DT 28758

74 comments on “DT 28758”

1. Not a particularly difficult Jay puzzle – I think I struggled more with the Quick Pun than anything else

   Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks

2. 3* / 5*. Another brilliant puzzle from Jay with the magnificent 3d my runaway favourite. I struggled with the spelling of 27a but got there in the end.

   Many thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

3. This one was a little trickier than Mon/Tues – had to turn the old cogitatometer up a notch or two. Better clues, a reasonable challenge and therefore a bit more enjoyment. Favs: 1a and 27a. 2.5* / 3.5*

   1. PS. Is 5d the nickname some Cornish natives use to refer to tourists/holidaymakers/incomers?

      1. Yes

         1. I thought it must be because those pesky little insects aren’t, to my knowledge, generally/commonly regarded as a particular nuisance to holidaymakers. Or are they? Maybe if you go on camping or package holidays they might be? My interest here is purely to do with words/semantics and, as the nickname is considered somewhat derogatory/anachronistic, I was a little worried that some disgruntled modern Cornish folk might not like being associated with it.

      2. There’s some explanation provided in my hint for 26a in this blog. See also Gazza’s comment there at #2.

         1. Yes, thanks for that Mr K. Just for the record and for the uninitiated, the 5d answer is, of course, also another name for an ant.

      3. Yes it is! I think it is grockels in Devon

   2. Cogitatometer.

      What a tremendous word that is.

      One of your creations, Hose A, or have you shipped in a bit of plagiarism (which is no bad thing)?

      1. Yes, it’s my own creation (as far as I know). It’s only the second time I’ve used it on here.

         1. It’s a belter.

4. It started slowly, but sped up until the end. I will hold my hands up that I had to check the spelling of 27a. I thought it must start with D and end with ment but struggled to sort the rest!

   I’ll agree with Rabbit Dave that 3d should be atop the podium today.

   Many thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

5. Nice challenge from Jay with 27a being my favourite, just because of the answer I guess.
   Thanks to Jay, and to the 2K’s for their review.

6. Putting Double Dealings for 3d was not a good start.

   1. Glad someone else did it!

      1. Same here. Nice puzzle though. We used to call tourists lemmings. I’d never heard of the Cornish answer so add another to the list.

      2. Add me to the list!

   2. Isn’t Tippex wonderful stuff ?

      1. Good, old-fashioned pencil and eraser for me.

         1. just made a mess

   3. Me too. Dealings.

7. Very tough, needed lots of electronic help. I think we have had 5d before but completely forgotten it and 10a is a new word to me (thx Google). ***/**

8. Lots to enjoy! 10a was a new one to me too – fabulous costume.
   So many great clues, too many to mention but my favourite was 25a hotly followed by 9d and 3d. Many thanks to setter and 2Kiwis.

9. That really was such a pleasant walk in the park. I marked at least seven potential Favs (13a, 18a, 24a, 25a, 3d, 4d and 7d) but finally decided to give the prize to 18a. Unaware of a sadhu and needed help to parse 21a otherwise no problem. TVM Jay and the 2Kiwis (keep warm and safe). We in West Sussex are enjoying a dry and warm period although admittedly the garden could use a bit of rain.

10. 5d used a lot in Devon – together with ‘grockle’ – especially
    if you own a house there, but live elsewhere……………..

    1. Used ‘Grockles’ in Felixstowe when I was a teenager in the 60’s for the unfortunates who came to swim in the grey sea.

11. On the gentle side but good fun. Liked 18a and 22d, as well as 16d (purely because it reminded me of the good old Christian Brothers). Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

12. Not as tricky as last Wednesday, hardly any head scratching required, which resulted in completion at a gallop – **/***

    Putting the ‘wrong’ second word in 3d didn’t help.

    Joint favourites – 14a and 24a.

    Thanks to Jay and the 2 Ks.

13. I found this much more difficult than this week’s previous offerings and needed a few hints from here. Never heard of 5d despite living in a popular holiday resort,15d, and 27a was a guess from existing letters. Would never have parsed 21a in a million years either so thanks to the reviewers for that.
    On the plus side I liked 3d, 16d and 11a.

