Monthly Archives: April 2010

The Confusions (from the 30th April, 1st May)

Posted on April 30, 2010 by AS| 15 Comments

Here’s where you have your questions resolved!

Update: and here are my questions:

13 down: Fox’s forte: programme hub in top retentive quality (10)
Got the answer, missed the explanation.

5 down: Endeavour botanist thus a fisherman? (8)
No clue.

14 across: High road… (8)
I’m sure this one’s easy and that I’ll be disappointed at having missed it.

22 down: Ringmaster makes bet about no ring vanishing? (6)
No answer, no real idea how to approach it either.

24, 22 across: Two days sorting through endless trash (4, 6)
I’m betting I’ve never heard of this person.

→ 15 Comments

Posted in DA Confusion

Happy DA Times (30th April, 1st May)

Posted on April 30, 2010 by AS| 5 Comments

I really do wish the DA was back on a Friday in Melbourne. That way I’d have far more time to do it while performing my work-day rites.

Nevertheless, DA is still around, and DA is here to be commented on.

(No spoilers until Monday)

Update: Your favourable reviews inspired me: after a long break, I’ve done a DA:

It was quality, a very solid performance indeed, para-Pantheon for mine. And even more exciting: I was able to write my partner’s hallowed name into a hallowed DA.

Happy times.

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Posted in DA Reports

Cryptics from the Long-Gone Past

Posted on April 27, 2010 by AS| 1 Comment

I’ve been regrettably inactive on the cryptic crossword front for quite a while now, but I do have something to post about courtesy of BT: a selection of cryptic crosswords from way back when.

BT has done some fantastic detective work and scrounged up some blasts from the past. Here’s what he’s got in his own words:

The cryptic started off in the Women’s Supplement, a weekly tip-in.

Crossword #1

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n3kQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8ZEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=400,6566304

(pg 18 – the Women’s Supplement has been scanned sideways.)

#2:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g9YQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7pEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4149%2C581568

#3:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=idYQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7pEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4174%2C1518847

At some point it moved to the main section, #1161:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1QIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JJMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4039%2C294506

and some time after that, it was joined by the Quick, #8867:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pGsRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fuYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5526%2C1766349
(Note there is only one grid for both crosswords. This explains the Herald/Age’s doubled grids.)

#9967:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KiURAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6uYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2558%2C5550061
(150th anniversary of the SMH)

By the late 80s, things are looking more familiar – two grids, cryptic above quick. Still no attributions.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2jcRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7OcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3396%2C8464701

I can’t be arsed finding the exact transitions – finding #1 was annoying enough.

Bonus examples:

The Age Quick:
1754: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=67wTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7LwDAAAAIBAJ&dq=sydney%20morning%20herald&pg=3832%2C5702698

Sunday Herald:
49: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HbgQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G5MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4036%2C275837
50: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IrgQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G5MDAAAAIBAJ&&pg=3917%2C1278451
74: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HWQQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D5MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4047%2C4364063
75: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=naAQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LJMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1814%2C531425

Hints for finding crosswords:

Use http://www.google.com/archivesearch/advanced_search to search for anything before 1990. Set source to Sydney Morning Herald.

You can’t depend on searching for Puzzle or Crossword all the time – google’s text recognition doesn’t always pick it up. For early stuff, you need to look for high page counts (>10 pages) which indicates a tip-in like the Women’s Supplement. After it transferred to the main section, check the index on the bottom right of the front page.

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Posted in General Cryptic Talk

Confused by DA from the 23rd/24th of April

Posted on April 23, 2010 by AS| 17 Comments

Here’s where you can scratch your head in public.

Confusions here!

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Posted in DA Confusion

DA on the 23rd/24th of April

Posted on April 23, 2010 by AS| 8 Comments

I’m thinking a war-themed crossword for this Anzac weekend.

Am I close?

(No spoilers here until Monday)

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Posted in DA Reports

The Confusions on the 16/17th of April

Posted on April 16, 2010 by AS| 20 Comments

You confused about a clue?

Express your concerns here.

→ 20 Comments

Posted in DA Confusion

DA on the 16/17th of April

Posted on April 16, 2010 by AS| 3 Comments

How’s this one?

(No spoilers until Monday)

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Posted in DA Reports

Confoundings from the DA on the 9/10th of April

Posted on April 9, 2010 by AS| 19 Comments

Confused?

Here’s where you have your mental knots cut.

→ 19 Comments

Posted in DA Confusion

DA from the 9/10th of April

Posted on April 9, 2010 by AS| 3 Comments

So what’s going down this week?

Success?

(No spoilers until Monday)

Update: Another poor effort by me — I only had a quick glance at the crossword and go much further than solving a couple of clues.

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Posted in DA Reports

Meeting Up

Posted on April 6, 2010 by AS| 18 Comments

In the comments of another post, di said the following:

Hi..I’m assuming this is the miscellaneous thread…if any of you DA freaks loiter in the general vicinity of St.Kilda/Elwood/Caulfield/Elsternwick in Melb on a Saturday morning and would like to catch up over a DA crossie and coffee at a designated cafe (depending on response) register your interest!…( No obligation, free deal)Soy lattes/ciggies/kids/single/married/elderly parents etc…all welcome!!! Thanks…

Although I’m often in that area (my girlfriend lives there), I won’t be this weekend. Di will, though, so go meet up with her for a communal crack at the DA.

Feel free to discuss logistics in the comments.

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Posted in General Cryptic Talk