DT 29633 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29633

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29633

Hints and tips by Deep Threat

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty ***Enjoyment ***

Good morning from South Staffs where we have a mixture of sunshine and showers.

I was making fairly rapid progress through today’s puzzle until I hit a rock with the cryptic definition at 27a, pushed me well into *** time. Some interesting clue constructions from today’s setter.

In the hints below, the definitions are underlined. The answers are hidden under the ANSWER buttons, so don’t click if you don’t want to see them.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Bridge — one cad played, church official (10)
ARCHDEACON – A bridge, or one of its components, followed by an anagram (played) of ONE CAD.

6a           Spluttered: ‘Hot and cold running over!’ (4)
SPAT – Reverse (running over) the things you find with ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ marked on them.

9a           This woman‘s bit of caramel is salty (7)
MELISSA – Hidden in the clue.

10a         ‘Trouble and strife’ should get album maybe — or daughter? (7)
DISCORD – Put together a vinyl or CD album, OR (from the clue), and Daughter. Hands up all those who were looking for some Cockney rhyming slang to be involved.

12a         Where most of us go at five to eleven? (7,6)
PRIMARY SCHOOL – Cryptic definition of the institution most of us attended between the ages of five and eleven.

14a         The Spanish leading on opening stretch (8)
ELONGATE – Put together a Spanish definite article, ON (from the clue), and an opening providing access to a garden or field.

15a         Artist’s following arrived, one holding pictures (6)
CAMERA – Another word for ‘arrived’, followed by the usual crossword artist.

17a         Six-love, with nothing returned — one’s played painfully at times (6)
VIOLIN – Put together the Roman numeral for six, the letter which looks like a love score at tennis, and another word for ‘nothing’ or ‘zero’ reversed.

19a         Naughty niece, imp wanting something for Christmas? (5,3)
MINCE PIE – Anagram (naughty) of NIECE IMP.

21a         Tasty chops wife devoured with group (13)
MOUTHWATERING – Put together the part of the face which may be referred to as ‘chops’, an abbreviation for Wife, another word for ‘devoured’, and another word for a group or gang.

24a         Extremists on Twitter, wound up, went viral (7)
TRENDED – The outside letters (extremists) of TwitteR, followed by another word for ‘wound up’.

25a         Tease about lack of youth and bony frame (7)
RIBCAGE – Put together another word for ‘tease’, a Latin abbreviation for ‘about’ or ‘approximately’, and another word for ‘lack of youth’, to get a bony structure in the body.

26a         Instrument that makes money for the listener (4)
LUTE – This stringed instrument sounds vaguely like a slang word for ‘money’.

27a         A very quick shower? (10)
METEORITES – Cryptic definition of some objects which may fall to earth after travelling through space.

Meteorites – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation – page 1

Down

1d           Prepares to fight when invaded by marines (4)
ARMS – Another word ‘when’ wrapped round the abbreviation for the Royal Marines.

2d           Song lifted Solo, spy lacking inside (7)
CALYPSO – Hidden in reverse (lifted) in the clue.

3d           Unsettling hint admitted in parts by disguised noble (13)
DISTINGUISHED – The letters of HINT are scrambled (unsettling) and inserted in two groups into DISGUISED (from the clue).

4d           A skill to cut delicate material according to taste (1,2,5)
A LA CARTE – A (from the clue) followed by a delicate material wrapped round another word for ‘skill’.

5d           Sordid play seen off and on — or ignored in this way? (5)
ODDLY – Alternate letters (off and on) of SOrDiD pLaY provide the answer – and since these are the even-numbered letters of that phrase, they could be described cryptically as ‘(the answer) ignored’.

7d           Egg on show, sandwiching in order (7)
PROVOKE – Another word for ‘show’ or ‘demonstrate’, wrapped round ‘in order’ or ‘satisfactory’.

