Have your confusions resolved here.
Or if you can wait that long, maybe have them resolved by DA in person as part of the Words in Winter festival on Sunday 18th August: http://wordsinwinter.com/event/trentham/
Have your confusions resolved here.
Or if you can wait that long, maybe have them resolved by DA in person as part of the Words in Winter festival on Sunday 18th August: http://wordsinwinter.com/event/trentham/
Started well. Then stalled. Now have all out but still working on 3 wordplays (if right).
Same Ray. Very easy start. All out with a couple of queries.
4A was one word when I looked it up.
25A I take ‘beginning’ as doing double duty.
Full of errors this week. In particular, there is a missing reversal indicator in 25a. The containment is the wrong way round in 13a. Missing capitalisation in 9a. Also didn’t like the “remove last letter” indicators in 12d and 23d
Couldn’t make it last Friday, computer down, so ended eight short. Colonoscopy this afternoon, just took second sachet of Picolax, so may not be around for long. Found four fairly easily, good start, but a long way to go.
Ian, I think that 13 A and 9A are okay, in a DA-way, playing around with punctuation etc.
And 25A okay if ‘beginning’ (at 10) is doing double duty.
Good to see you back Arthur! Hope all goes well : )
Puzzling over second word of 9A. First seems obvious – ‘no starter with meal’. Can’t decipher clue for second. Any hints?
11a is fun – a personal 9.
Hint for 9a – rubber!
Thanks, cryptic-nut. Hadn’t thought of that type of good year. Now up to nine – I’m very slow.
Another pretty simple one this week, apart from 8D who I’ve never heard of. Also all the reference books I have show 4A as a single word.
Ian, I didn’t mind the shorten indicators in 12 and 23 down. We need a bit of variety…
How come I always seem to struggle on ones that no-one else does? 2 to go, 6D & 17A.
17A: If you’re living 18D-free, whose life are you said to be living?
6D: If you don’t get it, the rest of us will lord it over you …
Thanks, Rupert – I had figured that 6D must be that but ‘as’ = ‘while’ – isn’t that a stretch?
You figured that out as I was typing my answer.
You figured that out while I was typing my answer.
Seems OK to me.
Eleven to go, still hard work. Leave for ‘oscopy in 30 mins.
Warning : potential spoiler here. I thought I had finished but online answer says I had mistakes. My answer for 18D started with letter “p” but online answer said this should begin with letter “b”. (My 18D and 17A made sense with “p” as first letter of 18D.) Is 18D with “b” as first letter actually a word?
@Robyn, and Ian.
I contacted Fairfax and they said they’ve fixed the error in the iPad app – so hopefully people doing it from now on won’t have the same problem you did.
Thank you so much! The solution I had originally seems elegant, so I’m pleased that the iPad version wasn’t correct. (That would have been a disappointment.) I appreciate your effort.
Happy to help, Robyn! You’re probably one of the few iPad subscribers who have finished DA by midday!
The definition in 16D is incorrect, or at least partly so, although that is not the common perception. Learning is not necessarily good news!
Finished fairly quickly for me. Enjoyed 9a,11a and 14a ( because my granddaughter and I have just been reading about him)
Good to see Arthur back – we were a bit worried about you last week.
Although I’ve finished, I can’t see what word is being burnt in 18D, why the beer has turned in 25A and what mass whose leader has been demoted in 16D.
Jack, re 16D. First four letters are a record. Last four is a word that means “mass” (as in lots), with the first letter being dropped one position. Definition is Matthew or Mark.
Jack – 25A – I agree with you but there is some good discussion above between Ian and Gayle on this.
18D – did you mean 23D? – a 4 letter word meaning “burning” with last letter removed (“stunt”) gives letters 1,4,5.
16D – a 4 letter word for “mass” gives letters 6,5,7,8 – so the first letter has been “demoted” to second place.
Jack, agree with you about 25A that there’s a missing turn indicator.
Don’t understand your problem with 18D – reference to “burnt”
Ray and Barry, Thanks for the help. I meant 23 D and not 18D. With 16 D, I now get it thanks to you. We’ll just have to blame DA for the issue with 25A.
Just have 19a to go but need some help with the clue. Would be grateful for any comments.
Susie, ‘cracking” is letters 1,2; then reverse it for letters 7,8. The centre part is a word for “skin” The answer is an airline.
Still don’t get 23D.
Susie – “Carrier” = defn. For “Cracking” (as in ‘very good’) try to think of 2 letters that mean that. “both ways” means use twice – once as AB and then as BA. “pinching” = container. So between these 4 letters (AB xxxx BA) put a 4 letter word (xxxx) for “skin”. Hope helps.
