DT 30595

99 comments on “DT 30595”

1. I finished it but I’m not sure about the parsing of a couple of clues. That’s if I have the correct answers, of course. I don’t see what 21a has to do with worry, for example. Nor do I see how “perhaps” comes into 25d. Other than those it was an enjoyable solve with 16d being my COTD.

   Thank you to the setter for the challenge and thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.

   1. I completely agree about 21a and 25d even with the explanations. Everything else was quite straightforward.

   2. I suggest that you do not get too Ex*******d about what it has to do with worry!

      And the ‘perhaps’ is that North is just one possibility.

   3. For 25d Steve I took the perhaps as being as opposed to the South ****. I did find the answer for the other one listed as synonymous with worry but I’ll leave it to greater minds to use it in a sentence.

   4. From Google:

      exercise: to occupy the thoughts of; worry or perplex (listed as third definition)

      A perhaps uncommon usage, but feels valid to me.

      25d: “Perhaps North” = POLE (as in North or South Pole); “European” = POLE (as in a Polish person) – it only made sense to me after separating the words “North” and “European”!

      1. Welcome to the blog, Mark.
         We have a regular commenter who uses the alias ‘Mark’ so unless you are actually he could you please modify your alias to avoid confusion?

         1. Gazza, this may be the same Mark who has been posting regularly for some time now – unless we now have an update, Mark 2!

            As to the use of 21a for worry in a sentence: “As a Gooner, the probability of Man City winning the Premiership & Liverpool coming second 21As me greatly!”

            1. Or as a Sky Blues fan our 4th goal against Man Utd being chalked off as offside by a toenail ☹️

            2. It’s difficult to tell. Their two email addresses are totally different. I’ll suggest that Mark-2 changes his alias unless he really is Mark-1.

            3. Hi Mustafa and Gazza. The other Mark’s not me.

               1. Happily that clears that up, then – no possible confusion here at all !

                  1. !?

                     1. DG – on your Marks, get set, go: Mark has confirmed that he is Mark and not Mark, whom it had been thought might be Mark, while Mark is not Mark but Mark, which clears up any confusion.

                        1. Very good, Mustafa. 😄

                           1. Top marks then

                           2. Welcome to the blog, Paul.

                        2. Excellent work, MG! 👏👏

   5. 21ac — I would agree it’s stretching the definition a bit but “being exercised by” something/somebody can be used to include worry.
      25 dn — Pole may be (perhaps) north (or south); a Pole is certainly a European. Punning double definition.

      I’m more “exercised” (sorry 🥴) by defining ‘sentries’ as ‘watch’. “Watchers” would be correct as would “the watch”.

   6. Redacted – Comment Etiquette No 2 refers

      1. Redacted

   7. Agree, plus 17d is difficult to equate with “get”.

2. Not difficult but cleverly misleading in parts and some of the synonyms led me to believe that Dada’s thesaurus was out on loan. I still don’t understand 1a, even with the hint, and I needed the hint to parse 7d. That said I did enjoy the puzzle. Favourite was 16d, my sort of clue, with the lurker at 15a and the unusual synonym at 17d sharing the podium. Thanks to our setter and Huntsman.

   1. I may not have hinted 1a particularly well. AP kicked off a puzzle a few weeks ago with a similar clue –
      Food that could be too apt (6,6) The answer – mashed potato. There it was an anagram (of too apt) that required you to then think of a suitable anagram indicator (mashed) preceding the fodder as opposed to today when the anagram indicator (ground) you needed to come up with followed it.

      1. Thank you. I remember the mashed potato clue and totally get it now.

3. Just my speed, this one. **/***

   Mr H – you have the wrong word underlined in 27a.

   1. Ta – now corrected.

4. Very straightforward even for a Tuesday.
   Enjoyable, if not overly taxing.
   Ticks for 13a, 18a, 4d & 16d, but top prize today for 1a.
   Thank you mystery setter and welcome back and thank you to Huntsman. I trust if your golf clubs went into the water again in Florida, you left them there!

   

   1. I’m thinking of taking up crown green bowls (not sure my knees would take it mind). The non arrival of our booked transport is going to cost the princely sum of $500 to UPS the clubs back over & it may take up to 3 weeks. Needless to say not covered by travel insurance – ain’t that a kick in the head…

      1. Oh dear. A very bad end to what I trust was an enjoyable trip otherwise.

   2. This one didn’t want to be ‘evicted’ from the ramp at a USAF base near Tampa!

      

5. Typically Tuesdayish and the two grids indicate that this is an Anthony Plumb production so that is where my Toonie is going – 2.5*/4.5*

   Candidates for favourite – 1a, 12a, and 17d – and the winner is 1a.

   Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.

