Category Archives: DA Gold

Not a lot of golden stuff this week even though there was a pleasant semi-theme. Anyways, here goes:

1 down: (Beatles) 17-down’s own crab & kipper stew — just add water (9, 6)
Nice little anagrammer: crab & kipper stew — just add water = paperb ck ri + awter = Paperback Writer = Beatles’s own.

19 across: Indirectly he may conceive two hairstyles, no, in shabbier extremes (5, 5)
Nice direct definition: two hairstyles, no, in shabbier extremes = perm do no in sr = sperm donor = indirectly he may conceive.

4 down: The French contacted diminutive singer, live, for 17-down’s own (3, 2, 2)
Interesting little word in there: the French contacted diminutive singer, live = le tit be = Let It Be = Beatles’s own.

I don’t quite get diminutive singer = tit, though.

1 down: Cast, with or without one! (5)
It’s the ball-tearer: three clever, conceivable solutions, yet only one of these three fit within the crossword and is truly &lit. I wonder if DA knew of the following three possibilities:

• cast, with or without one = cast with or – i = cast wthor = throw = cast
• cast, with or without one = sling (a sling might or might not contain a cast) = cast
• cast, with or without one = shied (shed) = cast, with or without one

Great clue made even harder by more than one feasible solution.

6 down, 21 across: Spooner’s out of depression with 15-down (deep fryer) snack (5, 5)
This took me a long time because it’s, as far as I’m aware, a first: a Spoonerism that passes two phonemes of a word over to the next: Spooner’s out of depression = Spooner’s from pit = pomme frite = deep fryer snack.

7 down: Buckle fast cinching little zip (5, 1. 1.)
Ridiculously good, and blasphemous to boot!: buckle fast cinching little = stfa cinching wee = sweet F.A. = zip.

16, 10 across: Acting as an extra principle of creative accounting (6, 2, 3, 7)
Wonderfully worded and humorous: acting as an extra = making up the numbers = principle of creative accounting.

19 across: Burmese remark about hound she buys? (9)
A brilliant way to hide purr: burmese remark about hound = purr about chase = purchaser = she buys.

13 across, 5 down: It crushes crims boarding vessel with scaler, say? (3, 11)
Especially difficult wordplay for a excellent clue: crims boarding vessel with scaler, say = cons boarding boat with Richter, say = boa constrictor = it crushes.

12 down: The Mafia deviant suits current one-sided band (6, 5)
No surprise that the mind-bending word-turner would refer to mind-bending mathematical shape-shifting: the Mafia deviant suits current = mob iusst rip = mobius strip = one-sided band.

22 down: Fault Flynn finally swapping hands (5)
I really like an elegant swapping of letters: Flynn finally swapping hands = Errol – l + r = error = fault.

17 down: Audience bear Cockney’s corny music machine (7)
Wonderful aural clue that’s a little surprising because the letters don’t look like they should be homophonic: audience bear Cockney’s corny = audience carry Cockney’s hokey = audience carry hokey – h = karaoke = music machine.

24 across: Just 31 days, trading places in London (7)
Excellent sleight of hand from the surface reading: just 31 days trading places = fair may trading places = mayfair = in London.

14 down: K-kinky assumption lessened (9)
You just don’t expect one letter is gonna be the direct definition: kinky assumption lessened = potassiumn lessened = potassium = K.

15, 16 across: Daughter suggests London custom (8, 2, 3, 5)
The pick of the bunch, and another excellent example of the answer being the wordplay: daughter = changing of the guard (the guard is an anagram of daughter) = London custom.

11 across: - cryptic clue? (9)
Very nice indeed, and almost &lit: - cryptic clue = minus cule = minuscule = - cryptic clue.

12 down: Timeless African people climbing of mountains intact? (10)
Nice: timeless African people climbing of mountains = timeless Bantu climbing ridged = timeless utnab ridged = unabridged = intact.

