Have your discombobulating confusions sorted out here.
82 thoughts on “DA Confusion for the 2nd of August, 2013”
Seems a toughie this week. After breakfast I only have 11 answers.
Yes, found it a bit hardgoing at first. Some overly constructed wordplay but got from definitions.
Stuck on 3D, 4D, 11A, and 12A and 21D despite cross letters. Any help there?
2D/20D is Ozzie, sing out if you need a tip for that one Rupert.
Agree – tough – all out bar 4D / 21D.
Gayle – 3D – defn = 1st 3 words. “boosted Asian car” = letters 4,3,2. “in Hollywood” = letters 1,5.
11A – defn = last 3 words. Read 4th word differently.
12A – defn = last word. Read 1st word differently.
Ray, I’m on that wavelength for 3D, 11A, but still unenlightened.
And 12A no idea. Have I got 7D right? Should the def end in ‘y’? I’ve got an adjective.
11A Is the television anchor from Channel 7, formerly breakfast co host?
Gayle – 7D does not end in “y”. Last letter give by “one” (“restrain” = the first 4 words and “little weed” = defn).
Back to 4D – think I now have – convoluted. Defn = 1st word. “grabs breaks” gives a 5 letter word. “avoiding right hook on roof” swaps out first letter. (???)
3D – use the word play above to try to built the 5 letter answer and then Google that.
11A – read 4th word of 11A a bit as you read second word of 19A and see if that helps.
Ah, the penny’s dropped for 11A. Had 1D wrong. And now have 11A, not Channel 7 anchor.
I have a word for 21D from crossword solver, just can’t quite work out the wordplay.
11A – “television anchor” = letter 6
Ah, love the def for 3D now I’ve got it from wordplay and google.
No, Gayle, 7D does not end in ‘y’ and 11A has nothing to do with a TV personality.
Thanks Ray and Prufrock, all done now and late for work on FriDAy , again!
Stuck on 12A, even with Ray’s hint above.
I liked 11A, when I finally got the wordplay. I didn’t much care for 4D or 2D/20D, though. I like that Gayle thought I might need help with 2D/20D (they have them in NZ, too), but not 8D.
Rupert – 12A – defn = last word. And the hint as Ian gave me a few weeks back “hidden”.
Do you have wordplay for 21D? I feel mine is either weak or wrong.
21D: “to” fractures the sort of stick found on a green.
12A: Oh! There it is! TVM, Ray.
Thanks Rupert. I did not have it correct.
All done, most enjoyable but had never heard of 18A and had forgotten name of 3D. Liked 10A as a clue.
Travelling slowly.Help with1,21a and 2,20 d would help.Enjoyed 10a.
Have an answer for 22d but still don’t get the wordplay. Enjoyed this week though. Have all the rest with some dictionary consulting and with the help of some clues given here. Any help with wordplay 22d?
Almost there.3d,21d,27a still unsure about.Alan, I got 22d from first three words not sure what the last 4 indicate. Can’t see word play for 9a.
Last 5 – 5D, 7D, 12A, 27A. Got all the cross letters for 27A, still no good.
Oops, 6D missing too.
22 D is a word for Jumpy, minus two letters as described by last 4 words.
9A is “upstart” in an abbreviation of island described as “low”, mood wise.
Thanks Indy. Of course! All done now.
Ray, I think definition 4D is actually first two words “comic grabs”, then 5 letter word for ‘breaks’ then as you said.
Thanks HS.
Indy, the definition for 27A is the last two words: the first three letters are “look after” and the next six are “my need” perversely. I liked 12A when I finally realised why I had the right answer from above comments.
Thanks Ann for 27a and for sending me back to Ray’s explanation of 12a. However now my 21d is wrong.
The odd letters from “slingshot” give 13A answer, but what is the definition?
megse, 21D is something that you use in scaling something large …
Jack – 13A – the way I read it is as a “included(?)” clue – I do not know if that this the correct crossworder term to use. And was sort of highlighted to me by the “?”.
The defn to me is “integral to slingshot?”. So what would you need to use this well?
Others may be able to improve my terminology.