6. A straightforward crossy pour moi, aujourd’hui.

   The second word of 1a is an anagram indicator which I quite liked. I think ‘perhaps’ is there as it’s officially central Europe but pretty darned close to the Scandies that it could be argued it’s northern.

   The synonym for worry in 21a was a new one on me.

   My podium is 10a (obviously), 3d and 16d.

   Many thanks to AP and he who is a hoot.

   1*/3*

   1. See my other comment; the clue 25D splits between “North” and “European”, so the geographical location of Poland has nothing to do with it!

      1. You’re probably right, Mark.

         Having looked up on Wiki what countries are in which European regions, it’s all over the place. Germany is part of Northwestern Europe as well as Central Europe. England, in NW Europe, is on a similar line of latitude to Poland that is in Central Europe.

         Help!

         1. In any case, if the north relates to geographical location, then it is not a cryptic clue.

            1. Yep, a very fair comment.

               I think I just liked the fact that it raised a question with me as my geography isn’t too bad and I wasn’t sure if it was north or central Europe.

               Now I know.

         2. Tom. Indeed, Germany and Poland are generally/almost exactly on the same lattitude as each other and are clearly positioned in mid/central (from north to south) Europe. No way are either of them in “Northern Europe”. Not that that’s got anything to do with the clue.

            1. I’m with you but Wiki has Germany in Northwest Europe.

               Wiki Schmiki….mouse.

               1. Maybe Wiki thinks that all of Scandinavia is in Asia? I guess they’re referring to the main European peninsula – from Estonia/Ukraine to Portugal plus the UK – and regarding Scandinavia as a separate sub-region of Europe.

                  1. Good shout.

                     I can’t tell you the amount of times I have heard people say that Finland is part of Scandinavia.

                     In fact, I can….a lot!!!

                     Nordic Group? Aye

                     Scandinavia? Nah, as it ain’t a kingdom.

7. “I was sorely tempted to insert a clip of Middle Of The Road’s 1971 hit but didn’t want to be responsible for an earworm.” — too late, Huntsman, too late! Merely alluding to it like that was sufficient to lodge it in my brain, and I haven’t even done today’s crossword!

   1. Oh no! You’ve done it now, Smylers. Back in those days we used to pay tribute to Evonne Goolagong by replacing the first line with her name.
      You are responsible for today’s earworm.

8. Light, straightforward, enjoyable fare. Precise clueing, nothing contentious (for me!), a good few smiles. Hon Mentions to 10a, 7d, & the “country-mile” COTD, 1a.

   ≤1* / 3*

   Thank you to the setter (it did feel AP-ish to me) and to Huntsman. Sympathies on the golf club situation – at least you’ll get them back, otherwise you would have needed to get the swimming togs on to rescue the previous set from the water!

9. Straightforward is the word. I see no problem with exercise meaning worry and north is, as others have said, just one of 2 options and I liked the geographical twist. Ia was probably the best clue for me as I liked the idea of using the anagram indicator in the xlue. Other fine anagrams were 9a and 28a. Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.

10. Good fun this with no hold-ups. I thought it was very nicely clued throughout with some tidy surfaces. 7d was a good example of this and my favourite.

    Many thanks to Mr P and The Hintsman.

11. Fairly gentle and enjoyable – thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
    My ticks were awarded to the amusing 10a and 7d.

12. Tuesdays usually provide a delightful walk in the park and today it was just that. All ingenious and fair clues. East beat West to the post. Took a while to get “get” synonym. Many thanks AP for the short-lived fun and to Huntsman for being there in case of need.

    1. Re “get” I should have referred to 17d.

13. Really liked 1a, sort of clue in reverse, which I think I’ve seen v occasionally before, but got v bogged down with 17d, despite having the usual xwordland salesperson at the start. I’ll choose that as my fave today.
    Many thanks to the setter for a very gentle, but very pleasant stroll and to the temporarily clubless Huntsman.

    1. and permanently clueless.

       1. But remarkably hintful!

    2. Ah, now I get 1a! So the answer is fodder and indicator. Neat.

14. Nice to know that we still have AP around on a Tuesday even though it seems that we may have said goodbye to our regular Monday man.
    An enjoyable puzzle from him today with my rosettes going to 18a plus 3,7&16d.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and to Huntsman for the review – pleased to hear that you enjoyed the sunshine despite your woes with golf clubs continuing.

15. 2*/4*. This was a most enjoyable Tuesday puzzle which didn’t require much head scratching.

    My top picks were 1a, 18a, 26a, 7d & 25d.

    Many thanks presumably to Mr Plumb as well as to Hintsman.

