DT No 30333

66 comments on “DT No 30333”

1. Way above my pay grade, which is disappointing, as I usually enjoy Ray T’s puzzles. The top half was OK but the bottom half was much more difficult, especially the SE, where 5 of the clues eluded me.
   H owever, there were nice anagrams at 6d, 18a and 12a. Thanks to SL for the hints and to Mr T.

2. 2.5*/4*. An excellent puzzle from the master of brevity with the NE corner taking more time to unravel than the other three quarters.

   My top picks were: 11a, 25a & 14d.

   Many thanks to RayT and to SL.

3. That was not straightforward and needed a bit of lateral thinking for me to solve some clues even with copious amounts of electronic assistance. Just as it should be towards the end of the week. Usually try to do as much unassisted as possible but needed help today.

   Favourites include 7d, 14d and 21d.

   Sad day yesterday when a van came to take my motorbikes away as I have finally conceded that I am too old and decrepit to ride them safely. 😢

   Thanks to compiler and to StephenL for confirming my answers.

   1. Sad day indeed. I remember well the day I ran a red light, wasn’t caught but came home and put my keys on the table. I sold the car and never drove again.

   2. Yes Dave I too gave up the bike. I don’t know what age you are but I gave up on my 70th birthday as I thought there were enough old fools on the road.

      1. 69 in a couple of months.

4. What a mixture! Some so, so obvious and some nearly impenetrable !
   I would have scored this a full 3. Or, am just having an off day? I did get it all done though.
   So for me only a 3 for pleasure.
   Thanks to the setter and now off to outpatients ( but not due to the puzzle).

   1. With you on this. We wondered for a while if we were just being stupid/thick.

      1. I agree and had a similar reaction to this crossword.

   2. Well if you found it tricky, no wonder I only got a third done. Now I don’t feel quite so thick.

5. I loved this puzzle – a fair amount of head scratching, clues that made me laugh and a new addition to my vocabulary. Had never heard of the hormone so needed Mr Google to help me order the letters in the anagram. One thought occurred to me – given that’s its Ladies Day at a certain Royal Meeting today, could our imperious setter Ray T have taken the opportunity to incorporate a reference to the King’s racecourse into the clue for 25a? COTD, the cryptic 14d (glorious penny drop moment) closely followed by the amusing 11a and the Lego build 22a. Thanks to Ray T and the sea-refreshed StephenL for the hints.

6. Got three straightaway.
   Then stalled.
   But persevered
   Relentlessly.
   Leading to an unaided, spelling check
   Apart, finish.
   But, boy, what a struggle.
   Nearly all worthy of the podium.
   So, 3.5*/5*.
   Many thanks, indeed, RayT and StephenL

   1. PS
      We have had 14d before.
      Clever, bridge was the enabler for me.

7. Sailed through the top half and just at the
   self-congratulatory stage when reality pulled me up sharply. What do they say about pride going before a fall?!! The bottom half took me several times longer but perseverance paid off leading to an unaided finish. The loud clang when 14d fell makes that my favourite today. I can’t choose between the others – there are too many good clues. (I’m not sure that ‘other’ necessarily means ‘more’) Thanks to Ray T for the absolute pleasure and StephenL for his review.

   1. Hi Mhids….how about “there will be no other/more questions today”

      1. Hmm! Perhaps. Not fully convinced but I happily bow to our esteemed blogger.

         1. Me too! That was a bung in.

   2. M. I think more/other is fine in the sense of extra/additional: Please provide some more/other information.

8. A real Thursday challenge. As John Faulkner says ‘Some so, so obvious and some nearly impenetrable.’ A joint Ray T/Beam production? – 3.5*/3*

   Candidates for favourite – 11a, 15a, 2d, and 18d – and the winner is15a.

   Thanks to Mr T and StephenL.

9. Like SL last in was 6d, seemed to take ages.
   Going for a 3*/4*
   Wanted to put Muzzel into 7d until the penny dropped!
   Certainly lots of head scratching required, and like Mhids reached the congratulatory stage.
   Thanks to setter and SL.

10. Swift, light & enjoyable. Breezy & gentle. All terms I would *not* use to describe today’s puzzle, Merusa may be relieved/surprised to hear! ;)

    I just could not get on to Mr T’s wavelength – the unfriendly grid not being at all helpful, with 19 of the 28 answers not having checkers for their first letters. SE – bar 14d – fell first, then NW, SW, NE & finished in the S. 14d very witty indeed, but for me ‘flood’ doesn’t work other than to provide a superb surface. As one who suffers from these quite frequently, while they are usually unexpected the drip or dribble is irritating but not a flood. Ah well, got to find something about which to grumble or it wouldn’t be me!

