DT 30866

54 comments on “DT 30866”

1. Just right for a Wednesday, I thought. It needed a bit of teasing in places but it came together on the second cup of coffee. I’ve never heard of the term at 14d and will probably never use it. I spent too long trying to fit “Jason” into 21a and I will admit to needed Mr. G. for the murderous Greek woman.

   My COTD is the suspended traffic at 7d.

   Thank you, setter for the challenge. Thank you, Senf for the hints.

   1. Apparently 14d is also the name of a brewery in Riverhead, New York ‘committed to crafting beer at the confluence of art and science’ – a 14d must have dreamed up that slogan!

2. I’m not quite sure how to rate this classically tinged puzzle. I thought most of it was very good and pitched at about the right mid-level difficulty for a Wednesday back-pager.

   I can’t see what “mild-mannered chap” is adding to 15a, and 14d appears in neither the BRB nor Collins. At least the Americanism in 19a is indicated although that meaning is not in the BRB as far as I can see (although it is in Collins). Finally, I thought 20d was a great clue but one much better suited to a Toughie rather than a mid-week back-pager.

   Thanks to the mystery setter and to Senf (with whom I agree about the difficulty of finding a 1a that accepts cash).

   1. RD – for me “mild-mannered chap” is telling you both that it’s a man and which particular Clark you need to be looking for, given he was so well-known for being one. Otherwise it’s a case of “pick a random Clark” … Petula would not have worked quite so well!

      1. Yes, I understand that, MG, but I still think it is unnecessary.

   2. I too am befuddled by mild mannered…

3. I have emailed Senf as, as far as I can see, the solutions are so well hidden, they aren’t there at all!

   1. Oops! They will be there shortly.

      1. The answers are now there. I expect that my expected 25% bonus will be cancelled.

4. Loved this. Smart classical flavour and some cracking definitions – 1a’s “…by the way”, 7d’s “suspended traffic”, etc. Fun cryptic definition at 21a and a toothsome lurker at 27a. 28a’s gimme tickled me too. Many thanks to our setter and Senf.

5. where are the answers?

   1. See comment 3

6. I enjoyed this but did need google to help with 28a and 17d as they were not in my memory banks. 14d was a new word too but well clued. Apart from this it was an excellent puzzle with a lovely mix of clues.

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

7. Loved the murderous Greek and I like to think 12a 15a would too.
   Thanks to Send and Setter

   1. I won’t try to amend that auto correct to Senf it sends me into moderation

   2. Those two clues in particular, as we as the classical & literature references, did make me wonder if this was a tribute to the late lamented 12a 15a formerly of this parish.

      1. Good spot!

8. A reasonable mid-week back-pager but I wasn’t as enthusiastic about it as our reviewer seems to have been. Clues that held the most appeal were 13&23a plus 16&24d. I wondered whether our setter was Twmbarlwm as his Quickie puns often don’t quite ring true and today’s fell into that category.

   Thanks to our compiler and to Senf for the review – always nice to hear from ol’ blue eyes!

9. Hated the words at 19a and 14d, dreadful, and shall never pass my lips or pen (yep, left the squares blank as a protest) a small victory, but mine own 😉

   Apart from that it was a very clever puzzle even though I also had to look up the Greek bint, she sounds like a disease in my book.

   My two of the day are 21a and the brilliant 20d, my last one in.

   Many thanks to our setter today, great fun.

10. Thoroughly enjoyable and properly testing, perhaps even a little too testing for a Wednesday given the nature of some of the clues. I thought 20d was terrific, as was the long anagram at 28a, but my favourite was the clever 7d.

    My thanks to our midweek setter and Senf.

11. I thought this a superb puzzle. Hard to over praise those silky surface reads – absolutely artistry. The actual answers were fairly simple but the craft was absolutely joyous. Thank you so much setter.

12. Great puzzle, a lovely start to the day earlier this morning. All fell very swiftly, did wonder whether RD (or indeed others) would object to 14d, and while 20d was obvious, I didn’t / couldn’t parse it, so thank you Senf – didn’t realise that was one of his. Always nice to “see” anagram answers while reading the clue and 28a raised a broad smile, bringing to mind the quite brilliant “Cabin Pressure” (series 1, episode “Cremona”) and a scene between difficult client & actress Hester, and genius writer (and crossword enthusiast) John Finnemore as Arthur:

    Hester: “Enjoy my 28a, did you?
    Arthur: Your Clyte…?
    Hester: My career-defining 28a at Stratford. Or perhaps you preferred my Olivier award-winning performance in A Doll’s House.
    Arthur: You performed in a doll’s house?!

    Anyway, Honours to 13a, 8d & 28a. Super, super puzzle, so thank you Setter and thanks also to Senf.

