DT 30932

68 comments on “DT 30932”

1. I found some of today’s offering somewhat on the tricky side. However, despite that, it was an enjoyable solve. I did like the Mensa member packing underwear at 15a and the Scot tossing the King aside at 14d. I spent too long chasing the wrong plant at 11d until dawn broke. My COTD is the feline musical dance at 17d, which had me trying to fit in “Cats” for too long.

   Thank you, setter for the fun. Thank you, Mr. Mustard for the hints.

   A lovely, sunny day here in The Marches so time to plant out the runner beans. Did you know they used to be planted for the flowers rather than the bean itself?

   1. I plant my beans in toilet roll centres then when they are ready I just lift the tube and pop it in a hole in the ground. Snails ( the bane of my life, apart from George) cannot get at them!

      1. Is that being unfair to snails, or unfair to George? 😉

         1. Both, I would have thought. Also, let’s not forget the homeless snails. 😊

2. I thought **/*** but top end. Thank you for the hints which helped me understand 1a and 21d. 15a was my COTD but 14 & 17a also excellent. Tricky to get into but satisfying to solve. Thank you setter.

3. 2*/4*
   A few head scratchers but otherwise plain sailing today. Mensa member fav clue today

4. For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), this was the second guzzle of the week right at my level, so therefore I am not penning any letters of complaint, nor opening the mighty oak doors of THE LIST.
   Fings wot I ain’t ever dun in my life:
   Seen a James B movie, eaten 9a, visited 20a, been to a 27a (shut them down), worked in a 29a, attended 2d, read 3d, played 4d, worked on an 11d.
   I feel like I’ve missed out somehow.

   Thanks to the setter and The Man From Manitoba, where the BBC informs me one may expect ‘thick cloud and light winds’. Not typically tropical.

   1. Are we to assume you’ve had a spell as a gentlemen’s 23a & are a dab hand as a 13a painter?

      1. This is Terence you are talking about. He is a man of many parts.

5. Straightforward (for me) but highly amusing, so */****…

6. This was superb. Gentle but superb. I’ve got a tick by nearly all of the clues.

   It’s all booting off at the base of the podium but I’ll go with 1a, 15a and 27a as I love that the recently retired Nadal brews beer.

   MT to the setter and Senf.

   2*/5*

7. An excellent puzzle and a steady-yet-tricky solve, with e-help needed at the very last as I’d completely forgotten about petrol stars (must be 25 years since that the way of the dodo). Managed to spell the cheese incorrectly which led to some consternation with 2d as the letter that was there was clearly not in the answer! Learnt a new word in solving 21d – suspect I’m not the only one. No standout puzzle, but the surfaces of many were smoother than Terry-Thomas (which is, I discover, a hyphenated name, so that’s the second thing I’ve learned today). **/****

8. Great fun and very enjoyable. I was off to a flying start with several of the short answers going in quickly which is very unusual. 17d was my favourite but several others were very close. I did not know the.term for the beetle but the answer had to be what it was from the checkers and rest of the clue. 16a was my last in as I just could not see what was needed until it suddenly became obvious.

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

   1. I think I heard somewhere (QI perhaps) that the fellow who first suggested lead in petrol wanted to redeem himself and invented a better coolant for refrigerators. Together he is personally responsible for countless deaths and pollution.

      1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley_Jr.?wprov=sfla1

         He got his comeuppance by strangling himself on a device to help him get out of bed!

      2. 2* / 3.5* A steady solve with plenty of clever and witty clueing. Took way too long to get 16a and ending 15a with aic til i realised my error.
         Favourite is Tom’s production at 17d
         Thanks to setter and Senf

         1. Not sure why this appeared here! Wasn’t supposed to reply to anyone.

9. I started in the NW, finding it tricky to get a foothold but it all fell into pkace, when I moved to the SW. I liked the cryptic definition at 11d and the reeveerse lurker at 8d, together with the anagram at 9a and the Lego clue at 14d. Congratulations to rhe compiler for a well balanced guzzle with a wide variety of clue types and just the right amount of GK required. Thanks to Senf for the hints

10. An enjoyable solve with some amusing surface reads. I await with interest Huntsman’s thoughts on 1d!
    I just could not see 16a. I had convinced myself that “first edition” was the definition and mentally blocked out any alternative options for the clue.
    Thank you setter and Senf.

