DT 30677 (Hints)

77 comments on “DT 30677 (Hints)”

1. I found today’s offering tough going. Starting to write “xxxxxxxxx xxx” without thinking at 1a did not help. After the first pass I had just three answers, which is always disheartening and dampens the mood. I have never heard of the Glastonbury headliner but, given I watch very little television, that is not surprising. I did like the German biscuit at 20a but my COTD is the cannibal saint at 11a.

   I got there in the end and sent it to Telegraph Towers for The Mythical. I decided to use Owl Post rather than email to see if the influence of H. Potter would have an effect.

   Thank you to the setter for the fun challenge. Thank you, CS for the hints.

   1. I tried to edit my post in order to put “the” before “Glastonbury” but it did not save. 😳

   2. Sorry for my redacted text, CS. I didn’t think it would indicate the true answer.

      1. Hello everyone. I’m delighted to say I finished (as a relative newbie that’s still unusual for me).

         But can you tell me what the … means please?

         1. Hi Katherine. Congratulations on finishing a prize guzzle. Don’t you dare win The Mythical on your first attempt! 🤣

         2. It helps the surface reading of the linked clues. If you read 12a and 14a together it reads better and the cryptic nature of 14a is easier to see. I can’t say more as it is a prize puzzle and the naughty step looms

   3. I shall be on my broomstick ready to intercept the owl🦉

      1. No worries. Hudson is sitting in pentangle as we speak chanting spells (I think). His casting is powerful and will disable your broom.
         (I bet it’s not a Nimbus 2000).

   4. When I edit and hit save, I never get a message saying Saved. But if I exit and reenter then I find my change has been saved?

      1. Yes, you have to refresh the page to see the changes.

   5. Never heard of 7a either. Had to google-guess. Some UK celeb , intended to confound us colonials.

      1. Welcome to the blog – I have changed your name from all capitals to how it appears how. Anything written on the internet in capital letters is considered to be shouting

         As for 7a, she has won several Grammy awards so presumably is known in America and other countries as well as the UK.

         What did you think of the crossword?

2. 2*/3*. This was good fun with some quirky clueing although there were a few strange surfaces along the way.

   My favourite is a toss-up between 1a & 10a.

   Thanks to the setter and to CS.

3. Perfect for a Saturday: straight forward cluing with some nice GK and a bit of fun to be had along the way.

   7a will not sit well with a few of the punters. I rate her hugely; a genuine superstar who kicks Swifty into a cocked hat.

   My podium is 1a, 18a and 20a as I love a Russian doll clue that involves a gorging German residing at Fawlty Towers.

   Ta muchly to the setter and CS.

   2*/4*

   1. What did you think of Celine last night?

      1. Best of the bunch

      2. I thought she was fab. Completely nuts but fab.

         Such a beautiful voice to end the evening.

      3. She was lovely! But Lady Gaga, what is it that makes her so popular? To me she’s just gaga.

         1. Have you heard her duetting with Tony Bennett?

            1. Love it! That must have been some time ago before she went nuts!

               1. Not really. It was only a couple of years ago. She has a great voice and is using showmanship to promote it. In years to come she will mellow as all great singers do. Who would have thought Rod Stewart would be performing ballads with Jools Holland both of whom began their careers in pop. Rod was with The Faces and Jools was with Squeeze.

                  1. Yes, she has a great voice. She won’t “mellow” in my lifetime! I still think she’s nuts.

4. I thought this gentle and elegant fare for a Saturday. I seem to recall 1a from somewhere but it is still clever. I expect Terence and the music afficianados will enjoy 7a which is on my podium alongside 8a and in top spot 6d. Thanks to compiler and CS

5. I had no idea re 7a, although once I got the answer on the internet, I can see how the wordplay fitted. When my 2 teenage children finally get out of bed I’ll ask them if they might have been any the wiser.
   Thanks to the setter and to CS.

6. I managed to finish this relatively quickly despite having never heard of the person reffered to in 7a. Ironically, based on a previous comment I made on this page, I was able to construct the answer from the clue without the GK required. My liking for real ale probably helped. 11a made me smile and is therefore my COTD. Thanks to setter and to CS.

   1. Mine’s a large one – Knowledge of beers brewed for the subcontinent helped me too

7. Can someone help me understand how 14a is cryptic, it seems to be just a definition with no wordplay?
   Overall light and enjoyable, I’ll go for 20a as my favourite.
   Thanks to all

   1. I think the …link to the last part of 12a is the connection to Shakespeare’s work

      1. Thanks SJB, bit too subtle for me

8. A lovely SPP. Agree with Steve that the cannibal saint was the pick of a good bunch of clues & with Tom that 7a kicks Taylor into a cocked hat – her stuff isn’t really my cup of tea but she did a terrific duet with Chris Stapleton at the recent country music awards. 1,10&20a plus 17/1d other particular likes.
   Thanks to the setter (Donny maybe) & to Sue

9. Got eight of these and gave up to go and do something entertaining and worthwhile.

10. This surely has to be the work of the door furniture from across the pond. I found myself having to forgive some dodgy surface reads because this was such a fun SPP to solve. Ticks amassed easily with the final nod going to 1&14a plus 17/1d.

