DT 30451

82 comments on “DT 30451”

1. A very satisfying solve especially as it was an unaided finish. It was a steady progression from start to finish with plenty of pennies dropping along the way. 14d is particularly apt for me at the moment because I have shingles! At least, I think I have and I’m about to call the doctor to confirm.

   My COTD is the codebreaker hiding a note at 23a.

   Many thanks to the setter for the fun. Thank you, Hintsman for the hints – you are not the only one who forgets what day it is! 😁

   It’s a bit of a watercolour morning in The Marches today with spells of sunshine and rain.

   1. Sorry to hear Steve – hope it’s not too painful & better soon.

      1. Thanks, Huntsman.

   2. Steve: With my ‘I used to be a nurse’ hat on I would urge you to see or speak to a doctor asap. This is so you can start anti virals, to prevent long term complications from shingles. Wishing you better. I’ve had it so, you have my sympathies.

      1. Thank you, Sheila – I am seeing the doctor this afternoon.

         1. Sorry to hear you have shingles, Steve , but very glad you have a quick appointment so you can get the antivirals asap. I had it years ago before antivirals were around and it was ghastly……so painful.
            Had it again a couple of years back and what a difference the antivirals made.
            Have now had the vaccination so hope never to have it again.
            Horrible horrible illness.

            1. Thank you, Ora. I haven’t had the vaccine because I was under the impression it was a live vaccine and I can’t have them because of my liver transplant. It began about four days ago and red blotches are just appearing so hopefully the antivirals will help. It’s not too bad at the moment.

               1. George would sympathise with you – he went to the doctor 3weeks ago about something else and the doctor pointed to 5 ‘bites’ on his waistline and said shingles! He was astounded, he doesn’t have it badly but it has been painful and made him very tired. They didn’t offer him antivirals though. Hope you feel better soon

   3. My sympathies – I’ve been there but the big blue pill did the trick. Take care.

   4. So sorry, Steve, hope you’re better soon. I’ve heard it’s a very painful complaint.

   5. Oh dear, sorry about the shingles. Peter has had it twice. The first time we didn’t know what it was, and the second time we knew to get straight to the doctor. The sooner you get the medicine the easier it will feel. A couple of months later he got the shot. A shame you can’t have that. Feel better soon.

      1. Hope the anti virals quash the shingles, Steve. My x dadchad a eeallybpainful bout when he was in his 80’s. Very painful.

         1. Good grief Steve, you and your family are going through the mill at the moment. Get well soon and good luck to all of you.

   6. Sorry to hear you’re poorly Steve. I hope the Doctor has got your on track for a speedy recovery.

   7. Thank you all for your kind comments. I saw our GP this afternoon and we spent most of the consultation talking about dogs and Bones (my little Citroen Ami EV). He knows I have a medical background so he just asked me to describe my symptoms and he agreed. He asked when the red blotches appeared and I told him yesterday. He gave a huge grin and told me that it meant it was treatable and had not progressed too far. I am now on antivirals and codeine if the pain gets bad although, to be honest, it’s not at the moment. If it does get bad he will put me on a tricyclic antidepressant – they has been proven to ease chronic pain.
      I need to check with my liver consultant at the QE Hospital in Brum because antivirals can have an effect on one of the immunosuppressants I take. However, the possible interaction of the two is far less than the consequences of letting the herpes virus get a hold.

   8. Ouch! Hope you will soon be better Steve. In the meantime I trust you will have something nice and soothing to ease it.

2. Typically Tuesdayish and the grids indicate an Anthony Plumb production. **/****

   Candidates for favourite – 5a, 12a, 26a, 3d, and 7d – and the winner is 12a.

   Thanks to Mr Plumb, or whomsoever if it is not he, and to Huntsman.

3. A gentle workout with some nice constructions in a very friendly grid.

   My podium is 9a, 5a & 5d.

   Many thanks to Hintsman and compiler

   1*/3*

4. Spot on Tuesday puzzle, nicely clued throughout,. favourite was 5d, took a while to parse!.
   Liked 12 and 11a.
   It seems that our codebreaker is more popular than ever in the grid.these days.
   Top draw pun to boot.
   Going for a **/****, thanks to our setter and Huntsman.