Jack – 23D – I think “Car” = defn. “once” or “once seen” = letters 2,3. “in” = container. “burning” = 4 letter synonym ( as in “burning desire”??). “stunt” (as in “stunt growth”) means shorten – (remove last letter) – gives letters 1,4,5.
Jack – I am a “rev-head” – so if u r (??) and if I am right on 23D, LFA may help.
Thanks Ray. I had the answer, but could not work out the wordplay for letters 1,4,5. I thought I had to shorten (burn) a word for “stunt” but now I see I need to stunt a word for “burning.” I’m no rev head, but I wouldn’t mind one of these cars.
Ray – of course! Many thanks for your help
Hi everyone, I would love hints for the two I can’t manage today: 28,10A and 5D. I have all of the connecting letters, but still no clue. Worried my 6D answer might be wrong, giving me an R for the first letter of 10A.
Geoff, I understand what you meantime about 16d. But Jesus did tell his original 16ds to make 16ds. So I guess they both still were.
Kate,
28/10a spotted is letters 2-4. Before, 1, 5&6. Wrong, 7-8. Definition sticker.
I loved 5d. You need to both spell numbers and use Roman numerals. See if our can get it from that hint.
10a does begin with R.
Survived the colonoscopy, thanks to well-wishers above. Picked up 23D from clue above, about nine still to go.
Sandy / Kate – 28A/10A – I think “spotted” = letters 2,3,4,5. “drills” = container. “before” = letters 1,6,7 (poetical???). “wrong” = letters 8,9,10. Defn (as you say) = “sticker”.
Now down to five. Just found 28A, 10A, can justify last three letters of 10A, but as to the rest??? Explanation needed, please.
5D… Got it! A beauty and I’m cross I missed the thrill of getting it on my own, but many thanks Sandy. Please confirm though; if 10 starts with R, is “before” letters 1,5&6 or 1,6&7?
Thanks Ray, finished now.
Sandy and Kate,
re 28/10 ac
spotted=2-5
before=1,6,7
wrong=8-10
defn is “sticker” something a tradesman might use!
Thanks Gil and Ray, I had it all right. Just miscounted the numbers in my report for Kate.
Arthur C. as Ray says for 28,10A. For spotted, think medical.
Glad you are back, Arthur. I am still having trouble with 12D and 27A. Can anyone give me a hint? It seems they weren’t problems for anyone else. Loved the explanation of 5D.
Thanks for the silent help everybody.
Had rushed through and almost error free
Except I misspelt that damn car
Had a personal pronoun instead of a turn
But I guess we all have that sort of burning
For the challenge of a DA crossword on Friday
Believe it or not I loved 17 ac
But I’d never heard of that damn Russian!
Cheers until next week!
Ann, re 12D, definition is first two words. Answer comprises a shortened word for strike, followed by “a”, followed by another shortened word for melee.
27A has same meaning as 26A. A word for “individual” around a word meaning “wise” plus another letter given by “warm, not fighting”
Barry – for 27A I read as a word for “individual’s” gives letter 1,2,4,5. a word for “wise” = letters 6,7,8,9. “to keep” = container – and as such “warm, not fighting” = letter 3. And defn = “26A politically”.
Ray, yes that’s what I had; I just didn’t explain it very well… I also happen to think that “politically” is redundant as the clue works fine without it. We use the expression in business.
Dear Arthur C – I do hope you got 9A and 11A before you had to dash off and that you had a good laugh…it would appear DA had you in mind today! He can be somewhat uncanny at times I find. All the best. Jen D
Thanks, Barry and Ray. I had not come across 27A as an expression before.
Got it all out (sort of), no thanks to the errors in the iPad version. Some pretty clumsy wordplays etc (I agree with Ian ).
All finished, I think all correct. Perhaps the anesthetic helped! But, a question re the puzzles. Margaret and I, in second childhood (84), do the ‘Junior’ puzzles too. A couple of days ago, ‘ This Way and That’ answers included ‘naan’ for bread, I think, and aeon for time. Junior stuff? No wonder I have problems with DA. Today needed four-letter words for ‘mistake’, ‘wool’, ‘request’, and ‘agate’. Can’t think of an answer for any of those, off hand. Juniors must be very bright nowadays.
STILL can’t get 4a or 11a .It’s late , so I need unsubtle help! And Arthur, I am an anaesthetist, and can confirm that the anaesthetic would help , and that juniors need to be bright .
Got 11a ! Just 4a now.
Hi Julie
4a: definition is last two words so I don’t think I need to volunteer any more hints?
Yes you do !!!! Lucky I didn’t anaesthetise Arthur !! c-f-e-dam don’t look like a word to me !
