DT 30943

56 comments on “DT 30943”

1. As I said Yesterday, I much prefer Tuesdays to Mondays now. This was a lovely and satisfying solve with just the right balance between write-ins and ponderers. The professor supplied a few laughs as well such as setting John free at 25a. I always forget the Croatian city at 23d so that took a while to arrive. My COTD is the Parisian female wearing a top at 23a. Mind you, the guy at 3d nearly got it.

   Thank you for a great guzzle, Professor Plum in the library. Thank you, Shabbo for the hints. Congratulations on your century.

   I did like the Quickie pun,

   Back to marking research proposals! 🤪

2. Shabbo has this rather tricky one right at **/*** but I did need to read his hints to fully understand the answers to 20&24a and 3&19d. 23a was well constructed and my COTD. A vague nell rang for 29a to enable completion. The 5 anagrams were v helpful! Thanks Shabbo and the setter.

3. An enjoyable crossword with 29a being a total unknown to me but gettable from the clueing.

   Top picks for me were 1d (obviously with my nickname), 4a, 19d and 3d.
   I also liked the Quickie pun.

   Thanks to Shabbo and congratulations on your century. Thanks also to the setter.

   1. I would not have known 29a in a million years – but George did! After 68 years (on Sunday) he can still surprise me. He never plays golf, but his cousins were Hoeys.

      1. Happy anniversary D&G, on your 5th I was emerging into this world in the cheaper end of Gosforth.

         My first word was steam train as what is now Gosforth Metro station was still using steam rolling stock

4. Tough for a Tuesday, but doable.

   Will have to see the hints for 20a, and 2 & 5d, got the answers (or words that fit anyway) but can’t see the the why of the things.

   No real standouts for me today, just good honest clues (apart from the aforementioned), glad I did the lawns yesterday, as it’s cold, wet and bleak here in Sandhurst today, oh well, there’s always the housework……

5. A very gentle ‘Quick-tic’ puzzle indeed, with rapid progress from the off. It certainly felt like our usual Tuesday setter, and it would make a lot of sense for the Prof (if it is indeed he) to be swapped into the Monday slot – unless Monday is deliberately very slightly more challenging because of there being no additional Toughie?

   Honours to 3d & 21d. Many thanks to AP/the setter, and also to Shabbo for stepping into the breech.

   By the way, today’s Chalicea Toughie is anything but, and a delightful, light, challenge. I can strongly recommend it to anyone who has a little time for a further puzzle!

   1. Seconded. Chalicea never disappoints.

      1. Thirded! I have completed the grid bar one and I’m resisting the urge to uncover it in the hints.

   2. Toughie well worth a look for those (like me!) who usually avoid it. Managed today’s a little faster than the normal one! *

      * Ok, so technically I was defeated by an obsolete and obscure term for a courtesan. I can live with that

      1. I rather like your implicit assertion that “courtesan” is not itself an obsolete term !

   3. I completed the toughie and in good time too ! Only a small cheat with the courtesan term that I’d never heard of , and the final letters for the cocktail.

6. Very enjoyable. 23a’s fun, 5d’s a lovely tweak and 19d’s great. Best thanks to setter and Shabbo. Huge congrats on your century.

7. Congratulations on your blog century, Shabbo, with a easant and approachable puzzle to mark the event. My COTD was the double meaning at 4a, whixh was quite wily, followed closely by the rich man and boxers Lego clues at 21d and 19d. Thanks to Shabbo for the hinrs and to the compiler.

8. An enjoyable puzzle for me today .
   I needed help from Shabbo with parsing 14d….knew it was an anagram so figured it out but spent ages wondering about cuckoo ….definitely not my finest hour missing the indicator…
   Also spent a while trying to fit another N into 8d….had the wrong kind of sister in mind.
   Other than that , all good. Even remembered the golfer and the American group.

   Thanks to the setter and to Shabbo and congrats on your century.

   Have just had a Man in to quote for the garage roof repair….just in time if the weather today is anything to go by. (Very windy with rain ever-threatening ). The Man claims it is a straightforward job…..hmm…..I have heard that before….

9. A slightly more challenging Tuesday than of late perhaps, but all good fun. 1a and 4a make my podium with 8d in top spot. Thanks to AP and thanks and congratulations to century maker, Shabbo.

10. A Typically Tuesdayish puzzle from Anthony Plumb – **/****

    Candidates for favourite – 5d, 7d, and 21d – and the winner is 7d for that usage of saw.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and Shabbo.

    P.S. As Mustafa G says a delightful Floughie Toughie today.

