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DT 30594

by Falcon  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30594

Hints and tips by Falcon

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Ottawa, where we are experiencing a mixed bag of weather conditions – warmish, coolish, sunny, cloudy, wet, dry – sometimes all on the same day.

I think the single pun tells us this is not a Campbell production, so I believe X-Type has made another appearance – and he is in fine form indeed. I greatly enjoyed this puzzle which was – in the words of one frequent commenter – easy until it wasn’t.

Before anyone asks (and I am sure it has been asked every day for the last week), the ability to save and automatically fill personal details when commenting has been turned off to prevent a recurrence of the outage that put the site offline recently for most of a day. Mr K is attempting to find a fix that will allow this feature to be turned back on.

In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.

Across

1a   Resentment as nightclub (northern) gets temporary accommodation (10)
DISCONTENT — string together a nightclub where patrons dance to recorded music, the single letter for northern, and a temporary camping accommodation

6a   Rugby player runs into dad (4)
PROP — insert the cricket notation for runs into what we are sure to hear is an American dad

10a   Hill hiding ammo underneath? Just the opposite! (5)
MOUND — ‘just the opposite‘ tells us that the definition is not hiding the fodder but hiding in the fodder

11a   Actors going to SE town to get hamper (9)
HAMSTRING — link together inferior actors and a town in Hertfordshire

12a   Minor role in two pieces? (3,4)
BIT PART — one synonym of piece followed by another

13a   Drink found in garrets in Athens (7)
RETSINA — another lurker (found in); the entire clue might well provide an extended definition

14a   Go “eco” in salt? Strangely, there’s nothing in it for this scientist (12)
OCEANOLOGIST — an anagram (strangely) of the first four words of the clue into which the letter that looks like zero is inserted (there’s nothing in it); the inclusion of “salt” in the clue is very apropos

18a   Tries to influence a school boss: keeps at it (7,5)
PRESSES AHEAD — split (7,1,4), one might interpret the answer per the wordplay

21a   Head of Romans seized by military unit — held in this? (3-4)
LEG-IRON — place the initial letter (head) of ROMANS in a Roman military unit to get what might have been used to restrain him

23a   Increase in spending as match official delayed (7)
REFLATE — an informal term for a match official and another word for delayed

24a   Go with Italian lager and spicy sausage (9)
PEPPERONI — go or energy and a brand of Italian beer

25a   Deduce friend not quite crazy (5)
INFER — an anagram (crazy) of all but the last letter (not quite) of FRIEND

26a   Therefore, monster returns (4)
ERGO — a reversal (returns) of a flesh-eating giant

27a   Director: genius embracing beginnings of silent era (10)
EISENSTEIN — insert the initial letters (beginnings) of SILENT and ERA into the name of a scientist synonymous with genius to get a Soviet filmmaker from the silent era

Down

1d   Bishop takes part in protests and quits services (6)
DEMOBS — put the chess notation for bishop in an informal word for protests

2d   Tricks to astonish brother’s middle son (6)
STUNTS — a charade of a synonym for astonish, the central letter (‘s middle) of BROTHER, and the genealogical abbreviation for son

3d   Mapmakers in UN censor ad: very unusual (8,6)
ORDNANCE SURVEY — an anagram (unusual) of the four words preceding the indicator

4d   Old artist’s getting in bath regularly with island folk! (9)
TAHITIANS — an Italian painter receiving (getting in) one of the two regular sequences of letters (regularly) from BATH

5d   Person who puts labels on prepared ramen (5)
NAMER — an anagram (prepared) of RAMEN

7d   What one may suffer from if one gets very nosey? (8)
RHINITIS — a cryptic definition of an ailment of the hooter

8d   Send message to workers making spectacles (8)
PAGEANTS — concatenate a word meaning electronically send a message and the usual six-legged social workers

9d   Country where wife-swapping is rife? It’s the way things stand (5,2,7)
STATE OF AFFAIRS — the answer might whimsically be interpreted as the description in the wordplay

15d   Where is to rent, apart from that? (9)
OTHERWISE — an anagram (rent) of the first three words in the clue

