DT 29569 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29569

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29569

Hints and tips by pommers

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

Hola from the Vega Baja where we have been spared the very heavy snowfall which is causing chaos elsewhere in Spain.  We had three days of pretty continuous rain and it’s very cold by Costa Blanca standards.  Only 8°C during the day on Saturday and 1°C overnight.  At 0830 this morning when I started this post it was 3°C.  Apparently it will be Wednesday before normal service will be resumed when we are forecast 16°C and wall-to-wall sunshine.  We live in hope.

As to today’s puzzle I found it to be just what I’ve come to expect on a Monday.  Not too difficult but with some very elegant cluing and a few sneaky definitions and bits of wordplay to keep us on our toes.  Some of you will be disappointed this week as there are only two anagrams and one clue which is half anagram.
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           Dog whistle in part of American’s car? (8)
TAILPIPE:  A word for dog as in follow followed by a word meaning to whistle.

5a           Legendary character international tenor starved of love (6)
ICARUS:  Start with I (International) and follow with a famous Italian tenor but without his final O (starved of love).  Being in Spain my first thought was  for Placido Domingo as the tenor but it doesn’t work!

10a         Colonials thrive, unexpectedly, in ‘The Scarlet Letter’, say (10,5)
HISTORICAL NOVEL:  Anagram (unexpectedly) of COLONIALS THRIVE.

11a         Anger about a politician causing storm (7)
RAMPAGE:  Take the A from the clue and the usual two letters for a politician and around them put another word for anger.  “Politician causing storm”. This couldn’t be an allusion to the current incumbent in the White House, could it?

12a         Most serious heading off for tallest peak (7)
EVEREST:  The tallest peak on earth is a word meaning most serious but without its first letter (heading off).

13a         One initially unwilling to ring the Italian about waterproof material (8)
OILCLOTH:  Take an O (One initially) and a word meaning unwilling and put them around (to ring) the Italian definite article and a single letter for about.

15a         Extremely deceptive, my colour scheme (5)
DECOR:  DE (extremely DeceptivE) followed by another exclamation meaning my or wow.

18a         Suffer at home: endless wind (5)
INCUR:  The usual two letters for at home followed by a word meaning to wind or coil but without its last letter (endless).

20a         Make little of miserable drama (8)
DOWNPLAY:  A word meaning miserable as in unhappy or blue followed by a drama on stage.
A “Miserable” drama perhaps . . . ?

23a         Worker briefly left royal house (7)
HANOVER:  One of the usual workers without its last letter (briefly) followed by a word meaning left as in surplus.

25a         Passage from another court (7)
EXTRACT: A word for another or one more followed by the usual abbreviation of court.

26a         Console member of the clergy and senior politician (7,8)
CABINET MINISTER:  This console could be a unit on which the controls of an electronic system are mounted or a housing for a television.  Follow it with a member of the clergy.  It took a while for the penny to drop on the meaning of console.  In view of what happened on Jan ! this is topical . . .

 

27a         Favour parking by river, free for a change (6)
PREFER:  P(arking) followed by R(iver) and then an anagram (for a change) of FREE.

28a         Visual artist capturing head of turbot, a large fish (5,3)
MANTA RAY:  You need to know the name of a visual artist who was a follower of Dadaism and Surrealism who was perhaps best known for his photography.  Into him insert T (head of Turbot) and the A from the clue.  Fortunately for me this chap has turned up in crosswords before and I remembered him.

Down

1d.          Top end of market give support to this new coutourier, ultimately (1-5)
T-SHIRT:  Take a T (end of markeT) and place it under (gives support in a down clue) an anagram (new) of THIS and then an R (coutourier ultimately).  I’ve got one like this . . .

2d           Out all night? I’d like to be! (9)
INSOMNIAC:  Cryptic definition.  Not round here you won’t. We have a curfew from 2200 to 0600!

3d           Dull, expert on ketch (7)
PROSAIC:  Start with an expert or professional and follow with a boat of the eastern Mediterranean.

