DT 30979

85 comments on “DT 30979”

1. I’m sure it’s my fault but I really didn’t enjoy today’s guzzle. I very rarely fail to finish on any day but I threw in the towel half way through today and resorted to, E-Help to find out why I was being so stupid. In contrast to the comment of a recent contributor I have no palm imprints on my forehead as G revealed the solution. A prime example of my lack of enjoyment would be 18D where the elaborate final world appears to just be an example of bravado clueing..

   1. My apologies once again for not recognising the contribution of the hinter and the setter.

2. My experience was different from Huntsman’s! I thought a good ***/***. I just couldn’t get on the setter’s wavelength I’m afraid. I thought 27a and 14&17d great but quite a few for me were “well I suppose so” clues. Nothing wrong with that of course and I must have got out of bed on the wrong side. Thank you Huntsman and the setter.

3. Another solid crossy from Mr Consistency; I don’t think I’ve ever given him fewer than 4 stars for enjoyment.

   I’m very happy that he opted for quinquereme ahead of tug and felucca (ta muchly, Google).

   There are plenty of contenders for the pody but I’ll go with 2d, 4d and 15d.

   MT to the prof and Hoots!

   2*/4*

   1. At least I’d have known what precisely what a tug was unlike the other or felucca for that matter

   2. I can remember learning John Masefield’s poem “Cargoes” at school and can still recite most of it when the word quinquereme appears in a crossword

      1. I need to start reading poetry as it’s passed me by.

         I started doing crosswords as it’s a mental challenge that appeals to my Maths brain.

         And the beauty is it’s got me into words that I now adore.

         Quinquereme is a belter.

      2. Me too Sue…..well educated….

         “Dirty British coaster with a salt caked smoke stack” was my favourite line.

         1. Mine too

         2. Yep – every line of the poem perfect, but that one is supreme!

         3. . . . butting (I always wanted to say ‘chugging’) through the channel in the mad, March days.
            – with a cargo of things including pig iron and ending up with cheap, tin trays!

            I loved it.
            I loved this crossword, too, only requiring a couple of electronic nudges to complete it and clarify the parsing.
            Thanks to setter and Huntsman ☺️

            Ps I only commented once before and cannot remember which name I used – so kept it simple 🙄

            1. You’ve commented 5 times before using aliases Suzyblue, Suecee and Sue C.
               I’ve added a C to your alias this time to avoid confusion.

      3. Me as well

4. I found this quite chewy in places but enjoyed it once solved. I’ve got lots of ticks on my page.

   Top picks for me were 16d, 20d, 15a and 9a.

   Thanks to Huntsman and the setter.

5. This may well make Huntsman snort but I found that rather more difficult than usual for a Tuesday and was chastened to see the one star. That’ll teach me! Some sharp synonyms and fun surfaces, as usual. Stupidly, I just couldn’t see 19a’s “fast” for ages and I had no idea that 16d is what Chambers clearly says it is. Great fun. Best thanks to setter and Huntsman. Cracking tunes as always. Beth & Joe are growing on me by the week!

6. Slightly baffled to see this as a 1-star puzzle after yesterdays 3-star, when I’d have put them exactly the other way around. I know that the ratings are subjective, but it sometimes feels as though Smylers and Huntsman are operating with a different scale entirely! I acknowledge this might just be me.

   Anyway, in contrast to Tyke, I *often* fail to finish but did manage this one eventually, though it took two sessions: one after midnight and the other over my cornflakes. The NE quadrant held out the longest with my failure to crack 1a and 1d holding things up. 27a was my favourite (though would it have been a neater clue written as “Cat. Cat? Dog!” ?). ***/***

   1. We might indeed be on different scales! Or different something, anyway. I found yesterday’s trickier than Mondays can be, so definitely wasn’t giving it only *. It was a little arbitrary between ** and ***, but I didn’t get many on the first pass and the template I was copying from had *** in there already, so I decided to leave it as that and didn’t any more thought into it.