8d           Massive water rushes (5,5)
TIDAL WAVES – This clue seems to have escaped from the Quick crossword, because it’s not very cryptic. A term given to large movements of water, usually in the aftermath of an undersea earthquake or landslip.

11d         One wants to join another class and do something in the garden (6,7)
SOCIAL CLIMBER – Another word for a ’do’ or ‘party’, followed by a type of garden plant which needs a wall or trellis to support it.

13d         Some rock and lead, say, have melted and tamely liquefied (5,5)
HEAVY METAL – Anagram (melted) of HAVE, followed by an anagram (liquefied) of TAMELY, giving us something which is either a genre of rock music or one of a group of elements of which lead is an example.

16d         One may be tall and long — stark even, occasionally (4,4)
PINE TREE – Another word for ‘long’ or ‘wish’, followed by alternate letters (occasionally) of sTaRk EvEn.

18d         Wealthy upper-class fast to support surgeon’s work (7)
OPULENT – An abbreviation for a surgical intervention, followed by the letter indicating ‘upper-class’ and a Christian period of fasting in the run-up to Easter.

20d         Show involving servant and soldier (7)
PAGEANT – A junior servant followed by a soldier insect.

22d         Make confused commercial — not working, missing an intro (5)
ADDLE – Put together a short word for a commercial, followed by ‘not working’ without its first letter (missing an intro).

23d         Notices notices put up! (4)
SEES – Another word for ‘notices’ which, because it’s a palindrome also means ‘notices’ when reversed.


The Quick Crossword pun HOUSE + YORE + FARTHER = HOW’S YOUR FATHER

107 comments on “DT 29633

  1. A steady **/** with 12a amusingly cryptic and 17a well constructed. I did think 27a a bit weak though (sorry but with thanks to setter) and after some head scratching that was my last one in. Thanks to Deep Threat for hint coverage.

    1. I thought I had cracked 27 across until I tried to solve 22 down and found that it couldn’t end in O. My answer for 27a – a very quick shower – was allegretto – which fitted beautfully, as it shows a musician that a very quick pace is required!

  2. A typical Zandio production, light and good fun, that I fairly rattled through until 27a, my last one in and needing all the checkers. Not too keen on it. I did like a whole host of others but I’ve chosen 21,24& 25a plus 7&16d to highlight.
    1.5/4*
    Many thanks to our “Florida Man”….he’ll understand the reference …and to DT for the top notch entertainment.

    1. I also had promote for 7d… Liked the charades at 14a and 21a. Finished in 2* time but got one wrong. Does that put me on the naughty step???

      1. Don’t worry, Peter, The naughty step is reserved for the weekends and the prize puzzles and, boy, there are some pretty awful meals there. Unless there is cake, of course, which a number of kind souls provide occasionally. :grin:

      2. I also had 7d wrong until I read your comment and went back for another look…
        Laurel and hardy lol

  3. I found it hard to get a start on this puzzle, until I got 3 of the 4 long clues, then things really fell into place, albeit with a lot of reverse engineering and guesswork on the more impenetrable clues, as is usual with this compiler. Finishing, with 27a, was as hard as getting started and I had to use electronic help for that one. It was challenging and not wholly enjoyable (2*/ 2*), although I liked the reverse lurker at 2d and theanagram at 3d. 8d didn’t realky seem like a cryptic clue either. Thanks to DT and the compiler.

  4. I really enjoyed this, lots to like, no obscure words, but some lateral thinking required.
    Was also held up by 27a, though I like it, bit of a head scratcher. Took a while on 6a too, which was a D’oh moment when it finally came to me.
    Can anyone enlighten me on the difference between a ? and an ! at the end of a clue?
    Thanks to the setter and DT for a great end to the week.

    1. “Crosswords Unclued” is a good guide to the role of punctuation (and much else) in cryptic crossword clues.

