Here’s where you sort out your confusions from this week’s DA.
114 thoughts on “DA Confusion for 22nd/23rd of June, 2012”
This is going to be tough. I have 5D, and five of the across clues, so I know what the theme is, roughly, though I don’t have 22D (or much else, really). 5D seem reasonably temporally diverse, and well-known, so I haven’t had to call in my 13 year old daughter to help, yet.
All done bar 7D.
Re7D: If “begin” was “began”, then I have an answer that satisfies both definition and wordplay. Is this a mistake in the clue?
7D: I think it should be “began”, also.
Not going too well so far. Eight out of fourteen across clues in, and less than half the downs.
I may have to ask one of 5D that went to see 8A a couple of weeks ago for help when she comes home from school.
1D: Should be “bitten by”, not “bites”, surely?
5D are too obscure for me. I was able to get 9A, 12A, 15A and 26A from the wordplay alone, but having to Google every answer is not enjoyable.
I have it all done apart from the SW corner, but I think I’m giving up now.
The paper version of today’s cryptic has a typical DA “NB …” that prefaces the clues. When I look at the puzzle on my tablet this important scene setter seems to have dropped off the digital edition. Does anyone need it posted?
The PC digital edition has the rebus.
Mmmm. It didn’t make it to my iPad. Curious.
Yes Steve, it looks like a DA specific glitch in the iPad edition. I hope they sort it out.
I have had a similar time to Rupert. Got 5d very quickly. Also think I have 22d, but only because of its connection to theme, I don’t know how to get the first two letters from 3d. And my 5as are all grown up and not coming home from school!
I don’t mean to be picky but there’s a glitch here – heading says ‘da confusion for 22nd/23rd July 2012’. Unless it’s deliberate – have theme but too few answers……
@Sandy:Re22D – first 2 letters come from a 3-letter word for a drunkard minus the middle letter (hence “gutted”). Last 4 letters equal “mellow”. Definition is “bar” as in line or band.
Thanks Mike. That confirms my answer. I am just not that familiar with that word for drunkard.
Well, this is a toughie for me – I have one definite (5d) and 3 rough guesses (1d, 2d and 21d) and no idea of the theme. It’s going to be a hard slog.
I’ve got 10A and 8A, and that’s exhausted my stock of 5D – are they all well enough known to be obvious on the word play ?
Enjoying the theme but not sure about some wordplay.
19D – where do the first four letters come from?
12A – what is the function of ‘forgotten’? It appears to mean “remove x”, but why?
For those struggling with the theme, you could get a toe-hold from 22A and 17A. The wordplay is relatively simple and the themed elements are quite well known (although one is from a few decades ago).
@Jupiter,
Some of them are Australian, and it’s no wonder that Rupert struggled. Some of them are quite recent, so I can imagine Arthur C. will have a tough time. A couple are a little obscure because they aren’t household names. But I think most are household names. Well, in my household at least.
Congrats to DA for getting past the difficult 13 mark on this theme.
Got sent off in 16A twice, back in the day. And I never got sent off anywhere else. Something about that place that brought out the worst in me?
@Steve – the rebus also didn’t appear on my iPad and, as the comments say, this seems to be a flaw. The puzzle certainly was a whole lot trickier without the thematic clue!
Agree with Mike H and Rupert about 7D. A candidate for DA error?
No French detected this week. Something for me to 24A about.
@ipuzzled:Re12A – think Roman numeral!
12A: Thank you Mike H. That’s very clever now I see it.
Hail & farewell. After 90 minutes of careful study, and having tentatively written in one four-letter word, I followed the sensible course: ripped the thing to shreds and threw the paper away. Will look again next week, this one was a dead loss.
Argh! He’s been sucked once again into the DA vortex. Things are so grim I’m considering trying a DA myself. Any tips for a first-timer?
@ipuzzled:Re19D – opening fizzled means 5-letter word for opening (think hole, in one’s armour perhaps) minus the last letter.
Arthur, was it 2D …?
Just the 24A/D pair left. Titanic struggle?
OMG. I think I worked one out. All by myself. Lol. Never happens.