      I haven’t attempted today’s puzzle yet, but I have often found Tuesday’s backpagers harder to complete than Wednesday’s–Friday’s. There’s a couple of Tuesday puzzles from the past year I didn’t manage to solve the final clue on at all, even with hints, and one of those was reviewed as *! Conversely, there have been Friday puzzles I’ve found straightforward but others have given up as being too hard. So apparently what I find straightforward or tricky in a crossword puzzle doesn’t correlate well with at least some other solvers.

      As such, it may well be that my ratings are largely useless to you and you’d be better off ignoring them! Sorry about that.

      1. Not useless at all! I just apply a little calibration to your and Huntman’s ratings (more to the latter, if I’m being honest; I tremble at the thought of a 4* Huntsman rating). However, this weeks disparity seemed particularly egregious, which is what prompted the comment.

         1. Reckon it’s hands up time & admit to misreading the room. Once I’d got over ALP’s comment (fortunately didn’t have a mouthful of coffee when reading it) I wished I’d given it at least another *. I do have the advantage of getting the same compiler week in week out so that helps with twigging the wordplay. I’ll endeavour to avoid any further egregious disparities 😀

            1. No need to put your hands up, Hoots.

               A blogger rating a crossword is an invidious task.

               I’d hate to do it.

   2. Agree, yesterday was *, and for me, today is a ****.

7. I found this a fair bit tougher than yesterday’s puzzle and struggled to secure a foothold in the N, having to fight my way slowly out of the SW corner. 14d and 16d were my favourites. I shall now celebrate the cooler weather by walking through the park into town and treating myself to some M&S food. Thanks very much to the setter and to Huntsman for the tunes. I hope you enjoyed Ally Pally on Friday. Neil Young exceeded my expectations, being on top form and in great voice for his age – my gig of the year so far.

   1. What did you make of Van?

      1. Van was good too, although on stage when it was still blisteringly hot and always likely to struggle to rouse the crowd from their afternoon chatter with a jazz set and few well-known tunes. He was in reasonable humour, but snapped at his (excellent) band a few times for minor problems presumably caused by a lack of rehearsal. The closing Gloria was magnificent, as the whole performance would have been in e.g. Nell’s rather than Hyde Park.

8. Good Typically Tuesdayish fun – 1.5*/4.5*

   Before I started the solve, and even now while writing this comment, I have no idea what a quinquereme is but I did get from the clue that all I needed to do was find the middle letter of a jumble of letters – easy!

   Candidates for favourite – 13a, 26a, and 14d – and the winner is 14d.

   Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.

   1. Hi S

      I haven’t heard of it but guessed it was an old boat with five banks of oars as opposed to a trireme that has three.

      Having met you, you are clearly an educated man. So, I guess you’ve heard of the latter.

      1. I didn’t realise you had to be educated to know what a quinquereme is. I thought I was and I don’t.

         1. Hi ATIB

            Forgive me if I misunderstand you but I was thinking that, being an educated man, Senf may have heard of a trireme.

            This, of course, means that a percentage of educated people haven’t heard of a trireme and a percentage of non-educated people have.

            I was just going with the odds that he has and, looking at his most recent post about it, he probably has.

            I feel I’m reasonably educated and have never heard of this outstanding word.

      2. OK, ‘I have no idea’ was a probably a slight exaggeration. The -reme ending is a good lead. I was just saying that when the setter is asking one to select the ‘centre’ letter from a string of letters that is all one does – find the centre letter without knowing if the string of letters is a ‘real’ word or not, especially when time is of the essence such as participating in The Times Crossword Championship. Although, I suspect that editors would require that a real word should be used rather than a string of random letters.

         Our setter could have used ‘centre of conferruminated’ to get the same result (closely joined or fused together).

9. I am firmly in the camp that thought this was a little tricky for a Tuesday as it took me over my average time to complete. No good reason other than it was well-crafted and needed some careful parsing to get over the line. I will go along with our blogger’s choice of favourite, 15a. Great fun.

