DT 31016

68 comments on “DT 31016”

1. A cracker from the start. The four longuns certainly aided completion of a puzzle full of wit and charm but I fear Terrence might be getting an ear bashing from Col. Bagshot about 24a. My podium, from a plethora of options comprises 1a,, 8a and 3d. Thanks to Hudson (?) And Senf.

2. Nice and for me very gentle puzzle in my favourite grid. I spent almost as long (ie ages) on my last two 4d and 3d as on all the others. Couldn’t parse 10d as never heard of the slang for magazine on its own (ie not counting fan-zine). Overall very enjoyable with the exception of 24a which definitely belongs on the list (though it was very fairly clued). 17a made me laugh. Thank you as always setter and blogger.

3. I set off at a cracking pace but ground to a halt about two thirds of the way through. The double unches messed me up making 19a, 3d, 4d and 22d hard to sort out – for me, anyway. I didn’t know the bright star at 24a but it was quite gettable once checkers were in. I did, however, check with Mr. G. that it was a star. I didn’t follow all the parsing so will check the hints. Such a clue was 4d where I don’t understand the Tory big beast. I liked the Lego clue at 1a and that becomes my COTD.

   Thank you, setter for your Wednesday challenge. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.

   1. Michael?

      1. Thank you, Angelov – I now understand.

   2. ‘Big beast’ appears to be a term peculiar to UK politics and, according to on-line sources, is a term for a prominent and influential politician. I had never come across the term until I read the clue for 4d. Perhaps it all began with the Beast of Bolsover a.k.a. Dennis Skinner, the former MP for the town in Derbyshire.

      So, now it has been used once, we might see more of ‘guess a Tory/Labour/Liberal big beast’ in clues; but perhaps not so much of the third option.

      For me, the double unches were ‘benign’ and I didn’t notice them until I had completed the solve.

      1. Thank you, Senf. I must admit I did not know the term “big beast” in the political sense.

4. An enjoyable puzzle with a seasoning of trickiness. As I was working through it I noticed the crossing letters of the second part of 6d and thought I must have something wrong as I couldn’t imagine a word fitting in there. I then read the clue and it became clear.
   24a and 3d were both new to me but gettable.
   Top picks for me were 1a, 4d, 20a and 16a.

   Thanks to Senf and the setter.

5. Softly, softly catchee monkey and I made it thanks to MrG’s help for unfamiliar 24a and parsing 10d but all good fun. W came in first. 14d raised a smile. Thank you setter and Senf.

6. Enjoyable Wednesday crossword

   Thanks to the setter and Senf

7. A fun puzzle – thanks to the setter and Senf.
   It was slightly marred for me by all four of the long answers being anagrams.
   For my podium I selected 16a, 4d and 10d.

8. I found todays crossword quite difficult. Needed two sittings to finally complete it. It didn’t help that I wrote a T for the second to last letter of 28a, before realising it should be an F. It also took me ages to realise that 3d was a reverse lurker. I have not really come across that word. Anyway, thanks to the setter and for hints.

9. 1.5*/4*. I probably would have finished this very enjoyable puzzle in my 1* time except that I spent too long looking for a non-existent pangram.

   17a was my favourite.

   The BRB doesn’t think that the food in 12a is necessarily inferior.

   Many thanks to the setter (Karla perhaps?) and to Senf.

   1. I parsed it as “Cheap, inferior” being the definition (since something that’s cheap isn’t necessarily 12a), leaving the food just to be food. Does that work any better for you?

10. A very pleasant midweeker from The Big H (?)

    I wonder if he intended to have the four longies as anagrams or it’s the way it worked out? Either way, they kicked things off nicely. Imagine saying to a rookie solver that these four things mean the same in a crossword: runs, whisked, sadly and all over the place. The last one is how they would feel.

    1a sounds like the start of a joke that Simon Evans would say: ”An ambassador, Chinese rulers and a Yankee writer walk into a pub…”

    I didn’t know that the answer only had one M.

    Big Beast and Zine were also new to me and I’ll be impressed if anyone has heard of 24a and. 3d is an interesting one as it has the same root as erupt and interrupt (Latin: rumpere to break or burst out). I’m amazed it’s not in common parlance.

    My pody picks are 27a, 2d and 13d.

    MT to the aforementioned and Senf.

    2*/4*

    1. love Simon Evans – I feel a YouTube visit imminent

       1. I saw him a couple of months ago. A top man,

          So erudite.

