DT 29522 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29522

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29522

Hints and tips by pommers

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ****

Hola from the Vega Baja where the summer seems to have made a bit of a comeback for a few days.  26°C yesterday and forecast 27°C today and tomorrow.  I’m not complaining.

I thought today’s’ puzzle from the double punster was a bit on the tricky side.  Some of the synonyms are a tad stretched so took a bit of head scratching.  However there are enough gimmes and anagrams to give you a good start so it’s quite solvable. I found the tussle quite enjoyable and hope you all did too.

As usual the ones I liked most are in blue.  The definitions are underlined in the clues and the answers are under the “click here” buttons so don’t click on them unless you really want to see the answer.  Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Shabby? Study pub featured in article (10)
THREADBARE:  One of the usual words meaning study, not den or con but the other one, and one of the usual words for pub placed inside (featured in) a definite article.

6a           Go doolally when retired (4)
STAB:  Go as in have a go at.  It’s a word meaning doolally or nutty reversed (retired).

9a           Pair‘s masterstroke with lease (7)
COUPLET:  A masterstroke or perhaps a revolution followed by a word meaning lease or rent out.

10a         Working with CIA in Kansas city (7)
WICHITA:  Anagram (working) of WITH CIA.

12a         Note new Dundee stand completely finished (4,3,6)
DONE AND DUSTED:  One of the notes from the Sol-Fa scale followed by an anagram (new) of DUNDEE STAND.

14a         One allotted a call sign, ‘Aries’, to receive Idaho broadcast (5,3)
RADIO HAM:  Start with the animal that represents the star sign Aries and into it (to receive) insert an anagram (broadcast) of IDAHO.   Sorry, couldn’t get the TV episode as the BBC seem to have blocked it.

15a         Guide that woman inside health resort (6)
SHERPA:  This is a Himalayan mountain guide.  It’s a word meaning “that woman” placed insed (inside) a health resort such as Bath or Harrogate.

17a         A daughter in appearance may give a deceptive impression (6)
FACADE:  A from the clue and D(aughter) inside (in) a word meaning appearance.

19a         Follow party with good record (5,3)
HOUND DOG:  Take a word meaning to follow, the usual two letter party and a G(ood) and split it (5,3) to get a record by King Elvis.  Cue music . . .

21a         IOM races trip, sort youth organised (7,6)
TOURIST TROPHY:  This is the full name of the motorbike races held each year on the Isle of Man.  They’re an anagram (organised) of TRIP SORT YOUTH.  Strictly speaking they aren’t races but time trials which aren’t quite the same thing.

24a         Marsh bird pecked seabird (7)
BITTERN:  A word meaning pecked or nipped followed by a seabird.

25a         Greek character‘s order, constant in golf club (7)
OMICRON:  It’s the Order of Merit followed by C(onstant) in a golf club.

26a         Win each service (4)
EARN:  Two letters for each followed by the initials of our senior military service.

27a         Something to eat in bed, e.g. pâté I spread (7,3)
COTTAGE PIE:  A three letter bed, where a baby might sleep, followed by an anagram (spread) of EG PATE I.  I spent far too long trying to find an anagram of BED EG PATE I, d’oh!

Down

1d           Kid not right for a moment (4)
TICK:  A word meaning to kid with the R removed (not R(ight)).

2d           Complete game of golf with editor (7)
ROUNDED:  The word for a game of golf followed by the usual abbreviation of editor.

3d           Soon enough exhausted, pleasure-seeking (3,2,4,4)
ALL IN GOOD TIME:  The first two words are a phrase meaning exhausted or tired out and the second pair can mean pleasure seeking as in the phrase describing a pleasure seeking girl – a **** **** girl.

4d           Pinter play, a sell-out (8)
BETRAYAL:  You need a bit of GK for this one.  It’s a famous play by Harold Pinter and it’s a word meaning sell-out as in disloyalty or treachery.

5d           Quarrelled as king due (5)
ROWED:  A single letter for King followed by a word meaning due or unpaid.

7d           Two short tiers collapsed in tornado (7)
TWISTER:  Take the word TWO from the clue and remove its last letter (short) and  follow with an anagram (collapsed) of TIERS.

8d           Through with sweeping, on the whole (2,3,5)
BY AND LARGE:  The first word can mean through as in via, the second word is another way of saying with, the third word can mean sweeping as in sweeping changes and when they’re put together you get a phrase meaning on the whole.  This is one of those that’s easier to solve than hint.

