DT 27714

129 comments on “DT 27714”

1. Oh dear, that was over all too soon but it was fun while it lasted. So many good clues including 10a, 8d and 13d. Thanks Mr. Ron and MP. **/***.

2. Thank you Rufus. Good fun and for some reason I found this quite straightforward. I really couldn’t believe that I had the right answer for 21a. It seemed so obvious that I thought that it must be wrong – not so ! Thanks MP for your review and hints. Quite unusual to get a high scoring draw in egg chasing MP I would have thought ?

   1. Re 21a, neither could I.

3. Did anyone else think that there should have been a second anagram indicator in 23 down to show that the letters of LEO were in a different order in SOUTH POLE?

   1. Yes!

      1. Thirded!

   2. I thought one was enough, but then everyone’s mind works differently.

      1. Even though we are all called Dave …

   3. technically, definitely yes. but with Leo being a bit of a giveaway, the clue hasn’t become unfairly difficult.

      1. My thoughts exactly.

   4. Overall devastation would seem to suffice.

   5. Perhaps it would have been better if ‘devastated’ had been placed before ‘South Pole’ in the clue?

   6. Not clever enough or with it enough at the moment for that thought to have occurred to me.

4. This was 2*/4* for me for another good fun Monday puzzle.

   Like Miffypops I wasn’t keen on 17a. However on checking my BRB, it says “vt to wander over or through; vi to wander about; to ramble; to change about inconstantly; to troll with live bait”, so I think the answer is OK as a synonym for “knock about”.

   I don’t understand why 28a needs the words “is to be made”. I think the clue and the surface reading are fine without them.

   My favourite was 13d. You can’t get much briefer than that!

   Many thanks to Rufus and to MP.

   1. MP, I have tried to fight back the pedant in me but failed. In your hint for 12a you say “he can be found by putting a Scottish pronunciation of the word Man after a verb meaning to perform something alone”. While that is indeed correct, in the clue construction the alone bit is actually an adjective. I’ll leave now before I get some rotten tomatoes thrown at me.
      

      1. I thought so to but forgot to do anything about it. It is warts and all on Mondays I’m afraid.

      2. If you wish to be pedantic, “mon” is a Scots word, not a pronounciation of man.

         1. couldn’t agree more . Safer to leave this clue aloone

         2. . . . and if anyone really wants to be pedantic MP meant that he “thought so too” . . . sorry – feeling a bit bloody minded this evening. I enjoyed meeting you briefly on Saturday MP.Thanks for holding my bag while I went into the “powder room” (a rather euphemistic answer to a clue last week some time).

   2. O I agree

5. 12d hint should surely be an anagram of reinstated not restrained

   1. Well spotted Veronique. It has been corrected now. Thanks. Will anybody spot a third error?

      1. Yes, but only my own! For the second time today

6. Thanks Rufus. Some nice clues. Last in was 12d. Thought 17a was a rather poor clue, though, more than made up for in 10 & 12a and 13d.

7. MP, I think 19a works with a soft C pronunciation and “series” for chains?

   1. Chambers gives:

      Ceres /sēˈrēz/

      series /sēˈrēz or -riz/

      which would seem to confirm that they are homophones of each other.

8. No big problems here but good fun. Made things tricky for myself by writing SQUARED UP for 27A before realising it didn’t fit !!! Soon sorted out though.

   1. Perhaps if clue had read “on the level or neat without ice” you would not have had that initial problem!

9. I agree. All good until the last few. Smiles a-plenty followed by frowns, which is the wrong order of things. Much better to be beavering away and then rewarded with delight.

   So in reverse order: I didn’t get the first three letters of 8d, didn’t know 25d, and had forgotten B+26d having never heard the term in the wild. Was dull-brained in parsing 16a, not able to let go of a=area for a while.

   Before that there were the very easy clues, amongst which a couple of big smiles. You can guess which were the main ones. Sorry to be so predictable but I did like 3d. And am with the vast majority in loving 13d. What a smasher :).