   Thanks to AP and The Hintsman.

10. The usual ‘typically Tuesdayish’ and enjoyable puzzle from Mr Plumb. Lots of ticks on my paper today with no overall favourite, but podium places for the misleading 11a, the lego clue at 23a and the humorous Spoonerism at 14d. Thanks to the Prof and Huntsman.

11. I found it tricky to start in the NW too, so much so that the other quadrants were done before 1a and d fell. I was trying to make the Lizard in 2d an example of a 4d. I knew the boat as I think it was a key plot line in an episode of Inspector Morse.
    Thanks to MrP and Huntsman, TDF having a rest day so I may have time for Stick Insect in t’other place.

    1. Thanks to the Setter and Huntsman. We struggled with this one but got there in the end. Val and Gary

12. Like others, I found it difficult to get on the compiler’s wavelength today, particularly in the NE . I nearly gave up but persevered until 5here were enough checkers t finish the puzzle. 1d was a well- misdirected anagram and 11a, whilst a bit complicated a good Lego clue. Sorry compiler, but this one didnt float my boat. Thanks to Huntsman for the hints

13. I enjoyed today’s puzzle very much…and even got the Spoonerism in what was record time for me.

    Favourite 15a.

    Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.

    I am surprised that so few people seem to know John Masefield’s poem “Cargoes”.

14. By dint of starting in the NE rather than NW this was an enjoyable and gentle clockwise stroll, finishing all too soon with POI 1a and then LOI 1d. Not certain it was from AP, but it was ideal for 5.15am! Honours to 2d, 14d, and 11a.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman – especially for the two versions of “Your Heart”. A new Joe album? I must head off to Amazon later today!

15. Enjoyed this guzzle a lot! My phone even predicted guzzle for me when writing this! A few hold ups but very enjoyable. Driving back to Aldeburgh having picked up smoked salmon and eel from Pinneys in Orford, what yums. Yesterday arrived 7 days early for a small boat trip on the Alde, managed to go late afternoon in glorious weather. Thanks to Huntsman and our cracking setter.

    1. Ah, memories! Way back when we were members of the Aldeburgh Yacht Club and even had a little sailing boat with its strange gaff-rigged red sail.

       1. Or am I confusing the gaff rig with the yachts on the Mere at Thorpeness?

16. Enjoyable as is usual on Tuesdays – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
    My boxes were ticked by 1a, 15a and 16d.

17. Echoing the above comments I found this quite tricky. The NW was particularly hard and i only finished with a lot of help. LOI 4d (the crossword definition of head flummoxes me every time…) COD 14d Spooners Dog (Unlike some I always enjoy an appearance from the reverend). Thank you to setter and Huntsman.

18. Wondered if I could still do a crossword after a week clearing our house in France after 20 happy years for some lovely new owners to take over in August.
    Body dead and brain dead the one star rating deflated me even more for what felt like a 2/3 star rating for difficulty. There were several old chestnuts but my favourite was the Spoonerism. Like many on this site I approach with caution but when they are good they can be very good.Generally find Mr. Plumb to my taste and thanks to Huntsman for explaining my bung in for 21 down.

19. I’m sure that Tuesdays used to be our ‘easy’ day but our setter has definitely ramped things up a little and is making us work a bit harder for our reward. Top clues for me were the lizard and beetle in the dangerous vessel.

    Thanks to our setter and to Huntsman for the review.

20. 3*/3*. I thought this was as tough as it gets for a Tuesday back-pager but (almost) as much fun as ever. I would have given 4* for enjoyment except for the unindicated Americanism in 21d. On this occasion, both Chambers and Collins agree with me!

    15a was my favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter (AP?) and to Hintsman.

    1. Hi RD

       We’re back to the old classic ‘How long must a word or expression have been around in common parlance in The UK for it not to have an AI?’

       A UK friend set up a company in the late-80s called Sassy Belle and I hear the terms sass and sassy all the time.