        1. It’s a website but there’s a huge amount of imformation and help provided by Big Dave on this site GJR.

  5. Should 8d not be “tidal races” rather than waves, given the reference to “rushes” in the clue?

    1. A tidal race is a fast moving current with some eddies, caused by a physical constriction, rather than a massive rush of water, so eave seems more appropeiate in terms of the amount of water and race int erms of the speed indicated by the word ‘rushes’. Take your pick. It’s just not a very good clue (sorry).

    2. Agreed. I put tidal races and was surprised when the online submission told me I had one wrong answer. Rushes=races is more cryptic I think

  6. Having had a bad run of uncompleted puzzles last month, I think I was on for 20 uninterrupted finishes, until this one turned up. It was 27a that did it for me too, otherwise I would have been done in *** time, so it certainly gets my vote for COTD.

    Thanks to the setter and DT.

  7. 27a was my final entry too, and working that one out certainly extended my solving time. 7d gets my nod for COTD, and I too was unsure about the cryptic nature of 8d. That aside it was an enjoyable romp through crosswordland. Now for the Elgar………

    My thanks to Zandio, it is indeed he, and to DT.

  8. I stonked through this puzzle but couldn’t get 27 across for toffee. I was celebrating and penetrating all over the place but the answer (of which I have several) went straight over my head as did the one on Christmas Eve 1965. Thanks to the setter today. I see Zandio has been mentioned. I’m sure at least one person has insider information about Zandio puzzles. Thanks to Deep Threat. Especially for the Laurel and Hardy clip. Play nicely now children. I’ll see you all on Monday

    1. Thank you again so much for the flowers, they are lovely, I must say I became quite emotional after the hell of the last 3 weeks. I would put a photo of them here if I knew how to do it but now I discover you have my email address you could email me and I could then send a photo. There was a little card with them which, as you said, was mischievous! Anyway, thanks for being so kind.

  9. Like DT & others I hit the same rock which just edged me into *** time also. It was last in & with the checkers was reduced to trying to fit in words until the penny eventually dropped. Can’t say I overly cared for the clue & agree with CC that 8d didn’t seem particularly cryptic to me either. Not my favourite one of the week but still a pleasant enough solve. 7d & 21a were probably my picks of the bunch. A bit of change of music today. After his appearance in Beam’s Toughie & on RC’s recommendation today’s music is a 1940 production of Lakme (Delibes) from the Metropolitan Opera House.
    With thanks to the setter & to DT – enjoyed the L&H clip too.

        1. Ah yes, the great Lily Pons. She was one of the first divas I fell in love with as a child, when I started listening to the Saturday Afternoon broadcasts live from The Met.

  10. Likewise 27a, which I don’t think is very swift. (He says, exasperatedly.) It’s not really cryptic, just riddly, to me, but I liked the rest of the puzzle very much, especially the whole NE corner, which comprises my top winners, most notably 10a and 7d. Thanks to DT (love the L and H) and today’s compiler. *** / ***

    What a testing Toughie! No, I haven’t finished it. “There’s a long, long trail a-winding / Into the land of my dreams.”

  11. 2*/4* I was rattling through this very enjoyable puzzle on course for my 1* time when I got stuck as badly as a container ship in the Suez Canal on 27a, which was eventually my last one in.

    My podium selection is 12a, 21a & 11d.

    Many thanks to (probably) Zandio and to DT.

  12. A real head scratcher for me typified by 27a and ‘bunging in’ 6a as my LOI and still not seeing the reversal of the obvious – ****/***.
    I did mange to find the following as candidates for favourite – 17a, 16d, and 20d – and the winner is 16d.
    Thanks to Zandio and DT.

    Looking forward to the final Six Nations Game this afternoon (my time) it will be interesting to see if France can score at least 4 tries and win by at least 21 points.

  13. Needed a bit of a flash (and all the checkers) for 27a.

    11d favourite. Thanks to setter for an enjoyable puzzle and to DT.

    Elgar’s Toughie is doable but I couldn’t see a theme apart from bubbles and emissions possibly!

