DT 29570 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29570

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29570

Hints and tips by Mr K

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BD Rating  -  Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***

Hello, everyone. Today sees a return to the Tuesday puzzle norm. I thought it was a solid crossword with no obscurities or unusual clueing devices. Definitely a pleasant solve. 

In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it or display a bonus illustration and a hover (computer) or long press (mobile) might explain more about the picture. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.

 

Across

1a    Came to a funeral gathering with Edward (8)
AWAKENED:  Link together A from the clue, a funeral gathering, and a three-letter informal form of Edward 

5a    Sample white wine, swallowing first bit of Rioja (6)
MORSEL:  A German white wine containing (swallowing) the first character (bit) of RIOJA 

10a   In reality broadcast oafs attract fame (2,1,6,2,4)
AS A MATTER OF FACT:  An anagram (broadcast) of OAFS ATTRACT FAME

11a   More incoherent male did rue getting drunk (7)
MUDDIER:  The single letter for male with an anagram (getting drunk) of DID RUE 

12a   Very old article by Conservative that is not without heart (7)
ANCIENT:  Concatenate a grammatical article, an abbreviation for Conservative, the Latin abbreviation for "that is", and NOT from the clue minus its central letter (without heart

13a   Working with the church modus operandi -- religious education again (4,4)
ONCE MORE:  Chain together working or running, the abbreviation for the Church of England, the abbreviation for modus operandi, and the abbreviation for religious education 

15a   People with diamonds bolted (5)
RACED:  A people or ethnic group with the playing card symbol for diamonds 

18a   Some comprehend editor's wound up (5)
ENDED:  The answer is hiding as some of the remainder of the clue 

20a   Stroke bird's markings (8)
PATTERNS:  Follow stroke or caress by a sea bird with his 'S from the clue 

23a   Reptiles swagger around, encircling the Parisian (7)
TURTLES:  The reversal (around) of a synonym of swagger containing (encircling) one of the French words for "the"

25a   Take a picture badly -- one's cut out (7)
CAPTURE:  An anagram (badly) of A PICTURE minus the Roman one (one's cut out)

26a   Cleaner, polished car -- it's nicest without new marks (15)
CHARACTERISTICS:  A female cleaner is followed by an anagram (polished) of CAR IT'S NICEST minus the single letter for new (without new) 

27a   Most recent top grade is after student examination (6)
LATEST:  The letter indicating a top grade comes after the letter indicating a student or learner driver, and that's all followed by another word for examination 

28a   Legends in golf following leader with last of birdies (8)
HEADINGS:  The combination of IN from the clue and the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by golf is following a synonym of leader, and the last letter of BIRDIES is appended to that group of letters 

 

Down

1d    Frightens almost everyone with weapons (6)
ALARMS:  A synonym of everyone minus its last letter (almost) with another word for weapons 

2d    A pop group -- one daughter's rejected (9)
ABANDONED:  Chain together A from the clue, a pop or rock group, ONE from the clue, and the genealogical abbreviation for daughter 

3d    Look at fire rising over explosive device (7)
EXAMINE:  The reversal (rising) of fire or dismiss comes before (over, in a down clue) a hidden explosive device 

4d    Go in emergency room below hospital department (5)
ENTER:  The abbreviation for emergency room comes after (below, in a down clue) the abbreviation for a usual hospital department 

6d    One about to be restrained by tender policeman? (7)
OFFICER:  The Roman one and the single-letter Latin abbreviation for about or approximately are together contained by (restrained by) a tender or bid 

7d    Set forth  government  position (5)
STATE:  A triple definition that's straightforward once you realize that's what the clue is

8d    Slack tie adult loosened (8)
LATITUDE:  An anagram (loosened) of TIE ADULT 

9d    Widest track leading outside (8)
BROADEST:  A track suitable for wheeled traffic has leading or foremost wrapped around it (outside

14d   Facing work pressure over location (8)
OPPOSITE:  Cement together the usual musical work, the physics symbol for pressure, the cricket abbreviation for over, and another word for location 

16d   Chaos from prisoner marrying (9)
CONFUSION:  A usual prisoner with a marrying or union 