    COTD 16d, with runners-up 15a and 25a.

    3* / 3*

    Many thanks to RayT and to Stephen

    1. MG. But if you received a sudden whack in the face/nose (like that footballer in the photo) you’re quite likely to get a flood (of blood) under the bridge (of the nose)!

11. Brilliant clues but the flood under the bridge foxed me – thank you SL for the hint!

12. Definitely on the Beam end of the RayT spectrum. Unhelpful grid and some tricky clues put me well into **** time. 14 d is very clever, but I would never have got it unaided even though I had all the checkers.
    Thanks

13. Very entertaining – thanks to Mr T and SL.
    I ticked 11a, 15a and 16d but my favourite has to be 14d.

14. Concentration required to nail a couple of the answers in this delightful puzzle, particularly when it came to the outrageously funny 14d. That one takes the gold medal here and is joined on the podium by 15a & 2d.

    Devotions as ever to Mr T and thanks to Stephen for the review.

    Can’t stop thinking about those hapless people on board the Titan. What a particularly frightening way to lose one’s life.

    1. What on earth made them do it was my first thought. I suppose to those adventurous, people like me live dull lives.

    2. It really doesn’t bear thinking about. Even worse for me is the thought that even if they surfaced there was no way out as they were bolted in from the outside. So very sad.

    3. Yes, Jane, Merusa and BusyLizzie,
       I can’t stop thinking about these people either – just ghastly . . .

15. Not my cup of tea . 25a held me to ransom because it was pivotal in solving 14d , a very amusing clue but flood? Also other for “more ” doesn’t work for me.
    When it takes me too long to solve my enjoyment declines rapidly, even if I finish.
    However some super clues with 6 and 26 my favourites and first in.
    Many thanks to S.L.

16. Fran, I’ve given an example of how other and more work as synonyms to Mhids @7

17. A totally absorbing and enjoyable puzzle from one of our favourite setters. The excellent 14d was easily my top clue and my final entry this morning from a strong field. Superb entertainment.

    Thanks to Ray T and SL.

18. Great fun whilst it lasted. Another vote for 14d.

    Thanks to Ray T and SL.

19. A most entertaining puzzle from Mr. T although I did need the hints for the last couple. I liked Spartacus – “No, I am Spatacus” – but my COTD is the brilliant, or so I thought, flooding bridge.

    Many thanks to Ray T for the fun and to SL for the helpful hints.

20. Very RayTeaseian today, some came easily others later. The SE corner held out the longest, and 14d required a nudge (or biff to the proboscis) to see. I particularly liked 10a as the connection between Spartacus and the Greek God bearing the three pronged spear dawned on me.
    Thanks to RayT and SL

21. Excellent. Loved 14d, but needed the hint to get it. And yes, flood is very apt for some sufferers. Not sure I understand the ‘worth the admission fee’ comment for 11a, but thank you for the hints and thanks to Ray T.

    1. S, 11a. “Worth the admission/entrance fee alone” is a common phrase and here I expect it means that it’s considered such an excellent clue that it’s worth the cost of obtaining the puzzle (or the “admission fee”) on its own.

       1. Thanks. In my sheltered life I’ve not heard that expression used like that. Every day a school day as they say.

          1. Indeed. I’ve been solving these puzzles every day since 1970 and, although I’ve heard the phrase often, I only discovered the other week what a “crib sheet” actually is!

22. Well – not a great day for us. We just couldn’t see a few that later proved blindingly obvious – so a 3/4 * for difficulty and 3* for enjoyment.
    Thanks to RayT and SL.
    Summer has now arrived with a bang here in the Vega Baja. After 15 days of rain it is now cooking temperature and humid at times too.
    Hey ho – that’s why we came to Spain

23. An really great puzzle, as usual, from Ray T. Excellent clues, a goodish challenge and an enjoyable tussle. I’ve ticked a fair few and will have to pick 14d as my favourite – no problem with “flood”; nosebleeds often produce a flood (of blood) under the bridge (of the nose) especially after a good whack in the face. 3.5*/4.5*

24. Another late start for me and found this a really tough go from RayT, with a touch of Beam thrown in too. Found a few of the clues quite straightforward, but many more required a lot of thought and hints to get them out.

    3.5*/3* for me today.

    Favourites when all done include 8a, 11a, 12a, 5d, 14d & 21d — with winners 11a & 21d

    Thanks to RayT and StephenL for hints that I needed to get this one done.

25. Not an easy Ray T but very enjoyable except for 24d which defeated me completely!
    However my fav was def 25a, very clever indeed.
    Thx to all
    ***/***(*)

    1. Thought as it was enjoyable I would tempt Mrs B but she refused stating she doesn’t do Ray T puzzles as he is ‘Weird’!

