DT 29435 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29435

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29435

Hints and tips by Kath

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating — Difficulty ***Enjoyment ****

Hello everyone on this Ray T Thursday. I thought it was about average in terms of difficulty – not too tricky which is just as well as my brain is feeling a bit woolly this morning – it doesn’t work very well when it’s too hot!

Please leave a comment telling us how you got on today.

In the hints the definitions are underlined and the answers are hidden under ANSWER so only do that if you need to see one.

Across

1a        Spread gossip framing old lag (11)
PROLIFERATE — a verb to gossip or chatter goes round (framing) O[ld] and a lag or a convict who is going to be in prison for a very long time

10a       Bags that could produce sound of instrument (5)
SACKS — a homophone (that could produce sound) of some large bags gives you a short informal word for a wind instrument with a funny shape

11a       Terribly rapid rise leading to ruin (9)
DISREPAIR — an anagram (terribly) of RAPID RISE

12a       The woman’s back in fix for bust (9)
APPREHEND — bust as in ‘you’re nicked’ – a reversal (back) of a little pronoun meaning belonging to the woman goes inside (in) a synonym of fix or attach

13a       Provide Ecstasy and crack (5)
EQUIP — the one letter abbreviation for E[cstasy] is followed by a verbal crack or witticism

14a       Novel Kinks’ song about sex (6)
LOLITA — one of the best known songs by the Kinks contains (about) an informal word meaning sex or sex appeal

 

16a       Hat put over hair one’s slept on? (8)
MATTRESS — a reversal (put over) of a cap with a flat top is followed by some long hair

18a       One working to perfect bust? (8)
 SCULPTOR — a different sort of ‘bust’ to the one used in 12a – this one is made of stone

20a       Cover special police unit facing explosive (6)
SWATHE — the four initial letters of a US police unit used against highly armed criminals is followed by (facing) another couple of initials for H[igh] E[explosive]

23a       Second rain overturned sporting events (5)
MEETS — S[econd] and a verb to rain very heavily are reversed (overturned)

24a       Nose for bad smell’s so backed up (9)
PROBOSCIS — a synonym of ‘for’ as opposed to ‘con’, and the kind of bad smell that comes from someone who hasn’t showered for a while, with the ‘S, are followed by a reversal (backed up) of a Latin word meaning so or thus

26a       Fruit from entire can spoilt (9)
NECTARINE — an anagram (spoilt) of ENTIRE CAN

27a       Gather leftovers, essentially aiding needy initially (5)
GLEAN — a Ray T special – the first letters (initially) of the first five words of the clue

28a       Nice bloater spread for feast (11)
CELEBRATION — an anagram (spread) of NICE BLOATER

 

Down

2d        Run with elevated speed getting run over (5)
RECAP — the ‘crickety’ abbreviation for R[un] is followed by a reversal (elevated) of another word for speed or rate

3d        Most excellent, male’s consumed by desire (7)
LUSHEST — male’s, or how you could say ‘the man is’ goes inside (consumed by) a synonym of sexual desire

4d        Expendable soldiers more curious following chief’s rear (6)
FODDER — another word for more curious, as in a bit peculiar rather than nosey, follows (following) the last letter (rear) of [chie]F

5d        Remaining uplifting, praise one’s Queen (8)
RESIDUAL — a verb to praise or honour, the letter that looks like a one, with the ‘S, and the regnal cipher of our Queen are all reversed (uplifting)

6d        Warning around mortgage’s end on that account (7)
THEREAT — a warning of a rather menacing kind contains the last letter (end) of [mortgag]E

7d        Firm foundation (13)
ESTABLISHMENT — I’m not quite sure how to give a hint for this one – not even sure what kind of clue it is – it’s not a double definition – maybe it’s an all in one? Oh well, I’m sure someone will tell us all!

