DT 30937

79 comments on “DT 30937”

1. Well, what a difference to yesterday! The professor offering us a fairly straightforward guzzle that was full of smiles and satisfying pennies. I managed to solve just over half on the first pass giving many checkers for the remaining clues. Fortunately, I remembered the “one collar two sleeves” rule for the spelling of 12a otherwise I might have struggled in the Northwest. Very difficult to pick a favourite out of so many good clues but the Swiss archer at 7d raised a smile so I will award it COTD.

   Thank you, Professor Plum in the library for an enjoyable solve. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.

   There’s been a fair amount of rain in The Marches recently thank goodness. The garden was in desperate need of it.

2. After struggling big time yesterday, I found today’s offering very easy.
   I need something in the middle!

3. A gentle offering today but still enjoyable.

   Top picks for me were 13a, 15d and 24a.

   Thanks to Huntsman and the setter.

4. Yep, super gentle. 20d’s a fun surface and 8d’s neat. Thanks to setter and Huntsman. Top tunes as always. I see your Willie D. and raise you!

   1. Saw Curtis Stigers last night at The Stables with his regular jazz trio (double bass, pianist & drums). He’s a great raconteur, fine singer & tenor sax player. I’d have preferred a bit more jazz content but we got a terrific John The Revelator + Waits, Lowe & Fullbright covers along with some of his songs & of course Bob to finish with. He’s got his usual residency at Ronnie Scott’s later this year – may go & see him again.

5. Another belter from Il Professore to go with last week’s.

   People often mix up 23d with the noun that begins with an e. I was told this which I always use:

   Remember the word raven:

   Remember
   A*****
   Verb
   E*****
   Noun

   They can be the other way round but, if you go with this one, you’ll be right 90% of the time.

   I played 21d when I was a nipper but have only recently discovered there’s a lot more skill to it, e.g not putting a card on another card, not putting a king from the pack in a space etc. I am now obsessed and have to play four or five games daily, after I’ve tackled the crossy at breckie. My record streak for going out is four. Love, love, love it.

   I have so many clues ticked that picking a pody is futile. I even thought about choosing the acrostic as it was so good!. But, I’ll go with 24a, 28a (great construction) and 1d.

   MMT to the prof and Hoots!

   1*/5*

   1. How funny, I am an 18d fanatic as well. Quicker than Scrabble which takes more thought.

      1. I love a bit of Scrabble. It’s a fab game as it takes less than an hour unless it’s Superscrabble that has a bigger board.

      2. I am hooked on a style of 18d too, I have an app with loads of styles but I always go with the “Yukon” variety, instead of turning the hole cards in ones or threes you just deal them face up on the normal 7 columns and sort them out from there

         1. Interesting. Thanks for that, Sloops.

            1. That’s how it looks after the deal, moving the 9 clubs to the red 10 would be my first move, the unorganised cards in that column go with the 9c and hopefully you get them all sorted as you expose more of the hidden ones

               

               1. Congratulationsll You have won!
                  Wins 2697 (73.67%)
                  Losses. 964 (26.33%)
                  Total 3661
                  Current series 4
                  Best series 35
                  Current time 6:03
                  Best time 1:07
                  Average time 5:48

                  I think those stats go back about 5/6 years, I hope to get my average up to 75%

                  1. Great stuff. It looks a hoot!

6. As others have said, quite a relief after yesterday’s grind, although it’s definitely good to have varying levels of challenge. Buddy at 15d was my favourite this morning. I am now free to go and work on my allotment in the very welcome rain. Thanks very much to the setter and to Huntsman. Unfortunately the Willie Dixon references have reminded me of Led Zeppelin (fine in itself and they at least acknowledged their sources on some of his songs) and through them my current obsession with buying guitars I can’t play properly. Now how much was that gold top Les Paul again…

7. Order is restored, but for how long I wonder? As Typically Tuesdayish as it can get – 1.5*/4.5*

   Favourite – 22d.

   Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.

8. I love Tuesdays!
   As others have said in the past – it doesn’t have to be brain-mangling to be enjoyable.
   This was a joy to complete (albeit a little short-lived).
   One minor quibble – I may be wrong, but 7d doesn’t quite work for me. If I read it right, the story comes after the Swiss archer, not around it…
   But that did little to dent my enjoyment.
   With thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.