10. Again, really nice to meet so many of you on Saturday, many thanks.

    Well, I made today’s puzzle hard for myself by filling in second hand for 7d. I also struggled to rid myself of a mental plastic or elastic for 19d. Once corrected, it all made a lot more sense.

    I really like O? (13d), I’d boil over with desire (3d), and the chapel (20d), which to me read a bit like an all-in-one clue, if you are allowed to extend “insets” to paintings (- hm, maybe not.) 2d (armstrong).. didn’t really do it for me

    Many thanks Rufus and miffypops for the entertaining review – the Dylan tracks are always appreciated too.

11. P.S. Addington made me laugh :).

12. */***

    A dark and wretched day is upon me. I knew it would come. I prepared for it and still…. Today I did not need my pencils for the anagrams. Not once. Miffypops maniacal tyranny has reduced them to a vestige of their former selves. I weep.

    Now onto the crossword. Monday morning fun. When I read 10a I knew that I might enjoy this one. And I did. 13d was sheer bliss although the same could be said of 3d.
    4* pleasure would have been awarded if it were not for the awfulness of 21a. 2d didn’t appeal either.

    I thought 23a was fine as it was but I bow to the superior knowledge of those on here.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Miffypops for your usual wonderful blog.

    I’m not sure you can call me a ‘twitcher’! Conversations I’ve had with friends when out walking would suggest otherwise. This became evident when I once asked what a cormorant was.

    I’m going to now counsel my pencils. Or I might promote them to ‘work’ ones. Are Coventry still top?

    1. I am sure there are two twitchers out there, if you are not one of them then i meant the other. I made no mention of pencils today but took one along on Saturday as a gift for you in case we met. We didn’t. As for Coventry. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/english-national-league-one/table

       1. It’s still for the taking then despite Ealing having a game in hand. When I was at uni I dated a Hartpury player, but that’s a very different story! Nice college, though I seem to remember getting rather drunk at a Summer Ball.

          I know you didn’t mention pencils today, but they were so upset they were not needed that they have taken to writing anagrams on my avatar. Keep hold of the pencil for me…I shall no doubt need it in the future! Looks like you all had a great time on Saturday. I’m looking forward to going to one.

          Do you go to the concerts at King’s?

          1. I have never dated a Rugby player or attached anthropomorphic qualities to inanimate objects but I have got drunk at a summer ball. My brother Paul went to Kings College Cambridge aged 67 and as dead as dead can be. He was there in a refrigerated drawer for nearly two years. A group of medical students studied his corpse and gained invaluable knowledge of human anatomy. We went to a memorial service for the families of those who had donated their bodies. It was beautiful. you too can donate your body for medical study as I have. Find out more here. http://www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/doc/donateFAQ.shtml The Co-op funeral service took Paul’s body from the house and I often wonder if they took it to Cambridge or if Cambridge came and fetched it. What I really hope happened is that two hearses met in a lay by on the A14 and the body was passed from one to the other.

             1. My mum has arranged for this at Newcastle, much to the horror of my sister, even worse when we make jokes or even talk about it. I do understand though, but I’ve yet to make the decision whether it is for me. Well done to your brother Paul for the amazing gift that he gave.

                67 is a good age to get into King’s. They turned me down at 17.

                1. We were ignorant of what was to come so we always said “Our Paul’s going in a jar” Well done your Mum. I am proud of her.

                   1. I’m proud of her too MP, and you and your brother. She did her training at the RVI and General and approached the whole thing with her usual understanding and intelligence.

13. Argh! So sorry – I forgot to express my gratitude. It’s so easy to assume I’ve already done so. Thanks of course to Rufus for the puzzle, and to Miffypops for a review that was as enjoyable as I’ve come to expect.

14. Chirpy start to the week **/*** for me, spot on the wavelength, did’nt think about a ‘second’ anagram indicator for 23d, as i was in full flow ,but note the Daves point above-could have said ‘Leo broken up leaving south pole’ for example, Anyway good fun, like Miffypops was looking for a ‘gh’ somewhere in 12d ,Murray far from mint..-what a tortured soul.