17d   Standing very clear -- it's exploding (8)
VERTICAL:  The single letter for very with an anagram ('s exploding) of CLEAR IT

19d   Attractive woman with pay rise oddly lost money (7)
DOLLARS:  An old slang term for an attractive woman with the even letters (… oddly lost) of PAY RISE 

21d   Former lover sat bare (7)
EXPOSED:  A usual former lover is followed by sat for an artist 

22d   Where men might eat  pickles (6)
MESSES:  A double definition.  The men might be soldiers 

24d   Right oven for joint? (5)
ROAST:  The single letter for right with an oven for drying hops 

25d   Evil scoundrels on ecstasy (5)
CURSE:  Some scoundrels or dogs followed by the single letter for the drug ecstasy 

 

Thanks to today’s setter. My favourite has to be 23a – who doesn't love them? Which clues did you like best?


The Quick Crossword pun:  AXE + OFF + WAUGH = ACTS OF WAR


149 comments on “DT 29570

  1. Another good Tuesday offering and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Favourite clues are 1a and 14d but my COTD is 13a Lego build. I am not sure if I have 28a correct so I haven’t entered it yet. I will ponder it some more because I would like to finish a puzzle unaided two days in a row.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints, which I will read now.

    Just got 28a!

    1. Rats! Yesterday I needed help with one clue only, today the same thing, I needed help with 5a. Both days they were perfectly straightforward and I should have got them. Makes me so mad with myself. Grrr.

      1. It’s true isn’t, Merusa that we can tell ourselves it’s only a puzzle but we can find ourselves being somewhat preoccupied with them, nevertheless. I became sort of fixated on finishing unaided two days in a row and refused to look at hints until my brain worked the last clue out.

        I could have been in the garden!

  2. All completed in a very matter-of-fact way, in **/*** time. All parsing complete, and not a single “Ummm”. 24d is a bit of an old classic.

    My only beef today was the placement of 5a and 5d in the Quickie, with hundreds to choose from, and without the initial letter, I thought this was quite unfair GK. Not helping was the fact that there is more than one anagram possible at 11a, one of which fits with two of the checkers. Sorting that NE corner out caused me more stress than the whole of the Cryptic.

    Many thanks to he setter and Mr.K.

    1. A very straightforward solve and quite enjoyable (1*/3.5*). I particularly enjoyed the long anagrams, 10a and 26a. Many thanks to Mr K for the hints, I loved the picture of the cat riding a turtle. Thanks to the compiler also for a nicely relaxing challenge.

    2. I’ve got Osman at 5 across in the Quickie. The English author of the day according to The Big Dave Book Club. This gives The Axe of Ozmon from The Lord of the Rings or some other nonsense. What else can it possibly be?

            1. After all the Waugh’s both senior and junior were Lord Mayors of Coventry as well as being authors

      1. At school we had to select an author, read several of their books and then give the class a talk on the author and their books. I chose Evelyn Waugh and wrote to him for ‘inside’ information as I had seen his address somewhere. I got an ‘interesting’ letter back on his headed notepaper which I still have. The last sentence was ‘for further information I suggest you read the obituary written on the occasion of my death last year’! What a fool I felt. However, a couple of years ago I sent a copy to Auberon’s daughter Daisy and she confirmed it was his writing and hoped I hadn’t been too upset by the letter saying he had a wicket sense of humour. On the contrary, I cherish it.

        1. This is not in the same league but my mum in law was a remedial teacher. She was horrified when she read a Paddington book by Michael Bond. The bear did not use correct spelling and, as a remedial teacher, she could not condone it. If children saw a favourite bear spelling words wrongly they would think it ok to do likewise. She wrote to Michael Bond and complained. He wrote back and apologised and said he would speak to Paddington. He enclosed a book signed by himself and Paddington.

          We still have the book and the letter.

