Sorry for the tardiness of this post — happy new year!
And you might be more confused than usual for the first DA of the new year.
That’s because special instructions are missing. This is what should have been printed at the top of the crossword:
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DA Trippers 
That certainly helps! I thought I was going to cry. First one is was 20A. I don’t know how I’ll fare with my knowledge of Aussie compatriots.
Happy New Year!
Yes that definitely helps. Had 10A but couldn’t make any sense of it.
Pi – 10A – “Saying” = letters 1,8,9,10,11. Does that help as a start.
And a Happy New Year to DA and all. I’m late in, not Latin, so had to seek a translation for 26D. Have only six or seven I’m sure of, 14D I haven’t a clue, presume something to do with films? I don’t watch any. 3D, 5D, 13A 20A, 18D all easy (plus, of course, 26 D with translator help).
What a struggle! 27A is very obscure and I’d never heard of many of the themed answers. Other than that, a good kick-start for the brain – now to the Times…
Certainly helped me, Thanks Ray. Glad to know my 8D is right, too.
Thanks for the assistance Ray I’d got 3 of them out before reading your comment but i was able to get 21d with your help.
And the answer to 2 down has a misspelt surname there should be two l’s not one
This one’s a killer. I’ll wait for more hints to roll in and try again later. For now, the beach is proving too tempting. Thanks again to Ray for the hint on 10A (my previous thank you is awaiting moderation)
Arthur C: 14d is indeed one of the themed answers. They all do 7d in films, yes.
Crypticrochet: as you have 10a right, the other themed answers should come pretty quickly. 1d was my last one in (and is, obviously, the one DA refers to as lacking a first name).
Found sixteen, so going OK. Time to put dinner on. Back later.
Thanks to first post and some easier clues e.g. 3d,4d,15a , am there bar 22a. Liked 16d,24d/6d.
megse, 22A definition is “film” – nothing to do with movies.
And we thought DA had deliberately decided to make this extra tough with an unannounced theme. Might follow Mort’s lead.
I feel very clever to have actually filled in an answer to every clue without knowing about the theme (which I deduced eventually) It has taken me about five hours, however!
By the way, I agree with Tinseltown Terror that 2D seems to be missing a letter. That didn’t help either.
Thanks Mort.Very clever now I see it.
2D. I think the second word of the solution is misspelt.
Oops, should have read the previous comments first. Glad Tinseltown Terror and Ann agree.
Feeling pretty pleased with myself as I got the theme before coming here (I had almost all the cross letters for 10A so took a punt that paid off). And thank you, Ann and Tinseltown Terror, for confirming misspelling of 2D; that had me going for a while!
Finding this tough even with the missing instruction
I’m assuming the bill in 7 is of the parliamentary type, but I can’t make sense of the wordplay.
If I’m correct, I’m going to have trouble as it isn’t an area with which I’m familiar
Almost no prgress since my 9.49 post. Only one added, totally lost for answers. 6d need help. 13D ditto. 1D, 2D, not a clue. I’m actually fourteen short, almost to the ‘rip up and throw in bin’ stage. If 1D is a themed item, where does one look. Chinese vessel I assumed to be junk, but that doesn’t help.
No, helpless frustration won out, grid shredded and in bin. I don’t watch films or soaps, my knowledge of such very small,wasn’t clever enough to work out from clues given. Try again next week.
Arthur, 24D/6D is a themed answer. Free rein = 1234 of 24D and 1234567 of 6D with one letter missing, affected by first word of clue. Letters 8&9 of 24D is the 2nd last word affected by the last word
nn, bill is indeed of the parliamentary type, and is also the def. answer is 5-letter plural for data with limits removed…
And hence reveals what is common amongst the themed compatriots
I’m not far behind you Arthur. If it wasn’t too hot to be doing something more active I’d have shredded it some time ago
oops, of course I meant 8&9 of 6D. Must proof before sending!!
Thanks Nikopiko
I’d assumed that’s what the wordplay meant but couldn’t and still can’t think of a word for data. I almost always have trouble with that type of wordplay.
