DT 30066

88 comments on “DT 30066”

1. I found today’s Campbell decidedly tricky. I have never heard of 11a and had to use electrons to solve it. Hopefully, it I now in the vocabulary because it’s a fantastic word to drop into conversation. Neither did I know the play so, given the checkers, I put in the only thing it could be then checked online to verify my answer. I can’t see what 17d has to do with pictures so will check the hints. My COTD is 15d, which I thought was a well-constructed clue.

   Many thanks to Campbell for the fun. Thank you Falcon for the hints and just seen that you don’t get 17d either.

2. Well how amusing! I was awaiting the hints to understand 17d! Doubtless some genius will enlighten me and Falcon shortly. Most of this was * but I agree with Falcon’s rating as there were one or two obscurities. The anagrams eased the path mainly though. I thought 21a a great lurker and my COTD was 16d. Thanks to F and the setter

3. 17d answer does not make sense.

   1. There is such a thing as a picture hat. I think that is it

      1. Ah, thank you, Joyce!

         But is a picture hat ever referred to as just “a picture”? Surely that’s needed in order for the clue to work.

         1. The BRB ‘agrees’ with the result of Jonners’ e-search at Comment 6. Personally, I would say that ‘pictures’ on its own does not work as the plural would be ‘picture hats,’ but, presumably, Campbell’s and Mr Lancaster’s justification is the ‘?’ at the end of the clue.

            And, as the Duchess of Cornwall ‘appears’ in the Wikipedia article, and in Falcon’s revised hint, I can’t imagine her saying ‘which one of my pictures shall I wear to Ascot tomorrow?’ but, perhaps, she might!

            1. I imagine she probably would – in a conversation that was particularly about different types of hats. Why would anyone define them specifically as “hats” each time one was mentioned.

         2. I am totally with you on this. The clue only works if “picture” is an accepted shortening of “picture hat”. Looking at the definitions of picture in the BRB this does not appear to be the case.

            I too had never heard of mondegreen but I did enjoy the definition when I looked it up in Chambers.

            1. The Wikipedia entry even has examples.

               1. Welcome to the blog Andy.

         3. I suspect that the ? is indicating that it’s an informal, though acceptable, shortened version of those hats.

4. Hat can be picture

   1. Welcome to the blog, Yvonne.

   2. Welcome, Yvonne.

5. I had to look up in the online crossword dictionary for 11ac. I was a new word for me.

6. Needed google to make sense of 17d. 11a also new to me.

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_hat

   Thanks to today’s setter and Falcon.

7. Straightforward apart from not knowing the word in 11a and not being able to justify 17d. I look forward to be enlightened.
   Thanks to Campbell and Falcon

8. The only explanation I could think of was a ‘picture hat’, which is the sort with a wide brim that we females wear to weddings. A strange mixture of very straightforward and really challenging clues, the latter in the NW. I had look 11a up on the net and then in the BRB to understand it. I I don’t remember the incid2nt in 1954, when Sylvia Wright mispronounced that song lyric but I was only 7 and stl on the Junior crossword in the London Evening News, which I did with my dad. There was some splendid misdirection in this puzzle and I liked 7d and 3a for that reason. However 14a was also well camouflaged and it is my COTD. Thanks to rhe compilervand to Falcon (I didn’t envy tou soing the hints on rhis one).

9. 2*/3*. Light and fun apart from the impenetrable 17d. Even Mrs RD, my resident hat expert, couldn’t think of any connection between pictures and hats!

   I’ll go along with Falcon’s choice of favourite – 8d.

   Many thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.

10. It’s Monday It’s Campbell (except for 17d, which I bunged in) – 2.5*/3*

    Fortunately, the OLPP was very typical.

    Candidates for favourite – 1a, 26a, 7d, and 13d – and the winner is 13d.

    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.