5. I thought this was one of the simplest backpagers for some time, and was a rapid solve. I appreciate not everyone will have found it so, but I could not derive that much satisfaction due to the early finish. However, when I reread some of the clues, I began to see more in there than I originally thought. 23a was excellent, as were 12a and 5d.

   Many thanks to our Tuesday setter and Huntsman.

6. Had to smile when I spotted our reviewer’s answer for 17a – doesn’t fit of course but I bet that’s the term we would have all have come up first!
   A fairly gentle stroll this morning and my top three are 5,11&26a.

   Thanks to Campbell, presumably, and to Huntsman for the review.

   1. Thanks to Campbell? A day late? :smile:

      1. Yes, indeed – sorry Mr Plumb!

   2. Oops – should be a ‘with’ before ‘first’.

   3. 17a updated.

      1. Ta

   4. D’oh – obviously knew it wasn’t mat but that’s the peril of going at speed.

7. Now that’s more like it. A pleasant way to pass idle moments without the need for medication.
   Not too taxing but well clued.
   Thx to all
   **/****

8. Light and enjoyable, and though the clueing (add a letter / remove a letter / swap a letter) did get rather repetitive, the surfaces were great. For me podium places went to 5a, 5d & 17d. We’re having a 24d this evening and often wonder why it is still considered a Sunday lunch, as we never have one at that time!

   1 / 3

   Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman – hope you recover soon and can abandon the pain-killers!

   1. You never have a Sunday roast? We luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuv a Sunday roast.

      It comes into its own in the next few months.

      Our children, who are in their 20s, come back home religiously for it. (pun intended)

      1. There’s always too much to do on a Sunday, and a Sunday 24d lunch leaves one too full and soporific to achieve anything for the rest of the day. Better as a supper, instead – and as we regard it as “fast food” and it is so simple to prepare, a mid-week evening supper is ideal. Who cares if you feel soporific after a meal you don’t eat until after 7.30pm?!

         1. Could always have 24d lunch, nice long nap, then port and cheese later 😋😋

         2. Sunday is a day of rest in our household, well, the afternoon certainly is.

            Sitting down after a roast, feeling soporific is terrific.

            The best time of the week to catch some sofa zeds.

            1. There was once a young chap named Tom
               Whose puns go off like a bomb
               He feels terrific
               And rather soporific
               Then solves his backpager with aplomb

               1. We do so love a limerick.

                  Before you get carried away, AB, don’t forget that this is a family show….

                  1. Hence why I wasn’t going to limerick your last name 🤣

                  2. Oo by the way, did you lookie at the rookie yesterday? Another one of mine if you’ve a spare moment this week.

                     1. On it!

                     2. Another splendid effort, AB!

                        Who doesn’t love a bit of citrussy bilberry with some severe vino.

                        The way it’s going, you won’t be in Rookie Corner for long. Where we hung our school coats was called ‘Nookie Corner’.

                        Good, good times.

                        Well done, again.

                        1. Thanks Tom! It’s been very many years since I was promoted to any form of ‘nookie corner’ 🤣 But not really concerned about promotions anyway, just setting some puzzles for fun 😎

                           1. Keep doing it, baby!

      2. We always had a Sunday Roast before we sailed across the pond. We tried to keep the tradition going but just too hot and heavy a meal in South Florida. Rarely have it for our evening meal either, as we don’t want the oven heating up the kitchen for hours,.

         1. Fairy nuff, BL!

9. More like May than nearly halfway into November here in Sandhurst today, 12 degrees C and blue skies, not complaining in the least. Much easier puzzle than yesterday, with the bottom a bit trickier than the top. 17a? I’ve heard of the mat version but not this one, maybe I’ll invent a waterproof lino version for rainy days.
   My top clue today was 5d, took a while to see exactly why, good fun all round, ta to our setter today.

10. I enjoyed this muchly. Thanks to setter and Hintsman, although for once I didn’t need the hints.

11. 1.5*/4*. I thought this was extremely light but extremely good fun with 5d my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Hintsman.

