84 thoughts on “DA Confusion for 25/26th of May, 2012”
There were a couple of words (the Sydney suburb and the dessert) new to me today, but I was able to get them from the wordplay.
I’m a bit confused by 26A. Is the idea that there are two synonyms of urgent?
I thought it was just a homonym
26A: I’m just saying there doesn’t seem to be a direct relation between “burning” and any homophone of the answer. There is an indirect one, via “urgent”.
26A: yes burning as in urgent.
Man this was a joy today.
12A: (from Reports thread). I have an O at the end. The other current pattern that ends in A would have a different cross letter in the first word.
12A: I get the O now. I see how it can be. Terrific DA is way clever.
Great to hear you all enjoyed it. I am not making much progress at all. Only four so far (5d, 17d, 24a & 26a). I don’t know where to begin asking for help. Perhaps 1a: is ‘engineer’ an anagrind as I suspect (but can’t solve)?
1A: Trying to not give too much away , but here ‘engineer’ is a synonym. It was a good red herring for me for a while.
Thanks Keith, I will work on that. Would 13a reference a Swedish ‘folk’ ditty?
13A: indeed it would, palindromically.
I tried downloading a thing called ‘Reference Boss’ that appeared in a panel above on the RHS. Offered reference material, dictionary, thesaurus, various other things. I now have a RB toolbar, but not sure how to use the thing. Anybody else given it a try? Previously I’ve been using a thing called AtoZ Wordfinder, quite helpful.
13A: There was something in the air that night
I’ve not used Reference Boss. I use a2z wordfinder sometimes, but for serious cheating I fire up Crossword Compiler, which has better dictionaries and definitions, and does better at anagrams.
Didn’t need any of them today, just a quick Google to check two answers I’d already written in.
You have me puzzled Arthur. A panel above on the RHS of what?
Still troubled by 1a, which would also help, or be helped by, 1d. Any hints?
Got them both! Thanks to Rupert putting me on to a2z and a complete rethink of 1d – obscure def I must say. Like those in the field I was lost.
1A: there is an anagram surrounding a synonym.
1a: when I finally got it (with your help, Keith), I saw a synonym surrounding another synonym. Can’t see any anagram there.
All done but slow going today. Only three answers after 15 minutes! They then came steadily enough until my last three. Had to look up 8 down and 13 across was last in.
Sandy, I too see a synonym surrounding a synonym for 1a.
I just got 11a, which helped me get 3d (with word finder! I’d never heard of it). So now I find I was wring in the first one I had – 24d. I was on the wrong track (actually no track at all). The funny thing is my wrong answer worked just he same way and just as well. Anyway now to 16d with the right cross letters!
I nearly missed the ABBA one, because as I recall, that song’s about the Mexican Civil War and nothing to do with love…
I have finally conquered it. Needed way too much help, I must say. I liked 20d, 18a and 4d. Not at all sure of the word play for 23d.
Sorry…it is 2 synonyms. I remembered wrong. Funny how I had assumed it was an anagram for a long time this a.m.!
23D: look for every second letter.
Good one Sandy.
Thanks Keith, for 23c. I had the wrong answer. The only word a word finder could find for the cross letters. Must have been a PC word finder! Actually meant something to do with ‘batch’ if defined loosely. But I had no idea where the desktop came in.
Boniface, I checked out the lyrics and you are nearly right. It seems to be bloke to bloke about war, not love. But mention of the Rio Grande places it in the Mexican War, rather Thant the Spanish civil war
Sorry, you had said Mexican. I should read more closely.
@Boniface,
In the original Swedish it is all about love!
In the original Swedish is it bromance ? Maybe “Hermando”?
Keith,
The chorus is
Long, long live love our best friend, Fernando.
Raise your glass and propose a toast to it, to love, Fernando!
Play, play the melody and sing the song of happiness.
Long, long live love! To love, Fernando!
Not a Rio Grande in sight.
