105 thoughts on “DA Confusion for the 27/28th of May, 2011”
I am just over half-way through. I have an answer for 12A but don’t get the wordplay. Not one bit…it makes me mad, almost cantankerous.
12A: Sandy is three words. And a Pom living in NZ shouldn’t be having to tell you about the Australian slang word that’s almost in the middle.
Can anyone please explain the wordplay in 20D? I have the first half (assuming I’m right on the number of cans in a slab), but the last half makes no sense.
Rupert,
The first 4 letters are associated with the semi-slab. I think the remaining 2 letters will then be obvious.
Thanks, Peta.
I thought the half was the abbreviation instruction, but it looks like there wasn’t one. It looks like there’s two ways of reading the last two letters: roughly or about.
I thought it was a good one this week. I really liked 9D for the misdirection, too many other good clues to mention.
Oh my goodness. DA is a genius. Now I see 12A. And now I know what you mean when you say Sandy is 3 words…I had to see it to believe it.
Does anyone have a clue for 16D? It’s my last one, so I have all the letters, but for the life of me cannot think of an answer…
Foreign phrase. The def is at the end. Contrary indicates reversal.
RobT . I’ve got the answer but haven’t got the wordplay yet. It’s French originally.
@Gayle. I got it. Thanks. That’s it for me this week.
Never heard of it and was never going to get it without my on-line thesaurus. I don’t like foreign terms when not in general usage…
Think I have it now. Taking it from the bottom:
‘almost go to’ is letters 2,3. 4 of the second word. 4 letter word for go (out) with the last letter dropped.
Then, a reversal of a colloquial word for ‘meal’ which is usually used as a verb. + I for ‘one’
def is a psychological and literary term
Have enjoyed this week. More able to get the words from wordplay, apart from 16 D which I had a bit of a struggle with, and the remaining three I have to get. 1D, 2D and 12 A.
Could I have a hint fot 2D please – it might help me with the others. I have O _ M as the first 3 letters and there aren’t many combinations I can think of. If the def is a movie I’m a goner. But is it something to do with permeation through membranes?
@Gayle, you have 1A wrong.
2D: Film is the definition, but it’s not a movie.
@Gayle: 1D would be the easiest of your remaining ones, by far, I think.
@Gayle esp if you are from NSW or Qld.
Oh, no wonder I’m having so much trouble! I had OBOE – but wronggggg! Thanks RobT for putting me straight. Gotta chance now.
And thanks RobT for 1D. …. especially after the game this week.
I thought of that earlier, before I put in the wrong 1A.
Goit 1 A now.
I’m finished, but can’t see the wordplay on 1ac…any takers?
DA seens to have a bit of a 16D about certain parts of the anatomy. He’s even almost repeated another abbreviated one from a couple of weeks ago.
Havning just got it myself Anthony. Another word for bum anatomically, usually on animals. It’s a large part of another brass instrument.
letters 2 – 5 of a 7-letter brass instrument
Got it out and I think I have the answer for 12A. Still pondering Rupert and RobT’s comments above. I bet it’s going to be good when I get it.
“Sandy” gives two letters of the answer. Look closely at the word “sandy” and it will tell you those two letters.
‘blocking’ as a random deletion indicator? Ooh, that’s mean. Thx
Thanks Peta, I’ve finally got it! I had the SANDY admits bit but I was on the wrong wordplay for the middle bit. It is a great clue! How does Rupert the Pom living in NZ get these? One for gold?
@Gayle: I originally thought it was Italian. I sometimes do a bit of Googling afterwards to confirm my answers, and that’s when I came across the Aussie version.
I would second it for GOLD.
hi, i had abut (bum? block? tuba?) for 1A, thanks for clearing that up! still need lots of help – 14A, 6D, 9D and 25D please.
*sorry 6D, ,24A and 25A
6d is an anagram. Unusal defn. but it is clever. Think of a quote from a doyen of the NY art scene in the 60’s & 70’s
24a was my last one in. Again, unusual defn (Two words up front). A meh for the clammy bit & read “inside” as “in side”
25a is an &lit (the whole clue points to the answer). there’s an anagram in there and think family law.
6D … And he said it in 1968, I believe …
Rupert, 12A I didn’t know about the Italian for that part of the clue. Thanks for the illumination. I see that George Harrison had a song and album with the word in the title which was attributed to the Australian meaning and there’s a Moreton Bay fig in the lyrics. But Urban Dictionary also had Polynesian, as well as It, and Aust, and further delving finds that GH was living in Hawaii at a time when apparently he was _ . (And there are Moreton Bay figs in Hawaii and NZ and other places.)
So we Aussies have exclusive rights neither to the word in the middle of 12A, nor the tree. Interesting. (to me anyway .. but then I might be a little bit _ , having come from up north.)
This is ridiculous! Melbourne should go back to getting DA on Friday. I couldn’t find a single word, but looking at comments here, I might now have one. I initially read ‘comet’ instead of cornet in 1A. One down, 27 to go.
