DT 30522

92 comments on “DT 30522”

1. Tougher than useful Mondays I thought – 1d was a little contrived – good fun though

   1. Well it’s all contrived really…!!

2. Has our triple-punner morphed into an American? 22a means a building for law courts in the UK whereas in America it is also used to mean a government building; and surely 10a is American despite the BRB’s rider “esp N American”.

   Apart from those two clues, I thought this was one of his best ever Monday puzzles with a long list of top picks: 18a, 2d, 7d, 8d, 13d, 15d & 19d. My rating is 1.5*/4.5*.

   Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.

   1. I noticed the two American expressions too. Neither of them are commonly used in the UK in rhe sense that they are used in the crossword.

      1. I was quite happy to see 10a, solving from across the pond 😊.

   2. But 4d passes the smell test?

      1. Commonly used in the 1960s, during my teenage years.

   3. I think it is rare not to find an Americanism in a Campbell puzzle.

      1. Or in Campbell’s solvers!

         For 10a – we thought that “to here…” might fit better?

         Thanks to y’all for the most enjoyingest puzzle of the day.

         Mr & Mrs T

3. On the whole very enjoyable. 10a had to be what it was but WHY? What on earth does that mean – IMHO a ridiculous clue. Hope Terence puts it on his List. Will huff off now but thanks for the rest of it.

   1. I guess it’s because you’d be standing on them cheering the sporting action

      1. What are they? They are not in my admittedly old BRB and Mr Google says they are a band!

         1. In the Cambridge Corn Exchsnge they are the retractable seats that pull out for a concert and fold back when there is an arena needed. I never understood it when George was with the CSO but maybe a Mr B invented them.

         2. I only knew of them because I read a John Grisham novel where he kept mentioning them. From memory they are the benches that the supporters sit on.

   2. 10a are open-air stands (i.e. open to the elements and bleached by the sun)

   3. 10a are bench-type tiered seating (typically, but not exclusively) used at sports venues. They may be permanent or temporary, fixed or portable, retractable (as DG has described) or not retractable. It is a style of seating that is much less grand than a grandstand.

      1. I was quite happy to see 10a, solving from across the pond 😊.

      2. In Baseball land: benches for spectators can be traced back to at least 1889; named as such because the generally uncovered wooden boards were “bleached by the sun”.

         Today they are the seats that are close to the field (pitch, wicket, court…)

4. As straightforward and gentle as one would expect for a Monday. Agree with RD about 10a (familiar to me from Grease & The World According to Garp) & 22a. Some very awkward surfaces, and I thought 28a one of the weakest clues I’ve seen for a very long time: shifting one letter one position is possibly the smallest adjustment one can make. And as for nearly one clue in four being an anagram – with three in a row in the downs, and two next to each other in the acrosses? Well, in Rookie’s Corner that would all attract adverse comment. On the other hand I very much enjoyed my three podium clues: 14a, 26a & 2d, so all-in-all while very, very far from Campbell’s best, a decent start to the week.

   1* / 2.5*

   Thank you to Campbell and to Falcon

5. I really enjoyed this but it wasn’t all plain sailing. I had to resort to electronic help for 10a. It was the only option available and not a word I’d ever heard so it still made me ponder for a while. 1d had to be what it was but I failed to parse it and narrow as a synonym for strict is not one that immediately springs to mind. Surprisingly it was the 4 letter clues which were easiest today, not usually the case for me. Lots to like and ticks all over my paper. Favourite has to be 8d, a very clever compound clue which took some sorting out. Podium places for 18a and 13d. Thanks to Campbell for the enjoyment and Falcon for the guidance on 1d especially.

6. A very pleasant amble with Campbell through Crossyland.

   My children have never heard of the synonym for expensive in 7d which I couldn’t believe. I have checked with some other friends’ offspring of a similar age (early 20s) and it’s the same with them. What’s that all about???

   Anyway, lots of fun to be had with today’s offering with 2d, 15d and 23d being my top picks.

   Many thanks to C&F.

   1*/4*

   P.S I was hoping that Falcon was going to do a pic for 12a but maybe Monday morning isn’t the right time of the week to arouse some of the solvers.