A little of topic I know
Rupert. Is there any chance you could email us a copy? We didn’t get one this week. vanhoorns1@bigpond.com. Thanks. Doug
Thanx Pi. D & G
Sorry, Sandy. I clicked on DA Confusion (my normal condition) and on the RHS were a couple of adverts, one for Reference Boss.
Re today, I almost gave it away before I got a first word. I still only have eight, or maybe seven and one half. A lift-out gave me first answer, which gave me a letter in 9D. Answer seemed straightforward at first, the first two words fitted the clue exactly. But words 3 & 4?? Can’t make any connection with the clue at all. Any suggestions as to how they fit?
Slowly advancing. I had thought of the Mexican for 13A, looked in my wordfinder for an anagram, but of course he wasn’t there. For 3D I immediately wrote in Constantinople, the only 14 letter place I could think of, and those warriors certainly headed that way. But as soon as I got a couple across, realised it wouldn’t do. So, is this the ‘Sydney suburb’ Rupert referred to. If so, us Victorians have a case to take before the anti-discrimination board! Will have to consult a Sydney map.
Arthur the Sydney suburb is 18a. Can’t get 3d so not sure what that is (and I’m in Sydney!)
thanks JS, I have the suburb now, can see some money in it but don’t get the rest of the wordplay (apart from last two words in clue)
12a it isn’t a current current pattern, although it may be coming again.
Is the def in 5d the first two words? If it is I’m giving up on that one now.
Already had 18A, thanks JS, didn’t think of that as the Sydney suburb. 3D still no closer. Only twelve to go, top half is looking a bit threadbare. 20D the only one missing in bottom half.
Nn, core of valued plus money plus figures
Is ‘frustrated’ anagrind in 15A? I tried feeding letters of next three words into my wordfinder, but nothing appeared? Perhaps look for synonyms for cover?
Just got 3d. Not the name of a city, precincts within European one.
Precinct singular
thanks JS
Arthur I tried same thing with 15a but all to no avail.
So far I have four answers, three of them with help from above! Not looking good this week.
got a few more now, making a bit of progress in the SW corner
and ground to a halt again
Hints for 3d, 5d and 15a might get me going again
3d think Paris
thanks JD, just got that one with the help of a wordfinder, never heard of it. This gave me 11A, kicking myself I’d missed that one, had thought DA was up to his usual tricks and that any block was intended to be read as a NY block, so spent ages looking at maps of New York.
Any help on 1a, 1d, 2d, 20d, 22a? Think have 19d but unsure of wordplay
Well, I think I have 15A now, anagram of two of the words, surrounded by a short palindrome meaning swindled. Remaining, only 1A, 3, 4, 5, 20D, with possibility I may have 10A wrong (Di’s enemies?). But if that is the answer, the only connection with the clue is shutterbugs???
1d was lost on me for a long time. first word is smell, second is spy. Think what might be in a field and you might not be so lost.
2d Loom is the def.
20d girl’s name. No idea what the elipsis have to do with it. Word play is appearing so, think where you are putting the answer.
22a thing you might need in a hospital, especially if you aren’t mobile. I don’t get the wordplay.
19d wordplay is a synonym of tube inside a word for blokes with the first letter missing.
1a think pirates.
Am still stuck on 5d.
You’re right re 10a. Wordplay involves baby food, another word for sledging plus 1. 5d meaning is ‘subjects’ anagram of two words less couple of letters
Arthur I think you have 10A. “a sledge to one” gives last 6 letters, but I don’t get the wordplay for the first 3. Group of shutterbugs is the def.
I have same explanation as you for 15A
4d rest (as in sleep) is the def. The wordplay is a bit of a joke about how you say a particular word refering to yonder objects when you have a cold.
3d is a French term for a district in Paris.
thanks JS
Rap as an anagrind??
AHA! 3D! I remembered the word from somewhere, but had forgotten the double ‘s’, so it didn’t show in my wordfinder. The end draws closer!
got 8d with wordfinder once I had all the crossletters. Where does DA come up with words like that?? 3d was bad enough
Think I have them all now, but still puzzled over some wordplay.
eg 25a, where does polly come into it? Presume it somehow indicates the third letter.
