DT 29672

75 comments on “DT 29672”

1. I entirely agree with Mr K on today’s offering at **/***. Many solid conventional and good clues. I fell for the sporting misdirect for a while in 30a and that gets my COTD. With thanks to the setter.

2. 1*/4*. I thought this was very light but very enjoyable.

   I don’t think I’ve ever come across 19a to describe a group of birds before. It’s not given in Collins online or any other reference source which I could quickly find until I dug out my trusty BRB – and there it was.

   I had no particular favourite. It was all good.

   Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

   P.S. Mr K’s question about time made me think of this:

   1. Indeed RD – fish yes but birds which ones? Have just read MustafaG’s comment below.

3. I thought this was great, nice misdirection throughout the puzzle. My only slight hold up was justifying the synonyms at 17&19a
   My ticks go to 24a plus 5,7,16& 20d.
   2/4*
   Many thanks to the setter and Mr K.

4. A light and fun coffee-break quickie. Nothing alarming or untoward, no arcane ‘G’K required. Thought there were going to be too many anagrams but fortunately the flow dried up and the end result was a good mixture of clue types. Pausing over three clues in the southern half took me to 1.5* time, but 3* for enjoyment.

   Most of the clues read well with the laurels shared by 17a, 3d and 5d.

   Many thanks to Setter and to Mr K (yes, time very distorted: occasionally passing like treacle flowing from a jar that’s just been removed from the deep freeze, and then so quickly that 3 months ago feels like yesterday).

   MG

5. Thos puzzle had many very well-used clues, whilst the rest had quite a difficult surface read, which was a bit irritating (2*/2 5*). I’m not keen on 19a. Is the compiler using schools and flocks as synonyms? I regard the former as synonymous with groups of fish and the latter with groups of birds or sheep. 30a was an example of good misdirection and was my COTD. Thanks to Mr K for the hints and to the compiler.

   1. re 19a – from the BRB: “a flock, troop, assemblage, esp. of birds”. Flying fish, maybe …!

6. This was all over far too quickly. Completed in */** time, but there were two that I couldn’t parse fully, 20d & 30a.

   My COTD, and last in, was 16d for the ingenious use of the word ‘about’.

   Many thanks to the compiler and Mr K.

7. Lovely puzzle for me – right at my level.

   A debacle yesterday. H called the garage at 16:45 and was told her car would be ready at 17:45. Along we tootled at 17:40 only for her to be informed that it wouldn’t be ready until today. “Why didn’t you call me?” H asked, reasonably. “I forgot” was the response. So back we came through the town at the busiest part of the day and have to return again later today. It’s not as if they are fitting a new engine – just fixing the exhaust. Sigh…

   Today’s crossword soundtrack: Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You

   Thanks to the setter and The Celebrated Mr K.

   1. Surely an explanation other than “I forgot” was appropriate? How about “the whole telephone service in the county went out, didn’t yours?”

   2. I forgot is a perfectly reasonable excuse in my book.

      1. Natch!

8. Very gentle but enjoyable whilst it lasted. Like MalcolmR 16d was also my favourite.

   Thanks to today’s setter and Mr K.

9. No flaps over cats for me today in this pleasant, enjoyable outing. I too fell for the wrong Rugby–nice misdirection there, I thought (ah, yes, shades of the great 30a Thomas Arnold and his son Matthew–my only literary association with the school). I also liked 18d, 21d, and 17a. Thanks to Mr K for the review and to today’s setter. 1.5* / 3*.

   Has anyone else read Rachel Cusk’s new novel Second Place? I read it over the weekend and would love to hear your reactions to it.

   1. Not yet Robert, I’m a bit busy in Lafferton….I’ll put it on my list.

   2. On my list too!

   3. I’m a little nervous about the fact that you don’t actually say that you enjoyed it, Robert!

      1. Me too!

      2. Hmm, let me think a moment, Jane….I’ll just say that I really enjoyed her Outline trilogy; I’m still digesting the various condiments that the very strange narrator serves us in Second Place. The NYT reviewer concluded his critique by saying that the book doesn’t ‘gladden the soul’, and I agree.