   1. The youth of today🤷‍♂️

      

      1. Good shout, DG ‘The less’.

   2. Tom, there’s a truly magnificent puzzle in today’s Rookie Corner – you should give it a go. Ignore any typos! :-)

      1. On it!

7. Despite my absolute delight regarding my mention, Pommers’ elucidation plus a Google search, I cannot for the life of me make head or tail of 10a! Cheers to Campbell and Pommers.

   1. Oops! Falcon. Sorry Falcon 😘

   2. See Wot I Rote to Manders!

      1. 😘

8. A brisk solve but agree it was a wee bit trickier than of late for a Monday. 10a was gettable from the wordplay but I only knew the answer as an American band (not my cup of tea) & the all in one only made sense when I looked its meaning post completion. 8d my pick of the bunch too.
   Thanks to Campbell & Falcon.
   Ps A great Jason Isbell acoustic solo gig at the Union Chapel last night however I’d quite forgotten how uncomfortable sitting on those wooden pews for a sustained period is. This old Drive By Truckers tune was a welcome & unexpected inclusion in the set

9. It’s Monday :good: It’s Campbell :good: Although this took somewhat longer to solve than yesterday’s Dada :unsure: 2.5*/3.5*

   Candidates for favourite – 1a, 12a, 8d, and 16d – and the winner is 16d.

   Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

10. A gentle Monday puzzle and very enjoyable . As others I managed to derive 10a but had not heard of the word in the context it’s meant. Bit of a dodgy surface 🤔. Thanks Campbell and Falcon.

11. I don’t usually do very well with Campbell puzzles, but did better today.
    Needed help to parse 1d . I was getting there with parsing 8d but was glad Falcon sorted it out.
    Last one in 15d which is now my favourite.
    Agree that there were some American usages but thought the clues for them were doable.
    Surprised that folks don’t seem to have heard of 10a.

    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.

12. An enjoyable Monday puzzle – thanks to Campbell and Falcon.
    I knew the 10a word but only because it cropped up in a clue some time ago.
    My podium choices are 1a, 14a and 1d.

13. A typical Monday puzzle in difficulty but an extra star in enjoyment, a **/****
    Favourite was 10a, not sure what they were but an obvious anagram and will know in future.
    Liked 14a, remembered the definition somewhere from the past, also the nicely clued 14a.
    Noticed the tripple pun for a change!
    Thanks to our setter and Falcon-what a test match.

    1. The anagram is not obvious at all in statistical terms. There are 4 unknown letters placements which could be inserted in 24 different ways. None of which including the answer would have made any sense. Only if you know the answer can it be solved without cheating or guesswork. A dreadful clue

14. 28a today but a few hmms viz 1d, 10a and 22a. Nothing to write home about but thank you Campbell and Falcon.

15. 10a bought back memories of watching the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Thanks to Falcon and today’s setter.

16. Overall my feeling this was a rather poor puzzle. Stretched synonyms (14a, 5a), obscure religious reference in 13d (very poor clue overall imho). 10a a rather nasty Americanism.
    In all in all not up to the usual DT standard.
    **/**
    Thx for the hints to explain my answers to the more involved clues.

    1. Obscure religious references in 13d?! Tithes were being paid I would imagine until the enclosure act, maybe even beyond. Sorry Brian, but I marked 13d as a potential candidate for favourite!

    2. Come on Brian, 10a is one of the wonderfulingest clues of the week!

17. Once I’d got the ‘lout’ sorted out, I realised what 10a had to be but the word only rang a very faint bell and I thought the clue itself was rather odd. Not to worry, found plenty to enjoy elsewhere and the honours were shared by 1&18a plus 2&15d.

    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for the review.

18. The sun is shining, we spent half an hour in the garden before lunch and the guzzle was very amenable. What more can we ask. I liked Celia’s band, and 18, 22a plus 13,25d. Nice puns too.
    Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Hinter.

19. I liked this puzzle with last one in being 15d.
    Wasn’t sure why 18a involved America, don’t we call them the same over here?
    Favourites were 27a, 8d and 15d.
    Thanks to setter and hinter.