11. Like others, 11a was a new word for me, but I love it and will do my best to remember it!
    I also assumed in 17d that there was another definition of “picture” that I had not come across before. I clearly don’t get invited to enough posh weddings!
    A bit of a curate’s egg for me and more challenging than the normal Monday offering?

12. A DNF for me today. Never heard of 11a and had to press the reveal button for that clue. I suspect Terence will put it in with Roman togas! Rather a pity as I had correctly guessed 17d not knowing why it should be. Anyway, thanks to the setter and Falcon. Very high tide here today – very entertaining to see the parked cars overnight on Blakeney Quay slowly being swept away. Why don’t people read the notice that says ‘Very High Tide expected, don’t park’.

    1. It’s quite fun in Noss Mayo here in Devon when wedding guests park their BMWs in the tidal car park by the Ship Inn then troop off up the hill to the Church. A quick phone call to the ushers at just the right time before the water laps over the door sills produces amusing activity in inappropriate dress!

13. What a strange puzzle. I think that I’ve heard 11a once in my long life, but since it wasn’t coined until 1954, that means once in the last 68 years, and it’s a real doozy. Which I love. Never heard of what appears to be a ‘picture hat’, so that was a bung-in. The great play by GBS is one of his most satiric (the 1941 film with Wendy Hiller and Rex Harrison is well worth a viewing). Anyway, a bit of a Curate’s Egg for me, with 11, 14, and 18a making the podium. Thanks to Falcon and Campbell. *** / ***

14. I never heard of mondegreen, and am also completely stumped by the hatstand. Something lost in translation somewhere.
    3d was clever .
    Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

15. I will join in the general chorus of if not disapproval then total incomprehension of 17d. That aside, with 8d my favourite and 15d my runner-up, this was a slightly trickier Campbell that we have been used to of late, but all the more rewarding to complete.

    Thanks to Mr Scott and Falcon.

16. I found this difficult but it is hard to concentrate when waiting for workmen to arrive….4 hours so far!
    Thankyou for the update on BD . Just as long as he knows we’re rooting for him.
    Isn’t 11a an incredible word. Quite new to me. Will we ever see it again?

    1. We have seen 11a before so we will probably see it again!

       1. Toughie 854 by Notablis. October 5th 2012

          1. So, we wait 10 years for it to surface again?

             1. That will be too late for some of us!

                1. You aren’t kidding!

17. Pretty straightforward and typically enjoyable Monday fare from Campbell. I remembered 11a – assisted in so doing by the very fair clueing – but was pushed beyond 1* time by 17a, and more in hope than judgement biffed what turns out to be the correct answer. Thank you to all those who have posted above with the explanation. Plenty to like and my HMs go to 14a (a good version of which was on R4Extra last month), 7d and COTD 13d.

    1.5* / 3*

    Many thanks to Campbell, and to Falcon

18. Tricky puzzle for a Monday – I had come across 11a but needed checking letters to be reminded of it. 14a – I either hadn’t heard of it or it had completely slipped away from my fragmented memory. I am trying to break my Monday habit of looking for additional puns in the Quickie. I spend way too long trying to crowbar puns from (e.g.) ‘cardigan pool’ and so on.

    All go here this morning. The Youngster spent the weekend sweltering at a festival where she was playing; then a Covid test this morning (negative); next she is camping with pals for three days before playing at another festival later in the week. Oh to have that level of energy!

    Thanks to Campbell and The Avian From Ontario.

    1. I was really hoping 11a was going to join the Roman togas!

       1. 

    2. Terence

       I was looking out for your post today after you told us you were going to Stamford Bridge yesterday. I couldn’t believe how many non playing staff got involved in that altercation.

       Quite a game for the neutral observer.

       I hope BD was brightened by the result. Of the match, not the altercation.

       1. Football, as with rugby, doesn’t come up with many good altercations, which I define as having blood or fist contact. Only seen really decent ones when playing third team rugby.

          1. 3rd team rugby. The beer and fags brigade. So good to play.

