DT 29354 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29354

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29354

Hints and tips by Falcon

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ***Enjoyment ***

Greetings from Ottawa where spring has finally made its belated appearance. The city will soon be awash in colourful beds of tulips in full bloom — the bulbs being an annual gift from the people of the Netherlands in gratitude for Canadian troops having liberated their country at the end of the Second World War. This year, however, rather than venture forth to see them up close in person, we are asked to enjoy them remotely via electronic means.

As for the puzzle, I started off today at a sprint and imagined that I was well on my way to a two-star time, if not a one-star time. However, by the quarter mark I had received my comeuppance and ended up crawling across the finish line in a very unimpressive three-star time. I did take note of the many American references that cropped up along the way as well as all the time spent drinking in bars and elsewhere.

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

5a   We must leave raunchy actress, right old genius (7)
MAESTRO — start by removing ‘We’ from the name of a busty American actress from the early part of the twentieth century, then add R(ight) and O(ld) to what’s left; this actress’s raunchy but immensely popluar performances led to her being described as having “climbed the ladder of success wrong by wrong”.

7a   Saw a daughter mature (5)
ADAGE — the A from the clue, D(aughter) and a verb meaning ‘to mature’ (like wine or cheese)

9a   What sounds like standard piece of artillery? (6)
CANNON — this big gun sounds like a general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged

10a   Drink provided by pirate at sea (8)
APERITIF — place a short word meaning ‘provided’ or ‘in the event’ beside (by) an anagram (at sea) of PIRATE

11a   Important monk, one exercising oppressive control (3,7)
BIG BROTHER — an adjective denoting ‘important’ or ‘large’ and the title accorded a monk

13a   New organ in local (4)
NEAR — N(ew) and an organ of hearing

14a   Nerve shown by female downing pint in party game (4-3-6)
SPIN THE BOTTLE — a colloquial term for ‘nerve’ or ‘courage’ following a feminine pronoun ingesting the PINT from the clue

16a   Girl, in fact, needing no introduction (4)
RUTH — remove the introductory letter from the quality or state of being genuine or factual

17a   Amazing stories about eating one in restaurant (10)
ROTISSERIE — start with an anagram (amazing) of STORIES; then append a short word meaning ‘about’ or ‘concerning’ that contains the Roman numeral for one

19a   Take part in a seaside activity and risk a wet undoing? (5-3)
WATER-SKI — an anagram (undoing) of RISK A WET

20a   Short article, very dry, about opening of parliament (6)
ABRUPT — a single-letter indefinite article followed by the designation found on a very dry champagne wrapped around the opening letter of Parliament

22a   Rewrite part of poem, ‘Endymion’ (5)
EMEND — hidden in (part of) the final two words in the clue

23a   Balcony largely in need of repair (7)
GALLERY — an anagram (in need of repair) LARGELY

 

Down

1d   University official, American, in study (4)
DEAN — the single-letter abbreviation for American occupies the room where today’s COVID-19 “stay-at-homers” take refuge to work or study

2d   Be conspicuous in booth in the open (5,3)
STAND OUT — a charade of a booth or stall and an adjective meaning ‘public’ or ‘in the open’

3d   Occupation of attendant conserving energy (6)
CAREER — a nurse or similar attendant enveloping a physicists symbol for energy

4d   Puppet, one captured by surrealist painter, with end of leg missing (10)
MARIONETTE — start by removing the final letter of leG from the name of a Belgian surrealist painter from the early part of the twentieth century; then insert the Roman numeral for one the ONE from the clue in what is left (but not in the spot where the G once stood); thank you to Gordon for bringing this faux pas to light

5d   End up on motorway leaving a resort on Biscayne Bay (5)
MIAMI — reverse (up in a down clue) a word meaning ‘end’ or ‘goal’ and place it before (on in a down clue) the London/Leeds motorway; a truly remarkable achievement, I would say, ending up on this motorway given the point of origin

6d   With a limited amount of money, things are soon tight (2,1,10)
ON A SHOESTRING — an anagram (tight) of THINGS ARE SOON

8d   Leave country without head of great Arab territory (7)
EMIRATE — remove the head letter of Great from a verb meaning to leave one’s country

12d   OK following cheerful European song (6,4)
BRIGHT EYES — an affirmative answer following the combination of an adjective denoting ‘lively’ or ‘cheerful’ and E(uropean); the song obviously made a bigger splash in the UK than it did on this side of the pond