11. An enjoyable Wednesday puzzle with just the parsing of 3d causing a bit of grief – read it properly girl! Top two for the amusement were 11a&14d- still smiling about the off-peak call.

    Thanks to our setter (Hudson?) and to Senf for the review and lovely clip from Nimrod.

    1. I heard Lux Aeterna, for the first time ever, on the radio on Sunday (three days ago). I do not know if it was the same ensemble performing but I suspect that it was. It was an obvious choice when the composer appeared today; a very pleasant alternative to the orchestral version (but there’s nothing wrong with an orchestral version).

       This article, from Classic FM, gives some background information:

       https://www.classicfm.com/composers/elgar/sublime-vocal-nimrod-lux-aeterna-voces8/

       1. I don’t often listen to the musical offerings of our bloggers, but I loved that fabulous a capella version of Nimrod.

12. I’m surprised that you find 24a unusual, I’ve often come across it when listening to astronomers lecturing about stars to common folk “the nebulae” (or not! ). As to 3d, yes commoners ‘erupt’, but the posh 3d.

    1. LNL, my understanding is that “erupt” is an outward motion and “irrupt” is inward (hence the clue definition “to break in”.)

13. Thanks to the Setter and Senf for the hints. Although we got 10d from the checkers we still don’t understand the clue. Otherwise a fairly swift solve. Gary and Val

    1. The answer to 10d could describe the clue itself. I hope that I have ‘dissected’ the clue well enough in the hint for it to make sense.

    2. This might help:

       ‘Times’ is a misdirection of ‘times’ which is BY (as in 6 by 4 = 24). Z—INE is a short word for magazine (in crossword land at least).

       1. Gazza please note – a budding blogger here!

14. Another bright and breezy offering, with only the lurking star in 24a and the unusual spelling of the rekrul in 3d requiring confirmation after completion.
    My standard tactic of not wasting time on long anagrams proved sound, as all four of them capitulated once checkers were inserted.
    Thanks to the setter and Senf.

15. What a lovely puzzle. Amazing that the setter could find four long anagrams round the outside; i always admire the anagrammer’s art!
    Needed Senf to explain the last couple of letters in 26a, what a penny drop moment!
    No particular favourites, liked them all.
    Bravo the setter, and many thanks to senf for the blog and the hint!

16. I have been anxiously awaiting the publication of today’s blog because, although I managed to complete the puzzle, MANY of the parsings eluded me. Unfortunately, I had an appointment at 11:00 so this is the first opportunity I have had to check in, and I am VERY grateful to Senf for his excellent explanations which, without him, would still be baffling me.
    Many thanks (again) to Senf, and to the setter.

17. I’ve dabbled in astronomy so knew 24a but, 3d (never heard of the word),4d (should have got it sooner) and 10d (needed Senf’s invaluable help) pushed the puzzle firmly into ** difficulty but still **** for enjoyment

    Thanks again to Senf and setter

18. Loved 17a … but I think the setter missed a trick here with no reference to Gunner Graham ????

19. .. a nice solve … just a minor pedantic comment re the hint to 26d. This is marked as an all in one(yes?). However, doesn’t first part of the clue indicate “faced” written from bottom to top i.e perked.

    1. I think Senf underlined all of 26d as a cryptic definition — a clue which doesn’t have a separate wordplay element (different from an all-in-one, where the whole thing is both wordplay and definition). In which case ‘perked’ is a short form of ‘percolated’, something that drip coffee needs to do before one can drink it.

       Can you give an example of ‘perked’ meaning ‘faced’? That isn’t a meaning I’m familiar with — but that doesn’t mean it isn’t or that your parsing isn’t the intended one.

       1. .. to perk up .. could be the same as face up, especially in crosswordland.

20. Very enjoyable but spoilt a bit for me by the grid filler at 24a and the clunky anagram at 6d.
    Plenty to enjoy elsewhere, so apologies to the setter if this sounds a bit negative.
    27a gets my vote for CoD, closely followed by 1a, 18a, 27a, 2d, 9d and 14d.
    26a could have been written for our blogger, Mr Mustard, to whom, many thanks.
    Thanks also to our mystery setter.

21. Still puzzled by 22d …. With “unti” and the reference to more cheerful. Can anyone help? Thank you.

    1. jAUNTIEr “undressed”

       1. Of course … thank you

22. I found this Wednesday puzzle on the generally gentler side with four nice 13 letter clues in the perimeter area that really helped.
    There were two new words for me in the mix as well as a half dozen parsings I could not fathom.