       2. We were robbed Banksie! It was an entertaining game, but of course all our joy was blown away when Harry Kane grabbed that equaliser in the last minute. The altercation was all a bit silly. No punches were thrown and (as so often) it was made far worse by bystanders coming in to ‘help’.
          In other news we need, with some desperation, a proper striker.

          1. We won the Premier League last season without a proper striker. Now we’ve got one – so beware!

          2. And have you seen that Graham Souness is in trouble for calling it a “man’s game”
             People are offended apparently.
             The world is going mad

             1. Game? Doesn’t that imply someone might lose? Isn’t that banned these days?

                I agree Banksie – appalling for kids now. No competition yet no boundaries of behaviour.

19. I did need to check on 11a which I’ve heard of previously but obviously not retained, and also the Greek Island which was an unknown. As for 17d, I’ll accept the explanations offered above but very much doubt those would be suitable places for picture hats – they’re more often to be found in boxes under the bed or on top of wardrobes!
    8d got top marks here – really made me smile.

    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for the review.

20. It is reassuring to know that I am not alone so far as 11a and 17d are concerned. I greatly enjoyed the rest of the puzzle.

21. Thanks Falcon and other bright sparks for illuminating 17d. Fortunately I was familiar with the famous Lady 11a, a rich seam mined by Peter Kay in The Tour That Didn’t Tour. Fun puzzle today, thanks Campbell.

22. Well ,never seen 11a in a crossword and had no idea what it was anyway!
    17a could be the only definition ,one for the future and a note in my ragged Chambers.
    Remembered the Shaw play in 14a and the film -in black and white, the leading actress eludes me but was excellent.
    Liked the surface of 18a and favourite was the 16d charade, going for a ***/*** too.

23. Probably record time before being unable to solve the last three clues despite having all the checkers, which is definitely a record. The same three as everyone else: the lyrics, the play and the furniture.

24. It’s Monday again and a relatively gentle Campbell offering with a smattering of tricky clues as well as a couple I could not parse, so will check hints when posted. The answers had to be what they were.
    1.5*/3.5*

    Favourites include 1a, 10a, 14a, 21a & 13d with winner 13d and a chuckle to go with it!

    11a is unknown word to me … or was, anyway.

    Thanks to Campbell & Falcon

25. A nice challenging puzzle with a new word to cherish. Many thanks to Falcon & Campbell. 17d was a bung in but makes a certain amount of sense (Brian will not like it) though I agree with Jane that a 17d is the last place you would hang a picture hat. All my years of Henley visits have resulted in a large pile of hat boxes in one of the spare bedrooms, re trimmed and refurbished over the years. Must refer to yesterdays toughie – I had wondered but am now convinced that SJ B and MP are slightly bananas and the really maddening thing is I just know I have to try it! Watch out for a squashy message through the letterbox……….

26. Typically Mondayish for me: some very straightforward but others beyond me, including a couple I didn’t manage even with Falcon’s hints (thank you), and overall a slightly old-fashioned feeling and no particular favourite clue.

    11a is a lovely word, but the problem with clues like that is that if you do know it, it’s too easy: there aren’t many words which mean “misheard lyrics”, certainly not of 10 letters, so that was a bung-in from the definition only.

    23½⁰C (74⁰F) water temperature in Ilkley lido yesterday — first time I’ve been in where it’s actually felt pleasant, rather than the usual ‘bracing at first but bearable once you get used to it’.

    1. I’m not certain, but I have a feeling that 11a has appeared in a Telegraph puzzle before.

       I have actually just found it in Toughie 854 by Notabilis from October 5th 2012, but that can’t be where I remembered it from as (a) my memory isn’t that good; and (b) more pertinently, I hadn’t found this site at that time. It’s worth a look though as BD himself has included some great examples of 11a’s in that blog.

       Message to Mr K: if you are reading this can you find a more recent example please?

       1. It wasn’t in the puzzle but the 11a answer was discussed at length in DT 27982 at comment #10. And it was instigated by Jane who was talking about one in a Blondie song.