         1. Not for me. For the time I have left, I want to be gladdened.

10. Pleasantly enjoyable, which like last Tuesday made up for yesterday’s Campbell – 1.5*/4*.

    Candidates for favourite – 13a, 15a, and 11d – and the winner is 11d.

    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

11. A solid enough puzzle, but like many I am not sure about 19ac.

    There is a “bird” fish, but they don’t form flocks so at a loss to explain.

    Thanks setter and Mr K

12. Typical ** Tuesday puzzle for me. Nothing stretched, no obscure GK. A nice start to the day. Is Tuesday becoming the new Monday I wonder?
    Go for 18d as COTD.
    Thanks to setter & Mr K for the review.

13. I think the word straightforward is going to be overused today by the commentariat to describe this puzzle. It was, however, thoroughly enjoyable and great fun to complete. To be different my favourite was 13a. Where can I get the rug in 12a?

    Many thanks to both Misters.

    1. Assuming you mean the one in Mr. K’s photograph and not the one incorporated in the anagram – I think it
       is terrifying! I’d be tiptoeing round it all the time.

14. Not straightforward for me 🙂 but loved the blog and picture selection as always, especially the flip side of 1a. And how anyone could live with the rug at 13a is beyond me. Still it would be a dull world if we were all the same. Merci beaucoup to compiler and Mr Kitty.

    1. Those optical illusion rugs are clever, but are a complete nightmare to anyone with neurological injury or eyesight problems. I remember a physio once telling me that doing rehab in the days when gyms sometimes doubled as badminton courts (and it wasn’t that long ago) was an issue when patients had to stop at each line on the floor, lest it should be a step.

       1. We stayed once in an hotel on the front at Llandudno visiting for a funeral. The carpet on the staircase was so terrifying that eventually
          I had to crawl down backwards. The management thought I was very odd !

          1. I’ve been there, visiting a friend who was staying in the hotel for a week. I remember that carpet only too vividly although I couldn’t tell you the name of the hotel!

15. A lovely crossword, which I managed unaided. Some really great clues and I liked 1a, 24a, 30 and 20d. My COTD is 13a because, despite its simplicity, had me flummoxed for ages. I agree with LROK that Tuesday seems to becoming Monday as far as puzzles are concerned. I certainly find Campbell challenging sometimes.

    Grateful thanks Miss Terry Setter for the entertainment and thanks to Mr. K for the hints. I will now read them and go in search of cats!

16. Not as tricky as a first scan suggested. Lots of nice anagrams and a lurker. Shame about 5d which was a dreadful clue I thought.
    Better than yesterdays at least.
    ***/**
    Thx for the hints

    1. I agree with you about 5d

17. As everybody has said, a gentle stroll through today. **/*** No particular stand out favourite. I’m inclined to agree with Brian, 5d isn’t the best clue ever. Thanks to all.

18. I had one or two niggles today – I can’t recall having heard of any birds that form schools and I’m not convinced that ‘understanding’ is interchangeable with ‘head’.
    Those aside, this was a fairly typical Tuesday offering and my favourite was probably 13a.

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K for another of his very enjoyable reviews – particularly liked the 1a feline, bet he was holding his breath!

19. Nothing special about today’s offering but equally mostly fair clues. 20d was Fav when fully parsed. Thank you Messrs. Ron and K.

20. Not a lot to add today, nothing obscure just an enjoyable solve and a **/*** for me as per Mr K-great pics ,especially 11d.
    Liked the surface of 19a-now I know that the definition applies to birds too, favourite was 5d.
    For a change I did the Cullen’s cryptic crossword in the May Saga Magazine , I would place this in the Toughie category-£100 prise too-£250 for the GK!

21. Good fun all round – joint COTD 18d and 30a. Thank you setter and Mr. K.

22. Nothing to hold me up today, except an assumption that the (only option) word for the birds would turn up in the dictionary.
    I was so obsessed with Hawking (clever to make it the first word to disguise the capital letter) as selling something in the street or even the one that goes with spitting, that it took me a couple of minutes to see the anagram.

    I had no issues with Rugby as that is where I am originally from. I’m pretty sure that Robert will be aware that Salman Rushdie is an old boy. If he wasn’t, he is now……

    Thanks to Mr K and setter.