16d   Perfect kind of order for dessert (5,3)
APPLE PIE — double definition

17d   Bet against glutton being prickly type? (8)
HEDGEPIG — add together a term meaning to protect oneself from possible loss by backing both sides and an animal synonymous with gluttony to get a creature that surely must dwell solely in the pages of the BRB

19d   Rabbit that might be served for breakfast (6)
WAFFLE — double definition, the first meaning to chatter inconsequentially

20d   Bit of a nerve, getting news about currency (6)
NEURON — two instances of the abbreviation for new (clued by “news”) bookend the currency from across the Channel

22d   Girl I sob over (5)
NAOMI — a reversal (over) of I from the clue and sob mournfully

I cannot but acknowledge the Quickie pun, but my favourite clue today is 9d for the smile it elicited.

Quickie Pun (Top Row): BURR + DOVE + PRAY = BIRD OF PREY

112 comments on “DT 30594”

  1. Good fun.

    Lots of great surfaces made this an enjoyable solve. 17d, I thought….surely not. But, yep, there it is. Marvellous, parvellous, tarvellous.

    I can’t tell you how many times I have seen an i after the 3rd letter of the first word in 3d. A classic ‘doh!’

    My podium is 27a, 1d (neat) and 4d for creating a great scene.

    Many thanks to X-Type and Falcon

    2*/4*

  2. Good sound fare for a Monday morning, largely completed from N to S with little cause for delay. Possibly very slightly more challenging than the typical Monday, but the anagrams will have provided useful checkers and the little GK was accessible even if 27a is incredibly dated/archaic/specialist these days for most. Lots of wit and humour on display. Podium places to 11a, 1d and 9a (for the smile) with COTD 13a (arguably its best left in those garrets).

    1* / 3*

    Many thanks to the setter (X-Type would be a good call, I think – if so 3rd week running) and Falcon

    1. Hi MG

      Forgive me if I misunderstand you but are you saying that the film director is dated/archaic because he was around 100 years ago? If that is the case, what decade was the cut-off for a setter to use it…..the 1960s…the 1970s?

      I appreciate that, if films aren’t your ‘thang’, then it’s hard but he was a very big name in the industry (Battleship Potemkin was a hugely significant film) . Your knowledge of literature is exceptional: you often go into detail about a writer or their work, often pre-20th century, which I have never heard of which is great. I have learnt so much from you about literature as I’m seriously lacking.

      You seem to be inconsistent.

      I hope that’s not coming across as aggressive or rude as you know I’m a big fan of you and your posts.

      1. Literature, me?? My dear fellow, you must have me confused with an ackshul erudite poster! :)

        But yes, I consider 27a dated / archaic / niche, likewise the inclusion of actors & actresses of the 1920s-1940s, in a way that literature is not, with no logical reason whatsoever. For me, knowing of them comes down to accidentally but fortuitously acquired GK.

        I have no interest in film history, have not been to a cinema for well more than a decade, watch very few films indeed, and do not consider my life to be lacking for what I acknowledge to be my wilful ignorance. I dragged 27a’s name from the depths of my memory wherein it lurked only because of its periodic appearance in crosswords.

        The question of when is there a “cut-off” date is interesting, and I don’t believe there should be one – although I do think the policy in The Times of not referring to living people is sensible – as otherwise one is forced to omit all sorts of historical references/personages/items.

        On a selfish level I’d happily consider a cut-off along the lines of “nothing after 20XX” given my lack of interest in modern pop music etc, but setters have to include the modern in order to provide references that today’s new solvers will recognise and understand. I have little doubt that most under 25s would not have heard of Welles, Coppola, Bergman & Goddard, let alone 27a, so where do you draw the line as to what is acceptable, if puzzles are continually to attract a new audience? Rhetorical question, as I have no idea!

        1. Fairy nuff.

          There was a survey on this blog a year or two back that showed that under 1% of contributors and lurkers were under 30 (assuming they delurked to do the survey). It’s a case of knowing the audience. So, wheeling out the usual suspects for people of a certain age seems fine to me.

          We all love Eric Morecambe. So, when he appears in a crossword, we smile as it triggers great memories. My children, who are in their 20s, don’t know him. It doesn’t make sense not to use him in a crossy.