15. It was nice to meet so many people last Saturday, at last more faces to names. A nice start to the week for me. 23d was the hardest for me, it was ages before the penny dropped. Thanks to Rufus and to Miffypops for his usual entertaining review.

16. A curate’s egg of a puzzle for me. I especially liked 10a, 13d but most of all 14d, my favourite, simple construction but amusing too.

    Against that there are a couple of clues I greatly disliked – 8d and 21a to name names – as I have a natural aversion to the answer being displayed so obviously in the clue. The fifth word in 8d could just as easily be omitted without any change to the meaning in my opinion, and as for 21a – well it’s now clearly out in first place in my “weakest clue of 2015” award. I’m very surprised that the editor waved it through to be honest.

    29a is very topical given the recent moving anniversary coverage.

    Thanks to all concerned.

17. A good start to the week, improved even more by MP’s commentary. So thanks to him and the setter. Its all been said by previous bloggers today, but much more good than bad or ugly.

18. It went quite smoothly today. We agree with Miffypops that 13d was a great clue & found it only with a couple of checking letters. 8d, however, could also be Subfielder, but I should imagine that might have to be hyphenated but it’s probably more difficult to take a catch in the changing room than standing at silly mid off or on the boundary. We hesitated over 21a because of the word being in the clue. Sorry to have missed Miffypops at the gathering as we arrived minutes after his departure.

19. Was happily trundling along today, until I ground to a halt in the SW quadrant – and now, with the help of MP’s super blog (big thank you, Miffypops) can’t quite understand why… but Saturday’s “Do” was absolutely super. I met three, no, four, of my heroes & had a splendid time meeting plenty of others. Thank you BD for making this such an exceptional Blog, and for arranging such a fine Get Together – (and Cryptic Sue’s cake defies coherent response apart from Yummy yummy…. I’d planned to save my slice for Mr P. but didn’t manage to keep my resolve!) thank you to everyone who made it such an delight of an Outing from near and far. I’ve missed the blog enormously through various circumstances but hope to be back more regularly from now on. Thank you also to setter for today’s puzzle. Greetings to all.

20. Meant to send flowers to all

21. Lovely Monday puzzle. 29 across has to be one of the easiest clues I’ve come across for ages. Glad everyone enjoyed themselves on Saturday, you make the rest of us feel quite left out in the cold, true in more ways than one as it’s perishing here on the East Coast. Thank you to the Monday setter and to Miffypops.

22. Straightforward, but fun, except for the clunkers already highlighted by just about everyone. I quite liked the almost-double-ups of 1a and 4d, and 12d and 27a. Great fun on Saturday and look forward to meeting more of you at the next. I was selfishly hogging a seat and failed to mingle and so missed out on the cake, which is unlike me – not the selfishness, the missing of the cake. I like cake. Thanks to Rufus and MP for the usual high standard review. 2*/3*

23. As MP says – a mix of good, bad and I would probably add to that – indifferent. Disliked both 21a & 8d, particularly the latter – both contained too much of the answer in the clue and I’m still not very happy with 19a (despite the BRB!). The online pronunciation is ‘sereez’ with a short ‘e’ as the second letter and that is the only way I have ever heard it said.
    Amongst the goodies – 3d & 10a but I’ll go with the majority and vote for 13d as favourite. 2*/3* from me.

    Many thanks to Rufus and to MP for his usual great review. By the way, MP – the ‘bands’ put on birds are referred to as ‘rings’ and the folk who do the job are ‘ringers’. Best not get me started on that subject – BD would run out of asterisks in a very short time!

    I think you’ll find that the other ‘birder’ in the group is Sweet William.

24. Thanks to Rufus and to Miffypops for the review and hints. I must have been inspired by Saturday’s meet. I actually managed this without the hints. Although I initially put in Helen for 19a, and had second hand for 7d, I managed to correct them in the end. A very enjoyable puzzle, favourite was 13d and last in was 26d. Was 3*/4* for me.

25. Good fun – I was glad to see the explanation for 23d, I completely missed the anagram and was even more confused by the ‘Leo’ reference – thanks for that!