At least I know I’m on the right track for the rest of it, but it is a track leading nowhere as I have a very limited Iimitted knowledge of the theme.
So far I have 4 answers plus a couple of guesses. None of the themes.
Arthur, you seem to have the theme. If you google what you may have worked out for “compatriot” “7D”ors you might find a very helpful list. If you were able to work out 10A or 24D/6D you could narrow the search even further. This may be cheating, but I think anything is fair play in a DA crossword!
nn, think of data as what you collect that is true.
Like Ann above, I also managed to complete this before looking in here. I honestly thought that DA had deliberately omitted the instruction, as the themed answers are fairly household ones for entertainment buffs.
I did learn something new, i.e. the answer to 4D. Never heard of that type of 5,6,7,8 before.
Thanks Ann for the data explanation
I also took up your suggestion of googling a list. Found one that said it was the top 50. I’d heard of less than half of them. It gave me two answers, one I’d never heard of. A couple of others might fit the spaces but can’t make any sense of the wordplays if they are the right ones
nn:I think I eventually was able to justify my answers. By the way they were all the same sex.
Thanks Ann that cuts it down a bit. I did find another list but I’m not going to spend the rest of the day trying all 1500 of them!
Frustrating today, even with the missing rubric above. Got there with a lot of help from here and from Mr Google. Quite a few were answered from the list and then work out wordplay backwards.
Never heard of 4d, Jack? You must be a youngster ‘cos it wasn’t that many years ago that 4d-clubbing was headlines around the world, and it was nothing to do with discos!
No Geoff, unfortunately I’m an old codger, but cannot recall such headlines. Sounds rather cruel though.
I managed to solve it without the instructions, having identified the theme, and came to this site to see if it was a deliberate omission. It certainly added an additional degree of difficulty to the puzzle.
Found a slightly more reasonable list which gave me 15d revealing that my 11a was wrong. Having fixed that I was able to put in 2d although I have no idea of how the wordplay works for that. About 1/3 done now.
Just saw the wordplay for 2d
5 to go but completely stumped on them. 17a, 17a, 29a, 15d, 15d.
Assume the last two are themed but without the first letters no hope of googling them.
Any hints would be most welcome
And as soon as I’d posted i guessed what the pc connection was in 15d. Google gave me a name which I’d not heard of. He appears to be using wired as an anagrams if I’ve interpretted it correctly!
nn 17A def= bank jobs
Bloke’s = 1,2,3,4
Correction: anagram indicator not anagrams
Sorry about spitting the dummy earlier, but we have a terrible problem here with a dog in next door unit. Margaret lost a lot of sleep last night, in frustration I rang the Village manager this morning. Problem is, we don’t want the little old lady to lose the dog, her only company. I told manager I was willing to kick in a few thousand dollars to have the beast debarked surgically, but sound proofing the fence between us might be cheaper. Don’t know where the answer is, but it is a terrible worry.
nn, re 29A definition is “bug”. Basic education is learning the three …. “Software ultimately” gives one letter. Nothing gives the other.
Just 15d and 17a to go. Despite Stuart’s hint I can’t come up with anything. Can get a word meaning bloke’s that fits my cross letters but can’t find anything that I can add to this to make bank jobs
Thanks anyway Mort. Once I’d worked out 13d that one and 12a fell into place.
Just 17a and 14d to go
Just spotted 14d. At least I’d heard of that one. No idea of the wordplay though.
Off to word search for help with 17a
That didn’t help. Maybe my 14d is wrong
Joining in late this week, other things on my mind – today is our Golden Wedding! Not sure it will be appreciated if I spend too much time with DA today, especially as I’ve only just come on here and realised the preamble was missing, so I was really struggling. Got ten so far – liked the clue for 24, 6d, but suspect I may not recognise some of the others so easily.
Gaseous on that last one.