PaulL24d is a “sounds like”with first word as def’n. Is Also themed. That will help with 24a which I thought as clever, think of the whole clue as def’n I am stuck on 6D
Ok. That was short lived excitement.
Chamomile, re 6D. Definition is in the last two words
Sorry – Chamollie
@DA widow. Best advice for a first timer might be to follow Arthur’s example!
Have the theme, but only 3 of them so far plus a 3 down answers. Don’t have 22d (and not having 3d probably doesn’t help with that), but can still work out what the theme is. Don’t know how I’m going to go with this one.
Thanks anyway Brian, I am all finished and now going to walk off my DA headache in the still brisk morning air. Found it very challenging
Is there anywhere that I can get the answers to some of the past DA crosswords I have never managed to finish. I feel like if I can see the answers and work out where they came from it will help me with future DA’s.
Thought it was all way too easy today, done in record time and on iPad.
Then I came here and realised I’d just completed the DS from 23 June!
Does anyone know how to access the DA, or do I have to brave the cold and head for the newsagent?
Have 22d now thanks to above hints. Not quite sure how that word fits DA’s instruction at the top thought. Finding this very tough. Can think of lots of 5Ds but none that make sense with the clues. Down answers not much easier
@LJ, if you aren’t up with the theme, your DS might have been a smarter option!
Michelle, just scroll through the home page of this website. And if you can’t work them out from the answers you can always go to previous DA Confusion pages.
Thanks.
Ok. I can’t find any Answer pages on here. Or anywhere for that matter.
Cheers Chamollie, had forgotten that one of the Down clues was themed.
Was also thinking 3 from the front was ‘D’.
Have given up on this. Far too many possibilities for the 5ds. Looked up the answers on crossword club, glad I didn’t persist. A couple I’ve never heard of and would have no hope of getting from wordplay. Saw on that that the NB as printed in todays Age had an error in it.
Today’s Age says they are “5 down of a lyrical 22down”, which made no sense at all. It should be 2d not 22d.
Did like forgotten in 12a, but not that thrilled with some of the others eg 7d and 21d which both appear to have the order of words in the clue the wrong way around.
Thanks @nn. Will give it a try.
Can someone confirm that 8a is a current hit?
8A is currently a huge hit, Michelle…
Ok. Ty. Think I have that and 2d. But stumped on 5d.
Michelle, count the letters you need for the answer!
nn, I think 22D is okay in the theme notes as it is a synonym of 2D don’t you think?
Thanks Robin. But that still didn’t help.
@Robin, I don’t see the answer of 22D as a synonym of that of 2D and inserting that (and 5d) into the phrase “are 5d of a lyrical 22D” doesn’t make sense to me.
@Michelle 5D is an anagram, adjustment is the fodder. Porgie refers to a nursery rhyme character who did something to 5d (his target).
Cheers. Got 5d with help of my sister.
Oddly enough, Robin, it was. My wife was a secretary before we married, carried on a voluminous correspondence for many years thereafter.
LJ you don’t seem to get DA with the iPad app for The Age. Best idea is to download SMH app and get DA on Friday using that. Today’s is a real struggle. I thought I knew a few of these lyrical types but the wordplay has me completely stumped. Will persist for a little longer.
@Michele – if you go to the “archives” side bar on this site, and click on an earlier month, when you scroll down you will see some completed crosswords. Trouble with DA is, knowing the answer doesn’t always mean you’ll be any the wiser!
I was away last weekend and didn’t do a crossword at all – this weekend is definitely NOT a good welcome back! Done about half – got the theme but it really doesn’t help much.
Any ideas re 13D and 20A? I’m struggling with this corner.
Toughest for a long time! I did the top half in a couple of hours, but the bottom half totally bamboozled me. In the end I resorted to cheating – looking up lists and fuzzy-matching words – and finished a few minutes ago after finally getting 19D and 21D. 21D seems unfair to me; the definition part of the clue seems an awfully long way from the dictionary definition of the word.
@Roger, I agree 21D (one of the ones I gave up on) is unfair. “egg nest” is a plausible definition, “nest egg” definitely isn’t.
I think perhaps in that video from last week, DA was wandering around Melbourne writing down the names of the buskers. 5 of 5D are totally unknown to me.