          Eric and Ernie wrote to Glenda Jackson after she won her second Oscar saying ‘Stick with us kid and we’ll get you a third.’

          Brilliant!

          It’s so difficult to know where one draws the line for what is general and specific/obsure knowledge. I welcome it all…..as long as the answer is parsable, of course.

          Oh, we do so love the GK discussion, yes we do.

          1. My entirely arbitrary and unjustifiable line-drawing and cut-offs aside, I don’t cavil at GK in cryptics as long as it’s fairly clued, as this certainly was – though I do bridle at obscurities as anagrams with no leading letter and unhelpful checkers. Anyway Tom, I’m sure this would not pass the RC test, but just for you (ok, & Huntsman and others of your ilk):

            After school the French artiste directed Mo Farrah, for example (11)

              1. Confusing one-r Mo with two-r Fawcett. Easily done, wot with them being so similar ‘n all …

                1. Rats! I didn’t spot the double r boo-boo.

                  My joke was that I didn’t know him.

                  The moment has gone.

                  1. & I now appreciate the irony … OK, substitute Ron Hill if you wish (he of the ubiquitous athletic clothing company).

                    1. We loved Ron.

                      I can’t get ‘runner’ out of my brain. So, I’m thinking Blade Runner which, apart from having two words, doesn’t fit with your clue.

                      Degasrunner as opposed to the electric one?

                      No. you’ve got me…

                    3. Mark – almost, and certainly the right film. Gazza (see below) got there: SCH + LE + SINGER gives you the Director of Marathon Man, of whom Farah and Hill are possibly the most famous male British examples in (relatively) recent times.

                    4. Thanks Mustafa. I should have looked up who directed Marathon Man as all would then have made sense! I’d never heard of Schlesinger, although I have seen the film.

                  2. ‘Marathon man fit’, Sparky? They’re all fit. (I can’t stop myself….nurse!)

                    Eisenstein would’ve seen this legendary Marathon runner from the London 1908 Olympics when he was a nipper…

                    1. Wow. I looked that race up and it turns out that the winner was disqualified because the umpires helped him get up 5 times at the end. That must have been immensely disappointing!

                    2. Not many, Benito.

                      Poor fella. Maybe he ate too much pehperoni just before the race.

                    3. I actually ran the London Marathon in 1988 and the medal honoured Dorando Pietri the unfortunate 1908 runner

                    4. How cool is that, Sloops, and, of course, congratulations. What a great image of him. Such an iconic moment.

                      Did you hit your target time?

                      That reminds me of a funny story…..

                      I asked a pal what time he was hoping to do and he said three hours (he is very fit). So, I sang him a Queen song, with a tweak……I want to break three.

                      He said that he couldn’t stop singing it to himself on the day itself.

                      He ran 2:58 and winked at the camera when crossing the line, hoping I was watching.

                      Deep joy.

              2. That’s a relief, the clue worked – now if I can think of another 28 or so, I might get towards a full puzzle for RC!

                  1. I ran 3:50 which was well inside my 4-hour target, and this was in the days before chip timing so I spent at least 10 mins shuffling before I got to the start line
                    I was delighted with my time,but a little embarrassed the following year where the Race publicity programme showed the queues on Westminster Bridge to collect medals and Mars Bars and I was just behind someone in a clown suit!

                    1. Marvellous and well done again. It’s a hell of an achievement.

                      You should be very proud.

      2. I seriously doubt any other than movie buffs would have seen Battleship Potemkin let alone Ivan The Terrible parts 1&2. I guess many will have seen The Untouchables (Costner, Connery & Garcia) where Brian De Palma’s slow motion pram sequence at Union Station was a homage to the Odessa steps sequence in Potemkin.

        1. I remember the scene – the Untouchables one, at least! Good film, good cast – which for me means I can name one of them and recognise at least one more … I know, I’m a philistine & utterly beyond redemption. Which IIRC is the name of a film?

    2. I appreciate that you have said ‘for most’ but I’m assuming that you feel the same?

      Forgive me if you don’t.

      1. You analyse some things a lot
        I merely let them be.
        Parsing strangers directing films is not
        Enough for the likes of thee?

