DT 30656

91 comments on “DT 30656”

1. I suspect some of our overseas solvers may have problems parsing some of the clues that used the three female names that may be unfamiliar to them. No such problems here, as I fairly zipped through this, enjoying every minute of the puzzle, although a couple of the clues were a little clunky. My particular favourites were 24a, 1 and 5d.

   Thanks to our midweek setter and the 2Ks.

2. Excellent guzzle today that took a bit of teasing out. The second word if 9a held me up for ages as I just couldn’t squeeze bread into the answer and couldn’t get it out of my mind. Got 25a immediately as we only had it the other day. I will vote for whoever brings the summer back as it is perishing again today. Thanks to the setter and 2Ks

3. I had ‘reshaped’ for 13a which fitted perfectly but screwed up that top right hand corner

   1. Welcome to the blog, Simon.

4. I agree that overseas solvers might struggle a bit with knowledge of British names required at 9a, 22a and 11d, but then the DT is a British newspaper, so fair game IMO.
   Fairly straightforward with 7d my LOI and also my COD.
   Did we not have a very similar clue to 25a just the other day? I’ll have a look.
   Thanks setter and the Kiwis. I will be watching the rugby from behind the sofa on Saturday morning!

   1. I have found the lookalike clue to 25a. 1d on Monday.

5. Oh what a contrast to yesterday’s drudgery! A filet mignon of a puzzle, cooked to perfection. A slow start, with several clues looking impenetrable on first (and second) inspection. All eventually yielded with the checkers and some deep thought. And I didn’t know 11d was a single word, but now I do.

   The last two fell after I’d put the puzzle to to one side, with a Eureka! moment while brewing a cuppa (including 25a, my COTD). I resisted the urge to run naked through the street like Archimedes. ***/*****

6. Jolly guzzle. Spent a little while trying to crowbar ‘crypto’ into 5d.

   I wonder if the (mainly) 1960s movies starring 22a would be made today. I rather suspect they would not get beyond the pitching stage of development, never mind actually being filmed and released. This isn’t a ‘world’s gone mad; you can’t even celebrate Christmas’ rant. I am a little conflicted; overall perhaps we are more considerate and less inclined to stereotype people in the current age. Quite often when I see the word ‘woke’ used to dismiss someone or something, I find that if I substitute ‘kindness’ for ‘woke’ it makes the situation turn on its head. In other words “oh you’re just being woke” translated to to “oh you’re expressing kindness.”

   Carry on.

   Thanks to the setter and The TwoKays

   1. When I was young
      ‘Twas often sung:
      Sticks and stones may break my bones
      But words will never hurt me.

      To Generation Z
      It now is said:
      Give no offence, for it makes sense
      That words can often hurt thee.

      1. Yes, sad isn’t it that children are not taught that old rhyme any more. Building up resilience is vital, not just to diseases,

   2. I was bemused to read in the DT this morning that the plus sign after all that LGBTQIA business is there in case they discover ‘new genders, sexual identities and beliefs’. Really? A new gender? LGM little green men? I feel my age.

      1. You should hear us in the village shop every morning. What we say in there would get us thrown in jail if the thought police heard it! 😊

         1. Ditto!

         2. Wish I was there to join in, sounds like my kind of group 😊.

            1. Just ignore it, like diversity.

               An election in the U.K. tomorrow I am told. Maybe it will bring about something new?

               1. It doubtless will, Wahoo, but not necessarily in a good way! So pleased that you popped in, Merusa has been very worried about your proximity to the latest hurricane.

               2. Are you down with Beryl or in UK? Are you OK?

                  1. Visiting UK, thanks. I think it has been unfelt and unseen for very many years, decades even, down in the Grenadines. Fingers crossed for when I go back home in a while. I’m further north.

                     Even mates in the Caymans are a little “tense” about Beryl. Hey ho. Maybe I should move back to England and enjoy the glory days of the next Government 😎

                     1. I’m a bit worried about my folks in Jamaica. Fingers crossed. You’re lucky you’re in UK, looks like it was pretty nasty.

