DT 30334

101 comments on “DT 30334”

1. Good grief that was tough, took ages to finish with several rests in between.
   Very interested to know who the setter/sadist is today. I know they’re meant to be progressively more difficult throughout the week but this was a quantum leapt from yesterday.
   Very satisfying though despite having said all that, with some really obscure and cryptic clueing, still can’t see how 21a fully works, or the middle bit of 12a so will read the hints for enlightenment. Far too many great clues for a favourite today, bravo to our setter, well done!

2. 5*/1*. A wrong envelope day for me! The RHS was very tough but just about doable. However, much of the LHS was close to impenetrable, although I did manage to complete it over several sittings after a real struggle.

   Thanks to the setter for a drubbing, and to Mr K for the review.

   1. Same for us!

   2. If you found it tough, one of our star solvers (in my opinion), what chance do the tiny brains have.

3. Excellent puzzle full of devious misdirection, took me twice as long as any of the other back pagers this week!!
   Alas, technically I have to record a DNF as I succumbed to electronic help for 9a, a new word for me.
   I have a whole heap of podium contenders, I liked all three lurkers but I’ll mention 1a plus 1,3&13d with top spot going to the super 12a.
   Many thanks to Zandio and Mr K

4. That was fun! For me a lot more approachable than yesterday’s RayT puzzle, some wonderfully clever clueing, red herrings by the shoal, deceit employed in a manner that would make the Scarlet Pimpernel envious. Wonderful surfaces and amusement throughout.

   Ticks all over the shop – will ‘limit’ Hon Mentions to 9a, 15a, 27a, 1d, 4d, 5d, & 20d, but for me COTD to the great hidden lurker & surface of 23d.

   2.5* / 4.5*

   Many thanks to the setter (I’m thinking Silvanus?) – great puzzle, chapeau! And also of course to MrK

   1. Definitely not Silvanus Mustafa.

      1. I was going by the humour and silk-smooth surfaces, but very happy to be wrong!

   2. I agree with you, Mustafa, I found it an “average” day. Surprised at the at * rating.

5. 12a brought a smile as I drove trains (diesel not steam) on a Heritage Railway for many years and the answer is quite an apt description of the personnel there too.

   Got the answer to 21a but still struggling to parse it even with the hint. I found the good mixture of other types of clue fairly straightforward for a Friday.

   Favourites include 3d, 5d and the misdirected 11d.

   Thanks to setter and hinter

6. A very challenging pyzzle indeed but , having more time to spare today, I finished it, unaided. Luke others rhere were a few clues that I couldn’t parse or couldn’t be sure of my parsing, so thank you for the hints Mr K . I agree with RD that the LHS had some almost impenetrable clues. However, I liked 4d, 8d, 16d and3d, the last being my COTD. Thanks again to Mr K, it wasn’t just you that found it really hard .Thanks also to the compiler, it must be Zandio, I think?

   1. Do you want us to call them “pyzzles” from now on, Chriscross? :grin:

      1. Thank heavens that despite the proximity of the letters on the keyboard the typo has never been ‘pizzle’ … ;)

         1. Another Freudian slip, Steve. As Mustafa says, it’s all about the proximity aof letters on my keypad (“and I’m glad it was a ‘y’ not an ‘i ‘ too)

            1. :good:

   2. Nah. We’ve all got used to the guzzle, please don’t muddy the waters!

      1. Quite right, DG.

7. Well, I’m largely with all of the above. I didn’t think this was Silvanus either, MG. He’s not normally quite this tricky, surely? Like Tipcat, it took me a few returns to crack it. The toughest of the week, by quite a margin. Very rewarding when I finally got there, though. Thanks to all. Ouch!

8. A top-22d puzzle with cunning misdirections galore – thanks to the setter and Mr K.
   My pared down list of contenders for top spot is 12a, 17a, 21a, 4d and 20d.

9. Judging by the relatively few postings thus far, my guess is we won’t see too many comments containing ‘straightforward’ or ‘read and write’ today. This was certainly the hardest backpager for a considerable while, and it took me a fair while to crack it. 3d was my favourite, although 12a gave it a good run for the money.

