DA Retrospectively: 27th May, 2005
Glory be to DA Retrospectively!
Spoil away in the comments on this blast from the past as soon as you see fit.
The Golden from the Chocolate Coated – 1st Crossword of Feb, 2010
22 down: HEA_E? (5)
An outstanding DA special in a very specially themed crossword: hea_e = heave - v = v omit = vomit = heave.
4 down: Sweet athlete ad company thrice exploited (9-6)
A joy: athlete ad company thrice exploited = athlete ad co co co exploited = chocolate-coated = sweet.
Two gold nuggets seems like too few for such a brilliant crossword, but the clues alone are not as great as one would assume. It seems that the theme really drove this crossword upwards into new heights rather than the clues themselves.
Feel free to beg to differ.
Huh? for the First DA of Feb, 2010
Tell us of your confusions below and someone through the aether will respond.
Update: Most of my confusions have already been sorted by you find commenters already, yet I still have this one issue:
23 across: Check issue (4)
I don't get how issue connects to the answer as stated in the comments.
The Verdict on the First DA of Feb, 2010
Good, bad, indifferent?
I reckon it's time for a theme. Have I guessed correctly?
(No spoilers on this post until Monday)
Update: It's a theme all right:
Yes, this one's a sweet delight, and an excellent head bender even when the key 4-down is put away. I've ultimately been held back from taking it all out with what I find most difficult: DA's short clues.
Part of the Para Pantheon at least.
DA Around the Traps
- here's the audio and transcript of DA's talk on Lingua Franca back in November, 2008; and
- here's DA's chat with the disarming Laurence Leung as part of a show on cryptic crosswords -- click on the Love You Leung Time - Part 2 link from the 14th of Jan, 2010.
Enjoy.
Update: And Tony let's us know that here he is talking about Robert Bolaño's newly translated book, Amulet.
And Ian mentions more sightings in the comments.
DA Retrospectively: 18th October, 2004
Yep, here's another golden oldie to get stuck into:
Discuss how things go in the comments.
And remember: spoilers abound should you pull back the comment curtain!
Update: mic warns in the comments: the answer to 12A is nine letters long, not eight as the clue mistakenly states.
The Golden Ones from DA’s Last of January, 2010
26 across: Harmonious threesomes finally flee such impatient coeds (9)
Brilliant trickery that must have taken a long time to think up: threesomes finally flee such impatient coeds = such - uch + impatient - ent + coeds - eds = simpatico = harmonious.
15 down: Meet single clue -- not this type (3, 6)
Despite some protestations, I still reckon this one's a goodie: single clue -- not this type = run across (clue is down, not across) = run across = meet.
22 across: Retired killer gets yonks, strangling flash braggart (9)
Mo seems to be DA favourite of late: retired killer gets yonks strangling flash = retired cain age strangling mo = retired cainamoge = egomaniac = braggart.
21 down: Vaults hoisted by one charter plane (3-4)
Very clever indeed: vaults hoisted by one = atria hoisted x 1 = air-taxi = charter plane.
14 down: ... against ex-follower (9)
Such terse elegance: against ex = con former = conformer = follower.
3 down: Stalks onstage, it's said? (7)
I was too busy thinking of homophones to get this one: onstage it's said = rhubarb (what actors say on stage to mimic the sound of indistinct background conversation) = stalks.
12 across: Exercise Bureau regularly provides flirtatious apparel (4-2, 3)
A welcome return to the racier side of DA's oeuvre: exercise bureau regularly = push-up bureau = push-up bra = flirtatious apparel.
The Bullshit from the last of Jan, 2010
4 down: I crack baseball side, well trimmed for online photo (9)
Awkward and bullshit in my book: I crack baseball side, well trimmed = me gap IX well - wl = megapixel = online photo.
A pixel is a little dot that gets coloured to portray an image. Get a whole bunch of them together coloured in a certain way and you have a photo.
The problem: Humans are a collection of atoms. Arrange them in the right way and you have a human. Nevertheless, if I saw human = atoms, I'd say bullshit, just as I say online photo = megapixel is bullshit too.
6 down: Flag emission source (7)
This one is flag = exhaust = emission source.
Not sure about whether flag = exhaust is bullshit or not, though. I think yes one minute, then no. Either way, it's debatable.
I’m Confused About DA’s Last in Jan, 2010
Conundrums to be spoken of here, so go beserk and expect some spoilers should you unveil the comments.
Update: Here are a few of my queries and conundrums that haven't been addressed in the comments already:
1 down: Research centre plug plugging 28-across (darling) clothing 11-across (at sea) (3, 6)
Umm, huh?
3 down: Stalks onstage, it's said? (7)
Nope.
4 down: I crack baseball side, well trimmed for online photo (9)
The direct definition seems very wrong indeed to me. Anyone willing to defend it?
DA’s Last in Jan 2010
What have we got this time?
(No spoilers about the crossword in this post until Monday)
Update: A solid DA:
I gave up on the last three, which I assumed I would never have gotten without some external assistance.
I think I was right given the comments.
I was also hoping for a pangrammatic crossword. I hope for that each week anyway, but I thought there was a good chance this week given 1 across. Shame that DA just missed out.