8d        Most sensible mutters circulating around American (8)
MATUREST — an anagram (circulating) of MUTTERS goes around the one letter abbreviation for A[merican]

9d        Winning team inside pushing forward (13)
PREPOSSESSING — a team, the kind you might see on horses in a Western film helping the sheriff to catch the baddies, goes inside another way of saying pushing forward with some urgency

15d      Olivier possibly getting to learn cue? (8)
LAURENCE — an anagram (getting to) of LEARN CUE

17d      Hash or hemp in another drug (8)
MORPHINE — an anagram (hash) of OR HEMP IN

19d      Sheet shrouding a ship in Channel (7)
PASSAGE — a sheet (of paper probably) contains (shrouding) the A from the clue and the usual crosswordland S[team] S[hip]

21d      Hammered with harsh temperature (7)
WROUGHT — the one letter abbreviation for W[ith] is followed by a synonym of harsh or coarse and the one letter abbreviation for T[emperature]

22d      Exhibitionist regrets work being sent up (6)
POSEUR — regrets or is sorry about and the little abbreviation for a musical work are both reversed (being sent up)

25d      Doctrine of communist infiltrating company (5)
CREDO — one of our usual crosswordland communists goes inside (infiltrating) the abbreviation for company

I liked 14 and 16a and my favourite was probably 24a. Which ones appealed to you today?

The Quickie Pun:- TEAR + LEAF + HONE = TELEPHONE

116 comments on “DT 29435

  1. About right for a Ray T even without his sweetheart. I’m of the right era to be left with an ear worm after solving 14a

    Thanks to Mr T and Kath

  2. That’s better! A proper puzzle, without GK (Weeeeell, perhaps The Kinks’ song . . )

    All over in *** time. Favourite, 18a.

    Many thanks to Kath and Mr T.

  3. This was a nicely judged puzzle by Ray T, just enough challenge to make your brain work with a good assortment of different kinds of clues, artfully constructed (2*/5*). It was very enjoyable and it is hard to pick favourites with so many great clues to choose from. I liked 1a, 12a, 24a and 9d, the latter being the last one in. Many thanks to Kath for the hints and to Ray T for an entertaining crossword.

  4. Must admit that I found this at the tricky end of my scale but managed to complete without hints. I agree with CS, that song will be with me all day! The picture in 24a looks incredibly like my late Aged P! Thanks to all.

  5. This took quite a bit of sorting out especially in the SE but I got there, albeit not very quickly. I couple of misspellings didn’t help either. Overall enjoyable enough though, as is usual with this setter, I’ve put 13a plus 2& 22d on the podium.
    3.5/3.5*
    Thanks to Mr T and to Kath for the entertainment.

    1. Just reading the hints, I may be wrong but I took 7d to be a double definition, as in a business and a start or formation.

        1. It’s a cryptic definition otherwise it would be ‘same-both-sidesy’ in my opinion

      1. I think you’re probably both right but I gave up trying to make up my mind – I was running out of time so decided to quit while I was winning, or not as the case may be!

      1. I’m just happy to put the kettle on for more coffee while people chat about it amongst themselves! :smile:

        1. Double definition for me too. I don’t envy the reviewers and don’t know how you do it all in the time alloted. Well done for giving a great set of hints every week.

  6. A very enjoyable solve which I tackled from bottom up, having initially failed to spot the long serving prisoner in 1a.
    I am another one suffering ear worm from 14a!
    Thanks to Ray T and to Kath.

  7. Found this one pretty easy going until within 5 of a finish. No idea why but struggled to sort the anagrams out at 11a & 8d and then became convinced 12a was something to do with statues. The pennies finally dropped thankfully in what was, as ever with a Ray T production, a very pleasant solve. Particularly liked 1,14&20a plus 9&21d.
    Thanks to Ray T & Kath for the hints which I’ll read later as I’m off to play The Duchess course at Woburn which is a rare treat.