16. 21a. 17 d
    After the first run through I thought that this was going to be harder than it actually turned out to be. Agree that the synonyms in 21a and 17d were unusual, but the clues were clever enough to steer me to the answers.
    My favourite was 1a
    Thanks to Huntsman and setter

17. I’m going to go against the majority of the commentariat in saying I found this a tad tedious. It was a case of relief rather than enjoyment in completion and I fear I maybe drifting off of AP’s wavelength again. 1a did raise a smile though. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

18. Some nice moments, especially as I’m still recovering from last Friday…

19. I did feel 18a should be “watchers” not “watches”
    Just beaten by the pesky 4 letter 26d

    1. Was sentry duty not known as the watch? Seem to recall it from the film Zulu

       1. And of course, we have Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch”

20. Typical Tuesday’ish? Not sure from my POV.
    Some odd clues and parsing in this one that led to some head scratching to get there in the end.

    2.5*/3*

    Favourites include 9a, 18a, 23a, 28a & 5d — with winner 28a. Smiles from 1a, 26a, 28a & 7d

    Thanks to setter & Huntsman for hints/blog

21. I enjoyed this. Not too hard with some humour. Favourites 1a, 28a (even if it is an anagram) and 7d (lovely surface). 1*/4

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.

22. 25d was my last one in as I was so unsure about the parsing. Subsequently, I read the explanation from the ‘new Mark’ above and now I geddit.
    Overall a great guzzle with several very glever glues, including the simple, but deliciously misleading 25d.

    Yesterday I was at Eton. Never has there been a set of buildings (and a town) with such a contrasting perspective depending on the weather. On a bright summer’s day, Eton is an oasis of charm, history, and joie de vivre.
    Yesterday was a dull, drizzly, cold, day, and the architecture and the empty streets reflected that.
    No cricket being played at Upper, where I stood in the slips from time to time, fifty five years ago. Yet the outlook feels almost exactly the same, bar the addition of some classy looking nets by the pavilion (which appears to have been extended).

    Thanks to the setter and Hintsman. Rotten luck about the golf clubs.

23. Welll, I had four great nephews there, my brothers grandsons.and four nicer boys you could not wish to meet. Why am I not surprised you were one of them Mr T. Did you ever get to wear the boater covered with flowers ?
    I am late today as Mark the Fixer came to fix the loo seat and stayed for coffee regaling us with scurrilous stories about other characters in the village, underlining George’s contention that you always pay local people on the dot pronto! I sailed through (more or less) until I came to the bottom LH corner on which I had to ponder. I liked the twist of 2a and also 16a. I had my hand dressed again today and now just have two fingers bandaged – my word the gods were smiling on me that day. Although if they were smiling that much I would not have gone through the glass would I? So I guess it is What will be, will be. Many thanks to the Setter and Hintsman – with all those snappy alligators around he was lucky to return home only minus his clubs. Raining.

24. Well if this is an AP offering, then I am pleasantly surprised and happy to have finished with minimal help. Getting off to a good start is always encouraging and perhaps could have made it to the end without hints, except for 12a, 21a and 17d which didn’t quite gel with their definitions for me. Did anyone else want to bung in cuppa at 26a? Luckily I remembered the fish from last week. Thanks to AP and our much travelled golfer, Huntsman. Glad to report that ortho gave Peter a cortisone shot yesterday that hopefully will at least make him comfortable enough for walking around Bermuda soon. But X-ray left us in no doubt that a new knee is looming.

25. I was convinced this was Wednesday, senility must be setting in. I was pleasantly surprised with this guzzle, bar 21a, that still feels wrong, despite the explanations above. I solved 1a first off and set the tone for the rest, so that’s my fave. So much to like here, I enjoyed it all.
    Thank you setter for the fun. Thanks Huntsman, so nice to see you back but sorry about the clubs.

26. I have no trouble with 21a as today I felt exercised with promoting my Arts Society coach trip. Coach hire is so expensive and yet one has to keep costings down. Last in was 25d and am still not happy because it was a bung in and it didn’t feel right. Otherwise it was an enjoyable but perhaps pedestrian crossword.Thanks to all involved.

27. All good today with 24d as my favourite thank you setter and Huntsman

28. I enjoyed this a lot and fairly romped through it with just a few head scratchers. I bought 5 Jersey Royal potatoes yesterday – OK they were medium sized, but was gobsmacked when the young man said it was just over £5! I bought them anyway but wished I hadn’t bothered. They used to be sublime but for some years now they are bland and tasteless. I don’t know what has changed but won’t be buying them again. Thanks to AP and Hintsman. Absolutely perishing here in Norfolk

    1. I believe it has something to do with the farmers not being allowed to use seaweed as fertiliser for the potato plants. The prices this year are ridiculous. I did get some reasonably priced Majorcan new potatoes last week which were delicious

29. Very enjoyable welcome home after a very cold week on the Suffolk Coast at Walberswick & Ufford Park, in the strong NE wind, playing golf in a buggy was the coldest I have been in my life 😰 **/*** Favourites 26a, 18 & 24d 😃 Thanks to Mr AP and to the Huntsman

    1. Remember staying at & playing Ufford Park a good few years ago. Switched on the TV & there was golf on. Offered to buy dinner & drinks that night if my roommate could identify the course assuring him it was one he’d played before. He couldn’t despite the fact it was a recording of a challenge tour event played on the course – mind you he hadn’t spent a great deal of his round on the short stuff.