Where’s “Arthur C.” ?
Ray and Jack, a professionally made slingshot (as opposed to a broken fork of a branch) is made up of a grip, support, stabiliser and 13A.
Thanks Ray. That seems to make sense; I guess good 13A would be needed to use a slingshot. The inclusion in the clue seems a little like the “insults” one in 11A and the “dandy” one in 19A.
Barry, I’m afraid I was never able to afford a professional slingshot (or shanghai as we called it). A broken fork from a branch, a shoe tongue and two rubber strips cut from a bicycle tube was all I could run to.
Am a newish DA follower and am having trouble with 1, 18, 21 across and 4, 5,21,22,23down – any help would be much appreciated.
Ray, what you call an “included” clue is usually referred to as “&lit” as in “also literal”.
I have managed to finish, I think. But I am not sure about 6d or 16d. I can see how 6d could mean exhaust, but not suffer. As for 16d, the answer I have would be better clued “MG of mug”
Just twigged with 16d. That sort of ‘U’!
Susie,
1,21a: Seethe gives the first 6 letters. Fly the next 3. Paper margins gives 10&11. But I am not sure how ‘appearing among’ gets the rest. But the def is office machines.
18a is a fairly obscure word. I had to google it. The def is the last four words. Think about a lifesaver visually and that is ‘kept’ by ‘well’
Susie, 18A is ,in my opinion, a pretty obscure word. Definition is last four words. A letter shaped like a lifesaver is placed inside a word meaning “well-kept”, as in healthy.
Susie Denholm – 1A (and 21A) – defn = last 2 words. “Seethe” gives a synonym = first 6 letters. “fly” gives a synonym for next 3 letters. “paper margins” gives next 2 letters. “appearing among” gives synonym for last 5 letters.
18A – defn = last 4 words. “Well” gives a synonym for letters 1,2,4,5. “kept” = container indicator. Which puts “lifesaver” = letter 3.
21A – is part of 1A above.
4D – search above entries.
5D – defn = “with showiness” (or just “showiness”). “True” = letter 1. “race” = synonym for letters 2,3,4,5. “horse essentially” = letter 6. “is” = letters 7,9. “welcoming” = container indicator. “dramatic finish” = letter 8.
21D – see above answers.
22D – see above answers.
23D – defn = last 3 words. “Unwrapped grub” = letters 1,2. “#1” = letters 3,4,5 (and “#1” in this case is like “I have to go!”).
Sandy, yes, your answer is better than mine. I didn’t take into account the use of “kept”
Sandy – 13A – thanks.
Sandy – 6D – to “suffer” is to “– ——-“. Just as you say to “exhaust” is to “– ——-“.
Thanks Ray. Perhaps someone could now explain how the last five letters of 21a means “appearing among”. It seems to me it would be appearing among the dead!
Sandy, last five letters of 21A – think of a legal (Latin) term xxxxx alia …
Sandy – fair point. My dictionary has:
XXXXX-
a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “between,” “among,” “in the midst of,” “mutually,” “reciprocally,” “together,” “during” …..etc
Thanks Ray and Barry. Very DA!
Thanks Ray – helped a lot but still cannot make head nor tails out of 5, 21, down and 27 across. Must have something wrong but at moment cannot see what!!
Susie, 21D definition is first four words (think mountains). “To” fractures (breaks into) a stick found on a green (think golf)
Susie, 27A letters 1-3 mean “look after” . My need, perversely indicates an anagram. something big was signed at this place at quarter past twelve …
5d, true gives first letter, race 2-5, then is ‘welcomes’ the finish of dramatic. Def is showiness.
I forgot horse essentially is letter 6
Susie – 27A – the answer by “Ann | August 2, 2013 at 3:22 pm |” is very good.
21D – the answer by ” Rupert | August 2, 2013 at 9:56 am |” really should give it.
5D – OK – “true” gives 1 letter – OK with this? Then what is another 4 letter word for “race” – think Olympics before getting to the finals. “horse essential” – read as “the key (central) letter in horse to give 1 letter. “is” as I explained above. And what 1 letter would come from “dramatic finish” to then be inserted into the letters “is”? Hope helps??