4d           Self-confidence of model entertaining one (5)
POISE:  Start with a word for to model, not sit but the other one, and insert (entertaining) an I (one).

6d           Hold check, primarily on nurse (7)
CONTEND:  C (Check primarily) and then the ON from the clue and then a word meaning to nurse.

7d           Topical variety show? Critical appraisal heard (5)
REVUE:  This variety show sounds like (heard) a word for a critical appraisal, perhaps of said variety show., often followed by the word up.

8d           Royalist travelling alone (8)
SOLITARY:  Anagram (travelling) of ROYALIST.

9d           Willing to appear in quiz programme on TV, for example (4,4)
GAME SHOW:  A word meaning willing or up for it followed by a word meaning to appear.

14d         Stubborn old boy expected to cross grass (8)
OBDURATE:  Start with the usual old boy (2) and after him you need a word meaning expected (3) placed around (to cross) a word for to grass or betray (3).

16d         Eccentric personality‘s  reputation (9)
CHARACTER:  Double definition.

17d         Close deal over late drink (8)
NIGHTCAP:  An old word meaning close or near followed by a deal, but it’s reversed (over).

19d         Income from flat in Parisian street (7)
REVENUE:  A word meaning flat inserted into (in) the French word for street.

21d         Loyalist, quiet at unruly gathering (7)
PATRIOT:  P (quiet) followed by the AT from the clue and then an unruly gathering such as in Washington last week.

22d         Stout, last of beer, locked in room (6)
STURDY:  Stout or well-built is an R (last of beeR) inserted into (locked in) a room.

24d         Impressive  old gold coin (5)
NOBLE:  Double definition.  Apparently this old coin was worth one third of a pound.

25d         In Manchester, I called Heather (5)
ERICA:  A lurker hiding in (in) Manchester I called.

26a was my favourite for its excellent surface reading.  Up there with it on the podium are 15a and 25d.


Quick crossword pun:

Top line:     BUNGLE     +     OWES     =     BUNGALOWS

Bottom line:     GNAW     +     TICKLE     =     NAUTICAL

137 comments on “DT 29569

  1. Most enjoyable with some good clues such as 21d. I managed to finish unaided so the crosswording week has got off to a good start. I’m not sure if I have 1d correct as I cannot square my answer with the clue. I will look at the hints when they appear. My COTD is 13a.

    Many thanks to the setter (Campbell?) and to pommers for the hints, which I will now read.

  2. Some enjoyable misdirections to brighten Monday morning and some learnings courtesy of 3d and 28a. My favourite today was 17d.

    Thanks to today’s setter and pommers.

  3. A different ‘feel’ about todays puzzle, failed to start in my usual NW corner and reverted to the south then gradually completed the northern half!
    More difficult than the usual Monday solve for me and going for a ***/****.Really enjoyed it.
    Favourite was 5a-Enrico is always the first tenor to come to my mind ,I remember my uncle Tom having a collection of his works on the old shellac 78’s-there in an old hatbox somewhere.
    Thanks to setter and Pommers for he pics.

  4. The NW corner apart, this was all pretty standard fare but that corner took me as long as the rest of the puzzle, until I finally got one and then all fell into place (3*/2.5*). I dont really have a favourite clue today. Thanks to Pommers for the hints and to the compiler.

  5. Possibly a little trickier than a normal Monday puzzle. **/*** I still have no idea where the boat comes into 3d or who the artist is in 28a but both had to be what they are. 26a was clever but my favourite is 5a. Thanks to all.

  6. This took me slightly longer than normal for a Monday. I knew I had to add a ‘T’ into the name of an artist in 28a but I didn’t know the artist and had to check him on google. 26a was my favourite even if I’m fed up with listening to that word over the last few months. Thank you setter and Pommers. My window cleaner has cleaned the outside of the windows but will no longer clean inside. Understandable, but I now have to do that myself, and I’m not sure I can be bothered. We can’t have any visitors, so who’s going to notice?