Also, being pedantic, isn’t 13D a singular definition for a plural answer?
Arthur, I did a bit better than you, there were only 3 of the 5D I hadn’t heard of. For a long time I was convinced that 20A must start with VAN, which wasted many hours.
Sorry, nn. My PC crashed yesterday so I was forced offline. Our iMac was stolen last weekend and so I restarted a pre 2009 PC which had been standing untouched in a back room. On daughter’s laptop now…!
I see what you mean about 2D versus 22D. 2D is a better fit but I was quite happy with the 22D and hadn’t thought of 2D until you mentioned it. Maybe the 22D use is an older phrase, I’m sure I’ve heard it used though.
@LJ, I did laugh when I saw your note about doing the DS by mistake. I like to do DS every week. You must have felt really good thinking it was a DA! By the way this week’s (number 19,715) is one of the trickier ones ‘ve seen for a while, I still have 8 to go…
Kerya, 13D’s definition is words 2 and 3 and as others have said it should be ‘lambs’ plural. A words for ‘cooks’ (as a verb) gives letters 1-3 and 7-10 and a minced TAD fills the other three squares.
20A has a word for ‘front’ in letters 1-3 followed by a word for ‘dump’ as in ‘get rid of’. The answer is the surname of an Australian, one of the three I’d not heard of out of the fifteen.
Well we’ve comleted all except 7D – Given up on it. Don’t understand the wordplay for 23A, or 24A. @ Kerya 13D are a type of asian sheep – with a word for cooks outside an anagram of “a tad” 20A – three letter word for front (think ship), and a 4 letter word for dump (think get rid of), gives you the 5D of a lyrical 2D (NOT 22D!)
Doug & Gwyn, In 23A a cryptic clue is the first 8 letters of the answer. The last 2 letters are a queen, the usual one. Letters 1-4 are two words for ‘a fool’ reversed (or turned).
24A has two rows in front of it at the theatre.
Thank you Robin! Just didn’t see them. Now they make sense.
Thanks very much Robin, Doug and Gwyn. Still have 3 words – 7D, 18D and 22A.
Kerya, 7D The Free Dictionary gives this verb the definition ‘to begin an activity energetically’ if that helps. As others have said above the answer is in the past tense so it should be ‘began’. Second 2-letter word is a homophone.
18D could be two words 3, 5. Answer is plural. Best for shallow water.
22A Buck is an anagrind…!
@Kerya. We gave up on 7D. If someone can give a hint, that’d be great. With 18d, it’s a fairly simple spoonerism – the definition is the first two words – think of a 4 letter word for stripped, and a 4 letter word for a type of grain, and swap the sound of the first syllables – gives you ……..? (craft in the clue is plural)
22A is an anagram of passer. Her 1st name begins with B.
Thanks. I figured them out. Didn’t much enjoy this crossword. Cheers.
Sorry Robin – overlapped with you – slow typer!
Thanx Robin. Got 7D now – not happy with it though.
Had forgotten thet the 1st word can mean evil.
22A:
This is the second time in as many weeks that DA has used buck as an anagrind. Well, last week it was ‘bucks’. I’d say he used it again so soon because it goes so well with ‘passer’ in 22A. Not likely to see buck used this way for a while as there are 100s if not 1000s of other anagrinds in the cruciverbal arsenal. One of my favourites is ‘fruitcake’.
Regarding DS: Often just after I’ve struggled with a difficult DA puzzle, I can breeze through a DS one in a very short time. Admittedly there are other times when I’m not on the same wavelength and it takes hours to complete a DS puzzle.
We love you Arthur
Catherines of confusion
Most of my missing ones don’t seem to have been a problem for anyone else – or at least they haven’t been mentioned on here. Apart from 13d and 16d, where I know what the definition is but have no idea what the word is, I’ve got nowhere with 3d,4d, 11a, 12a, 15a and 25a. Since 3 of the across answers I HAVE managed to fill in are people I’ve never heard of, I’m reluctant to struggle on!