7. Well that was strange, more like a “how well do you know your TV/film personalities?”

   Still, it was very enjoyable nonetheless, I’d never heard of the word at 5d, but it couldn’t be much else given the letters I already had in it.

   My two of the day were 25a (didn’t we have that recently?) and 7d. Interested to see who the setter might be, many thanks to whoever, great fun.

8. While a few clues were rather parochial and may make things awkward for non-UK solvers, this was a light and very enjoyable puzzle, and I’m at a loss as to the setter may be. Some very clever clueing, lots of humour and great surface reads. COTD for me was 5d, with podium places to 2d & 7d; it’s a shame 25a appeared so very recently because with only two checkers the answer leapt out before fully reading it – good surface and example of the answer.

   3

   Many thanks to the mystery setter and to the 2Ks

9. I often find Wednesday’s crossword tricky, but when it’s done I wonder why. It’s all in the mind, I suppose.

10. Great fun (although perhaps a bit trickier for non-UK solvers) which I really enjoyed. Thanks to the setter and 2Ks.
    I have many ticks including 22a, 1d, 3d and 14d.

11. Great guzzle and I thought 25a clever even though we had a similar clue recently. Like Terence, I spent ages trying to fit “crypto” into 5d. When I finally got it I spelt it incorrectly so that messed up Dawn at 9a. I’m not surer how “assistance” fits into 7d but I am, no doubt, missing something obvious. My COTD is the aforementioned 25a.

    Thank you, setter for the fun solve despite a couple of curveballs. Thank you 2Ks for the hints.

    1. If you had a dodgy knee Steve I bet you would find a lift an assistance! When we were in Maastricht recently we went down to breakfast in a large old fashioned lift plastered overnight with unintelligible notices in red. The lift clunked down to the first floor. After breakfast we emerged to see hi-viz clad men removing the red signs and they cheerfully said to us ‘it is OK, you can use it now!’ A narrow escape maybe.

       1. Thanks, DG but it doesn’t quite work for me. I’m still not sure about “elevate” being an aid. You might just as well say that a car is an aid. I’m pleased your elevator trip was uneventful! 👍

       2. After encountering a downward, very steep and fast moving store escalator about 4 years ago I developed a phobia about riding down on them. Up is fine. So now I find myself riding up to the higher floors, and then having to search for the elusive elevator to get back down again. Invariably, it is hidden away in the furthest corner. Quite silly of me.

12. Bundles of fun here. 22a’s just outragous! 24a’s smart, 25a had the edge over the recent version and 26a is delightful. 3d’s so nicely put together. Lots to love, a real treat. There is some Welshness going on, which certainly brought one name to mind. Huge thanks to the setter and the 2Ks who, as ever, have my huge admiration for sailing through such British nonsense. I’m still chuckling over MG’s “parochial” comment!

13. Just about right for a mid-week challenge, the least problematic of the three ladies was the oldest one – 2.5*/3.5*

    I do consider that the 25a in 25a is not a very good example of a 25a – too ‘manufactured’ for me.

    Candidates for favourite – 22a, 1d, and 4d – and the winner is the matronly 22a!

    Thanks to whomsoever and the 2Kiwis.

14. Am I being somewhat dim but I could only find one e in the anagram (minus the i) for 18 across….

    1. Two Es in bracelet.

       1. I was being dim duh

15. A tricky puzzle today, took a while to parse Dawn, Hattie, Charlotte and Alex!
    Top drawer cluing throughout.
    liked 25a, favourites were 1a,17d and 18a.
    Thanks to setter and a ***/*** for me

16. I really enjoyed this guzzle and was lucky enough to pick up on the 3 ladies quickly. I liked the anagram at a, the arachnid lego clue at 16d and the parish official at 11d. I wanted t squash some bread into the second part of 9a too until the penny dropped. Thanks to the compiler annd to the Kiwis for the hints

17. Looks as though most solvers on here are getting to grips with this setter’s style but I remain out on a limb, deploring the often poor surface reads and the tortuous mangling of words. Each to their own, I guess!