    P.P.S. Well done on the Ton!

11. I found this to be quite a tricky fellow but good fun to unravel, although, of course, it is a shame to note the absence of Serengeti and orchestra. I do feel that Mr Lancaster should insist that at least one is featured in every guzzle. There is the added advantage that both would help crowbar in ‘The Hanseatic League’ – it would go across or down either of them in many differing combinations.

    We have security cameras at the back of the house which trigger a warning ‘ping!’ at the merest whisper of a leaf movement. At night, we don’t capture human intruders but we do get pinged by a succession of Brer Fox, hedgehogs, muntjacs, and every cat that lives within a five mile radius. Ping!
    It’s like a static safari out there. Our very own English Serengeti.

    Thanks to the setter and Shabba-dabba-doo (many congratulations on your one hundredth birthday)

    It’s easy to forget that Phil Oakey led The Hanseatic League.

12. enjoyable solve today but i am sorry i don’t’get’ 20a .Please can someone explain why ‘cockney’ ?

    1. Steve, as mentioned by Shabbo, Cockney is an example of an 20a.

    2. Cockney is merely an example of a regional ****** or articulation. The question mark at the end of the clue indicates that this is what is known as a “definition by example”.
       I hope this helps. A bit tricky to explain without actually revealing the solution in the hint and spoiling it for others.

13. 1*/4*. Typically light and very enjoyable Tuesday fare with 4a, 27a & my favourite 19d making up my podium.

    I’m at The Oval hoping for the rain to hold off while waiting for the match to start.

    Many thanks to AP and to Shabbo.with many congratulations on your centenary.

    1. If you want to steer clear of me, RD, then don’t go to The Beehive.

       I don’t mind paying £7.50 for a beer but not when it’s this watered down!

       They should hang their heads.

    2. I hope you and Tom both have a good day at the Oval.

       Though I see that the delayed start isn’t actually because of the rain, but because the West Indies team were stuck in traffic!

       1. Really?

          That is totes hilaire!

          1. Small world. Just on the train home from the aforesaid spherical shape. Good fare despite the rain break.

             1. I love a day at the cricket.

                Shooting the breeze with a mate while getting slowly sozzled watching Root, Buttler et al givin’ it sum.

                Marvy parvy

14. Typically Tuesdayish (as others have said) and very enjoyable – thanks to our setter and to Shabbo (and congratulations on reaching you ton).
    The clues I liked best were 4a (although the QM probably belongs with the first word), 23a and 3d.

15. As I am at The Oval, I have to quote our Richie….What a wonderful crossword that was.

    I’m sure the prof can compile toughies that Elgar would be proud of but he is a master of crosswords at this level, he really is.

    There are so many straightforward but beautifully crafted clues that rookies should take note of.

    My pody picks are 4a (brilliant), 23a (wey hey!) and 3d.

    MT to the aforementioned and centurion Shabbs. You are an excellent blogger 👏👏

    1*/5*

    1. Thank you, TDS.
       Enjoy The Oval and fingers crossed that the weather improves.

    2. TDS – if you are twiddling your thumbs waiting for that silly game to start, why do we pronounce busy as bizzy? Just a random thought.

       1. Hi Day Zee.

          It derives from either bisig or bysig.

          So, goodness knows how the u got amongst it.

16. Reasonably but not excessively light, with 4a and the excellent 5d my favourites today. Thanks very much to the setter and to Shabbo.

17. Waiting for the cricket to start on the tele and the TT racing to start on the laptop – and doing the crossword on the tablet – too much technology I fear.
    Enjoyable guzzle today, slightly trickier than usual for a Tuesday in my opinion but worth the extra effort.
    **/****
    Thanks to setter and congratulations and to Shabbo – keep going!

18. Echoing everything above. Lovely guzzle to solve, 27a and 14,17,25d getting extra large daisies. Never mind rain at the Oval – I was just about to put my sheets on the line when it began to sheet down with rain. Think of the beans, girl, and give thanks. And glory be, I only have three more to do on Sunday’s Toughie! All is good in cruciverbal-land. Congratulations on your centenary, you are doing a great job and thanks also to Mr Setter.

    1. Well done with only 3 to go Daisy. I retired hurt with the left hand side of the puzzle a barren waste – I intend to have another stab at it later tonight but doubt I’ll get that far without John’s help.

19. I was right on message with this one and finished at a good pace. Again, I took the time to go back over the grid to fully appreciate the quality of the clues, something we have come to expect on a Tuesday. That reflection produced my favourite, 4a.

