DT 30248

59 comments on “DT 30248”

1. Is it Friday already? Good grief that was tricky, I can generally gauge how hard it was by the amount of workings out on the printed A4 sheet around the grid, and today there’s barely a jot of white showing through!
   Some real beauties though, namely 30a and the brilliant 21a.
   Best fun puzzle for some while, take a bow whoever set this one today.
   By the Way, Where Was Wally?

2. What a super little puzzle, not difficult but clever and full of wit throughout.
   I thought the anagrams were excellent examples of their clue type as was 10a. My personal jury is out on 3d but is predicted to come out on the side of the setter, it’s very creative if nothing else! My other ticks go to 21,27&30a. Good stuff indeed.
   Many thanks to the aforementioned setter and the Ks.

3. Quite enjoyable on guess the setter Wednesday but, oh dear, two three letter anagrams, in 29a and 25d, move one letter in each. **/***

   Candidates for favourite – 1a, 15a, 21a, 5d, and 16d – and the winner is 16d.

   Thanks to the setter and the 2Kiwis.

4. 2*/4*. This was great fun with 3d my last one in and favourite when the penny dropped. I was on pangram alert from about halfway through but today we had a missing W. A special mention too for 21a.

   Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Ks.

5. I’m saving this to do later†, but if anybody doesn’t normally do the Cross Atlantic, you might think today’s (by Dada) worth a look and enjoy the theme — see if you can get it before the clue that explains it!

   † Hanging around The Winter Gardens with a bunch of other dance parents, wondering how much longer the dress rehearsal can possibly overrun by and when we’ll finally get our children back.

6. I found this very enjoyable and not too tricky. The misdirection in 2d amused me. Another PDM – there’s been one or two this week. I’m not too keen on the use of ‘been’ as a synonym for ‘remained’ in 15a, but that aside a good selection of crafty clues and not too many anagrams. I’ll choose 1a, 12a, 4d and 21d for the podium with 2d as COTD. Thanks to the compiler and the 2Kiwis.

   1. Mhids, I was initially concerned about been/remained but justified it for myself with “I have been/remained a loyal supporter of the club for many years”.

      1. Yes, that works. Thank you

7. That absent final pangram letter (would have been easy enough to slot in at 6a) probably hindered my progress (or more accurately lack of) in the NW. 4 clues held out there which took the solve well into Toughie time. Not sure if this is tricky or I’m just having a slow day but given the time it took to sort out the fodder at 14d suspect it’s the latter. 3d last in & guessed it was to do with her without being completely sure and I also struggled at 15a to see how been = remained. Top 3 for me 2&4d plus 12a.
   Thanks to the setter & 2Ks

8. **/**** and good fun throughout. COTD has to be 12A, a typical RayT clue!

   1. Got 12a fairly quickly, as I lived there for four years, great place.

9. Yes a fun puzzle,Thanks to setter and 2K,s
   3d was my last in too, and pleased that the definition was correct !
   Liked 6d, favourites were 12a and 15a, going for a 2,5*/ 4*

10. Apart from 3d, a steady solve with smiles along the way eg 2 and 8d.
    Understood the rationale of 3d but took an age to parse it.
    This, alone, was at least a * in my total time of 2.5*.
    Excellent clue, though.
    Many thanks to the setter and to the 2Kiwis.

11. Rather a tricky puzzle for a Wednesday but I enjoyed the angrams, particularly 30a and 14d together with the lego clues at 1a and 12a. I’m not sure about 3d, it certainly made me laugh, with memories of reading the books to my son, as a bed time story. Thanks to the compiler and to the Kiwis for the hints, which I need2d for 3d

12. Thanks to the setter and to the 2 Kiwis for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, quite tricky in places. Still don’t understand 3d.

    1. Someone who 3d would pronounce sick (not well) as thick Heno.

    2. Hi Heno

       Someone who has this would pronounce ”I’m sick” as ”I’m thick” as Ss are a problem to say.