    I noticed that it was the Setter who makes the Cricket references – his name eludes me – I notice the reference to ‘Rufus’ and ‘Mr Ron’ etc

    Onward and upward – too cold for Golf today – brrrr – what a wimp!

    1. Don’t underestimate the dangers of golf…cold weather….hot weather and lunch breaks. The tale of Matthieu Boya should serve as warning to all. Mr. Boya decided to practice some golf on his lunch break in Benin. Now he happened to be next to an airfield when he sliced the most stunning shot over the fence. This masterful shot hit a passing bird which startled it a bit and flew into the windscreen of a plane about to take off. The pilot panicked a bit, God knows why, and slammed his breaks on, skidding into Benin’s 4 military jets. With one shot this golfing genuis wiped out his country’s entire air force.

       1. I like the one about the fourball playing in Cancun, Mexico. One of the guys was in a bunker when he was attacked by a Crocodile. His partners managed to it off with their clubs and by driving over it with one of their buggies. His partner drove him back to the clubhouse, and he was taken to Hospital and had over two hundred stitches!

          His other two partners carried on and finished their round!!

          1. The camaraderie is touching. Save your compatriots life but if there’s another 16 holes we may as well play on. Great stuff. :-)

             1. A fourball were playing the hole nearest the road when a funeral courtage drove past. One of the men doffed his cap and stood silently with his head bowed until the procession passed. Nice gesture said one of the men. “Well I was married to her for 38 years” replied the cap doffer

26. No great problems today but good fun esp with 10a and 8d, both real ‘smile’ clues.
    Got reservations about 28a and 25d neither of which worked well for me. 25a would have worked better with in rather than of Somerset.
    For me **/****
    Thx to all

27. I started doing the Telegraph crossword 35 years ago and came back to it recently from the Guardian. I found the Guardian crossword often impossible and far too clever for me. Sometimes I wouldnt get a single clue! What I like is that the Telegraph cryptic it is as doable by ordinary mortals now as it was back then when I first started. And this blog is the icing on the cake when I do get completely stuck. And how about 13 down – what fun – Its good to be back.

    1. Welcome to the blog Steve

       1. Hi Steve. Is the St A. St Austell? I will pass through on my way to The Roseland in May

          1. Ditto. I will pass through on my way to The Roseland in April, August and any more months I can manage! Nothing better than sitting on a terrace, or the beach, in the sun with a coffee or glass of wine with the DT Crossword. The morning’s excercise is walking to the Post Office for a paper.

28. 21a threw me for a long time , I could not believe the answer and yet what alternative was there ? anyone ! Didn’t know 16a , hardly a pearl of a clue.**/****

29. Good evening from the south of France. Really would have loved to spend more time with you all on Saturday as I didn’t get a chance to speak to all the people present. What a success.
    Thanks for all the lovely comments and compliments.
    But now it’s back to business and in today’s crossword there were two clues that I didn’t manage to solve:
    8d despite all the checking letters and 26d as I had Straight On for 27a.
    Thanks to Rufus and MP for the usual entertaining review.

    1. Ps: I was sorry to read in today’s paper the passing of Geraldine McEwan. So it’s Au Reservoir from me as she use to say in Mapp and Lucia.

    2. Hi, Jean-luc. Sorry I didn’t get to what sounds like a great party on Saturday and even more sorry to learn that I missed out on your puzzle and macaroons! I really will have to try harder to be there for the next one.

       1. Hello Jane,
          I did hesitate a lot before plucking up the courage to go, but everybody was so nice that I will do all my best to attend the next meeting and hope to see you then.

          1. I’m so glad you did come – I very much enjoyed meeting you.

          2. And I insist you bring more macaroons, wow. And that from someone without a sweet tooth :) Lovely to meet you

    3. What a surprise – and pleasure – to see you on Saturday! We are returning to Hyères at the end of the month. See you then!

30. MP

    A couple of things if I may?

    1, you were absolutely right. You cannot get 9a if you have mid at the start of 8d. Wish I had known an hour ago.

    2. Re your hint for 17a . Surely you knocked about IN Coventry. ……..But why?

    Many thanks. v witty review as usual.