12. I must have been on the right wavelength today because this was almost a read and write. But pleasurable while it lasted, so 1.5*/4*. Thanks to the setter, and to Hintsman for the (mercifully unneeded) hints which I will now read. Warm and sunny here in Myrtle Beach – high expected to be around 26 (78 in old money!).

    1. Had many a great holiday in Myrtle Beach – Caledonia Golf & Fish Club one of my fav places to play anywhere

13. Completed without recourse to the hints.
    Thanks to Hintsman and to the setter.

    Beautifully sunny 20C in Nice today….just my kind of temperature.

14. After yesterdays beating this was a blessed relief, just the right level for me, no ums ahs or what’s today for a change. Thanks to all.

    1. Nice and easy and a quick finish. Enjoyed 23a. Thanks

15. Andy’s late arrival should not be tolerated and he should be imprisoned with immediate effect. There is no need for a trial.
    I completed this one unaided with a cheery spring in my step. but I needed Andy’s explanation of the parsing on a couple.

    Still reeling after the 4-1 win for my mighty Chelsea last night over the nine men of battling Tottenham Hotspur.
    H thought I was going to have a seizure as I nearly demolished the sofa with my alternate groans and cheers; and my whooping and wailing. I feel sorry for the ‘I hate sport’ people.

    Thanks to the setter and Hintsman On The First Tee.

    

    1. Nine men? And there was I thinking that there were eleven in a football team?

       1. You are right Daisy, both teams start off with 11 players on the pitch, but if they get a red card they’re sent off. Two Tottenham players were sent off. I think the World record for red cards in a senior match might be Claypole v Victoriano Arenas in 2011 when a ref sent off all the players and gave the substitutes and coaches red cards as well!

    2. Seems more than reasonable to me T – I’d have expected a good beating first.
       What a game that was last night – thought of you..,,

16. Extremely friendly today which took a fraction of the time of yesterday’s offering, but still very enjoyable. Podium places for 22a, 23a and 20d. Thanks to our setter and Huntsman..

17. Pretty gentle as seems to be agreed but enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
    My top picks are 5a, 26a and 5d.

18. Once again for Tuesday this week a very satisfying puzzle to solve. All went in quite easily in a R&W fashion for me. Once again some very clever clues, both wording and resulting answers, and my favourites include these types of clues.

    1*/5* for me

    Favourites include 1a, 5a, 23a, 26a, 14d, 16d & 24d — with winner 23a
    Several made me smile including 1a, 5a, 11a & 26a.

    Thanks to setter & Huntsman for blog/hints

19. As per last week Tuesday’s offering definitely less taxing than Monday’s and it was a pleasure to work on beginning with a sail through the North. Needed prompt with 12a. 20d only just parses. 4d and 16d particularly appealed. Thank you AP(?) and Huntsman.

20. We managed to cope with this one with only the female swellings holding us up. So thanks for the hunts there, Mr. Hintsman. ( CC you have a lot to answer for). Lots to like here, I thought 17a was very crafty, and 11 made me think of Great Aunt Florence, who came and stayed with me and my brother whilst Mummy & Daddy went skiing, she was a real sweetie. We are off to the hall shortly to view plans for 100 new houses to be built in an awkward spot in the village. We shall put in our two penn’orth deploring the increase of traffic rat runs which would follow. . I wasn’t a District and Parish Councillor for 27 years without knowing a bit about planning! Many thanks to Setter and Hintsman.

    1. 😇 Who, me? Perish the thought, Daisy

21. 2/4. Steady solve which was very enjoyable. 23a was my favourite from a fairly packed podium. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.

22. How nice to be able to solve a puzzle without aids. I only had a ? at 23a, not sure it meant “responding” but chose the right answer ‘cos of the codebreaker, it had to be. I, too, nearly fell for the other second word at 17a, just couldn’t parse it. I liked 16d, but fave has to be 5d.
    Thank you Mr. Plumb for the fun and Hintsman for your help unravelling a couple.