       A splendid crossword with 3d obviously being the COTD or, to use El Tel’s ‘street’ vernacular….obvs.

       Talking of Terence, I assume 15a is already on your list? I recall seeing it in a crossword and for some reason, it has stuck. It’s very satisfying remembering a word that you’ve only seen once which you’re never going to use. It’s amazing what the brain automatically stores.

       2*/4*

       1. Ah, I see 3d now. I was looking for some tangible cryptic word-play, not ethereal/nebulous.

          I doubt 15a will get on that list, not obscure enough! It appears fairly often in cryptics and elsewhere.

13. Quite tricky for a Wednesday – well I thought so – not helped by taking a while to ‘see’ 3d

    Thanks very much to the setter and the 2Ks

14. Tough going to begin with but gradually became a smoother ride. I hae ma doots about “remained” in 15a and “left” in 9d. Should have tumbled sooner to frequently recurring supporters in 12a. Last to fall was 3d. Clever version of singers in 2d. Fav was 30a when penny dropped. Thank you Mysteron and the 2Kiwis.

15. Thanks To Rabbit Dave for his example of ‘been’=’remained’ (the only clue that left me a bit troubled), I now feel much better about this clever and witty little masterpiece. 3d was my first one in. So much to admire, with 30a, 27a, 29a, 21a, & 22a (my LOI) jockeying for pole positions. Go ahead, fight it out! Thanks to the Kiwis and today’s wily setter. **/****

16. Hudson’s puzzle well worth a look for those that don’t usually venture into Toughie territory. Lots of super clues & for me an easier solve than the back-pager.

17. What a strange puzzle it is today. I have never experienced clues before that seem impenetrable when first read only for the solution to appear within thirty seconds. Because of this, I set off at a cracking pace only to grind to a halt when three quarters through. I had plenty of favourites clamouring for the top spot. One was the very neat with a great surface 13a and the beautiful Lego clue at 18d. However, my COTD is 4d but 3d raised a smile.

    One query – is 22a a spring?

    Thank you to the setter for the fun. Thank you, 2Ks for the hints.

    It’s not often that I know the answer to the Quickie Pun after solving the first clue.

    1. Spring is a verb in 22a in the sense of bound or skip Steve.

       1. Ok. Thanks, SL.

          I was thinking of the noun.

18. A bit more of a head scratcher after 2 gentle days, with some clever misdirection.

    2.5*/3.5*

    Fav 2d LOI 6a.

    Thanks to setter and 2Kiwis.

19. Good fun and not too difficult, with some terrific surfaces and neat misdirection. I looked at 3d for ages until the coin hit the floor. Very clever. But I think my favourite was 21a.

    Thanks to our Wednesday setter and the 2Ks.

20. I started at great pace and was thinking a */*** but ground to a halt in the NW and it became a ***/***. Pretty good although I favour more even puzzles. 21a and 9d were excellent I thought but 2d ticked all the boxes and was my COTD. Finished on the Tamar Valley Railway with river views of the Tamar and Tavy for thoughtful inspiration. Thanks the 2K’s and our setter.

21. Couple that I thought were a bit of a stretch in this one – 15a & 3d – but they were doable so didn’t impinge on completion.
    Top two for me were 13a & 18d.

    Thanks to our setter and to our 2Ks for the review – still feeling as though Spring has changed its mind here!

22. A generally nice puzzle that I found a little trickier than a normal Wednesday. Mostly good clues, a reasonable challenge and a pleasing solve. I have ticked a few and will arbitrarily pick 16d as my favourite from that selection. I have reluctantly knocked off .5* for enjoyment because of the two rather rudimentary (to put it mildly) 3-letter anagrams – OK on a Monday maybe, but not in a midweeker. I did solve 3d but only by guessing and googling the character – I can just about see the cryptic definition but cannot yet perceive any conventional cryptic wordplay. I must be missing something subtle – a hint would be most welcome! 3*/3*.