14d   Wienie, perhaps from America, devoured by expert (7)
SAUSAGE — this time, it is the two-letter three-letter abbreviation for America that is needed; insert it in an expert or person of great wisdom (thank you to Rabbit Dave for pointing out that I had failed to account for all the As)

15d   Joint endlessly screening musical up in bar (8)
OBSTACLE — start by amputating the final letter from an anatomical joint; next, insert a stage musical inspired by a T. S. Eliot book of poetry; finally reverse the lot (up in a down clue); this was my final clue to solve and even after finding the reversed musical, I still had trouble identifying the reversed joint

17d   Live with uncontrollable desire (6)
RESIDE — an anagram (uncontrollable) of DESIRE

18d   Suggest just ignoring son (5)
IMPLY — remove S(on) from a synonym for ‘just’ or ‘merely’

21d   Scottish dance? Authentic, we hear (4)
REEL — this Scottish dance sounds like a word meaning ‘authentic’ or ‘genuine’

On the podium today, I have placed 17a, 4d and 15d. I’m awarding top honours to 15d as it held out to the bitter end and was last to fall.


Quickie Pun (top line): JETTY + SUNNED = JETTISONED

Quickie Pun (bottom line): KEEPER + BREST = KEEP ABREAST


116 comments on “DT 29354

  1. Quite a simple Monday morning puzzle today. (Is it a Bank Holiday?). All completed in */** time, with the horses at a gentle canter. The SE was the last corner to fall, 15d and 20a being my COTD.

I should also mention 10a, which was a bung in, and took me ages to parse.

    Many thanks to the setter and Falcon.

  2. 2.5*/3*. Good fun for a Monday morning.

    I’ve never heard of a wienie. Is it American? By the way Falcon, you need the three-letter abbreviation for America in 14d.

    Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.

  3. I thought this was really enjoyable puzzle with some amusing and clever clues(**/****). I liked 5a, 11a, 17a and 12d. I didn’t recognise the style of the setter but would be happy to have more like this. Thanks to Falcon and the setter. Keep safe and well everyone.

  4. Yes. A wiene (or in full, a wiener) is a frankfurter type American sausage. And no, I think the bank holiday is actually Friday this year to coincide with VE Day. Not that it makes any difference!

    1. Yes, Greta, you are right. This year the early May Bank Holiday is on Friday 8th as you say to coincide with VE Day. And it does matter in one very important respect – council waste collection day!

  5. Light and good fun though I do think it’s time to consign the actress to the bin, she’s been dead 40 years! Not keen on 15a , where ‘in’ seems to have no purpose.
    I particularly liked 10a (very clever), 20a and 15d.
    1.5/3*
    Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the entertainment.

  6. Could this be the same setter as yesterday’s Observer Everyman, which I filled in before getting up? There were a few similar bits, e.g. top monks, TS Eliot, drinks etc.

    As with Falcon, I was careering through and then stopped dead by 3d which is ridiculous (not difficult) and on the way tussled with 10, 15 and 17. Some things just looked wrong even with every checker in place…….
    I still don’t get 7a. I suppose I’ll have to go and look it up.

    Still, I enjoyed some of the answers.

    Finally had deliveries of all the stuff I need for gardening, so off I go…..

    1. Looked up synonym of answer to 7a…….
      Oh.
      Is it archaic? Does anyone say it? Is it only of use to crossword setters?

      1. A saw is a saying, but a pipe is not a pipe (I have the T-shirt – ref 4d).

        It’s a mystery, as Toyah Willcox once said.

  7. The long clues in 6d and 14a were the last in as I am never very good at games and idioms.
    Great clues with a hint of humour made the solve a real pleasure.
    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the review.

  8. Pleasantly straightforward this morning with no hold ups. 15d was clever and my favourite, ahead of 4d. The lurker at 22a took me back a long time to English Literature exams at school.

    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

  9. A pleasant kick-off to the week (not that nowadays one day is any different from another). NE corner last to fall as I had to wrack my GK for the surrealist painter. 5d obvious when I realised the reference was not to the Bay of Biscay! My protected youth means that I was unaware of 14a and the 12d song and indeed the 14d banger (although I believe ‘weenie’ also has another rather more risqué meaning!). Thank you to whoever set this and to Falcon.

