DT 30931

53 comments on “DT 30931”

1. Charming. A masterclass, as yesterday, on how to be entertaining yet gentle. 5d’s fun, so too 23d. And 1a’s a lovely tweak to an old favourite. Best thanks to setter and Huntsman. You had me with Coltrane, lost me with Clarkson and got me back with Ben. Sterling work!

2. An enjoyable puzzle. Like Huntsman, I was hoping 24d would be the current incumbent given the wording of the clue.
   Welcome back to 14d which has been clued in yet another way. It seems a little while since we have had it which must mean the African plain may be lurking in the offing.

   Top picks for me were 20d, 23d and 26a.

   Thanks to Huntsman and the setter.

3. Perfect for me, right at my level. Completed without help. Hooray!

   We managed to recover those logs from the river bank without any catastrophe. The grappling hook wasn’t much help but combined with H wielding a rake we hauled the three logs back. Chief culprit for dislodging them and bowling them down the steep bank? Mr Fox, who has been featured on our security cameras trotting along with a nonchalant air, but emerging from the side of the bank, where he would need to skip over the logs to reach the path. The camera pointing towards the path and the river captured various cats, Mr Fox, and a hedgehog last night. It’s the Piccadilly Circus of the animal kingdom.

   Thanks to the setter and Andy On The First Tee.

   1. Very glad you survived the grappling….and H the raking.

   2. Weirdest foxy incident we had was when we put out a humane trap for squirrels. No quarrel it trap to be found. Eventually found deceased squirrel in trap on our boundary wall. Said fox had decided to steal both but could not manage to get over the wall. That was our last attempt at trapping squirrels when we discovered it was legal to trap but only if we killed them. Our days of releasing into the countryside were over.

4. Hmmm. Straightforward but not, to my mind, of the Telegraphs usual quality. Felt more like something from the Yorkshire Post (with no disrespect intended to that august organ).

   I’ve reread the clues and I’m still not 100% sure why I came to that conclusion. I *think* it might be the number of anagram/word modifiers which require the deletion of a letter, almost as if the writer came up some wordplay that was almost right, but then had to apply a bodge to make it work. There was a general lack of cruciverbal elegance, perhaps.

   However, from the first few responses I seem to be a minority so I’ll shut up and await tomorrow’s offering! */**

5. This was perfect for a Tuesday as it’s got it all: lots of simple yet excellent constructions, plenty of smooth surfaces and a bit of humour on a very friendly grid.

   Bravo!

   My podium is 17a, 26a and 24d.

   MT to the prof and Hoots!

   1*/5*

   1. I forgot to say thank you, Hoots, for ”Who’s on first?” as it is something very special that had a huge impact on me.

      I’d love to learn that and do it in a pub with a mate to entertain.

      ‘Genius’ does it a disservice.

6. A pleasant Tuesdayish puzzle where the only problem, if you can call it that, was that I didn’t know the wine involved in 19a, though the answer was obvious. It was good to see 14d after quite a long absence and clued in yet another way. Podium places today for 4, 8 and 23d. Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.

7. I found it hard to get a start in rhis guzzle, parrtly due to the grid. Things rapidly improved once a few checkers went in. But the NE corner held me up for a while. I liked the anageams at 14d and 16d ans learbt a new word at 11a (I haven’t had many opportunities to watch baseball in this country and have never been sufficiently i terested to find out about it before). Thanks to Huntsman for the hints and to the compiler

8. A gentle puzzle which, as our blogger says, would be excellent for an inexperienced solver. Thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
   Top clues for me were 5d, 6d and 23d.

9. As Typically Tuesdayish as ever – 1.5*/4.5*

   Candidates for favourite – 11a, 27a, 6d, 20d, and 21d – and the winner is 6d.

   Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.

10. Gentle fun as expected from our regular Tuesday setter with his usual selection of more unlikely synonyms in the lower reaches. No particular favourite to mention, just an all-round feeling of satisfaction on completion.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and to Huntsman for the review – really enjoyed listening to the Doobie Brothers again, loved that track back in the day.