    1. *Just to clarify, I solved 3d via a guess that seemed to fit the clue and confirmed it by googling the character mentioned by the 2Ks above.

23. What fun this was today, I would not have known the word in 15a but as it was my last one in the digital crossword told me I was right when a guessed the last 2 letters. Definitely one for my list and maybe Terence will add it to his? 3d was the penultimate one in which then became my favourite.

    Just back from our weekly walk with a dog from the local rescue centre. Todays one was bonkers and barked his head off at any dog he met leading to a very brisk walk and lots of hiding round corners to avoid other walkers.

    Thank you to the setter and to the 2 kiwis for the hints.

    1. There used to be a dog walker near us who would take a rather strong Dalmatian for walks across the fields. The dog would be pulling hard on the lead while the dog walker leant back trying to stop him. We nicknamed her “The Water Skiing Dog Walker”.

       1. When I was first married, we had an Alsatian bitch called Frau. She was enormous, bigger than all her male siblings, and was extremely powerful, full of gusto and pulled like mad on the lead at the onset of a walk. My wife, who was only 8 stones wet through, used to get up early every morning to take her a long walk up the main road to the nearby valley/river. One morning, I was watching them through the bedroom window as they set off. It was mid-winter and the pavements were covered in compacted snow/ice. They got across the road and Frau forged ahead like a maniac on the lead, pulled Diane clean to the ground and dragged her up the path like a husky pulling a sledge!

          1. Great stories, thanks for sharing.
             It’s interesting walking different dogs each time as they all seem to have their quirks, I guess that’s why they are in the rescue centre.

             1. It was sad to see so many dogs abandoned after Covid. People thought let’s get a dog to while away the time. We can go for walks! Then lockdown was over and these poor dogs were no longer wanted.

                Owning a dog comes with responsibilities and should never be decided on a whim.

                They are not possessions like cars or houses. They are living creatures who, if treated correctly, will give joy backed by unconditional love.

                Sorry – I’ve said my piece and will now shut up!

                1. Don’t shut up Steve, it’s an important message to keep on and on about. The rescue centres are full of these poor cast-off creatures.

                   1. If I could, MG I would house them all.
                      However, don’t get me started on the treatment of dogs, or any animal, by callous humans whose only aim is to exploit animals for their own gain.
                      If I had the power I would shut down all puppy farms.
                      Ok, that is definitely it!
                      I have made my feelings known and, after all, this is a crossword blog not a forum for personal views.

                      Ish…..

                      1. I don’t suppose anyone will see this now but the mistake people make is trying to pull back a dog on a tight lead, an exercise in futility. Take a step forward and allow the lead to go slack and snap it back! It doesn’t hurt them it’s the shock effect. Works every time. I’ve been training gundogs for over 55 years and I don’t teach spaniels to walk to heel until they start pulling me off my feet, that stops them.

                         1. Exactly what I do with Hudson, Taylor.

24. As others have remarked, a bit of a mixed bag today, lots of misdirection and stretched synonyms plus tough anagrams. End result…..a top-notch back pager.
    Thanks to the setter for the action and the 2 KS for the hints.
    Very bright and sunny first thing, but clouding over now, here on The Downs.

25. Two thirds OK but a few took some working out and others needed hints. Liked 20d which reminded me of Lord Gnome.

    Thanks to the 2Ks and the setter.

26. Great fun – thanks to our setter and 2Ks.
    I’ve put 21a, 30a and 3d on my podium.

27. Not my favourite puzzle of the week today. Three unknown words/definitions for me in 10a, 15a & 20d, thus technically a DNF for today. Found some of the clues/parsing hard to follow too.
    Not my cuppa today, thus for me 4*/1* today.

    Favourites today 21a, 28a, 29a & 3d, when I figured out who Violet Elizabeth and her issue.
    Winner 29a … what this puzzle should be … like the answer is.