      2. I do. As Sue says he crops up a lot in puzzles & give me a film director over a plant all day long but I get where MG is coming from.

  3. 1.5*/3.5*. This was light and enjoyable although I do think that the obscure 17d is rather unfair, particularly as the much more obvious “hedgehog” fits both the wordplay and definition perfectly but makes 24a impossible to solve.

    My podium choice today is the Quickie Pun, 1d & 9d.

    Many thanks to the setter (X-Type?) and to Falcon.

        1. Some years ago I saw a very small hedgehog in the middle of the day around November. It was well under 100g so took it to the rescue place. They told me to put some cat food down as there may be others but to keep them apart. Found 3 more the following day – overnight in 2 x cat carriers, 1 in a cardboard box. The one in the cardboard box escaped and eventually found under papers in waste paper basket. Sadly have never seen a hedgehog in the garden since.

    2. Not only did I have the obvious creature for a long time but it caused me to pitch my Italian sausages in the rubbish bin from where they later had to rescued.

    3. I, too, bunged in the obvious for 17d. In the end I had to google the Italian lager, 24a then was a “has to be”, that led to another google. The answer sounds really odd.

  4. Another dnf for me. I put the obvious answer for 17d which made 24a impossible to get, and of course I forgot all about the famous, well known, his names on everybody’s lips 🥴27a. Not the normal Monday fare but I like it🤪. Thanks to all.

  5. I have been forced to close the blinds, draw the curtains, bolt all the doors and place sentries at the gates, due to the number of people trying to force their way in to lobby for 27a to be included on THE LIST.
    However, this wild-haired, ‘influential’ fellow was inducted on to THE LIST some months ago when he made an earlier appearance. So I urge all of those insurrectionists clambering over our hedges wishing to express their outrage, to turn around and go off for a lovely luncheon, before I turn the water cannons on.

    Probably, like every other right-thinking person in our universe, I was held up for about a century this morning by placing ‘hog’ as the last three letters of a particular clue, leading to sausage trauma until I changed the ‘hog’ to the unthinkable.
    Anyone who informs me it is in your blessed BRB will also have a water cannon turned in their direction.

    These disgraceful lapses apart – great guzzle. I enjoyed the challenge.

    May the sky grow dark with hats as we salute the setter and The Bird Of Prey

    *Pictured – the scene at the entrance to our grand driveway this morning.

  6. A very pleasant and gentle start to the crosswording week with 1d my favourite clue. I had no problems with 17d once I had reread the clue and concentrated on the glutton. Good fun all round.

    Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.

  7. A nice friendly Monday crossword.

    The director in 27a appears regularly in cryptic crosswords, usually with a variation of the genius plus another bit of wordplay, so for me anyway, he just writes himself in

    Thanks to X-Type and Falcon

    1. Well he was a new bit of knowledge for me.
      Looking him up did improve my history! The Wikipedia wormhole took me, via the director, to the Potemkin, to the Russian revolution of 1905. I was previously unaware of this event, which set the stage for the Big One in 1917.

      1. …and this is one of the reasons why I love general/specialist/obscure knowledge in crosswords, Anorak. There’s a good chance you may have never come across this legend.

  8. That’s how I like Monday crosswords: a nice gentle introduction to week that I’m fairly confident I’ll be able to complete. (I wait till after 11:00 to see how many Quickie puns are listed, and give the cryptic a miss if there are 2 or more, knowing I’ll be very unlikely to manage it.)

    I hadn’t heard of the 27a director, but the wordplay and the crossing letters made the answer clear. The 9d country was my favourite — though why is it always the wives who get swapped? Surely the husbands do just as much swapping?!

    Thank you to X-Type for the puzzle, and Falcon for explaining the ‘Go’ in 24a.

    [Thank you in advance to whoever has to approve this comment; using a different email address because it’s the one my browser keeps wanting to insert and I’ve decided just to go with it.]

    1. Thank you for explaining why you ended up in moderation – saved a lot of checking as to why you were there!

      Both old and new emails will work from now on

      1. You’re welcome. Thank you to you and the other moderators for your continued work in keeping this site running.

    1. I agree with you on 13a, I tried it when it was on offer in a local German supermarket, it made a very good toilet cleaner though.