Ray – went to have a shower and everything clicked into place! Many thanks for all your help – it was much appreciated. Usually it takes me a couple of days to get my thought processes in line with DA’s so am thrilled to have finished it so quickly!
5D: True = letter 1; race (not the final) = letters 2 – 5; horse essentially = letter 6; is = letters 7, 9; dramatic finish = letter 8.
21D: It’s built to scale, but it’s not a scale model. For the wordplay, see my post above.
27A: Signing place from before even Arthur C’s time.
Susie a very famous document was signed there almost 900 years ago.
If you know the musical ensemble the Renaissance Players
they hold an annual event at the University of Sydney Great Hall
called the “Xth [27 ac] Pop Festival”
My favourite clue 23 down Now I’m outta here, bye, have a great weekend!!!
Re 27A: From 1066 and all that: “Magna Carta was the main cause of democracy in England, and was thus a good thing for everyone (except the Common People).”
If my memory serves me well …
All out with help from trippers above but I still don’t get the word play for 4D and 15A.
Anyone?
Much harder thus week, lots of help from word searching.
Another Sydney suburb didn’t help.
Lots of wordplays I don’t get, will read the above and see if the helps
Steve, 4D definition is first two words. Breaks is a 5-letter words starting with R, and R is removed. A hook is a letter that looks like a hook that replaces the first letter in the above.
15A Definition is last three words. Sailor is normal 3-letter words in crosswordland, around kid (as in joke) with “but” (without leader). Last letter could be drawn as a junction.
I’m stuck on wordplay of 15a too. Also 17a, 24a, 2/20d 14d and 22d. I have all the snswers anf have read all of the above but they either aren’t mentioned or didn’t help
Thanks Barry for 15a explanation. That is DA convolution at its worst!
Thanks Barry for explaining 4D and 15A. I had the answers but could not see the wordplay.
nn. 17A definition is last four words, first word letters 1,2,3, brackets yield letters 8,9, shadows = container, modern music player letters 4,5,6,7
24A definition is first word, a word for a ball letters 4,5,6, a word for missing outside.
These two will give you some more cross letters for 2D and 14D.
Got about half done before coming here. A bit harder this week
Thanks Steve
Where’s Arthur??. Hope he is OK.
Well, finally get all the word play, but did need some help. Thanks to all. A quibble: 18A would seem seem to be not so much an obscure word but a foreign one – hope it is not the start of a trend!
DA is all to prone to wriring clues which forget the maxim laid down many years ago by Afrit ” I may not mean what I say but I must say what I mean.” Three examples in yesterday’s Age puzzle at 9 11 and 19 where upstart, insults and dandy really mean up start, in sults and d and y. This is equivalent to the Gateshead = G and sweetheat = e which we got 50 years ago when I started out on cryptic crosswords.
A sounder clue for 9 would be “Special car (German) for Arab (5)” and for 19 “Senile, hearless dandy embracing stranger. (7)”
Luckily for us, Sal wed a surfer who knew 18a straight away. More people should do that. Thanks FHF for your discussion- cleared up a few. For 4d, left with a verb that makes sense (excluding roofs) or a god-figure. Going with the former.
Liked 15d and 23d clues.
Maybe Arthur’s on holidays.
all done except 12A.Been stuck on it for a day
just got it.first time ever to finish the da.Heres another clue i came across a while ago(not by da) 14.Postman lost his sack.
How many letters in the postman clue? Is the clue as written? ie: 14._______
I thought it was going to be easy. got five or six in a couple of minutes.
it took too many hours to get the rest – with only a google for the Hawaian
a niggle – Doesn’t the weed have a double on the end ?
I liked 10a when I realised how the double def works.
gayle 14 was just the number of the clue
As for how many letters-359 and 4 small packages!
FHF…what wrong with 9A…..low island….. Sad i invading up start..Saudi
Jack Upstart does not= u: up start i.e. the start of the word up = u As I said in my comment a compiler must say what he/she means. The days of saying Gateshead = G and dandy = d y should have passed years ago. It is not good cluing.