And now two and a maybe. 5D, 20D, but still uncertain of last letter of 10A. Enough for today, I think. Time for after-dinner nap, then some pool. Cheers all.
got the polly now.
One that really has me stumped for wordplay is 22a
Arthur. Shutterbugs is plural so this should give you the last letter of 10a
20d think Casablanca
5d subjects is the def (as in test subjects). Rap is apparently an anagrind of the next two words with two letters missing as indicated by (or dumps)
22a synonym for head holding outside letters of D/ship.
thanks Dave, new synonym for me!
Thanks, nn. I assumed that that was the right girl for 20D, though I couldn’t quite see how she fitted the clue (stell don’t). Still not understanding the 5D clues. Is it something like the index at front of a book? Uniformed boy in second place? Or farm animals??? Going to pool table now, will look at it again later.
Arthur the word play on 20d relates to where you write the answer (i.e. where it appears once you have written it).
5d are animals, though not usually on a farm, usually seen as pets or in a lab.
Finished at last, didn’t feel bad about using the word finder to get 8d! Think I have 7d but don’t get any of the wordplay, any ideas?
@BrianB 7D first to letters of the answer are an abbreviation for a sport that DA is fond of. These have replaced two letters which are a slang for a party (as in a knees up). When you put these two letters back in you get a word that means to bully. Think is the def.
RU=rugby union then dominate=bully, now remove the synonym for party.
Make that first two letters, think I have a sticky w key.
Oops, slow typing.
@BrianB,
7D:
I’m a little unsure myself, but I have “Think” as the def, the sport is an abbreviation of a football code (letters 1 and 2) and I’ve subtracted DO from a word kind of meaning “bully” to get the final six letters of the answer.
Oops, mega-slow typing.
Really liked 25A and 20D this week. 4D too.
Finally! Don’t get 7d wordplay either
Oh thanks didn’t see explanation
Re 7d wordplay – thanks, that’s very neat. Didn’t get the significance of “abandoned”, must remember that.
Came to this late this week, and then really struggled to get going. Without looking on here I’d probably still be stuck with only 11a done, so thanks to everyone. Filled it all in now, but running out of steam to check all the wordplay, so that will have to wait until tomorrow. Shutterbugs were new to me, also 18a, but I did have a vague recognition of 8d from somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind – isn’t it American?
Put it down to old age, nn, a term I have been familiar witth for most of my life wouldn’t come to my mind. About 2 am this morning, it suddenly did (for 5D). Lots of us have objected at times to being used as “xxxxxx xxxx”.
So, all is now complete. Except I’ll probably be asking tomorrow for explanations of a couple of clues.
Mary, back ca 1946, US songbird Dinah Shore recorded a song that included these words: “Shoo fly pie & apple pandowdy, makes your eyes light up and your friends say ‘Howdy'” or something like that. Recipes available via Google if you want to make some.
Things are looking a bit better now that I have substituted the correct answer into 24A.
It was the first clue I (thought I) got. I had “coach” which I would argue could also have been a valid answer!
Perfectly valid (apart from 2/3 of the cross letters!)
@matt, I also penned in COACH initially.
I had COACH for a while too.
RE 5D: nn queried “rap” as anagrind. DA has used “rap” like this before (which may not make it more palatable, but it does make it easier to spot). I wasn’t keen on “or dumps” in this clue – the syntax seems wrong.
Thanks RB I will add rap to my list of dodgy anagrinds to look out for. I am at the stage where I think DA thinks he can use just about any word that he thinks helps the surface reading as an anagrind. Most frustrating as DA is hard enough without this. To me an anagrind should have some suggestion of rearrangement to it.
I’m wary of discussion about the suitability of anagrinds as views on this topic differ so widely. But I do agree with your second sentence.
In this particular case, I think the intended meaning of “rap” is “strike” or “hit”. And hitting an object often results in movement of that object, so for me it’s not one of his weirdest anagrinds.