      1. I returned with the ball I started with. Definitely my favourite of the three courses & a joy to walk round – the golf is almost incidental….

        1. …still, your passion for the game is almost contagious, Huntsman. Glad you had a great, joyful time.

  8. Always love the variety of Mr. T’s brain testing clues.
    Certainly a *** and a bit difficulty for me.
    Thought 24a brilliant.
    Many thanks Ray T and Kath for the nicely illustrated review.

  9. Slightly difficult for me but I managed to finish. Another great Ray T with a good assortment of clues from which it is difficult to single out any one of them. I see that 14a has given many an ear worm but my current ear worm is Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”. It will not leave me.

    Thank you, Ray T for another enjoyable Thursday. Thanks, Kath for the great hints.

  10. I notice we have 20a for the second day running……the probability of words like this appearing on consecutive days must be very low. I think I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, but no recollection of any suggestions. I think, as someone had already said the puzzles were submitted way before publication, that it must be down to our editor.
    Surely it can’t be chance?

    1. Our editor wrote about the repetition of words in a recent Newsletter as follows:

      Regular solvers of the Telegraph Crossword will know that it’s common for certain answers to reoccur on a regular basis; this is hardly surprising, given that there are, after all, only a finite number of words in English, and only a subsection of them lend themselves to being included in a cryptic crossword.

      Answers which occur regularly tend to fall into two types. Firstly, there are a group of words which are seen regularly purely because they fit into grid slots where there might be few alternatives. A classic example of this is the word ‘ewer’, which, while rarely heard in real life, is one of only four or five alternatives when a compiler is in need of a four-letter word with the word pattern E?E?.

      Secondly, an answer might occur several times in quick succession due to coincidence, normally as two or more compilers have used the same word in puzzles submitted close to each other. If the repetition seems too much, or each compiler’s clue is too similar, then we might ask for the crossword to be rejigged, or simply delay its appearance for a few months. However, it might be that if the clues are sufficiently different, we leave things as they are. An example of this occurred earlier this year, where the answer NEVERTHELESS appeared three times in the space of two months.

  11. Found this a bit tougher than the usual Ray T for some reason but got there well enough in the end. I always enjoy his nice, succinct, well-chiseled clues, and today’s were a model of that style. My podium choices today: 9d, 1a, and 6d, 12a was my LOI and held me up, it seemed, forever. Many thanks to Kath and Ray T. 3*/3.5*

    I found the Toughie easier than Ray T today.

  12. Like Shabbo, I did something of a ‘bottom up’ solve of this one although with hindsight I’m not sure why I found it necessary.
    Think my top three were 1,14&16a with a mention for 28a which took me back to childhood and having a friend over to stay for the night. We always begged to be allowed to take a midnight feast to bed with us ( usually consumed by about 9 o’clock) and it was invariably potted beef sandwiches for me and some with fish spread for my friend. I remember thinking how dreadful hers smelled!

    All the usual devotions to Mr T and many thanks to Kath for the review – I suspect that your illustration for 1a could have been rather heartfelt?

  13. Well that was tough, usually I find thursdays quite solvable in reasonable time. This took me quite a while with several hints needed, but, I didn’t need to reveal solutions.
    Thanks to Kath and RayT

  14. I got into a bit of a mess in many areas.
    For no good reason I had put A as the 3rd letter in 15d and I was convinced the last 3 letters of 18 were ION ( one working). So the whole west side took some sorting out as 7d had to what it was…….yes, double definition in my book.
    A few similar on the East side. I had to look up 6d. The time I’ve taken to finish in no way reflects Mr T’s difficult-ness, just my own lack of concentration. As Kath suggests, it’s a bit of a groggy day all round.

    Both 14a and 17d were clever and as elegant as you get, but my fav was 22d.
    Thanks to our setter and to Kath.