According to Ian at crossword club. Wordplay for 17a is blokes = 1,2,6. This surrounds premier
Correction gave up not gaseous! Big fingers + small keypad + autocorrect = a mess
nn: 17A is the type of bank job a criminal might perform.
14D: ‘profiled essence’ = 5,6; ‘gory genre’ = 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10; ‘one’ = 1 was how I justifed the themed answer I got.
Thanks Ann, that makes sense
Finished after a late start and with minimal checking of comments above. Guessed 1D & 2D long before I worked out the word play for either.
Happy New Year to all Trippers.
Finished fairly quickly, after all, so I won’t be in the doghouse. Was pleased to find I recognised most of the ladies in question – come on, DA, how about a male version next?
Happy clue-solving to everyone in 2015.
Managed to get eight of the nine themed answers without the missing info. Cannot get the single name compatriot. I’m assuming it’s 1d. Can anyone please help with a clue as to this person’s identity?
Can anyone send me a copy of this puzzle? The holiday season meant I forgot it was Friday! Can’t miss a themed one…
David S, the Chinese vessel does not float on the sea. The answer sounds eastern European.
Is the second word of 2d spelt correctly?
Nigel – yes 2d is correct.
Eventually done after seeing DA’s tweet above with 8 of the minor celebs in. But how does David justify 7D? “Capital makes data off limits” would have been fine but the answer is NOT a bill.
Just another symptom of how in this Fine country it OK to use the present tense for what is merely an aspiration by a political party.
Ben! Publish your email address and I might be able to send you a doubtfully legal scan.
Thanks everyone and Happy new year. Totally stuck on 13D I thing I have the first name but no hope on the second. Any help gratefully received. I guessed the first name using the anagrind but may not be right.
PatB The anagram relates to letters 1-4 and 10-11. That leaves a device that I had not heard of in letters 5-9 although 6-9 were familiar.
Thanks Mike. I had the wrong first name so need to reconsider my 12 A now.
Mike. I agree it can be spelled this way, but not for this particular solution.
PatB Sorry! The anagram in 13d covers 1-5 and 10-11 and 6-9 is all that is left 🙂
Nigel Re 2D, I can’t see what difficulty is concerning you. The solution is one of the 9 who 5 down as spelt on the web, and fits all the correct cross-letters. other solutions. The note is depleted by its final letter.
I think the point is that the actress’ name is spelt Collette. I’m not sure that even DA can choose to change the spelling of someone’s name.
Thanks Feather. This was the point I was trying to make.
Got it all but 28a. Have two candidates, but can’t figure out the wordplay for either.
Thanks feather – I missed that doubled letter and so did DA. I hope the poor chap did not have solstice fever or something similar.
Mike my email is benburt@hotmail.com
Thanks for that.
Dave – 28A – Defn = “Going over”. “old” gives letters 1,2. “ranking on air” gives homophone (“on air”) for a word meaning “ranking” for letters 3 to 9.
If anyone is still there I need help with SW corner. My 18d doesn’t work with the only 7d or Google can find for me. Also 21,26d Ta
Pommy Al – 18D – defn = “Far from favourite”. “sub” gives 5 letter synonym. “woofer” gives 3 letter synyonym.
21D – defn = “King”. “fix” gives synonym as in “problem” for letters 1,2,3. “periodical ISSUES in retrieval” (reverse indicator) gives letters 6,5,4.
26D – double defn. Defn 1 = “Lush sound” (lush as in drinker). Defn 2 = “here in old Rome?”.
Don’t understand your 7D reference.
Thanks Ray. 7dor was actor. My other problem was i had sinks for 11a cus it fitted!! Allout now. Thanks again
We managed to finish it before reading that the special instructions had been left out. This was because we thought that Miranda Otto was the answer to 10A and then assumed that some of the other clues would have to depend on phantom instructions. An interesting start to the year!
Finished to my satisfaction -however after careful recounting, cant find the ninth compatriot!! Maybe thats because I havent heard of many of them!
Oh dear – just found number nine – sorry Rose- have heard of you now.