- Having a crack at DA with RS
Sobrinha com cruzigrama
More DAction shots
Author: RC
Wont somebody think of DA children?
Parents! Please keep DA out of reach of children, at least during build-up.
RS takes on LR
Feel free to send in your own DAction shots!
DAction shots
DATrippers go political
In keeping with the shallow self interest that has dominated recent Australian politics, we feel it is time for the cryptic crossword community to flex our political muscle. We must campaign for policies and leaders that will promote the setting and solving of cryptics!!
We are, after all, the engine room of the Australian economy – crosswords hone our brains, driving innovation and productivity in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. Not only do we provide employment to tens of compilers and editors, but we drive job creation in downstream industries, such as cafes and newsagents.
We are also a cornerstone of Australian society. Without cryptics, working families would have to resort to other forms of entertainment, like the pokies. The crossword community protects vulnerable pedants from complete despair at the state of public language and stops them turning to non-grape-based substance abuse.
Imagine how many boat people would swamp us if they didn’t feel intimidated by our language’s unique attribute – the cryptic crossword. Assessing asylum claims on applicants’ ability to complete DA would be a far more effective in deterring asylum seekers than turning back the boats. In fact, people who cant get at least a handful of clues from NS or RM are un-Australian!
Unfortunately, a little searching reveals that no Australian politicians claim cryptic skills. No wonder the country is in the state it is in.
It’s too late to start our own party for this election and to get DA into The Lodge, but at least we should direct our votes towards candidates with names that make the most amusing acronyms. My efforts so far to work out who to vote for on this basis consist of:
DIVE DRUNK
NOT BY T-BOAT
CRAP, EVIL ELM
B-BOAT TREK
RE LICHEN IN MIST
No clear winner here, can anyone do better and guide the preferences of Australia’s newest lobby group?
New poolroom for TT’s first DA smackdown
Ladies and gentlemen, one of our newest cruciverbalists has stormed onto the scene, as she and I put in a near-perfect performance. TT, take a bow. This poolroom’s for you!!
She kicked it off by getting the theme, unassisted. I did have to chip in with a few 007 references, as she grew up without the disturbing influence of TV, but took the honours again with some of our final clues. Unfortunately there is no one known as JIMMY COCKBAR, but it hardly matters!
Feel free to comment here about your own DA moments that need to go straight to the poolroom!!
DA Bullshit from 6-7 July 2012
13a. Salmon No 6? (4)
PARR
Now that I’ve posted nice things in the DA Gold post, I can get on with my chest beating! WTF? PARR = Salmon? I’ve eaten it, fished for it, I know how to say it in 4 languages and I have never heard of parr. Wikipedia lists parr as 11th of 16 alternative names for Atlantic Salmon.
As for No 6? Come on! In mid 16th century England, this might have been an acceptable definition (Catherine Parr (1512-1548) was the 6th wife of Henry VIII) but in 21C Oz, it is downright BULLSHIT!!!!
Surely something like “Henry’s 6th sounds ordinary” would have been more acceptable.
1d Her outline in verse inclined characters to welcome NSW pusher, maybe (5,10)
VITAL STATISTICS
Sometimes DA puts in a very stretched definition and it works. Somewhere in the archives is “He manipulates triumphantly” cluing “Muralitheran”. Stretching it, but great (because I got it!). But here, “Her outline” for vital statistics, I’m just not going to stand for! Even if you accept Vital statistics = bust, waist, hips measurements (whats the dial-a-feminist hotline number?) surely these are three points on a woman’s outline and not the outline itself!
v= verse ok, I suppose
inclined characters = italics fine
NSW pusher = statist WTF? Again, maybe in pre federation Australia, one pushing for NSW to become a state in a federation, maybe even a proud Territorian in our day and age, but NSW pusher…..BULLSHIT!!!!
Also worth a quick mention in bullshit, in this otherwise great crossword, was 8a leave bath = climb out. A bit weak, but considering the other great down clues, we’ll let it slide.
What did everyone else think? Am I just whining?
DA Gold from 6-7 July 2012
3d. [campanologist] produces this water pipe. (4)
BONG (double meaning, sound produced by a campanologist (bell ringer) and a water pipe). Confirming for us that DA wasn’t always as clean cut as he seems on the TV!!!
10a. Slash [campanologist] action (6) TINKLE
TINKLE (double meaning, slang to urinate and an action a campanologist might take). OK, so I like toilet humour.
DA trippers: The DAocumentary
Were you unable to make it to the DA Trippers Tripleversary Powwow? Is this week’s DA cryptic just too far away to bear? Do you have trouble getting through the day until Letters and Numbers starts?
A salve to these irritations might be looking at the short doco that a team from RMIT made about DA and his fans, featuring interviews with DA, AS, RC and scenes from the powwow!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4GurqnVAF4
Should a documentary about cryptic tragics be a “crocumentary”?
Spoiler warning: you may find out what we look like, leading to great disappointment.
The DA Poolroom
Ladies, gentlemen, and DA,
I am very excited to announce my first ever solo, unassisted, no-dictionaries, no-internet, no nothing, just me, DA and the pen, letter-perfect completion. What with AS away for the past few weeks, I came close several times, but today victory is mine. I have popped the pinada!
In celebration, I thought I would start this post, under which anyone with a DA-related achievement is welcome to boast, gloat and be lauded. Did you get your first DA clue? Crack your first theme? Finish the whole thing on the Friday/Saturday morning ferry/tram? Were you blindfolded and solved it all by smell? Whatever the case, crow about it here!
Well done in advance,
RC