    Thanks to Twmbarlwm for the puzzle and to our 2Ks for the review – enjoy the remainder of your stay with the family.

    1. Fair enough if you don’t like a compiler, but I honestly can’t see any deplorably poor surface readings or mangling of words here. There’s nothing nonsensical and no errors of grammar or syntax. Seems a bit harsh if you’re not going to back it up with examples and say what’s wrong. Aren’t you the one who keeps writing ere long with an apostrophe for some reason? 😞

       1. Meow!

       2. Was that really necessary?

       3. Ouch!

       4. I too mostly cannot get on this setter’s wavelength, so I sympathise with Jane and agree that I find the clueing rather strange a lot of the time.

       5. I would have no reason to dislike the compiler, Michael, don’t even personally know the man. It’s his style of compiling that I dislike. An example of a poor surface read would be 25a. My apologies for the incorrect use of an apostrophe – I’ve seen it used before ere and had made an assumption that it should be used there. I shall desist forthwith.

    2. I was flying but then found the last half dozen impossible, despite putting it aside and going back a few times, and needed several hints to finish.

18. What a contrast to yesterday’s super puzzle. [*** REDACTED ***]. Although completed I managed to fully parse about half. Def not my favourite by a very long way.
    A real tedious slog.
    ****/*
    Thx for the hints

    1. Goodness it amazes me how different solvers fare with different puzzles. I’m absolutely *not* criticising your take on today’s puzzle, but look how it compares to my comment earlier!! Polar opposites.

       The world would be a bland and tedious place if we agreed on everything, so vive la difference!

       1. I’m with Brian on this one. To use your meaty metaphor, this one was scrag end of lamb for me! I just can’t seem to get on Twmbarlwm’s wavelength at all. And as Brian says, I thought yesterday’s was super….each to their own!

19. Good fun and just right for a midweek puzzle. Some great clues with podium places to 3d 5d and top of the bill 7d for the humour. Did think that having to guess 3 different personalities’ forenames/surnames was a bit repetitious but each was an entertaining clue.
    Thanks to the other Mr T if it is he and to the 2Ks for the review

20. I started to get worried with all the well-known names that one would appear which I wasn’t familiar with. It did make me wonder how our overseas readers were getting on with it.
    Top picks for me were 27a, 14d and 16d.
    Thanks to the 2Kiwis and the setter.

21. I found this a bit of an oddball, but that said enjoyed it once on wavelength. Podium today comprises 18a, 26a and top spot for 22a. Thanks to compiler and 2K’s.

22. Not only tricky for non-UK solvers but also for the younger generation for whom 22a is unlikely to be a household name! No issue for me, and I enjoyed the puzzle, but….

23. What a great puzzle.

    Nearly every surface is a winner. This complier is certainly in their wheelhouse at the moment.

    Lots of clues to pick from for the podium but I’ll go with 22a (I just HAVE to say ‘Oo matron!’), 5d and the splendid 7d, my LOI.

    Many thanks to the midweek master and the 2 Ks.

    3*/4*

    1. Your “complier” may prove to be the new “guzzle”. It just needed an A!

       1. Yep, a splendid typo.

          Very disappointing Tom….

24. A better than usual Wednesday puzzle for me this week as it fell into place pretty well. A few stumbles along the way.

    2*/3.5*

    Favourites 1a, 18a, 22a, 3d, 7d & 20d — with winner 22a!
    Got it easily, as well as 9a, but 11d took a little longer.
    Really weird how 25a showed up again so quickly considering it was in Monday’s puzzle too.

