DT 30183

69 comments on “DT 30183”

1. Great fun puzzle today, with the bottom half taking three times as long as the top.
   Lots of the clues made me smile, but the top two for me were easily18a and 14d.
   Last to go in was 16d as I was thrown by getting fixated on the wrong Ferguson.
   Many thanks to the compiler for a very clever crossword.

2. Super puzzle!!
   Thought 1a a very good DD and 29a an excellent lurker, two of the best clues of their type I’ve seen for a while. 9&11a were both real smilers as was 18a. Liked 16d a lot too,19d for sentimental reasons, but I’ll give top spot to 4a (the surface read being very unlikely by the way if we are talking about Pep’s City!) for the very clever use of E for East and FiFe. Great stuff.
   Thanks and HNY to the setter and Mr K, love the Talking Heads video.

   1. Sadly not the case on Boxing Day when one of the city’s team breached Coventry City’s defence 3 times.

      1. I see Django has given you a name-check in his excellent Toughie.

   2. Hi Stephen,

      I was thinking more Elgin City than Manchester City !

      1. Haha, great clue whatever Silvanus.

3. Good fun. 7d gets my vote. Thanks to today’s setter and Mr K.

4. The west went in first but the east held out for a long time. I thought some of the clues were rather convoluted but gettable from the wordplay. I have plenty of ticks dotted across the clues with 6d taking the top spot. Honourable mentions go to 18a, 28a, 1d and 7d. A bit of a brain teaser but enjoyable and satisfying to solve.

   Many thanks to the setter for the workout. Huge thanks to Mr. K. for the hints and pusskits.

5. **/**** for me. Lots of smiles. Favourites 6d and 29a. Thanks to all.

6. Took a couple of goes at this, and a couple of parsings followed on a different bus. Thanks to Mr K and setter. Travelled the globe today but got most satisfaction from the South Yorkshire city.

7. Solved alone and unaided , which is always a surprise for me, and eventually managed to tease out the parsings.
   Got stuck in the SW for a while.

   Thanks to the setter and to Mr K. Great pics as usual.

   Temperature hovering around a balmy 1C now in Norway, but sadly the threat of rain later in the day……which inevitably means ice overnight and tricky conditions underfoot tomorrow. Best get the provisions in today, methinks.

8. A very enjoyable puzzle – thanks to the setter (?) and Mr K.
   My ticks went to 4a, 9a and 16d.

9. A top quality puzzle for a sunny Thursday morning, full of accurate and concise clueing with a modicum of misdirection. Very hard to pick favourites from such a wide selection, but I will go for 14d, along with 4a and 7d. Great entertainment all round.

   My thanks to our setter and Mr K.

10. A very enjoyable not a Ray T Thursday – **/****

    Candidates for favourite – 4a, 20a, 8d, 16d, and 19d – and the winner is 16d.

    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

11. Another pedestrian solve that took me to nearly *** time. Lots to like & nicely clued throughout with plenty of ticks. I particularly liked the well disguised lurkers at 10&29a but if pressed would plump, in no particular order, for a podium of 7&14d along with 9a.
    Thanks to the setter & Mr K

12. 2*/5*. Fine clueing, smooth surfaces, a page filled with ticks. Could this be a Silvanus composition? If not, it’s doing a good impersonation.

    My top picks were 1a, 9a, 20a, 4d, 7d, 8d, 16d & 19d.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K – great review and pictures as always but, for 20a, is a barister a cross between a barrister and a barista?

    1. Hence the maxim: Never trust a cartoonist’s spelling.

       1. Except Matt, he gets my trust and laughs everyday

       2. Should also be ‘advises clients’.

    2. 

       Now I’m wondering if barrister/barista would work in a homophone clue.

       1. I would say not since the coffee person has a definite ‘ree’ sound in the middle which is not present in the legal eagle’s pronunciation. It would almost certainly attract some level of criticism from our pronunciation gurus.

          1. Doesn’t have a ‘ree’ sound to me, Senf. Perhaps it’s a regional thing?

13. A really excellent puzzle! Great clues, a reasonable challenge and a pleasing solve. I’ve ticked about half the clues but will select 4a for special mention. 3.5*/ 4*.

    1. *Mr K, re your question at 10a: Nescio, amicus meus.

       1. Although I believe there are very few state schools these days where Latin is taught, I’m reliably informed that it continues in many, if not most, private schools.

          1. I have never for one moment regretted the years of Latin with Miss Hamer in her brown crepe dresses. We were taught with a soft ‘vee’ and I still sing wenite adoramus in O Come All Ye Faithful.

             1. I had three years of Latin at school. Our teacher for the first two was more interested in Roman life and customs than in grammar, so the arrival of a proper teacher for our third year was a rude awakening to how little we actually knew. Sadly, I now remember very little Latin because I’ve never had occasion to use it. But the lesson on Roman food orgies I will never forget.