  3. If I’m being honest I found this a bit pedestrian, with little to excite. I didn’t know the white wine in 5a but had enough checkers (with the R) to easily see it. Thought the synonym in 19d hopelessly dated. No stand out clues but I quite liked 23a.
    1/2*
    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K

    1. In my head (and in the 70s) I always thought Rhein wines were in a slim brown bottle and Moselle wines in a fatter green bottle. Even the glasses you served them in were a different shape. A bit like the difference between Bordeaux and Burgundy bottles.
      I’m sure there are wine buffs out there who know whether this is still true, now that we more likely to encounter new world wines than German ones. I expect people’s heads would explode nowadays if we went down that route. You can get glasses now that hold a whole bottle ……..

      1. Riedel have a bewildering array of glasses in the vinum & sommelier range. The only problem is they’re so bloody expensive you’re afraid to use them especially, if like me, you’re prone to knock them over when you’ve had a glass too many

  4. I agree with Stephen L a bit pedestrian, but maybe nothing wrong with that on a wet Tuesday in lockdown when I want to keep my stress levels low……

    A coffee time puzzle with some quite nice clues and favourite was 25d: I see from above it’s a bit of an old’un but new to me.

    I enjoyed Mr K’s topical hint to 6d. On that topic there’s a great letter from a Mr Bishop in the letters page about a cup of coffee now being deemed by said guardians of our safety being a picnic and therefore possibly a substantial meal which is clever and amusing.

    1. I did hear that we are not supposed to have a cup of takeaway coffee in our hands whilst out walking. Is this really true? And why? What possible risk to the safety of others does this pose? Anybody know?

      1. Our Licensing Officers reckoned glasses were potential weapons. When we had meetings at my pub everybody around the table had glass glasses for their drinks except the licensing officers who were given their drinks in plastic beakers

      2. I think it is all to do with the two nice ladies who notwithstanding their social distancing had travelled a short distance for a walk and made the heinous mistake of carrying coffee so we’re descended on by SWAT teams etc. Their £200 fines have actually now been cancelled. It’s all very 1984…….

        1. As has been pointed out by greater legal minds than mine, the police seem to having difficulties in differentiating guidance from law with only the latter being enforceable. I would like to say that common sense should prevail but that is in short supply in normal times let alone in the current climate.

        2. My grandson who accompanied me on said walk had an ice cream. Lucky he wasn’t caught with that or he’d be facing a firing squad. Our seafront did appear to be more heavily populated than usual for a January afternoon. I can’t believe everybody was a local but all were practising social distancing with good humour.

      3. Well, there are two sides to every story. The unsuitable “walking” gear: the hair, make-up, the lack of hats and the obviously labelled wellington boots to walk up a frosty grass path in -2C rather gave the game away. Don’t try it, is my advice, because your feet won’t thank you.
        I think the ladies got more out of the expedition than the unfortunate plods, in this case. I mean, someone had to take the picture that was credited to one of the ladies – it wasn’t a selfie – well, someone had to make sure the boots were visible.

        I’m not a fan of the containers of freshly brewed coffee (although it’s not a bad energy boost for exercise as cyclists will tell you). I’d rather have my own mug/flask.
        On the whole, I’d rather have a spicy soup in the mug……..now, is that a picnic or not? There should be trestle tables everywhere in the countryside, so comestibles can be rigorously tested.

          1. I somehow think you Brits are having us on, I can’t believe all this is true. Maybe in view of our recent history, anything is possible – or should I say probable.

            1. You would not believe what is going on over here, Merusa. We are not having you on. 😎

  5. This was a relatively straightforward solve with only a couple of delays during completion of the grid. As our blogger says, no obscurities or unusual clue constructions to slow us up, just a good, solid puzzle. 23a was my favourite clue, with the triple definition at 7d a close second.

    Many thanks to both Misters.

  6. A gentle stroll this morning. **/*** The seabirds in 20a seem to be the only avian species referenced in puzzles. 1a made me smile. Favourite 23a. Thanks to all.

  7. 2*/3.5*. I found this light but fun.

    I had always thought of a legend in the context of 28a as a footnote but it seems I have been labouring under a misapprehension.

    10a was my favourite – a great anagram together with a perfect surface.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

    P.S. Mr K. / Big Dave. Previously if you clicked on the grey answer box to reveal the answer then clicked it again the answer would be re-hidden. Recently for most (all?) reviewers except Mr K. this second click no longer works. Do you know why this changed and why Mr K. is different?