30. Completed in (redacted. – see Comment Etiquette No 6) though I did need to come here for extra hints for some of the clues. Not sure how exercise = worry, unless I am reading it incorrectly.

    Enjoyable.

    1. Oops naughty step for you methinks,don’t know how you slipped the time past the scrutineer🤪

       1. Are we not permitted to put timings here?

          1. No, I mistakenly hinted at a time last week and it was blanked out

             1. Oh. I do apologise. I will bear that in mind in the future.

                1. No problem, BBBrim. It’s not a major transgression. We don’t put solving times so that those members who are just starting out and having difficulty are not put off by such things as “All done and dusted in 10 minutes!”

                   1. A typo in your email address – offive – sent you into moderation

                      1. That’s it! Senility has arrived! 🤣🤣

                2. I tried to reply to this but for some reason I was put under review. Just wanted to say why we don’t give solving times.

31. Completed with many bung ins. 21 and 24 answers are not words I would normally associate with the clues ,but every days a school day. Thanks to all.

32. Still in the middle of this, finding it harder going than some. Still getting to grips with some of the types of clue, completely missed the type of clue that 7d is for example, got via the main definition and crossing letters, needed the hint above to understand why it was right

    1. I’m irritated with setter over 21a also. I unpicked it from the cryptic bits but was convinced it was just a coincidence that I had an unrelated word that fitted the grid. I accept there’s words I don’t know but I’m not buying that one

33. Feels like a long time since the last time I’ve commented – that’s probably because it is.
    A very long story.
    The trouble with small grandchildren, lovely that they are, is that it’s easy to catch their nasty little bugs.
    In general I don’t catch things – this time I have – I’ve felt more ill than for a very very long time.
    Anyway I think I might be back now – in a rather weedy sort of way – pathetic!
    I liked 15 and 27a and 5 and 22d.
    Thanks to today’s setter for the crossword and to Huntsman for the hints.

    1. Oh dear Kath, you are definitely NOT pathetic! You are part of this lovely family.🙂

    2. Oh, I’m so sorry Kath, feel better soon!

    3. In absolutely no way are you pathetic, Kath. I hope you soon improve. 🌹

    4. Fully better soon I hope fingers crossed 🤞

       1. Get will soon Kath. I remember fondly our little chats in my early days on the blog. They have me confidence and made me feel even more welcome than I was already.

    5. Oh Kath! Hang on in. we are all rooting for you. I wonder what that means – why rooting? Anyway, sending love & Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Dip the sprogs in Dettol before they set foot in the house.

34. You are always so cheerful Kath a long way removed from pathetic. Hope you continue to improve 🌺

35. I thought I d struggle with this as at first glance couldn’t get any of the first few. However once started it all fell into place . An enjoyable and straightforward solve . Thanks to setter and Huntsman

36. I finished this before going out this morning and really enjoyed it. Whilst some of the synonyms did not come to mind as the obvious ones I did not have a problem with any including 21a. 1a was my favourite.

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

37. I managed to fill the grid early doors but pleased to see Huntsman saw them in the same way, for some time I wanted the butter to be Ghee, but Constable put the kibosh on that and led to Ghat being pencilled in (It is an Indian mountain pass and also the funerary platform for cremations – see what I learnt from Rahmat Ali’s reviews!) all became clear when the cryptic butter went in.
    Thanks to Andy and AP

38. I found this pleasingly straightforward unlike the toughie rated at 2* which I have temporarily abandoned with barely half done. I felt this was pitched just right for a Tuesday and great fun with some real head scratchers. Favourite was 22d. Thankless to AP and Huntsman.

39. Oh dear, this was a
    Swift read and write.
    Hardly stirred the
    Grey matter.
    Still, completion is
    Always satisfying.
    Thanks setter and
    Huntsman.

40. Another enjoyable puzzle, not too taxing for an old shrinking brain.

    Thanks to the setter, AP?, and to Huntsman for the hints. A shame about the tardy clubs, but were they not a borrowed half set, or did you add your clubs that you rescued from the river?

41. 2*/3* ….
    liked 7D “More intelligent wretch runs for leadership initially (8)”

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