                1. As Vice-President Dan Quayle said when told he was being sent on a visit to Latin America “But I don’t speak Latin”.

             2. Sum es est sumus estis sunt
                Funny how it sticks after nearly 60 years.

          2. Ac ne longum sit, Yes (as Cicero would say).

    2. I was president of our Latin Club at school, and every year we marched through the corridors of Chicora High School singing carols in Latin. I still remember many of them, and one of my favourites is “Laetissimus accipiat! Iam Mundus Dominum!” For DaisyGirl: we always began the “Adeste” chorus with a V–“Venite Adoremus”.

14. The west side went in quickly but the east dillied-and-dallied somewhat. I got there happily in the end, though I didn’t know who Ferguson was (rather, I didn’t know what team a Mr F coached) at 16d. Knew the river but not the town in 19d, but google confirmed the obvious. Thoroughly enjoyed the journey from 4a (my COTD) to 28a, with big ticks to 14d and 18a. Thanks and Happy New Year to Mr K and today’s setter. **/****

15. RD is correct, the puzzle is one of mine! Many thanks to Mr K and to everyone who has taken the trouble to leave comments already or who will do so later, all are always read and appreciated however late they are posted (even yours, Mr Newman :-)).

    As this is my final appearance of 2022, can I take this opportunity to thank Mr K and the other administrators and bloggers for everything they have done and continue to do that enables the Blog to run so smoothly in BD’s ongoing absence. I’m sure that the setters and commenters have no real conception as to the sacrifices, time, hard work and dedication that this has entailed, so I, for one, would just like to record my gratitude to you.

    May I wish everyone a very Happy New Year and I look forward to returning with more puzzles in 2023.

    1. Thank you for the puzzle, silvanus and a very Happy New Year. I totally agree with your second paragraph.

       1. Hear hear.

    2. And we look forward to that. Didn’t clock it was one of yours & don’t know why not as reading back through it. Happy new year to you.

    3. Hi, Silvanus. Thanks for dropping in and for providing a great puzzle to solve and to blog. Looking forward to seeing many more of your puzzles in 2023.

       Thanks also for your second paragraph and its recognition that blog operation is very much a team effort. Much appreciated.

    4. Happy New Year. Silvanus, and many thanks for all of the great puzzles you’ve blessed us with this year.

    5. I wholeheartedly agree with your second paragraph. I, for one, have always wondered how you do it, especially with a deadline that the solvers never have to face.

16. In sync with the setter.
    Luckily.
    Satisfying progress to an unaided completion.
    Smiled at 9a.
    4 and 18a and 5d stand out amongst the very neat clueing.
    Thanks to the setter and Mr K.

    1. Many thanks, silvanus.

17. As Mr K said in his preamble, this was a puzzle of ‘tight cryptic grammar and smooth surfaces’ which surely suggests that it was penned by one of our current Friday setters moonlighting on a Thursday?
    Gave myself a problem by putting in ‘as needed’ for 15a but the 5d church service rescued me from that error. Masses of ticks here but my eventual winners were 9&18a plus 6&8d with a smile for the Quickie pun.

    Many thanks to Silvanus for the puzzle and to Mr K and his frolicking felines for the review. All good wishes to both gentlemen for the New Year.

18. Great puzzle from Silvanus! Many thanks!

    It would seem that some of the commentariat don’t raise an objection when “Guess a River” clues appear, but still object to clues with nebulous girl/boy names. What’s the difference?

    ps. Thanks to Mr K for all his hard work this year.

    1. Thanks, stan.

19. Enjoyed this, despite being held up for ages by jumping to incorrect conclusions on some clues. Not a football fan, but even I should have realised that Ferguson did not refer to Sarah!

    Thanks to Sylvanus and Mr K

20. Started off in a brisk manner before slowing down in the SW. ultimately finished and thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle.

21. Thanks to Silvanus for this year end gem.
    Loved the charade in 23a.
    Thanks to him for the fun and to Mr K for keeping the blog going and explaining how to keep my details in the comments section.

22. The Ferguson allusion went right over my head so thankyou Mr K for telling me why the answer was what it was. Bungins are Ok but it is nice to have them explained. Loved the cats but was somewhat alarmed at the illustration for 20a. Poor animal. Am REALLY fed up today as DD2 offered to drive us up to Worcester to visit DD1 still in hospital. She drove Gs car and after about an hour and a half we Heard ominous sounds of gears slipping (apparently that is what it was) so we had to abandon the trip and limp home. I haven’t seen her since her birthday on 1st December as the snow prevented us from a pre Christmas trip. Fortunately she has no concept of time so probably will not miss us, but I miss seeing her and giving her her presents. Many thanks to Silvanus for a super puzzle, (I particularly enjoyed the misdirection in 6d )and to mr K and the cats.