There were a couple of words (the Sydney suburb and the dessert) new to me today, but I was able to get them from the wordplay.
I’m a bit confused by 26A. Is the idea that there are two synonyms of urgent?
I thought it was just a homonym
26A: I’m just saying there doesn’t seem to be a direct relation between “burning” and any homophone of the answer. There is an indirect one, via “urgent”.
26A: yes burning as in urgent.
Man this was a joy today.
12A: (from Reports thread). I have an O at the end. The other current pattern that ends in A would have a different cross letter in the first word.
12A: I get the O now. I see how it can be. Terrific DA is way clever.
Great to hear you all enjoyed it. I am not making much progress at all. Only four so far (5d, 17d, 24a & 26a). I don’t know where to begin asking for help. Perhaps 1a: is ‘engineer’ an anagrind as I suspect (but can’t solve)?
1A: Trying to not give too much away , but here ‘engineer’ is a synonym. It was a good red herring for me for a while.
Thanks Keith, I will work on that. Would 13a reference a Swedish ‘folk’ ditty?
13A: indeed it would, palindromically.
I tried downloading a thing called ‘Reference Boss’ that appeared in a panel above on the RHS. Offered reference material, dictionary, thesaurus, various other things. I now have a RB toolbar, but not sure how to use the thing. Anybody else given it a try? Previously I’ve been using a thing called AtoZ Wordfinder, quite helpful.
13A: There was something in the air that night
I’ve not used Reference Boss. I use a2z wordfinder sometimes, but for serious cheating I fire up Crossword Compiler, which has better dictionaries and definitions, and does better at anagrams.
Didn’t need any of them today, just a quick Google to check two answers I’d already written in.
You have me puzzled Arthur. A panel above on the RHS of what?
Still troubled by 1a, which would also help, or be helped by, 1d. Any hints?
Got them both! Thanks to Rupert putting me on to a2z and a complete rethink of 1d – obscure def I must say. Like those in the field I was lost.
1A: there is an anagram surrounding a synonym.
1a: when I finally got it (with your help, Keith), I saw a synonym surrounding another synonym. Can’t see any anagram there.
All done but slow going today. Only three answers after 15 minutes! They then came steadily enough until my last three. Had to look up 8 down and 13 across was last in.
Sandy, I too see a synonym surrounding a synonym for 1a.
I just got 11a, which helped me get 3d (with word finder! I’d never heard of it). So now I find I was wring in the first one I had – 24d. I was on the wrong track (actually no track at all). The funny thing is my wrong answer worked just he same way and just as well. Anyway now to 16d with the right cross letters!
I nearly missed the ABBA one, because as I recall, that song’s about the Mexican Civil War and nothing to do with love…
I have finally conquered it. Needed way too much help, I must say. I liked 20d, 18a and 4d. Not at all sure of the word play for 23d.
Sorry…it is 2 synonyms. I remembered wrong. Funny how I had assumed it was an anagram for a long time this a.m.!
23D: look for every second letter.
Good one Sandy.
Thanks Keith, for 23c. I had the wrong answer. The only word a word finder could find for the cross letters. Must have been a PC word finder! Actually meant something to do with ‘batch’ if defined loosely. But I had no idea where the desktop came in.
Boniface, I checked out the lyrics and you are nearly right. It seems to be bloke to bloke about war, not love. But mention of the Rio Grande places it in the Mexican War, rather Thant the Spanish civil war
Sorry, you had said Mexican. I should read more closely.
@Boniface,
In the original Swedish it is all about love!
In the original Swedish is it bromance ? Maybe “Hermando”?
Keith,
The chorus is
Long, long live love our best friend, Fernando.
Raise your glass and propose a toast to it, to love, Fernando!
Play, play the melody and sing the song of happiness.
Long, long live love! To love, Fernando!
Not a Rio Grande in sight.