    1. Elgar’s Toughie is doable – Really? Not by this poorly schooled orphan boy it isn’t

  14. Took some time to get into this as the long clues did not jump out at me. When a couple did come things fell into place reasonably smoothly. To me not too difficult for a Friday *** / ***.
    27a and 8d I sorted out OK but I thought neither were really cryptic clues.
    However this was more than balanced by some good clues with 11d & 13d my joint CsOTD.
    Thanks to setter for the work-out and DT for the review (especially the L&H.

  15. Not my favourite of our Friday setters as he doesn’t seem to care very much about surface reads, which are the holy grails as far as I’m concerned. Not to worry – variety is the spice etc.

    Thanks to Zandio for the puzzle and to DT for the review and the Jacques Cousteau footage.

  16. Like others, I was racing through this and was even thinking it would be a personal record. Then I hit 27a and, like Miffy, I had all sorts of answers – non of which satisfied. I don’t think it has anything to do with “quick” unless it relates to the fact that such showers are over quickly. Mind you, there is “meteoric rise”. My absolute clue and COTD is 12a. No doubt it is an old chestnut but it is a good one.

    That’s it for today (unless I go to Fifteensquared) because I will get nowhere with the Elgar Toughie.

    Many thanks to the setter for the enjoyment and DT for the review.

    1. I am with you, Steve, on 12a. I looked at it for ages and then a big smile when the penny finally dropped.
      I am with the majority regarding 27a, but this did not spoil my enjoyment of the puzzle, even if the surface reads were a bit clunky in parts.
      Thank you setter and DT.

  17. A very enjoyable if rather idiosyncratic puzzle. I especially liked 12a and 27a but really disliked 7d which I thought very poor which stopped it receiving full marks from me for enjoyment.
    Thx to all
    ***/****

  18. Another finished crossword but not quite all my own work as electronic help needed to to solve 27a. Otherwise fairly straightforward. My thanks to DT and the setter.

  19. I didn’t have much trouble coming up with the answer to 27a. It wasn’t going to involve either rain or snow showers, from the checkers, so meteor shower was the only thing left really. Not the best clue. I was momentarily undecided about 7d. “Promote” or “provoke”. As I couldn’t come up with good reason for it being the former, I went for the latter and hoped I’d got the reasoning right. DT confirms that I did, although I don’t think “ok” is the best synonym for “in order”. Favourite today, 21a. **/***Thanks to all.

  20. Compiler here. A very quick hello from me today. Thanks for the analysis and discussion, and for taking the time to comment. Have a great weekend.

    1. Thank you for the entertainment, Zandio and for popping in – greatly appreciated.

  21. I spent some time trying to get “wife” into the answer for 10A. Really liked 12A an oldie but goodie.
    Thanks to the compiler and DT.

  22. A very enjoyable puzzle except for 7d which foxed me. Had no trouble with 27a.

    Thanks to the setter and to Deep Threat.

    Rugby will be on here tonight. There will be shouting. But not ‘allez les bleus’

  23. That was good fun with the plainest sailing in the North. I bunged in ‘river’ for the second word in 8d until that caused a problem with 15a. My Fav was 11d with 18d running up although that fast has become a bit hackneyed. Thank you to Zandio (particularly for revealing yourself) and to DT.

  24. Discomfort guides my tongue and bids me speak of nothing but despair. <- me, after staring at 27a for what felt like a couple of years.
    However… I really enjoyed this crossword with many smile-worthy clues. 27a was eventually solved by the old 'going through the alphabet' trick.

    Today's crossword soundtrack: John Tavener – The Protecting Veil.
    Lola didn't like it and has taken herself off to sleep in the hallway. I'm going to take her protective collar off today as she is not showing any interest at nagging at her paws, ears, or nose and they have cleared up completely now. Of course, I shall watch her carefully and bung it back on if she has any issues. We received a new batch of steroids yesterday and she is to remain on them for forty days until her next review.

