DT 30423

60 comments on “DT 30423”

1. Very light but great fun.
   Ticks awarded to 10 & 18a plus 22d with top spot going to the lol double definition at 28a.
   Many thanks to the setter, I’m having a stab at NYDK, and Shabbo.

2. What a wonderful guzzle! I thoroughly enjoyed it and not just because it was an unaided finish. The old chestnut at 1a got things off to a good start. I didn’t get many across clues on the first pass but solving ten down clues straight off gave leverage. I liked the topical 26a and the Spice Girl at 8d. Putting “riotous” in at 16a held me up until I started to see things at 11d. In fact, 11d became my COTD.

   Many thanks to the setter for the fun challenge. Thank you, Shabbo for the hints, which I will now read.

   Drizzly in The Marches, which is fine because I have dissertations to mark.

3. More a Monday quickie than a Thursday challenge, but enjoyable nonetheless. Not sure I’ve ever yet heard of Arsenal, Chelsea, or any other team, even Man Utd with their American owners, scoring a 10a – doesn’t happen in proper football, only the US version! Hon mentions to 2d, 8d, 11d.

   <1* / 2.5*

   Thanks to the setter and to Shabbo

   1. What about in rugby football, where you can score a try/10a? Rugby and US are both versions of “football”.

      1. American, not US.

      2. a try isn’t called a 10a in rugby football

         1. Aye, you’re probably right, me owd.

   2. More correctly, the round ball game is called association football.

4. 1.5*/5*. I thought this was light but brilliant, with ticks all over my page. My only slight hold up was the parsing of 13a, which earned the title of my “across” favourite. My “down” favourite was 11d.

   Many thanks to the setter and to Shabbo.

   P.S. Why do Americans call a 10a a 10a when nothing actually gets touched down?

   1. RD – the unimpeachable source Wikipedia advises that ‘In 1889, the provision requiring the ball to actually be touched to the ground was removed. A touchdown was now scored by possessing the ball beyond the goal line.’
      ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchdown )

      1. Thanks for that, Senf. That’s a long, long time ago. Perhaps American Football should consider taking a leaf out of Prince’s book and change it to “The Action Formerly Known As Touchdown”.

5. Just about right for a Thursday, thought for a minute it was going to be a pangram, but turned out not to be.
   Getting to recognise any clue with ‘sewer’ in it now, so off to a great start. Was10a to make up for some comments yesterday about cricket bat, I wonder?
   Great clueing all around, but especially liked 14d and 11d. Many thanks to our setter for a top class puzzle today.

6. I agree with Shabbo and Stephen L. Light fare for a Thursday but fun clues throughout. Loved the Spice Girl reference but my faves of the day were 14d and 28a, where I found myself saying the expression out loud. Would you believe it? Thanks to the setter and to Shabbo for the hints. Enjoy the rugby Shabbo – it’s a long way to go to see Scotland knocked out but the weather should be nice.

7. Extremely friendly for a Thursday but lots of fun. Favourite was 11d sharing the podium with 28a and 3d. Thanks to the compiler and Shabbo.

   1. Lots of fun. Maybe 1*. 1a was last in after researching Roman sewers until the punt dropped. 1a and 14d for my favs

8. As others have said, a really straightforward and most enjoyable guzzle especiallly for a Thursday. There were some particularly good cryptic definitions at 11d, 28a and 3d. However my favourite was 18a, the club I used to go and watch from the terraces with my best friend as a teenager all in all, with the rhyming slang at 28a and 18a, it was a great puzzle for us Cockneys. Thanks to Shabbo for the hints and to the compiler.

9. Good fun with a lot of wit – thanks to our setter and Shabbo.
   From the many ticks on my printout I’ll select 28a, 3d, 11d and 14d for special honours.

10. Fine puzzle today, the stable was unruffled but for some unknown reason the sewer held out the longest (probably because of a dodgy sewer here that will need regular rodding until I get a man in.
    Thanks to Shabbo and setter (no guess from me I am boracic) would you 28a it,😉

    1. Why are you putting a man into the sewer, SJB? 😁

       1. What else would you put in a manhole?

          1. On Desert Island Discs in the 70s, Roy Plomley, the then host, asked Rachel Heyhoe-Flint, the England Women’s Cricket Captain, if lady cricketers wore cricket boxes. She replied, “yes, but we call them manhole covers”.