   1. I read 7d as a story regarding (about) the archer.

      1. Ah yes, that works! Thanks Steve. But the Huntsman’s hint reflects the “around” reading of the clue…

      2. Me too.

   2. You’re quite right Arthur (& Steve) – I was more than a bit bleary eyed this morning when writing the blog – reckon the whole clue needs underlining as the definition

      1. No it doesn’t.

   3. I agree with you re 7d.

9. A real cracker of a guzzle, perfect for my ongoing basic level of competence.

   Quite a night here. A massive bough of a sycamore tree came down in a mini-storm. It bounced on to a pergola/arch covered in honeysuckle, and fell, blocking the path by the river. It can stay there for today as the weather continues to be grizzly.

   Thanks to the setter and Andy (surely not) On The First Tee.

   1. Tried to post bluebell wood watercolor but get too large message. Can’t remember how to make smaller on iPad 😕

10. Like others I fairly shot through this one, but I revisited the clues after completion to appreciate fully the quality of the setter’s art. Absolutely first rate throughout, with 18d my favourite this damp morning.

    Thanks to AP and The Hintsman.

11. 1*/5* for this perfectly Plumbish composition, which provided much needed relief after yesterday’s back-pager.

    Too many good clues to single any out.

    Many thanks to AP and to Hintsman.

12. Light and enjoyable stuff today. Lots of nice surfaces to make me smile.. is the hint for 7d correct? If so I must have something wrong?

    Thanks very much to the setter and for the hints. */****

13. Yes indeed, an eminently approachable guzzle, in contrast to yesterday’s example of the more difficult Monday backpager. U likes the plant lego clue at 15d and the anagram game at 1id, plus the Lego clue with a historical reference at7d. Thanks to the compiler and to Huntsman for the hints

14. Nothing to do with the crossword, but does anyone know what this is? It was about 15 metres down on the reef in Bonaire, it looks a bit like a kiwi fruit cut in half, I reckon it might be an urchin of some kind, but nobody knew at the dive shop. I’m hoping we might have a marine biologist or two amongst or clan, any suggestions greatly appreciated…

    

    1. I believe it is the Orange Cup Coral. But I am no expert.

       1. Cheers SW, I’ve since got an answer back from the resort near where we saw it, and they reckon it’s an Artichoke Disc Coral, they say it’s quite rare so we were lucky to see it, and the light from the camera is making it look more red than green (which is what it is) but I’ll look up Orange cup coral to see which is closest.

          1. I am sure they are right!

             So how do you rate Bonaire? Our best experiences were Baros and Villivaru in the Maldives … but the resorts are not what they were – “no shoes, no news”!

             1. We,ve been going to Bonaire for 17 years now, the diving is out of this world, but, as everywhere its getting more crowded and far more commercial. Once you could have a whole divesite to yourself, but now there’s many more people at each one.

                Sadly the coral is slowly dying due the rising sea temps, always 27c in our 1st year, now always 28.
                In years to come it will be very bleak indeed. Enjoy it while you can!

    2. According to Google Lens It may be a brooding anemone

       https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?id=ed03de41-155d-4519-3e98-61a55ba814c3&gid=720C3058-CFFA-8671-1EB4F8329446DDC6

15. A very enjoyable puzzle today.

    Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.

    Clear and bright up here……so far….

16. I share the apparently unanimous view that this a gentle and enjoyable puzzle – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
    For my podium I selected 14a, 25a and 7d.

17. Completed this sitting on a sun bed in Crete, not a cloud to be seen. Having just spoken to my daughter I understand the weather is very different back in dear old Blighty. As everyone else has mentioned, much easier than yesterday’s fare, although on a personal level, I don’t mind the more difficult challenges since I hope that it helps improve my cruciverbalist skills being something of a beginner. Had to use one or two hints especially in the NE corner. No real favourite COTD, nonetheless, thank you to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.