11. A swift and enjoyable, if very brief, puzzle over the morning coffee. Thank you to the Setter and to Huntsman

12. 0.5*/5*. It doesn’t have to be tough to be good! 23d was my favourite of many ticked clues.

    Many thanks to AP and to Hintsman.

13. Very gentle, but beautifully written.
    Much to enjoy with 1a and 1d setting a very high standard for the rest of the puzzle.
    Thank you setter and Huntsman.

14. I agree that this guzzle was on the gentle side, but very enjoyable.

    Only trouble I had was with 26a where I put in Trailer…until 20d put me right.

    Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.

15. Late on parade because I went for a coffee with a friend but it has all been said. A really lovely guzzle from the Professor in the library. Mind you, I spent far too long trying to fit “Alps” into 12a and that held me up for quite a time. My COTD is the lower part of the steering apparatus at 23d.

    Thank you, Professor for a fun puzzle. Thank you Hintsman for the hunts.

16. Very straightforward but equally very enjoyable. My main reason for posting today, however, is a complaint – yes, another one! – I do the puzzles on my tablet and yesterday Telegraph Towers introduced me to their new layout – what a mess! Completely unintuitive. The “continue playing” section is full of puzzle genres I never play, had to scroll down to find the link to the cryptic and quickie which I do every day – I could go on, but don’t want to bore you anymore, but if it’s not broke….etc (and don’t get me started on the streaks and best time stats- haven’t worked properly for ages, apparently I’ve completed the quickie in 24 seconds!)
    Anyway, back to the guzzle */****

17. Good fair and just right for a Tuesday. Last in 6d I was thinking too hard about specific anatomical terminolgy! Not too convinced by the eastender’s agricultural machinery nor today’s pun .. but that’s Scottish accents for you. My cotd is 23d.
    Thanks to setter and Huntsman.

18. Gentle puzzle on a very friendly grid but very enjoyable today. I’ll join others nominating 23d for top spot. Think that ‘trailer’, at least in my accent, would have been a better answer for 26a but would obviously have required a different 20d.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman

19. More Tuesday painless fun with sleek surfaces as usual. 12a was bung-in as mountains didn’t ring bell. Fav 23a with 1a running up. Thank you again Mr. Plumb and also to Huntsman for being on hand in case of need.

20. Just the right level for a rookie to obtain a sense of achievement.

    By the way, where’s Brian ?

21. This Tuesday puzzle was, for me, as easy as the Monday offering. Very straightforward and a nice solve.

    1.5*/4*

    Favourites 1a, 11a, 23a, 26a, 14d & 23d — with winner 23d with 26a a close second with a chuckle!

    Thanks to AP & Huntsman

22. Solved over breakfast before hitting the M3 and going to a clay shoot in sunny Hampshire. A good morning as both past times went well. Cotd is 5d. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

23. I’m an unintentional lurker, commenting rarely, mostly because I don’t often complete the puzzle at a civilised time. So as today is an exception, may I thank all the setters and the wonderful bloggers who give up their time to help us lesser mortals. I always read the hints, even if I don’t need them (another very rare event) – when the blogger has gone to such trouble, it would be rude not to! Not to mention how much I learn from them – amazing how often I’ve got the parsing wrong.
    Today was an exception, so happy to report that I finished completely unaided and was able to parse (this time correctly) every clue. Favourite was 23 down.

    1. Thank you pah – much appreciated

24. A great guzzle today’s with many good glues. Being a football fan I amazed myself by solving 11a without any difficulty. I liked 23a and I thought 24d was a great description of the present holder of that position. Many thanks to our friendly compiler and Huntsman.

25. Hi! Love reading the blog and wanted to share today is the first time I’ve ever finished a puzzle without hints!

    1. Very well done, Brad. Great feeling isn’t it?

       Do please keep commenting.

    2. 👍 first of many hopefully Brad. Well done.

    3. Congratulations, Brad and welcome to the blog. It’s a great feeling, isn’t it, when you get your first unaided solve.

       Please keep commenting. 👍

    4. Well done keep going, I’m sure it’s the first of many

26. Just right level of difficulty for me so ***/**** . Some days need to be solvable by beginners or you will not get any new participants. COTD 23d by a country mile.

