‘After a day at the races, I ended up quits’
    Thanks to setter and Tilsit

  32. Further to my comment about the missing underlining of the definitions I thought maybe the problem was my i phone so I’ve checked on the laptop but they are missing there too. As far as I can see nobody else has commented on this so am I just being a wimp?

  33. Thanks to the setter and to Tilsit for the review and hints. A very straightforward puzzle, just needed the hints to parse 4d, didn’t notice the rekrul. No particular favourites. Was 1*/3* for me.

  34. One of the problems with starting late and commenting late is that most things have already been said. I too started with ale as the drink in 14a then the penny dropped. I don’t have a problem looking up a word or person as long as you type in the answer, was expecting her to be a biblical character, religion isn’t my strong point. Any road up a lovely crossword. Favourite 10a. many thanks to the setter and Tilsit.

  35. With all the garden chores I was late getting onto the blog. Until I saw BD’s late comments I thought he had been taken down by the dreaded C*virus ….thank God not!!
    I was left with the little ones at 1d & 26d but really enjoyed the puzzle and thanks to Tilsit for his hard work. I agree that we always assume that drinks are alcoholic, so 14a was a refreshing change! Favourite was16a -an excellent anagram-well done setter!
    keep safe all…

  36. 3*/3*…..
    liked 10A ” roadside pillar indicating Northumberland far away? (9) “

  37. It was me again today. I have been an extremely bad dog, and after that a slightly bad one, but today I will be plain old Donny, as I seem not to have transgressed for a change. Luck rather than judgement I suspect.

    Thanks to you all, as usual, and to Tilsit for his great bloggery.

    Don E. Brook

    1. Thank you so much for that, it was perfect. Please come back again and again and again!

  38. Evening all and Happy Easter 🐣 to all in advance. Very pleasant solve with a bit of a travel theme. COTD, 4d. Excellent reverse lurker. Thanks Tilsit and the mystery setter🦇

  39. 4d had a certain beauty to it as it is also the name of a British Astute Class nuclear submarine!

  40. Soooooo late to comment on this one but I couldn’t let it go without saying how much I enjoyed it. Best Saturday for me for a long time.
    ***/*****
    Thx to asll

  41. Is there anyone who can send me a copy of yesterday’s DT (Saturday 11th April), as I couldn’t get a copy locally and am minimising my movements and risks (usually I’d go to my big Tesco but for 3 weeks I’ve been getting it in the corner shop). I am getting withdrawal symptoms (!) because I do this every week, normally, and given there’s no prize maybe someone could oblige? Thank you in hopeful anticipation,
    Liam@proudlockassociates.com

      1. Hi Big Dave,
        Thanks for the email!
        That is good to hear – I think I’ve just found it in my junk email box but the link has expired! Any chance of resending it? Thank you!
        Happy Easter
        Liam

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