18. Good fun and all has been said. Cotd is 24a. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

19. I sailed through this today and it seems I wasn’t alone. I really enjoyed it as everything fell into place. My only stumbling block was 15d which I realised was ‘Hollyhock’ but couldn’t fathom why. Thanks Huntsman for directing me to a famous Buddy. Also thanks to the setter for brightening up my Tuesday morning.

20. Yup, v gentle & an enjoyable if brief accompaniment to the mid-morning coffee. Many thanks to AP and to Huntsman.

    I’m not a gig/concert sort of person, but some 35 years ago I went with friends to the Royal Albert Hall for a Joan A concert, where she was quite brilliant despite the size of the space. An incredibly talented person, and I can put that track (and Willow) on endless repeat without ever getting bored, so thank you again, Huntsman!

    1. I saw her in 1978 at Blackbushe as part of the Bob Dylan concert line up, along with Eric Clapton, Lake etc, etc….

21. Under the weather today and there’s a lot of weather to be under in Warwickshire! Therefore, this gentle professorial dissertation was perfect for a Tuesday. Difficult to pick favourites but I’ll go for the 14a resistant horses and the 28a French judgement.

    Thanks to Mr Plumb and Hunstman

22. Very enjoyable, ideal Tuesday puzzle 😃 **/**** Favourites 10a, 14a, 27a & 4d 👍 Thanks to AP and to the Huntsman for the music 🤗 Time left to do some much needed weeding, if only there wasn’t a monsoon ☔️

23. My best performance for a long time and I enjoyed it immensely, Two comments about the chosen music. Despite it becoming very popular both Gershwins lost all their personal investment in Porgy and Bess. .Its better days were still to come. Joan Armatrading’s first LP ‘Whatever’s for Us’ was made with Pam Nestor who wrote a lot of the lyrics and music and showed Joan how to play the tunes she wrote. After the album was released music executives liked it but thought that Pam didn’t measure up to their idea of a what a black woman should look like so Joan agreed to drop her for which I dropped any interest in Joan Armatrading who showed a lack of fellow feeling and good taste. Pam has gone on in her own way and seems happy. I am not happy with how she was dumped.

    My grateful thanks to Mr Plumb and Tally Ho!

24. Very gentle, but an enjoyable solve whilst it lasted.
    Huntsman is far too modest to admit it, but this was his 100th blog today.
    Thank you, my friend, for giving up your Tuesday mornings for the best part of two years.

    1. Well done H. 100 bblogs not out and very helpful they were too.

       1. Thanks Chriscross – reckon my accumulated errors probably beat me to three figures so it’s just as well I get the easy day.

          1. Congrats on raising your bat, Hoots 👏👏

             Thanks to you, we are all well and truly up to speed with music from days of yore. The clips are a delight to watch.

             Not forgetting your outrageous film knowledge, of course.

          2. Congratulations, Hintsman. Here’s to the next century! 👍

             1. Not sure I’ll last that long Steve but we’ll see – as long as the slips keep dropping my nicks

25. Whoosh, what was that?
    That was your puzzle mate!

    Like many others have said, this was over all too quickly, but very enjoyable nonetheless, my two favourites today
    were the buddy one, and V=I 14a.

26. Lovely rain for the beans today so I have taken the opportunity of cleaning out my built in wardrobe behind the bed. It put me in a bad mood but I was somewhat mollified by having a nice guzzle with my lunch. I have never seen 4d spelt like that so had to look it up – and it is an alternative but I think Terence could put it on The List for me. Who is ever going to use it? Congratulations to the Hintsman on his centenary and thanks to the benevolent Setter. Now I’ve got to go and put everything back 🙁

27. Once again this week, Tuesday’s puzzle is easier than Monday and is Typically Tuesdayish.
    Lots to like and an enjoyable solve Monday evening and after a long day for me.

    1.5*/4*

    Favourites 5a, 14a, 25a & 18d — with winner 25a

    Thanks to AP & Huntsman

28. I mentioned that I had been to a local Care Home to talk about the war years – the summer edition of the Village Magazine has just come out and the phone keeps ringing…,….

    

    1. Well my first reply went into moderation because I accidentally used the alias “Stone Wallet” – a simple mistake but where did it go?

