88 comments on “DT 31008”

1. A steady solve today with a few curveballs thrown in. Being a fan of the books, 1a went straight in. This was followed by 9a but then nothing until the downs. The southwest held out the longest and I’m not sure how 20d works but, as usual, I will have missed something obvious. Putting “LY” at the end of 26a didn’t help, either. My COTD is the station at 7d and I wonder if one of my favourite songs will accompany the hint.

   Thank you, setter for getting the week off to a good start. Thank you, Falcon for the hints, which I will now read to check on some of the parsing.

   1. Kinks I hope, but maybe you’re an Abba fan?

      1. Kinks, TC! The first time I heard the song I was on the train going across 7d bridge at sunset.

         1. Did you see Terry and Julie?

            1. No, they meet every Friday night and I was there on a Sunday.

               1. The DT’s obituary for Terence Stamp mentions he & Julie Christie were the inspiration for the characters though I think Ray Davies contradicted himself & said they were not.

         2. Hmm. 7d bridge is a ‘road bridge’; were you on a bus?

            1. You are quite correct, Senf. I was most definitely on a train crossing the Thames so perhaps it was Cannon Street I departed from. So long ago now and the memory fades.

               1. Senf knows his underground maps!

2. Falcons rating was right for me. A good puzzle with I think 5 useful anagrams and 2 lurkers. Is my favourite. I recall trying to bunk off an exam when at College feigning illness and the visiting nurse asked if I was enjoying The Lord of the Rings I was reading. She mentioned as she left her brother had written it but it was too long for her! She also declared me fit to sit the exam. Thanks Falcon and our setter.

3. Going like a rocket until I got to the SW corner.

   Don’t really agree that 18a is really rumbling, as to me that infers something that goes on for a bit, but that just might be me, and are trailers really towers? more like towees in my book.

   Great fun apart from those two gripes (well, it is Monday Morning after all)

   1. Like Falcon, I found it very hatd to get going. Then 1a, a favourite of mine, fell into place and the whole top half of the puzzle was soon filled in. The bottom half, particularly the SW, proved a lot harder to fathom, however. In addition to the cryptic book title at 1a, I liked the misdirection in the geographical clue at 21d and the anagram at 15d. Thanks to the compiler and to Falcon for the hints.

      1. I tried to read 1a years ago, but any author who needs several pages to describe a wood is not for me, I did read The Hobbit though, not half as dragged out as LOTR.

         1. Don’t try The Silmarillion then! Total waste of money, not to mention time.

4. I found at times that I really liked some of the clues and at others there were some eh?s. A real mish-mash for me.
   I didn’t know the musical but it was well clued. I did know the book though. I needed Falcon’s help to explain 14d.

   Top picks for me were 9a, 12a, 1a, 7d and 18d.

   Thanks to Falcon and the setter.

5. This was enjoyable with Devon & Cornwall giving me the most trouble.

   There were some nice anagrams (9a and 5d) and I agree with TC about the synonym for rumbling as it doesn’t seem quite right.

   I was glad to see that the setter didn’t resort to the dreadful new meaning for 25a.

   My podium is 22a, 27a and 14d.

   MT to the setter and Falcs.

   3*/4*

6. Perhaps a tad more difficult for a Monday than has become the norm, but all the more enjoyable for the challenge. Like others, the first few across clues went in speedily, then I dried up for a while. For a favourite I need look no further than 14d.

   Many thanks to our Monday setter and Falcon.

7. For a Monday I found this a good bit trickier than usual and without the charm and wit I look forward to. Probably me just being unreasonably grumpy.

   Thank you to the setter and Falcon

8. I have never got along with the author in question, or anything else involving elves and magic, but I remembered 1a and the rest of the puzzle fell into place pretty easily. The SW corner prevented a PB. I agree with Tipcat about the relationship between trailers and towing but, other than that minor concern, I thought the puzzle was very enjoyable and 12a caused me to chuckle once I’d worked it out. Thanks very much to the setter and to Falcon.

   1. I meant to thank Falcon specifically for the Beatles trivia, which reminded me that we are still awaiting volume 2 of Mark Lewisohn’s meisterwerk. Some googling has revealed little about its progress. I wonder if it will ever see the light of day?

9. Glad it wasn’t only me finding this a bit chewy in places with quite a few “hmm’s” scattered about. I’ll award cotd to 23a as it made me smile once the penny dropped. Thanks to compiler and Falcon.

10. 2.5*/4*. Good fun with a scattering of tricky clues taking me over my 2* time.