You are correct so far. Cold is the opening C. Volunteer is letters 2-6.
I am stumped by 13a, 17a and 18d despite reading some hints above.
I don’t get all the wordplay for 9a either.
Sandy – I too particularly enjoyed 5d
Julian – I too am still stumped by 17a despite hints; also 2d; and don’t get wordplay for 11a or 13a (1-6). For 9a I think no starter with meal gives the first word; and tv gives the 2nd word; not sure what ‘no break’ does; like Gayle, I think 9a’s ok in a DA-way – a nice misdirection I thought.
Arthur – all good wishes!
13A Travellers would be astronauts and shots would be the tequila slammer variety.
17A Good clues given above, especially Gil’s very funny verse. For liver, it’s one who lives, think of the phrase ” the life of…” then adding the ‘core’ of apple.
18D First word is definition. Investigation is letters 1,2,3,4&6. Spy boss, 7th letter, think 007.
sb, I love the way 9A and 11A are linked, also loved 5D. These are the moments that make all the tortures and frustrations of DA come together as JOY!!!
It’s late. Is anyone still out there who can help me with 1A and 1D?
Twigged 1D. Still not sure of 1A
1A Take the ‘wings’ (outer edges) of proud and insert a card. Walked is the definition.
1D letters 1&2 are an abbreviation for yearly, or annually, then ‘in’ as is. Definition is bother.
Hello Steve – 1a def is walked; proud wingers give 1 & 5; on receiving card gives 2-4; 1d def is bother – I’ll leave the rest to you.
Kate – still reflecting on your clues. Yes, DA gives me lots of joy.
All done. Funny how putting a post on this site can give inspiration.
Thanks for all the previous posts. See you next week.
9A def first 5 words, ‘no break’ refers to words 4 and 5, push them together (and capitalise the combined word 4/5, as Ian mentioned). Wordplay is as sb says: a meal with its first letter removed (no starter) + colloquial word for TV.
Haven’t had one of them myself for years. although husband said they’re around.
Like Kate, I liked the link between 9A and 11A. Loved the wordplay in 11A and the double entendre of ‘business’. Well, the whole phrase really…. I imagine that was intended.
been stuck on 11a 4d and 8d since yesterday.Anyone enlighten me?Also just for a bit of fun i will ask anyone out there if they have ever seen this clue before Postman lost his sack
@John. 8 D is an anagram of ” Wasteland” (out West) in the middle of the usual symbols for 2000. Definition is a russian writer.
11A – not too sure of the word play but the answer is ” an (9A)”, and most likely comes into use when you are “doing your business”
4D – if you take a “T” out of a 9 letter word for “Royal followers”- you get an 8 letter word for “Runners” – think messengers.
Now – if someone can explain the word play for 23D, we’ll be happy!
john / Doug & Gwyn
11A – I read as “business” gives letters 1,12,13,14 (as in a xxxx of business). “in” = container. “diversity” = anagrind and “integrates” is the fodder.
23D – is described above – to restate – “Car” = defn. “once seen” = letters 2,3. “in” = container. “burning” gives a 4 letter word with “stunt” shortening it (remove last letter) to leave letter 1,4,5.
Thanks for that Ray. Now it all makes sense. Did not see the “integrates” in there at all. We just couldn’t see the wordplay for either of them – even having the answers. Usually we can work backwards, and get the wordplay, but not this time!
Thanks folks.Got it solved.Once again the clue-Postman lost his sack?
I got the top half, and found 11a the most fun. The bottom half is still quite sparse even after reading your hints above. Oh we’ll , I throw it on the pile. I moved office on Friday and found a DA from November 2010. I got three of the four outstanding (double action adjective) words during a break.
John. How many letters, and what letters have you got?
Thanks GP for confirming that the iPad app had errors.
All done except for 2d, 3d, and 13 a …. Aylne still aound to provide a couple of himts? Much appreciated!
Katie. 2D – a 7 letter word for definite ( take the hesitation out) and put “on” in there. Definition “hold”.
3D Definition “Airship”. Take a four letter word for tragic, the tail of “hurl” and put a 3 letter word for “massive +1” backwards in there.
13 A If you were a traveller, and staying in, say a hotel, where would you get a “shot” of something from. Maybe Tequila.
Doug and Gwyn.348 letters and four small packages!
I have been coming to this site for the last 6 months and thoroughly enjoy your comments. Am impressed with your skills and good humour. Pleased the colonoscopy went well Arthur and I too find the junior quiz difficult. Thanks.
Thanks Doug and Gwyn! And I agree Pat, ’tis a very amiable cruciverbalist community. Enjoy your week, and see you next Sunday.
Finished at last … Was looking too deep into 22a and 15d