    1. I rather think it is Goods here for 18a rather than that which goes so fast as in the the song by Peter, Paul & Mary (afraid I can’t copy and paste!).

       1. Here you are, Angelov

          1. Yes that’s it – thank you so much Falcon 🤗. One of these days I will master copy/paste ‘cos I’m sure it’s quite straightforward!

20. Campbell moves Stateside!
    Having spent time in America, I knew that 10a is the cheap seats in a sporting arena, and dear Joni wrote a song on the subject in her album ‘For The Roses’. Campbell’s other American references led me to believe he may be a crossword contributor to the NYT and got his puzzles mixed up.

    Next Monday – Campbell goes to Japan! Obscure references to geisha clothing throughout!

    Thanks to ‘Yankee Campbell’ and The Bird Of Prey.

    1. One day I’ll do a Japanese themed puzzle especially for you. 頑張って！😁😎

       1. So kind!

       2. Following on from AB’s comment…

          Stock, Aitken and Waterman at their very best or is it worst (their ‘Hit Factory’ was the nadir of British music though we loved Mr Astley never giving up on us)….

    2. T. I’ve contrived to get another of the great Joni’s songs in down below at #27.

       1. We love, Joe Knee.

21. Never heard of 10a but bunged it in, as I did with a few others. I’m glad to see most have not bothered to give * ratings as they only relate to the individual concerned, one man’s * is another’s ** or even ***. Thanks to all

22. A nice start again to the non-work week with this Campbell puzzle. Very approachable and no hitches anywhere for me. More-or-less a R&W except slowed a tad by the SE corner.

    1*/5* for me on this one.

    Favourites abound in this one but top ones were 12a, 14a, 22a, 1d, 7d & 23d — with winner 1d
    Lots of smiles, such as the 11a chestnut, 12a, 18a, 2d & 15d. Lots more too.

    Thanks to Campbell & Falcon for hints/blog

23. I found this tricky in places and had to resort to the hints for 14a having been fixated on finding a nautical answer 🙄. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon

24. Also found this tricky for a Monday but still enjoyable. Not surprised 10a has raised eyebrows, one of those words very common in America that hasn’t really made it here at all. Once you know it, you’ll see it crop up all over the place in songs and films.

25. Didn’t fair too well today. Didn’t know 10 across but will now remember it. Annoyed that I didn’t get 14 a and 15 d but needed to get to Zumba. OK , that is a feeble excuse. Many thanks, especially for the explanations .

    1. I often find if there are one or two that I can’t get pre-Zumba, I get them quickly when home afterwards! Worked today for me, except 10a which just could not puzzle out at all.

26. 10A was a bit of a nightmare for me, as it was beyond my vocab’s ken, and thereby became an anagram of an unknown word, and semi-&lit to boot. Hissing and booing from the crowd! I liked the rest of it however, which was for me the usual easy but good stroll out amid the marmalade and coffee. Thanks to Campbell for the soup inter alia, and Falcon.

27. Perfectly straightforward until it wasn’t and when it wasn’t, it wasn’t. There were some that hit the right spot (not 10a or 11a though, ‘for free’ ruined it for Mrs. TWLC) and we’ll go with 14a as winner. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

    1. TWLC. Here’s a For Free you might like:

       1. I’m with Mrs. TWLC on this. Nice song but grammatically incorrect. It’s free or for nothing, it’s one of our pet hates. It seems to be acceptable in the states but that certainly doesn’t it right.

28. Apart drom the American terms at10a and 22a a nice enough puzzle, with the West going in much more easily than the West. Thebest of the clues were the twolego clues at 18a and 13d. Thanks to Campbellband to Falcon for the hints.

29. Pretty good start to the week **/***

    I thought 1d was a stretch, and didn’t like 22a because part of the answer was so close to part of the clue (the h**** part – there are no shortages of alternatives indicators). I thought 10a was fine, but only as I’ve watched far too many US TV shows and films! Favourite was 4d, which I thought was very neat (‘neat’ in the UK sense, not the US sense).