23. **/***. Well a good step up from yesterday’s trial. A good mix of clues and some new definitions (19a). 30a was my COTD. Thanks to the setter and Mr K for an entertaining set of hints.

24. I agree with everything that has been said so I’ll shut up, except to say 5d was the last one in
    as, like Brian and Greta, I couldn’t quite believe it. The photo of the camouflaged trousers was
    amazing – and I can hear all the men saying who can blame the kitten for electing to snuggle
    down there!. Thanks to Mr. K and the setter for the diversion, and to whomsoever is responsible
    for the deliciously gentle rain.

    1. Growing rain Daisygirl. And very welcome it is too. Chamomile seeds showing well in the greenhouse

25. All over quickly and some satisfying clues. However, unusually for me I have not put a ring round any particular favourite. I had trouble parsing 4d. Always forget about swapping letters and just thought it was something to do with cricket I did not understand. I made a silly error. I had the first three letters of 16d and added Test without bothering to parse. I also stopped myself in time from entering biblical for 22a. Thankfully I sorted myself out. I worked out 30a but not the best clue. With regard to 18d I did wonder why the word succeeded was needed to provide the first S, but assume there is a protocol about the ‘s. Thanks setter and Mr K.

26. A very nice puzzle, straightforward and amusing **/**** 😃 (unlike yesterday 😬) Favourites 9a, 18 & 23d 🤗 Thanks to Mr K especially for the illustrations👍 and to theCompiler

27. Much more my level than yesterday, but incorrectly got “pass” to start for 30a which left me stuck on 20d &21d. Note to self remember a flower is not a plant… **/*** for me , thanks to setter, and for the hints above.

    1. If I were you I’d make another note to self that sometimes a flower is a plant. Sometimes some of us (?) get so hooked on what looks like a misdirection that we ignore the ******* obvious.

28. A lovely puzzle today which I solved alone and unaided and understood the clues.

    Thanks to the setter and to Mr K…..great pics as usual

29. Thanks to the setter and Mr Kitty for the review and hints. A very well clued puzzle, with some tricky ones. Solved three quarters of it quite quickly, but the NE corner took me a while. Favourite was 23d. Was 2* /3* for me.

30. Thanks for the blog as I couldn’t reconcile schools with birds and the subtlety of 30a passed me by.
    Liked the simple charade in 27a.
    Thanks to the Tuesday setter and to Mr K for the review.

    1. The subtlety of 30a is still passing me by, off into the distance.

31. Enjoyable solve today without too many hiccups. Have managed half the Toughie too but as it has been given 3 stars for difficulty I suspect I won’t get much further. Our remaining 2 garden chairs still have to be put together but as we had the mother of all rows yesterday, not speaking to each other means they will still stay in pieces for a while yet. Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

32. Really enjoyed this one today, just fell into three traps, 18d, was stuck on hawking as in selling, 30a Rugby as in the game, and silly me, in 24a I never got past view as in see. Oh dear. But such a relief after yesterday. Although I did have a great success with cryptic 655 yesterday, and thoroughly recommend. Thanks to setter for not making me feel completely stupid, and to Mr K for the hints.

    1. Hehehe, I didn’t fall for hawking, feeling very smug!

       1. Funny. I only ever thought of Stephen.

33. Excellent I just loved the illustration for 11d, but I’m a doggy person.

34. Going by yesterday and today’s crosswords I think Tuesdays have definitely become the new Mondays.
    Not too many problems with this one apart from the 19a collective noun and the sport induced blindness of 30a.
    16d took a while to untangle.
    I think my favourite was probably 5d.
    Thanks to the setter, whoever he or she may be, and to Mr K.
    A large hole in finger, from gardening yesterday, has made any more gardening today impossible so I feel justified in having a go at the Toughie – I like Donnybrook’s crosswords.

    1. You won’t be disappointed Kath. It is a terrific puzzle.

35. 21a. Did Mr K choose that flower deliberately? Very appropriate: Orchis italica, otherwise known as the naked man orchid, for reasons I shall not go into.

    1. 