    1. Yes, weenie does have another meaning, as aptly-named former US Congressman Anthony Weiner can attest. He went to prison for sexting pictures of his weenie to a minor.

  10. A most enjoyable canter this morning. Many thanks to the setter and Falcon.
    By the way Falcon I think you need to delete “the Roman numeral for” from your commentary on the clue at 4d.

    1. I’m afraid my brain is programmed to insert “the Roman numeral for” in front of every occurence of “one” that it encounters (just like predictive text on my phone). Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

  11. I found this quite tricky for a Monday puzzle. Got there in the end, but with quite a bit of electronic help.

  12. Enjoyed this 😃 */*** ( I can’t remember my last * for difficulty, blue and 🌛 come to mind) Favourites 5 & 16a 🤗 Thanks to Falcon and to the Setter

  13. An enjoyable start to the week. No real favourites today but I did like 15d. I put in “Lucky Dip” at 19a, which caused me to come to a stop for a while. It soon became apparent that it was wrong once I found the checkers.

    Many thanks to the setter and also to Senf for the hints.

    Stay safe, everyone.

    1. I’m sure Senf will be more than happy to accept your thanks but Falcon may be a bit miffed!

    2. Falcon! I am so sorry – Many thanks to you for the hints. My aged brain is a day behind! :grin:

      1. These days the only thing I am sure of is that the day will have a “y” in it
        Hudson back noted

      2. Not a problem. The only way that I know what day it is, is to look at my pill dispenser each morning — and for that to be correct I must depend on not having forgotten to take my meds the day before.

        1. I thought it was just me!

  14. All done, dusted & fully parsed in just under 1.5* time which is quick for me. I did have to use Mr G to find out what a wienie was however – bet it doesn’t taste half as good as a Gloucestershire Old Spot in a crusty roll with some English mustard. 15d was the pick of the clues for me in a fun solve though all over a bit too quickly to be completely satisfying.
    Thanks to Campbell & to Falcon.
    Ps The Graun is also pretty straightforward today & enjoyable.

      1. Badly need a clue to 2d in Paul’s prize in the Graun – am 4 short (bung ins aplenty) – umpteenth look but no lightbulb.
        Thanks for Indy tip

          1. Thanks Gaza – can’t believe I didn’t twig that. Knew it was a type of wrap but no expert on sarongs.
            Think I’ve now finished at last.

  15. In the didn’t know “Wiene” camp and struggled with 15d but overall felt it was middling for a Monday. No prizes for guessing who 5d brought to mind.
    My 2d was 15d: it brought me to a 20a halt right 13a the end
    Thanks to setter and Falcon for the review and news from Ottawa.

  16. An enjoyable Monday romp although I did have to avoid listening to the 12d clip as it always makes me tearful – in fact, having read the book, I refused point blank to watch the film!
    I liked the two long ones at 14a&6d and awarded podium places to 10&20a plus 15d.

    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for the review – enjoy the online tulips, what a delightful tribute from the Netherlands.

    1. Oh Jane, I’d never heard of 12d, it’s lovely. You say there’s a book, maybe I can find it on Kindle.

        1. Oh, I’ve read Watership Down, many years ago and loved it, I have it here, must read again.
          I thought there was a book Bright Eyes, I’ve duly downloaded it. The hero’s name is Zeke, I immediately knew it won’t be a book I’ll like! It was very little, no great loss.

        2. Douglas Adams? Arthur Dent takes a rabbit along with his towel on his hitchhike through the galaxy!
          Richard Adams Shurely?
          Both good reads by the way.

          memo to self Don’t bother with Bright Eyes if it has a Zeke

  17. An enjoyable start to what used to be the work week completed at a fast gallop – 1.5*/3.5*.
    I really think that the definition in 14d should be Wiener, not Wienie, which, in the world’s so-called greatest democracy, is also used for a dachshund – an ‘outsize’ frankfurter. The derivation is from Wien, the German for Vienna.
    Candidates for favourite – 11a, 4d, and 12d – and the winner is 12d.
    Thanks to our double punster and Falcon.

    P.S. Having belatedly checked the BRB, I see that Wienie is shown as an informal alternative to Wiener. I would guess that Campbell chose it for some ‘obscurity.’