    22a, 3d & 14d are fighting it out for first place.

    Like Falcon, I was surprised by 1a but the BRB seems to think that the third word can mean either the vehicle doing the pulling or the one being pulled. Still, I suppose it’s better than “towee”!

    Many thanks to the setter (could it be X-Type?) and to Falcon.

    1. I’d bet on X-type too.

    2. I am not surprised that the third word of 1a appears in the BRB but my copy is sitting beside my computer at home. Thanks for confirming this meaning.

11. Definitely not like the Mondays of yore. Having having never been ‘near’ the books, I got 1a from the films and, even after reading RD’s comment and consulting the BRB, I am inclined to agree with Falcon on towers/trailers. I remembered 27a from having seen the film version while on an educational cruise on the SS Nevasa – happy days!

    Candidates for favourite – 22a, the aforementioned 27a, 7d, 8d, and 18d – and the winner is 18d.

    Thanks to whomsoever and Falcon.

    1. Just to point out, Senf the films of LOTR concentrated on the sensational aspects and not the finer points of the tales. I read the books while studying for my finals and I would meet my friends, who were also reading it, at the local every night after my revision was over for the day. We would discuss at length what we had read over our pints and all agreed that such a book could never be filmed unless it were a cartoon. A cartoon version was made and it flopped.

       Peter Jackson made good films based on the books but it left out vital parts that made Tolkien’s work “The Tale that Grew in the Telling”.

12. A nice puzzle for Monday with a number of candidates for best clue. The prize goes to 12a with second spot to 9a. I initially thought the anagram indicator in 13a was odd, until I read the extra hint by Falcon. Thanks for them and to the setter.

13. Just a quick note Falcon, Alan Alda wasn’t in the 1970 film, but did appear in the later T V series, I’ll take my pedant hat off now.

    1. Oops! How could I have forgotten that Canadian actor Donald Sutherland played Hawkeye in the film?

    2. Hi TC, I thought “show” was performing double duty as the letter and the Alan Alder reference

       1. As I pointed out in the hint, the setter cleverly avoids a “double duty” situation by using the pronoun “one” (referencing the word “show”) in the wordplay.

14. My comment above was meant to have a smiley face emoji, but it came out as 4 question marks, anyone know why?

    1. It’s been doing that for a while, TC and is somewhat inconvenient. Colon/dash/bracket works, though.

    2. Because emojis/emoticons aren’t working at the moment. If you go ‘old school’ and type in colon, dash, RH parenthesis (semicolon for wink) it does work, thus

       1. yep, that worked, ta all!

          1. Got it!

15. A pleasant solve for a Monday with one or two chewier clues. I had the first two words of 27a , and I really should have got the third but I didn’t know the musical and my knowledge of golf (similar to cricket ) isn’t brilliant. Of course once I had all the checkers in place I got it straight away. Thanks to the setter and Falcon

16. A pleasant Monday puzzle – thanks to our setter and Falcon.
    I didn’t know the informal meaning of ‘squeaking’ in 14d and wondered at first if it was a misprint for ‘squealing’ until the BRB put me right.
    My podium supports 12a, 27a and 3d.

17. I felt this was trickier than some Mondays with 27a being new to me, I got there in the end and enjoyed the challenge. I liked 21d

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

18. In Liverpool there is an area named Waterloo and sunsets are so magnificent that a lot of Liverpudlians assumed the song related this area.

19. This was the hardest-to-get-into Monday puzzle for a while; “I’m glad I’m not blogging this one,” I thought after attempting the acrosses. The rest of you will presumably also be glad I’m not blogging today, when you learn that if I had been I would have inflicted Fat Les on you as the soundtrack to 7d (rather than the more elgant photo Falcon has chosen, or indeed either of the acts Steve Cowling and Tipcat mention above).

    I hadn’t heard of the 27a musical; my single across answer on the first pass was the 16a party album.

    With 10a referencing a sitcom, I was wondering if this might be Twmbarlwm? Other Twm/Light puzzles this month have featured Cheers, Absolutely Fabulous, Friends, and Not Going Out.

    Thank you to the setter, especially for the 9a kippers and the 3d sports kit. And thank you to Falcon for explanations.

20. I had a lot of ‘hmms’ on my paper which usually points me towards a particular setter – my apologies if it’s not him.
    Think my favourite entry was the excellent secretary.

    Thanks to our setter and to Falcon for the review.

21. A nice gentle start to the (non)-work week for the most part. One of clues meant nothing to me, but the cross check letters put an end to that.