No, must just give this one away, I think, surrender meekly. To much else to think about, wife in hospital with a broken hip. Will look at the answers on Monday.
Yes Arthur, I can feel a petition coming on!
Perhaps they should move the Sydney DA to Saturday, might make Friday in the office somewhat more productive. Arthur don’t give up yet, I’ve just started too, have 7 of them although not sure on my answer for 10a as don’t understand the wordplay.
Had 12A, but didn’t get wordplay until I’d read the above. Quite clever, but best one so far is 25A(which I was pleased to get without any hints!)
Lots still to go, have been messing about with sultanates on google for 8D for ages without any luck. Any hints?
reading the above it appears I have 1A wrong. I thought bum was the definition. Had HOBO, obo being part of oboe, thought blocking might somehow mean drop the end but couldn’t explain the H. Am off in search of 7 letter brass instruments. Then might have some hope with 1D and 2D although being a Melbournite, don’t hold out much hope of understanding 1D without a bit of help.
nn think a football term for the first half of 1D. My husband tells me it’s not only in Qld and NSW.
nn PS RobT’s comment was a tip to think football as the Rugby League State of Origin game was on this week and maybe more in northerners’ minds.
8D a particular Sultanate is only part of the answer. The tricky bit is the ‘you once’.
nn – 10A – a famous lover without the first letter and the first letter of ‘from’ inside a 4-letter word for ‘pen’.
And for the second part of 1D, think of a gridiron term for tackle.
thanks Gayle, was thinking the wrong sort of pen for 10A, makes sense now.
Have 1D, my original problem was that I’d missed what the definition was. We have same term in AFL although I wouldn’t say that this type of player really forages for the ball, we have rovers for that.
8D I have a 4 letter sultanate (one of the gulf states) that fits around the only letter I have in the answer. But you once suggests only one letter to me and I need two letters to join the sultanate, presumably to form a word meaning servant, but that’s as far as I’ve got. Only letter I have in it is an A for second last letter.
nn – for ‘once’, think of the olden days – even before DA was a boy.
Finally got 3A which revealed 8D, glad to see I was almost on the right track with that one!
have no idea about the word play with 3a though
3A is an anagram.
thanks Gayle, messed around with anagrams in 3A a couple of hours ago and decided it wasn’t an anagram. Was using the wrong word as the anagram indicator instead of the obvious one. Had decided not to be fooled by the obvious and tried something else. DA has outsmarted my attempt to outsmart him!
I think Gayle has left the building!
got the top half except for 11A. Can’t come up with anything that makes sense there which makes me think my 7D is wrong. As I only have 7D from the definition (assuming first word of clue is def) and don’t get the wordplay, this is highly likely
After rejecting my answer to 20D, I’ve gone back to it, can work the half slab into the first 3 letters (although it isn’t a term I’ve never used to describe a half slab, and why would you bother buying half a slab anyway?). Understand the last two letters, but can’t see where the 4th letter comes from. This helped me see 21A which I though was quite clever, but 21A stuffs up my answer to 15D so I’m taking two steps forward and one step back all the time this week. Having said that, I’m enjoying this one, some really good clues in it.
Sorry GB, wasn’t paying attention!
thanks for the hints!
had to use a thesaurus for 16D, getting a bit annoyed with DA’s use of obscure foreign words lately. Can we have one that just has English words in it for once?
11A – STAFF is a ‘rod’.
7D – ‘chat’ is GAB and ‘sailor’ is TAR.
20D – ‘half a slab’ is the first 4 letters!
thanks GB I had 7D wrong as suspected! I had rascal.
Just a few in the bottom half to go.
Reading back through comments, I’m also not happy with blocking as a multiple deletion indicator in 1A. Perhaps blockin’ would have been a better clue here as there is a block of letters in the large clarinet that give the answer.
oops large cornet, not clarinet.
Yeah, I’d like to see anyone solve 1A just with the wordplay!
GB the half a slab is 4 letters. I’m thinking of an abbreviation for the number of cans in half a slab, but my abbreviation only has 3 letters and appears backwards at the start of the answer.
I could put these 3 letters forwards, then add the 4th to get what I guess is a slang term for half a slab, but not one I’ve heard of.
grrr i = one in the half slab. Enough to drive me to drink!
And another foreign word I’d never heard of in 23A, almost impossible to get from wordplay. If he is going to use foreign words, the word play needs to be more straightforward, not chopped up bits of indirect clues. That way we have some hope of getting them and then learning something new.
On the other hand really enjoyed lots of them this week. 8D, 18A, 14A, 17D, 15D, 21A, 22A, 12A and the brilliant 25A
Didn’t mind 23A because it’s in common usage, but 16D is a prime candidate for DA bullshit because it’s incredibly obscure, it’s a contrived wordplay and it’s not funny! I don’t expect DA to use that expression on Letters and Numbers anytime soon!