    Many thanks to NYDK (?) and to CS for the hints.

    1. Anne of that ilk (17/1d) is recommended to the reading group here

11. I think there is an instruction in the lights of row 12 to take this crossword in a relaxed frame of mind
    I enjoyed it a veritable rainbow of fruit flavours
    Thanks to Setter and Sue

12. 2.5*/3.5* and a polished Toonie on NYDK as the setter. An entertaining SPP with the only e-help needed was to confirm that what I had ‘created’ for 7a was actually a Glastonbury headliner.

    Candidates for favourite – 10a, 11a, 20a, 22a, 6d, 17d/1d, and 19d – and the winner, for what CS described as ‘a clever piece of wordplay’ is 10a.

    Thanks to NYDK, or whomsoever if my Toonie goes down the drain, and thanks to CS.

13. Apart from the Glastonbury headliner (well outside my GK comfort zone), I found this gentle entertainment with the morning cuppa. Though I did spend a short while trying to finesse actor Tom into 8a before my schoolboy French kicked in. I enjoyed the combo clue 1d/17d, also 11a, 20a and 7d, but last in and my personal favourite was the well constructed 19d. Thanks to the setter and to CS for the blog.

14. I was rather hoping for a hint to 22a. Not sure I have it right. Otherwise an enjoyable puzzle.

    1. As an aside, I’ll clatter you with a leather strap if the penny doesn’t drop soon

       1. A good tanning hey?

15. I was slow out of the blocks today but gradually got a foothold and crossed the line in a reasonable time. I’ll just sit back and wait for the pen to arrive. :-)

    I thought the 17 & 1 D combo was very clever but my favourite was 1A. 14A seemed to me just a definition with no wordplay but maybe I’m missing something.

    Thanks to the setter and CS for the hints.

16. I will add my name to those who liked 1a as their favourite clue this morning. It was one of my last three to fall, and the answer was there in the recesses of my mind and finally came to the surface. I can cope with the odd dodgy surface when the rest of the grid is so much fun to complete.

    My thanks to, presumably, Donny’s alter ego, and Sue.

17. It is far too nice outside for me to sit indoors monitoring and redacting comments so could I please repeat BD’s Saturday red instructions:

    As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT, or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment. If in doubt, leave it out!

    1. According to the dashboard Akismet (the Spam filter) has detected a problem

18. I find find myself with a hangover this morning, after a work event to celebrate someone in the UK Government’s making a brave decision about something, that we had been lobbying for. If this is a trend, long may it continue. As for the headache, may it not continue for long at all (I was amused in that respect, as you may imagine, by 7A).

    The throbbing hasn’t dulled my enjoyment of this excellent SPP, I’m pleased to say. I thought the lurker great, the cannibal a nice spot, and the linked duo also very nice. In the downs there were several gems, including coccyx and Enright, but from what seems an extended podium, I will pick the cannibal.

    Thanks setter for an easy but very pleasant workout, and Sue for hints.

19. 7a far too contemporary for this curmudgeon. As my father was oft to remark “if they were playing in the back garden I’d draw the blind”. I hope that this is not the thin end of the wedge with the Telegraph crossword going the same way as BBC Radio 2. Harrumph!

    1. I thought 7a was brilliant. At age 82, I hate all pop music but try to keep up with news. I had to explain answer to wife.. she hates pop music later than the 60’s more than me. Mind you..we both liked Queen.

       1. A fourth change of alias sent you into moderation. All four will work from now on

20. Well, again this week a Saturday puzzle that really didn’t float my boat. Another one with weird parsing to my way of thinking.
    Technically a DNF as I have never heard of 7a and nor do I wish to.

    3*/2* for me today

    Favourites few and far between today.
    1a, 20a, 16d & 18d — with winner 1a

    Thanks to setter & CS for unravelling it

21. I also enjoyed this – I had even heard of 7a. I shall add my vote to 11a but many other contenders. Out to lunch Wednesday and Friday, tea on Thursday and out to dinner to night – I am turning into a social butterfly 🦋 I love it. Many thanks to NYDJ if it is he and to the redoubtable CS for her comments. Send the pen to Steve, please!

22. An enjoyable puzzle for me today.

    1a first in and my favourite
    Last in 24a as it took me ages to figure out it was a what CS said it was.

    Hope Steve gets the pen this week.
    Can we maybe have a whip round to try to bribe whoever does the picking out of the hat? (How do you get emails into a hat? Does anyone know ?)

    Thanks to Crytpicsue and to the setter .

23. I found this a gentle and enjoyable puzzle despite trying to shoehorn the incorrect answer into 1a.
    Top picks for me were 1a (once I got it right!), 11a, 13d and 22a.
    Thanks to CrypticSue and the setter.

24. Good afternoon

    All done, albeit with notes and crossings-out all over the margins!

    4 contenders for COTD: two joint runners-up: 11a (🤣) and 21a; two joint winners: 1/17d and the superb piece of misdirection in my last to fall, 8a.