       DG, I was saying that you should talk with my mother. She will be 99 next Monday (still living at home with her cat, lucid and reasonably well but unfortunately has not been able to do the DT now for a couple of years due to failing eyesight). She never talked about the war, but always feared there might be another one.

       One consolation is that she did meet Big Dave in the pub at Hanley Swan a couple of years ago.

       1. It didn’t go anywhere; it’s still sitting in moderation but I’m going to delete it because you’ve repeated its content in this comment.

          1. 👍

29. A jolly puzzle to follow yesterday’s brain-mangler, very much appreciated. I rather thought that 18d would appeal to our blogger – my own top three were 25&28a plus 7d.

    Many thanks to Mr Plumb and to Huntsman for the review.

30. Another pain-free, delightful Tuesday offering. No serious hitches although a bit slow to parse 7d and 26d
    Thank you so much Mr. Plum for the fun and also Huntsman without whom I did in fact manage.

31. I was away yesterday so this was my first of the week. Great fun as always for a Tuesday
    1*/4*
    20d fav today

32. 1.5*/3.5* I seem to be one of the few who found yesterdays quite friendly and today’s at a similar level. Liked 4d, 15d and last in 8d

    Thanks to Huntsman and setter

33. I think my fastest ever solve, I don’t know because I don’t time myself but it felt like it. That don’t take away from the enjoyment though. Favourite was 4d. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.

34. Now that’s what a call a lovely puzzle, especially after the brain mangler from yesterday. And I’d like to mention that it isn’t only the less experienced who enjoy a puzzle, particularly if they can finish it sans help. Very much enjoyed, thanks Mr Plumb, and Huntsman.

35. Such neat clues! Thank you compiler … and Huntsman I had the privilege of twice seeing Rory Gallagher play The Lyceum back in the early 1970s. Years later when visiting Dublin I then discovered they’d named a street after him.

36. What a great guzzle. Thankyou to Mr Plum and congratulations to Huntsman for his excellent blogging.

37. Easy does it today, although 8d managed to stump me. Thanks to setter and Huntsman.

38. An enjoyable puzzle which though gentle on the brain cells still managed to tease my skills in places. Many thanks to the setter and congratulations to Huntsman on his 100th blog!

39. Great puzzle for those of us who enjoy an occasional relaxed Tuesday. Thanks to huntsman, prof and all who took the time to comment. All good clues, just a nice one for a glass of wine after yet another test drive….

40. Reading the comments, today’s offering was well received and I agree. It was our Arts Society meeting with a lecture on The Frick and lunch afterwards followed by a committee meeting ~ hence my late posting. It was great to have a straightforward but very entertaining puzzle. Favourite was 7 down. Huntsman gave me the correct spelling for 29 across. Because I spell phonetically the last letter escaped me but fortunately it didn’t occupy a square for another word. Thanks to our setter and Huntsman

41. A refreshing walk-in-the-park.

42. What a delight that was, completed this morning but with only time to comment now. The clues were all excellent but I did rather like 7d.

    Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints – congratulations on your century.

43. Needed my wife’s assistance for three in the NE – she is more musical and arty than me – but otherwise, reasonably straightforward with some lovely clues, which were well-parsed and had very good surfaces. COTD from a long list of possibles: 13d for its construction. Thank you to Prof Plum and Huntsman. 1.5/4

44. I thought 23 down was EFFECT…?

45. Should’nt 23 down be Effect…?

    1. Hi DG.

       Both the words are verbs though the latter is playing the role of a noun in the surface.

       I posted this earlier (I’m not saying that you got it wrong)…

       People often mix up 23d with the noun that begins with an e. I was told this which I always use:

       Remember the word raven:

       Remember
       Affect
       Verb
       Effect
       Noun

       They can be the other way round but, if you go with this one, you’ll be right 90% of the time

       1. I think effect change may be where Doug is coming from but take your point that it’s a noun far more often than a verb. In any case effect wouldn’t have been synonymous with feign.

46. Sorry, should have said COTD 13a (not 13d).

47. Spent ages trying to get the last one in, 10ac, then realised I had the first three from 8d wrong and I had created a new word! Not the for as in support 😊

48. 1*/3* …..
    liked 22D “Quiet big cat makes you jump (6)”

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