11d         Taken by surprise, held out? (6,7)
CAUGHT NAPPING:  A word for held, in a cricket match perhaps, followed by a word for out or asleep.

13d         Successful academic, one on board (10)
PROFITABLE:  Successful as in making money.  It’s an abbreviation of an academic followed by I (one) and finally a board where you might serve dinner.

16d         Supporter at home cross over display? (8)
DOORPOST:  Another word for a crucifix  (cross) is reversed (over) and followed by a word meaning display, as in display a comment on this blog perhaps.

18d         Return punch in bar (7)
COUNTER:  Double definition.

20d         Party I’d assembled for outing (3,4)
DAY TRIP:  Anagram (assembled) of PARTY ID.

22d         Dance tune’s first on radio? (5)
TANGO:  This dance is also the word used for the letter T (Tune’s first) in the phonetic alphabet used in radio communication.

23d         Stake in restaurant extended (4)
ANTE:  This stake in a poker game is a lurker hiding in (in) the last two words.

A fair bit of blue today and I don’t really have a stand-out favourite as it’s all pretty good stuff.   The podium is populated by 11d, 3d and 10a in whatever order you want.


Quick crossword puns:

Top line:          PORTER     +     BULL     =     PORTABLE

Bottom line:    WHEY     +     FAIRER     =     WAYFARER

115 comments on “DT 29522

  1. After a pretty successful weekend, I have to report a non-finisher, with the rider falling at the last fence.

    All completed in **/*** time, with 8d unparsed, except for 16d. Even after the application of a few electrons, I have an answer but am unable to parse it. 

A most unsatisfactory state of affairs for a Monday. I’ll blame the lack of sleep, having got up before the crack to load my slow-cooker with 2lbs of venison. Only another 7 hours to go . . .

    Many thanks to the setter, and Pommers for filling the gaps.

    1. I thought this crossword was quite challenging, with a fair bit of lateral thinking/cogitation required for elastic synonyms and clues about sports/dramas about which I know very little (2.5*/2.5*). It was less satisfying than average because I had to use a lot of reverse engineering, putting in likely answers before I tried to work out how to parse them. 8a seemed rather a loose clue but 10a was quite good. 12a was syrange as I
      have always spelled the note in question ‘doh’ Thanks to Pommers for the review and to the compiler.

  2. This was no gimme for me and took a fair bit of sorting out, especially the SE, which took me into 3* time.
    I had to check the Greek character, the US city and the play but all were derivable (just) from the wordplay and checkers. 16d was a bung in and not the best clue in my opinion.
    I particularly liked the simple and amusing 6a, the double definition at 18d and the lurker at 23d but my favourite was 11d
    3/3*
    Many thanks to Campbell and Pommers for the entertainment

  3. A pleasant start to the solving week, albeit at the trickier end of our setter’s spectrum for a Monday. 10 and 14a are atop my podium. Great fun.

    Thanks to Campbell and pommers.

  4. 2.5*/4*. A fine puzzle to start the week. Three quarters went in on course for my 1* time, then I got held up by the SW corner and 16d, which was my last one in.

    With plenty of possible choices, my podium is occupied by 19a, 26a, 3d & 11d.

    Many thanks to Campbell and to pommers.

  5. I too thought that this was a bit trickier than what we’re used to on Mondays and I wasn’t helped by writing in ‘shadow’ for 17a. This seemed to work fine and I only realised it was wrong when I got 13d.
    My podium selections were 2d, 11d and 22d.
    Thanks to Campbell and pommers.

  6. Quite tricky for a Monday. ***/*** I struggled with 16d but sorted it in the end after a fair bit of head scratching. Not the best clue in the world. I look forward to Brian’s comments regarding the level of gk needed to solve this one. I did check Mr. G to make sure Wichita really was in Kansas although it couldn’t really be anything else. I always thought that TT in 21a stood for time trial too so that answer when I unraveled it was a bit of news to me. Favourite 11d. Thanks to all.

  7. Certainly a star trickier than a normal Monday puzzle , a steady solve for me and going for a **/****.
    Most enjoyable, liked 19a-thanks Pommers -one of my first single records, remember it had Don’t Be Cruel on the flip side! I think it followed Heartbreak Hotel-memories!
    Excellent variety of clues favourite 25a for its rarity.