    1. Hi, RD. The short answer is that my spoilers are produced in a different way to those on other pages (that’s why the text on mine can be different to the standard “Click here!”). The long answer is technical. The spoilers, and other fancy features, are produced by computer code that instructs browsers hows to display items. That code, written in a language called JavaScript, is embedded in the web page. JavaScript evolves over time, with new functionality being added and removed. The standard spoilers use a JavaScript function that isn’t allowed in recent versions of the language, so the site has been using an additional code to restore some of that functionality with newer versions of JavaScript. I suspect that an update somewhere has broken that fix. My code, embedded directly in my blogs, is written with functions that are supported by modern JavaScript, so it wasn’t affected by whatever changed.

      As to why I’m different, I guess one would have to ask my mother :)

      1. Hey, Mr K, is that why your pictures invert themselves when they’re clicked? Or is that you having a laugh?
        Sometimes, they spin AND invert, sometimes they just enlarge.
        Hey, ho, what it is for some of us, namely me, to have too much time on our hands.

        1. Hi, Bluebird. Yes, my JavaScript also enables features like picture zooming/swapping and initial blurring of embedded videos. The pics should always render with correct orientation. If you’re seeing them otherwise could you tell me what browser and hardware you’re using?

          1. On my iPad I can add them to my images (I hope you don’t mind – they only get shared with friends) but I then have to edit them to flip or turn within the 360deg.
            It’s no bother.
            I generally use the default Safari browser.

        1. You’ve gone all muddy again! which of the young ladies in Mr K’s pic for 11a is Saint Sharon?

          1. None.. Saint Sharon bought me the suit and was daft enough to mention that I hadn’t worn it. So I wore it to that event, which reminds me I must ask Saint Sharon to fetch it back from the cleaners

      2. I’ve just recovered from the longest bout of hysterical laughter I’ve ever experienced! I now realise how far removed I am from anything techie, I understood nothing of that.

      3. I’d guess an ‘OnClick’ JS and CSS conflict
        I woke up last Saturday to find my phone totally depleted. Once I’d charged it again I turned it on and got a message from ‘Network’ saying ‘We have updated your device’
        Hardly works now and the battery’s buggered
        They write new code, then tell you that you need to buy a new device to run it – that’s why, having worked in that field, I passionately hate IT – got you by the buzzcocks
        A lot of that junk is mined by children and ends up in the sea

        1. Hi, LbR. I didn’t know that one could implement an onclick action with CSS. I suspect that the underlying issue is that because the spoiler plug-in is old it makes use of the .live() JavaScript method that’s been deprecated for years. It was finally removed in JS v1.9. The site appears to be loading additional JS code that allowed .live() to keep working with JS v1.9, although it looks like that fix may no longer be working completely. The click actions associated with my custom spoilers are implemented using the .on() method, which may explain why they still open and close properly.

  8. As Mr K said, this was a solid puzzle. Nothing to particularly excite but quite satisfying to solve.
    Top two for me were 1&13a.

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K for all his work to produce the review for us.

    Speaking of felines, I do hope Terence pops in soon to give us an update on Lola.

  9. Enjoyable and very much on the setter’s wavelength today, so I’d perhaps go for */***.

    That said, I invariably seem to do better if I tackle the crossword in the morning, rather than saving it until the evening. On short winter days, I feel like I should be doing something more ‘useful’ during the limited daylight hours, but it’s so miserable outside today even the dogs refused to go for a walk… :D

  10. Thoroughly enjoyed both Quick and Cryptic. Did anyone else notice the reverse answers for 14d cryptic and 4d quick – I thought that was clever.
    Many thanks to the setter and Mr K

    1. Yes, Jimbob. Plus, I found myself trying to put answers in the wrong boxes on occasion. There were ‘marks’ and markings’ to contend with, too.

  11. That’s better – much more of a Tuesday puzzle, completed at a gallop – **/****.
    One big Hmm on the unindicated 4d North American, Chambers agrees with me, term and abbreviation for A&E.
    Candidates for favourite – 13a, 20a, and 9d – and the winner is 20a.
    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

    1. 4d does have an American indication in it: it uses the term “emergency room”! As that is only an American phrase, there’s no need to point out that it’s American.