11. Although I got the answer for 16a, I I didn’t appreciate how clever this clue was TOTP for me a 4* answer.Almost a read and write but a thoroughly enjoyable solve.Thanks to all .

12. How is 1d a cryptic clue when it is a statement of fact.

    1. Agreed. 1d sums up my thoughts on this ‘sport’ entirely.

       1. I tried to play golf for years because my friends played. However, being right handed and left eye dominant I repeatedly missed the ball.

          1. I was left handed but in the late 40s early 50s this was to be avoided in schools because when you started to use a pen and ink all the ink wells were on the right hand side and the fear of a pupil dropping ink all over the page was the motivation.. This was solved in primary and infant schools by only allowing children to use their right hand to write and failure to do so was noted with a slap on the hand or a ruler. I always felt I could have been a contender for the goalkeeping spot but used to flap at the ball which I was sure I should catch. I bat left handed and hold a golf club left handed. The only time this was useful was when playing hockey. I got away with with ankle hitting quite regularly. I don’t know why.

       2. Given the brickbats being flung at golf just one or two things in its defence – good exercise, still playable when well past your prime (my regular golfing pal is a fit as a fiddle 87yr old), extremely sociable & a bringer together of people from different backgrounds who wouldn’t otherwise necessarily mix & played on a multitude of various pitches (seaside links, beautiful parkland courses etc).
          That said hacking around on a cold wet day even I can relate to 1d.

          1. I just came back from my regular Wednesday golf game here in sunny Myrtle Beach and I have never played so badly. I lost quite a few balls and I think I am actually getting worse every time I go out. For a reaonably healthy 71 year-old, that’s very annoying.

             So I settled in with a nice cup of tea and fairly breezed through this great puzzle, to which I shall award **/****.

             Many thanks to the setter and to Senf.

             1. Where do you play? Fond memories of a number of trips there back in the day. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club was a particular favourite & also Tidewater Bay & The Dye Club at Barefoot.

                1. I played at Heritage in Pawley’s Island, just down the street from Caledonia. I work there a couple of days a week as well so I don’t have to pay, whcih is just as well given my terrible performance.

             2. Not THE Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, GP?

                Surely there’s a crazy golf course in Blackpool called ‘Miss Myrtle Beach’?

                1. Yes, Myrtle Beach in SC. I have lived in the USA for over 40 years now and just retired to this area

                   1. How fantastic! 👏👏

                      Heaven on earth, I’m sure.

13. In a spirit of generosity this once I’m prepared to overlook the disgraceful surface read at 1d 😀. Thought this a belter of a guzzle (5* enjoyment here) full of cracking clues. Got to admit to a technical DNF correctly as I carelessly chucked in the wrong consonant (H) at the start of last in 16a but immediately pegged the error when the close but no cigar message flashed up. After wading through ALP’s excellent advanced level debut Indy puzzle late last night this one much more my level. A plethora of big ticks – 1,13,15,23&29a plus 3,7,8,11,14&22d all hit the mark for me with 14d my fav.
    Thanks to the setter (Hudson maybe) & to Senf.
    Ps feared botanical knowledge necessary at 11d then remembered the great Albert King song & enjoyed playing it very loud along with a few terrific covers including this one

    1. I thought of you when I saw the clue to 1d 😊. Thought it was just as well it wasn’t your turn to solve today.

14. Fairly gentle and most enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Senf.
    I’d totally forgotten that fuel used to have star ratings in the last century.
    I liked 15a, 7d and 19d with my favourite being 17d.

