Last week’s was a debacle for me: I positively shudder at anything to do with Harry Potter (and Lord (Bored?) of the Rings for that matter).
It’s not often themed crosswords appear in consecutive weeks, so this week’s should be good, wholesome fun (although I bet there’s a reference to Lord of the Rings that has me wanting to throw away the crossword in disgust).
No spoilers on this particular thread until Monday, the idea being anyone can come along here and have a chat without fear of ruining a good crossword-solving escapade over the weekend.
Update: Very tough, very good:
Definitely one of the hardest DAs in a while — and also a couple of absolute pearlers (along with a couple of lowlights).
On the clue I consider platinum, I spent a long time thinking SNOOPER was the answer somehow before the real answer dawned on me. A ridiculously good clue.
No theme, and no hobbits, though there is architecture and geography that will be more familiar to those doing the crossword on Saturday.
I thoroughly agree. Last week’s Potter theme sucked
@Mike: better than a poke in the eye with a blunt wand.
Today: I thought there were some fab clues albeit no theme.
11A, 22A, 24A/10A, 26A, 2D, 4D, 6D (Gold!) and 21D (Gold!).
Well done, DA!
Agree with most of your choices, RobT, and I can see what you see about 21D, but don’t agree, as a Queenslander, who’s seen the light! : )
@ Gayle: Mmmm.
Is that a mumble of disagreement, a pondering hum or a murmur of appreciation?
In Qld we called the glass windows ‘louvres’ which also conveys the idea that each slat is a louvre, not the whole structure, athough Rupert said he’s found that and I’ve found in Penguin the singular used for a turret with slatted apertures for the escape of smoke or admission of LIGHT.
But aside from the sing/plur which I’m prepared to accept, the real problem with the def for me is that it appears completely opposite to what louvres are designed to do.
From Dictionary.com “any of a set of horizontal parallel slats in a door or window, sloping outwards to throw off rain and admit air ”
Macquarie and Penguin give definitions regarding these structures as designed to admit air, supply ventilation and LIGHT.
Looking up ‘blind’ you get ‘a shade for a window, something that BLOCKS vision or light’.
Does anybody call ‘the blind’ ‘the louvre’? Even in Melbourne or Sydney?
Really enjoyed the surface and the deceptions/indicators in 25A. ‘Broadcast’ got me looking for a homophone, and for whatever was supposed to be ‘heartless’.
26 ac Dusty whodunit – “Cold case” at the barbie was a favourite, but had initially had cold cuts (no flies) which threw out ‘window-dressing’ (another blind?) and didn’t get the ‘barbie’ doll.
We are building in Sydney and are having louvres for mostly shade but obv with airflow in mind. So “mmmm” was me thinking. You are right!
I assumed DA was talking about louvre blinds, an example of which can be found at English Blinds dot co dot uk (I seem to be ending up in the spam trap for some reason).
Yes, have seen ‘louvre blinds’ in friend’s home (IKEA I think) , and done some googling on newish products, just to be sure I’m not living in the past, but RobT and Rupert’s most recent comments seem to bear out that it’s either ‘louvres’ or ‘louvre something’.
P0ssible wriggle room is if this is a clue considered ‘definition by example’, and only then with a great deal of (s)latitude. ‘the blind’ does not = ‘louvre’.
I do like the UV cluing though and the multiple and funny surface of 21ac as it is.