    My thanks to AP, and thanks and congratulations to Shabbo on your ton.

20. I didn’t find this Tuesday puzzle as typical Tuesday’ish as most. Struggled a bit with this one. Also a new word I had never heard of before either.
    2.5*/3*

    Favourites 4a, 9a, 20a & 25d — with winner 25d

    Thanks to AP & Shabbo

21. What a super puzzle – full of humour and great surfaces. Really do love Tuesdays cryptic. Thanks to the setter – brilliant work. And thanks to Shabbo – congratulations on your century (let’s hope those on here at the oval get to see another Root one)

22. So – Tuesday is the new Monday, then?
    Nice puzzle. Btw 27a is my COTD.

    1. You’ve changed your alias again so this needed moderation. All your aliases will work from now on.

23. Very light as has become typical of Tuesday. I rushed through half of yesterdays and then made heavy weather of a handful in the second half not helped by a wrong answer , so it’s a relief to be back in the ‘start of the week’ saddle. Maybe I ll try today’s toughie given MG says it’s a light one , (that said he clearly has enormous brainpower compared to mine , so let’s see ….🤔 ). Thanks and congratulations Shabbo to your 100 , and thanks to the setter for restoring my faith.

24. A straightforward and entertaining test, my MOTM is 21d.
    Great knock, Shabbo, 100 not out is an innings to be proud of.
    Thanks also to the setter, who bowled a good line and length and managed to make one or two move off the seam.

25. Just returned home after a ‘routine follow-up’ appointment at the hospital – you know the sort of thing, arrive at 10.30am and leave at 4pm having achieved an enormous amount i.e two blood tests and one X-ray! At least I managed to solve the professor’s humorous back-pager beforehand and my ticks went to 4,13&23a plus 19d and the Quickie pun.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and to Shabbo for another great review – we’ve been so lucky to be on the receiving end of 100 of your blogs, long may they continue.

    1. Thank you, Jane.
       Very kind.

26. Thanks for covering my shift Shabbo whilst I was otherwise engaged teeing off a golf day in thoroughly miserable weather at Centurion today. Congrats on raising your bat & reaching 100 with (unlike me) barely a sniff of a chance offered to the fielding team. A typically gentle Tuesday puzzle that was maybe a tad trickier than of late but still a brisk solve. Nice to see Sam pop up at 29a but podium spots go to 4&13a plus 5d with the surface read at 13a my fav.
    Thanks to AP & to Shabbo

27. An enjoyable puzzle but I didn’t quite finish without consulting a couple of hints. Many thanks to the setter and congratulations to Shabbo on reaching your blogging century!

28. An excellent puzzle, maybe a little harder than some weeks but great fun. An unknown name at 29a which was got from the wordplay. I enjoyed the anagrams.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Shabbo for the hints, many congratulations on the century.

29. Yes a nice Tuesday crossword but not too straightforward 🤔 Fortunately the rain kept me indoors today ****/**** 😃 Favourites 4a, 27a, 6d & 25d. I don’t believe it I got 29a wrong 😬
    Thanks to the Compiler and to Shabbo and congrats on his 100 not out 🏏

30. 1.5* / 3.5* I wouldn’t say this was easier than yesterday’s, probably on par. Very enjoyable with plenty of good word play and humour.
    Thanks to setter and Shabbo

31. Not as straightforward as previous Tuesday’s. I wish I had been more patient (I’m clearly having an off day), as there are some great clues here. I was too quick to seek Shabbo’s help. Worked out 29a from the word-play, but hadn’t heard of the golfer. I’m more from the Seve, Faldo, Langer era. 1989 Ryder Cup at the Belfry a great memory for me.

32. Trickier than recent Tuesdays; I needed the hints for 19d, 20a and 23a and I resorted to a map for 23d but the other clues went in reasonably quickly. COTD 4a for the construction, which I only fully appreciated after reading the hints. Thanks to AP and Shabbo – and thanks for the comments. ***/****

33. As others have said, this was a tougher than usual task for Tuesday but pleasantly challenging nevertheless. 13a, 2d and 3d were unparsed and 20a is a bit iffy. If this is really an AP product thanks to him or to whomever and likewise to Shabbo.

34. Not having any other letters, I couldn’t believe 28a wasn’t “artefacts”!

    Anagram of “rates” pinching “fact” (for “certain”)

    The intersecting down answers eventually made me let go of it.

    1. A good answer!

35. 2*/3* …
    liked 18A “Good boy studies, getting cheers (8)”

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