    1. Nobody! Wait until you can’t see outside. On a scale of 1 to 10, this chore hasn’t yet made the list, lol.

      1. Noted Greta. The windows aren’t that bad. We don’t smoke, haven’t got a coal fire etc. which would probably make a difference to how they look. I would rather spend the time doing other stuff.

    2. As a newcomer to the area on enquiring as to where I could find a window cleaner. The reply was that, you won’t find one here, just put the light on!
      Am struggling with crossword today so reading to see what other people feel before I have another attempt.

  7. A very enjoyable start to the crosswording week that was just a tad harder than normal. 13a was my final entry with the excellent 26a my favourite.

    Many thanks to Campbell and pommers.

  8. This took me a little longer than normal for a Monday, the NW and SE corners being the problems. Eventually finished unaided in *** time.

    Am I the only one…. who thinks that the word play in 1d leads to T-SHITR? I can’t see how the R gets inside the word.

    Many thanks to the setter and Pommers.

    1. I fell into the same trap re 1d. As the wordplay says, and pommers explains, the anagram of “this” the “r” from coutourier sits on top of the t from market not underneath it.

  9. About the middle of the Monday spectrum for me. ** time & *** / **** enjoyment.
    Like Jonners didn’t know the artist in 28a or the boat in 3d but wordplay got me there.
    COTD was 2d.
    Thanks to Campbell for brightening up a cold grey day & pommers for the review, especially the Yes Minister clip. The brilliance of the series and the scripts always lightens my day in the same way that Matt cartoons do

  10. I thought this had a fair bit more bite to it than this setter’s recent norm & particularly in the NW. I didn’t know the fish but fortunately was familiar with the artist & certainly hadn’t ever heard of the boat at 3d. 13a was last in & parsing it was a struggle. COTD for me is a toss up between 2&17d. Unfortunately Rookie Corner is way too tough a cookie for the likes of me so it’ll have to be an earlier than usual walk. 2 great letter I live albums to listen to – It’s Too Late To Stop Now (Van) & Irish Tour (Rory Gallagher)
    Thanks to Campell & to Pommers

    1. I can recommend both a walk (wrap up warm) and then today’s Grain crossword which took about the same time as the DT

    2. Cannot fault the musical choices today. Do you have the recent 4 Cd release of ITLTSN? It’s sublime. As for dear old Rory. Anything by him will do me.

      1. “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world Jimi? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

      2. I have the DVD of Irish Tour – well, let’s face it, I have many, many DVDs of Rory. I genuinely believe that this was the period when he was at the top of his game. Tony Palmer got in really close, rather like today’s hand held cameras – you can see the sweat flying and feel the excitement in the theatres. It also has lots of backstage footage.

        1. Lost count of the number of times I saw him live Bluebird – NEVER a poor show & you always felt he gave 100%.

  11. I found this a little trickier than usual possibly unnerved by my battle with the “great unwashed” at my local supermarket. However the wordplay was as clever as always on Monday so unravelling it was good fun.
    Never heard of the ketch or the artist but enough checkers to see the solutions.
    17d today’s favourite with 2d a close second
    2.5/4*
    Many thanks to Campbell and Pommers

    1. Have you tried getting to the supermarket when they first open? We have been doing that every week since March, and there are rarely more than 3 other customers in there. On rare occasions, when I have forgotten something essential, I have popped back around 2pm and it is a zoo. Not worth the risk.

  12. 3*/3.5*. I found this tougher in parts than normal for a Monday, not helped by not knowing the visual artist in 28a nor the ketch in 3d. As usual though it was very enjoyable with 26a my favourite.

    Many thanks to Campbell and pommers.

  13. Pleasant Monday puzzle, finished in quick time. I’d prefer ‘mythical’ to ‘legendary’ in 5a (there’s a nuanced difference, even though thesauri and dictionaries might equate the terms). And 11a doesn’t begin to cover the macrocosmic damage wrought on January the Sixth (now 1/6, like 9/11). I thought that 13a, despite its awkward surface, was quite clever, though we across the Pond spell the synonym for ‘unwilling’ with an ‘a’ in the middle. Thanks to pommers and to today’s setter. ** / ***

        1. I think the emoticon suggests RD was being a little mischievous RC. At least we agree on New Years day!
          After last night perhaps a picture of Arnold Schwarzenneger would have been appropriate for 21d. It may have been somewhat OTT but he is a Republican and it even got reported in this morning’s DT.