@Mary, I am the same. Still stuck on 11a, 3d,4d, and 6d. Would appreciate any hints for these. Some clues came easily, however, I have struggled through many of the other clues, only to have a ‘der’ moment when they ‘clicked’. 13d is a form of cooking… direct heat from above, surrounding minced ‘a tad’. 16d town is – broken (balloon breaking) surrounding a headless track. Something concrete you walk on…
I found this week’s pretty difficult although got the theme early with 2D and 10A which only had two connotations for me and 5D and 8A confirmed. A few quibbles this week raised by others above.
Karen, 3D ‘Ralph’ is supposed to be onomatopaeic. Letters 1-4 are the American colloquial synonym.
4D I don’t get the wordplay for first four letters, and don’t agree with ‘interspersed’ if it’s meant to be an alternate letters indicator for the last 3 letters.
6D I think that ‘sloppy 2-down’ is sloppy clueing for letters 1,2 and 10. Think clothing.
Mary, 12A and 15A are Australian, and break the old cryptic rule – neither dead, nor famous, as far as I know. 11A and 25A are okay.
11A Think of a homophone (‘told’) for a synonym for ‘suits’ as in ‘is apt’, then a fairly common name for a newspaper, with first letter substitution.
25A Common synonyms for ‘ring’, 1-4 and like. I spent a long time mistakenly thinking of lyrical 5Ds beginning with the letter ‘O’.
Gayle,
Thesaurus.com gives one definition of cant as being a verb meaning to lean or to slant. I had to look for it and don’t think I have seen it used at any time. I only knew the noun from schooldays RE classes! The rest must be as you have it, mAnTrA, surely?
@Gayle,
I made exactly the same mistake with 25A. Couldn’t think of any lyrical 5Ds starting with ‘O’ so finally moved away from that red herring.
Thanks Robin. I’m guessing that it might be the same derivation as one way of bridge construction. RE?
@iPuzzled, unfortunately I did know one beginning with ‘O’ known only by one name, then got really stuck on the last 5 letters.
What an eclectic taste has DA! I thought I was up on the theme but I don’t know 9A, 15A and 20A. Maybe I should get out more and spend less time on the crossie!
Do 9A and 11A have the same first name?
15A 23A 25A 16D & 21D to go.
Have tried the hints above but my brain is stuck.
Getting 16D would probably be all I need.
Just posted and 23A clicked. D’oh!
Only 15A to go now.
Damn, I start work in 16D in two weeks. LOL
15D: “Beat” gives letters 1 – 4 & 6; a headache or sore toe may do this.
“small” gives letter 5.
“fry finally” gives letter 7.
Sorry – that was 15A
Thanks Rupert.
All done now.
Trivia – what does 24D have in common with 25A? What is the connection between 11A and 24D? What does 9A have in common with 11A?
9A and 11A both have the same first name. Thankyou Robin, I like the collective 9A, didn’t know the individual.
Still pondering 24D and 25A
Brilliant, Gayle. I was thinking of Ella 11A recording the 24D Porter Songbook…
They both have the same range? but one starts off lower?
Natalie’s middle name is Maria…!
Is anyone else having trouble accessing DA’s website, or is it just my computer?
DA’s website is under maintenance for a couple of weeks. I was able to get to davidastle.com yesterday, but it redirected to Cassowary Crossing.
Where is the “old soap” in 21D?
Thanks Rupert, that’s what’s happening to me too. Weeks you say!
21D: “The OC” was an American soap opera.
Thanks Rupert.
Hi,
Could someone please help with “ground-breaker accepts work”.
Answer is Hooper.
I think ground-breaker is hoer?
But where does “op” fit in?
Thanks.
Grant, ‘op’ is short for opus, as in a musical work.
Ouch. That’s a new one for me. Thanks JD
I looked at the solution to fill in 70%. I don’t get 24d fuel ok, but what’s the invoice?
24D: invoice = in voice = homophone. This is the one down clue that’s one of 5D.
Thanks Rupert. I learnt some more DA difficulties with this one!
Not that anyone will ever read this so long after the last post, but I’ve FINALLY finished this one. By far the most trouble I’ve ever had and very nearly broke my sacred rule (not to look here before I’ve finished the whole thing). Pity about the 7D glitch though
I am in awe of your persistence. I almost always give up if it’s not done by Friday evening (or Saturday morning if inspiration strikes during the night).