      While Brits would call that department “A&E”, we couldn’t claim the abbreviation for “emergency room” is “A&E”; the abbreviation for “emergency room” is what it is, regardless of what term you would use or where you live.

      1. Indeed.

        In addition, I’ve been wondering whether “unindicated” can be used here, because it isn’t listed in Chambers.

  12. Nothing to frighten the horses today but very enjoyable nonetheless. My favs were 2d and 22d.
    Thx to all.
    **/***

  13. The SE corner held me up today. I had the wrong ending in 16d, putting “fusing”as the synonym for “marrying”. I wasn’t keen on 22d. Why just men? I liked 10a and 13a. Thank you setter and Mr Kitty.

    1. I’d not noticed the men in 22 down Florence. I’m surprised it passed muster with our editor who I think once said that Good man would no longer be allowed as a clue for the abbreviation St. (Saint). It would need to be good person.

  14. Very much a do as you are told day today. All very straightforward. The Toughie is worth a punt today. Ta to all

  15. Afraid I’m with Stephen & NAS in finding this one a bit lacklustre. That said I didn’t solve it quickly. 28a was last in & was the big time consuming stumbling block. I wrongly thought the same as RD re footnote & also found the wordplay a touch cumbersome – at least that’s my excuse for taking so long to twig it. No real favourites today but am partial to a nice glass from the 5a wine region.
    Mucky grey day so can’t say today’s walk is being approached with any great enthusiasm. Not too much to pick from on the letter J front so it’s Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy) & John Wesley Harding (Dylan) to keep me company.
    With thanks to the setter & Mr K.
    Ps is Prolixic the Rookie Corner reviewer & proliXic the setter the same person. I assume so but am intrigued by different spelling.

    1. Huntsman, you are confusing Prolixic with proXimal. Easily done!

      They are very different people.

        1. When I met Prolixic at one of the Bashes, I was chatting away to him for a good twenty minutes whilst it slowly dawned on me that I’d made the same mistake – never did let on. Hope he’s not reading :oops:

    2. You could have been bored silly with Justin Hayward or Jeff Wayne. Jilted John might have raised a laugh. Jagger could have rolled along with you as could Joe Jackson and Jimi Hendrix. Drop an E and dance along with Jamiroquai. No end of Jones’s. Janis, the lovely Janis. Mr Tull. Mr John. Plenty to choose from but as for tomorrow? KC and the sunshine band or Alison Krauss. No contest really

      1. It’s got to be the album title not the artist. Once through the alphabet I’m going to repeat but with movies. Do you get the sense I’m a wee bit bored..

        1. Can you have ‘The’ before your chosen initial. Or A?
          You’ve got to have rules…surely?

          1. Yep that’s ok.
            Rather annoyed I forgot about Gil Scott Heron’s Johannesburg which could have been today’s pick – the track Winter in America is really quite apposite.

    3. Prolixic, the person who does the Rookie ‘stuff’, also does set really good crosswords. The latest MPP is one of his and he sets in national newpapers too but not sure which.

      1. He appears as Kairos in the Independent, not sure whether he sets for any other ‘nationals’.

  16. Another good puzzle which was only delayed by leg ends. Very straightforward clues which did exactly what they said.

    As for the ladies in Derbyshire they didn’t look as if they would be doing exercise as they looked as if they had exercised all their make-up skills earlier in an attempt to disguise their still evident TOWIE expressions. This would not be helped by sweating, or glowing as ladies are supposed to do. But perhaps sweating is the right word for them.

    My thanks to Mr K and the setter.

  17. Found this a little tougher than usual but got there in the end. A solid, if not exciting, solve
    Used to be partial to the wine in 5a so no problem there.
    No brickbats and no bouquets either.
    Thanks to setter and Mr K for the entertaining review.
    Echo Jane’s thoughts re progress report from Terence.
    Thanks to those who commented on my post yesterday. Mrs LROK & I have to come to learn we have play the hand we were dealt however bad some of the cards are. Never understood the saying a daughter is a daughter for all of your life, a son is a son ’til he gets a wife. Now I do.