    Thanks to setter and 2K’s

28. I did wonder if 16d was a clue to the setter being as it is proXimal’s alter ego, but the “wrong” missing letter suggests otherwise. Nevertheless the puzzle was fine and V E Bott apart fairly straightforward for a Wednesday.
    Thanks to setter and 2K’s

29. Morning all.
    Interesting to note that nobody as yet has hazarded a guess at the setter. Suppose it will go down as Mr Ron again unless someone pops in to claim it. We would love to know if the missing W is of any significance.
    Another chilly morning due to break here in the next hour or so.
    Cheers.

30. Found this enjoyable but very tricky in parts 🤔 ****/*** Favourites 1a, 3d & 9d 😃 Thanks to the 2 x Ks and to the unknown Compiler, who it is I can’t even hazard a guess 😳

31. I rattled through this until I hit the NW corner, where 3d in particular took me into ** territory. A bit of a stab to be honest, the online version confirmed I was right but it wasn’t until I saw the comment @12 that I fully parsed it! Even now I understand it I’m not sure I like it. I thought 30a a bit harsh on poor Romeo too. I had lots of likes today and could have easily picked more – but my top picks are 2d for the super misdirection, 21a and my COTD goes to 12a, a great clue that also made me smile! **/****

    TY to our mystery setter and 2Ks

32. Gosh, can you imagine what Thursday and Friday are going to be like? I did find lots to like even though I had to do hard labour to get the answers. As a fan of the Irish RM, 15a was a write in and my fave. I also rather liked Romeo. I found the NW way beyond my abilities, I missed about four there so a DNF for me, I did get 1a and 1d but the rest gave me a headache. I wished I had remembered Violet Elithabeth Bott, as our Canadian friend and SJB did! Some answers were strangely Monday levels and others Friday Toughie.
    Thanks to our setter and to the 2Kiwis for sorting out a few for me.

33. 2*/4* Not too difficult on the whole. But 3d was last to go and took an age to get. Made me laugh.

34. Can’t say I enjoyed this one. I put smiley faces by the side of the very much enjoyed clues and sad faces by the side of those that didn’t float my boat. The sad faces outnumbered the smiley ones, particularly 10a, 12a, 22a and 15a, which earned 3 sad faces all on its own. Guess I have my contrary head on today.

35. Loved this for the humour and quirkiness 2*/4* .
    3d had me chuckling out loud – outrageous and clever – by far my favourite
    Thanks to the setter ( would love to know whose work this is ) and to the 2K’s

36. It was a case of slowly, slowly catchy monkey with this one. 3d made me smile. 21a brought back memories of meeting a friend who was a police dog handler. My young son asked if the dog had a good nature. The reply was “Yes, he hates everyone”. Thank you setter and 2ks.

37. A steady solve for me today, last to fall 9d and runaway favourite 21a. Thanks to setter and 2 K’s

38. 14 on first pass had me thinking it was going to be a similar trot to earlier in the week. Er, no!! Much head scratching, and an eventual recourse to electrons for the last half dozen puts this at 4*.

39. I found this challenging, I thought I was really going to struggle, and I did till a few pennies dropped. 3d had me completely beaten, it was the last one left, all checking letters in place. I had to reveal the answer on here. I could kick myself, but it was too obscure even for my devious mind till I clicked on the reveal.
    Thanks to the setter for a great puzzle.

40. I had very mixed feelings over this one and have to admit to being defeated – 6a, 10a and 15a stumped me completely. I must have led a very sheltered life as I cannot ever remember having come across ‘rafts’ as meaning a great deal and I would never have got ‘trap’ at 6a if I’d sat here all day. Otherwise, I found it an enjoyable enough solve, but I have to admit that I much preferred Hudson’s inside pager. I did like 1a, 11a, 21a and several more, but 30a gets my vote as personal favourite. Thanks to today’s setter – might it have been Robyn? Thanks also to 2Ks for some much needed help with a few parsings.

41. Not for me I’m afraid. Harder than the toughie.

42. 4*/4*…
    liked 3D “Says I’m thick, when I’m not well? (5)”

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