I decided to try to solve these crosswords at Easter so it is all quite new to me. I am really so impressed with you people and how you have got into DA’s clues.
I think I am doing fine at the average crossword. For example last week, from Saturday, I scored 32/32, 28/28, 27/28, 28/28 and 24/24.
Then comes Friday.
I got 7/28 and 4 of those with help from you all! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry!
Don’t despair Robin, it won’t be long before you start to think the way DA does. I’d still often be lost without help from here. One advantage of being in Melbourne is we get the whole weekend to ponder!
23a not common usage in my household unfortunately. I’m the only one who likes Indian (or any type of spicy) food, so don’t get to eat it often. Robin, persist! It is worth it. DA far funnier and much more of a mental workout than the others. Not sure what you get in Sydney, but in Melbourne I’ve given up on the mid week ones. One setter appears to rely almost solely on anagrams, another likes to look up long obscure words in the dictionary and fill his/her crosswords with them. Frustrating trying to find the answers and not all that funny or clever when you do get them. DA is hard (and I’d have no hope without this site) but worth it. I try to get as many as I can before coming here for clues. Managed about half a dozen today, which is pretty good for me.
Thanks GB and nn for your kind encouragement. It is certainly a lot of fun trying.
I hope I’ll get better for DA’s Friday crosswords – it’s all practice. I am beginning to get ‘half a DA’ quite often (as opposed to half a slab) for example I was onto the first 3 letters of 2D straight away, also the sailor up in 7D and so on. It’s getting the other half that can cause a problem.
By the way, given a choice I would vote for a 16D type of answer (which you do hear reasonably often) rather than foreign ‘gridiron’ terms!
…I got 1A with just the M…does that count?
Ay, Robin and nn. Each DA week is a revelation about the word-worlds we move in. I’m ok with foreign foods and foreign psychological terms, but GB impressed with gridiron, and the movie buffs recently left me for dead. Then there are the Trippers who are really experienced at cryptics and can get the answer anyway! (Thankfully they help out.) Not being one of those, I enjoyed this week’s – other weeks I promise myself to cancel the subscription!
Was timed out when RobT posted his comment – what can you say?
Some people have a hide! : )
Oh! I’ve just now understood your earlier comment, Gayle, about DA having a 16D about a part of the anatomy, having also seen the wordplay for 22D! If I am reading it correctly?
Still can’t get 16D, even with all the comments. Otherwise an enjoyable way to spend a wet Saturday afternoon, and needed no help from here or anywhere else until now. I enjoyed many clues this week, 1A/22D of course, but also 14A, 18A, 22A and 17D. Now just need 16D to click into place, and the linked 26A and I’ll be done!
Robyn I think you are reading it correctly, Gayle isn’t giving you a bum steer :-)
Did anyone else try to make something of butt/tuba before getting 1A?
@jill: no, cause I had the ‘m’. So ‘hemp’ crossed my mind for a tick.
Yes Jill, a but/tuba looked to good to pass up.
For 16D, ‘go’ is EXIT and ‘meal’ is FEED – still don’t like it!
Can any of you genii give a hint fot 18A please?
Haven’t had much time today to come to grips with DA, but have found some delights. Loved 25A, 12A and 10A. Still stuck on quite a few, including 18A (to my shame, having grown up on the shores of Bass Strait) 14A and 24A.
Feather (and Dave R), I answer but only on the clear understanding that I am a long way from being a DA genius :-)
18A The answer is a type of hunter. Not that anyone hears of such a hunter these days. What he hunts has wings and flies (okay, it’s a bird).
The first word (6) is an adjective, in this case, for the (fairly well-known) bird. This adjective, though, might also be used as a meaty noun (unkindly sometimes when ladies try to look younger than they are).
The second word has 6 letters and the first 4 are self explanatory and tell us what is hunted (it sounds absurd I know).
The final 2 letters of the second word well, er, tell us that the whole thing is someone who goes out to catch things. Does this help?
I finally got back to this, long way behind. So, several questions: In 1D I have a football term plus a container Santa uses?; Does 23A refer to fixed grins? I know the singular, my online dictionary hasn’t a sugestion of a plural that rhymes with a well-known lawnmower; I still have only first and last letters of 12A; the Bass Strait hunter has me baffled, I have xxxxxN/xxxDxR? Only 14 solved thus far, and some tips that get posted here seem more cryptic than the master himself. Ah well, back to bed.
@Arthur.
23A: It’s an Indian dish that DA has used before. Seizure in the sense of the police taking stuff from your house, shortened, followed by thanks.
12A: There’s a type of edible bird (named after another kind of meat) that Bass Strait islanders (and Maoris, and other Polynesians) go after.
Thanks Rupert. I just got the Bass Strait hunters. I had been thinking of throttle as accelerator. I had RICTA for 23A, but from your comment that now looks wrong. It didn’t seem to make sense anyway. If RICTA is wrong, I need just two other letters between the R and the TA? I really feel I am wasting time with this one, but loath to just abandon it. But church this morning and visiting wife in hospital this afternoon, will eat up a lot of the day.