   Thanks for the challenge to our setter, and to Mr K.

   1. As I read through this, I made a note of those who will comment as the first lines of your comment. So far I’m spot on.

10. Phew! That was quite a work-out! Very happy to have completed this, though I finished with a guess for 17a I still don’t quite see it?
    I liked 11 d though on initial reading through, my first guess was Shooting Brake! No obscure words or scientific jargon so all fair.
    Many thanks to the setter and others!

    1. 17a….a reversal (shoots over) of PARTNE(r) after ignoring the abbreviation for Right that’s on the outside of the word.

       1. Thanks – clang as penny dropped

11. I’m with RD – a wrong envelope day – 5*/1.5*

    It seems that our esteemed editor is keeping the sequence going and of the Friday triumvirate the most likely to be today’s setter is Zandio – Silvanus was on duty last Friday and proXimal’s ‘trademark’ features are absent.

    I did manage a few smiles for 15a, 27a,and 16d.

    Thanks to Zandio and MrK.

12. Despite needing the hints for the last two – 17a and 26a – I adored this guzzle and that doesn’t often happen on a Friday. Lots of lateral thinking needed and PDMs galore making it difficult to choose a favourite. The concrete and used clothes store were very near the top but my COTD is 11d because it had me going through all the country clothing I could think of. Of all the pennies dropping, that one was the loudest.

    Thank you to the setter for the fun challenge and to Mr. K. for the hints and the pusskits.

    I have had to light the Aga again because the temperature has dropped to 18 degrees centigrade. The problem in the Cowling household is that Mrs. C feels cold all the time while I am always roasting. A kind of thermal Jack Sprat and his wife.

    1. I’m with you all the way here, even down to me always cold and George always saying ‘you can’t be’. A really delicious guzzle unlike yesterday when I struggled.

13. Way above my abilities and not sutable for a Friday back page. Gave up halfway through. *****/ 0

    1. Hi Andrew

       This was a perfect Friday crossword: tough, lateral-thinking, lego clues, humour and smooth surfaces. I love the build-up through the week for the challenge at the end of it. I do hope people don’t say that this should be a Telegraph Toughie as it already is: it’s in the Telegraph and is tough. It pushes ones abilities to the max which is how it should be.

       9a derives from the German word biwacht,, meaning by guard’ or ‘night guard’.

       Gotta luv it.

       COTD 8d

       Thank you Mr K and to the ‘Zan Master’

       3*/4*

       1. Tom,
          This was not a perfect Friday crossword…if you can’t solve it! I’m glad you enjoyed the challenge and were pushed to the max but that’s not everybody’s view and they are entitled to their opinions too.
          Personally, I am not a great fan of Zandio’s puzzles, not because I think they are bad puzzles (they clearly aren’t) but because I find them too hard and not that enjoyable. I would rather tackle Chalicea’s toughie from earlier in the week because I prefer her style of setting. For me (etc, nod to Senf!), I like to sit down, listen to some music and enjoy a crossword that’s not too taxing and while away a pleasant half hour without frying my brain.
          Each to their own.

       2. Totally disagree. There is a **** Toughie already provided for those who enjoy something trickier today. It makes absolutely no sense for the backpager to be a **** as well. It leaves the vast majority of solvers, who have also paid their subscriptions for the privilege, left disappointed and feeling ignored. Yes the backpager is traditionally tougher than most other newspapers, which we expect. I’ve mentally written off Fridays as something for only the gifted solvers.

          1. I don’t do the Indy, FT or Guardian backpagers so cannot comment on those puzzles, but I generally do The Times & both DT cryptics every day, and day-for-day the DT backpager is rarely as challenging as The Times backpager – in my experience at least. Mind you it’s such a subjective assessment and the clueing styles of the two papers so entirely different that comparisons may be worth very little!

             Both TT and DT tend to start the week at the easier end of the scale and get harder towards the Friday, but the DT’s Monday & Tuesday offerings (& Saturday prize puzzle) are usually more on a par with The Times’s late-week Quick Cryptics, and The Times’s mid-/late-week backpagers more akin to a DT mid-week or Sunday Toughie.