  18. I’m surprised at 3 stars for difficulty, I finished this in bed today but some rather good clues made it enjoyable. However I did think this puzzle didn’t seem to have as many clues as usual. Are there any guidelines to setters as to the length of a puzzle? Anyway thanks to all. A note of caution – finally managed to get a Tesco delivery for two weeks hence, then had to sort out something else. When I returned to the site a bit later I had lost my slot as I hadn’t immediately put something in my basket. If I get one soon the earliest will be 25th May – I despair.

    1. With 26 clues, this puzzle is definitely at the low end of the clue count scale. For a typical 15 x 15 puzzle, we can usually expect 26 to 32 clues (sometimes more in a ‘special’ (e.g. Christmas) themed puzzle). We certainly seem to have been in the twenties more than the thirties recently. Perhaps the DT should have a setter pay scale based on clue count.

    2. Fewer clues means that we are less likely to find a lot of these pesky little 4 letter words.
      There were 4 today. Quite enough in my mind.

    3. Today I received my groceries in my front hall 45 minutes after I hit the “place your order” button! Ante-COVID I used to get them within about 2 hours, it’s amazing.

    4. You will find some often (slots) often pop up early in the last week if that makes sense. Also when getting a slot just bung in a few random items or repeat your last order. Then make a list and amend your order the day before it’s due. So far I’ve managed to get a slot every week. I do either ASDA or Tesco as ASDA also have a convenient click and collect. I had never done on line shopping before and Sainsbury’s with whom I have shopped all my life won’t register me on line

      1. Our Sainsbury’s does Click and Collect for groceries – they have a van in the car park with the orders in and a whole separate car queue for C&C, separate from the long people queue down the edge of the car park

  19. Just goes to show, crosswords like beauty are in the eye of the beholder. Apart from the bottom right I found this a R&W.
    Bit challenging in the SE but very enjoyable for all that.
    Thx to all
    **/***

      1. It means Read and Write which is a phrase people don’t like used much as it implies extreme easiness of the crossword and not everybody will have found it so

  20. Today it is difficult for me .
    I don’t have the paper and I have to start with a grid of 15 x 15 blanks in MS Paint.
    Then I get the clues from this website its easy to eliminate the pictures and the help.
    But today 5a and 7a dont add up to 14 and to add to my problems only 4 clues have the same start point 5a and 5d (but I dont know where 5 is located) and 17a and 17d I know where 17 is so I will start there. I hope I don’t r*s*d* there

      1. I suspect this is Colin Joyce who could be a mischief maker! I’m just a suspicious person.

        1. Suspicious? Rightfully so, methinks. What does Seejay sound like? And compare the avatars.

  21. I enjoyed this very much, although stupidly kept thinking of the attendant as a waiter. Not good! However **/**** for me and thanks to both.

        1. II had little trouble with the pesky four letters but I was stuck on waiter for ages as well.

  22. Fairly gentle once I’d looked up the bits I didn’t know – Wienie, and the 5d bay.
    I don’t think I’ve ever heard of 17a being a restaurant – a method of cooking, yes, but not restaurant.
    Got into a muddle with 4d and 11a for no real reason.
    I liked 14a and 15d. My favourite was 12d but, like Jane, I can’t listen to it and haven’t seen the film – I used to sing it to our Elder Lamb pushing her round in the pram when she was just a few months old so it must have been early 1979.
    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon.
    Off to the garden for a while and then might have a go at the Rookie corner.

    1. Kath re 17a
      I may be wrong but I took the definition as ‘in restaurant’

      1. A rotisserie is a restaurant specializing in roasted or barbecued meat. If I remember correctly, the restaurant in the illustration is in Singapore and, if you look carefully, beyond the buffet you will see a rotisserie device on which meat is roasting.

  23. Today it is difficult for me .
    I don’t have the paper and I have to start with a grid of 15 x 15 blanks in MS Paint.
    Then I get the clues from this website its easy to eliminate the pictures and the help.
    But today 5a and 7a dont add up to 14 and to add to my problems only 4 clues have the same start point 5a and 5d (but I dont know where 5 is located) and 17a and 17d I know where 17 is so I will start there. I hope I don’t r*s*d* there

    1. Hi Colin,
      It’s the same grid as No 29345,from April 23rd if that helps.

    2. Boy, that is really “starting from square one” when it comes to crossword solving!

      To get you started, clues 5a and 5d start in Row 2/Column 2.

      1. I do it all the time with Crossword Compiler since the last price hike of the dead tree version – it’s not too tricky to work out

        1. Have you heard of PressReader?

          It can access the DT and many other dailies and magazines .. it just needs my library card details to sign in.