    1.5*/4* for me.

    Favourites 16a, 23a, 3d, 7d, 18d & 21d — with winner 23a as it made me laugh as I am an excellent secretary

    Thanks to setter & Falcon

22. A bit trick and I didn’t have enough time 1d with the answer clued as formula jarred with me. They are different things surely to anyone with any mathematical training? It’s probably one of those situations where having some specialist knowledge is a hindrance.

    1. Totally agree re 1d.

       1. Bit tougher than the usual Monday puzzle we found. Did finish without resorting to hints but took much longer than usual. SW went in last. Thanks to the Setter and Falcon.
          Gary and Val

23. 1.5*/4*
    All fairly benign today – helped by 1a falling rather swiftly. I’ve managed to read all 3 books only once but started the first many times in my youth.
    Thanks to all.
    Triple definition favourite today

24. I made heavy weather of this, not sure why I struggled. LOI was 18d, thought it was a very clever clue when the penny finally dropped.

    Thanks to setter and Falcon

25. A rather dry way to start the cruciverbal week with several iffy solutions e.g. 19a, 26a, 5d, 8d and 20d or perhaps I’m being unfair. Thank you to whomever and Falcon.

26. We really struggled with this but eventually beat it into submission with a little help for the score below par (sorry, Huntsman, I’m blinkered in the bunkers). We went to Brighton for the day yesterday – 9.49 train getting into Brighton about 11.45, coffee then a little stroll before a slap up lunch followed by another stroll round The Lanes, delicious ice cream sitting outside observing more tattoos and acres of flesh than I have seen since I visited last year, back home by 8. Luvverly day out with some ozone and I did the prize guzzle in the train on the way home. Such fun. Anyway, that is why I am a little under par today. My favourite was the excellent secretary, I needed Falcon’s help for 27a and 8d ( I’m not sure that single is necessarily chaste these days) so thanks for that, and to the clever Setter for sitting down and setting.

    1. Ahhh thanks for the description of Brighton. Went for a day trip a while back. The Lanes, so interesting and lovely.

    2. I love Brighton. I’m staying there for a few days in October for a book launch I have been invited to. The Lanes are charming and a good lunch can be had at The Cricketers.

27. You are either a fan of Tolkien or you are not . I detest that genre of literature.
    Like everyone else , the downs pulled me through.
    I really enjoyed this puzzle .
    Thanks to all concerned.

28. Just about right for a Monday. I struggled to parse 14d, which couldn’t be anything else, until I got the vermin connection (we call them longtails). 9a was a nice anagram but favourite was 12a – I know how it feels????.

29. My experience today was very similar to Falcon’s: a slow start developing into a reasonably straightforward solve. Though, I did write in the homophone of the answer at 8d rather than the answer itself, causing untold trouble for the police at 16d. ‘Kippers’ at 9a was new to me. COTD are 27a and 3d, both just the right Goldilocks level of clever for me. Thanks to the setter and Falcon

    1. You must be very young if you have never heard of ‘having a kip’ !!
       Come on, Sir Lancelot, where does having a kip come from?

       1. In fairness to Luckie Fred, familiarity with ‘to kip’ as a verb doesn’t necessarily mean one thinks of that activity when seeing the noun ‘kippers’!

       2. I have no ideas, DZ. So, I’ve looked it up (it’s a goodie)…

          The Danish word “kippe” referred to a cheap inn or tavern, while in Ireland, “kip” became slang for a brothel!

          Over time, the term evolved in English to describe a place to sleep and eventually the act of sleeping itself.

          Every day’s a school day and all that…

          1. That is a goodie, Tom

       3. Well, I do like to think I’m still very young, Daisygirl. But in this case it was, as Smylers guessed, the word play that caused the problem. Having a kip is nothing new to me, but the ‘-er’ suffix has done its job and sent me down the wrong road more than once recently. A question of cruciverbal, rather than biological, age!

30. Struggled with the south west corner.Last one in , with help 18d . Several minutes after finishing the puzzle I realised how clever this clue was and I will make it my favourite.9a made me laugh and liked 23a .Thanks to all.

31. 27a reminded me of this scene from the truly magnificent Mad Men. Ann-Margret at her best…..

    1. Very good Tom – and I agree about Mad Men, which is probably my favourite TV show of all time, just ahead of The Sopranos and (change of tone coming up) Brideshead.

       1. Brideshead, CM?

          A blast from the past and what a blast it was!

          Mad Men is also on my all-time podium.