23. A bit of head scratching today but got there in the end. Like DG above it’s nice to get the bung-ins explained although I did see the Ferguson connection. Now: What is the difference between ‘complete’ and ‘finished’? and here is the answer.

    “When you marry the right woman, you are COMPLETE. When you marry the wrong woman, you are FINISHED. And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are COMPLETELY FINISHED!” I rather like that. Anyway, thanks to the setter and Mr K. I hadn’t noticed the poor cat in 20a until DG pointed it out.

    1. Re the cat in 20a above – gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘budgie smuggling’!

       1. According to the internet, the cat just follows its human everywhere and took up that position itself

24. 3/4. Very enjoyable and quite a challenge in parts. Favourites were 6&16d. Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K. A happy new year to you all.

25. Quite tricky but just about ‘doable’ – I hate the word but at least we all know what it means!
    Like DG most of everything about Ferguson went straight over my head but I just guessed it was to do with football.
    I can cope with 4a and even spell it as my sister lives there!
    Thanks to Silvanus for the crossword and to Mr K for the bits that I needed a little bit of help with.

26. So nice to have a Ray T free Thursday and an excellent puzzle to boot. Some of the wordplay took a bit of consideration but all were both logical and elegant. Such a relief not have a dose of Thursday marmite!
    Thx to all
    ***/*****

27. Struggled a little with this puzzle, but then I often do with Silvanus. Nonetheless, got there in the end with a little hint assistance today.
    2.5*/4* today.

    Favourites include 4a, 9a, 13a, 6d & 19d with winner 13a

    I often wonder if Latin is still taught in school in the UK. When I was in grammar school in the first form, before we emigrated in 1969, we were being taught it. I rather enjoyed the short time I had learning it.

    Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K

    1. I hated every minute of my Latin lessons and in fact failed my ‘O’ Level’ but I continue to appreciate the small amount I did manage to absorb.

       1. I didn’t get much further than “amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant”.

          1. Hear hear

28. Found 8 of the clues too convoluted to parse so had some bung-ins of which I blotted my copybook with a wrong-un – 8D with ‘dunce’ – doh! Even so, many thanks to Silvanus for the mental work-out and to Mr K for the explanations. ***/***

29. This is more like it! No obscure references, some great precise cluing and some fun along the way – what a joy to complete on this cold afternoon following a morning out with the kids ***/*****

    I luckily visited the described Cornish Town only this summer and we saw the annual carnival procession!

    Plenty of favourites to pick from today but I’ll plump for 1d, 16d, 22d with 6d the winner for the excellent misdirection.

    Many thanks Silvanus and MrK

30. It was a question of hanging in there with this nicely challenging assignment which gradually evolved. 11a grated a bit and 20a IMHO is hardly cryptic. Always forget the ‘N’ as in 5d which was a bung-in for me. Thank you Silvanus for the fun and MrK for your elucidation of a couple and thank you both for all your past contributions to BD’s friendly corner and I look forward to more of the same in 2023.

31. I’m never on wavelength with Silvanus so I’m not surprised I was a DNF with five unsolved in the NE. I had a lot of bung ins, so grateful for Mr. K’s unravelling … eg 4a, I worked out the double “ff” and that’s the only city I could think of. The West was so much more friendly, still tricky though. The best part and my fave of this puzzle is the cat pics!
    Thanks Silvanus, I doubt I’ll ever be on your wavelength. Thanks for your help Mr. K.

32. Took a while to get going today, first pass only produced one answer. Made headway first in SW, NE held out the longest, but LOI was 22d as I wasn’t sure if I was in or on until 20a was complete!
    Good selection of clues with unfamiliar words at 16d & 24a.
    My clue of the day was 14d with its excellent surface.
    Thanks to Silvanus for the (rather strenuous) exercise and Mr K for parsing where needed.

33. I am not looking forward to tomorrow’s puzzle. Having managed to complete each one this week so far I cannot imagine what horrors are in store for me.

    But many thanks to Silvanus for a a very fine puzzle and and best wishes for a good year in 2023.

    Thanks too to Mr K both for the help he has given me in solving and for his blog which always clarifies my sometimes faulty parsing even when I have the right solution. So I hope 2023 provides you with all you need and enjoyment throughout the year.

    1. Thanks, Corky.

34. Thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, really good clues. Tricky in parts, but I got there in the end. LOI was 17d. Needed the hints to parse 23a. Favourite was 10a. Was 3* / 4* for me.

35. Crossword of the week for me, not a dud anywhere. Not overly difficult but hard enough to make you think. Favourite was 16d. Thanks to Silvanus and Mr. K. RIP Pele.

36. Ac ne longum sit, Yes (as Cicero would say).

37. Thanks Silvanus for the honourable mention in comment 15-my resolution this year is to catch up …a little….
    3*/4* for this puzzle…
    liked 2D ” Anxious future, maybe (5)”

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