Arthur C. Hope your wife’s recovering well.
1D You’re right. GB tells us that the Santa container is a term used in gridiron. So the solution is two football terms.
18A Rupert’s comment above re 12A applied to 18A which hopefully clears that up. You’ve got the right letters for 18A. Spoonerism on synonyms for fasten and throttle.
fasten – in the sense of getting dressed, fasten clothing with the item that’s used to do the fastening
throttle – as in kill someone
Then the Spoonerism.
Rupert and Robin have given tips for the definition – a hunter of an edible bird
Oh, glad you’ve got it 18A Arthur .. I’m a bit of a slow typist.
I wonder if you have 20D right? Or need a hint? It might help with 23A. No C in 20D
I mean there’s no C in the 4th letter position in 20 D.
For 23 A, as per Rupert’s tip, think of a police _ _ _ _. Then take off the last letter. + TA.
Dave R,
For 14A – what is the standard sign that someone will very soon be delivering? And he’s not talking about the Postman.
For 24A – ‘inside’ has to be read as a two word instruction for the wordplay. ‘Victoria’ is an example of the first part of the definition.
Glad to see you got the bass straight hunters Arthur. Took me a while too. Messed around with seals, penguins and great white sharks before I realised what the answer was. Felt a little sheepish after finally getting it!
If you haven’t got that 23A yet and you don’t know much about Indian food, you will probably struggle like I did. All I can suggest is that you make use of a little Artificial Intelligence to get the last two letters, then use Google to check.
This is great! The best part for me these last 3 weeks has been gradually getting all the wordplay thanks to you all.
I’ve only just got the ‘fasten throttle’ spoonerism (thanks Gayle). I was thinking accelerators and foot pedals and carburetors too. Hard to shift these when you have a 16D about them.
Some wordplay help needed for the last 5 letters of 2D please anyone. How does the articulate thinker fit in? Also I’m lost on the GameCube artist in 5D I’m afraid.
I suggest that ‘undies’ doesn’t really lead you to the answer unless you have the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th letters already!
Robin, thanks for above clues for 18A. I have been to watch the ‘hunted’ birds return from their daily outing to sea (many kms) at Port Fairy, but wouldn’t have got it without help. Liked the hint about older women (of which I am one!).
As a teetotaller, can I enquire how many cans (?) make a slab? Or is it nothing to do with numbers?
Just found out – online dictionary. Slab is 24, so half is dozen? Hasn’t helped.
Aha! Got it. I’m not into astrology either. One down, eight to go!
And another bites the dust! I had assumed earlier that 25A might be an anagram of A residence, I now see it was I residence. Have to leave now, must try for a nap before going to hospital. Wife fell last Sat, broke hip, pinned on Sunday. not good when you are 82 and very heavy.
(Thought I’d posted this earlier; something went wrong.) Thanks, Robin and GB, for the help. Should have got 12A, as I have friends who engage in that activity. Off my game a bit this weekend.
Back from hospital. Other family members turned up, limited space. Still one or two to solve. Despite the numerous hints above, still haven’t got 12A, just saw 2D,so only need 12A. Have a word that rhymes with nappy, the middle letters suggesting rubbish? Does that gel?
Arthur 12A doesn’t rhyme with Nappy, although the last three letters are the same. If you don’t solve it soon you could get rather _ _ _ _ PPY with this clue.
and middle 5 letters are an abbreviation of another term for mad, especially in the north of the country.
12 A Alternatively, (a hint – not the wordplay ) the first 5 letters could be Paul Hogan’s offsider, or the piece of leather used for sharpening a cutthroat razor, as my grandfather used, and possibly your father, Arthur C?
Thanks, nn. I now see what it is, and the task is finished, over, sumimashita. Start building up energy for next Saturday. Bye folks!
Still struggling with 25A (despite anagram clue above …) Have d***e* /n*s*. Any hints on 20D and 21A pleeeease.
Ah, just got 25A from Mr Google.
OMG, just got 20D (duh).
And 21A.
@Feather, well done on 25A. It was typical DA fiendishness.
20D: The definition is Stars, particularly twelve constellations around the ecliptic. The first four letters are the number of beers in half a slab, the last two are roughly.
21A: “Doubt struck” means remove “if”. Do this to soporific, and rearrange the letters to get one of the 20D signs.
Thanks, Rupert. That’s DA done for another week …
Just caught up with this crossword. I thought it a great improvement on the previous week’s. And, yes, I had heard of both decree nisi and idee fixe. But not raita. Talking of idee fixe, DA’s seems to be bums!
Some excellent clues: 14A, 22A, 25A, 5D, 6D, 9D, 16D.
Some not so good: eg 1A (if RUMP had sat neatly in the middle of “trumpet” it would have been better); 1D (didn’t like “tackle” = SACK. I believe it’s an American football term); 20D (“roughly” seems to be superfluous in “roughly then rolled about” = AC).