       So, for me, it doesn’t need an AI. But, of course, we have our own criteria.

       1. In case anyone is interested, it was a kiss-o-gram business.

21. For me (AISFM), not a straightforward Tuesday guzzle from the professor. It didn’t seem to have the same sparkle as previously but it’s me, no doubt because I see many like it. Thank you, ATiB at #1 for seeming to be of the same opinion. It was one of those guzzles where I got the answer but not the parsing. Oh well, not to worry. I did like losing the ice cream at 16d so that is my COTD.

    Thank you, Professor in the library but I could not do your offering justice today. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.

    Long awaited rain is falling in The Marches but there needs to be a lot more for it to help.

    I knew quinquereme because I had to learn Cargoes.

    QUINQUIREME of Nineveh from distant Ophir,
    Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
    With a cargo of ivory,
    And apes and peacocks,
    Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.

    Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
    Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
    With a cargo of diamonds,
    Emeralds, amythysts,
    Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.

    Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
    Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
    With a cargo of Tyne coal,
    Road-rails, pig-lead,
    Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.

    1. .me too on learning ” Cargoes’, Steve. Word association kicked in and ,as I read the word quinquireme, I immediately thought, ‘of Nineveh’.Did you have to learn, “I must go down to the seas again” too. Funny how we still temember verse we learned as children

       1. Ah yes! Sea Fever! I also remember very well –

          The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees.
          The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas.

          Not Masefield but The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes

          1. This is great stuff.

             This is one of the reasons I like answers that are specialised knowledge or are specific UK locations etc.

22. I’m in the “it was tough” camp. Only perseverance and a couple of hints got me through this and consequently I didn’t get much enjoyment from it. Sorry, AP, not one for me today. I did enjoy the Spoonerism, but do I recall it cropping up fairly recently? Anyway, it’s my cotd. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

23. Took a little while to get this typical Tuesday puzzle going, but eventually got some bung ins that worked. After that went well and completed with a few laughs along the way.

    1.5*/4* for me

    Favourites 15a, 17a, 4d, 14d, 16d & 18d — with winner 14d

    Thanks to AP & Huntsman

24. Spoonerisms are a bit like Marmite.

    1. But I like marmite 😊.

       1. So do I. 👍

          1. I hate it!

       2. I can take or leave it.

25. I have never heard anyone use the Spoonerism in my life and think it must be found in golf clubs and sports car rallies of the early 20th century. And of course in books with ridiculous characters to go with the ridiculous phrase.

    1. I bet they have Gentleman’s Relish on their toast as well!

       1. I have Patum Peperum on my toast but I don’t use the term in 14d. 😊

26. I found two thirds of this at the 1* end of the spectrum, flying through the NW, then NE, then SW. But the SE proved more 3* territory and I needed the blog to confirm the parsing of 16d, 17d and 21d and 26a. Favourite was 11a, which was a beauty! Never heard of the pancake before but the answer fitted nicely.
    Didn’t have time to comment but found yesterday much tougher than today.

    Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

27. I rather enjoyed this and found it fairly straightforward, I was pleased I did not need to worry about what the last word in 18d was. I enjoyed the spooner and it will be my favourite although it was nearly 16d because I like them!

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

28. * difficulty; **** enjoyment for me today. Different Strokes and all that. For me, the NW was a right-in, and the Far East was harder (I took a while to be happy with 12a and 19a), with 21d the last one parsed. I’m happy with the ancient warship, not a Scooby with regard to the poem. For once, I liked the Spoonerism, and have used the term, although I don’t play golf, wear a monocle or plus-fours etc.