          And it’s Free !!!

          1. jepi
            Thank you for that.
            Downloaded used our Highland library card details as asked & job done. I get the electronic version everyday but miss the Sugaru etc. Plus get all the other dailies too
            Brilliant – post of the day for me.

            1. It should do, Miffypops: it displays the pages as printed (page numbers, adverts, everything).

              Access depends on your library. I can get the UK daily papers on PressReader with my Bradford library card, but not my Leeds one.

          2. jepi many thanks for your suggestion I will give it try that’s for sure.
            I might need to buy you a drink or three if this social distancing ever comes to an end.
            It looks like you given the tip to other folk I’m glad I added the comment and your response was super.

      2. Hi Falcon if there are 16 across clues all of 7 letters then the layout is easy . 8 lines with two 7 letter clues and a black separating them going from top left all the way to bottom right. Cushty as Del boy would say, but today there was only 7 across lines and the first line last lines had 3 blacks which added to my confusion but the clues were doable and I completed the task many thanks

  24. A bit of local news – in Mallorca, paddle boarding and surfing are now allowed, but not swimming. We are not permitted, either, to go on the beaches. Pole vaulting across the sand, carrying ones equipment is ok, presumably, but woe betide those who fall off into the sea as they could either drown or be fined €600 under the no swimming rule!

    Lovely crossword today – right on my wavelength and enough of a stretch. **/****

    1. Thanks for the laugh. Politicians everywhere seem to have lost all sense of reason.

  25. Fast, fun, and funny! Loved solving today’s lark of a puzzle. Top clues: 5d (“I once was Snow White, but I drifted”), 4d, and 15d. Everything went very quickly and smoothly, though it took me a bit to come up with the ‘oble’ (forgot to reverse it) body part. * / **** Thanks to Falcon and the setter.

  26. I finished it over (a late) lunch but I didn’t know the party game, or the Wienie and had a lot of trouble with the joint as
    all I can think of at the moment is my poor knee. Anyway, I bunged them in and then turned to Falcon for an explanation.
    I like the word adage better than saw – I said to someone once ‘my mother was full of old saws’ and I got a very funny look.
    But she was, and I still remember them.

    1. My late mum had a saw for every occasion. “Empty vessels make most noise” was a favourite, accompanied by ‘the look’ in my direction

  27. Not very often that I comment, but was so surprised by the *** rating that I felt compelled to. Completed in one sitting, although I must admit I needed the hints to parse a few and confirm what I’d entered. Thanks to Falcon for the hints and the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
    PS. I always read the comments, it’s like listening in on old friends talking.

    1. Judging by the majority of comments, the three-star difficulty seems to be on myself running into a 15d (otherwise known as a mental block). The final two or three clues seemed to take as long to solve as the rest of the clues combined. Must be just me being “dim” and too obstinate to reach for electronic help.

      1. Not just you and thanks for the hints on my final two. Did not have the BRB in bed with me so just googled wienie and it seemed to be an alternative spelling for weenie. I was convinced that 14a should be flip the bottle as this craze is popular at the moment. Also I thought of F for female although of course it didn’t parse.

  28. I got stuck on 16a thinking it should be Lulu (you can bring pearl, she’s a darn fine girl, but don’t bring Lulu. She’ll come by herself). Still ….

  29. Completed alone but had to look up the Bay to confirm my entry for 5d which I guessed from the checkers.
    Missed the parsing of ‘if’ in 10a too…..I have made that mistake before.

    So, not a hurrah day for me, but I think still a well done day.

    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon.

  30. Fairly straightforward except for 15d -my last one in, just couldn’t think of the joint. Don’t know why, we don’t have that many, also I’m not good at backward! Thanks to Falcon and setter.

  31. Very much enjoyed today, big thanks to setter and Falcon. Would love to see all those tulips in bloom in Ottawa, spring flowers being non existent here in South Florida. Only needed a few hints. Solved 5a, 4d and 15d from the checkers rather than the clues. COTD for me was 11a, closely followed by 16a.

      1. Thank you, Falcon, a wonderful display. Must be back-breaking work for the team that have to plant them every year!

        1. Apparently the bulbs are composted every two years (half each year) but I suspect that the ones that aren’t discarded may be dug up in the spring and replanted in the fall.