I am just over half-way through. I have an answer for 12A but don’t get the wordplay. Not one bit…it makes me mad, almost cantankerous.
12A: Sandy is three words. And a Pom living in NZ shouldn’t be having to tell you about the Australian slang word that’s almost in the middle.
Can anyone please explain the wordplay in 20D? I have the first half (assuming I’m right on the number of cans in a slab), but the last half makes no sense.
Rupert,
The first 4 letters are associated with the semi-slab. I think the remaining 2 letters will then be obvious.
Thanks, Peta.
I thought the half was the abbreviation instruction, but it looks like there wasn’t one. It looks like there’s two ways of reading the last two letters: roughly or about.
I thought it was a good one this week. I really liked 9D for the misdirection, too many other good clues to mention.
Oh my goodness. DA is a genius. Now I see 12A. And now I know what you mean when you say Sandy is 3 words…I had to see it to believe it.
Does anyone have a clue for 16D? It’s my last one, so I have all the letters, but for the life of me cannot think of an answer…
Foreign phrase. The def is at the end. Contrary indicates reversal.
RobT . I’ve got the answer but haven’t got the wordplay yet. It’s French originally.
@Gayle. I got it. Thanks. That’s it for me this week.
Never heard of it and was never going to get it without my on-line thesaurus. I don’t like foreign terms when not in general usage…
Think I have it now. Taking it from the bottom:
‘almost go to’ is letters 2,3. 4 of the second word. 4 letter word for go (out) with the last letter dropped.
Then, a reversal of a colloquial word for ‘meal’ which is usually used as a verb. + I for ‘one’
def is a psychological and literary term
Have enjoyed this week. More able to get the words from wordplay, apart from 16 D which I had a bit of a struggle with, and the remaining three I have to get. 1D, 2D and 12 A.
Could I have a hint fot 2D please – it might help me with the others. I have O _ M as the first 3 letters and there aren’t many combinations I can think of. If the def is a movie I’m a goner. But is it something to do with permeation through membranes?
@Gayle, you have 1A wrong.
2D: Film is the definition, but it’s not a movie.
@Gayle: 1D would be the easiest of your remaining ones, by far, I think.
@Gayle esp if you are from NSW or Qld.
Oh, no wonder I’m having so much trouble! I had OBOE – but wronggggg! Thanks RobT for putting me straight. Gotta chance now.
And thanks RobT for 1D. …. especially after the game this week.
I thought of that earlier, before I put in the wrong 1A.
Goit 1 A now.
I’m finished, but can’t see the wordplay on 1ac…any takers?
DA seens to have a bit of a 16D about certain parts of the anatomy. He’s even almost repeated another abbreviated one from a couple of weeks ago.
Havning just got it myself Anthony. Another word for bum anatomically, usually on animals. It’s a large part of another brass instrument.
letters 2 – 5 of a 7-letter brass instrument
Got it out and I think I have the answer for 12A. Still pondering Rupert and RobT’s comments above. I bet it’s going to be good when I get it.
“Sandy” gives two letters of the answer. Look closely at the word “sandy” and it will tell you those two letters.
‘blocking’ as a random deletion indicator? Ooh, that’s mean. Thx
Thanks Peta, I’ve finally got it! I had the SANDY admits bit but I was on the wrong wordplay for the middle bit. It is a great clue! How does Rupert the Pom living in NZ get these? One for gold?
@Gayle: I originally thought it was Italian. I sometimes do a bit of Googling afterwards to confirm my answers, and that’s when I came across the Aussie version.
I would second it for GOLD.
hi, i had abut (bum? block? tuba?) for 1A, thanks for clearing that up! still need lots of help – 14A, 6D, 9D and 25D please.
*sorry 6D, ,24A and 25A
6d is an anagram. Unusal defn. but it is clever. Think of a quote from a doyen of the NY art scene in the 60’s & 70’s
24a was my last one in. Again, unusual defn (Two words up front). A meh for the clammy bit & read “inside” as “in side”
25a is an &lit (the whole clue points to the answer). there’s an anagram in there and think family law.
6D … And he said it in 1968, I believe …
Rupert, 12A I didn’t know about the Italian for that part of the clue. Thanks for the illumination. I see that George Harrison had a song and album with the word in the title which was attributed to the Australian meaning and there’s a Moreton Bay fig in the lyrics. But Urban Dictionary also had Polynesian, as well as It, and Aust, and further delving finds that GH was living in Hawaii at a time when apparently he was _ . (And there are Moreton Bay figs in Hawaii and NZ and other places.)
So we Aussies have exclusive rights neither to the word in the middle of 12A, nor the tree. Interesting. (to me anyway .. but then I might be a little bit _ , having come from up north.)
This is ridiculous! Melbourne should go back to getting DA on Friday. I couldn’t find a single word, but looking at comments here, I might now have one. I initially read ‘comet’ instead of cornet in 1A. One down, 27 to go.