Seems a toughie this week. After breakfast I only have 11 answers.
Yes, found it a bit hardgoing at first. Some overly constructed wordplay but got from definitions.
Stuck on 3D, 4D, 11A, and 12A and 21D despite cross letters. Any help there?
2D/20D is Ozzie, sing out if you need a tip for that one Rupert.
Agree – tough – all out bar 4D / 21D.
Gayle – 3D – defn = 1st 3 words. “boosted Asian car” = letters 4,3,2. “in Hollywood” = letters 1,5.
11A – defn = last 3 words. Read 4th word differently.
12A – defn = last word. Read 1st word differently.
Ray, I’m on that wavelength for 3D, 11A, but still unenlightened.
And 12A no idea. Have I got 7D right? Should the def end in ‘y’? I’ve got an adjective.
11A Is the television anchor from Channel 7, formerly breakfast co host?
Gayle – 7D does not end in “y”. Last letter give by “one” (“restrain” = the first 4 words and “little weed” = defn).
Back to 4D – think I now have – convoluted. Defn = 1st word. “grabs breaks” gives a 5 letter word. “avoiding right hook on roof” swaps out first letter. (???)
3D – use the word play above to try to built the 5 letter answer and then Google that.
11A – read 4th word of 11A a bit as you read second word of 19A and see if that helps.
Ah, the penny’s dropped for 11A. Had 1D wrong. And now have 11A, not Channel 7 anchor.
I have a word for 21D from crossword solver, just can’t quite work out the wordplay.
11A – “television anchor” = letter 6
Ah, love the def for 3D now I’ve got it from wordplay and google.
No, Gayle, 7D does not end in ‘y’ and 11A has nothing to do with a TV personality.
Thanks Ray and Prufrock, all done now and late for work on FriDAy , again!
Stuck on 12A, even with Ray’s hint above.
I liked 11A, when I finally got the wordplay. I didn’t much care for 4D or 2D/20D, though. I like that Gayle thought I might need help with 2D/20D (they have them in NZ, too), but not 8D.
Rupert – 12A – defn = last word. And the hint as Ian gave me a few weeks back “hidden”.
Do you have wordplay for 21D? I feel mine is either weak or wrong.
21D: “to” fractures the sort of stick found on a green.
12A: Oh! There it is! TVM, Ray.
Thanks Rupert. I did not have it correct.
All done, most enjoyable but had never heard of 18A and had forgotten name of 3D. Liked 10A as a clue.
Travelling slowly.Help with1,21a and 2,20 d would help.Enjoyed 10a.
Have an answer for 22d but still don’t get the wordplay. Enjoyed this week though. Have all the rest with some dictionary consulting and with the help of some clues given here. Any help with wordplay 22d?
Almost there.3d,21d,27a still unsure about.Alan, I got 22d from first three words not sure what the last 4 indicate. Can’t see word play for 9a.
Last 5 – 5D, 7D, 12A, 27A. Got all the cross letters for 27A, still no good.
Oops, 6D missing too.
22 D is a word for Jumpy, minus two letters as described by last 4 words.
9A is “upstart” in an abbreviation of island described as “low”, mood wise.
Thanks Indy. Of course! All done now.
Ray, I think definition 4D is actually first two words “comic grabs”, then 5 letter word for ‘breaks’ then as you said.
Thanks HS.
Indy, the definition for 27A is the last two words: the first three letters are “look after” and the next six are “my need” perversely. I liked 12A when I finally realised why I had the right answer from above comments.
Thanks Ann for 27a and for sending me back to Ray’s explanation of 12a. However now my 21d is wrong.
The odd letters from “slingshot” give 13A answer, but what is the definition?
megse, 21D is something that you use in scaling something large …
Jack – 13A – the way I read it is as a “included(?)” clue – I do not know if that this the correct crossworder term to use. And was sort of highlighted to me by the “?”.
The defn to me is “integral to slingshot?”. So what would you need to use this well?
Others may be able to improve my terminology.
Where’s “Arthur C.” ?
Ray and Jack, a professionally made slingshot (as opposed to a broken fork of a branch) is made up of a grip, support, stabiliser and 13A.