    Thanks to setter & 2K’s

    1. A typo in your name sent you into moderation

       1. Oops … sorry about that.

25. It is so interesting to read the differing views on the guzzle and the variation in favourites. I thoroughly enjoyed it, 1a went in straight away which always the as a good sign. I liked 13,15 & 28a and thought that 7d was brilliant misdirection. I spent far too long with Delia, Mary and Nigella at 8d before recognising the ‘frying’ of the first two words. Excellent fare, many thanks to the ?Welsh Setter and the Twokays. Oh Lordy, it is raining again. 🌂

26. A better than usual Wednesday puzzle for me this week as it fell in place pretty well. A few stumbles along the way.

    2*/3.5*

    Favourites 1a, 18a, 22a, 3d, 7d & 20d — with winner 22a
    Got 9a ok, but 11d took a little longer.
    Funny how 25a showed up again so quickly when it was in Monday’s puzzle too.

    Thanks to setter & 2K’s

27. I got there after a bit of a tussle, and feel very pleased. That said I could not parse a couple and needed the hints to do so. The general knowledge suited me but I can see it might have been tricky for those less familiar with the UK. I had 18a as my favourite along with 11d once the penny dropped. I got really stuck with 9a as I could not get bread out of my head however hard I tried. It’s so annoying when the only word you can find in the deep recesses of your grey matter is the one you know does not work.

    Many thanks to the setter and to the 2 kiwis for the hints.

28. Not my favourite guzzle I’m sorry to say. The use of people’s names I found irritating. Maybe the miserable weather is to blame for my negativity. 15a was the one I liked best. Thanks to the 2Ks and the setter.

29. Answer to the pun.
    All that vegetarian honeymooners wanted for dinner.
    Lettuce alone.

    1. 🤣🤣

30. I had problems but not with the ladies so much, who is Alex in 15a? We had a lot of the UK sitcoms on our public TV here, so 9a and 22a were familiar, and 11d was so popular in Wales which I visited a lot in my PanAm days. I had to use a lot of wordsearch but I did get there in the end. I didn’t know 16d was an arachnoid, live ‘n learn. Fave was 3d.
    Thank you setter, and huge appreciation to the 2Kiwis for unravelling so much.

    1. Alex is a cartoon character in the DT, Merusa.

    2. Alex is a strip cartoon in the Telegraph’s Business pages; very witty too!

    3. I had no clue either Merusa. The only Alex I could think of was our own dearly departed Alex Trebek.

31. Not sure why some had a negative view of today’s offering I thought it was well constructed and clever. The Welsh references convinced me that Dai was part of the answer to 5 down. Spent a while trying to recall characters from Ivor the Engine until Evans pulled into my station. Thanks to compiler and 2Ks.

32. Good afternoon

    Relieved, I think is the word this afty, to have finished today’s crozzie. I was genuinely considering hoyin’ the sponge in with a little of the NW quadrant still to complete. But I persevered.

    I have to say that some of today’s clues were absolute little belters! One or two parsing issues, viz. 9 & 24a, that were satisfactorily resolved courtesy of the 2 Kiwis, and that, with hindsight, weren’t really that difficult.

    22 & 26a are today’s runners up for COTD; top honours to 5d.

    I see from the above that today’s crozzie has been ascribed to Twmbarlwm; I wouldn’t be surprised if it were him! Many thanks to our compiler, and of course to 2Ks.

33. Good afternoon, setter here.
    Thank you to all commenters and solvers and especially to 2Kiwis for the excellent blog.
    Sorry about the famous names if it was a problem. Sometimes a few appear all at once without me really thinking about it.
    I think there’s only one possibly UK-centric name that might have people abroad scratching their heads in my next one, if it makes the cut.