  15. Reasonably straightforward for a Ray T but as enjoyable as ever, completed at a gallop – 2.5*/4*.
    However, and unusually for a Ray T a few Hmms especially 20a (no indication of US apllicability) and the Quickie Pun.
    Candidates for favourite – 14a, 19d, 21d, and 22d – and the winner is 14a.
    Thanks to Ray T and Kath.

  16. A very enjoyable crossword. Needed some checkers to suss out 1a, and 9d took a while to appear. 14a made me smile – reference our regular feline contributor. My favourite clue was 21d – so much conveyed in just 4 words, and I like the answer as a word.
    Thanks to the compiler and to Kath for her review and photos. I like the one for 24a in particular. It would make a good caption competition: “Has anyone got 24a yet?”

    1. I was very tempted to make a reference to Terence’s cat in my hint for 14a but decided against it as I thought it would be a bit unfair to anyone reading the blog for the first time – he or she could be forgiven for thinking, “whatever is she talking about now?”

      1. But I would have solved it then, having no recall of what songs the Kinks made 😊

  17. I’m wondering if I was solving a different puzzle to everyone else this morning. Although I found the bottom half to be about the usual level of difficulty for a RayT puzzle, I thought the top half was more like a Beam Toughie (but with anagrams). In any event it was supremely enjoyable and my rating is 4.5*/4.5*.

    Podium places went to 14a, 24a & 17d.

    Many thanks to Ray T and Kath.

    P.S. I’m in the DD camp regarding 7d.

  18. Found this really hard and had to resort to the hints – then realised if I’d just thought a bit harder…or outside the box I could have got there. When will I learn? Thanks for the hints Kath.

  19. Another superb test, about mid-difficulty (***) for me. I seem to be in a run of South first to fall solves at the moment.
    Lots to like & nothing to dislike so **** enjoyment.
    COTD 1a but could have been 4 or 5 others.
    Thanks to Ray T for starting off what is proving to be a lovely day.
    Kath, thanks for the hints. To be super pedantic it is very likely that the gate illustrating 21d is mild steel not 21d iron. Yes I know they are called 21d but all modern gates aren’t. The Eiffel Tower is the most famous 21d iron structure.

      1. Kath
        As a metallurgist old enough to have examined failures in wrought iron I just thought I would inform of the common misconception. There are still craftsman who make gates etc out of proper wrought iron.
        The Eiffel Tower was the last major structure made of wrought iron. The Forth railway bridge, commenced about the same time was steel.
        Thatch no Blackpool Tower was built later and from steel which was poorly painted so corroded & basically had to be rebuilt after 20 years.
        😷

          1. Manders never been there nor followed its construction but what I can see looks like the modern steel tube “frame” with presumably reinforced concrete “decks” that always looked like a kit build (cheap & nasty) to me. See new stadia at Reading, Shrewsbury, Cardiff etc.
            Best to remember though the definition (not from BRB) Metallurgist: an engineer who can’t do engineering and a chemist who is hopeless at chemistry.

            1. Like your definition :smile:
              All I learnt at the Howard Academy of Higher Redundancy:
              If you treat people like idiot children, that is how they will respond
              Learning has nothing to do with memory; understanding is knowledge
              The meaning of language is its usage
              … and if you’ve learnt but can’t do, teach someone else to do it better

    1. I’m interested to know whether Blackpool Tower would count? (I think you’ve said/inferred recently that you are a metallurgist, so all becomes clear so to speak.)

  20. Usual problem with Ray T as mentioned above. I found the NW corner challenging. KCIT’s Toughie was more to my taste.

    1. I was so pleased to read your comment as I too had great difficulty on digging out those clues. Thank you Ray T and Kath.

  21. I got there in the end. Ray T inspires fear and trepidation in me but I’ve learned to persevere. 1a took a while as did 9d. ****/**** I really enjoyed this one in the end. I too thought of Terence’s cat (adopted cat) in 14a. I think the song is well known enough to pass muster as general knowledge. Most of the clues relating to films and film stars in the real general knowledge telegraph crossword are more obscure. Favourite 16a. Thanks to all. God knows how you sort out the hints at all!