8 down, 13 across: Briefly make 2-down (saga) droop? (3, 1, 4, 5, 5)
Nice double definition: make saga droop = cut a long story short = briefly.

Update: NC set me straight in the comments: this is a much cleverer clue than I was giving it credit for, and is another brilliant example of the answer being the wordplay: make saga droop = make saga sag = cut a long story short = briefly.

21 across, 1 down: Hollywood creep to defect, seizing Israeli plane abroad to central China (4, 6)
I loved the direct clue: defect, seizing Israeli plane abroad to central China = bug seizing el al os i = Bela Lugosi = Hollywood creep.

4 down: Romcom’s Richard accepts new romcom, for one (5)
Brilliant: DA got a star of romantic comedy into the answer concerning romantic comedies: romcom’s Richard accepts new = Gere accepts n = genre = romcom, for one.

It’s a veritable gold rush:

3 down: Lankiest one turned pure (5-4)
Not difficult, just an interesting anagram that got me thinking of El Greco’s paintings: lankiest one turned = lankiest i turned = saint-like = pure.

24 down: Spot beer stolen by a nut in pub (6)
Excellent use of words in the same semantic range: spot beer stolen by a nut = spot pot stolen by a loon = s by a loon = saloon = pub.

28 across: Fine detail gains city medal for 5-down (Cawley) before 4-down (marriage) (9)
The theme gave away what would have been an exceptionally difficult clue: fine detail gains city medal = good de-tail gains LA gong = Goolagong = Cawley before marriage.

6 across: Fifth flavour in gum amiss (5)
Do some research on umami because it’s fascinating to think that a fifth flavour had not been isolated for so long: in gum amiss = in gum amiss = umami = fifth flavour.

17 down: Could be electric energy plugging telecentre (3)
A great direct clue: energy plugging telecentre = e plugging el = eel = could be electric.

29 across: Athlete lost at wrestling girl (5)
Again, DA gets the words all within a semantic range: athlete lost at wrestling = athlete – at wrestling = Ethel = girl.

8 down: Can gawker lose head to sensational thing? (7)
I just like it when the answer is a word that has been formed as many other ordinary words are ordinarily formed, yet it’s a word that’s not ordinarily said: can gawker lose head = tin ogler lose head = tingler = sensational thing?

20 down: Fit prisoner to his rap sheet (7)
This is almost a three-way clue! There are not quite two direct definitions, the not-quite definition acting as the wordplay: prisoner to his rap sheet = con form = conform = fit.

23 down: Record lions mauling delta neighbour (7)
Excellent direct clue that had me thinking rivers instead of alphabets: record lions mauling = ep lions mauling = epsilon = delta neighbour.

31 across: Hand hammer to Spooner for 10-across (Rawlinson) before 4-down (marriage) (7)
In my opinion not the best Spooner, but a Spooner worth noting nonetheless: hand hammer to Spooner = mit pan to Spooner = Pittman = Rawlinson before marriage.

1 down: Boxer’s first contest in our pre-4-down (marriage) 30-across (Simpson), or… (Onassis) (7)
An excellent use of the ellipsis considering the relationship between the two clues: boxer’s first contest in our = b vie in our = Bouvier = pre-marriage Simpson or Onassis.

15 across: Cross the margins in 24-down (saloon) with pre-4-down (marriage)… (Packer) (6)
Everything links to everything else to give a well-constructed cross the margins in saloon = x the margins in bar = x te in bar = Baxter = pre-marriage Packer.

2 down: (Bouvier) … passions, throwing off top (7)
Again, excellent ellipsis: passions, throwing off top = ponassis off top = Onassis = Bouvier.

19 across: (Baxter) … holidaymaker in the making? (6)
Nice ellipsis again, and a nice double meaning: holidaymaker in the making = Packer = Baxter.