A little of topic I know
Rupert. Is there any chance you could email us a copy? We didn’t get one this week.
vanhoorns1@bigpond.com. Thanks. Doug
Thanx Pi. D & G
Sorry, Sandy. I clicked on DA Confusion (my normal condition) and on the RHS were a couple of adverts, one for Reference Boss.
Re today, I almost gave it away before I got a first word. I still only have eight, or maybe seven and one half. A lift-out gave me first answer, which gave me a letter in 9D. Answer seemed straightforward at first, the first two words fitted the clue exactly. But words 3 & 4?? Can’t make any connection with the clue at all. Any suggestions as to how they fit?
Slowly advancing. I had thought of the Mexican for 13A, looked in my wordfinder for an anagram, but of course he wasn’t there. For 3D I immediately wrote in Constantinople, the only 14 letter place I could think of, and those warriors certainly headed that way. But as soon as I got a couple across, realised it wouldn’t do. So, is this the ‘Sydney suburb’ Rupert referred to. If so, us Victorians have a case to take before the anti-discrimination board! Will have to consult a Sydney map.
Arthur the Sydney suburb is 18a. Can’t get 3d so not sure what that is (and I’m in Sydney!)
thanks JS, I have the suburb now, can see some money in it but don’t get the rest of the wordplay (apart from last two words in clue)
12a it isn’t a current current pattern, although it may be coming again.
Is the def in 5d the first two words? If it is I’m giving up on that one now.
Already had 18A, thanks JS, didn’t think of that as the Sydney suburb. 3D still no closer. Only twelve to go, top half is looking a bit threadbare. 20D the only one missing in bottom half.
Nn, core of valued plus money plus figures
Is ‘frustrated’ anagrind in 15A? I tried feeding letters of next three words into my wordfinder, but nothing appeared? Perhaps look for synonyms for cover?
Just got 3d. Not the name of a city, precincts within European one.
Precinct singular
thanks JS
Arthur I tried same thing with 15a but all to no avail.
So far I have four answers, three of them with help from above! Not looking good this week.
got a few more now, making a bit of progress in the SW corner
and ground to a halt again
Hints for 3d, 5d and 15a might get me going again
3d think Paris
thanks JD, just got that one with the help of a wordfinder, never heard of it. This gave me 11A, kicking myself I’d missed that one, had thought DA was up to his usual tricks and that any block was intended to be read as a NY block, so spent ages looking at maps of New York.
Any help on 1a, 1d, 2d, 20d, 22a? Think have 19d but unsure of wordplay
Well, I think I have 15A now, anagram of two of the words, surrounded by a short palindrome meaning swindled. Remaining, only 1A, 3, 4, 5, 20D, with possibility I may have 10A wrong (Di’s enemies?). But if that is the answer, the only connection with the clue is shutterbugs???
1d was lost on me for a long time. first word is smell, second is spy. Think what might be in a field and you might not be so lost.
2d Loom is the def.
20d girl’s name. No idea what the elipsis have to do with it. Word play is appearing so, think where you are putting the answer.
22a thing you might need in a hospital, especially if you aren’t mobile. I don’t get the wordplay.
19d wordplay is a synonym of tube inside a word for blokes with the first letter missing.
1a think pirates.
Am still stuck on 5d.
You’re right re 10a. Wordplay involves baby food, another word for sledging plus 1. 5d meaning is ‘subjects’ anagram of two words less couple of letters
Arthur I think you have 10A. “a sledge to one” gives last 6 letters, but I don’t get the wordplay for the first 3. Group of shutterbugs is the def.
I have same explanation as you for 15A
4d rest (as in sleep) is the def. The wordplay is a bit of a joke about how you say a particular word refering to yonder objects when you have a cold.
3d is a French term for a district in Paris.
thanks JS
Rap as an anagrind??
AHA! 3D! I remembered the word from somewhere, but had forgotten the double ‘s’, so it didn’t show in my wordfinder. The end draws closer!
got 8d with wordfinder once I had all the crossletters. Where does DA come up with words like that?? 3d was bad enough
Think I have them all now, but still puzzled over some wordplay.
eg 25a, where does polly come into it? Presume it somehow indicates the third letter.