23. A very gentle and enjoyable solve which was over far too quickly.
    I sympathise with you, Huntsman, for forgetting that you are on blogging duty. It happened to me a few weeks ago and it was all done it a bit of a rush to meet the 11.00 deadline! I now have a diary note every Wednesday evening to set the alarm so that I am up bright and early (well, one out of two is not bad!) every Thursday.
    As others have commented, I am more familiar with a “mat” at 17a, but the word play was generous.
    Good fun.
    Thank you setter and Huntsman.

24. Nice and gentle so was able to get on with my projects. Self indulgent and delightful morning. Many thanks for all the effort that goes into this marvellous site and of course the setter.

25. Oh dear Huntsman, the pain killers are definitely taking their toll, with you identifying yourself as “Hintsman” and mentioning the “hunts”…. Do hope you feel better soon. And about time we were treated to such a delightful puzzle, no need for help or Mr Google today. Had trouble with 25a as we’re in our dry season here and haven’t had much precipitation lately. Otherwise all perfectly straight forward, and a puzzle guaranteed to encourage newbies I would have thought. A puzzle designed for enjoyment and not designed to defeat the solver. Thanks to setter (Chalicea?), and to Huntsman, especially as you did this for us despite feeling under the weather. Don’t worry about the day, we often forget which one it is ☺️.

    1. This was a definitely a puzzle to encourage the newbies, I managed to finish the majority of it before resorting to the hints and t’internet. Very confidence boosting after yesterday’s struggle.

26. Shingles sounds awful! I’ve had my first jab but now have to wait 6 months for the booster, hope it all works. A smooth set of clues today thank you setter and Huntsman

27. Extraordinarily straightforward solve, hurrah! 😃 */*** Favourites 10a, 23a and 21d👍 Thanks to the Huntsman and to the Compiler

28. Gently does it.
    Loved 5, 17, and 23a
    And 20d.
    Unproblematic throughout.
    In summary 1*/4*
    Thanks to our early in
    The week setter and Huntsman.

29. I tried to comment earlier but the blog wasnt up. I have nothing to add. A pleasant relatively undemanding guzzle. I liked the 4d lurker andvthe 11a relative. Thanks to H ( Late but not forgotten ) and to tge compiler.

30. Good afternoon
    Less of a struggle than yesterday’s crozzie, but some neat bits of trickery in the clueing which made for an enjoyable solve.
    My thanks to our compiler and to Huntsman.

31. Another good day. Always enjoyable when the clues are solvable. Slipped up on 17a but checkers soon helped. Hope shingles doesn’t last too long Steve.
    Thanks to both setter and hinter.

32. As usual just right for a Tuesday, just a little sting in the tail but not too sharp. Favourite was the codebreaker, his was the first name to spring to mind then it was just a question of fitting the rest of the clue in and around it. Very good. Thanks to the setter and the Hintsman.

33. After thinking I’d lost my touch ( or marbles) last Thursday and Friday, both of which I found really difficult despite most everyone else finding them an enjoyable romp, today and yesterday have been at the easier end of the spectrum. Let’s see how the week progresses…. Thanks to Hintsman and our compiler today.

    1. No, no, no, not everyone else, and some who do say they found it a “romp” I seriously doubt. Don’t be taken in!

       1. Thank you 🙏

          1. I agree with Merusa, MsGlad.

34. Finally got round to this after a busy day. Fortunately it mostly went fairly well with a couple of slight hold ups,

    Many thanks to the setter and to huntsman for the hints

35. Sadly a 1 and a 1. Not quite enough to be satisfying. Had to go out before this appeared yesterday. So looking back from Wednesday which was much more fun.
    But as a bonus ” today’s – Tuesday” comments were great fun. Still laughing at the reference to a blue pill as a universal cure all! Or maybe I misunderstood.

36. This was a very tasty guzzle which enhanced yesterday’s lunch!
    My fave was 5d, followed by 23a, 11a, 18d and 20d. I decided on two definitions for 7d.
    Many thanks to Anthony Plumb for a most entertaining puzzle and to Hutsman for the review.

37. 2*/4* …
    liked 5D “Short trousers old judge might be seen in here (5)”

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