Thanks Ray. That seems to make sense; I guess good 13A would be needed to use a slingshot. The inclusion in the clue seems a little like the “insults” one in 11A and the “dandy” one in 19A.
Barry, I’m afraid I was never able to afford a professional slingshot (or shanghai as we called it). A broken fork from a branch, a shoe tongue and two rubber strips cut from a bicycle tube was all I could run to.
Am a newish DA follower and am having trouble with 1, 18, 21 across and 4, 5,21,22,23down – any help would be much appreciated.
Ray, what you call an “included” clue is usually referred to as “&lit” as in “also literal”.
I have managed to finish, I think. But I am not sure about 6d or 16d. I can see how 6d could mean exhaust, but not suffer. As for 16d, the answer I have would be better clued “MG of mug”
Just twigged with 16d. That sort of ‘U’!
Susie,
1,21a: Seethe gives the first 6 letters. Fly the next 3. Paper margins gives 10&11. But I am not sure how ‘appearing among’ gets the rest. But the def is office machines.
18a is a fairly obscure word. I had to google it. The def is the last four words. Think about a lifesaver visually and that is ‘kept’ by ‘well’
Susie, 18A is ,in my opinion, a pretty obscure word. Definition is last four words. A letter shaped like a lifesaver is placed inside a word meaning “well-kept”, as in healthy.
Susie Denholm – 1A (and 21A) – defn = last 2 words. “Seethe” gives a synonym = first 6 letters. “fly” gives a synonym for next 3 letters. “paper margins” gives next 2 letters. “appearing among” gives synonym for last 5 letters.
18A – defn = last 4 words. “Well” gives a synonym for letters 1,2,4,5. “kept” = container indicator. Which puts “lifesaver” = letter 3.
21A – is part of 1A above.
4D – search above entries.
5D – defn = “with showiness” (or just “showiness”). “True” = letter 1. “race” = synonym for letters 2,3,4,5. “horse essentially” = letter 6. “is” = letters 7,9. “welcoming” = container indicator. “dramatic finish” = letter 8.
21D – see above answers.
22D – see above answers.
23D – defn = last 3 words. “Unwrapped grub” = letters 1,2. “#1” = letters 3,4,5 (and “#1” in this case is like “I have to go!”).
Sandy, yes, your answer is better than mine. I didn’t take into account the use of “kept”
Sandy – 13A – thanks.
Sandy – 6D – to “suffer” is to “– ——-“. Just as you say to “exhaust” is to “– ——-“.
Thanks Ray. Perhaps someone could now explain how the last five letters of 21a means “appearing among”. It seems to me it would be appearing among the dead!
Sandy, last five letters of 21A – think of a legal (Latin) term xxxxx alia …
Sandy – fair point. My dictionary has:
XXXXX-
a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “between,” “among,” “in the midst of,” “mutually,” “reciprocally,” “together,” “during” …..etc
Thanks Ray and Barry. Very DA!
Thanks Ray – helped a lot but still cannot make head nor tails out of 5, 21, down and 27 across. Must have something wrong but at moment cannot see what!!
Susie, 21D definition is first four words (think mountains). “To” fractures (breaks into) a stick found on a green (think golf)
Susie, 27A letters 1-3 mean “look after” . My need, perversely indicates an anagram. something big was signed at this place at quarter past twelve …
5d, true gives first letter, race 2-5, then is ‘welcomes’ the finish of dramatic. Def is showiness.
I forgot horse essentially is letter 6
Susie – 27A – the answer by “Ann | August 2, 2013 at 3:22 pm |” is very good.
21D – the answer by ” Rupert | August 2, 2013 at 9:56 am |” really should give it.
5D – OK – “true” gives 1 letter – OK with this? Then what is another 4 letter word for “race” – think Olympics before getting to the finals. “horse essential” – read as “the key (central) letter in horse to give 1 letter. “is” as I explained above. And what 1 letter would come from “dramatic finish” to then be inserted into the letters “is”? Hope helps??