    One small parsing issue was the rear end of 23a, which CS has sorted for me. My thanks to CS and also to today’s setter.

25. Enjoyable with a lot to make us ponder and ponder we did. Got there in the end and parsed everything so happy days. Favourite was 11a. Thanks to the setter and CS.

26. I have just had an email from the 2Ks, supposedly. It was entitled – “This is the post title” or something like that. When I clicked the “continue reading” link it gave me an error message and I’m now wondering if it was a phishing attempt. Did anyone else get the email? Or can anyone confirm that the 2Ks did send out an email?

    1. I have replied once but nothing appeared – hopefully the comment won’t appear after I post this! I got the email you mention Steve, and the link returned a 404 error. The sender’s email address appears to be correct.

       1. I got it profit just deleted it.

    2. As a fellow blogger I can confirm it did go out, I suspect it was just the Kiwis preparing their next blog. It can be a bit of a rush to do it all at once and you have to be careful not to hit the publish button before scheduling a time
       I have about 6 blogs pre-prepared (hints and review for proXimal, Robyn and Zandio)

       1. Especially so for them as they have to schedule a blog to come out after their bedtime

          1. Thank you, SJB. You have put my mind at rest. After being scammed just before Christmas, I am very wary of things that seem not quite right.

27. Such fun – must be NYDK?

28. Definitely a bit of a poser today, trickier than a lot of Saturdays. I plodded on, with most of missing answers going in from checkers and then was surprised to find I had finished. Thanks to CS especially for 1a as I had taken the wrong fork in the road on that one. Also needed to google 7a as I had no clue as to who played at Glastonbury, and never heard of them anyway. COTA to 2d. Well I need to be thoroughly English now and get outside to do some urgent pruning; it’s already 89F and just past the poetic midday sun…

29. Hello, yes, an NYDK product today. Thank you as always for the comments, and thanks Sue for the hints.

    Cheers!

    1. Hang cute!

    2. Thank you for a great puzzle, NY Doorknob. Unlike others I found it a bit on the tough side but that just made it more enjoyable.

       Why are all my comments now going to moderation?

    3. Thank you, NY Doorknob for a great puzzle. I found it a little hard going but it was all the more enjoyable for it. A great challenge.

       PS I did reply before but for some reason a number of my comments are going into moderation

30. I found this very tricky, I see it’s our Doorknob friend by the post just above mine! Lots to like, others were a bit esoteric, like the Glastonbury headliner… who she? I had to use Sue’s hint to get the 17/1d combo, clever that. Fave has to be the cannibal at 11a, the syruppy cake running fast on its heels.
    Thank you NYDK for the Saturday fun, and CS sor helping me along.

31. It’s quite a while since I’ve come out on top with a Saturday crossword so either I’m getting better or it was a fairly straightforward one.
    I’ve got a few I’m not sure about but never mind – quit while winning!
    I think we’ve had 1a recently.
    I ‘liked’ 8 and 11a and 4 and 19d. My favourite was 7d.
    With thanks to NYDK for his crossword and to CS for all the hints and help too!

32. I had to leave 3 unfinished clues as we have been busy today, they all fell into place nicely when I returned. I thought this was a great puzzle and thoroughly enjoyed cracking it. 11a is my favourite.

    Many thanks to NYDK and to CS for the hints

33. That was a pleasant and pretty straightforward solve. Add me to the cannibal saint fan-club, thumbs up for 4d and 18d too.

    Thanks to CS and NYDK.

34. Excellent Saturday puzzle – many thanks NYDK. 1A and 11A obviously podium, but 14A takes gold for me.

35. Very enjoyable puzzle with, for me, 1a the clear favourite! Unfortuneately a DNF as I see from other comments my Glastonbury knowledge is also lacking. I also messed up a bit as I was trying to make 1d the first word of the answer for the 17d/1d combination when it clearly says otherwise. Thanks to NYDK and Crypticsue for the hints. Douglas.

    1. You’ve used your full name rather than just your forename. Both will work from now on

36. Thoroughly enjoyed this solve.

    I didn’t get the memo about moving from Radio 1 to Radio 4, when you hit a certain age, so I am well aware of 7a. I would not have been upset if their picture was used…

    2d was a struggle though until the penny dropped with a loud clang.

    Thanks to all.

37. I found this a very entertaining struggle. Only 2 across and 2 down on the first pass, and only 1 more of each on the 2nd before I needed to start using hints (thank you, CrypticSue). Lots of fun along the way to make the perseverance worthwhile, with a list of potential favourites too long to type here. From those I’ll pick out 21d — I really liked its wordplay, though being food-based also helps! Thank you to NY Doorknob.

    I don’t properly understand 10a, 18a, and 6d, and I initially had an alternative answer to 14a — which I’m mentioning here mainly so that I can check them in the full review a week on Wednesday, if I actually remember to do so.

    1. I think the review for this will be out on Friday

38. No idea of 7a but got the answer by a process of elimination and cross-checking in google. Otherwise v straightforward.

39. 3*/4* …
    liked 11A “Saint was a cannibal- time for announcement ( 9)”

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