             1. Saucy!!

             2. Tremendous.

             3. As I said, Girl Power!

11. A rather enjoyable crossword today which I found relatively easy. Particularly liked 12a , a word I have not heard used much these days but evoked memories of my childhood .

    1. I strongly suspect that I’m at the younger end of commenters on here (though still over 40!), and I only got 12a as it’s a word I’d heard my father use. Never heard it elsewhere.

       1. You’ve never had a 12a (first definition)? They’re delicious toasted with lashings of butter. You can still get them at Leek indoor market and many other places.

          1. Mmm I am having a Pavlovian reaction to the thought of a bacon butty wrapped in a Staffordshire Oatcake

    2. I think what they’re called depends on where you live – in other words it’s regional.

12. Well I had a lovely time solving this – probably because I could do it! I I enjoyed the quickie pun and I even got the London club after initially thinking of jazz and music clubs in London. A distant memory now! The sun is shining here and I’m off to the garden centre. I hope the weather improves for you Shabbo – and yes I agree with retirement being exhausting- but great fun too. Many thanks to setter and hinter.

13. Terrific guzzle – right at my level, and thus my favourite in recent memory. Completed before the final half slice of toast and last sip of orange juice with no bits. In the background, Joe and Jos are biffing the New Zealand bowlers about the place. All is well.

    Thanks to the setter and Shabba-dabba-doo

    1. All was well.

14. Yep. Great fun, pretty straightforward with wit and great definitions throughout the grid. Tough to pick a winner, but 28a stood out from the crowd.

    Thanks and congratulations to our setter for a most rewarding puzzle, and to Shabbo.

15. Not my favourite puzzle of the week but quite a straightforward solve that didn’t cause any problems along the way.
    Top clue here was 11d.

    Thanks to our setter and to Shabbo for interrupting his holiday to bring us the review – so sorry that the weather isn’t treating you kindly.

16. Good Thursday fun on ‘not a Ray T Thursday’ – 1.5*/4.5*

    Favourite – a toss-up between 15a and 22d – and, oh look at that, my threepenny bit has landed on its edge.

    Thanks to the setter whoever it is and to Shabbo.

    P.S. Thanks to CS for yesterday’s nudge to ‘Clear Cache’ I am considering putting a sign up on the wall in front of my desk to continuously remind me.

17. Very mild (forgive me, M) for a Thursday, but with fine clues providng an enjoyable solve. I have ticked a few and will opt for 14d as my favourite today. 2*/ 3.5*.

    1. *1a. My amusingly wrong/rushed parsing led to the right answer:

       An “anagram” (to move) of RATS SEEM contained by (around) ship (SS).

       How wrong is that!

18. Another puzzle this week that went in very easily without a hitch for me. This is obviously not a RayT this week as he was onboard last week. Thought for a while it maybe a pangram, but with 3 letters missing, it wasn’t to be.
    Pretty much solved this in a clockwise fashion starting in the NE quadrant.

    1.5*/4* for me today

    Favourites were aplenty including 15a, 16a, 26a, 28a, 2d, 11d & 14d — with winner 14d
    Some great clueing today as well as some lateral thinking needed too.
    Nice puzzle to tackle.

    Thanks to setter & Shabbo

19. Relatively simple and very enjoyable for me today, slightly held up by misspelling 11D and not noticing. *.5/**** for me. Thanks to the setter, and to Shabbo for the clues which, although not needed today, are always fun to read.

20. Oh dear! It’s not my day – if it could go wrong it did!
    I felt as if there were lots of “sporty clues” but having counted there are only two if you don’t count 14d.
    A typo (my fault) with 20a didn’t help at all.
    I can never remember the other kind of crumpet.
    I liked 15 and 23a and 7 and 19d. My favourite was 17d.
    Thanks to whoever set this one (and gave me a headache) and to Shabbo for the hints (and calmed down my headache).

21. A surprisingly straightforward crossy for a Thursday but, splendid, nevertheless.

    I do agree that 10a should have US or American before the word football.

    My podium is 26a with the joint winners being 2d and 16a as I like the aptness of something cool in tres chic Paris and rowdy in America.

    Many thanks to Shabs and I’d’ve thought NYDK.

    I do enjoy typing the double contraction I’d’ve.

    2*/4*

22. Didn’t find this at all easy, had to prise most of them out with a crowbar. Needed too many hints to really be able to say I completed it. Thanks to all

23. An unaided finish of which I am very proud. All very enjoyable and fun. 11d my favourite but lots of others made me smile.