    1. Another fine puzzle you’ve got me into , Stan. The bottom half went in easily, the top half took a little longer. I stIll have not cracked 12a so I shall have to see what Kath has to say to me. I often wonder if Lola’s real parents know how renowned she is – worldwide!

  22. Is that seven clues requiring reversals? That’s not a criticism, I enjoyed the challenge, just a bit unusual I feel.
    Thank you to all involved as always.

  23. I rarely get chance to attempt the DT cryptic before late evening so today is a 1st in terms of completing over lunch and also being able to post for the 1st time, so afternoon to all the regular posters. I found it pretty enjoyable, although for reasons I can’t fathom now, got stuck on 12A even with the checkers and the reverse…ah well..COTD for me 24A. Thanks to setter and Kath!

    1. Welcome to the blog. Now you’ve commented for the first time I hope you’ll return. Don’t worry about posting a comment later in the evening, the blogger gets an email every time someone comments and lots of us look at the comments whatever time they arrive

      1. Thank you and thanks for explaining that. I assumed most had “switched off” after about 5pm…so that’s good to know!

        1. Welcome from me too. As CS says, please keep commenting – it’s always good to have new people on the blog.

          1. Thank you, I’ll certainly try. And thanks for posting the tips which I certainly need them from time to time although how you guys manage to complete the crossword and post the tips and with the added time pressure never ceases to amaze me!!. :-)

            1. Not many post later than me, sometimes silly o’clock in the morning. I could do with more joining me.

  24. A satisfyingly testing exercise with the biggest effort required in the SE. Was too lazy to parse the cleverly convoluted 24a. Surely the synonym in 12a should be affix rather than fix. Last in was 21d – d’oh! Thank you RayT and Kath. Temperature in W. Sussex quite comfortable so far today.

  25. Oh dear a Ray T special, almost completely unintelligible at least for me. Managed 3 answers!
    *****/*
    Thx for the hints

  26. I struggled a little today and I am grateful to Kath for a couple of hints that got me going again.
    The cat that shall not be named today for fear of spoilers has released a press statement as follows:
    ‘As a mature twelve year old feline I am long past the exhausting pastimes referred to in 14 across. I am grateful to Ray T for the mention, but I ask the press and general media to respect my privacy this afternoon as I need, with some urgency, to snooze under the ivy. Thank you.’

    Thanks to Ray T and Kath.

    1. Your comment today, Terence, has brightened MY day considerably. I didn’t know the Kinks’ song, but I feel I’m beginning to develop a relationship with your Lola. Do give her my best.

  27. Like Rosie Posie, I found this difficult and had to resort to the hints for 12a and 6d (a word that I don’t think that I’ve ever had cause to use). Just not on wavelength today possibly because the heat is making me very sleepy, but more likely that I still find RayT crosswords hard to complete unaided. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy the weekly challenge, though, so thanks to him and to Kath for the much needed hints.

  28. I found this quite a slog. Went almost all the way through the across clues before being able to enter the first one (26a). As some others’ experience I gradually filled in from the bottom up. But not very satisfying. Unfamiliar with the Kinks, so that is another bit of added knowledge. Had trouble parsing 9d, so thanks for the hints, Kath. If there has to be a favourite it would probably be 24a.

  29. I know its most unflattering, but when I first saw the picture at 24a Jeremy Paxman immediately came to mind – sorry Jezza I hope your’e not a Telegraph crossword addict ;-)

    1. “Oh, do come on!”
      “We’re going to take a picture round now…”
      “No, I’m afraid you lose five points…”

      I am mortally offended! 👨‍🎓⁉⁉⁉

  30. Coming to this fairly late in the day there is not much I can add that has not already been said. I found it of moderate difficulty but, as always with Ray T, very entertaining and challenging. 17d was my COTD.

