53 comments on “DT 31062”

1. Thanks for the hints Falcon as I didn’t quite understand the solutions to 28a and 16d. I thought otherwise a pleasant start to the week at */*** and both 7&8d were my favourites. Thanks to the setter for a well constructed puzzle.

2. Just right for a damp and dreary Monday. Podium places go to 5d 7d and 28a. Thanks to compiler and Falcon.

3. 4d’s Fourth strategy was my favourite today. Thank you to the setter and Falcon.

4. A fine start to the cruciverbal week that wasn’t all plain sailing.

   I haven’t heard of 7d as I suck at fauna and flora. I guess that the committee deciding what to call it were in a rush to get to the pub.

   I reckon 80% of solvers haven’t heard of the cricketer but it’s a straightforward definition.

   My podium is 3d, 8d and 24d.

   MT to X-Type (?) and Falcs.

   3*/4*

   1. I forgot to say how superb the pun is.

      I’ve finally got in to the habit of checking them out.

      1. Not as good as Isaac Hunt would be.

         1. Like it Corks. Like it..

         2. Is that Mike’s brother

            1. Leave it, Impy.

               We’ve had a good run, getting this far without getting our ‘phnarr phnarr’ knuckles rapped.

5. Thoroughly enjoyed this but did wonder about a couple of clues for those not of this land, but then again we get obscure Japanese clothing and distant game parks, all part of life’s rich pattern. Sent a photo yesterday of a company reunion I haven’t been able to attend for some years. Who on earth are all these old people I wondered?!! Oh dear, life is certainly whizzing along. Anyway thanks to the setter and Falcon.

6. Good morning. This was mostly a read and fill. 7d was a bung in/guess. 2d, 5d and 26a take the honours today.

   1. Thanks to the setter and Falcon for the review

7. Light and breezy, unlike the weather.
   I liked the fourth strategy at 4d and the type of clue at 8d. A smile also for the Quickie Pun.
   Thanks to Falcon. There were several clues requiring English GK, so well done for fathoming it all out.
   Thanks also to our setter.

8. This did not come easily. I thought it might even be a 3 star for difficulty. My second thought was that if I got through without any help it couldn’t be that difficult. Top right hand corner was last to be completed. Always like a bone clue 15 across but did not find much to laugh about apart from 1 across. Always glad of a morning crossword and John always brings me a cup of tea but does not contribute otherwise. Thanks all round.

   1. For me this was one of those ‘I made harder work of this but on completion …..’ not that i didn’t enjoy it. How come I’m so high up the list? Has the site been down? LOI was 4d and on finally working out the parsing became my favourite. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.

      1. Oh I see. I must have pressed reply by mistake.

9. 2.5*/4*. This was good fun, with 1a, 12a, 21a, 4d & 24d vying it out for podium places.

   I approve of the double duty use of American in 4d.

   Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon.

10. Reasonably straightforward compared to some recent Mondays but entertaining nevertheless. It took me too long to come up with the correct German fellow. Like others, I liked 4d although the solution was not somewhere one would want to be this morning. Thanks very much to the setter and to Falcon for working out 11a in particular (known to British music fans as the former home of EMI of course).

    I saw Graham Nash last night at the Palladium, supported by Peter Asher. I wasn’t expecting much but it was an excellent evening of songs and stories that we won’t be hearing from the horses’ mouths for much longer. Nash’s voice has held up very well and, as my companion pointed out, his band probably sounded better than CSNY at all but the very best of their gigs.

11. A pleasant start to the week. I needed Falcon’s help parsing 4d as the penny was staying firmly up in the air. Didn’t know the cricketer but easily guessed that there would be one named that.

    Top picks for me were 16d, 20d and 19d.

    Loved the Quickie pun.

    Thanks to Falcon and the setter.

12. A little more challenging, for me at least, than last Monday’s back pager but just as enjoyable – 1.5*/4*

    Candidates for favourite – 1a, the 11a/22a combo, 21a, 1d, and 8d – and the winner is 21a.

    Thanks to X-Type(?) and Falcon.

    1. Today’s crossword has now been claimed by Twmbarlwm.

13. This compiler doesn’t come easily to me either and it was a slow start for me today . However I made up time on the geographical clues at 11a and 4d. The Lego bone at 115d and the biblical character at 25d were also good. Thanks ro Falcon for the hints and to the compiler.

14. An enjoyable & fairly straightforward start to the week. Nice peripheral long ‘uns but another vote for 4d as the pick of the crop. 9a seems to be popping up a lot of late – the new orchestra/Serengeti at this rate.
    Thanks to the setter & to Falcon.

15. An enjoyable guzzle – another one right at my level, so, of course, it’s the best crossword ever created.

    A drizzly London last night, brightened up considerably by spending the evening with Graham Nash at the London Palladium. A couple of months ago he snapped his kneecap in half in a fall*, and so had to remain seated throughout, but that seemed to add a flavour of intimacy to it all. An astonishing band, and during the final encore (Suite: Judy Blue Eyes), if you closed your eyes it could easily have been CSN up there on stage.

    (*I’ve noticed that, in the parlance of the medical profession, when we reach a certain age, we no longer ‘fall over’. We are described as ‘having a fall’.)

    Thanks to the setter and The Bird Of Prey.

    Me, and Her Majesty The H, last night.