            1. Sorry, RD, I missed the mischief. I don’t always understand what emoticons signify. 6/1 if you prefer.

          1. LBROK – meant to ask if you’ve ever been to Up Helly Aa in the Shetlands ? Came across it in a crossword & needless to say had never heard of it so did a bit of investigoogling & watched some You Tube clips. Must say it looked great fun & quite a spectacle with the added benefit of a good excuse for a booze up. Now on my bucket list.

            1. H,
              No I’m afraid this was my furthest north until I went to Wick for a scan a couple of weeks ago.
              Shetlands a different world again. At my age my bucket came with a spade, the list at the moment is “get to 2021”!
              Take the family to the Cote du Nord restaurant Kitomy is all that is on there otherwise.

              1. Hope you only have a small family, LBrOK, I see that they only take 6 diners at a time!
                Sure I’ve seen the restaurant mentioned on a TV programme but can’t remember anything other than the fact that the food on offer was very highly praised.

                1. My daughter has eaten there Jane and confirmed its reputation.
                  It must be unique in the UK if not the world, as the chef is also a local GP.

                  It will take slightly more normally but 6 will be enough for us. We are 10 but our son (and our only 3 grandchildren) was lost to us 3 years ago. As far as we know they are alive and well. For the sake of the grandchildren we considered court proceedings for access. We couldn’t face the unbelievable tirade of animosity and hate our son was directing at us so just left them to get on with their lives. We were both devastated at the time but now it is in the past.

                  1. That is so sad. I don’t have grandchildren yet but with my children all in their twenties I’m hoping some might arrive soon. I can’t imagine not being able to see them xxxx

                  2. Oh LROK, how very sad. As you know, we have ‘lost’ our elder daughter to dementia and it hurts every minute of every day.

  14. If anyone knows anything about the boat in 3d please share the info with us. I looked it up in Collins on the off-chance and lo and behold it was there and defined as a boat from the eastern Med but no other info. Google doesn’t get anything apart from a Chinese car manufacturer and some other things but no boats.

    I assume it’s some sort of ancient design of boat, like the proa in the South Pacific, and that it has two masts to be a ketch but that’s just guesswork.

    1. The BRB helpfully offers “a vessel like a ketch, used in the E Mediterranean”. And, beware, it also gives two alternative spellings: saick and saique!

      1. Collins gives the first of those alternative spellings but not the second. Unfortunately my BRB went for a swim in the flood and I haven’t replaced it.

          1. Soon to be three – my ancient one loses a few pages every time I open it which is most days.

    2. I had to google Eastern Mediterranean boat to get the answer. It hails from the Levante coastal area apparently.

  15. Thought I was familiar with all the boats that turn up in crosswordland but apparently not – 3d is a new one for the list. Needed a few checkers before the waterproof material came to mind and have to admit that I had the 26a large fish sorted long before the visual artist came to mind.
    I’ll join the chorus in praising 26a and I also rather liked the neatly constructed 19d.

    Thanks to Campbell and to pommers for the review.

  16. What has become typical very enjoyable Monday crosswording fare completed at a gallop – **/****.
    Fortunately, checkers helped with 3d without knowing the ketch before confirming it in the BRB.
    Candidates for favourite – 26a, 2d, and 25d – and the winner is 2d, an OBG?
    Thanks to Campbell and pommers.

  17. Like a lot of commenters here, I found this harder than usual for a Monday. Is it a different setter?
    5a held me up for a while, as I couldn’t get some variation of icon or iconic out of my head.
    Enjoyed the anagram at 10a.
    ***/****
    Thanks to Pommers and the setter.

    1. The two pun Quickie would suggest that Campbell is on duty again today. But he does seem to have ‘upped the ante’ a little in recent weeks.