    1. Cracking puzzle T. Many thanks.

    2. Thank you for the guzzle, Timbuktu I enjoyed it. Mind you, those curveballs of yours get me every time.

34. Mark Cavendish has just won his 35th stage win in the Tour de France at the age of 39. Absolutely brilliant!!!

    1. Awesome. Give the man another knighthood!

    2. Phenomenal achievement, can’t wait to see the highlights tonight!

    3. Aiee! Just missed it, giving wife her medication!
       Well done that man after that difficult first stage on Sat.

35. Not my cup of tea I’m afraid, I always struggle to get on wavelength with this setter, 15 a being a prime example. However I did remember the funny lady at 22d, but then missed the singer in 11d, going down the spider road instead. Oh well, it was a brain workout. Thanks to setter and Huntsman.

    1. I also spent far too long with the spider, BL. Possibly because she featured recently.

36. Jolly hard today – I was on the wrong wavelength and just couldn’t do it at all – oh dear!
    I did like 9 and 12a (who wouldn’t?) and 3 and 11d (eventually). I haven’t quite found a favourite today.
    Thanks to today’s setter and thanks too to the 2K’s for the hints – much needed!

37. Definitely not for me although after the solve, I often wonder why? I’m English and I didn’t know some of the names. I couldn’t get Ferguson out of my head for 15 especially with the word soccer ( an American expression) mentioned. Thanks to all.

38. Enjoyed this a lot! Despite having left the UK 50 years ago got all the names! (Well I am next door in Fr!)
    Despite being a Latin scholar, needed the hint to see the why! Never thought of the full text.
    Much liked 1a – first one in – and 3d, which just gets Gold!
    Many thanks to Twmbarlwn and to the 2Ks.

39. Enjoyable but quite tricky in places 😃 ****/**** Favourites 15 & 27a and 7 & 16d 👍 The use of all the lady stars names was very clever Thanks to the Compiler and to of course to the 2 x Ks

40. Morning all.
    Despite us being about as far away from the UK as it is possible to be the only name that was unfamiliar to us was Alex in 15a who we got from the wordplay and Google. Perhaps it is an age thing. What really throws us are “Village in Hampshire” type clues which we nickname ‘Droitisms’.
    Thanks for the puzzle Twmbarlwm.

41. See above

42. Late to this but well worth the wait. I’m firmly in the camp with those who found it very enjoyable indeed -great fun from start to finish. Unlike Senf I really liked 25a – even if it is a bit manufactured it gets the nod from me over Hannah from Monday. 22a pips it however as my fav.
    Thanks to T & the 2Ks

43. 24A definitely the winner for me, as discussed by 2Ks. I rather liked 15A as well. Thanks all.

44. I rather enjoyed this solve. As with yesterday I found it less difficult than the rating.

    Tumbleweed seems a bit of a marmite setter. His very first crossword here was one of the best crosswords I can remember. However I often struggle with his offerings. Other times, like today, they are a joy to solve.

    Thanks to all.

45. I flew off at a pace did about half and then struggled through the second half. As always not sure why I made such a meal of it in hindsight. Why can I never think of the obvious – in this case Dawn and Charlotte? I couldn’t think of an Alex either but that wasn’t so obvious . Anyway got there in the end and largely enjoyed. Thanks Twmbarlwm and the 2 Ks.

46. Not one for me T. 5d really? Sorry I’ll leave it there.

    1. I too can never get into this setter’s way of thinking so I once again dnf which always frustrates me. Anyway thanks to Twm and even more so to 2 Kiwis (obviously very well-informed anglophiles).

47. Finished and enjoyed. Out yesterday so early morning excercise. Got the second word of 9a when I finally got bread out of my head. I got the bumbling church official straightaway. I liked 24 a for simplicity. Thanks.

48. Belated thanks to Twmbarlwm. I didn’t have time for a crossword yesterday, but on learning this one was yours I went back to do it today. A bit chewier than usual, but all there in the end

    I particularly enjoyed 1d’s sweet (building up a pix n mix when added to 1a in Tuesday’s Toughie!), 24a’s abrupt ending, and that the clue for 15a only works when in the pages of The Telegraph. My favourite was 3d’s sailor wearing shocking jumper. Cheers, all.

49. 3*/2* ….
    no stand out clues for me..

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