             As to the star-rating for puzzles, I’ve always taken it that there are two 1-5 scales, one for Backpagers and the other for Toughies, a 4* Toughie being considerably more challenging (as today’s was) than even a 5* backpager.

          2. I’m in your camp Lizzie, with knobs on! I didn’t even bother to print it off, laser cartridges are expensive and I’m nursing this one, can’t waste valuable ink on rubbish. I guess I’m going to get bashed for that, oh well, life’s like that.

             1. I am never bothered by such things. If I can’t do a puzzle then I can’t do it – end of. I certainly don’t blame the compiler, editor or even the day of the week. I just look forward to the next one. :good:

                1. I’m amazed at how many loved this but had found yesterday harder. I finished yesterday with some effort but very doable, today might as well have been written in Sanskrit. I don’t think we blame the setter. Looking forward to tomorrow.

                2. 😊

                   1. That smile was in response to Steve. So many other things important in life without getting stressed over a crossword however much we love them

                3. I do not blame the setter Steve. One did explain on here that they are asked to set a puzzle but have no idea which slot it will end up in, or on what day. That apparently is decided by Chris Lancaster. Clearly he is very much smarter than me and many others, and assessing the difficulty level is subjective after all. I know it is a crossword, but I do look forward to the morning challenge over breakfast, and when I can’t even get a toehold, it’s like having breakfast without coffee 🤭.

14. The actual solve didn’t take me longer than usual although some rather odd surface reads (9a for example) jarred a little and would lead me to think that this is a Zandio production.
    Best of the bunch for me were 7&16d.

    Thanks to our setter and to Mr K and his felines for the review. I’d love to know why some cats will only drink from a dripping tap!

    1. Perks will only drink from Hudson’s water bowl despite having his own.

    2. Hmm, explaining cats that sounds like searching for the Holy Grail to me.

    3. The cat pictures were worth the disappointment with this one.

       1. I second that, Mr K never disappoints.

          1. Aww, thank you both

15. The recent run of puzzles seem trickier than usual this is no exception,
    Did not like the parsing of 12a.
    Favourite was 21a, 4d was a new definition and a clever parse going for a ****/***
    Thanks to Mr K, especially 6d.

16. Hello all, compiler here. Thanks very much for taking the trouble to solve, analyse and discuss.
    Can I offer a musical accompaniment for 23d? The artist in question is seen here on Ready Steady Go! on 16 September 1966, with Sandy Sarjeant leading the dancers. Wow.
    And a little illustration for 9a: in Cuba, dancing, ten going round very camp. 💃🕺
    Thanks again for your time. Have a great weekend.

    1. Thank you for the puzzle, Zandio and for popping in.

    2. A cracking puzzle, Zandio. Don’t listen to the whingers – I, for one, like a good challenge on the back page on a Friday.

    3. Thank you for a great puzzle Zandio – and the two clips. As you say, Wow! That led me to an enjoyable diversion into the original Blues Brothers movie soundtrack, recalling where “can’t turn you loose” featured. Possibly one of my all-time top 20 films. Belushi & Aykroyd. Brilliant.

    4. Many thanks Zandio, I really enjoyed it.

    5. Nice to see a Ready Steady Go clip – we often have to put up with TOTP to see 60s stuff.
       Interesting factlette – mini skirts on arrival in 1964 were 4” above the knee and progressed by an inch a year until 1969, when 9” above was typical. I was there! Luckily this meant I could use the same school skirt for all those years and remain in fashion …
       1970 – all of a sudden we hit the midi skirt – I wonder why?

    6. Thanks for a challenging and rewarding puzzle to blog. Thanks also for the two videos.

17. A cracking friday puzzle – one to really get your teeth into! I’m guessing it’s a Zandio production. A toughish challenge – probably at the lower end of the Toughie spectrum – with great clues providing an congenial tussle. Favourite of a top class bunch: 12a. 4*/5*.

18. 1d took a while and I have never previously heard slough with that meaning but was pleasantly not impossibly difficult in gen.