    Thanks to Zandio (even for 27a) and DT, of course.

    1. Forty days, Terrance? That sounds biblical. Pleased to hear Lola is doing so well. Mrs. C, who has no interest in crosswords whatsoever, does asks every day how Lola is doing. I have had to give her a daily report. :grin:

      1. Best wishes to Mrs C (and to you of course, Steve). The specialist did advise that there is a possibility Lola may remain on a low dose of steroids for life…

    2. Great about Lola Terence
      One of our dogs was on “steroids for life” for 5 years & was fine.
      We tend to be wary of steroids but animals seem much better at metabolising them. They also have the big bonus that they are, as pet medications go, cheap (ish).

    3. ‘‘Twas a long & winding road T but looks like L has navigated it safely.
      Great to hear & I’m sure her global fan base is suitably chuffed….

    4. Our lab was on steroids for hip dysplasia and did great on them, you couldn’t tell he had hip problems. I did ask my orthopedic doc if he could put me on some for my hip, but he was not amused,

  25. My husband never ceases to amaze me and, as I start at top left and he starts bottom right, 27a was his baby and he produced it at once. And yes, Merusa, we do have a top of the range pop up electric toaster but even so his genius enables him to burn toast. He blames it on an over sensitive smoke alarm. Quite a lot to enjoy here, I think 9a is such a pretty name and I liked 12a and 25a. 6a was last one in. Many thanks to setter and Deep Threat for explaining the second part of 16d which I was too dim to spot. I liked the quickie!

    1. I’m on George’s side with regard to toasters and smoke alarms. The toaster is set to provide perfectly browned toast and then one day, decides to start billowing out smoke for no reason at all… UNLESS… ‘someone’ has been tinkering with the settings or nudging them when cleaning. As a saintly person and an example to all, I always check the settings are correct after cleaning the toaster. ‘Some people’ don’t.
      Smoke alarms are unable to detect the difference between some slightly overdone toast and a massive ten fire-engine inferno.
      There is no justice.

      1. It’s a hard life, Terence. I notice that, like George, you suffer from ‘some people’.

        1. Maybe your toaster is too sophisticated! I have amazon’s cheapest and best, never fails me.

      2. I think it depends – the slightly less than fresh bread seems to burn more quickly.

    2. Our toaster is very ugly but it always toasts perfectly, never burns or smokes. The problem, I would love to replace it with another brand which would look rather nice in my kitchen, but it completely refuses to cooperate.

  26. Enjoyed that and completed in ** time 😀
    I started doing the DT crosswords regularly a year ago after initially being furloughed and then retiring. At that time I used to only complete about 90% or each puzzle. Now it is unusual that I do not complete and generally in good time.
    Hopefully this is because I am getting better – and not that the puzzles are getting easier 😉
    Really liked 12a & 11d today
    My Toughie performance has also improved, but I probably need another year or so to get close to a Friday Elgar

    1. I’m with you on the Toughie and Elgar, Jo. Getting better at the Toughie and finishing most back pagers after decades of floundering.

      Believe me, you are getting better. It is not the puzzles getting easier.

    2. Impressive Jo.
      Your new-found pleasure is a small good thing to come out of this Covid mess.

  27. I enjoyed this quite a lot some very good clues. Had no trouble with 27a but the NEwas my nemesis. Had races for 8d. Could not fathom 6a and felt that the answer to 7d was not really in line with egg on. In retrospect I suppose it is. However for me, to provoke seems more aggressive and cruel compared to Egg on.

  28. A bit late on parade today so lots of comments to read, certainly an enjoyable end to a very good week and a **/****for me, some excellent cluing and cryptic definitions, like others 27a was last in mainly due to the SE quadrant generally being the last left.
    13a was my favourite, thought that the initial word was private until 5d fell into place, liked the word play in 21a.
    Thanks setter for the fun and DT for the pics-best Quickie Pun of the week award.