      1. Terence,
        Pleased the vet thinks all progressing OK.
        As for the lampshade try
        https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rantow-Protective-Adjustable-Elizabeth-Anti-Bite/dp/B087NGJCW7/ref=sr_1_8?adgrpid=51875222063&dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpazIidSW7gIVBe_tCh2ITw8zEAAYASAAEgJuxvD_BwE&hvadid=259003058841&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=1007317&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=221375669615558534&hvtargid=kwd-297708919146&hydadcr=7857_1726144&keywords=cat donut collar&qid=1610463525&sr=8-8&tag=googhydr-21
        They are available in different colours if pink doesn’t suit Lola
        Biggles finds the doughnut much more accetable.
        I remember when our cats were off liquids at the vet’s suggestion we bought a large syringe from the chemist & squirted small quantities of water into the cat’s mouth

          1. John,
            No I didn’t. I wonder what time you could see them.
            One of the pictures was taken from Portmahomack, we can see the light from the lighthouse from the kitchen.

    1. Oh dear, sorry I missed your post yesterday. Our cousins are suffering a similar loss, in that their daughter cut off contact with them about 12 years ago, under the influence of her husband. They too are dismayed at the loss of contact with their daughter and grandson, but like you, didn’t want to make things worse. Families can be very strange and very cruel at times.

  18. Very gentle. It didn’t last much longer than a tuna and cucumber baguette. Thanks to Mr. K and today’s setter.

  19. Just the thing for a grey day, just a nice pleasant solve with no real problems.
    Thanks to Mr K and setter

  20. I was hoping to have heard from Terence by now; hope Lola is doing better. I actually dreamt about her last night.

    Oh yes, the puzzle: 28a and 22d were my last two in, but before that, I rather glided through this pleasant Tuesday solve. Especially liked 23a and the triple definition at 7d. Thanks as always to Mr K whose pictures are always the first items I scroll down to enjoy, and thanks to today’s setter. ** / ***

    Gentle Toughie today. Triply locked-down here–from COVID, evangelicals, and Trumpists. Kxxxxxs all.

  21. Enjoyed this one – lots of amusing clues.

    Thanks for the lovely comments above, and yesterday. The vet (to my surprise) said he is pleased with Lola’s progress. He is not worried about her refusal of water as he feels she is getting enough hydration from the wet food diet she is receiving (from a spoon, no less!). I say I am surprised as I feel she is pretty much the same; just wishes to sleep for about 23 hours and 50 minutes each day, with the other 10 minutes for eating.
    I have ordered some special soup for cats which is to be delivered tomorrow, to see if she will eat/drink a little more. The biopsy results will not be known until Friday and she is to return to the vet then.

    Today’s soundtrack: Canteloube – Songs Of The Auvergne.

    Thanks to today’s setter and the celebrated Mr K (and thanks to everyone here!).

    1. Good news, Terence regarding Lola. If the vet is not worried then take comfort in that. As someone said, a 12 year old cat will take longer to get better than a younger cat.

        1. What a lucky cat, Terence. I thought my 6 year old granddaughter took the prize for spoiling her cat, when he climbed onto her bed to sleep and she tucked him under a fleece blanket. The spoon-feeding and special soup for cats put you into a class of your own. With all that love and care, Lola ahould get well soon.

      1. I agree, love that, my fave CD.
        Such great news of Lola, here’s hoping she keeps improving.

    2. Oh that is good news. If she’s on wet food that’s not so worrisome. We had a silver tabby, Merlin, years ago who wouldn’t even look at dry food. Only wet. And never, ever touched his water bowl. After we had our scary bout with Rupert, I never fed him dry food again.

  22. Nothing to write home about today. Sailed through the North but SE was a bit choppy particularly as that meaning of legend didn’t occur to me. Thank you Messrs. Ron and K.

  23. I enjoyed this on the whole. The south east held out a bit longer – now, I can’t think why. And 5a and 8d held me up a bit. But it all gave way eventually.
    Thanks to Mr K and our setter.