    I will read the hints later as I am now needed for packing (we go to Wales for a week tomorrow) and to clean!

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

24. Enjoyed that. South was softest touch. Favs 10a and 22d possibly joined by 1a chestnut which eventually dawned on me. Current obsession with first (whoops nearly said Christian and he’s a Hindu) names is irritating hence a delay in sussing 26a. Thank you Mysteron and Shabbo.

25. Good afternoon
    Rule 1. Think before applying pen to paper. I picked up the crozzie after breakfast and almost went in with SEAWATERS at 1a; thereby a) entering too few letters and b) overlooking the classic piece of misdirection!
    I stopped myself just in time.
    All done now; an enjoyable solve this afty.
    Many thanks to our compiler and to Shabbo.

26. Some excellent neat little clues e.g. 26a, thank you setter and Shabbo

27. A very enjoyable solve, but way harder than a ** for me, very much a ***. I solved enough to get checkers, I guessed 18a as I think I’ve heard of that. In the end I was stuck with 25a and had to use ehelp to get that. I remembered 12a from before but still not sure I know what it is; crumpets, yum yum. There were several candidates for top prize but I think 20a might be it, or 1a.
    Thank you setter for the fun and Shabbo for the hints and pics.

    1. P.S. I’ll read hints and comments later, exercise calls and I’m late today.

28. A very enjoyable crossword today for me leading to an unaided solve. Hurrah!

    Thanks to the setter and to Shabbo.
    I hope the rain in Inverness isn’t as bad as it is here in Angus, but maybe you’ll see enough birds to make up for it .
    Have a good time anyway and enjoy getting warm and dry when you give up for the day.

29. COTD 28a

30. A relatively easy one but fun. Some nice clues. I liked 28a (Guv)

31. What a nice crossword I was so 15a that I began to think it was Monday 😳 **/**** Favourites were 9 & 18 across and 3 & 22 down 😃 Thanks to Shabbo and to the Compiler 🤗

32. Another vote for 11d as pick of a fine bunch. The quickest solve of the week but fun for the short time it lasted.
    Thanks to the setter & to Shabbo

33. They don’t come much more straightforward than this on a Thursday but no less enjoyable for that, with numerous excellent clues favourite of which was 28a, a cleverly constructed clue with some English rhyming slang. Not Cockney as they would have you believe, its used all over the country and has been since time immemorial, although they claim it as their own it’s not. Thanks to the setter and Shabbo.

34. Even in my befuddled state, I thought this was not as tricky as expected for a Thursday, and thank goodness for that. Peter and I got our COVID and flu shots yesterday, hence our befuddled state, both with sore arms and wiped out. Struggled round the supermarket before breakfast for our weekly shop, before breakfast and back to bed, where I slept for two hours. Hopefully will wake up by tomorrow. Better than getting sick. Managed all of this, pre and post nap, and only held up by 12a which I had never heard of, and 25a because I misread my own writing and thought it began with a P and not a D. Thanks to setter for being benevolent today, and to Shabbo. 🥱 think I’m going to have another nap now…

35. We seem to be having a rather straightforward ride this week so am getting braced for Friday and that is not just for the crossword. Have organised a guided tour of Lord Leighton’s House followed by lunch at the Design Museum and then a London guide for Holland Park. The threatened rail strike has meant that everyone has made various plans to get into London. Will I be able to gather up 30 people ? Probably that and tomorrow’s crossword will be a hard call. Many thanks to Shabbo and our setter for today’s offering.

36. 2*/3* ….
    Liked 11D”A sight seen in a trip ? “

37. My yearly DT crossword upon my wife’s return from her annual trip to UK..we are in Colorado and I have DT crossword books to help ease the loss of daily DT crossword! (been here 25 years but still miss one or two things!..but not many!))
    Pleased to have an easy’ish one or rather one I instantly was on the “wavelength” of!
    Finished with last two puzzle clues thanks to this site which I found by accident.
    Thank you with a smile…my sister lives in Scotland and I have her latest email full of the awful weather..I am in the Rocky Mountain foothills with glorious fall clear blue sky and a nip in the air..1 down led me astray from the beginning with fall but worked it out thanks to here!

    1. Welcome to the blog, Roger.
       Now that you’ve introduced yourself I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter.

    2. I would like to welcome you too Roger and also recommend a puzzles subscription, many of our ex-pat commenters get their fix that way We have regulars from Florida, Canada, New Zealand amongst many more and there is always some friendly help and banter here

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