30. I didn’t realize that 10a would be so unknown in the UK. Here is an example of some (these happen to be retractable, i.e., they fold up into a more compact form when not in use):

    

    1. I was familiar with it from Jamaica. I remember sitting in the 10a at Sabina Park for a test match, I think it was England vs WI, a thousand years ago.

       1. Funny I don’t remember them playing the womens institute ever,was it a friendly?

          1. And the women won!! Natch.

    2. The ********* at Fenway in Boston:

       

31. 2/3. Fairly gentle start to the week. I’m sure I’ve seen 11a before. Favourites were 16d, 18&22a. Thanks to all.

    1. “Where satellite dish may be free” appeared in the Toughie on 09/04/19 and it’s appeared a number of times with variations such as tv aerial, chimney, thatcher’s work, etc.

32. Like others I found difficulty with 10a, 22a and not impressed by 1d . The rest of it was fine but I was thinking so much about the unfinished American clues that I couldn’t enjoy the English ones. C’est la vie.
    Thanks to all

33. I found this trickier than yesterday, but I did complete without help. I’m afraid I still don’t “get” 8d, but I’m sure I’m just thick. There were enough gimmes to be able to work out some of the more difficult ones. I liked 3d, the anagram was very friendly to work out. I think fave is 25a. Falcon’s pic reminds me of the old song “in her sweet little Alice blue gown”, anyone remember that? I must google.
    Thank you Campbell, and of course Falcon for his invaluable help understanding so much!

    1. In my sweet little Alice-blue gown,
       When I first wandered forth into town, I was both proud and shy as I quickly walked by
       And in every shop window I prinked, passing by.

       Or something along those lines. We knew all the words(and what is more remember them)
       from the days before television and mobile phones, Mother pounding out the music on the
       piano and the lustres on the mantelpiece shaking!

       1. I remember it so well. We had a friend who played the piano and we’d all gather round and sing our hearts out … right Daisy, all pre-TV and cellphones! Bye, Bye Blackbird was another one, and so many more! What memories.

          Just out of the pool, not a cloud in the sky, the sky is the deepest blue I can ever remember, but it’s coooold! The pool is heated but it was bitter coming out!

    2. Here it is ladies,

       1. Thank you, Falcon, brings back memories. “Water come to me eye”, aka tears!

34. I’m not usually on wavelength with Campbell but did satisfyingly well today, so happy to get the week off to a good start. Surprised more weren’t familiar with 10a. We spent many hours sitting uncomfortably on these when eldest daughter performed in the flag team during high school football game half times. LI was 14d. COTD for me is 18a, a nicely constructed clue. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

35. You’re right Merusa “gets” comes into it but in reverse.

    1. Got it now! Thanks.

36. I was not on form today and took a while to get into this, overall I enjoyed the challenge but I made heavy weather of it. I did know 10a but struggled with the parsing of a couple. I liked 18a

    Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for the hints.

    Steve I hope all has gone smoothly with your wife’s return home.

    1. It did, MTF. Thank you. 👍

37. A bit of a slog with 10a unknown to me. I see I was not alone.

38. Very nice start to the week😃 ***/**** loads of Favourites 11,15 & 21a and 2& 15d 👍 Thanks to the Falcon and to Campbell

39. Sorry but I didn’t have time to look at today’s guzzle. I’ve been too busy getting Mrs C home. It’s good to have her back but she is exhausted and went straight to bed after dinner.

    Anyway, my thanks to Campbell and Falcon

    1. Lots of adjustments to be made I dare say but it must feel good to have her home. All best wishes.

    2. Baby steps for both of you, Steve. I’m just so pleased to hear that you’ve got her back at home.

       1. Me too Steve.

40. Good crossword. Particularly liked 18a. I puzzled over 10a. Worked out what it must be but had to check if it was a real word (other than one who bleaches) – a foxy Americanism I had never heard of. A well, you learn something every day!

41. Ultra Mondayish.
    Whizzed through
    Then grinding halt at
    Last in, 10a.
    Got the rationale, constructed
    A new word for me.
    So, */4*
    Many thanks Campbell and Falcon for the musical
    Renderings.

42. 3*/3* …
    liked 10A “From here, cheers short ball clobbered? (9)”

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