No, must just give this one away, I think, surrender meekly. To much else to think about, wife in hospital with a broken hip. Will look at the answers on Monday.
Yes Arthur, I can feel a petition coming on!
Perhaps they should move the Sydney DA to Saturday, might make Friday in the office somewhat more productive. Arthur don’t give up yet, I’ve just started too, have 7 of them although not sure on my answer for 10a as don’t understand the wordplay.
Had 12A, but didn’t get wordplay until I’d read the above. Quite clever, but best one so far is 25A(which I was pleased to get without any hints!)
Lots still to go, have been messing about with sultanates on google for 8D for ages without any luck. Any hints?
reading the above it appears I have 1A wrong. I thought bum was the definition. Had HOBO, obo being part of oboe, thought blocking might somehow mean drop the end but couldn’t explain the H. Am off in search of 7 letter brass instruments. Then might have some hope with 1D and 2D although being a Melbournite, don’t hold out much hope of understanding 1D without a bit of help.
nn think a football term for the first half of 1D. My husband tells me it’s not only in Qld and NSW.
nn PS RobT’s comment was a tip to think football as the Rugby League State of Origin game was on this week and maybe more in northerners’ minds.
8D a particular Sultanate is only part of the answer. The tricky bit is the ‘you once’.
nn – 10A – a famous lover without the first letter and the first letter of ‘from’ inside a 4-letter word for ‘pen’.
And for the second part of 1D, think of a gridiron term for tackle.
thanks Gayle, was thinking the wrong sort of pen for 10A, makes sense now.
Have 1D, my original problem was that I’d missed what the definition was. We have same term in AFL although I wouldn’t say that this type of player really forages for the ball, we have rovers for that.
8D I have a 4 letter sultanate (one of the gulf states) that fits around the only letter I have in the answer. But you once suggests only one letter to me and I need two letters to join the sultanate, presumably to form a word meaning servant, but that’s as far as I’ve got. Only letter I have in it is an A for second last letter.
nn – for ‘once’, think of the olden days – even before DA was a boy.
Finally got 3A which revealed 8D, glad to see I was almost on the right track with that one!
have no idea about the word play with 3a though
3A is an anagram.
thanks Gayle, messed around with anagrams in 3A a couple of hours ago and decided it wasn’t an anagram. Was using the wrong word as the anagram indicator instead of the obvious one. Had decided not to be fooled by the obvious and tried something else. DA has outsmarted my attempt to outsmart him!
I think Gayle has left the building!
got the top half except for 11A. Can’t come up with anything that makes sense there which makes me think my 7D is wrong. As I only have 7D from the definition (assuming first word of clue is def) and don’t get the wordplay, this is highly likely
After rejecting my answer to 20D, I’ve gone back to it, can work the half slab into the first 3 letters (although it isn’t a term I’ve never used to describe a half slab, and why would you bother buying half a slab anyway?). Understand the last two letters, but can’t see where the 4th letter comes from. This helped me see 21A which I though was quite clever, but 21A stuffs up my answer to 15D so I’m taking two steps forward and one step back all the time this week. Having said that, I’m enjoying this one, some really good clues in it.
Sorry GB, wasn’t paying attention!
thanks for the hints!
had to use a thesaurus for 16D, getting a bit annoyed with DA’s use of obscure foreign words lately. Can we have one that just has English words in it for once?
11A – STAFF is a ‘rod’.
7D – ‘chat’ is GAB and ‘sailor’ is TAR.
20D – ‘half a slab’ is the first 4 letters!
thanks GB I had 7D wrong as suspected! I had rascal.
Just a few in the bottom half to go.
Reading back through comments, I’m also not happy with blocking as a multiple deletion indicator in 1A. Perhaps blockin’ would have been a better clue here as there is a block of letters in the large clarinet that give the answer.
oops large cornet, not clarinet.
Yeah, I’d like to see anyone solve 1A just with the wordplay!
GB the half a slab is 4 letters. I’m thinking of an abbreviation for the number of cans in half a slab, but my abbreviation only has 3 letters and appears backwards at the start of the answer.
I could put these 3 letters forwards, then add the 4th to get what I guess is a slang term for half a slab, but not one I’ve heard of.
grrr i = one in the half slab. Enough to drive me to drink!
And another foreign word I’d never heard of in 23A, almost impossible to get from wordplay. If he is going to use foreign words, the word play needs to be more straightforward, not chopped up bits of indirect clues. That way we have some hope of getting them and then learning something new.
On the other hand really enjoyed lots of them this week. 8D, 18A, 14A, 17D, 15D, 21A, 22A, 12A and the brilliant 25A
Didn’t mind 23A because it’s in common usage, but 16D is a prime candidate for DA bullshit because it’s incredibly obscure, it’s a contrived wordplay and it’s not funny! I don’t expect DA to use that expression on Letters and Numbers anytime soon!
I decided to try to solve these crosswords at Easter so it is all quite new to me. I am really so impressed with you people and how you have got into DA’s clues.