  18. Campbell has got us off to a gentle start to the cruciverbal week particularly in the South. Didn’t quite parse 1d or 14d. 28a new to me. Fav was 19d. Thank you Campbell and pommers.

  19. This took longer than a normal Monday puzzle with one and three down taking far too long to solve. No idea who the geezer in 28 across is but the answer was obvious from the enumeration of the clue. It was a pleasure to solve, thank you Campbell. The review was fun too, thank you pommers. I’ve de-seeded the damsons left after bottling this years Damson gin. Tomorrow I’ll use what’s left to make alcoholic fudge, ice cream and chocolate. Now to sort some heating for the shed/workshop. I’ve got a coffin to make

    1. Good crossword today. 28a hasn’t come my way before. Nor this ketch, but managed most of the rest. I too have some alcoholic damsons. Please, if you put them in ice cream will it set?

      1. What I have made previously has set. I think I add more icing sugar if I’m not sure about it. I’ve just put all of the stones and pulpy bits left over into a saucepan with custard and milk and heated it up. Suck the stones dry and drink or spoon up what’s left. Not a lot goes to waste. Sometimes we decant the Damson Gin, add a handful of sugar and top up the mix with Sherry. Shake up for a few days and decant after a month or so, or whenever you feel ready. Damson Gin Sherry and the bits still used for, fudge, ice cream, chocolate etc.

  20. A little trickier than is usual for Monday. In particular, the ketch was unknown to me, but I figured that one out ok. Some lovely clues, though, from the Monday Maestro.

    Some green shoots of recovery from little Lola. Still not drinking as such (refused tap, bottled, and rain water; cold and warm) but I added water to her food and mixed it in with the ‘gravy’ and she finished that with her little bit of food. She is still sleeping almost all of the time, but she did settle, for about twenty minutes, on to my lap earlier, purring away – this is her first proper interaction since New Year. She returns to the vet late this afternoon, so we should have a clearer picture then.

    Today’s soundtrack: Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key Of Life (so lovely to hear this – I haven’t listened to it for some time)

    Thanks to Campbell and pommers.

    1. That sounds promising, Terence, let’s hope the vet has some answers for you this afternoon.
      By the way, do you know how old little Lola is? As I think most of us are finding, age is a very important factor when it comes to recovery rates!

    2. I had a Stevie Wonder mix on in the car yesterday. He gives us brilliance and syrup. As long as can filter out the syrup I’m ok with him. I remember the times he appeared on Sesame Street. Check those out on YouTube. It wouldn’t happen today.

    3. Wonderful that Lola is purring, Terrence. She must be feeling better. I hope the visit to the vet is positive.

    4. There’s nothing quite like a cat purring on your lap! Perhaps the collar will come off this afternoon.

    5. Glad to hear there’s encouraging news about Lola OBC. Listened to Songs in the Key of Life the other night. It & Innervisions are masterpieces.

      1. Thanks, Huntsman. As long as I skip what Miff (rightly) calls ‘the syrup’, then Stevie can do little wrong.

        1. Good wishes to Lola. No doubt, once the collar goes, she will feel things are getting back to normal. Cats are creatures of habit.

    6. We did have success in getting Rupert to drink when I cooked some liver in gravy, and then put in the blender, making a runny smoothie out of it.

  21. Enjoyed this puzzle immensely and finished without needing the hints or reveals. Enjoyed many of the clues but favourite was 28a which I thought was marvellous. Not too great a fan of him but it made me look for my Bill Brandt collections. He captured life in Britain during the 30s, 40s, and 50s, and the collections are well worth searching out. All human life is there.

    Thanks to Pommers and the setter.