    2. 13a does not in my experience travel well, indeed reaching the producer’s cellar doors is about as far as its ambitions should extend.

  10. What a lovely straightforward solve. How nice to see the furzepig called by its other name rather than the hog variety. Only slight quibble of Tring being a SE town, but obvious from the clue. Obscure director – yes – but again solvable from the clue.
    Thanks to the setter and Falcon.

  11. Thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle. All went swimmingly after I sorted through the spicy sausages alongside the waffle. Just needed an egg or two for a decent breakfast. Too early for the wine though. Thanks to compiler and Falcon

  12. Enjoyed it too and yes “it was easy until it wasn’t”. I like crosswords that do that – it lets you in in a sort of “come into my parlour said the spider to the fly” sense. Once I have started I want to finish. I was caught by the brb small mammal until I wasn’t. I knew the film director – one of the greats – so it seemed fair to me. News was a new interpretation for me – doh. Funny weather in Ottawa too. Good start to the week and thanks to setter and solver.

  13. It’s Monday :good: It’s X-Type :good: although I am wondering what happened to the alternating with Campbell – ***/****

    I can probably safely say that this is the first time that I have seen 17d as an alternative for what I consider as the more familiar term for the spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae.

    Candidates for favourite – 6a, 8d, and 16d – and the winner is 16d.

    Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.

    1. 17d is one of those words like gunnel, ginnel, twitchel, Coalrun or alley, it varies all over the country – which is what makes our language so rich.

    2. Yes, it is I – X-Type – for a 3rd Monday in succession (thanks to a generous Editor): but that may be it for a week or two…The “alternating with Campbell” has now come to an end; as there may be no more now from Mr C (which is why I was “put on hold” for some weeks, to let him have his run…) I hope nobody minded too much about the pig/hog confusion! See you whenever 😊

        1. Absolutely, but as Campbell has now been setting puzzles in a range of papers for 30+ years I shouldn’t be in the least surprised if, like some other DT names who now publish less frequently or not at all, they are stepping back for a new(er) generation to take over.

          Like it or not (and I do miss Don Giovanni, Jay et al) change has to happen, I guess, so we are fortunate that X-Type clearly fits in to the Monday slot so well!

  14. 27a was definitely a ‘use the wordplay’ moment, he obviously hasn’t featured sufficiently in the crosswords I’ve attempted to get lodged in the old grey matter. Not prepared to risk Terence’s water cannons though so I’ll grant him passage! Conversely, I was quite familiar with the fat, prickly type so he caused no problems.
    Quite a few laughs in this one and my podium choices are 12a plus 8,9&19d.

    Thanks to our setter, X-Type sounds like a good call, and to Falcon for the review – our weather is just as unpredictable at the moment but perhaps within a narrower band than yours!

  15. Fairly gentle solve with some great surface reads. I must have missed 27a previous incarnations because, not being any sort of movie buff, it was completely new to me and required Mr Google’s help. I had the spicy sausage in before tackling 17d so that presented no problem as it was familiar to me. Favourite was the straying wives ( why is it always the wives? – it takes two ………!) Podium places for 21a and 4d. Thanks to our setter and Falcon.

  16. Spent a holiday in Andros about 50 years ago and got to enjoy 13a by the end! Funnily enough I spent a couple of months in Florence in 1963 as a barman in a youth hostel, but didn’t come across the 24a lager, the current recipe was created that year, though the brewery dates from 1846.
    Can’t remember seeing rent as an anagram indicator before (15d), so that was fun. Also liked19d, but going for 9d as flavour of the day.
    Many thanks to the setter (X-type?) and Falcon.

  17. All finished and a nice start to the week. I fell into the prickly problem as others did, but got there eventually. 9d was my favourite. I did not know 27a and it was last in with a combination of the checkers and deduction.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.