    1. How about the slough of despond as in Pilgrim’s Progress?

       1. As opposed to the one in Berkshire, Jane? ;)

          1. ” Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough” eh Mustafa?
             Apologies to Sir John Betjeman the poet

          2. I was trying to be polite, Mustafa!

19. 9a had never previoulsy seen 10 used in that way … I O

20. One of the best and as I have already committed never to guess the setter I am pleased to see that he has taken a peek. Thanks Zandio! This was a ***/***** for me. Difficult to get going but the well hidden anagrams oiled the wheels as ever.1,14,13 and 20d were all superb and the first mentioned my COTD. Thanks Mr K as I needed your hints to understand the very clever 21a. I wouldn’t have had a hope with this one when I first started 3 years ago.

    1. I do agree with you NAS – I never try to guess the silver. Or even the solver.

       1. Whenever I used to plump for RayT on a Thursday I was rightly rebuked by my peers for being way off the mark! I don’t mind though – I just love a great crossword and today’s is in my top 10 for sure.

21. Absolutely brilliant! I’m glad I waited to solve this until we returned from shopping or we may never have got there. In the end I managed without resorting to the hints and for once managed to parse everything. My hair may need some attention this afternoon as there was a great deal of head scratching. The variety of clues, especially the misdirection, witticisms and clever surface reads make this the work of a true master of his craft. I’m naturally spoilt for choice when it comes to podium places but I’ll mention 1a, 14a, 3d, 13d and 16d. Favourite,by a short head is 21a – very clever indeed. Thank you Zandio and Mr K. Love the cat pics.

22. Good fun which all fell into place nicely. 3d was my favourite with 21a and 11d runners up.

    Thanks to Zandio and Mr K.

23. I’m not whingeing, Jose, but never have I needed the hints more – thanks to Mr K, and somewhat reassuring to know that even you struggled a bit.

    Thanks to Zandio, especially for 3d.

24. As per normal for Friday, a tough solve. No weird or odd words, but just difficult to get through.

    3*/3* for me

    Favourites include 6a, 12a, 19a, 3d & 18d with winner a toss up between 3d & 18d

    Thanks to setter and Mr K

25. Well stap me, as they say. I sailed through this with no problems at all except for 17 a which I still have not filled in despite reading the hints. I’m tempted to put extras but don’t know why. Crickety/football clue but am I wingeing? No. Just saying. I’ve had a tough old week with further visits to the bank in Cambridge – third week running and STILL cannot access my account on line. Am I wingeing? Yes. They closed the branch in our village then closed the one in Royston so it’s a major outing. 13d was my favourite, only one Kath (you notice I am adhering to the rules) Mr K I loved the cats – the grey one looks a real character. And thank ypu Zandio for being on my wavelength today and making me feel clever. I’m desperately trying to finish a dress for Henley so I shall shut up and sign out.

    1. I have to report on the Henley front at being ejected from the Stewards with my fellow crew after commiseratory Pimms following our Oxford 8 being knocked out of the Ladies Plate by some rather good chaps from across the Pond misleadingly referred to as St Paul’s School Concorde.

       They were neither schoolboys or pacific in my view! Thankfully they were eventually the winners.

       1. I hd the same problem, Daisy, when my bank closed the branch in Wantage and allocated my account to a Qitney branch ( a 40 mile round trip away). I set up an online account an telephone banking app on the telephone, which I was unable to access for over a year. The indiividual who set thhese up hadmis-spelt my user name, password and several answers to the significant questions the bank uses to verify it’s you. Impossible as the Gordian knot to untangle!

       2. Lovely Henley story – our proud boast is that we have been going separately then together since 1953 when my then boyfriend in the Peterhouse boat knocked out George in the Twickenham boat – although we did not meet until two years later. Only missed two years and have all the badges from Stewards and Remenham to prove it.
          If on the towpath you should see
          A vision in pink and green
          Don’t think ‘mutton dressed up as lamb’ –
          In my heart I am still eighteen!

          1. Still eighteen DG? I have a feeling we should be wishing you “many happies” for tomorrow!

             1. Ssshhhhh!

                1. Thanks for those lovely reminiscences DG. My best mate Dennis Payne is staying in a few weeks on his annual visit from the 2K’s country where he lives. He made the Blue Boat for 3 years and the Blues beat that other place in two of them I think. When he arrived at Balliol he was (and still is) a complete airhead so asked if he could join the rowing team. When they put him in a tub and it went in a circular direction they asked if he was THE Dennis Payne youth international from Hampton GS and he said yes. They promptly took him across the river to the University Boat House. He laughs about that now. Enjoy the Pimms. Glass only please and not too much cucumber.