This is going to be tough. I have 5D, and five of the across clues, so I know what the theme is, roughly, though I don’t have 22D (or much else, really). 5D seem reasonably temporally diverse, and well-known, so I haven’t had to call in my 13 year old daughter to help, yet.
All done bar 7D.
Re7D: If “begin” was “began”, then I have an answer that satisfies both definition and wordplay. Is this a mistake in the clue?
7D: I think it should be “began”, also.
Not going too well so far. Eight out of fourteen across clues in, and less than half the downs.
I may have to ask one of 5D that went to see 8A a couple of weeks ago for help when she comes home from school.
1D: Should be “bitten by”, not “bites”, surely?
5D are too obscure for me. I was able to get 9A, 12A, 15A and 26A from the wordplay alone, but having to Google every answer is not enjoyable.
I have it all done apart from the SW corner, but I think I’m giving up now.
The paper version of today’s cryptic has a typical DA “NB …” that prefaces the clues. When I look at the puzzle on my tablet this important scene setter seems to have dropped off the digital edition. Does anyone need it posted?
The PC digital edition has the rebus.
Mmmm. It didn’t make it to my iPad. Curious.
Yes Steve, it looks like a DA specific glitch in the iPad edition. I hope they sort it out.
I have had a similar time to Rupert. Got 5d very quickly. Also think I have 22d, but only because of its connection to theme, I don’t know how to get the first two letters from 3d. And my 5as are all grown up and not coming home from school!
I don’t mean to be picky but there’s a glitch here – heading says ‘da confusion for 22nd/23rd July 2012’. Unless it’s deliberate – have theme but too few answers……
@Sandy:Re22D – first 2 letters come from a 3-letter word for a drunkard minus the middle letter (hence “gutted”). Last 4 letters equal “mellow”. Definition is “bar” as in line or band.
Thanks Mike. That confirms my answer. I am just not that familiar with that word for drunkard.
Well, this is a toughie for me – I have one definite (5d) and 3 rough guesses (1d, 2d and 21d) and no idea of the theme. It’s going to be a hard slog.
I’ve got 10A and 8A, and that’s exhausted my stock of 5D – are they all well enough known to be obvious on the word play ?
Enjoying the theme but not sure about some wordplay.
19D – where do the first four letters come from?
12A – what is the function of ‘forgotten’? It appears to mean “remove x”, but why?
For those struggling with the theme, you could get a toe-hold from 22A and 17A. The wordplay is relatively simple and the themed elements are quite well known (although one is from a few decades ago).
@Jupiter,
Some of them are Australian, and it’s no wonder that Rupert struggled. Some of them are quite recent, so I can imagine Arthur C. will have a tough time. A couple are a little obscure because they aren’t household names. But I think most are household names. Well, in my household at least.
Congrats to DA for getting past the difficult 13 mark on this theme.
Got sent off in 16A twice, back in the day. And I never got sent off anywhere else. Something about that place that brought out the worst in me?
@Steve – the rebus also didn’t appear on my iPad and, as the comments say, this seems to be a flaw. The puzzle certainly was a whole lot trickier without the thematic clue!
Agree with Mike H and Rupert about 7D. A candidate for DA error?
No French detected this week. Something for me to 24A about.
@ipuzzled:Re12A – think Roman numeral!
12A: Thank you Mike H. That’s very clever now I see it.
Hail & farewell. After 90 minutes of careful study, and having tentatively written in one four-letter word, I followed the sensible course: ripped the thing to shreds and threw the paper away. Will look again next week, this one was a dead loss.
Argh! He’s been sucked once again into the DA vortex. Things are so grim I’m considering trying a DA myself. Any tips for a first-timer?
@ipuzzled:Re19D – opening fizzled means 5-letter word for opening (think hole, in one’s armour perhaps) minus the last letter.
Arthur, was it 2D …?
Just the 24A/D pair left. Titanic struggle?
OMG. I think I worked one out. All by myself. Lol. Never happens.
PaulL24d is a “sounds like”with first word as def’n. Is Also themed. That will help with 24a which I thought as clever, think of the whole clue as def’n I am stuck on 6D
Ok. That was short lived excitement.