  22. Nice Monday crossword **/**** 3d the alternative for ketch was new to me also 😳 Favourites 5a & 2d 😃 Thanks to Pommers and Campbell for brightening up just another “pandemic Monday” (apologies to the Bangles) 😬

  23. For the most part this was a romp through, until the NE area where I hit a brick wall. Went from 1* to 2* time but enjoyment still 3* throughout. Last in was 15a as it had to be what it was, but cannot understand the parsing for the last part of the word at all. Also found 5a somewhat confusing too. Both are very puzzling if you will pardon the pun.
    Other than that, some nice and clever clues. 2d made me groan as did 20a as I really liked them.
    My choices for favourites though are 1a, 23a, 26a, 1d, 3d & 6d (when I finally worked it out), with winner being 1a and runner up 23a

    Thanks to Campbell and Pommers

  24. Tricky to start but then came together well. However, I have never heard of the boat in 3d or the tenor in 5d.
    My favs were 20a and 2d.
    Thx to all
    **/***

  25. A good start to the week. I think we have had the eastern Mediterranean boat as a caique before. Several neat clues so it is thumbs up from me. Many thanks to the setter and Pommers. George is having his first vaccination on Friday and the second at the beginning of April. It’s a start.

    1. I know about the Greek caiques as I’ve done a lot of sailing around the Ionian and Aegean seas where there’s literally thousands of them. Looking at the pictures in the links posted above the saique is definitely not the same as a caique.

      1. That makes sense. I’d heard of the caique before and saic (saique) is close enough to be a different rendering of the same word from Greek or Turkish.

  26. A gloomy beginning as looking at the across clues briefly I couldn’t get one! A bit more successful with the Downs and bit by bit I clawed my way into what I found to be quite an obtuse affair but finished just in ** time so relieved. A bit of a rollercoaster. Thanks Pommers for the confirmatory hints and the setter for his or her slightly obscure ingenuity.

  27. An enjoyable puzzle today with no holdups. Hadn’t heard of the boat or the artist but both gettable. On a completely different matter, does anyone know how to get rid of the b*****y ad choices ads that now appear on my computer, my phone, my Kindle, etc. etc. and drive me MAD? They seem to be everywhere! Thanks to the setter and pommers.

    1. Meant to add, thumbs up to Ian Botham – I too am heartily sick of the BBC woke agenda and the likes of Chris Packham but I guess his in-box will be overflowing within hours.

    2. The only thing I’ve ever bought on the strength of an advert is a bacon buttie from a roadside cafe
      Unfortunately, many sites rely on the ads for income, just click away occasionally for fun and help fund them (especially on websites such as this one!)
      You can get AdBlockerPlus, but you won’t be able to access some websites with it turned on

    3. Try DuckDuckGo as an app or an add-in to other browsers (but allow ads on this site of course!).

      1. I use DuckDuckGo all the time. It doesn’t track your browsing history. Not that I have anything to hide, I hasten to add!

  28. Rattled through this at first then came unstuck on the boat, the artist and the fish. (I work down the Across clues then up the Down ones).
    Thanks to Pommers and to the setter.
    Loved the Yes Minister clip….must watch them on Britbox. You forget how good they were.

  29. A very enjoyable *** challenge but I am not familiar with the spelling of the unwilling synonym in 13a always though it included an ‘a’ and an ‘e’ ! Thank you Campbell and Pommers

  30. You give credit where it’s due but are therefore blinded to some awful stuff – 23a was half a clue and 1d the words are in the wrong order – ‘new should be earlier in the sentence. 26a was lovely!

  31. I don’t always find Campbell’s crosswords completely straightforward and I thought this one was a couple of steps up from normal.
    Like almost everyone else I’d never heard of the 28a artist or the 3d boat.
    I admit to being defeated by 1a – just couldn’t make any sense of it at all even with alternate letters in – should have thought a bit more, or maybe a bit less.
    I liked 20 and 26a and 9 and 19d.
    Thanks to Campbell and to pommers.

    1. The “Americans car ” part threw me as the term is used in the UK for the bit that comes out of the exhaust box.

  32. Great puzzle – neither too easy or difficult – that took some solving, but managed to complete without pommels’ hints. Thanks Campbell for the challenge! Good start to the week…cheers.