    2. You weren’t alone with that blighter DG. After yesterday’s abject failure I felt pride was restored as at least I headed for a filled grid in a respectable time. 17a put paid to that notion taking nearly half as long again but the penny did at least drop. Stephen also explains it in the comments if you still haven’t pegged it

26. Oh dear. We got there in the end without hints or resorting to electronic aids ,but the pommers actually wondered out loud if he’d printed the toughie! Deffo wrong envelope job for us. So 4*/3*
    Having finally parsed 21a it’s our fave today.
    Thanks Zandio for the workout and to MrK for the hints

27. It’s a long time since I completed a Friday crossword, so very happy! I was definitely helped by the lack of obscure words for answers. Still, couldn’t parse 1d, 17a or 21a so maybe not a complete solve in my book. Hints made it all clear- thanks. My favourite was 20d closely followed by 18d although now I understand 17a and 21a i really like them too – really clever clues.

28. What a difference a day makes. I struggled with yesterday’s which most found easy and breezed through this which most found hard. A wavelength thing I suppose. I did need the hint to parse 17a as I was convinced it was something to do with ‘centre’. Favourite was 3d. Thanks to Zandio and Mr. K.

29. **/**** for the crossword but *****+ for the Otis video. Those were great days. Thanks Zandio.

30. I’m in the camp that found this a considerably easier grid fill than yesterday despite an almighty head scratch with last in 17a but a couple of disappointing parsing blips took the shine off the solve. I clocked the lurker at 10a immediately but didn’t notice it was literally at heart (very clever) & couldn’t parse the boy bit of 12a. With 21a I reckon I could very probably have stared at it into the middle of next week & still been unable to make sense of it. Anyway great guzzle with ticks all over the shop – 10&14a plus 1,3,5,7,11&16d the ones that stood out for me.
    Thanks to Zandio (& for popping in) & to Mr K for making sense of ‘em all

31. Phew!
    A full-blown 5* for difficulty.
    But got there after a much needed
    Break.
    LOL at the seriously naughty
    21a.
    Two amongst others on the Podium vie
    for COTD, 17a and 4d.
    The winner, 4d.
    Thanks, Zandio for the terrific challenge
    And thanks Mr K for the review.

32. Very difficult for me today…..finally finished it after many breaks but needed a lot of help with the parsings.
    So relieved to see that I am not alone.

    Thanks to Mr K…great cats as usual…..and to the setter.

    In Edinburgh for a break…..warm and very humid….and full of tourists which is lovely to see after the difficult covid years. A walk round Holyrood Park beckons tomorrow…..if the rain stays off.

    1. Somebody told me yesterday that Jenners in Edinburgh has gone! Shock horror.

       1. No.1 daughter went to Edinburgh for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I told her to look out for both Jenners and the floral clock. She returned home and reported that Jenners had gone and the floral clock was being replanted so resembled nothing more than a mound of muddy earth!

33. A DNF but then it was contending with Royal Ascot where the unremitting pounding of hooves and the incomprehensible Irish accents kept sending me to sleep!
    I did like the clever 21a

34. That was definitely rather tricky! Most welcome, of course, but I did wonder whether the average DT solver might feel overly challenged. Or surprised as in ambushed :D

35. Real life matters have kept me busy both yesterday and today and so I did not have time to keep returning to the puzzles. I am making progress with today, far more than yesterdays effort but will probably need some help to finish. I will not be disappointed with myself as it’s clear that it is a wavelength and concentration issue on my part and this is clearly a tricky one.

    I am sure I will learn a lot when I later read the hints to complete the guzzle. My favourite so far is 9a – I was pleased I remembered the word – not sure I would have without the checkers.

    Many thanks to Zandio and to Mr K for the hints and pics

36. This was quite a workout but I have got there, I needed help to parse several, 21a is very clever.
    My new favourite is 18d.