  29. Greetings from sunny, spring-like Dublin. I agree that this was mostly doable for a Friday. My favourite 12a, but had to get help with 27a and 7d. Quick question—how do you know who the setter is (I know a hand was put up today)? Experience, insider knowledge? Anyway Zandio, thanks for providing an alternative to work. Better get back to it know.

    1. The FAQs at the top of the page explains a lot Nick. But here goes
      Monday Allan Clark aka Campbell
      Tuesday. A mix of several setters.
      Wednesday. Jeremy Mutch aka Jay
      Thursday alternating between Ray Terrell aka RayT and Don Manley aka Giovanni
      Friday. Zandio, ProXimal and Silvanus seem to be sharing the spoils

      Somebody else can explain the weekend.

      How do we know? I don’t know.

  30. Thought I’d finished this in record time last night only to get the dreaded “Sorry, some answers are incorrect!” 😫
    Thanks to DT’s excellent hints, it turns out my answers to 7D & 16D were both incorrect with ‘promote’ at 7D, and the wrong tree in 16D (somewhat inexplicably as I’m surrounded by the correct answers here in Virginia) with ‘lime’…doh!
    Anyway, very happy to be corrected, especially with the brilliant Laurel & Hardy video! 😂
    Thanks to Zandio for a very entertaining puzzle and to DT’s needed blog ‘n hints to complete!
    Cheers 👍

  31. Thanks Zandio for a terrific puzzle and also DT’s explanation for 27a. Picky little query with 12a – should ‘at’ be ‘from’?

  32. Like everyone else it seems, 7d and 27a were our last two to get sorted.
    A pleasure to solve.
    Thanks Zandio and DT.

  33. I’m with the majority. I was left with a few. I thought a lot about 23a largely because 27a would not end with an S. 7d took some time but I got there when I decided to fit OK in. I was pretty sure the second word of 8d was races so just looking for the first word. When I got 10a however the first word came to me which I associate with waves. Do not find it cryptic. I did not solve 27a and would not have done so in a month of Sundays. The checkers were not helpful. I even thought shower might have a different crossword pronunciation like flower and flower but my search for synonyms for a flasher led nowhere. I deviated rather extremely there. I am grateful to Xandio for the puzzle and to DT for the answer to 27a but my least favourite puzzles are those that come together in double quick time leaving two or three. I could not even say I got a Doh! Moment with 27a. Favourites 6 17 and 25a.

  34. Nice end to the week with a lot of amusing clues 😃 ***/*** Favourites 6a & 12a Thanks to Deep Threat and to Zandio 🤔 Very 🌧 and 💨 today in the East 😟

  35. A lot easier than yesterday’s until I got stuck on 7d and 27a, as did many others I see so I’m in good company. Particularly liked 12a which was a head slap moment when the penny dropped. Thanks to all.

  36. II have to confess to seeing Laurel and Hardy live at the Nottingham Empire at Christmas 1952 (as a very young child I hasten to add).

  37. I also hit a rock in 27a and never got the answer. Thought it might be a Latin word we had to look for.
    As in the toughie, the construction of 5d is my favourite today.
    Thanks to Zandio and to DT.

  38. Took definitely *** time to do this, in fact my first attempt in bed this morning yielded very little. But slowly it all fell into place when I got a few of the longer ones. 27a the last for me too by a long shot. To join in the toast debate, we find we have to have the toaster on quite a low setting and then turn the slices round and do them again, a bit of a pain but it works. And for me, I have to have the toast completely cold before spreading anything on it. If David makes baked beans on toast it drives me MAD that he puts the beans on the toast as they make the toast go soggy!

    1. Manders
      With David here sorry.
      How is it baked beans on toast if you haven’t put the beans on the toast?

    2. Me too! It’s not “beans by toast” nor is it “toast on beans”. Sorry, Manders

    3. Beans ON toast. Along with obedience and subservience, acceptance will make for a happy marriage Manders. If only more women understood this simple fact

      1. Well MP, who wears the trousers in this house? Fairly evenly spread I would say BUT one of us wears pyjamas and the other wears a nightie and its not me in the nightshirt! Trouble he turns over clockwise several times during the night and ends up strangling himself.