    1. banksie, just lurking!

       Now We Are Six!

       1. Pleased to hear it Stan. Good to hear from you

    2. We all have to be born somewhere banksie.

       1. No offence intended mp

          1. And none taken.

31. A message from Mary

    My Internet got so bad that I got out of the habit of commenting. I do miss the blog but at the moment my new dog Cai is taking up a lot of my time and energy and I often don’t do the crossword until late in the day, I do pop in and out of blog so saw that Kath and Pommers had a one year celebration last week!! I think Kath has done a great job since she joined, I am still determined to come to a ‘meet’ one day to see you all, …… you have all given me great times, company and enjoyment!!!!!
    I will be back as soon as I can, the new high speed broad band cables are being laid through the village at the moment, so there is hope!!!!

    Love to all

    Mary
    XXX

    1. Yay, CS please pass on my BW

32. ***/***. This would have more for enjoyment but for 17&21a & 8d. 10a & 13d recovered an asterisk. Thanks to the setter and MP for the usual enjoyable review.

33. Good start with 29a then worked up as usual. Minor hiccups mainly because I had to break off to check bank account after OH queried my sums (cheek) and took a while to get back into it. Too many goodies to pick favourite so big thanks to setter and MP. Still bright green with envy it sounds as though Saturday was splendid and I would loved to have been there.

34. I did find this puzzle quite difficult so I was grateful for the hints MP

35. An enjoyable solve that all slotted together smoothly for us.
    Thanks Rufus and Miffypops.

36. Where is Kath today? I don’t recall her asking for leave of absence!
    

    1. and back later – need wine and supper first. Didn’t apply for leave of absence as this kind of stuff can’t be foreseen . . .

       1. Oh, you poor bunny, Kath. Have a .

       2. Oh, dear. And one from me too

       3. Hope you’re OK Kath?

       4. Thanks all – I’m back – just a touch on the knackerd side but back and about to comment – have I made a pig’s ear of this one or what?! and Oh dear, and it’s still only Monday . . .

       5. Certain peeps have my mobile number and E-mail addresses if you want an off blog chat m’dear. E-hugs

37. Very enjoyable Monday, as ever. Thank you Rufus and Miffypops. I thought 13d was great and also enjoyed 16a, 26d and 29a. I couldn’t see 9a and 25d and was glad of the hints. It was lovely to hear about Saturday and glad it went so well.

38. Enjoyable , and I agree with the star rating.I liked 10 and 13d.Thanks Miffypops and Rufus.

39. Having read the Telegraph for many years I decided last autumn to try to do the crossword. I discovered Big Dave’s blog on the second day and have been ‘lurking’ ever since.
    Today is a special day!
    It is the first time that I have completed the puzzle without having to look at the hints on this site. (OK, I may have used a pencil for the anagrams and checked in a dictionary – but I did it.)

    1. Welcome to the blog Mycall

       Well done!

    2. Well done Mycall. That’s a wonderful achievement! :-)

    3. Yay! Well done Mycall. Comments like yours make me happy. Onwards and upwards!

    4. Good on ya Mycall. Welcome on board

    5. Despite what Miffypops says I’d be lost without my pencils :) . Welcome from me too

    6. Welcome from me too. Brilliant – who cares about the pencil for the anagrams or checking something in a dictionary. I’ve done crosswords for ages and I still do both.
       I took ages to summon the courage to post a comment after I found the blog – it sounds as if you might beat me in the length between the two.

40. Saturday’s pictures are now available!

    Little Venice (Jan 2015)

    1. They will cheer me up after supper, I hope . . .

    2. We discovered the photos before they had their labels and were having good fun trying to guess who was who. Nice to know now that we did get one or two right. We are sooo envious of all those who were there.

       1. I’m so cross that I didn’t discuss the skype scenario off blog with the techies, you were both very much mentioned in despatches

       2. I had to locate and install an update to the plugin that displays the pictures in order to be able to add the names. I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say that my previous IT experience was a great help.