    Thanks as above post

    Now back to yesterdays Ray T

37. Good grief, that was tough!!! After a first quick trawl yielded very little it was a matter of chipping away, but it took a long time. Some lovely clues, but can’t help feeling that 17a was too clever by half…. My last one in, and only got it because I could only think of two words that fitted and one made no sense at all, so it had to be the other – but it all felt a bit unsatisfactory.
    Thoroughly enjoyable overall, and very satisfying to finish!

38. Good evening
    The Mind Of Zandio strikes again! I genuinely did think I was beaten today; after much staring and thinking and pondering, I found a way in, and the answers dropped in until……..the SW quadrant! I have literally just this moment put down my pen, having finally finished. You must have heard CLUNK! in the furthest reaches of the country as the penny FINALLY dropped for 13d! Crikey!! Clue of the week!
    One little niggle: I figured out 17a from the letters I had and from the definition “net”; but even having read today’s hints, I’m baffled as to how the cryptic part works.
    Other hon. mentions: 21a, 5d, 20d.
    Thank you Zandio and Mr K

    1. For the 17a wordplay see Stephen L’s response to John Faulkner at comment #10.

    2. Fellow striker defines by example PARTNER
       Ignoring outside right gives PARTNE
       Shooting over (reversal) gives ENTRAP

       1. My thoughts on this clue are that the compiler was trying too hard to make the surface better than it needed be! Unless the explanations given above, and earlier, are wide of the mark. I’d be interested to hear from the compiler why “fellow striker” is a normal or by example synonym for “partner”? I can follow the “ignoring outside right”—as opposed to the “inside right” but the “shoots over” rather than just “over” to reverse is a word too far, for me. Maybe too many football references to help the surface?
          My only other problem with this puzzle was equating “boy” with “gracious”; can see the reasoning but I think it is a step too far out of the box.
          Otherwise a testing puzzle with some brilliantly thought out and prepared clues, Some laugh out loud ones too! Especially 3d.
          Thanks to the compiler and all the bloggers.

39. Well that went swimmingly, not! Usual battle with my nemesis, finished finally watching the Foo Fighters from Glastonbury on the TV, after many attempts during the day.

    5*/3*

    Fav 21a LOI 13d.

    Thanks to Zandio and Mr K.

40. lLucky those who seem to have mastered it. Why does Fiday have to be so impossible when we want to wind down for the weekend .Lucky those who undersood this puzzle, the usual clever clogs.! Jacquie B

41. Wow, quite a workout. Only just finished after a busy day that had the audacity to interrupt my solve.

    Really struggled with 17a which was my penultimate one in.

    Last one in was 26a. I blame the wine for this. Still very happy to solve unaided a ****!

    Thanks to all.

42. It’s reassuring to find I’m not alone in my antipathy to this gruesome number. It wasn’t just hard but contained several rather far-fetched parsings. I’m with RD, Senf and several others in having found this a wrong envelope day. Thank you MrK and Zandio but IMHO you certainly presented us with a treadmill exercise today.

43. A pretty awful puzzle . The fact people found it so difficult was that a number of clues didn’t parse properly , if at all
    12a 21a 26a 11d .I could go on . Enjoyability cannot be ***

44. That was a bit tough! 17a and 21a were hard work, 3d was funny but I failed only with 15a, mainy because I wasn’t sure what a slough was and prefer not to seek help. Luckily I didn’t have much else to do yesterday

45. I only got 2 down…way too hard for me

46. 3*/5* …
    liked 18D “Its application offers a firm digital protection (7)” … amongst several others …
    also liked the cat pictures !

47. A very late comment from me as I saved this for later.
    I do enjoy Zandio’s puzzles very much — not that I find them at all easy! Top clue for me was 3d followed by 18d and several others. **** for overall enjoyment. Thank you very much Zandio.
    Loved the cat pictures in Mr K’s excellent review. Many appreciative thanks to Mr K. I did need help with 12a despite having the checking letters. Oh dear! I also needed a couple of explanations where I was unsure of the parsing.
    I don’t know what we’d do without this wonderful Big Dave’s Blog. Long may it continue…

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