  24. Terence you did not say whether the collar had come off, which would be some relief for her.
    Sitting here in the conservatory over lunch we finished this in double quick time except for 28a which I thought was a golfie answer. Mr K’s reveal put me right. I was overthinking the clue. We heard a huge bang on the roof shortly after one, we thought at least an albatross had fallen on the roof. Then the Fount-of-all-Knowledge next door rang to say it was a sonic boom from a Typhoon jet flying over at 955 knots. Her words. So that is my excitement for the day, although we did watch a brilliant Arts Society Lecture by Gavin Plumley this morning on Fin de Siecle Vienna. Not as good as going to Churchill to hear it with breakfast beforehand in the Buttery but still most interesting. I had no idea Klimt was such an architectural genius before he went all decorative. Anyway, a walk beckons whilst the sun shines so thanks to Mr K and the setter. I do not know how the muddy cat got cleaned up!

    1. I am much relieved to hear about the sonic boom, Daisy! I assumed that our local pesky heron had landed badly on our extension roof en route to our fish pond but thankfully it was nowhere to be be seen when I went outside to look.

      1. Ditto. How weird.
        I had exactly the same experience, it didn’t sounds like a noise so much as something falling onto the ground. I haven’t been out to look yet. Perhaps it frightened a hawk to death – we’ve had that happen before. We’re quite a bit further west than DG. I wonder what route the aircraft took and how long it kept supersonic for?

        1. F of all K later told me that a foreign plane going from Germany to Birmingham had gone off course and the jet had been sent up to intercept it and redirect it to Stanstead, which is a High Security airport (apparently). I do not know from whence this information came but she seemed to know. Maybe it was The Trump seeking asylum.

                1. Great but do get it looked at once lockdown allows. Antibiotics deal with the symptoms but not the problem..

    2. DG, I hope you don’t mind but I have copied your Arts Society bit to our Programme Secretary so she can look into your lecture as it sounds great. How lovely to go to Churchill Buttery for breakfast. Cambridge AS came up at our committee zoom this morning as someone said you had lost 100 members who hadn’t renewed. Hope that is not the case, we have lost about 30 but an awful lot won’t zoom which is a shame as the lectures are usually super. We do zoom coffee mornings too, short lectures by members lasting about 20 minutes.

      1. You’re welcome. He was certainly an impressive speaker, did not appear to have any notes at all and it was very interesting. The parking is so limited at Churchill that we found we were having to go earlier and earlier to get a parking spot (this was last Jan/Feb and the year before when my knee was so bad) that we asked if they would serve non-students and they said yes! So we started to go in and have breakfast, took the DT crossword in with us of course and then went and had the coffee and biscuits with everyone else so it all worked very well. I really would not know how many members we have lost I think we did have 400+ – I have been a member for many many years but have always resisted going on any committee as I am so involved elsewhere and you have to draw a line somewhere! Your AS sounds very jolly, ours is somewhat cliquey.

  25. A ‘nice’ enough crossword.
    22d was my last one – thinking of the wrong kind of ‘pickles’.
    With only the first and last letters of 19d in I started off thinking that the ‘attractive woman’ was going to be a different but equally outdated one.
    No particular clues to pick out today.
    Thanks to whoever set this one and to Mr K.
    Off to take husband to fetch his car and then, on the strength of how much I enjoyed the Donnybrook SPP, going to have a go at the Toughie.

  26. I romped through this until about 5 or 6 to go and was pulled up short. I then had a Zoom Art Society meeting which seemed to go on forever. I couldn’t do the puzzle at the same time as I zoomed on my Kindle as the sound is better. Came back to the puzzle after lunch and managed to finish it OK so thanks to all involved, I enjoyed it. Mr M had a call yesterday and has his jab next Monday in Sheringham just up the road which is great. As I am a decade behind him (yes, he cradle snatched me) guess I’ve another 5 or 6 weeks to wait. Stay safe everyone, at least Trump hasn’t nuked North Korea … yet.

    1. Trump will not have any control over the military might of the USA. Uncle Vernon might though

      1. What’s the betting Trump will start his own TV news channel to tell “ The Truth”?

  27. This was definitely on the gentle side in my opinion – but nothing wrong with that at all.
    */***
    Thanks to Mr. K and the setter.