  8. I agree with the above comment. A bit more than Mondayish. Probably due to clues like 3 and 8 down. All very entertaining at sunrise this morning. Certainly more entertaining than the Repair Shop I am doing now on a Tosca and Willoughby Albany Seat. Thanks to Campbell and pommers

        1. Grandma Bee had one of those toilet seats but the rest of the bathroom was so cold that icicles formed on the cistern and if it wasn’t for the wooden seat one could be welded in place if you lingered too long. Definitely not the place to take the crossword for a leisurely Sunday Solve!

  9. Great puzzle, tricky in parts eg 8d and 16d.
    Looked forward very much to hearing the King in 19a and wasn’t disappointed.
    So, ***/****.
    Many thanks to the setter and to pommers.

  10. Very enjoyable and one that I seemed to be right on the setters wavelength as I found it quite straightforward.
    Best clues for me were 10a and 25a and I learned the proper name for the reward for the winner of 21a, knew the initials well as my uncle competed successfully in the 1930s.
    Thx to all for an enjoyable outing.
    **/****

    1. Obviously a Pinter fan Brian, it fell into your “obscure GK” for me but I admit to my failings in that department.
      I am amazed at the courage of riders like your Uncle. What was his name, & what did he ride? Racing that course on bikes with the crude suspension that the 30’s bikes had must have been truly hair-raising.
      See my post #14 re Rick Broadbent’s book on the TT. It is a fascinating insight into the riders’ approach to racing the course.

  11. I found this pretty tricky and 16d was my last one in too. I had to see the hints after I had finished to find out how I got there which isn’t very satisfactory. Thanks to the setter and Pommers.

  12. Tricky for me…..failed to solve 4d….but that probably has a lot to do with my aversion to Pinter plays. As soon as I read his name I could feel my brain cells refusing to function.

    Needed help with the parsings of 8d and 22d and confirmation of 19a.
    I too spent a lot of time trying to anagram bed into 27a…..and almost looked up sphera for 15a …..oh dear…..is it anno domini or lockdown ? (Well, tier 3 for me).
    Breezy and sunny here, so that’s a plus.

    Thanks to the setter and to pommers.

  13. Tricky made worse by having “shadow” for 17a, using “bed” in 28a like pommers & struggling with using the wrong letters in 21a. Having been told off for listening to the TT on my “trannie” at work I kicked myself when the penny dropped. Anyone interested in the TT that hasn’t read “That Near Death Thing, Inside the most Dangerous Race in the World” by Rick Broadbent I recommend it
    Didn’t know the Pinter play but theatre / films are black holes in my GK.
    Two mentions of my favourite animal, and a record that takes me back to courting (old-fashioned – moi?) the now Mrs LROK, 19a has to be COTD.
    Thanks to Campbell for a very pleasant start to the week and pommers for the detailed & well illustrated review.

    1. Not relevant to the puzzle but for the first time last night walking Biggles on the beach I saw a “vertical rainbow” in low haar-type mist rising from the NE horizon directly opposite the setting sun. Tried Mr Wiki & got “fire dog” but that didn’t really fit it being opposite the setting sun. Anyone know If there is a technical term for it?

      1. I have always known them as Sun Dogs, LROK. They are formed when light passes through high clouds. Just something I remember from my days at school! :grin:

        1. Thanks Steve
          The thing was not formed by the sun’s rays passing through cirrus clouds & it was unusual in that I was between the (setting) sun & the water vapour (not a cirrus cloud as they do not form below 5K feet this started almost at ground level). As I read it with a firedog the cirrus cloud is still between the sun and the observer just like a rainbow is with a raincloud.

  14. I agree quite tricky for a Monday. Very good exercise for the brain though to set me up for the week, and enjoyable. I too had no idea what TT stood for although I watched them in fear and trembling on a sharp bend in the early 60s. I still remember the smell! Thank you to setter.

    1. That would be from Castrol R, the special oil used in almost all racing engines in those days. It had a very unique smell as it was made from basically castor oil.

  15. Spent a while trying to solve the wrong anagram in 27a until 22d forced a rethink. Otherwise this was plain sailing today. Favourite was 25a. Thanks to the setter and Pommers.

  16. Like pommers, I spent a while chewing on ‘bed e.g. pate I’ as an anagram, until it became clear that wasn’t going to cook at all.
    The parsing of 8d feels a bit odd to me, but what do I know? Not much, to save you answering.

    *There’s a typo in the revelation of the top line quickie pun.

    Lola is asleep on the sofa, I’m listening to Lang Lang on Spotify; all is right with the world here.