  18. No problem with Sergei & hog didn’t even occur as the pizza topping fav gave me the checker for the glutton bit. Rather embarrassingly (for someone who worked in the gambling industry) it was the bet against synonym that held me up & needless to say had never heard of the wee thing so called, indeed I initially thought the definition may be some obscure cactus. Top two today for me 7d&11a with 20d on the podium for the news PDM.
    Thanks to X-Type & Falcon

  19. Another Monday puzzle that appears to be an X-Type offering three weeks in a row. Wonder where Campbell is these days? What happened to the alternating weeks? Oh well. Time will tell.

    2*/3.5*

    Favourites include 1a, 18, 3s, 20d & 22d — with winner 1a

    Thanks to X-Type & Falcon for hints/blog

    1. I don’t think X-Type did actually claim they would be on alternate Mondays?

      They mentioned (a fortnight ago) that they had been alternating with Campbell at some point last year. Separately they said they would appear on some other (vague) Mondays — but didn’t say that would continue to be on an alternating basis.

  20. A straightforward and enjoyable start to the week. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.
    Luckily I’d written in the answer to 24a before I reached 17d otherwise I’m sure that I’d have been caught out.
    Top marks from me for 21a, 1d and 19d (and the Quickie pun).

  21. This one gave me more pause for thought than many Monday challenges Most enjoyable.
    Thank you Falcon and X-Type.

  22. Well, the SW corner of this puzzle reminded me of the Maize Maze produced by cutting pathways in a cornfield at a llocal farm. Marching to the beat of my own drummer, I melded ante and eater at 17d to produce anteater, some varieties of which are spiny. Having got 16a the wrong way roun, it fitted well. It took a long time to get out of that mess. I liked the 13a lurker and the chewy 14a anagram. Thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints, much needed today

  23. I enjoyed this, with similar challenges to other solvers on 17d and 27a, though once I had googled the latter I thought it was a very elegant clue.
    When I checked 16d my BRB has it as hyphenated, so don’t know if that is a typo in the clue or both options are acceptable. I would have assumed previously that it is not hyphenated.
    My favourites are 7d and 9d.
    Thanks to all

  24. I finished this an hour ago but the pocket rocket came and I had to soothe her ruffled feathers over the state of the greenhouse. A very good start to the week guzzle- wise, the weather could be warmer it is freezing outside. Poor Terence had his cage rattled, besieged by mad scientist film directors and bits in orange juice, he really must watch his blood pressure. Water cannon indeed. I was very proud of myself for getting 6a, 9d made me laugh and so must be my favourite. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Falcon and to all the support staff. I would love to think I might meet some of you in January, God willing. I must keep practicing the splits.

  25. I’m posting before reading the other comments, so many today and I may have to stop halfway. I did enjoy this but I thought that 17d was a CHEAT, yes, all in caps. Whoever heard of that? I did read the hint to make sure I was right, and I see Falcon agrees with me. If we politely ignore that, this was a shedload of fun, though tricky for a Monday. I’m hard-pressed for a fave, 20d was so clever, but 18d amused. I can never remember in 3d which is ammo and which cartography, maybe now I’ll remember.
    Thank you Campbell for the fun and Falcon for unravelling a few.

    1. Not Campbell Merusa as you will see if and when you read XType’s reply to Senf in Comment 13 above.

      1. Yes, I did see it when I read the comments later. Thank you X-type for the fun! And thanks Angellov for pointing it out.

  26. Unlike most above, I found this a little strange, like it was written by two different people. In 42 years I have yet to hear anyone use the “Americanism” for Dad in 6a, and knowing zero about rugby didn’t help. Fast forward to 27a… not being au fait with Soviet film makers of the silent film age (even I am not that old)… so needed help for that one. I’m sure someone will castigate me for that. Thanks to X-type and Falcon. No time to unravel the rest as off to ortho doctor to see if he can fix Peter’s knee pain in time for our upcoming Bermuda holiday.

    1. Re Americanism in 6a, I’ve only seen it in comic strips, never heard anyone’s Dad called that!

        1. Of course, but I thought H.E. Bates was a Brit. If he was American, then I have heard of Pop in America. Oh wait, that’s a book, not real life. So I guess I still haven’t heard anyone in America say “Pop”.