        1. This must be a sex thing Manders because George also will put the beans straight on the toast making it soggy. Soggy toast is an abomination. I, or rather my lovely Panasonic machine (other brands are available) make my own bread so we have to slice it ourselves, no ready sliced bread in this house. It makes the most wonderful toast which I have on Boiled Egg Saturdays as a change from porridge. The toast must be cold to ensure a thick spread of butter and maintain crispness. How did the subject of night wear come into the equation? How strong is your medication Manders?

  39. As a student in the 60s/70s we used to double over a wire coat hanger and rest it against the gas fire in our college rooms, turning once. Best toast ever.

  40. 27a needed electronic sorting. The only word I could make fit was desecrates. Obviously wrong. Elgar beckons, so time I poured a beer and try to make a start, if not a finish!
    Thanks to Zandio and DT

  41. Always look forward to Zandio.
    To my shame, 6a and 20a and 27a put me into **** time.
    Pennies, though, eventually dropped without assistance.
    Great clues.
    Many thanks, Zandio, and DT

  42. I did enjoy this, great fun. I needed e-help for 27a, 3d and 7d, but the rest pretty much fell into place.
    Fave was 12a, took ages to realise that the first word wasn’t “private”, not until I got the second word.
    Thanks Zandio for the fun, and to DT for unravelling a few.

  43. A very late comment from me so it’s all been said – again!
    Unlike lots of you I didn’t even start quickly so I’d already decided that it was a Zandio as I always find him really difficult – very enjoyable but jolly tricky.
    I never did get 27a and it’s quite a long time since I didn’t finish a back page crossword – dim and a bit ashamed.
    Quite a lot of dithering over 7d until I saw the ‘show’.
    My favourite was either 12a or 11a.
    Thanks to Zandio and to DT.

  44. Thanks to Zanido and to Deep Threat for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, my only hold up was, like most people, 27a which was my LOI, I suddenly saw the light 😁. I liked 21a, but my favourite was 12a. Was 2* / 4* for me.

  45. Thanks to Zandio for a very enjoyable puzzle. I was off and running at the starting gate, but then stumbled at a few. Thanks to Deep Threat for helping me finish, 5d, 16d and 21a, which eluded me completely. I had two favourites today (sorry Kath), 4d and 11d. And I concur with the given answer for 8d.

  46. I’d just been talking to my brother in law prior to starting the crossword….and we had been talking about 27a showers! Consequently, the answer popped straight in to my head. An enjoyable crossword,12a made me chuckle, as did the quickie pun. Thanks to Zandio and DT

  47. Enjoyed this today despite not getting 27a. As soon as I saw the image by the hint I got it. At least I am in good company in struggling with this clue.

    Interestingly I had no trouble with 7d.

    Favourite clue was 12a.

    ****/***

  48. Very late start on this one. Not bad for a Friday puzzle 2.5*/****
    SE last area finished.
    Clues of note 12a, 17a, 24a, 15d & 22d with winner 12a
    Liked the clue construction for deciphering in 21a and 6a for its clueing simplicity

    Watching the Six Nations game too … 1pm Pacific time

  49. Yes, 27a for me as well. Not sure its a great clue. The rest was fine…lots of good clues…
    Many thanks both…

  50. Finished this completely unaided with the exception, needless to say, of 27a. Thanks to DT for help with this, which was of course LOI, and thanks to Zandio for an agreeable brain teaser.

  51. Was expecting a toughie for Friday but it was like a Monday puzzle. Off to trim my trachelospermums and Hederas now.

  52. 3*/3*…..
    liked 6A, for which I appreciated DT’s hint …”Spluttered: ‘Hot and cold running over!’ (4)”

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