       2. The word is not listed in my year 2000 edition BRB, nor on the free ‘search chambers’ web page. I assume it must be in later edition.

    2. From 1967, I had a mondegreen for many years with Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze: ‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy, instead of the correct ‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky.

       1. Rather like the young boy who thought God’s name was Harold.

          1. My grandma used to say: “You know what “thought” did, dont you – followed a muck-cart and thought it was a wedding!”

          2. Come on Irene to Dubai yeh !

27. But for 11a, unaided.
    Got three-quarters of it but needed dictionary aid to complete.
    A new word for me as it was for many others.
    17d a correct bung-in.
    The clever 14a took some time.
    So, ***/****
    Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon

    1. It wasn’t in my dictionary.

       1. I always use OneLook.com which then throws up loads of dictionaries.
          Collins is very good.

28. A good Monday puzzle except for 11a which wasn’t accessible in the Chamber’s Word Wizard and for which I needed Falcon’s answer. Others done with the notorious 17d leaving me mystified.

    Having had a hearing problem for most of my life there have been many mondegreens but the first I noticed, without knowing what it was called, was at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester in 1965 where I had gone with Blackpool Folk Club to see Bob Dylan. This was not the Judas concert but a very good acoustic set. One track I hadn’t heard before was Hey Mr Tambourine Man, and I spent a lot of the show wondering why a tangerine man was being asked to play a song. It was only on the coach back to Blackpool amid chat about our thoughts on the best song of the evening I discovered my error.

    Shaw’s play is great and influenced my decision to keep my hands in my pocket when the Sally Army came round the pubs. I was wrong in my youthful lefty stage because no government then or since has tackled inequality and poverty so it’s left to charities and/or individuals.

    Thanks to Falcon and Campbell for a really enjoyable Monday morning.

    1. Hey Mr Tangerine Man! Fantastic!

       1. Aren’t Blackpool FC known as Tangerines? A very apt mishearing in any case.

    2. Dylan in 1965? I’m jealous. Didn’t see him until 1978 at Earls Court. Going to all four London Palladium shows in October. Oh yes. Bring it on

29. Disappointingly not a gentle start to the week, and somewhat relieved to see Falcon’s *** difficulty rating, along with his comments. Like many others 11a was unknown by me, I had never heard of the 14a play, and thought 17d very odd. I had the answer early on, as there didn’t seem to be anything else that it could be. But having never heard of picture hats I could not justify putting in the answer. And then I read the hints. Thanks Falcon and to Campbell.

30. To add the conversation about 17d … the picture hat was first popularised as a style at the end of the 18th century and is said to have been inspired by the hats seen on portraits of society women painted by Thomas Gainsborough. It was then often known as the Gainsborough Chapeau.

    Also, obviously, Gainsboroughs are ‘pictures’ too.

    

31. I despair of setters who include clues such as 11a, complete and utter nonsense.
    Gave it up in disgust after looking at the hint.
    Not even worth starring.😡

32. Fairly easy romp for us. Pommers knew 11a but 17d eluded us but got bungled in.
    Thanks to Falcon for stepping in today – we have a guest changeover at our apartment. And I can tell you cleaning in 40c is not a lot of fun!!!

    1. I wonder if pommers knew about 11a the same time as I did? It sounds something like CS would know, and where from too!!

33. My usual difficult Monday crossword – at least I’m rarely surprised!!
    I have heard of 11a (and, I think, in a Telegraph crossword probably – where else would I have heard anything as outlandish) and where did it come from – what a pity I had forgotten about it in time to be any help.
    I’d never heard of 14a and couldn’t do 1d or 13d – it’s crickety, isn’t it – would anyone expect!?
    Enough – still hot but better and just about liveable.
    Favourite and with its explaination 11a.
    Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon.