14 across: Chief Turk emir runs away from 4-down (marriage) wretched (3)
That emir follows chief Turk is an awesome red herring: emir runs away from marriage wretched = emir r away from marriage wretched = marriage – emirr wretched = aga = Chief Turk.

5 across: Kingdom between 1- and 2-down (Bouvier and Onassis) added up to plenty! (7)
How DA managed to get references to Bouvier, the Simpsons, Marge Simpson, Onassis and Kennedy all into the one crossword is beyond me. What’s also beyond me is a completely clean explanation for this clue, which is brilliant despite my explanatory deficits: added up to plenty = came lot = Camelot = Kingdom between Bouvier and Onassis.

Is that correct? Does the exclamation mark actually signify anything? Is there an &lit explanation that I’m missing?

11 across: Glaswegian tailor working order? (6)
Ya gotta love how DA twists the language: Glaswegian tailor = kilter (as in a maker of kilts) = kilter = working order.

20 across: Spooner said you (currently) can be clued by 4-down (tree) (3, 5)
Perhaps DA’s best Spoonerism: Spooner said you (currently) can be clued = Spooner said reader = red cedar = tree.

7 down: Bird in Whitechapel Bay? (3)
Brilliant piece of subterfude by DA: whitechapel bay = whitechapel howl = ‘owl (said like a cockney in Whitechapel) = owl = bird.

24 down: Consumed by dope, strongly lost to time (4)
What seems to have been the hardest for most people to solve turned out to be a goodie: dope, strongly lost to time = info f lost to t = into = consumed by.

18 across: Shot producing four prior to break? (6, 3)
An easy one, but a clever one: producing four prior to break = square prior to cut = square cut = shot.

13 down: Common article media skewed: Try Buddhism? (1, 4, 1, 5)
A brilliant clue made easy because of the odd letter arrangement of its answer: article media skewed: Try Buddhism = a media skewed do zen = a dime a dozen = common.

17 down: Somehow laundry finishes up in bigger domestic output (4, 5)
That somehow put me on wild goose chase instead of doing as follows: somehow laundry finishes up in bigger = wy up in greater = grey water = domestic output.

25 across: Fashion child clothing adults seen in bed? (6-2-3)
Another quality clue made easy by its answer’s letter arrangement. Nevertheless, masterful: fashion child clothing adults = forge tot clothing men = forget-me-not = seen in bed (a garden bed).

6 across: Retro old comic has initially cheated age (5)
I had the answer without a thorough explanation for a long time before thinking of comedians: retro old comic has initially cheated = retro Cope has initially cheated = epoch = age.

Now that I look at the explanation again, I notice it’s still not thorough: why purpose does cheated serve in the clue?

Update: I figured it was Julian Cope being referred to, but a glance at his Wikipedia page shows that, while he’s prolific in a number of fields, he’s never really done comic work.

No, the comedian referred to is Bob Hope, and the answer goes retro old comic has initially cheated = retro Hope has c = epoch = age.

1 across: Everest finishing here? Sure! (5)
I’m starting things off by proclaiming this &lit as gold: Everest finishing here? Sure! = t here I bet = Tibet = Everest finishing here? Sure!

2 down: Old British celebs George and Peter made hotcakes? (11)
Classic: Old British celebs George and Peter = Best Sellers = bestsellers = made hotcakes?

9 across: Broadcast yarns as tutorial?!
Another excellent &lit, and one of DA’s best anagrams (also a good example of why the interrobang needs to come back): broadcast yarns as tutorial?! = Australian Story = broadcast yarns as tutorial?!

11 across: Hint for clue, say, failing setter’s negative backlash? (7)
Fantastic: say, failing setter’s negative backlack = say sin my no backlash = synonym = hint.

23 down: Woods burning bright? (5)
Blake and DA combining forces: burning bright? = tiger = Woods.

8 down: Irregularity of a boil on gum pronounced (9)
Excellent aural clue that seems a deliberate reference to Blake’s tiger burning bright: a boil on gum pronounced = a simmer on tree pronounced = a symme try = asymmetry = irregularity.