I think I am doing fine at the average crossword. For example last week, from Saturday, I scored 32/32, 28/28, 27/28, 28/28 and 24/24.
Then comes Friday.
I got 7/28 and 4 of those with help from you all! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry!
Don’t despair Robin, it won’t be long before you start to think the way DA does. I’d still often be lost without help from here. One advantage of being in Melbourne is we get the whole weekend to ponder!
23a not common usage in my household unfortunately. I’m the only one who likes Indian (or any type of spicy) food, so don’t get to eat it often. Robin, persist! It is worth it. DA far funnier and much more of a mental workout than the others. Not sure what you get in Sydney, but in Melbourne I’ve given up on the mid week ones. One setter appears to rely almost solely on anagrams, another likes to look up long obscure words in the dictionary and fill his/her crosswords with them. Frustrating trying to find the answers and not all that funny or clever when you do get them. DA is hard (and I’d have no hope without this site) but worth it. I try to get as many as I can before coming here for clues. Managed about half a dozen today, which is pretty good for me.
Thanks GB and nn for your kind encouragement. It is certainly a lot of fun trying.
I hope I’ll get better for DA’s Friday crosswords – it’s all practice. I am beginning to get ‘half a DA’ quite often (as opposed to half a slab) for example I was onto the first 3 letters of 2D straight away, also the sailor up in 7D and so on. It’s getting the other half that can cause a problem.
By the way, given a choice I would vote for a 16D type of answer (which you do hear reasonably often) rather than foreign ‘gridiron’ terms!
…I got 1A with just the M…does that count?
Ay, Robin and nn. Each DA week is a revelation about the word-worlds we move in. I’m ok with foreign foods and foreign psychological terms, but GB impressed with gridiron, and the movie buffs recently left me for dead. Then there are the Trippers who are really experienced at cryptics and can get the answer anyway! (Thankfully they help out.) Not being one of those, I enjoyed this week’s – other weeks I promise myself to cancel the subscription!
Was timed out when RobT posted his comment – what can you say?
Some people have a hide! : )
Oh! I’ve just now understood your earlier comment, Gayle, about DA having a 16D about a part of the anatomy, having also seen the wordplay for 22D! If I am reading it correctly?
Still can’t get 16D, even with all the comments. Otherwise an enjoyable way to spend a wet Saturday afternoon, and needed no help from here or anywhere else until now. I enjoyed many clues this week, 1A/22D of course, but also 14A, 18A, 22A and 17D. Now just need 16D to click into place, and the linked 26A and I’ll be done!
Robyn I think you are reading it correctly, Gayle isn’t giving you a bum steer :-)
Did anyone else try to make something of butt/tuba before getting 1A?
@jill: no, cause I had the ‘m’. So ‘hemp’ crossed my mind for a tick.
Yes Jill, a but/tuba looked to good to pass up.
For 16D, ‘go’ is EXIT and ‘meal’ is FEED – still don’t like it!
Can any of you genii give a hint fot 18A please?
Haven’t had much time today to come to grips with DA, but have found some delights. Loved 25A, 12A and 10A. Still stuck on quite a few, including 18A (to my shame, having grown up on the shores of Bass Strait) 14A and 24A.
Feather (and Dave R), I answer but only on the clear understanding that I am a long way from being a DA genius :-)
18A The answer is a type of hunter. Not that anyone hears of such a hunter these days. What he hunts has wings and flies (okay, it’s a bird).
The first word (6) is an adjective, in this case, for the (fairly well-known) bird. This adjective, though, might also be used as a meaty noun (unkindly sometimes when ladies try to look younger than they are).
The second word has 6 letters and the first 4 are self explanatory and tell us what is hunted (it sounds absurd I know).
The final 2 letters of the second word well, er, tell us that the whole thing is someone who goes out to catch things. Does this help?
I finally got back to this, long way behind. So, several questions: In 1D I have a football term plus a container Santa uses?; Does 23A refer to fixed grins? I know the singular, my online dictionary hasn’t a sugestion of a plural that rhymes with a well-known lawnmower; I still have only first and last letters of 12A; the Bass Strait hunter has me baffled, I have xxxxxN/xxxDxR? Only 14 solved thus far, and some tips that get posted here seem more cryptic than the master himself. Ah well, back to bed.
@Arthur.
23A: It’s an Indian dish that DA has used before. Seizure in the sense of the police taking stuff from your house, shortened, followed by thanks.
12A: There’s a type of edible bird (named after another kind of meat) that Bass Strait islanders (and Maoris, and other Polynesians) go after.
Thanks Rupert. I just got the Bass Strait hunters. I had been thinking of throttle as accelerator. I had RICTA for 23A, but from your comment that now looks wrong. It didn’t seem to make sense anyway. If RICTA is wrong, I need just two other letters between the R and the TA? I really feel I am wasting time with this one, but loath to just abandon it. But church this morning and visiting wife in hospital this afternoon, will eat up a lot of the day.