        2. BTW, it just registered with me that you said Pop Kettle … it was Ma and Pa Kettle.

        3. Of course, Larkin, not Kettle! It’s me that’s nuts! Still, they’re Brit aren’t they?

        4. I have never seen it, and don’t believe it has ever been shown in the US. I know our friends in Lincolnshire really enjoyed it.

  27. Certainly Monday plus.
    Always enjoy GK, stirs
    The grey matter.
    So loved 27a and part 24a.
    So, 2*5*/4.5*
    Many thanks, setter, and Falcon.

  28. I do like an X-type puzzle. Not too easy , but with enough challenge to feel a sense of satisfaction at the end. I’d not known 11a used as a verb before, or heard the word 17d before , and 27a was unknown to me too, but I got them all through the parsing. An interesting debate between MG and TDS65 about 27a I see. I think as long as you can derive the answer it’s fine. All in all a great start to the week. Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.

  29. As for many recent Monday challenges I didn’t really enjoy that somewhat joyless exercise and DNF prior to seeking help with 27a and 20d (news!). 24a had to be but my 17d hog precluded that for sometime. I parsed 11a by adding a series of actors to a Middlesex “town”/village. Thank you X-Type and Falcon.

  30. This is the first actual – in the paper – crossword I have completed. Thank you SO MUCH for this blog, it’s taken since Christmas (when I got the Chris Lancaster book and the first book of puzzles) and checking the blog to understand the clues. A great new hobby from a couple of months of forced inactivity. I so appreciate all of you

    1. Welcome to the blog, Jenny.
      Well done on the progress you’ve made. I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter on the blog.

    3. Welcome, Jenny and huge congratulations on your first completion. It’s a wonderful feeling isn’t it?
      Please come back and let us know how you’re getting on whether or not you have finished the guzzle. Plenty of folk on here are more than ready to offer friendly help and guidance. 😊

  31. I enjoyed today’s puzzle but fell short of getting 6a and 22d. Was convinced the latter might be (nbosi) a foreign word for girl! One of my sister’s-in-law is called Naomi, oh dear! Checked 17d because hadn’t heard/seen the word before. Was delayed with 11a but getting 8&9d soon confirmed the answer. Many thanks to X-type and Falcon. Would love to attend the Birthday party next January but haven’t been to London for years and it does help if you know your way around especially re the underground from Euston! Getting to Manchester Piccadilly can take some doing.

    1. It is but a short walk from Paddington Station along the Regents Canal to The Bridge House in Little Venice, It would be great to “see” for real some of this friendly bunch

      1. If all goes well, I will be there. I think I’ll make a weekend of it and stay at the RAF Club in Piccadilly. Haven’t been there for years.

        As for the crossword, I enjoyed it but I’m too busy to comment fully. A whole load of work has arrived. 😳

  32. Re 25 a : From my Latin lessons I recollect that “infer” and “deduce” are antonyms not synonyms.
    (Just my excuse for delay)

    1. Hi Tim

      I appreciate that they aren’t exact synonyms as there is a slight difference but they aren’t antonyms.

      1. Yes, Chambers, Oxford and Collins have them as synonyms, which makes it fine for one to be used for the other in a crossword.
        I’d be interested to hear how Tim makes them antonyms in a way that obtains in English usage.

  33. Thank you Falcon and our setter for a most enjoyable romp through today’s crossword. Made me smile all the way – managed it without our lovely community. Loved the food and medical references 😊 8D was a generational reference!

    1. If you’re the same Artemis that we know you’ve changed your email address and both will work from now on. If you’re a different person could you please change your alias to prevent confusion.

  34. Like many other solvers today, 17d tripped me up until I worked out what 24a was. Apart from that, a nice Monday puzzle.

  35. Good evening, although as it’s gone midnight, I should technically begin with good morning…

    Just by way of a lesson to me never to take Monday’s crozzie for granted, it’s a DNF! I had several attempts at today’s grid before peeking at Falcon’s hints, thereby twigging 1a and 2d and on the back of those, solving 1d.
    However, I would never have thought of 27a in a million years, and 20d proved unattainable as well.

    Many thanks to X-type and Falcon.

  36. 2*/5* ….
    liked 4D “Old artist’s getting in bath regularly with island folk !”

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