Chamomile, re 6D. Definition is in the last two words
Sorry – Chamollie
@DA widow. Best advice for a first timer might be to follow Arthur’s example!
Have the theme, but only 3 of them so far plus a 3 down answers. Don’t have 22d (and not having 3d probably doesn’t help with that), but can still work out what the theme is. Don’t know how I’m going to go with this one.
Thanks anyway Brian, I am all finished and now going to walk off my DA headache in the still brisk morning air. Found it very challenging
Is there anywhere that I can get the answers to some of the past DA crosswords I have never managed to finish. I feel like if I can see the answers and work out where they came from it will help me with future DA’s.
Thought it was all way too easy today, done in record time and on iPad.
Then I came here and realised I’d just completed the DS from 23 June!
Does anyone know how to access the DA, or do I have to brave the cold and head for the newsagent?
Have 22d now thanks to above hints. Not quite sure how that word fits DA’s instruction at the top thought. Finding this very tough. Can think of lots of 5Ds but none that make sense with the clues. Down answers not much easier
@LJ, if you aren’t up with the theme, your DS might have been a smarter option!
Michelle, just scroll through the home page of this website. And if you can’t work them out from the answers you can always go to previous DA Confusion pages.
Thanks.
Ok. I can’t find any Answer pages on here. Or anywhere for that matter.
Cheers Chamollie, had forgotten that one of the Down clues was themed.
Was also thinking 3 from the front was ‘D’.
Have given up on this. Far too many possibilities for the 5ds. Looked up the answers on crossword club, glad I didn’t persist. A couple I’ve never heard of and would have no hope of getting from wordplay. Saw on that that the NB as printed in todays Age had an error in it.
Today’s Age says they are “5 down of a lyrical 22down”, which made no sense at all. It should be 2d not 22d.
Did like forgotten in 12a, but not that thrilled with some of the others eg 7d and 21d which both appear to have the order of words in the clue the wrong way around.
Thanks @nn. Will give it a try.
Can someone confirm that 8a is a current hit?
8A is currently a huge hit, Michelle…
Ok. Ty. Think I have that and 2d. But stumped on 5d.
Michelle, count the letters you need for the answer!
nn, I think 22D is okay in the theme notes as it is a synonym of 2D don’t you think?
Thanks Robin. But that still didn’t help.
@Robin, I don’t see the answer of 22D as a synonym of that of 2D and inserting that (and 5d) into the phrase “are 5d of a lyrical 22D” doesn’t make sense to me.
@Michelle 5D is an anagram, adjustment is the fodder. Porgie refers to a nursery rhyme character who did something to 5d (his target).
Cheers. Got 5d with help of my sister.
Oddly enough, Robin, it was. My wife was a secretary before we married, carried on a voluminous correspondence for many years thereafter.
LJ you don’t seem to get DA with the iPad app for The Age. Best idea is to download SMH app and get DA on Friday using that. Today’s is a real struggle. I thought I knew a few of these lyrical types but the wordplay has me completely stumped. Will persist for a little longer.
@Michele – if you go to the “archives” side bar on this site, and click on an earlier month, when you scroll down you will see some completed crosswords. Trouble with DA is, knowing the answer doesn’t always mean you’ll be any the wiser!
I was away last weekend and didn’t do a crossword at all – this weekend is definitely NOT a good welcome back! Done about half – got the theme but it really doesn’t help much.
Any ideas re 13D and 20A? I’m struggling with this corner.
Toughest for a long time! I did the top half in a couple of hours, but the bottom half totally bamboozled me. In the end I resorted to cheating – looking up lists and fuzzy-matching words – and finished a few minutes ago after finally getting 19D and 21D. 21D seems unfair to me; the definition part of the clue seems an awfully long way from the dictionary definition of the word.
@Roger, I agree 21D (one of the ones I gave up on) is unfair. “egg nest” is a plausible definition, “nest egg” definitely isn’t.
I think perhaps in that video from last week, DA was wandering around Melbourne writing down the names of the buskers. 5 of 5D are totally unknown to me.
Also, being pedantic, isn’t 13D a singular definition for a plural answer?