Arthur C. Hope your wife’s recovering well.
1D You’re right. GB tells us that the Santa container is a term used in gridiron. So the solution is two football terms.
18A Rupert’s comment above re 12A applied to 18A which hopefully clears that up. You’ve got the right letters for 18A. Spoonerism on synonyms for fasten and throttle.
fasten – in the sense of getting dressed, fasten clothing with the item that’s used to do the fastening
throttle – as in kill someone
Then the Spoonerism.
Rupert and Robin have given tips for the definition – a hunter of an edible bird
Oh, glad you’ve got it 18A Arthur .. I’m a bit of a slow typist.
I wonder if you have 20D right? Or need a hint? It might help with 23A. No C in 20D
I mean there’s no C in the 4th letter position in 20 D.
For 23 A, as per Rupert’s tip, think of a police _ _ _ _. Then take off the last letter. + TA.
Dave R,
For 14A – what is the standard sign that someone will very soon be delivering? And he’s not talking about the Postman.
For 24A – ‘inside’ has to be read as a two word instruction for the wordplay. ‘Victoria’ is an example of the first part of the definition.
Glad to see you got the bass straight hunters Arthur. Took me a while too. Messed around with seals, penguins and great white sharks before I realised what the answer was. Felt a little sheepish after finally getting it!
If you haven’t got that 23A yet and you don’t know much about Indian food, you will probably struggle like I did. All I can suggest is that you make use of a little Artificial Intelligence to get the last two letters, then use Google to check.
This is great! The best part for me these last 3 weeks has been gradually getting all the wordplay thanks to you all.
I’ve only just got the ‘fasten throttle’ spoonerism (thanks Gayle). I was thinking accelerators and foot pedals and carburetors too. Hard to shift these when you have a 16D about them.
Some wordplay help needed for the last 5 letters of 2D please anyone. How does the articulate thinker fit in? Also I’m lost on the GameCube artist in 5D I’m afraid.
I suggest that ‘undies’ doesn’t really lead you to the answer unless you have the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th letters already!
Robin, thanks for above clues for 18A. I have been to watch the ‘hunted’ birds return from their daily outing to sea (many kms) at Port Fairy, but wouldn’t have got it without help. Liked the hint about older women (of which I am one!).
As a teetotaller, can I enquire how many cans (?) make a slab? Or is it nothing to do with numbers?
Just found out – online dictionary. Slab is 24, so half is dozen? Hasn’t helped.
Aha! Got it. I’m not into astrology either. One down, eight to go!
And another bites the dust! I had assumed earlier that 25A might be an anagram of A residence, I now see it was I residence. Have to leave now, must try for a nap before going to hospital. Wife fell last Sat, broke hip, pinned on Sunday. not good when you are 82 and very heavy.
(Thought I’d posted this earlier; something went wrong.) Thanks, Robin and GB, for the help. Should have got 12A, as I have friends who engage in that activity. Off my game a bit this weekend.
Back from hospital. Other family members turned up, limited space. Still one or two to solve. Despite the numerous hints above, still haven’t got 12A, just saw 2D,so only need 12A. Have a word that rhymes with nappy, the middle letters suggesting rubbish? Does that gel?
Arthur 12A doesn’t rhyme with Nappy, although the last three letters are the same. If you don’t solve it soon you could get rather _ _ _ _ PPY with this clue.
and middle 5 letters are an abbreviation of another term for mad, especially in the north of the country.
12 A Alternatively, (a hint – not the wordplay ) the first 5 letters could be Paul Hogan’s offsider, or the piece of leather used for sharpening a cutthroat razor, as my grandfather used, and possibly your father, Arthur C?
Thanks, nn. I now see what it is, and the task is finished, over, sumimashita. Start building up energy for next Saturday. Bye folks!
Still struggling with 25A (despite anagram clue above …) Have d***e* /n*s*. Any hints on 20D and 21A pleeeease.
Ah, just got 25A from Mr Google.
OMG, just got 20D (duh).
And 21A.
@Feather, well done on 25A. It was typical DA fiendishness.
20D: The definition is Stars, particularly twelve constellations around the ecliptic. The first four letters are the number of beers in half a slab, the last two are roughly.
21A: “Doubt struck” means remove “if”. Do this to soporific, and rearrange the letters to get one of the 20D signs.
Thanks, Rupert. That’s DA done for another week …
Just caught up with this crossword. I thought it a great improvement on the previous week’s. And, yes, I had heard of both decree nisi and idee fixe. But not raita. Talking of idee fixe, DA’s seems to be bums!
Some excellent clues: 14A, 22A, 25A, 5D, 6D, 9D, 16D.
Some not so good: eg 1A (if RUMP had sat neatly in the middle of “trumpet” it would have been better); 1D (didn’t like “tackle” = SACK. I believe it’s an American football term); 20D (“roughly” seems to be superfluous in “roughly then rolled about” = AC).