16 down: Barely hold up a distress call, misplacing lifebuoy in sea? (8)
Interesting use of lifebuoy to make the sentence meaning flow: barely hold up a distress call, misplacing lifebuoy = barely grasp up a sos misplacing o = sarg a sso = Sargasso = sea.

14 down: The majority in Test Cricket side organised amphibious challenge (9)
Only DA can hide cryptics instructions so well: the majority in Test Cricket side organised = th in trial on (a reference to the on side in cricket) = tria th l on = triathlon = amphibious challenge.

12 down: Medical specialist now pain-free said another? (11)
Two ologists in the one clue: now pain-free said another? = now – ow said urologist = n eurologist = neurologist = medical specialist.

24 across: Buildings flaunting their age inclined to get this? (8, 7)
Excellent sentence meaning: flaunting their age inclined to get this? = heritage listing = buildings.

A lot of Gold in one of DA’s best and more creative cryptics for mine.

8 across: X-boxes in one retail complex (3, 5)

Awesome: x-boxes in one retail complex = ten boxes in i mall = tim allen = funny people (the theme).

4 down: Love points to unity (7)

Fantastic use of compass points: love points = o N E N E S S = oneness = unity.

20 across: Mercury lands in light? (1., 1., 6)

I was convinced this one was WC Fields (lands = fields, light = c) until I looked up mercury and discovered its listed in the periodic table as HG: mercury lands in light = HG L and S in neon = HG Nelson = funny people (the theme).

17, 10 across: Oscar blemish in signs of affection (7, 4)

Everyone loves a Sesame Street reference: Oscar blemish in signs of affection = Grouch mar in o x = Groucho Marx = funny people (the theme)

24 across: Sixty-six percent burning (3, 1)

NC makes a good, pedantic point in jest: it should be sixty-six and six repeating percent. We’ll forgive DA on this one, though: sixty-six percent burning = a third alight = Ali G = funny people (the theme).

7 down: Major group loves musical jam, lulling hearts of most Acrosses (funny people) (6)

This one stumped me for a long time, and I think it stumped me for so long because this type of clue I’ve never seen done with the middle letter: major group loves musical jam, lulling hearts = maJor grOup loVes musIcal jAm lulLing hearts = jovial = most funny people.

13 down: In abrupt haste, Roman figures diminished gloom (10)

I wish I worked out the explanation on this one: in abrupt haste, Roman figures diminished =  suddenness DD diminished = sullenness (D (500) becomes diminished, i.e. L (50)) = gloom.

9 across: Drug flight — or drug fear (6)

Is it any surprise that DA seems to be familiar with a lot of drug slang? Here, it’s drug flight — or drug fear = trip OD = tripod = funny people (the theme).

13 down: Marathon characters take ages to coat cracked lips (8)

I even thought of dim sims before it all clicked: take ages to coat cracked lips = eons to coat psil = epsilons = Marathon characters (Marathon is in Greece).

15 across: Having less ants in the pants (7)

I was convinced the answer ended with the letter p. Alas, I was wrong: having less ants in the pants = stiller (cryptic definition) = Stiller = funny people (the theme).

I was tempted to put this one in the bullshit category because I consider Ben Stiller to be the worst comedic actor going round, but the amount of people who laugh at his antics put me in my place.

3 down: Lousy opener of the 90s? (6)

A nice cricket reference: opener of the 90s = Slater = slater = lousy.

14 across: Exercised self-denial, mainly (8)

I thought this one was a little dodge: exercised self-denial mainly = seinfeldal mainly = Seinfeld = funny people (the theme).

Cutting two letters off an anagram with a mainly I thought was stretching things when they’re are so many ways to write a good clue. But Rob in the comments explained why DA did what he did: it’s a reference to the “master of your domain” Seinfeld episode!