Arthur, I did a bit better than you, there were only 3 of the 5D I hadn’t heard of. For a long time I was convinced that 20A must start with VAN, which wasted many hours.
Sorry, nn. My PC crashed yesterday so I was forced offline. Our iMac was stolen last weekend and so I restarted a pre 2009 PC which had been standing untouched in a back room. On daughter’s laptop now…!
I see what you mean about 2D versus 22D. 2D is a better fit but I was quite happy with the 22D and hadn’t thought of 2D until you mentioned it. Maybe the 22D use is an older phrase, I’m sure I’ve heard it used though.
@LJ, I did laugh when I saw your note about doing the DS by mistake. I like to do DS every week. You must have felt really good thinking it was a DA! By the way this week’s (number 19,715) is one of the trickier ones ‘ve seen for a while, I still have 8 to go…
Kerya, 13D’s definition is words 2 and 3 and as others have said it should be ‘lambs’ plural. A words for ‘cooks’ (as a verb) gives letters 1-3 and 7-10 and a minced TAD fills the other three squares.
20A has a word for ‘front’ in letters 1-3 followed by a word for ‘dump’ as in ‘get rid of’. The answer is the surname of an Australian, one of the three I’d not heard of out of the fifteen.
Well we’ve comleted all except 7D – Given up on it. Don’t understand the wordplay for 23A, or 24A. @ Kerya 13D are a type of asian sheep – with a word for cooks outside an anagram of “a tad” 20A – three letter word for front (think ship), and a 4 letter word for dump (think get rid of), gives you the 5D of a lyrical 2D (NOT 22D!)
Doug & Gwyn, In 23A a cryptic clue is the first 8 letters of the answer. The last 2 letters are a queen, the usual one. Letters 1-4 are two words for ‘a fool’ reversed (or turned).
24A has two rows in front of it at the theatre.
Thank you Robin! Just didn’t see them. Now they make sense.
Thanks very much Robin, Doug and Gwyn. Still have 3 words – 7D, 18D and 22A.
Kerya, 7D The Free Dictionary gives this verb the definition ‘to begin an activity energetically’ if that helps. As others have said above the answer is in the past tense so it should be ‘began’. Second 2-letter word is a homophone.
18D could be two words 3, 5. Answer is plural. Best for shallow water.
22A Buck is an anagrind…!
@Kerya. We gave up on 7D. If someone can give a hint, that’d be great. With 18d, it’s a fairly simple spoonerism – the definition is the first two words – think of a 4 letter word for stripped, and a 4 letter word for a type of grain, and swap the sound of the first syllables – gives you ……..? (craft in the clue is plural)
22A is an anagram of passer. Her 1st name begins with B.
Thanks. I figured them out. Didn’t much enjoy this crossword. Cheers.
Sorry Robin – overlapped with you – slow typer!
Thanx Robin. Got 7D now – not happy with it though.
Had forgotten thet the 1st word can mean evil.
22A:
This is the second time in as many weeks that DA has used buck as an anagrind. Well, last week it was ‘bucks’. I’d say he used it again so soon because it goes so well with ‘passer’ in 22A. Not likely to see buck used this way for a while as there are 100s if not 1000s of other anagrinds in the cruciverbal arsenal. One of my favourites is ‘fruitcake’.
Regarding DS: Often just after I’ve struggled with a difficult DA puzzle, I can breeze through a DS one in a very short time. Admittedly there are other times when I’m not on the same wavelength and it takes hours to complete a DS puzzle.
We love you Arthur
Catherines of confusion
Most of my missing ones don’t seem to have been a problem for anyone else – or at least they haven’t been mentioned on here. Apart from 13d and 16d, where I know what the definition is but have no idea what the word is, I’ve got nowhere with 3d,4d, 11a, 12a, 15a and 25a. Since 3 of the across answers I HAVE managed to fill in are people I’ve never heard of, I’m reluctant to struggle on!
@Mary, I am the same. Still stuck on 11a, 3d,4d, and 6d. Would appreciate any hints for these. Some clues came easily, however, I have struggled through many of the other clues, only to have a ‘der’ moment when they ‘clicked’. 13d is a form of cooking… direct heat from above, surrounding minced ‘a tad’. 16d town is – broken (balloon breaking) surrounding a headless track. Something concrete you walk on…
I found this week’s pretty difficult although got the theme early with 2D and 10A which only had two connotations for me and 5D and 8A confirmed. A few quibbles this week raised by others above.