    2.5*/3.5*

    Favourites 8a, 11a, 28a, 5d & 9d — with winner 9d
    Smiles for the 4 perimeter clues.

    Thanks to setter & Senf

23. I’m not sure what was going on this morning but I sailed through this. I somehow managed a couple of the long anagrams without writing out all the letters in a circle, as is my wont, and by the time the down clues rolled around I discovered I’d already completed two of them with checkers … Which is a long way of saying that this puzzle made me feel quite the smartie pants and so it has to be the full ***** for enjoyment. Learnt a few things along the way, to boot, not least 3d. Its neighbour, 4d my COTD. Many thanks to Senf and setter

24. Was going so well apart from two clues, 3d and 10d, which completely defeated me. I had never come across the synonym for a magazine and had trouble seeing 3d even with the hints. So obviously very well disguised. Tomorrow is another day.
    Thanks to the setter and to Senf for the hints.

25. Another great day in crossword land. Pretty much solved without help, except I did have to verify the 24a star, and the 3d spelling was new to me, but they were both obvious from the clues. COTD to 4d, perfect for the subject ????. Spent a little too long thinking of marmalades etc. in 28a before the light bulb went off. Perfect, just how a cryptic should be. Thanks to setter and the always reliable Senf. Huge relief today when we finally stopped the FedEx driver from redelivering the unwanted 140lb order – phew!

26. 24a – in case anyone is interested, it’s the tail of Cygnus, the swan. Find the W of Cassiopeia, and head southwards. I always think Cygnus is more of a Christian cross (in which case this star is the top) because the wings tend to be fainter.

    For those of you blessed with dark skies, Cassiopeia and Cygnus lie along the Milky Way so it’s a good way of finding it as your eyes adjust.

    The crossword itself was straightforward and enjoyable.

27. Solved almost all of this crozzie without the hints apart from 3d, which was a new word for me. Also needed the hints to fully understand the parsing of quite a few – already mentioned by previous bloggers. Thought it was easier than Monday and Tuesday and enjoyable (apart from 3d). COTD 7d, which I think is clever because the entire phrase could itself be a definition for the answer (without doing the anagram). **/****
    Thanks to setter and to Senf for the hints.

28. Surprisingly gentle after first glance. Got within 2 of finishing in my truncated mid-day efforts. the 6d subject and 9d Isle of Dogs eluded me for no good reason but fell quickly on my return to it just now. Astronomy, cosmology and quantum mechanics are amateur passions of mine so got the star lurking in 24a. Don’t recall quantum mechanics ever being useful in a cryptic though I’d love to see a setter try! Quite like this grid too. Needed Senf’s help to confirm the parsing for 10d, can’t say I’ve ever heard of that contraction for a magazine! Still can’t see the undressed word in 22d but the answer was obvious from the checkers.

    COTD went to the 8a tribunal.

    Many thanks to the setter and Senf.

29. Finished this morning but only just got to the blog. Whilst I completed it I needed some help with understanding the parsing of 10d and 24a and 3d were new words to me. I enjoyed all the anagrams particularly so will have 8a as my favourite.

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

30. Lovely puzzle – the off-peak call was the stand-out laugh.

    VMT Mystery Setter and to Senf.

31. First chance to post as it’s been a busy day starting with my usual 60 mile round trip to the Royal Free for a venesection & liver ultrasound – deep joy. Anyway like Miss T Fide completed this very enjoyable puzzle at crack of sparrows for the quickest solve of the week. Can’t say I’d have been entirely confident of defining 3d without the help of the clue definition & certainly hadn’t come across/maybe long forgotten 24a but fortunately both hiding in plain sight. Pretty straightforward though I’ll admit to initially thinking doctor in last in 9d was an anagram indicator before twigging the blindingly obvious so it can have a podium spot alongside 1a&10d.
    Thanks to the setter (my punt says Hudson which probably means it’s Karla) & to Senf & especially for the Elgar clip.
    Ps I spell my 17a the same way as Jake

    1. Thank you for Jake, Hintsman. It’s been a while since I heard him and I always thought him to be very clever. A pity he fell out of favour.

       I hope the liver ultrasound went well. I have them on a regular basis as well as the occasional biopsy. Deep joy!

32. Good evening

    “Big beast” is one of those annoying clichés beloved of political commentators; senior Tories are often referred to as “grandees”; union leaders are, of course, “barons”. The worst one of the lot is attaching “-gate” to anything remotely contentious. This was mildly amusing in the wake of Watergate, which was over 50 years ago. Now it’s just lazy and irritating.