34. Never heard of 11a & couldn’t even crack after reading the hint until I clicked on the extra bit. Know nowt about hats so 17d was an educated bung in than I couldn’t be bothered to investigate. Rest of it was enjoyable & pretty straightforward.
    Thanks to Campbell & Falcon

35. Re 17d I Googled picture hat and didn’t query it any further. I knew 11a, it’s from a Scottish poem. Oh the highlands and the lowlands, where hae ye been, they’ve slain the Earl O’Moray and Lady 1a. The most straightforward Monday for some weeks for me. Favourite was 13d, I like cricket. Thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

    1. According to my dictionary, it comes from the ballad Bonny Earl of Murray where the line “… and laid him on the green” was misheard as the Lady Mondegreen. In Jamaica we say “so I buy, so I sell it”, and I think this version is more amusing!

36. 11a is a new word which I doubt I will come across again if I do crosswords for a hundred years. Awful word I will try and forget despite the fact I am constantly mishearing lyrics to songs.

    14a was also new to me.

    Funnily enough I did get 17d unaided.

    Thanks to all.

37. Suitably Mondayish until I got to the same stumbling blocks as others. Still a nice time was had here. Thanks to Falcon and Campbell.

    Peter Kay did the funniest misheard lyrics skit that I have seen.

    1. My local comedian and by all accounts you couldn’t wish to meet a nicer person.

    2. I first saw Peter Kay in 1997 as a support act to a band. He was a complete unknown, but had such mastery of his craft that he had complete attention of the audience.

       And I’ve never been able to hear KD Lang’s Can’t Stand Gravy the same way since …

38. Like many others 11a eluded me and 17d was a ‘bung-in’ but apart from that I really enjoyed the rest of the puzzle. Many thanks to Campbell and Falcon.

39. Thanks to Campbell and to Falcon for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, all plain sailing except for 11a and 17d. I had seen the former before, but had forgotten it, so was unable to solve the wordplay. I guessed the latter, thanks for the explanation on the blog, had vaguely heard of a picture hat. Favourite was 16d. Was 3* /4* for me.

40. Hello from North London.

    My wife and I have been battling with the Telegraph cryptic crossword for a few years now, and while our strike rate is improving, we do occasionally need help, either with finding an answer, or more likely finding an explanation for why the answer we’ve got is correct.

    To that end, finding this blog was incredibly useful, and after many months of ‘lurking’ I thought I’d pop in and just say thank you to the bloggers in particular, and all the commenters more generally. You’ve been a huge help.

    More importantly, I’ve just figured out what the BRB is! Traditionally I’ve always used ‘the other one’. From the place that isn’t Cambridge. The Chambers seems a particular favourite of crossword fans (there must be a collctive name, surely) and I was wondering why.

    Any thoughts?

    Cheers!

    DSP

    1. Welcome to the blog, DSP.
       Now that you’ve de-lurked I hope that you’ll both become regular commenters.

       It’s worth reading the FAQ (Frequently asked questions), available from the blog main page, where questions like ‘What is the BRB?’ are answered.

    2. Cruciverbalists seems to be the phrase, but if you are looking for a collective noun on the line of A Murder of Crows, maybe we are an Anagram of Crowsdrosser.
       Do come back now you have de-lurked.

    3. Welcome, DSP. Hope to hear from you again and my choice for the collective noun would be a Ponderance.

       1. Perhaps a Muse 😉 of crossworders

41. I am a lurker. Thanks for the blog….

    Posting because I love a 11a!

    My favourite of my own is from Motorcycle Emptiness by the Manics.
    For years I heard “Your joys are counterfeit” as “Your joy’s a can of beer”. My version actually fits the spirit of the song really well and has been screamed by me on the barrier at one of their gigs.

42. I’m with the majority. Never heard of 11a and would not have got it in a million years. Got 17d but didn’t parse. I do have a few however. I knew the GBS play. Some great clues. Thanks Campbell and Falcon.

43. 4*/2*,,,
    liked 5D “Specialist restaurant in bay resort abroad (6,3)”

Comments are closed.