    1. Well said. Something a beginner can tackle is much more likely to attract new solvers than a Toughie level.

27. A very entertaining and accessible puzzle which I managed before going out. Consequently I can’t remember a favourite as I enjoyed the whole thing.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints

28. Nice puzzle with several old chestnuts. Really felt 26 across should end in “er”. .23 down is a chestnut but it was cleverly clued.
    Just about right for a Tuesday. Many thanks to all involved.

29. A very good one for me today. Thank you Mr Plumb (my grandmother’s maiden name) and Huntsman. Started after I had a visit from friends. Some old chestnuts and very little that was hard to parse. Bottom in first. Spent time thinking of countries beginning with P and US States for 8d. Favourites 1 and 20d.

30. What a lovely day in crossword land, a puzzle I could manage on my own. A gentle puzzle is not only great for the less experienced – I’ve been doing these since 1969, and I’ve never risen to the Toughie level, despite making huge improvements since finding this blog years ago. High level of enjoyment today, so big thank you to the setter, and to our favorite golfer.

    1. There was no golf this afternoon Lizzie as for once I sensibly heeded the Prof’s wise words at 6d.

31. Great surfaces throughout and a really enjoyable solve. 1* / 3.5*.
    Favourite 23d part of lower, also liked the quickie pun
    Thanks to setter and Huntsman

32. Super Tuesday gentle fun. Thank you to setter and Huntsman. Favourite had to be 23a 😁

33. Finding time for three crosswords today was a bit of a stretch, but this one was The Prof at his Tuesday best. I did have an ironic laugh at the 24d surface but I bet the incumbent President hasn’t noticed. He has noticed what Bruce had to say though !
    Thanks to Huntsman and the Prof

    1. Well, thank you for posting that SJB!

       I have always been a fan of The Boss (I will never forget being in the front row of his 1981 concert at the Wembley Arena – with the great Clarence Clemons on sax!)

       But I had no idea just how bravely outspoken he currently is. Makes me admire him even more!

       1. And me too Arthur – good man Bruce & thanks for posting John

34. Good evening

    Well, that was a pleasant solve, with not too much taxing of the solitary braincell! Almost got caught out by the classic piece of misdirection in 23d, so I’m nominating it for COTD.

    Many thanks to the Prof and to Huntsman.

35. Another Tuesday DNF for me on an apparently easy crossword, with 19a still to go. The hint (thank you) confirms that I’ve parsed it correctly, but I haven’t yet been able to think of either a wine that fits those letters or the answer. Maybe it’s one of those that will be obvious when I wake up tomorrow and look at it again?

    I ‘m struggling with the 18d definition, too. The answer is clear from the wordplay, but I can’t think of a context in which it could be substituted for ‘takes’ (rather than ‘gets’ or ‘comes from’). Anybody able to help?

    The ‘suggested’ meaning of the word at the end of 25a was also new to me; Chambers explains that particular gap in my vocabulary.

    Overall, the rest of it was largely straightforward, with some fun clues. My top few were the 11a items of clothing, the Cockney in 26a, the 5d drinking pal, and 23d’s lower steering apparatus. Thank you to the setter for the entertainment.

    1. It’s a tasty tipple Smylers though haven’t had a drop of it for many a year

       

       1. Forgot to add takes/derives great pleasure getting up & down with a (very rare for me) well executed parachute shot over a bunker to a short sided pin.

          1. Thank you for clearing that up — it turns out to be yet another wine I’ve only heard of from crosswords. I should’ve been able to get it from the definition, though, but while I’d considered multiple meanings of “clear up”, that one hadn’t occurred to me.

             And thanks for ‘takes’. That makes sense.

36. Nor to self, don’t try solving even the most straightforward of crosswords after half a gallon of Pedigree with your mates. Looking back some of it wasn’t that straightforward. Any road up I got there in the end. Favourite was 26a. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

    1. Note. Don’t you just love autocorrupt. Pun intended.

37. 2*/4* …
    liked 23D “Part of lower steering apparatus on vessel heading off (5)”

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