13. A top-notch puzzle – thanks to our setter and Senf.
    My ticks went to 9a, 21a, 7d, 18d and 20d.

14. Loved it all with the exception of the dreadful 14d. A candidate for The List perhaps? I thought the classical references were excellent and 28a makes my podium alongside the equine classic 15a and the witty 7d in top spot. Thanks to compiler and Senf.

15. For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), much of my morning was spent calming the committee as they were in uproar with regard to the murderous Greek woman. I arranged security and bodyguards and she is now safely accommodated in the Great Hall of THE LIST.
    By the way, didn’t these Ancient Greeks have such interesting lives? So much murder and curious relationships. How dreary we would seem to them.

    Great guzzle. 14d made me smile and 7d was my last one in because I am an eejit.

    Thanks to the setter and the chilly Man From Manitoba

16. An enjoyable bit of Wednesday puzzling. Was foxed by 20d, as not greatly FS knowledgeable, so thanks to Senf and Mr G!
    I’ve always spelled 28a as Clymen…, which perhaps explains why as a schoolkid (65/70 years ago) after 6 months I was told to go and study chemistry!
    Anyway very many thanks to the setter and to Senf for braving the cold and blogging!

17. Enjoyable and reasonably straightforward solve apart, of course, for 28a which I would never have got in a month of Sundays – even with all the checkers in place and if it ever appears again (please no) I still won’t remember it.
    15a 7d and 20d my favourites.

    Thanks to setter and Senf

18. Enjoyed this and I totally deny any use of Mr. Google for 28a having spotted the anagram but not wanting to wait for all the checkers and having a very vague memory of the lovely lady! I further deny any use of electronic checking material for 17d.

    Really liked 9a but clue of the day for me was 27a where the silken surface prevented me seeing the lurker for ages.

    Thanks to the setter and Senf for the parsing of 12a and 18a.

19. 2* / 4* Excellent puzzle, got 20d but couldn’t quite see why (thanks to Senf) and only got 28a by trial and error.
    Favourites 1a and 21a
    Thanks to Senf and setter

20. For 16d, shouldn’t the underline for the definition only be under “Clock”?

    1. Ooops, sorry it is but it also seems to be under the other words too.

21. An enjoyable puzzle and, while I hadn’t heard of 28a, I have now and researching such things is one of the things that make crosswords entertaining for me. My favourite clue was Frank at 20d. Thanks very much to the setter and to Senf.

22. For me this was an easier Wednesday puzzle than the past couple so probably not a Twmbarlwm offering.
    Couple of old chestnuts in this that were fine and a couple of head scratchers too.

    2*/3.5* for me

    Favourites 10a, 15a, 28a, 7d, 8d & 18d — with winner 15a
    Smiles for 9a, 10a & 3d

    Thanks to setter & Senf

23. Very enjoyable.
    Ticks for 10a, 11a, 13a, 3d, 5d and 20d.
    Like others, I did not know the US intelligence (isn’t that an oxymoron?) at 19a.
    Thank you setter and Senf.

24. I wrote a small essay full of wit and erudition only to receive the note that connection had been lost and I had to start again. Nuts. I was proud of getting 28a and was surprised to earn of about US intelligence. Thanks to Mr Setter and the Man in the Red Scarf

    1. I feel your pain Daisy. After I clicked save nothing happened for ages, and I thought I just can’t type that all again, and then it went through, phew.

    2. Lovely Daisy, English made
       Where would we be without you?
       Erudite words just make me think of you.

       (Prompted by 1a)

       1. You are too kind, dear sir!

25. Best puzzle of the week so far. I doubt if it is by Twmbarlwm as I can rarely understand his clues, but who knows? Really wanted to put duffer instead of buffer to make it include an old gent in 9a but that would not have worked with railway equipment. I didn’t know the Greek lady, but could never have got the spelling right anyway. Plus 14d and 24d were new words for me. I lead a sheltered life 😊. Otherwise thoroughly enjoyed, starting with the excellent 1a, followed by 18a. But top marks to 10a for the accompanying picture – quite made my day. What a talented little girl and seemingly modest too. Thanks to the friendly setter and to Senf. It’s going to be 85C here today, unusually warm, but of course it is – I have two large bushes I need to get outside and prune…

    1. 85C ??? talk about global warming!!!

       1. Oops, 85F 😔

26. Thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle. Great long anagrams and an easy lurker… dragged both Gustavo and the murderous Greek from deep recess in my brain. Favourites were the bumbling gent and the fleeced sailor! Thanks to the setter and Senf for explaining 20d.

27. Good afternoon

    All done, albeit with a few struggles along the way. I couldn’t spell 28a! Definitely had to consult Dr Google; 1a took a long time to figure out, but it did make me chuckle and as such becomes COTD.