    1. I would Cut and Paste your comment but it is more civilised to just 100% agree with you.
      3d was a bit of a bung in with the intention to check the boat with Mr Google later. I was hoping it was a type of Sloop (John Bee) I was wearing Oilskins too until checkers put me in the right sailing wear – thankfully not a sailor suit!
      thanks to pommers for hints and music.
      Best wishes to Lola and Terence and all the other music suggestions

  33. Got off to a gallop in the second half, Slowed down a bit and then truly limped towards the finish. LOI surprise, surprise 3d! Many thanks to the Pommers and Campbell?
    PS Do hope Lola gets a clean bill of health later. Daisygirl I do hope George is not going to have to do a 40 mile round trip on Friday? April for the 2nd jab? I wonder what the scientists make of that?!

    1. Yes Hilary, madness. It is because we have an SG postcode, despite being in Cambridgeshire and only 9m from Addenbrookes, where I know other people from the village have been for their vaccinations. There is an option but we spent an hour on line and about 20 mins on the telephone trying to change the venue but none of the links worked and he finally said oh s-d it, I’ll go to b—–y Stevenage!

    1. The definition is Top. A T-shirt is a top as is a sweater or a jumper. Unfortunately pommers seems to have missed the underlining of this clue. (It happens). Other than that, what did you think of the puzzle, how is life treating you, would you like to thank the setter or pommers?

  34. I found this very benign, even knew the artist at 28a, but not a fan! The boat at 3d was new to me but a quick google confirmed it. The only one I needed help with was 22d, how dim is that.
    I really enjoyed this, as close as I’ve come to solving without help. Can’t decide on a fave, I liked 5a and 26a, toss a coin.
    Thank you Campbell, that was loads of fun. Thank you for the hints and pics pommers.

  35. I came here for an explanation of 3d and am so glad I did as the two clips have made my day!
    Thank you for the crossword and the clues.

    1. I’m confused by 23a. I understand the short worker, and the left (over) but where does the “H” come from?

  36. ***/***. Good challenge which required no electronic help apart from the strange ketch which Mr G resolved. Thanks to Campbell and Pommers.

  37. I’ve had great success with the last 2 Campbell puzzles, but found this one a little trickier. I didn’t the boat or the artist, but bunged them in once I got the checkers. Caruso is legendary, but I agree Icarus is mythical. Thanks to Campbell and Pommers for an enjoyable start to the week.

  38. No problem with the artist in 28a as he even made one of his weird movies at the Villa Noailles in Hyeres back in 1929.
    The town still owns a lot of his photographs.
    However, I didn’t know the ketch in 3d, nor the gold coin in 24d.
    Put me in the camp with those who found it harder than usual.
    Favourites 9 and 19d.
    Thanks to Campbell and to Pommers.

  39. I’m in the “never heard of the ketch or artist” camp this evening but never heard of the American car part or the book either. I felt console was a bit of a stretch too. Apart from those gripes an ok crossword. Favourite was 9d even though I never watch them, I know they exist and avoid them like the plague. Thanks to Campbell and Pommers.

    1. Actually, Countdown used to be quite good but I do tend to agree that such programmes are boring.

  40. Not much different to add to all the above comments but will somebody please tell me what BRB stands for. The big red book doesn’t sound quite right!! Sorry that Pommers & Kath have had problems with theirs whatever it is.

  41. I found this quite tricky and a bit of slog, despite knowing the tenor and the visual artist (although really – that doesn’t narrow it down much does it? He was primarily a photographer, revolutionary for his time but I don’t think his art has aged well). 1a and 13a weren’t words that tripped off my tongue and like everyone else I’d never heard of the boat. ***/**

  42. I found this quite tricky and a bit of slog, despite knowing the tenor and the visual artist (although really – that doesn’t narrow it down much does it? He was primarily a photographer, revolutionary for his time but I don’t think his art has aged well). 1a and 13a weren’t words that tripped off my tongue and like everyone else I’d never heard of the boat. ***/***

  43. Didn’t care for 2d as it has blighted my life for the last 10 years.
    Anyone who has suffered from it will know what I mean.

    1. Not for me, this.
      I am not a fan of the Monday crossword, unfortunately.
      I appreciate the work that goes into it, but that’s just how it is.
      Thanks all.

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