14. The spelling of 27a is, indeed, tricky.

    This may work (maybe not)…

    The order of the middle 3 vowels is an issue: the end letter of these vowels is e (for end) which is an anagram of the first 3 letters of the answer

    Also, the word ‘end’ is connected to the meaning of this splendid word which is extremely satisfying to pronounce.

    1. Not when you have all the down checkers in place first.

15. A well constructed puzzle and made a note of **/**** on completion, like others fell for the double deal which made 14a impossible until it all became clear.
    Just a very enjoyable romp with no iffy or obscure clues for a change.
    Liked the surface of 18a.
    Thanks to 2K’s and setter.

16. A very enjoyable puzzle that produced a few smiles along the way.

    Many thanks to Jay, and to 2Kiwis.

17. A good puzzle from Jay .
    Top award to 18s with 14a and 25a as close contenders .
    I’m sorry to hear about the weather in NZ , however I am enjoying some really lovely hot days here .

18. 3d Gets my vote for favourite.

    When it comes to playing bridge … I’m a complete dummy.

19. Found this a steady and pleasant solve presenting no serious problems. Favourites include 24a, 25a, and 1d. Thanks to Jay and to the 2Ks.

20. Thanks to Jay and to the 2 Kiwis for the review and hints. A very enjoyable but quite gentle puzzle. Last in was 21a. I thought 5d was amusing, but my favourite was 22d. Only really had any trouble with 3d, glad I refrained from putting in “dealings” for the second word. Was 2*/3* for me.

21. BD, or any of the regulars. Please, does anyone remember a Toughie setter called Jed? Is he still setting? Does he use other sobriquets?

    1. We all know him very well. He is Brian Greer aka Virgilius, our esteemed Sunday setter. He hasn’t set Toughie crosswords for many years.

       1. Thank you, G. I wondered what became of Jed. I have a couple of oldish Toughie crossword books which feature a few of his puzzles.

       2. Thanks Gazza, I always look forward to the Sunday solve, with its long anograms etc, now I know the setters name.

22. Another excellent puzzle. Stretched the little grey cells more than usual for a Wednesday but very enjoyable. Thanks to Jay and the 2Ks.

23. First class, as usual, and just about the right level for me.
    Lots of smiles along the way, 3d being the best of a very good bunch.
    I’m still not sure I understand 5d, they are a bloody nuisance on my allotment at home too. Maybe they get in the sandwiches on the beach??
    I am still not sure I understand the parsing of 24a, even with the hint, I shall revisit.
    Thanks to Jay and 2xK’s

    1. Hi Hoofit,
       The first part of your answer to 24a is a synonym for ‘job’ whilst the second is the old name for a particular province of South Africa. The whole refers to the period of time following delivery (of a baby etc) – hence ********* clinics and suchlike.

       1. Ooops…I am sorry Jane, I meant 21a!!!! What an areosole I am!!

          1. The answer is a dispenser under pressure. It is made up of words for look (lo), offended (sore) both reversed and the a from the clue

             1. Ta

    2. Here 5d is (apparently ) a derogatory term used by locals to describe the hordes of tourists that used to descend upon their precious resorts before realising foreign getaways were much better value.

24. Another fine puzzle from Jay in which I just needed to check on the holy man – he’s cropped up before but I’m never very sure of the spelling. He looks like a most benevolent sort of chap from the 2Ks pic.

    Favourite beyond any doubt was 3d – brilliant wordplay.

    Thanks to Jay and to the shivering 2Ks – our turn to gloat about the warm weather for a change!

    1. Played it once…We made 2 diamonds, the other table made 3 no-trumps!!!
       Very embarrassing!!

       1. I’ve never played the game so that comment was rather lost on me! It was just the idea of passing across said structure twice which appealed so much.
          Have you sorted out 21a yet?

          1. Yes thanks it helps when I read the hint. I’m not actually convinced that the wordplay leads you to the definition as I can’t see what determines the order of the composite parts.
             The wise will no doubt point me in the right direction.

             1. Start with the ‘a’ from the clue and then put alongside it (by) a reversal (rejected) of a 2 letter synonym for ‘look’ followed by a 4 letter synonym for ‘offended’.
                Hope that helps.