  32. Straightforward and very enjoyable today – no hold-ups. Many thanks to the setter and Falcon.

  33. Late to the game having picked up the paper on the way back from the allotment. A fairly gentle start to the week although I struggled to parse 4d, just couldn’t recall the painter. No particular reason but I did like 20a. Thanks to Falcon and today’s setter.

  34. A really enjoyable start to the week with this entertaining puzzle. Had me thinking a bit, but fell together well
    2.5*/4*
    Thanks to setter and Falcon for review

  35. Completed it though I was thrown a couple of times. I thought I knew what wienie means and indeed I was right but rejected it because it seemed too American. Not that there is anything wrong with that LOL, my own son and all my grandchildren are Americans.
    Apparently we will get a pretty sharp frost tonight, grrrr, my garden is showing such promise at the moment. Ah well, hopefully most things will survive.
    Thank you as ever to the setter, BD, Falcon and everyone here. I ventured out for the first time in weeks, all the way (5k) to Marmora to see the doc. I have to go to Peterborough for a CT scan and ultrasound. I tell you what, if the ultrasound finds a baby”s heartbeat I promise the next round is on me from the proceeds of the National Enquirer/Sun article. True there have been some bright shining points of light in the night sky of late but I am pretty certain that are that bloke Elon Musk’s new toys up there.

    1. cover anything you want to keep with insulation – the newspaper is good for this! just cut the crossword out first!

      1. Thank you! These days we only get the freebie newspapers once a week but have plenty downstairs because there is a wide burn ban on at the moment. We have a burn barrel pretty full and ready to go so sometime soon.

  36. Thanks to Campbell for a lovely crossword. Shame I couldn’t solve 23d but am not used to seeing references to relatively recent history in these crosswords (although they’re creeping in). Really liked the important monk and 29a. Thank you, too, to Falcon for explaining 9a.

  37. Well, what a red-letter day, what with Falcon’s tulips and the 12d clip, and Campbell’s super puzzle. I loved it all.
    I feel it’s going to be downhill from here! I should choose 5d as fave, as I sit in my sitooterie (guess what, there is such a word, Scottish) and savour the sunshine, but 14a amused, and the lovely clip at 12d gives the runner up.
    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for all the fun at the start of this week.

  38. 1.5/3. Lots to like and nothing too obscure. I assumed 14a was a variant of Weiner and couldn’t be bothered looking it up but the answer was obvious. My favourites were 5&17a. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.

  39. Didn’t know of Wiene but figured the answer out from the available letters. A cheery start to the week – I didn’t need any help which is a rare day for me.

  40. It’s seems I’m out on a limb. I found this tedious and rather hard work. Never heard of Biscayne Bay, never been to Florida so had to Google it. Never heard of weinie, wiener yes but never seen one let alone eaten one. 14a is not a game that been played at any party I’ve been to. Spent too long trying to fit Manet into 4d, I could go on. No particular favourite. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

    1. You may have eaten a wienie but called it a frankfurter. When sitting in a soft roll and topped with condiments, I think we both may call it a hot dog.

  41. 3d and 20a were the hold outs today and explain my lateness here.
    I will admit to assuming 5d was on Biscayne Bay as the clue was a solid lead to the answer.
    12d is a classic book but IMO the film is not as good and Art Garfunkel has sung better songs.
    Thanks to the Falcons

  42. 2*/3*….
    liked 11A ” important monk, one exercising oppressive control (3,7) “

  43. Thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the review and hints. I enjoyed this one, but found it very tricky. I was completely baffled by 14d, I had heard of a Weeny, but only from Frank Zappa’s album “Burnt Weeny Sandwich” I knew what a weeny was from the lyrics, but I’ve never seen this spelling that was in the puzzle. Live and learn. Couldn’t get the last word of 12d, had heard of the song, but couldn’t get the wordplay. Needed the hints for 16&20a and 12d. Favourite was 5a. Was 4*/3* for me.

    1. I had heard of the term ‘wienie’, I lived in Germany for a short while as a small child and I vaguely remember it being a s***** And then donkey’s years later I lived in the USA and it was a common word there, which is, in part, why the scandal surrounding that politician and his sending of rude photos was such a silly joke…. I am obviously a schoolboy with his cap on sideways and sniggering behind the bike sheds incarnate, merely disguised as a little old white haired grandma…. hang on a tick…will look it up Anthony Wiener https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Weiner ……
      Hope links are OK by BD’s rules. If not then Google Anthony Wiener

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