       1. 🤣🤣

26. Above my pay grade too. It was harder than yesterday’s Toughie, and have only managed about a third of this on my own. Strangely, unlike StephenL, 5d was one of my first in, and we had something very similar to 23d recently, so glad I remembered that. From those I’ve answered, COTD is 14a, a truly clever cryptic clue. I’m having trouble with Spelling Bee lately, getting kicked off after I put in just 3 or 4 words? Anyone else getting that?

    1. I enjoy Spelling Bee and find the strangest of words are acceptable. I relax afterwards by switching to the Blossom game.

27. I wouldn’t have got 14d in a month of Sundays and, although solved, was not happy with 9a

28. Hello everyone – we were very late last night (a Solstice party) and busy all today. I’m completely wiped out but have come up with a cunning plan to solve my two problems. I’m sure I’m too tired to do justice to a Ray T crossword and equally sure that I can’t do a Friday crossword so I’ll keep today’s crossword until tomorrow! A good idea or what! :smile:

    1. Brilliant! Now, what am I going to do tomorrow?

    2. Good idea, if we struggle today, then Friday …

    3. Sounds like a plan, Kath. 👍

29. This was the strangest thing, tiny brain here who has never been able to solve a RayT crossword, not only finished but did it before I had to leave for a doc’s appointment. (Pacemaker going tickityboo, battery life for three more years!) Their lift wasn’t working, I had to climb the steps, with huge help from aide, nearly did my poor heart in.
    I did need a word search for 14d and thought it odd, but I suppose it’s OK; I’ve seen the comments above. I bunged in 9a, I suppose that’s right. Fave was 6d, sometimes I’ll sling a man’s tie loosely around my neck and call it my androgynous look!
    Thanks RayT, maybe I have arrived on your wavelength, much appreciation for the hints StephenL.

30. Evening all. Thanks to StephenL for the decryption and to everybody else for your comments.

    RayT

    1. Thanks for popping in, always much appreciated, and of course for another super puzzle.

    2. Good evening, Mr T. Clever puzzle as always with one or two clues that really made me dig deep.

    3. Thanks from me also even though you clean bowled me with a beamer….

    4. Many thanks, RayT for the challenge. I am finding I look forward to your guzzles more and more. This is good because I used to find them almost impenetrable. Thank you for popping in.

    5. Thanks for popping in, and for the challenge. I can’t often finish your puzzles, but when I do it is very satisfying.

31. Oh dear. Super guzzle but unfortunately not one that I was up to solving & certainly not for the want of trying. Most of it yielded with the odd head scratch here & there until the almighty brick wall of the 3 impenetrable ones ( 22a plus 14&19d) in the SE & no matter how many times I returned to them the pennies just wouldn’t drop. Eventually revealed both of the 2 remaining checkers & still no joy so over to the hints. As soon as I saw the pic of Kevin De Bruyne I twigged 22a without needing to read the hint, the pic for 14d likewise, & the hint for 19d just confirmed my understanding of the wordplay but couldn’t think of a word for catwalk so looked up similar words with Mr G. Guess 14d has to the pick of ‘em (no issue with flood here) & with a host of ticks elsewhere -11,15&27a plus 3,5,7,16&18d.
    Thanks to Ray T & to Stephen for the much needed help.
    Not sure whether to get back on the saddle & try the Toughie or save it for the morrow

32. For many reasons I am only just getting to this now, I can see it’s going to be a challenge having done half, so I may leave the rest for tomorrow!
    Many tanks to MrT and to Stephen L whose help I may well need

33. Ultimately defeated by 9a,11a and 5d for which I needed the hints and even now I’m not sure I’ve picked the right word for 9a. The rest were a combination of straightforward and difficult but doable. Hey ho! Favourite was 10a. Thanks to Rayt for the beating and SL.

34. Three quarters completed without any major hiccups but, like Huntsman, I found SE a different kettle of fish. Returned to the challenge several times over the day however did eventually throw in the towel and seek help so As not to be kept awake tonight wracking the ol’ grey matter for outstanding solutions. imho 14a is funny but almost too clever. And so to bed – goodnight everybody. Thank you RayT and StephenL.

35. Indeed the master of brevity. A super puzzle with some outstanding clues.

36. Good morning (well, it is 01:15!)
    Normally I take the crozzie to work, start it on the way in, and aim to finish in my break. Today’s defeated me; DNF with six solutions left to crack – my worst show on the back pager in ages!
    Ee wey, better luck tomorrow! My thanks to Ray T and Stephen L

37. 4*/4* ….
    liked 28A “Elderly adult getting extremely doddery, initially (4)”

Comments are closed.