    Thanks to Campbell ‘n’ pommers.

  17. Another high quality typical Monday puzzle from Campbell which didn’t cause me any problems completed at a fast gallop – 1.5*/4*.
    Candidates for favourite – 15a, 24a, 3d, and 16d – and the winner is 24a.
    I don’t think we have seen the particular Greek letter at 25a before,
    Thanks to Campbell and pommers.

      1. No I don’t. On Thursdays and Fridays I am usually slowed down to a canter and there have been one or two occasions of at a trot.

        1. I just feel sorry for that poor horse – never seems to get a rest – always off at a gallop and occasionally allowed to slow down to a fast canter.

            1. I picture Senf mounting his horse with the crossword in his hand and commanding his mount to go at whatever gallop he says.

              “This crossword is a fast gallop today, Flight. Let’s GO!”

              🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

  18. Agree about the difficulty level.
    Last in were the record in 19a and the second word in 11d.
    Almost wrote Fraude (à la française) in 17a.
    Thanks to the setter and to Pommers.

  19. I agree with the majority that this was slightly tricky for a Monday but enjoyable, nevertheless. Thanks for Glen Campbell. The song contains a line I have always puzzled over – “I need you more than want you and I will need you for all time”. I have never understood that line. Plenty of good clues so difficult to pick a favourite but I did like 19a and 25a. Having a Greek son-in-law helped with the latter.

    Many thanks to Campbell for a good start to the week and thanks to pommers for the excellent hints.

        1. Jane,
          Typically it is only Typical women that think there are Typical men.

          😷
          To which your response could well be “Typical” I guess.

          1. I think there are ‘typical’ men although concede that they fall into different categories. Same is doubtless true of women so don’t go thinking that I’m extoling the virtues of the ‘fair sex’!

            1. Ok, Jane, if a man needs a woman more than wanting her but he wants her for all time, where is the sense in that?
              Or am I being thick?
              Probably. 🤣

      1. Brilliant line and great song. Lines that and songs like that always remind me of that wonderful line from Private Lives – “Funny how potent cheap music is.”

  20. Oh dear! Brian has let me down! I absolutely hated this after sailing through yesterday’s offering. I liked 10a for the song but otherwise I thought it hard, stretched and uninspired. Sorry. I don’t usually react like this. Better luck tomorrow?

    1. JB
      As someone once said of the Russians, Brian’s posts are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
      That is why they are eagerly awaited by all!

  21. 16d was my sticking point having convinced myself that ‘home’ was represented by the usual two letters. Plus, I’m another who tried to use ‘bed’ in 27a, despite the correct answer having already occurred to me – no hope……….
    Once completed, it was 24a & 3d that particularly appealed.

    Thanks to Campbell and to pommers – hope they scored well with the 22d, nicely performed.

  22. A couple of hitches today viz: 25a (for some reason I was not familiar with 15th letter although I did realise what the club must be) and 16d (I failed to come up with the cross). Have not heard of IOM races in 21a. Initially bunged in stun for 6a (it parses!) so made life difficult for myself. Surely something other than “record” would have been better in 19a. Altogether a pleasant exercise. Thank you Campbell and pommers.

    1. I suspect that the use of ‘record’ was deliberate misdirection. The word comes up often in crosswords and usually means LP, EP or LOG all of which crossed my mind before the penny dropped.

    2. I put in Black Dog for the record, which totally messed up 16d and the second word of 11d. And why I though black fitted I have no idea. Great track though!

  23. Took time to unravel but most satisfying. Liked 9a, 10a, and 21a, with 11d as my favourite. Thanks to Pommers and Campbell if indeed it is he/she or another pronoun.

  24. I have my contrary hat on today, in that I found this easier than a lot of recent Mondays. Easier, but not easy. I must have been on wavelength as I managed this with just a few hints. Ignorance of Pinter’s plays didn’t help. And I too spent too long trying to make an anagram work in 27a. Thankfully Peter knew the full name for the IOM TT races, so that helped. Thanks to setter and Pommers. Off for a good walkies around IKEA now 😊

  25. Same for me – problems with “shadow”, “bed” and the third “study” plus the completely unknown to me “Greek character”. I always struggle with Greek characters – alpha, beta, gamma, delta and omega plus the usual mathematical ones are somewhere in my memory banks and now this new one at 25 across. I have similar problems with golfing and cricket terms. Very enjoyable nevertheless.