  28. Nice crossword 😃 ***/*** with some good clueing Favourites 1a &5a and 3d 🤗 Thanks to Mr K and to the Setter. A nice sunny day here in the East and slightly milder than of late. Though beware the Beast from the East is coming 🥶

  29. This crossword was certainly Charade Galore.
    Can’t remember seeing so many in one puzzle before.
    But I like charades, so thanks to whoever set it and congratulations to Mr K for using all different words (link together, chain together, cement together, concatenate and follow)

  30. For whatever reason I found this not a friendly puzzle and most of the clues I just could not get a handle on them. Frankly an 11a puzzle and I rate at ****/** today.
    Ended up looking at 80% of the hints in order to try to solve and still ended up not finishing under my own steam. Not the best puzzle solving day for me and look forward to Jay’s offering tomorrow.

    Hard to pick any favourite clues today but I liked 10a & 13a but I was glad when puzzle solving for today18a

    Thanks to setter and Mr. K

    1. The money is not lost its the odd letters of Pay Rise that are lost. The attractive woman is the first 4 letters and the odd letters from P a Y r I s E are lost leaving ars to add to the attractive woman. Money is the definition.
      Huntsman said it so much more succinctly than I, As did Mr K in his hint

      1. Thank you for replying. I am a later in the day crossworder so my comments are generally near the end and I fear they will be lost or unseen.

        1. Happy to help – we are a friendly bunch and I am sure your comments are never lost or unseen.
          I believe the blogger de jour (Mr K today) is informed of all posts on their blogs

          1. Yes, that’s right. All bloggers get an email when a new comment is added to their blog. In addition, new comments are listed in the Recent Comments box located to the right or below, depending on the device. And the blog has readers all over the world, so there will always be a few awake at any time.

            1. I’m just sorry that the follow up boxes don’t work any more. As I am usually a day behind I know that probably only the hinter will see. Sometimes there is someone else around who replies or adds a related comment. I usually forget to look which I would do if prompted. I don’t know if this feature works for others but it doesn’t for me on any of my devices.

              1. You can tick the ‘Notify me of follow-up comments by email’, or the other one?
                I’d like to see a longer list of Recent Comments since the Blog is so popular these days it’s getting harder to keep track of threads
                Anyone that scrolls through on a handheld device must find it nigh on impossible – I know I can’t

  31. This was a very friendly offering and I enjoyed it. The only help I needed was 5a, I think I would have spelt the wine -elle, I am no authority on wine. Apart from that lapse, I had no problems.
    Fave is 10a, but 23a was a strong contender.
    Thanks to our setter, she’s welcome back anytime. Natch, huge thanks to Mr. K for the pics, I always look forward to those.

  32. For once I haven’t read the comments before posting as I have to go and scan my 2 dogs pedigrees and email them as someone wants to use one of them at stud, no doubt I’ll return and read the comments at my leisure. Pretty straightforward stuff today. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.

  33. I can’t say I found this at all pedestrian, rather enjoyed it in fact. The few I needed hints for were caused by brain fog, my own stupid fault. Lots of nice clues which could be reasoned out, favourite being 13a. Thanks to the setter for providing the enjoyment and to Mr K for the great picture at 17d.

  34. Very enjoyable and mostly straightforward.
    One of those where you just had to follow the instructions in the clue.
    Thanks all.

  35. I seem to be the only person who does the crossword in the evening after dinner so I’m often the last to comment. Particularly late for this one as my phone ran out of battery; thank goodness my new iPhone finally turned up yesterday! This was all quite straightforward apart from the SE corner which held me up a bit but I managed to finish it unaided (although had to check I had the right answer for 28a – the definition seemed a bit dubious.) **/***

    1. I do the crossword in bed at night with a late cup of tea. If not completed (which is normal), it is Tonihaha(hopefully) finished with early cup of tea in the morning. Mr. Th listens to music and occasionally has helpful inspiration. By the time I am ready to comment it has all been said (and read by me).
      Thanks for all the hard work done by all setters and “hinters”.

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