          1. Literally just finished watching MM all the way through again. Mad Men is wonderful as well as giving me a quick answer to 27a. In descending order it’s Sopranos, Mad Men, Better Call Saul for me.

             1. A fine choice..

                The ‘last dance’ by Bert Cooper was outstanding (1 minute in)

       2. Brideshead & The Sopranos my top two. I really ought to re-watch Mad Men again.

32. Well, a game of two halves for me! To the extent that I wouldn’t argue if I was told the south was a different setter to the north!! Unlike most commenters above, I found most of the north read and write but then came to a shuddering halt in the south. Got there in the end but how long could I stare at 23a trying to parse “MA” as the last two letters and thinking “how can a secretary be an ‘MA’?”. Thanks for the hints, Falcon, needed you to confirm the parsing for the 26a marchers, the 5d Rolling Stones, the 20d nonsense and the 14d supermarket trolley. I had the answer but could not justify it until you pointed out the use of “squeaking” – very clever indeed.

    Thought a pangram may be coming but in addition to a missing ‘x’, my notes say, ‘k’, ‘v’ and ‘z’ were also missing.

    Thanks to the setter and Falcon!

    1. I couldn’t find K, V and Z, but there is certainly an X in the grid, Alfiepops.

       1. You are quite right, RD! Perhaps I just really wanted it to be an ‘x’-less pangram ☺!

33. I had to check 27a as I’d never heard of it. SW last in, some tricky clues elsewhere in the grid but managed to get there in the end. It took me a while to parse 20d, though I had the answer. Favourite was 3d. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.

34. Definitely a few questionable definitions, or at least to me, including 18a, 19a and 1a, agreeing with Falcon’s comment. 14d was another strange one. And I agree that this felt like it was written by two different people. So a tricky Monday, and not much fun. Thanks to setter and Falcon.

35. I assumed the island was raglan … aargh! Thank you compiler and Falcon

36. Like others, I got a bit stuck in the SW. I needed the hints to understand the clues for 14d and 18d, though I had solved them.
    Favourite was the back pain advice at 12a
    Thank you setter & Falcon

37. I was delighted to see that I was far from alone in pottering along nicely until the SW demolished my chances of a fast finish! But I did like the cardigan clue when finally the glass of burgundy cleared the clouds and the obvious answer appeared

38. 1.5* / 4* a good start to the week, squeaking was a new meaning for me at 24d , which held me up for way too long.
    Plenty of good clues to choose from, liked footballs second kit 3d and the duck cover at 9a
    Thanks to Falcon and setter

39. Completed top half more easily than usual,
    the rest came together gradually, favourites were 10a, 17d and 23a. 27a had to guess last word. Enjoyable puzzle.

40. Very enjoyable. Thank you. It was right for my scattered brain today as I tackled it while getting the spare room ready for our youngest, his lady and our grandson age 6 months. The are coming from Grenville, have just reached Carlton Place and will be here around 5. Canada’s a big place.

    1. Nice to hear from you, Carolyn. Enjoy having your visitors staying.

41. Probably on my own in finding this very difficult. Solved much of the North but almost nothing in the South.

    Thanks to all.

42. Thought I was on for a record time today, the northern half going in very quickly. However, as they say in football punditry, a game of two halves, the southern half presenting a real challenge. That said, another completion without reference to the hints or any other source.
    COTD for me, 14d and 15d.
    As always, thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.

43. The answers were straightforward enough though can’t say I knew 27a was a musical, hadn’t come across squeaking in the squealing context before & wouldn’t have known what Florence cathedral looked like. Otherwise an enjoyably brisk problem free solve. Tolkien not my cup of tea & have never bothered to sit through any of the Peter Jackson films either.
    Thanks to the setter & to Falcon.

44. Very entertaining crossword with several clever clues. My COTD is 9a. Thanks to the setter. Looking forward to your next compilation.

45. Retro party album my favourite in a good puzzle. VMT Setter & Falcon.

46. Left this one for a day, but gave up on 8d. I got 18d but can’t make head or tail of the explanation above – sorry…

    1. Morning, David. Thank you for commenting. For 18d:

       line = L
       live (the verb, pronounced with a short I sound) = be
       recordings = EPs (extended-play records)

       Insert the line into the other parts and you get a verb for what a censor may do, for example to swearing on TV. Hope that helps!

       1. Good afternoon. Thank you for taking the time to explain that.

47. 3*/3*…
    liked 12A “Incessant advice to person with bad back dropping book ?” (7) “

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