    Thanks to Huntsman for the Blog and to AP (presumably) for the light relief I was hoping for after today’s Toughie tribulations

    1. Knew you wouldn’t find it remotely sticky

29. 2* / 4* well I really enjoyed this challenge with its good mix of clues and definitions.
    Particularly liked the pancake at 16d, beetle at 25a and the skinny pooch at 27a

    Thanks to setter and Huntsman

30. Back to earth with a bang, after such great puzzles on Sunday and Monday. Sorry, but this was in no way a *, at least not for me. As others have said, just couldn’t parse many of them. I didn’t write any answers in at the first pass as I had little confidence they were right. Amazingly they were, which reminded me of advice from long ago, sometimes you just need to ignore the clues. I don’t think not knowing what a quinquereme is makes you uneducated. It just means you have little knowledge/interest in ships and boats. Never mind, tomorrow is another day. Thanks to setter and Huntsman.

    1. Hi BL

       I was saying that, if you’re educated, ie a person of the world, (not exams), you may well have heard of a trireme.

       Of course, one may not have.

       1. I was once instructed when practicing as a partner in a law firm to buy Drake’s Island in Plymouth Sound for an American outfit to build and race them there. Sadly it failed. A bit like the Triremes.

    2. “… sometimes you just need to ignore the clues.”

       I remember who said that. Hope he is well!

       1. Me too.

31. Agree this was more than a * star, never heard of the pancake but now want one. Thank you compiler and Huntsman

32. I thought this was a 2* definitely worthy of its Tuesday slot. I thought 22a very clever; had me confused. Thanks Huntsman and Prof

33. Was looking forward to another easy-going Tuesday cruciverbal exercise but it was not to be. This was a veritable slog particularly in the SW. Not keen on Spoonerisms anyway but 14d is particularly tiresome. Hope next Tuesday brings more of the usual early-week fun. Thank you MrP and Hintsman.

34. I enjoyed this crossword. I didn’t take any notice of quinquereme as I had all the checkers in, read ‘wave that could be damaging’ and didn’t bother with the rest of the clue, just wrote the answer in. I haven’t read much Masefield but to lower the tone, I like Spike Milligan’s take on ‘I must go down to the sea again….

    I must go down to the sea again,
    To the lonely sea and sky.
    I left my socks and vest there,
    I wonder if they are dry?

    Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.

    1. That’s much more my level where poetry is concerned.

35. I did not like it and found it much more difficult than yesterdays. In 22a it seems to me that with regret makes more sense.

    1. ‘Without’ in the clue is being used in the sense of ‘outside’.

       1. Oh of course – my explanation didn’t really seem right & I always forget that hymn – think they change the word nowadays. Surprised nobody else mentioned it. Hint amended accordingly. Ta

36. Late to the party today. Over 60s football this morning, eleven-a-side and a tight game, then building a bed for my daughter this afternoon. I agree with several others that this seemed far harder than yesterday’s offering and worthy of more than a 1*. Worked through the grid slowly and had never heard of 16d although I could work out how the clue was constructed but not the final answer so had to resort to the hints. Also a stupid spelling mistake. So once again, not quite there. No great stand out clues but I did enjoy 1a, originally thinking of a term for an old rust bucket, and 17a.
    Thank you to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.

37. Good evening

    Only just finished! I had to sneak crozzie breaks in between bouts of work, so it’s been slow yet steady progress throughout this afty and this evening, with a little extra time needed to figure out the NW quadrant.

    Made it in the end, though. COTD is my last to fall, which was 11a.

    Many thanks to the Prof and to Huntsman.

38. Worked on this crozzie intermittently this afternoon and evening and completed it almost unaided but needed to look up a synonym for sects in 20d. Also, I thought the answer to 10a was “sitting” but couldn’t do the parsing – now I know why. Needed the hints to understand some of the parsing of 17d and 21d. COTD 16d for its surface. ***/***. Thanks to AP and Huntsman – and for the various comments. I also learnt “Cargoes” at school so enjoyed the nostalgia.

39. Got there in the end, so definitely trickier than yesterday.
    Putting “enrolls” for 28a didn’t help.
    Thanks to AP and Huntsman for parsing help.

40. 3*/3* …
    liked 25A “Beetle beginning to startle person in tent ? (7)”

    1. That was one of my top picks as well.

       1. 😊

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