DA is genius!

6 down: January, 2000? (9)

The pick of the bunch: 2000 = mm = mid summer = midsummer = January.

20 down: Felt champ gave up nothing to beat (7)

Brilliant direct clue: gave up nothing to beat = gave up nil drum = lindrum = felt champ.

23 down: Get crab from half-hearted quickie? (5)

A combination of loves: cricket and sexual double-entendres: half-hearted quickie = Siddle – d = sidle = crab.

12 across: Sick of US in alliance (6)

An anagram of such innocuous letters, it took me too long to notice what was going on: sick of US in = fusion = alliance.

10 across: Spell bounder in his cups? (11)

Dirty DA once more: bounder in his cups = cad in a bra a bra = abracadabra = spell.

25 across: Took in Matisse and Dali abstracts (11)

Who’d have thunk there’d be two artists in a single anagram: Matisse and Dali abstracts = Matisse Dali abstracts = assimilated = took in.

11 across: Dance devotee changed lead in dance (8)

I just loved the two references to dance: devotee changed lead in dance = fan changed lead in tango = fandango = dance.

8 down: Extreme gear for Nepal bluff?! (7)

A happy &lit clue: extreme gear for Nepal bluff = gr apnel = grapnel = extreme gear for Nepal bluff.

26 across: …to Ms, maybe? Excellent (3, 5)

This one induced a guffaw in a mostly empty cafe that in turn had me explaining the genius to the staff who ended up seeming more perplexed than amused. Brilliant: to Ms, maybe = to PC lass = top class = excellent.

13 across: …pub, where a cad carries what? (8)

Where the question mark is pivotal: a cad carries what? = a louse carries eh = alehouse = pub.

26 across: Heartless cad sounds crook (5)

Here, it’s heartless cad sounds = CD sounds = seedy = crook, and that reinterpretation of cd as CD is devilishly brilliant.

18 across: Letterman intro affected Qantas staffer (6)

This clue displays one of the great DA red herrings. Letterman as the first word looks like it refers to the TV host, and that is so close to the answer hostie that it seems like one is on the right track. But another definition is actually what’s in order: letterman intro affected = postie intro affected = hostie = Qantas staffer.

14 down: Where few rule out holiday, skipping me for cliff-climbing (9)

Exceptionally well-hidden direct clue and an excellent self-reference: out holiday, skipping me for cliff-climbing = out holiday – da + crag climbing = oligarchy = where few rule.

9 across: Row around head of Barwon River (5)

Excellent sentence meaning, where every significant word has something to do with a river: row around head of Barwon = tier around b = Tiber = river.

15 across: Spooner’s link, sheesh — it’s IT heavy (2-4)

Almost every Spoonerism deserves a golden berth: Spooner’s link, sheesh = Spooner’s tie heck = hi-tech = it’s IT heavy.

10 across: Yuan involved with price of money (9)

Another golden anagrammatic discovery: yuan involved with price = pecuniary = of money.

17 down: Cheek sag? (8)

Stunningly difficult wordplay: sag = gas backwards = backchat = cheek.

12 across: Peter, Liz, Harry freed one knot, perhaps, in… (ALEHOUSE) (7)

I’ve said my piece previously about the inconsistent use of ellipses and now I’m ready to let go and enjoy this clue: Peter, Liz, Harry freed one = pretzeli – i = pretzel = knot, perhaps, in alehouse.

7 down: Can slogan be a neighbour way to mention bloke, a neighbour? (5, 5, 5)

The sentence meaning is a little sloppy, but the wordplay is magnificent: be a neighbour way to mention bloke, a neighbour? = be a nz means to mention heinz = beanz meanz heinz = can slogan.

19 across: Alarming dogs along the border (8)

This is the last clue I solved simply because I completely missed the well-hidden anagram: alarming dogs = marginal = along the border.

Did anyone else have trouble picking up this anagram?