    Thanks to Mr T and well done to Kath.

  31. A very nice puzzle and for me a ***/**** I liked 12 & 18 for the different usage of the word bust, 16 across was my COTD followed on the podium 24 across, many thanks to RayT & Kath for their work.

  32. I am in the “two halves” camp.
    Bottom went in readily but above Nabakov’s Oeuvre I needed a bit of help from Kath. lots to love among my own work (22d being my pick) but 4d worth a mention even though I needed a nudge in the right direction from Kath. Thanks to Kath and RayT.

  33. ***/****. Another really good puzzle from Ray T. Lots to like: the usual innuendo, the lack of GK, the well balanced mix of anagrams, concise clues and occasional misdirection. Great stuff. Thanks also to Kath for the hints. Woke up to well needed rain today.

  34. With difficulty I solved this alone and unaided. All the more satisfying when I finished.
    Needed Kath’s help with the parsing of 24a, but it had to be what it was.
    So definitely a well done day .

    Thanks to Kath and to RayT.

  35. Thanks for the all day battle Mr T.
    I finished unaided, very satisfying.
    ****/****

  36. Thanks to Ray T and to Kath for the review and hints. I enjoyed this one very much. Got held up in the NE corner, but got there in the end. 14&28a made me laugh, but my favourite was 2d, so much going with so few words, brilliant. Was 2*/4* for me. Last in was 5d.

  37. A woolly headed woman Kath? Aren’t they all?
    Not seen the paper yet today due to an accident with a gallon of Marstons Pedigree Bitter last night. I’m in Warwickshire, the iPad with the paper is in Leicestershire. Actually I’m on the border enjoying a pint of Barn Owl Bitter. Home soon and looking forward to the tussle

        1. No, not at all. He knows perfectly well that he pokes fun and pretends to be as sexist as it’s possible to be and he really isn’t at all. Don’t worry – he and I understand each other.

            1. No, it didn’t but I was just making sure that it wasn’t misunderstood by others! :smile: to you

              1. Well I’ve made it home which is more than I did last night but my iPad needs charging so it’s a waiting game. On the plus side I’ve presented Saint Sharon with a couple of pounds of juicy ripe blackberries and grouted the pavoirs I laid yesterday.

                1. I hope that you didn’t pick them from the side of the road where they get covered with diesel oil. I always think it strange to
                  see blackberry pickers on the roadside. I am waiting for the sloes to make some sloe gin, although blackberry gin is also acceptable.

                  1. I never pick berries from the side of a main road. Fortunately, my farmer neighbours allow me to wander the hedgerows where I can pick pristine and untainted fruit. There are wild sloes, damsons and blackberries galore. I also found a walnut tree in the corner of a field well away from prying eyes. Cobnuts are also plentiful so our Christmas treats are secure without having to go to Sainsbury’s.
                    With regard to sloe gin, Daisygirl it is too early but I have made some raspberry brandy from the bush that seeded itself from our neighbours.

                    After I have filtered sloe gin, I coat the residual fruit in chocolate. It gives a wonderful after dinner treat.

  38. Another fine puzzle from the master. Toss up between 14 a and 24a for favourite, but so many interesting clues as usual. Thanks to RayT and to Kath who is also a Ray T fan.

  39. I always find RayT very difficult, so no surprises today. I did manage to solve south of 14a, except for 21d, but north was beyond my solving abilities, apart from 7d. I find it extremely difficult to reach his thought processes.
    My fave was 14a because of our furry friend, even though I’ve not heard of the Kinks it was easy enough to work out.
    Thanks to RayT for the usual puzzlement and to Kath for unravelling this lot.

    1. I had never heard of the Kinks either, nor did I know that song, but I found a video online in which the song is performed–at a rock concert, apparently–and I think I know why it never made it to our shores, or if it did, why I never heard of it. Greta said earlier that it was general knowledge, but GK of a special provenance, I think.