Ray – went to have a shower and everything clicked into place! Many thanks for all your help – it was much appreciated. Usually it takes me a couple of days to get my thought processes in line with DA’s so am thrilled to have finished it so quickly!
5D: True = letter 1; race (not the final) = letters 2 – 5; horse essentially = letter 6; is = letters 7, 9; dramatic finish = letter 8.
21D: It’s built to scale, but it’s not a scale model. For the wordplay, see my post above.
27A: Signing place from before even Arthur C’s time.
Susie a very famous document was signed there almost 900 years ago.
If you know the musical ensemble the Renaissance Players
they hold an annual event at the University of Sydney Great Hall
called the “Xth [27 ac] Pop Festival”
My favourite clue 23 down Now I’m outta here, bye, have a great weekend!!!
Re 27A: From 1066 and all that: “Magna Carta was the main cause of democracy in England, and was thus a good thing for everyone (except the Common People).”
If my memory serves me well …
All out with help from trippers above but I still don’t get the word play for 4D and 15A.
Anyone?
Much harder thus week, lots of help from word searching.
Another Sydney suburb didn’t help.
Lots of wordplays I don’t get, will read the above and see if the helps
Steve, 4D definition is first two words. Breaks is a 5-letter words starting with R, and R is removed. A hook is a letter that looks like a hook that replaces the first letter in the above.
15A Definition is last three words. Sailor is normal 3-letter words in crosswordland, around kid (as in joke) with “but” (without leader). Last letter could be drawn as a junction.
I’m stuck on wordplay of 15a too. Also 17a, 24a, 2/20d 14d and 22d. I have all the snswers anf have read all of the above but they either aren’t mentioned or didn’t help
Thanks Barry for 15a explanation. That is DA convolution at its worst!
Thanks Barry for explaining 4D and 15A. I had the answers but could not see the wordplay.
nn. 17A definition is last four words, first word letters 1,2,3, brackets yield letters 8,9, shadows = container, modern music player letters 4,5,6,7
24A definition is first word, a word for a ball letters 4,5,6, a word for missing outside.
These two will give you some more cross letters for 2D and 14D.
Got about half done before coming here. A bit harder this week
Thanks Steve
Where’s Arthur??. Hope he is OK.
Well, finally get all the word play, but did need some help. Thanks to all. A quibble: 18A would seem seem to be not so much an obscure word but a foreign one – hope it is not the start of a trend!
DA is all to prone to wriring clues which forget the maxim laid down many years ago by Afrit ” I may not mean what I say but I must say what I mean.” Three examples in yesterday’s Age puzzle at 9 11 and 19 where upstart, insults and dandy really mean up start, in sults and d and y. This is equivalent to the Gateshead = G and sweetheat = e which we got 50 years ago when I started out on cryptic crosswords.
A sounder clue for 9 would be “Special car (German) for Arab (5)” and for 19 “Senile, hearless dandy embracing stranger. (7)”
Luckily for us, Sal wed a surfer who knew 18a straight away. More people should do that. Thanks FHF for your discussion- cleared up a few. For 4d, left with a verb that makes sense (excluding roofs) or a god-figure. Going with the former.
Liked 15d and 23d clues.
Maybe Arthur’s on holidays.
all done except 12A.Been stuck on it for a day
just got it.first time ever to finish the da.Heres another clue i came across a while ago(not by da) 14.Postman lost his sack.
Congrats john! Here’s the poolroom for bragging rights http://datrippers.com/2013/07/28/new-poolroom-for-tts-first-da-smackdown/
How many letters in the postman clue? Is the clue as written? ie: 14._______
I thought it was going to be easy. got five or six in a couple of minutes.
it took too many hours to get the rest – with only a google for the Hawaian
a niggle – Doesn’t the weed have a double on the end ?
I liked 10a when I realised how the double def works.
gayle 14 was just the number of the clue
As for how many letters-359 and 4 small packages!
FHF…what wrong with 9A…..low island….. Sad i invading up start..Saudi
Jack Upstart does not= u: up start i.e. the start of the word up = u As I said in my comment a compiler must say what he/she means. The days of saying Gateshead = G and dandy = d y should have passed years ago. It is not good cluing.