DT 29780

54 comments on “DT 29780”

1. I am beginning to question whether I am starting to lose my faculties. Another DNF for me, with about five needing electronic assistance. 25a was a real Doh! moment, I had been puzzled as to why “returning” was in the clue. I had pencilled in NTS for 6d which threw 5a out. I can’t see the “blue” in 13d unless we are looking at “into the blue” which seems a bit stretched; although Mr K. seems to think it is.

   For the above reason, 25a gets my vote for COTD.

   Many thanks to the compiler and Mr. K.

2. This one suited me and was a write in at */*** fuelled I suspect by the numerous straightforward anagrams. Very enjoyable and thanks to Mr K and the setter.

3. Pretty much agree with Mr K, quite straightforward, the top half particularly so.
   I thought 13d a poor clue but did like 16d along with 25&27a and they are on today’s podium.
   2/3*
   Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.

   The Dada Toughie not too different from his Sunday fare.

   1. Hadn’t realised it was Dada. I’d say it was easier than Sunday.

   2. I agree on the Toughie. As the setter is not identified on the Puzzles Web Site ‘version,’ I like to solve the Toughie ‘blind’ and look up the name of the setter on completion (or giving up). I was quite surprised to find out that it was Dada – much ‘gentler’ than some of his recent Toughie offerings.

      1. Even I finished the Toughie today and most enjoyable it was!

         1. I’m pleased to say that I too finished The Toughie this morning

4. I suspect many of us will try and find another word apart from straightforward to describe this friendly backpager this morning. I agree with NAS that the anagrams gave a very healthy start to proceedings, and helped enormously towards a speedy completion. 25a gets my vote for a good surface.

   Thanks to both Misters involved. The Toughie is also very user-friendly this morning.

   1. Not me! Had to fight hard to cross the line. The weapon and the feeling especially.

5. On the setter’s wavelength from the off with this one and in consequence found it straightforward and very gentle, but no less enjoyable for being so.

   Cuckoo was an interesting new anagram indicator to me, but quite reasonable, I thought. Hon. Mentions to 16d and 1d, with 25a my COTD despite it being an anagram (and I thought the anagrams were all well-written and good fun today).

   1* / 3*

   Many thanks to the Setter and to Mr K.

6. This was pretty straightforward but it had such well-constructed clues that I really enjoyed doing it (1.5*/4*). As Rabbit Dave has iften said, a puzzke doesnt have to be tough and complicated to be enjoyable. There were several good lego type clues of which 11a is a fine example. There was great misdirection in some clues and I particularly liked 18a and 5a, which made me laugh. 8d was a nice twiat on a geographical lego clue and is my COTD. Thanks to the compiler and to Mr K for the hints and the cat pictures.

7. 2* for me -would have given it 1* had it not been for 13d which I dont like. 5a held me up too and only got 6d after solving it!

8. My rating is 1*/2.5* for a light and pleasant diversion with no particular favourite.

   Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for an uncharacteristically cat-light review.

9. I thought this was going to be read and write but a couple in the NW relegated this to a speedy solve. No favourites today. Thanks to Mr K and today’s setter.

10. More haste less speed needs to be the mantra. I too chucked in the wrong 2 initial letters for 6d with no regard to the wordplay in an attempt to solve in under *time. Fortunately I clocked the error pretty quickly once crosswordland’s favourite Norfolk town provided the checker for 5a. Pleasant albeit very straightforward & all over in short order. I thought the across clues better than the downs with 5,11,18 &25 my picks. After last Tuesday’s stern examination we’re back to a much more accessible & very enjoyable Toughie which is just as well as it’s sheeting it down here in Harpenden & only those critters pictured in the 23d hint would be daft enough to venture out. The Graun cryptic also good for any with nowt else to do or, like me, looking for any excuse to avoid domestic chores.
    Thanks to the setter & to Mr K.

11. A very benign Tuesday for a change. Nevertheless enjoyable. I would perhaps query the blue in 13d, seems more than a little stretched to me but a very minor point. Perhaps I was just on the setters wavelength today.
    Thx to all
    */***

12. Pondering for too long on 5a, 1d and 6d put me into ** time.
    No excuse, relatively easy clues!
    Enjoyable mental workout, though.
    Many thanks Dada and, luckily not needed, Mr.K for the review.

13. Continuing the trend of recent Tuesday puzzles although perhaps not as much fun this week – 1.5*/3*.

    Candidates for favourite – 7d, 8d, and 16d – and the winner is 16d.