  40. Evening all. Many thanks to Kath for the decryption and to everybody else for your comments. Much appreciated.

    RayT

    1. Thanks for popping in and many thanks for an entertaining and challenging puzzle.

    2. RT
      Thank you for doing the honours and giving us the pleasant start to the day.

    3. Many thanks for the challenge, RayT. I am finally getting on your wavelength.

  41. Congratulations to all who solve Ray T’s puzzles. A couple of weeks ago I thought I was getting there, but that must have been a fluke. Today’s was too much like hard work. The bottom half was reasonable, except I couldn’t spell 24a. Don’t understand how 1a works. An old lag would be a lifer, so if you put prorate around that you would have one r too many? I had 6d from the clue, but didn’t recognise the word, duh. Per 8d I can think of quite a few who are mature, but definitely not sensible, including certain politicians 😊

    1. 1a – if you put ‘prate’ – a verb to rabbit on, chatter, blabber or gossip, around the ‘O’ for old (from the clue) and someone who’s going to be in prison for the rest of his (or her) life you get something that rabbits do – yes, we all know what rabbits do but it means that they increase in number at an alarming rate.
      I know exactly what you mean about 8d.

  42. A rare time when I agree with the rating for this thoroughly enjoyable crossword today. ***/****

    Very happy to finish a Ray T without resorting to google or the hints. :-)

    Many thanks to Ray T and to Kath (who I didn’t actually need today, but thanks anyway!).

  43. I seem to be getting the hang of Ray T now (it’s taken a while!) but manage to complete this one with just a hint for 1a – thanks Kath! Also a south to north solve, as others have mentioned. Thanks to Ray T for the workout.

  44. We found this one quite tricky especially the top half which, against our usual pattern, was the last to fall.
    Good fun as ever and the clue word count had a maximum of 7.
    Thanks RayT and Kath.

  45. Again I’m in the “I made harder work of this than I should have” camp this evening. I’ve no idea why, everything was perfectly straightforward if one looked at it the right way. It just took me a while. Hey ho! Maybe I’ll learn one day. Favourite was 1a. Many many thanks to RayT and Kath.

  46. Another puzzle this week that took more time than it should have. Was in the 3*/3* category for me today. Again needed more hints than normal and even several of those I still could not get the parsing.
    COTD for me 24a, 28a, 5d, 7d & 19d.
    Winner today is 28a and the clue reminding me that these fish are from the East Anglia area (specifically Great Yarmouth), it once being the neighbouring town from where I lived for much of the 1960’s as a child.

    Thanks Ray T and Kath for the hints

  47. Thank you to Ray T for a brilliant crossword, as usual, and thank you to everyone who’s contributed today.
    I hope you all manage to get a bit of shut-eye however muggy it is tonight.
    I’m off to bed now so night night everyone,

  48. One day soon I shall finish the crossword on the same day its published, the perils of having your house renovated and looking after a two and a half year old.
    That was quite simply…superb. A proper crossword after a few indifferent ones.
    Looking forward to reading the blog…
    Thanks Kath and Ray-T.

    1. Good luck on the renovations. We spent 3 years doing it all ourselves on our last house, including 5 months without a working kitchen. I’m sure the two and a half year old would love to be handed a paint brush 😊

  49. Urgh. In the small camp of strugglers and stragglers with this one. I could blame myself (trying to spell 16a with one T for example didn’t help) but so much easier to blame the setter… is 3D really a synonym for most excellent? Who uses the superlative at 8d instead of the form “most x”? Who uses “it” to mean sex other than 12 year olds? Can you really use 4d to mean expendable soldiers without preceding it with “cannon”? Enough prattle from me. Or should that be prate? New word to me!
    Thanks ray t and hintsters

  50. 4*/2*….
    liked 27A “gather leftovers, essentially aiding needy initially (5)”

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