    3. Thank you. Absolutely great to put such pleasant faces to the names.

    4. Just had a look at the pictures! I would have liked to talk to more people on Saturday but we had to leave quite early. Great to have the pictures with labels so I can now put names to the ‘faces’ I did not have the pleasure the meet in person… Many thanks to Bid Dave for starting this blog which has given so many of us help and confidence!

41. I promised BD that I would ‘lurk’ no longer so here I am! What a great time we all had on Saturday. It was lovely to meet everyone. Thank you to Crypticsue and Jean-Luc for the tasty treats and a very special thank you to BD for organising the get together. Great venue, great food, great company and last but certainly not least – great blog!

    Joanne

    1. Good day indeed. I remember some years ago pitching up in Derby, nervous…. never looked back :)

42. I must say l’m surprised at MP’s 3* rating – l’d give it half a star if there was such a score. I thought 13d was quite nice, though. Many thanks to the setter, and to Miffypops for the review.

    1. I rarely touch the rating stars Salty Dog. I have enough trouble with my ego was it is.

       1. Really? You? Nice rugby shirt by the way.

          1. I also forgot the underling so BD did that for me. I did send the blog through at about 5am though.

             1. 5am? My alarm doesn’t go off til 6 in winter. Writing something coherent would be nigh on impossible!

                1. I didn’t forget the underling. I forgot the underlining. Now there is some fodder for a cryptic clue methinks.

                   1. Miffypops forgot about this subordinate eating in?

                   2. That’s a relief – I was getting rather worried about the underling that BD had to do for you.

                      1. Yes, I thought it funny that MP should talk about having trouble with his ego and then casually mention forgetting the underling!

                   3. Emphasising minion around Northern Ireland?

                      …

                      Hmm, dunno. I should be going to bed but am being naughty and staying up. There are way better clues in there somewhere :). (Almost tempted to delete that one, it’s so bad. Never mind.)

                      1. It is a fine clue Kitty.

                         1. Thanks :). Keeping to that wordplay, I am preferring something along the lines of “Stressing minion outside home.” But I am procrastinating and really must take my self bedwards.

                      2. Two. One for corporate, one for ladies day. Do you have any tips? Corporate is easy.

                      3. Kitty, I think we have a future setter in you.

                         1. Thanks Hanni :). Sometimes I think so, then I lose confidence and change my mind. But I have to try at least a couple of crosswords or I will never know.

                            1. Indeed you do! Do not lose confidence in yourself or your ability. Rookie corner one day?

                            2. Well, corners are my natural habitat, so fingers crossed .

                   4. I thought you were calling BD an underling!
                      Now back to buying dresses for York races.

                      1. How many do you need?

43. Better late than never! It’s all been a bit around here for a day or two.
    That’s my excuse for really screwing up today’s crossword. It’s been done in dribs and drabs and whenever a few moments presented themselves.
    Bottom left corner would have been considerably easier if I’d split 13d 4,6, and left 12d was it was meant to be rather than the other way round! Oh dear, and !
    Once that was sorted out all became possible.
    I can’t make up my mind whether I really like or really don’t like 13d.
    I did like 11, 19 and 27a and 14d. My favourite was either 3 or 20d.
    Thanks to Rufus and to MP. Off to look at Saturday’s pics now, and then to bed . . .

    1. As Michael says, onwards and upwards Kath. I hope tomorrow is a better day for you. :-)

44. A very pleasurable puzzle today from Rufus. Was able to complete it without resorting to the hints, must have been on the setter’s wavelength. 2*/4* with 20a,13d, and 29a as my favourites. The Saturday pics are great! Manyhnaks to the setter and to Miffypops for the review.

45. I am very pleased that I managed to complete a Rufus puzzle for once. I thought it delightful, especially 13d, which was my fave.

    I didn’t need any hints and managed to follow the word play. 8d was my last in and puzzled me for ages, untiI I realised that ‘silly’ referred to cricket, and the penny dropped.

    Many appreciative thanks to Rufus for a most enjoyable puzzle and to Miffypops for the very entertaining and clear review.

46. Delicious. Thank you. Loved it.

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