    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

14. Found this one relatively easy and straight forward compared to Monday’s, although did need help with 13d.

    Thanks to the setter and for the hints.

15. I’m feeling the same as MalcolmR in that this is about the fourth puzzle I have not finished because of just one or two clues. It is becoming very frustrating and I, too, am wondering if my brain is losing its grip.

    1d was one of the clues that defeated me and had to use electronic help. A huge “doh” when I saw the answer. The answer to 13d does not sit well with me. To turn “blue” into “the wild blue yonder” is somewhat of a stretch.

    Apart from the aforementioned, I enjoyed the puzzle and 19d is my COTD.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr. K. for the hints and kitties.

    PS Anyone else spend time trying to make a word out of the letters on the Scrabble board?

    1. Steve you have made me feel guilty😔: the number of times I have missed by one or two is incalculable! I must lose my vanity and start to post more on those days as well. Frequently at weekends when the boss is about and demands attention. She does deserve it though as she keeps me in the manner to which I have become accustomed. Today’s was just one of those where it/I/everything was on the same wavelength. A rare but very satisfying experience as we all know.

       1. No need to feel guilty, NAS. I always try to post whether I finish unaided or not because other members of this great blog will often point things out regarding the clues I failed on. You’ll know if I have had very poor solve – I just post “Gave up!” 😃

16. No coffee went cold during the solving of this one but it was a pleasant ramble through crosswordland.
    Nothing really stood out for favouritism although the pics of the blooming nice vegetables deserve a mention.

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K for the review – think I’m sorry I followed the link to Mike………..

17. Gentle yet mildly thought-provoking.With the exception of 13d which I did not like the clues were fair & Tuesday standard ** time *** fun. Should engender a few “first time unaided” from newcomers.
    Thank you setter & Mr K for the review.
    Another glorious day up here. May the delta summer last another few days yet.

18. I’ve done this and the Toughie. It’s the Quickie that’s defeating me!

19. Right at my (gentle) level so most enjoyable. Some very handy anagrams to keep it moving along.

    Off to my second home again (Stamford Bridge) but what a contrast to Saturday when it was very much shirt-sleeve weather. Today, it is murky with heavy showers thrown in.
    ‘Murky’ is such a lovely word.

    Thanks to the setter and The Celebrated Mr. K.

    

20. A nice crossword to brighten a very wet day 😰 **/*** my only problem is I have so many marked as favourites 🤔 winners are: 1a,1d & 16d 😃 I don’t think that there is any need to ask which Norfolk town wins the prize for the most popular crossword clue 😳

21. Will be tackling the crossword later. In the meantime I have an issue with my Telegraph puzzle subscription. As I posted some time ago when they merged the puzzles site with the main Telegraph site three years ago it seems mine did not merge properly. I have just foolishly renewed my puzzles sub for another year while logged into puzzles (with my puzzles password which the main site doesn’t recognise)|. My main browser, Palemoon, currently keeps me subscribed via a cookie but that expires next week at which point I imagine I am ‘clueless’. If I visit from a different browser I only get the ‘subscribe for full access’ thing.

    Last week I emailed them at their customerservice email but to date have heard nothing apart from a default acknowledgment.

    Is there a better email for these sort of puzzles enquiries. I imagine whoever has received my email hasn’t a clue what I am talking about. I basically need them to merge the accounts properly, or at least refund my payment to World Pay so I can start again from the main site.

    Back later…. thanks. Although you don’t here much from me I read all the comments here every day.

    1. I have the same problem every year when my subscription is paid by World Pay but does not update with the puzzle site. Every year I have to contact the subscription site. This year as I was getting no response my husband emailed the editor and the problem was rectified.Hope this helps.

       1. Thanks Susie, will leave it a couple of days then try and email the editor. At least you seem to confirm they are not even bothering to answer emails…
          Crossword completed normal time, only needed one of the hints, so **/***.

22. An enjoyable puzzle with no particular hold ups. 13d last one in for me too – a bit iffy. I have never completed the Quickie, too many possible answers. Thanks to the setter and Mr K for his kitty pics.

    1. I do The Quickie every day. It hones my ability to solve from the definitions

23. Another good workout successfully completed unaided. Bucketing with rain and we obviously have two blocked gutters yuk. I now have to drive into Trumpington to the dentist so am whizzing off early in case there are any road problems! Manders I will tell you the name of the place to avoid when we meet! It is the only place around that can accommodate us all and I don’t want to rock the boat. Right, where are my waders and sou’wester?
    Thanks to both Setter and Hinter.