    Anyway, on to the crozzie: I must thank Dr Google for helping me with 19a and 24a; having figured out the lurkingtons, I wasn’t familiar with the terms. 10d, my last to fall, didn’t lend itself easily to parsing, but I got there!

    COTD is 3d; it took me ages to work that one out. All in all, an excellent challenge, for which many thanks go to our setter; many thanks also to Senf.

    1. The thing that gets me about the modern -gate suffix is that Watergate would be known as Watergategate… More imagination required!

33. Hmm… it would probably take me until at least 6.00 pm to do 75% of the blog…..my internet name was chosen appropriately

34. 2* / 3.5* excellent midweeker, learnt some new words, but all fairly clued and gettable. Favourites 14d off peak call and 13a elegance
    Thanks to setter and Senf

35. A very pleasant puzzle, apart from the magazine contraction. 3d is often used in the birding world (eg every few years we get large influxes of waxwings in the UK). And the star has given me an earworm of Rush’s Cygnus X1… my poor wife, pity her!

    14d my clear favourite.

    Thanks to our Setter and to Senf

36. Straightforward until it wasn’t and when it wasn’t, it wasn’t. For instance 10d was a bung in after using ehelp and I still couldn’t parse it! I had to reveal the answer to make sure I wasn’t wasting my time. Never heard of 3d or 25d and a number of others I couldn’t parse. No real favourite from the ones I understood.
    Thanks to the setter anyway and Senf. Sorry to be so negative.

37. I also did this early today as I was going out to lunch and somehow got distracted from commenting. Deeply depressed by the mention of Christmas cake – the year has flown by quickly enough without mentioning the C word before the end of August. Many thanks to the Setter and the Hints man.

38. So I sailed through most of this and then got held up with a few and now just finished after an evening out, and felt compelled to post late as I felt this had some clever clues and enjoyed the solve . I didn’t know the star at 24a but guessed it was a lurker. I too didn’t know the term big beast , but worked out the parsing . Last one in was 9d , having spent a while trying an anagram of Kildare! Thanks to setter and Senf.

39. Lots of fun clues, including the 18a Chancellor’s speech, 26a’s bit of Burgandy, and the off-peak call in 14d — thank you to the setter. I made a swift start at this then slowed down and needed Senf’s help for the last couple. Thank you for that.

40. Really enjoyable puzzle for the most part except for the iffy ‘zine’ in 10d and 26d which I still don’t understand. Being a retired Alpine mountaineer of Austrian extraction and also the owner of a pair of lederhosen, I plead that it should be ‘on-peak’ or just peak call in 14d, surely?

    

    1. Welcome to the blog, Fairlight.

    2. Hi, Fairlight. Nice to have you commenting and thank you for sharing the photo!

       I don’t think ‘zine’ is iffy: fan-made or otherwise amateur magazines, usually on specific musical acts or niche topics, have been known as zines for decades. I (wrongly) presumed it was well-known, so I’ve been surprised by how many here haven’t encountered it before, but as it’s also a shortening of a word in the clue, I think it’s fair for the setter to use.

       A coffee may need to percolate/perk before you can drink it; it may also perk somebody up, unless it’s a 26d, in which case it won’t.

       For 14d, I saw the call as coming off the peak (to those who can hear it elsewhere), though the caller themselves is as you say very much on the peak — so I reckon the setter could have used either.

       1. Thanks Smylers for the explanations which I’m happy to concede! I too got hung up on ‘faced’ and couldn’t see the connection. Loved the puzzle and so did ‘the old lady too!’

    3. Welcome, Fairlight to our very friendly blog. Please comment again.
       I must admit lederhosen look very uncomfortable to me but, as I have never worn them, I must be wrong.

       1. Thanks Steve. They’re not something I wear on a regular basis but seem to go down well at Oktoberfest. I’ve been following the blog for quite some time up here in the Inner Hebrides but I’m usually far too late to post any meaningful comments by the time the paper arrives!

          1. Don’t let that bother you – we have a regular commenter who posts sometimes a couple of days later & all posts read by the reviewer at the very least. Great pic btw

             1. A good point, Hintsman. I wonder how many lurkers refrain from commenting because they think it’s too late.

                It is never too late to comment on Big Dave

                1. That’s very encouraging to know. I’ve always enjoyed the input to the blog and now feel very privileged to be a part of it with a lovely welcome from you all. What a friendly bunch!

41. 2*/4* …
    liked 14D “Off-peak call made by one in lederhosen ?(5)”

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