  26. I loved this puzzle **/**** what a nice start to the week 😃 Favourites of course 🏆 to 24a and also on the podium are 14a & 1a 🤗 and all I need to say to Pommers is “Thank you for the music” and of course thanks to the Setter

  27. Tricky for a Monday but enjoyable. I was also tempted by shadow for 17a but fortunately I’d got 3d so it wouldn’t fit. Thanks to Pommers and Campbell.

    1. I love the phrase “pleasingly teasing”. Reminds me of some wonderful times, which I will not expand on! 😏

  28. A nice easy start to the week with this puzzle. 1.5*/**** my rating today. SW took a while to complete, but no real issues.
    Some nice clues for favourites today include 1a, 6a, 14a, 18a & 3d with my favourite being 14a with 3d runner up.
    14a reminded me of the great enjoyment I got out of the entertainer on TV and radio that is associated with the 14a answer as well as the accompanying other show on that record. I still have it!
    It is as funny today as it was then.
    If you haven’t read the book about him, it is well worth reading.

    Thanks to Campbell and Pommers for the hints.

  29. I really struggled with this one and, until I read the comments, blamed it on having had a really bad sleep last night.
    I had ‘shadow’ for 17a until it messed up a couple of other answers and also tried to make an anagram of the wrong letters for 27a.
    I only knew the 10a town from the Glen Campbell that pommers used in his hint.
    21a took for ever and I was slow to get the ‘why’ of 14a even though it had to be what it was.
    Really not my day! Oh dear!
    Thanks to Campbell for the crossword and thanks to pommers for the hints (and the Glen Campbell and Tony Hancock)

  30. Late to this as not too long back from what should have been a decent 8 mile circular walk round the Munden Estate outside Watford except the rain sodden/flooded ground put paid to the planned route. Fully agree that this was far trickier than the Monday norm & not helped by initially bunging dead & buried in for 12a plus unaware as the 2nd word at 11d. Fortunately shadow didn’t occur to me for 17a. Was only checking out the Greek alphabet on Saturday so that was handy but unable to parse a couple so the review was much needed. 14&19a were the picks for me.
    Thanks to Campbell & to Pommers

  31. I found this a bit tricky, but I solved in reasonable time. I had several answers that could not parse at all, natch, like so many I tried an anagram with “bed” in it at 27a. Some, as e.g. 21a, I remember from before and gave me nice checkers. I looked up a list of Pinter plays for 4d, and so on.
    I enjoyed this 8d, but wish I’d been more switched on and understood the answers more.
    Thank you Campbell, and thank you pommers for the unravelling for me.

    Pommers, remember you gave us a programme called “crosswordpuzzlehelp.net”? It was the best yet, but now it’s gone kaput and I can’t find another one so friendly. Do you have a new one that’s as good that you can share?

      1. I’ll keep trying and hoping it comes back, it was the best!
        Thanks, I’ll try the others. I’m not very clever so I may have a problem, fingers crossed.

  32. I came here prepared to say this was a doddle that was almost a proscribed term but then I noticed I was doing the other Cryptic 630. As I was still having 2nd coffee of the day I turned to this and found it a lot harder. I did like it though. Some nice anagrams12a and 21a and 11d can fight it out for honours. I too had bed in my fodder for 27a for too long.
    When does a Shepherds become a 27a? or is it just down to the meat under the crust?
    Nice to hear Glenn Campbell on a Campbell puzzle. It was a safe bet we would see H H H Hancock and Elvis in the clips too.
    Thanks to Campbell and pommers. 16d needed a nudge from the hints and I had to investigoogle Pinter plays but it is all 12a now

    1. I think (but I only think) that shepherd’s pie is made with lamb mince and cottage pie with beef.
      Pretty inefficient shepherds I reckon – what good one would allow his (or her) sheep or lambs to be made into a pie.

      1. You’re definitely right, Kath. I only know because, for some unknown reason, lamb mince plays havoc with my internal workings!

      2. I’ve always known both pies as being made from the cold leftovers of the Sunday joints of either beef or lamb, rather than fresh mince

        I also make a pie with leftover cold pork, known in our house as Swineherds Revenge

        1. Yep – chicken or pork had a puff pastry top, beef or lamb had mashed roasties on top; regular Tuesday fare in out house when I was a kid
          Hmmm…

      3. You are quite right, Kath. Cottage pie is beef, Shepherds is lamb. As for shepherds allowing their lambs to be made into a pie, it is why they were tending them.

