Category Archives: DA Reports

Here we go with the last DA of the year.

Enjoy.

Update: And here it is:

If DA ever had a coat of arms, surely the coypu would be on there.

Only got halfway through this one – more through laziness than anything else.

DA has already stated this week’s features a theme — which usually means something special is in store.

Merry Christmas, and I bet DA will make things especially fun.

Update: A great one:

A joy to behold — and I was only a silly mistake away from a Poolroom moment (I had VENUS for VENUE, which bamboozled me with PROMOTE, and I cheated rather than work through the impasse).

Not quite Noel standard from two years ago for me, but an absolute cracker nonetheless.

DA himself has already put out the warning: this week’s (and next week’s) crosswords are doozies.

The festive season is looking decidedly fun, especially if DA can pull off another Christmas special like he did two years ago.

No spoilers on this particular thread until Monday.

Update: A lot of fun:

RC and I combined forces for some good DA fun.

And a happy DA for you.

Let us know how it goes here (although no spoilers until Monday).

Update: Happy times:

Was enjoying this one until I put SHINGLEBACK in as one of the answers. I hadn’t heard of the word, and when I looked it up in Chambers, it wasn’t listed so I assumed the answer was wrong, threw in the towel and decided to look at the answers.

Groaned when I discovered SHINGLEBACK was indeed the answer.

Am off to see and review Sade for Inpress and can’t help but to think something involving SADE might end up being a very great clue indeed.

Any reference to Nigerian marquises in this week’s DA?

Update: Not bad, although some big-time nastiness:

The golden moment: RC asks what BORIS could possibly be a famous dancer; I reply BORIS SPASSKY — but he’s a chess player. We slap our heads: master mover is gold!

We cheated with BOHEA, PLAY HOOKY and LYONNAISE. We were very glad we cheated — we were way off.

I’m back in town for this week’s DA after my quick sojourn into South East Asia.

But before getting into the crossword, I have a musing that I’m puzzling over: is there a word for synonyms that are also antonyms? There are auto-antonyms, which are words that can have their own opposing meaning, such as cleave, bolt and sanction.

But how about words such as up and down, which are, in the conventional sense, antonyms, but which are also synonyms, i.e. I’m up with that and I’m down with that; or I’m up for it and I’m down for it.

No doubt there are many others where up and down come from, but I can’t think of anything on this mild Thursday.

Update: Hohum:

Lost all interest once I figured out the theme. Not sure why DA thought we’d be interested in a pest theme — a little disappointing.

I’m avoiding floods in Bangkok right now and hope for a jolly good DA show should it be the case that I’m stuck here.

Happy times, and happy DA.

Update: By all accounts, a pretty decent one:

I’ll be in Macau for this one, most likely at the baccarat table.

Hopefully it will be a James Bond theme, in the Casino Royale era.

Update: No James Bond I’m afraid:

I have it from DA himself that this week’s crossword is indeed curly.

Batten down the hatches for what will likely be a very intense session with a 15×15 grid.

And remember: no spoilers on this particular thread until Monday.

Update: Themes, themes, everywhere:

RC and I got together in his backyard for this one, and we were plenty happy to say a double-theme in a single crossword.

Fun times.

A welcome DA distraction this week: I will stuck in a car to Leongatha and back with nothing much else to do.

(No spoilers on this particular thread until Monday)

Update: A fine Leongatha accompaniment:

Missed out on the NE corner, but had fun anyway.