                1. Ta Jane

25. The comment from Toadson about 16 down has prompted me to ‘delurk’! I too remember 16 down from the Christian Brothers in Sunderland!
    Thanks for the site and today’s setter
    Personally I would use the plural for 12 across the singular does not fit the clue.

    1. In what form?

    2. Welcome to the blog, John.
       Now that you’ve delurked I hope that you’ll be commenting on a regular basis.

    3. I initially thought the same, John, but I think you can use 12a in the same way as you would a ‘couplet’ in music etc.

    4. You are, indeed, correct Jane as I have one!

       17 years old, next week

       2 boys and a girl, for your information.

    5. Welcome from us too John.

26. Very enjoyable, as is usual with Jay puzzles.
    Needed hints for 17d, missed it completely.
    Fave was 15d, lovely word, but 3d was close behind once I rejected dealings.
    Thanks to Jay and the 2Kiwis, particularly the pic at 18a, wotta beaut.

27. This is a different kettle of fish from yesterday but managed to solve on the return journey. Some very clever clueing. All fell into place – my last one in being 8d. 3d probably the best. I did not fall into the dealing trap. It would have worked apart from the fact that a dealing is not a bridge. Have just revisited 18a as I had not parsed the whole thing. The penny has now dropped and think this is also very clever. I circled nine favourites altogether. Thanks all.

28. I am definitely in the Jay fan club and this was another superb puzzle with the right amount of brain stretch for me. Good to add two new words to my vocab by way of 10a and 5d. My COTD is a toss-up between 3d and 9d. Still scorchio here in the Peaks – amazing – we’re more used to the weather the 2Ks have right now. Many thanks to Jay and to the 2Ks.

29. I thought I’d have a quick look at this one before having an early supper and heading off to choir. Thank you Jay for another delightful puzzle. I got completely hooked and had to finish it. My favourites were 3D and 14a. Thanks too go to the 2K’s

30. Blimey! You’ve all been very chatty today in my absence.

    I thought this was at the easier end of Jay’s spectrum but none the worse for it. No stand out faves.

    Thanks to him and thanks to 2Ks for a nicely illustrated blog.

31. I usually find Jay’s puzzles a bit of a tester, but completed it, though emmet was the last one in and I wasn’t sure it was correct as I had never heard the term. Favourite 9 down.

32. Morning all.
    Lots of reading matter in the comments column to greet us this morning.
    An interesting coincidence for us with 5d. Last weekend was a holiday one here as Monday was when we officially celebrate the Queen’s Birthday. On our regular walk we encountered many more strollers than usual and used (but only to each other) the terms emmet and grockle, both words we had learnt from crosswords.
    Today looks like it is going to turn out much the same as yesterday, grey, windy and cold. Ah well, it is winter.
    Cheers.

    1. And as a PS, a reminder to have a look at this month’s MPP from Prolixic. It is a good fun puzzle to solve with a real penny drop moment when you get to the end and try to answer the question.

33. Thankfully we have returned to earning our name as the Sunshine State, after almost 3 weeks of pouring rain. But my brain turned to mush today, and needed several of 2Kiwis hints to finish. Not helped by the fact that I put urge in 6a, so couldn’t fathom 7d or 8d, even though I could see that 7d clearly indicated it started with a p… Also mistakenly bunged in antenatal for 24a, even though it didn’t quite fit the clue. I guess “could do better”would be my grade 🙁

34. Hurrah for me today!
    Lovely puzzle !

    Thanks to the setter and to the 2 Kiwis for their help with the parsings.

35. This felt a little trickier than par, but I took an age on 19d at the close which in retrospect isn’t at all difficult, so perhaps my brain is suffering from the heat. Surprised myself by knowing 10ac and how to spell 9d, even if the French evidently can’t.

36. Too busy today to do the crossword until this evening and now too tired to write much – need to go to bed.
    A brilliant but not too tricky crossword.
    21a was my last answer and then it took a while to untangle.
    I was fooled by the 7d ’tiles’ – I’m so used to them being hats – must be doing too many crosswords.
    I particularly liked 18a and 3 and 4d and my favourite is one of those.
    With thanks to Jay and to the 2 K’s.

37. A very enjoyable puzzle that didn’t put up too much of a fight . Liked 14 & 18a.

    Thanks to Jay for the puzzle and to our 2 K’s for completing their blog on their chilly day.

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