    Many thanks to our setter and to Senf.

28. I found today’s a fairly straightforward solve . I got 28a easily and I was just wondering why , as I had no idea how but think it was because we read The Odyssey at school which I hated , but finally it’s come in handy ! I liked 14d which was one of my last ones in . I couldn’t parse 20d and a bit disappointed with myself for not realising it just related to the song 🙄. Thanks to the setter and Senf.

29. Late to post as out golfing in the sunshine & with a trolley – not on my course (which I’ve not played since Nov 12) as it remains carry only so continue to pay through the nose for a product I’m not using. Loved today’s puzzle & the satisfaction of a swift completion was only spoilt by a bung in at 20d – fancy not twigging Fly Me To The Moon of all things. Knew the US Intelligence but had to check out the computer image file format abbreviation post solve. Remembered 28a from trying to watch C4’s 4hr plus showing of Peter Hall’s National production of The Oresteia trilogy – I’m sure dear Robert C (great spot John & MG) would have loved it but this philistine didn’t make it to the end. Ticks all over the shop – particularly liked 12,15&28a plus 7,14& 20d (now I know the why)
    Thanks to the setter & to Senf.

30. A nice surprise for a very nice crossword on a Wednesday, albeit I did not understand the reference to US intelligence in 19a and the word at 14d was a word not in my limited vocab.
    ***/**** 😃 Thanks to the Compiler and to Senf 👍
    My favourites were 9a, 10a, 15a and 8d 🤗

31. USA checking in … Great clues today! No idea about the bumbling gent or the train equipment. Lunar astronaut! Excellent.

    I find it a bit odd that the setters of these *guzzles* remain anonymous. In the NY Times puzzle, the *author* receives a victory lap interview and is immortalized on the famous xwordinfo website.

    1. Not naming the DT and ST back page and prize puzzle setters is a long standing tradition and it would probably take hell to freeze over for that tradition to be abandoned. But the setters of the other puzzles, Tough and Enigmatic Variations, are named, go figure.

       However, we do know several of the regular setters and the days they set on because they ‘claim’ their handiwork in the blog – Ray T, Silvanus, and Zandio for example. Then, some have ‘trademark’ features in their puzzles: proXimal, one of the regular Friday setters with Silvanus and Zandio, will either set an X-less pangram, all 25 of the other letters being used at least once, or a puzzle with an ‘X’ in each quadrant. Ray T is known, among other things, for the brevity of his clues and only single word clues in his Quick puzzles; incidentally, on any given day, the Back Pager and the Quick puzzles are compiled by the same person. Then both Dada (John Halpern) and Anthony Plumb have featured in articles in the newspaper which included the days that their puzzles would appear.

32. A very enjoyable crossword. Surprised myself by remembering the murderous Greek woman, could remember how to spell her name though! As my wife and I married at Gretna Green, 27a is my clue of the day!
    I thought 8a in the quick crossword was brilliant and could have made it as a cryptic clue.
    Thanks to the setter and Senf.

33. Enjoyed this until I got to 28a. Quite how this highly specialised knowledge (for us peasants who went to poor state schools) get a ** for difficulty. Even some who have heard of her struggled with the spelling.

    A dnf due to 20d anyway. Vaguely aware he sang some songs in the middle ages, but this was beyond my limited knowledge of him. No complaints as this is likely solvable if you know your Franks.

    I almost googled “marking peter” for 1a before I realised I was lacking in 19a for a moment.

    Great solve other than 28a (agree she sounds like a terrible disease).

    Thanks to all.

34. I really enjoyed this until I reached the SE. Spent longer trying to solve 3/4 clues than rest of puzzle combined and had to resort to Mr Google for the murderous Greek. Not a big fan of 21a either – the wordplay doesn’t work for me
    3*/3*
    Thanks to Senf and Setter

35. Hmm. Not as enthused as other commentators with this offering. 19a and 14d are words I’ve never heard of or ever likely to use in the the near future or ever if it comes to it and never heard of the writer in 17d either. On the plus side I did know 28a although what the Greeks had to do with it has always been a mystery to me as they were Achaeons (sea people) and the Greeks were only mentioned once in the Iliad providing a few few ships, never in the Odyssey. No real favourite but if pressed I’d go with 9a. Oh well! There’s always tomorrow, hopefully. Thanks to the setter anyway and Senf.

36. I enjoyed this, did it all without help, and got the tricky ones. However. … got 2 wrong (‘old puffer’ instead of ‘old buffer’ and ‘rally car’ instead of ‘cable car’). Ah well, I continue to improve, I hope! Many thanks to the setter, for the hints (and solutions, for which I always check in) and to all contributors to this very useful and enjoyable blog.

37. 3*/4* …
    liked 18D “Good old beer put over head of inn keeper (6)”

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