    1. Sounds like McDonalds

    2. Hope you got on OK at the dentist – I haven’t seen one for two years now. Why don’t you compile a crossword clue to hint at the dodgy venue for me to guess – mind you we left Cambridge 20 years ago so if its more recent than that I won’t get it.

    3. Hope dentist visit went well. We’ve been going for routine checkups and cleaning throughout Covid over here. Plus Peter has had 4 new crowns and me just one, all with no problems. Hats all to all dentists and their assistants who have continued to see patients, as they really have had to get up close and personal during this pandemic.

24. Solved for the first time ever on my iPhone in the sunshine with a cider on the terrace. A pleasant enough puzzle for a Tuesday helped by simple anagrams, and old friends leading to enough checking letters to fill out the grid. Thanks to Mr Kitty and to the setter

    

25. Gentle and enjoyable, like the Toughie today. Like Mr K’s example, my first thought re 13d was ‘the wild blue yonder’, so that’s my COTD and my LOI. I guess ‘blue skies’ might suffice too. Thanks to Mr K and today’s setter. ** / ***

26. This Tuesday puzzle was even more gentle than Monday’s puzzle, that I managed to complete on Monday night as the sun went down. **/**** for me with Tuesday’s offering.
    Some great clues and favourites for me are 10a, 8d, 13d & 19d with winner 8d … because Norfolk was home for me many. many years ago now.
    5a, 11a & 16d made me smile.

    Thanks to setter and Mr K for hints, (that I didn’t need), or have on Monday night.

27. Didn’t need to go to the Naughty Corner to get a piece of cake today as this was exactly that. Like DG I have just returned from a visit to the dentist for emergency repairs and now am faced with exhorbitant cost of implant(s) – so much for Denplan insurance which doesn’t cover anything worthwhile. Many excellent clues so no particular Fav to put up. Slow with Quickie as began by giving crow wrong sound for 1a. Thanks to whomever setter is and to MrK too.

28. 2/4. Good fun once I got going helped by the anagrams and not helped by my spelling mistake at 22a. Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

29. There’s a belter of a puzzle by Knut in today’s Indy guaranteed to appeal to dog lovers & full of super clues.

30. I’m in the “I found this harder than the Dada toughie” camp this afternoon and I don’t say that often. I didn’t have a problem with 13d, apart from it being my last in that is. Favourite was 1d. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.

31. I found this very friendly, solved unaided except for 13d, needed e-help. Fave either 25a or 16d.
    Thanks to whomsoever set this fun offering, and, natch, thanks to Mr. K for my usual kitty fix, even though much reduced!

32. I found this harder than yesterday’s and DNF. However, at breakfast I decided to tackle yesterday’s 673 cryptic which was very doable and enjoyable. Very much recommend. Thanks to setter and Mr K.

33. Fairly gentle.
    The weapon held me up for a bit and I didn’t like 13d.
    Miserable day in London today, mid week medal tomorrow so I hope it brightens up.
    Thanks both.

34. Quick solve before breakfast as busy all day yesterday. No hints needed but always read and look at Mr K’s pictures. Glad I did not look in advance as the most difficult thing for me to solve is why Mr K illustrated sweet peas, very pretty flowers, with a green pepper. Am I missing something. So many favourite clues. Made the same mistake as others for entering that other favourite Mad “nuts” before realising my mistake. The right answer made 5a my last one in much easier to solve. I thought the word play was exceptional in so many clues. Generous checking letters which made some like 11a easy to solve. Thanks setter and Mr K.

    1. I hope you have a look at the Toughie hints for Tuesday 14th. The coasters in our holiday let are all Working boats

       1. Will do. The coasters were done by a lady called Julie Whitford who lives in the village. We have the very same! She takes good photos and I think it was Roger who first asked to make some cards and she does quite a few lines now!

    2. WW, I had the same thought about the green peppers.

       1. Glad it wasn’t just me. Wondered if it was something lost in the translation between USA and here.

          1. Hello, WW. I try to avoid straightforward pictures of familiar answers because they can reveal the required word at a glance. The peppers with faces and the bonus pic of veggies which look like birds were intended as amusing illustrations of the vegetables in the clue. They have nothing to do with the answer.

35. When I solved 18d I wondered whether proXimal (aka eXternal) was claiming ownership of the puzzle.
    Whoever the setter is I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks to the compiler and 2Ks for their usual professional review.
    My ticks went to 1a, 26a and 8d.

36. 2*/5*….
    liked 25A “Criminal embargo on returning weapon (9)”

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