    1. I forgot that one I listed so many

15. A bit tricky in places, but also a fair number of great clues. I also struggled with 16a, which was my LOI. For a long time I wanted to write seeded, but knew I couldn’t be right. My top clues are 15a and 17d. Thanks to the setter and for hints.

16. 1*/5*. For the third day running this was a light puzzle which was a pleasure to solve.

    15a was my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter (Hudson perhaps?) and to Senf.

17. A very enjoyable puzzle. The dung beetle was new to me but it couldn’t have been anything else.

    Top picks for me were 17d, 16a, 27a, 29a and 14d.

    Thanks to Senf and the setter.

18. Lovely, just lovely. Smartly playful, fair and gentle but never dull. I agree with others – I thought this had a definite Hudson flavour. But whoever it was had me from 1d! The super surfaces/definitions in 27a and 29a tickled me enormously too. Classy. Best thanks to setter and Senf.

19. What a cracker. So much to like and on the whole totally accessible. That said 16a had me stumped and like Shabbo became fixated on the first edition being the definition. Ah the days of **** leaded and the equivalent of 50p a gallon. Anyway thank you Senf for steering me back to the correct road. Too many ticks to pick a podium so, at random, my cotd is the glorious reverse lurker at 8d. Thanks to compiler and Senf

20. Fabulous puzzle, thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish and like a few others needed help to parse 16a and now appreciate what clever clue it was.
    **/*****
    Thanks to setter and Senf

21. Found this very gentle again but very enjoyable with quite a few laughs and very clever and smooth surfaces. I too learned a new beetle and so wonder, Senf, what the text “Guess a something taken to a new level!” means in the hint? I’d have thought the battle, the chap and the ‘t’ were enough or am I missing something?

    Loved the 1a evil genius, the great surface of 5d’s global impact and huge ticks and joint first place to the 13a conjunction (quite happy with the synonym for ‘Captures’) and the 15a Mensa member.

    Many thanks to the setter and Senf!

    1. Somewhat tongue in cheek – we have plenty of guess a girl or boy to generate a name to insert into and now we have guess a dung beetle. OK, the answer was reasonably obvious with the chap and ‘at the front’ but that unimpeachable source Wikipedia suggests that there over 5,000 species of dung beetles. I am not a coleopterist so it was a guess for me.

       1. Ah, a bit of tongue in cheek is always welcome but you were too cryptic for me and I thought that text was part of the hint itself – nice one, even if only accidental, you should claim you meant it to be a misdirection!

22. I did wonder what Huntsman would have to say about 1d but he seems to have taken it in good part – probably used to such remarks by now!
    Top two for me in this enjoyable puzzle were 7&11d. They would have been joined by 8d but that had an outing quite recently so needs to take a rest for a while.

    Thanks to our setter and to Senf for the review.

    1. Yes, I meant to ask whether 1d should have been a double definition: Golf //// – a miserable, vacuous pastime 🤣

       1. Nice try, but no.

23. All going really well until 11d when horticultural assumptions prevented the final solve. Thank you Senf and compiler

24. Found this Wednesday puzzle quite tricky in spots, yet not sure why when it all came to light with some really creative clues. Took a little longer than I thought as I messed myself up with 24a entry. DUH!

    2*/3.5*

    Favourites 9a, 13a, 15a, 29a, 3d, 8d & 14d — with winner 15a, but could have been any of them.
    Laughs for 13a, 15a & 29a … and that one was a well constructed lego clue IMHO

    Thanks to setter & Senf

25. Lovely guzzle, I have daisies all over the place. Especially large ones for 15 & 23a and 14 & 17d. I really enjoy using the word at 8d but I think 27a is favourite. The other Cambridge gave me the most trouble as I have never hear of a var. Or is it an RVA? Many thanks to the Smooth Setter and the Handsome Hinter.