36. A gentle puzzle for a fine sunny Tuesday morning. 1.5*/**** today.
    Favourite clues include 9a, 13a, 19a, 2d & 11d with winner 11d

    Thanks to setter and Mr K

37. Phew! I think I will skip Mondays in future and start the week on Tuesdays.This was sufficiently challenging to stretch the little grey cells but not so much as to dishearten. Like so many I had doubts about 19a but it had to be that, and I was nicely misdirected with 30a, my last one in. ***/****

38. OK chaps, I’m back! Don’t know if that’s good or bad as the brain is only tenuously engaged. I did finish except for 1d, how could I miss that as the checkers gave me half the answer. I won’t mention my bête noir at 1a … really, pants again?
    I was so happy we had a very friendly puzzle today, I can see it’s going to be a bit tricky getting back on track, in between interruptions. The nurse stopped by to give a jab, then PT will start soon.
    My, and Sadie’s, fave Phoebe hasn’t shown up for the last couple of days, probably sick of not having anyone to sleep with. I think I know where she might be but I can’t go out there to look for her, and she doesn’t know the aide so she might scare her.
    Thanks to whomsoever, greatly enjoyed, perfect for my reintroduction, and to Mr. K for his hints and pics. Love you all.

    1. Good to have you back Merusa, and a lovely message too

    2. Welcome back Merusa . Good to hear from you and I hope things are beginning to improve.

    3. So good to see you back, Merusa, we’ve all missed you. Now just work on getting yourself back to ‘normal’ – you’ll doubtless get there far more quickly now that you’re back home.

    4. I am so glad that you’re home again, Merusa. Hope Phoebe turns up soon.

    5. Great to see you back here.

39. I had the same doubts about 19a and 30a do last two in solitary from that no problems and a definite improvement on yesterday. On the plus side Leicester City have just scored again against Man U. 😁 Favourite was was 18d. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.

40. Correction: So last two in apart. I must check more carefully.

41. As to Covid time-distortion, when I went for my 2nd O-AZ jab the nurse asked me what the date was.

    I told her that without looking at my watch I could tell her the day of the week, the month and the year, but as to the number of the day in the month I had no idea. I then said that the other day I’d asked SWMBO what the time was, and she’d replied: “April!”

42. A very quick & pleasant solve early this morning. The school bit was new to me also & my favourite was the Rugby guvnor..
    Not long back from a lovely day out playing golf. We dodged all showers & enjoyed some gorgeous sunshine & followed it up in the garden of a nearby hostelry with a couple of pints of Landlord & a super home made steak & ale pie with mash & properly cooked veg. My idea of a day well spent. May have a look at the Toughie later or more probably nod off on the couch.
    Thanks to the setter & to Mr K – will read the review later

    1. This is a very late reply to your note yesterday, re the Paul in the Guardian: as far as I’ve gotten, two of the greatest American poets (ED, RF) have appeared; the greatest (always excepting the Bard) English poet (JK, sort of) has appeared; several lesser ranks have shown up. Only one Frenchman, I think. But I have no idea about the poet in 17d because I can’t solve 16a. . These Prize puzzles drive me batty. Still, lots of cranial time spent and I still haven’t finished. And probably won’t. [Oh yes, the best way for T S Eliot to show up is backasswards in a clue about a toilet! And again in in mistletoe, where his (semi)parasitic identity belongs. I am NOT an Eliotian.]

43. Enjoyed this even less than yesterday, which is saying something.

    Gave up with 6 clues still to go.

    Here’s hoping the rest of the week improves.

44. Solved half on the way to my little sisters 60th birthday gathering and half on the way home. I know better than to question our setters so accepted the rather odd 19 across. Why waste time checking every little detail? All in all I enjoyed the solve so thanks to the setter and to Mr Kitty for the review

45. Managed this with only a bit of ‘head scratching’ (5D..🙄)!
    Anyway, much more enjoyable than yesterday’s pain – good to be close again to the setter’s wavelength with a couple of clues that made me smile with that ‘oh yes’ moment and some well worked anagrams!
    Thanks to our Tuesday setter and to Mr K for the fine blog ‘n hints (and amusing pics!) 👍
    Cheers!

46. 3*/3*….
    took a while to twig the “Rugby boss” in 30A.

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