Karen, 3D ‘Ralph’ is supposed to be onomatopaeic. Letters 1-4 are the American colloquial synonym.
4D I don’t get the wordplay for first four letters, and don’t agree with ‘interspersed’ if it’s meant to be an alternate letters indicator for the last 3 letters.
6D I think that ‘sloppy 2-down’ is sloppy clueing for letters 1,2 and 10. Think clothing.
Mary, 12A and 15A are Australian, and break the old cryptic rule – neither dead, nor famous, as far as I know. 11A and 25A are okay.
11A Think of a homophone (‘told’) for a synonym for ‘suits’ as in ‘is apt’, then a fairly common name for a newspaper, with first letter substitution.
25A Common synonyms for ‘ring’, 1-4 and like. I spent a long time mistakenly thinking of lyrical 5Ds beginning with the letter ‘O’.
Gayle,
Thesaurus.com gives one definition of cant as being a verb meaning to lean or to slant. I had to look for it and don’t think I have seen it used at any time. I only knew the noun from schooldays RE classes! The rest must be as you have it, mAnTrA, surely?
@Gayle,
I made exactly the same mistake with 25A. Couldn’t think of any lyrical 5Ds starting with ‘O’ so finally moved away from that red herring.
Thanks Robin. I’m guessing that it might be the same derivation as one way of bridge construction. RE?
@iPuzzled, unfortunately I did know one beginning with ‘O’ known only by one name, then got really stuck on the last 5 letters.
What an eclectic taste has DA! I thought I was up on the theme but I don’t know 9A, 15A and 20A. Maybe I should get out more and spend less time on the crossie!
Do 9A and 11A have the same first name?
15A 23A 25A 16D & 21D to go.
Have tried the hints above but my brain is stuck.
Getting 16D would probably be all I need.
Just posted and 23A clicked. D’oh!
Only 15A to go now.
Damn, I start work in 16D in two weeks. LOL
15D: “Beat” gives letters 1 – 4 & 6; a headache or sore toe may do this.
“small” gives letter 5.
“fry finally” gives letter 7.
Sorry – that was 15A
Thanks Rupert.
All done now.
Trivia – what does 24D have in common with 25A? What is the connection between 11A and 24D? What does 9A have in common with 11A?
@Gayle RE is Religious Education….
Robin, 11A and 24D?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItW7cTXPhPc
9A and 11A both have the same first name. Thankyou Robin, I like the collective 9A, didn’t know the individual.
Still pondering 24D and 25A
Brilliant, Gayle. I was thinking of Ella 11A recording the 24D Porter Songbook…
They both have the same range? but one starts off lower?
Natalie’s middle name is Maria…!
Is anyone else having trouble accessing DA’s website, or is it just my computer?
DA’s website is under maintenance for a couple of weeks. I was able to get to davidastle.com yesterday, but it redirected to Cassowary Crossing.
Where is the “old soap” in 21D?
Thanks Rupert, that’s what’s happening to me too. Weeks you say!
21D: “The OC” was an American soap opera.
Thanks Rupert.
Hi,
Could someone please help with “ground-breaker accepts work”.
Answer is Hooper.
I think ground-breaker is hoer?
But where does “op” fit in?
Thanks.
Grant, ‘op’ is short for opus, as in a musical work.
Ouch. That’s a new one for me. Thanks JD
I looked at the solution to fill in 70%. I don’t get 24d fuel ok, but what’s the invoice?
24D: invoice = in voice = homophone. This is the one down clue that’s one of 5D.
Thanks Rupert. I learnt some more DA difficulties with this one!
Not that anyone will ever read this so long after the last post, but I’ve FINALLY finished this one. By far the most trouble I’ve ever had and very nearly broke my sacred rule (not to look here before I’ve finished the whole thing). Pity about the 7D glitch though
I am in awe of your persistence. I almost always give up if it’s not done by Friday evening (or Saturday morning if inspiration strikes during the night).