          1. Our local pub, does a Stalkers pie which is made with venison.
            Oh, how I wish they would let our decent little local pubs reopen!

  33. Please can we have another Dada puzzle?! I’m really struggling with this one, so not enjoying it that much. I never find Campbell that easy. Thanks to Pommers for the hints which I’m about to resort to.

      1. Its odd, I can usually do Dada’s Toughies, but normally fail to get one answer when attempting Dada’s alter-ego, Paul in the Guardian.

        1. That’s because he has to abide by DT house rules rather than the Graun no-holds-barred bunfight
          I’ll bet I know which one is more fun to set, but all too often liberties are taken that are not quite right

  34. Well I fell into the traps and failed to parse the same ones as everyone else, except Brian obviously. I’m coming round to the point of view that he looks at the difficulty rating and the comments and plays devils advocate. Any road up! I got there in the end. Favourite was 10a mainly because I love the song. Thanks to Campbell and Pommers.

  35. Never heard of the cross in 16d which rendered it impossible, even with all the checking letters. Rest was ok. Lots of nice clues, a bit harder than normal, but Monday is usually the hardest of the week for me anyway.
    Another vaccine, hopefully the world will return to normal soon.
    Thanks all.

    1. “Rood” was in not too many weeks ago Hoofs.
      You’ll forget the llast time Millwall lost soon!

  36. Thanks to Campbell and to Pommers for the review and hints. I enjoyed this one very much, but found it very challenging. Needed the hints for 19&25a and 16d. Spent a long time on this, but just couldn’t get those three. Favourite was 21a, I’d known of the IOM TT for about sixty years, but never knew what the initials stood for! One I shall definitely remember from now on. Was 4* / 4* for me.

  37. The same pitfalls seem to have beset most of us with, of course, some variations. My penultimate answer was 25a and the last, in common with others, was 16a. I eventually got the second half and thought of the first half which I could not parse. As I was writing it in it dawned on me. I am familiar with the cross but did not get the significance of over. I am not sure why but don’t think of the answer as a supporter. I of course fell into the bed trap but got there in the end. I had to look up the Greek letter and the Pinter play- this one not being familiar. Lots to like 14 15 17 24 and 27a and 3 11 and 13d. Good exercise for the brain so thanks Campbell and Pommers.

  38. Very late today because I started reading Robert Galbraith’s (aka JK Rowling’s) new 1500 page novel (in large print) yesterday and couldn’t put it down–still only halfway through–but do want to congratulate Monday’s setter for a really different and delightfully tricky beginning to the week. Podium stars galore: the entire SE corner. Many thanks to pommers and today’s setter. ** / ****

    A Carolina native won the Masters yesterday, our own Dustin Johnson!

    1. Yes, that resonated here as well! Your comments are always so short and sweet but I do enjoy learning of your ‘picks of the bunch’. Hope you are bearing up under the current trying circumstances?

      1. Bearing up fine (so far) thanks-hope you are likewise..
        We live in Hastings (retired, as in clue 6A mentioned above) which has the lowest of Covid rates-cannot say that we anticipated that before moving here though !

        1. Fine here, thank you. As you said of Hastings, I never realised what a good move it was to retire to Anglesey all those years ago.

  39. Quite proud of myself for completing with no hints. I’m a bit flummoxed by the “time taken” scores of other commentators. For one, I complete my crosswords over several short interludes, usually on the subway to or from work so calculating the aggregate time is almost impossible. Secondly what criteria does one use to calibrate the number of stars? I could have sworn that many years ago Big Dave didn’t allow mention of time taken, but presumably the house rules have changed or my memory is faulty. Anyway, great puzzle this Monday. Thanks to Campbell and to Pommers.

    1. Hi Stan,
      I wouldn’t worry yourself unduly over the ‘time taken’ comments. The reviewer of the puzzle gives a ‘star’ rating based on how long it took him/her to complete compared to what they would normally expect of themselves but I think they almost invariably complete the puzzle at one sitting. Others may use a similar tactic but it could be based on something as random as ‘ hadn’t finished it by the end of my commute’ – ‘sat twiddling my fingers for the last few minutes of the journey’ etc.
      All that really matters is whether you enjoyed the solve and there’s no time limit on that!

      1. Thank you, Jane. I certainly focus on the enjoyment aspect and don’t worry about the time. You may have noticed that my comments are often posted days after the day of the crossword because it has sat in my pocket and accompanied me on several subway or bus trips!

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