    

    1. Entirely agree about Nash. It was a privilege to be there.

16. Gentle and very enjoyable.
    Favourite clue was 21a; I know very well who Leach is, and lovely misdirection with “Bowler’s target”
    Thanks to the setter, and to Falcon.

17. Nicely gentle start to the week. Only the 7d lower held me up a bit. Liked the 1a rum company, the 18a giggling student stares and like others, my favourite is the 4d fourth strategy.

    Thanks to the setter and Falcon

18. Pleasant and reasonably straightforward – thanks to our setter and Falcon.
    I was taken by 10a, 21a and 1d.

19. Think my favourite was the Quickie pun but I also awarded ticks to 1a plus 1,2&4d.
    Just received the catalogue of Christmas cards from my favoured supplier, I’m sure the years are racing away even faster the older I get!

    Thanks to our setter and to Falcon for the review.

20. Nice puzzle from which to unlurk! But was held up thinking of other answers to 16d, though did finally find references to wands of flowers…
    But really disagree with 7d, as it’s known for its high notes – that’s why it’s short!
    Apart from those tiny niggles, very many thanks to The setter du jour and to Falcon.

    1. Hi Lurker. I wasn’t referring to a shorthorn instrument (if there is such a thing; I can’t find it in dictionaries). It’s just short (low) horn (instrument) to give one of a breed of cattle (kind of lower).

       1. I forgot to address your magic wand query re 16d: it’s just a reference to the most basic of magic wand tricks for beginners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRwOZlIB3Ro

21. Pouring with rain -yes, I know we need it but if God were a woman it would only ever rain at night. I liked the rum company and the religious leader, made a stab at the bowler and it seems I am right. All in all a very nice Monday guzzle and a fun pun. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Falcon.

22. This was highly entertaining on a truly miserable day which has put paid to any plans to do autumnal garden jobs. 7d was my last in as I was being particularly dim and wanted to put moo in somewhere. I enjoyed too many clues to pick one favourite.

    Many thanks to the setter and to falcon for the hints

    1. With you on the moo theory!

23. Well I thought 21a was great, but then I like cricket! Lovely clue. Thanks to all concerned.

24. Well this was the easiest Monday in a long while with this puzzle. Pretty much a read & write for me with a couple of hold ups.
    Nice to have after the Dada from yesterday that I found quite tricky.

    1*/5* for me today

    Favourites abound but I picked 1a, 11a/22a, 2d, 7d & 20d — with winner 7d … very clever.

    Thanks to setter & Falcon

25. Can’t now understand why but found this rather tricky however did enjoy sorting it. Favs 4d and Quickie pun. Staff in 16d didn’t occur to me prior to getting first word. Thank you setter and Falcon.

26. Nice and light for a Monday with a few chewy ones thrown in made this an enjoyable solve. I didn’t know the name of the lower but managed to parse the clue at 7d. My cricket knowledge continues to grow with 21a. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.

27. Nice one for a damp Monday. I like it if you can tell a story with some of the answers. Today the 27a should be 10 a if for the 1d after some 1a but at least he won’t have a 9a.
    Thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the explanations

    1. Nice work, DW!

28. A straightforward completion with the exception of 20d where I was thinking of a group rather than Alexander Graham Bell’s invention. I often get caught out by forgetting the numerous uses a word can be put to.
    COTD for me today were 1d and 4d.
    Thank you to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.

29. Home to a friendly Monday puzzle after sorting all the cables and radios from JOTA over the weekend.
    Could somebody tell me where the L comes from in 18a.
    With many thanks to the setter and Falcon.

    1. The student – L for Learner

       1. Thank you Crypticsue and Falcon ,- now In am understanding

    2. Hi Walton Jnr

       I’ve never been happy with L meaning student, i.e it’s an abbreviation of a synonym which I think is one too far. Student should be S like the NUS. But, as the powers that be in crosswordland have spoken, L it is.

    3. My apologies, I see I omitted that bit in the hint (now corrected).

       Tom, I think the use of L is justified as it is the symbol that student driver’s must display on their vehicle. I see it as being little different than cluing OS as enormous which is the label found on enormous clothing.

       1. Hi F

          I don’t think enormous should be OS nor should huge, massive etc but there are many other examples like the above and student and I’m not a fan.

          I’ve never heard the expression ‘student driver’. It may be out there but it’s certainly not in common parlance.

          To me, the word that is abbreviated should be in the clue not its synonym. So, ‘outsized’ should be in the clue which obviously won’t happen.

          However, I made my peace with this technique being used a while back.

          I’ve just looked up OS and the modern use is ‘One size’. So, maybe that should be changed. XXL , XXXL and Plus sizes are the norm.

          So, I propose that setters confine OS meaning enormous to Room 101, replacing it with one sized. It won’t be so easy but it’s wrong to use it.

30. Very enjoyable – 21A my favourite bringing back memories of Headingley 2019.

    VMT Setter and Falcon.

31. First attempt at crossword having been a week or so summing in the Algarve. Polished this off nicely so the Portuguese wine has not addled the brain. Thanks setter and hinter. No hints needed but always read them.

32. 1.5* / 4* A very nice start to the week, also loved the quickie pun. Favourites today include the cow at 7d, carpeting at 1d and the excellent 28a (although I had to look again to make sure)
    Thanks to Twmbarlwm and Falcon

33. Thanks to all commenters and solvers, and to Falcon for the blog.

34. 2*/3* …
    liked 3D “Uniform worn by surly Tory bothered me (5,5)”

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