And now two and a maybe. 5D, 20D, but still uncertain of last letter of 10A. Enough for today, I think. Time for after-dinner nap, then some pool. Cheers all.
got the polly now.
One that really has me stumped for wordplay is 22a
Arthur. Shutterbugs is plural so this should give you the last letter of 10a
20d think Casablanca
5d subjects is the def (as in test subjects). Rap is apparently an anagrind of the next two words with two letters missing as indicated by (or dumps)
22a synonym for head holding outside letters of D/ship.
thanks Dave, new synonym for me!
Thanks, nn. I assumed that that was the right girl for 20D, though I couldn’t quite see how she fitted the clue (stell don’t). Still not understanding the 5D clues. Is it something like the index at front of a book? Uniformed boy in second place? Or farm animals??? Going to pool table now, will look at it again later.
Arthur the word play on 20d relates to where you write the answer (i.e. where it appears once you have written it).
5d are animals, though not usually on a farm, usually seen as pets or in a lab.
Finished at last, didn’t feel bad about using the word finder to get 8d! Think I have 7d but don’t get any of the wordplay, any ideas?
@BrianB 7D first to letters of the answer are an abbreviation for a sport that DA is fond of. These have replaced two letters which are a slang for a party (as in a knees up). When you put these two letters back in you get a word that means to bully. Think is the def.
RU=rugby union then dominate=bully, now remove the synonym for party.
Make that first two letters, think I have a sticky w key.
Oops, slow typing.
@BrianB,
7D:
I’m a little unsure myself, but I have “Think” as the def, the sport is an abbreviation of a football code (letters 1 and 2) and I’ve subtracted DO from a word kind of meaning “bully” to get the final six letters of the answer.
Oops, mega-slow typing.
Really liked 25A and 20D this week. 4D too.
Finally! Don’t get 7d wordplay either
Oh thanks didn’t see explanation
Re 7d wordplay – thanks, that’s very neat. Didn’t get the significance of “abandoned”, must remember that.
Came to this late this week, and then really struggled to get going. Without looking on here I’d probably still be stuck with only 11a done, so thanks to everyone. Filled it all in now, but running out of steam to check all the wordplay, so that will have to wait until tomorrow. Shutterbugs were new to me, also 18a, but I did have a vague recognition of 8d from somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind – isn’t it American?
Put it down to old age, nn, a term I have been familiar witth for most of my life wouldn’t come to my mind. About 2 am this morning, it suddenly did (for 5D). Lots of us have objected at times to being used as “xxxxxx xxxx”.
So, all is now complete. Except I’ll probably be asking tomorrow for explanations of a couple of clues.
Mary, back ca 1946, US songbird Dinah Shore recorded a song that included these words: “Shoo fly pie & apple pandowdy, makes your eyes light up and your friends say ‘Howdy'” or something like that. Recipes available via Google if you want to make some.
Things are looking a bit better now that I have substituted the correct answer into 24A.
It was the first clue I (thought I) got. I had “coach” which I would argue could also have been a valid answer!
Perfectly valid (apart from 2/3 of the cross letters!)
@matt, I also penned in COACH initially.
I had COACH for a while too.
RE 5D: nn queried “rap” as anagrind. DA has used “rap” like this before (which may not make it more palatable, but it does make it easier to spot). I wasn’t keen on “or dumps” in this clue – the syntax seems wrong.
Thanks RB I will add rap to my list of dodgy anagrinds to look out for. I am at the stage where I think DA thinks he can use just about any word that he thinks helps the surface reading as an anagrind. Most frustrating as DA is hard enough without this. To me an anagrind should have some suggestion of rearrangement to it.
I’m wary of discussion about the suitability of anagrinds as views on this topic differ so widely. But I do agree with your second sentence.
In this particular case, I think the intended meaning of “rap” is “strike” or “hit”. And hitting an object often results in movement of that object, so for me it’s not one of his weirdest anagrinds.