    1. VAR – Video Assistant Referee

26. Gentle and very enjoyable

    Thanks to the setter and Senf

27. Very enjoyable puzzle which I’ll rate as **/***** Stand out clues were 15a 24a 27a 2d and 4d. Realised 21d was ‘dormant’ but had to have a bit of electronic help to find out Dor is a nickname for the dung beetle. 15a really made me laugh, it took me a couple of minutes to figure out why ‘Brainbox’ had anything to do with packed underwear. Many thanks to the setter and Senf.

28. Setter in a very benign mood, evidently, when compiling this rather wonderful puzzle. As for the honours, 1a my COTD by a distance, with 29a, 17d & 15a crossing the finishing line in something akin to a photo-finish.

    Many thanks indeed to the setter and of course also to Senf

29. We’re being spoiled this week with three great guzzles. 7d was my last to solve which I guess was obvious as I’m a fan of the game!. 23a was my favourite. Thanks to setter and Senf.

30. Apart from a fewer toughie level clues, this was an enjoyable challenge today, and must better than I anticipated for a Wednesday. I knew 9a but needed to verify the spelling, and 8d jumped off the page at me. Thanks to setter and Senf.

31. Very late on parade today but this was well worth the wait. Thoroughly enjoyable, not too tricky, with 15a and 17d my top two.

    Thanks to both our setter and Senf.

32. Spiffing, just enough to make the old lemon throb. Thanks to setter & Senf.

33. I enjoyed today’s puzzle and had a smile at some of the cluea. Was heading in the wrong direction initially with 11d. Many thanks to the setter and Senf.

34. Good evening

    I found this one a bit trickier than Senf’s one star would suggest; I’m thinking not quite a threeser; maybe two and a half.

    I was rattling along nicely until I got to the SE quadrant; that was the sticky bit. It wasn’t until 21d dawned on me (and I had to look up the first three letters) that the rest of it fell into place.

    Some excellent, witty clueing; I’ve been unable to pick one for COTD, so with fence marks firmly imprinted on my hint-end, here are the five contenders: 13, 15, and 16a; 7 and 17d (17d being my last to fall.)

    Many thanks to our setter and to Senf.

35. I did myself no favours by puttinr Eire for 25d

36. I found this very testing. We visited Penshurst Place and Tudeley church with the wonderful Marc Chagall windows today.This meant that as a car passenger I had time to work at the puzzle. I could see it was very clever and I rated it at a three star level for difficulty. I had never heard of ARV or RVA and had to do what felt like more than usual in brain wracking in getting the grid filled in. Got there minus 16 across. Shocked to see difficulty rating of 1 star. It just shows how we all react differently . Today has been a marvellous day and Thankyou Senf and our cunning setter.

    1. Oh, I’ve seen those wonderful windows by Chagall in Tudeley church! They are superb.
       Worth millions as I understand.

37. Needed the hint to parse 15a,16a was obscure to say the least and never heard of the beetle, who has? Apart from those fairly straightforward for a Wednesday. Favourite was 8d, what a splendid word. Thanks to the setter and Senf. Still no sign of Brian, I’m hoping he has been suspended (I know he was put into moderation) and nothing worse has befallen him.

38. We also haven’t heard from Kath for a long time, I know she had some health issues, I used to enjoy our little chats. If these questions have been answered I’ve missed them.

39. Thank you to everybody who recommended this, especially those describing it as having a Hudson flavour — whether it was the real Hudson or somebody else of similar quality doesn’t matter from the point of view of this being a crossword worth catching up on a day later!

    So thank you to the setter for many entertaining clues, including 15a’s packing, the 4-star 16a, and the Pride in 27a.

    I got off to a good start with this one, but found completing it took longer than average. Thank you to Senf for explaining the 29a note, that 5d was an anagram, and confirming the 21d beetle.

40. 3*/4* …
    liked 15A “Mensa member packed underwear (8)”

41. I wondered how DOR could be a dung-beetle. Then it occurred to me that it is likely to have a shiny, glittering back as so many of the beetles do in France where I live (I’ve just put one out the window – they get indoors all the time)
    The likelihood is that the beetle is predominant in French speaking parts of Africa, so they would probably reference it as ‘Golden’ or d’Or

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