A collection of reasons for why we keep coming back to DA for more.
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.
It’s between too long between Gold posts; thankfully this week’s had plenty of pearlers:
13 across: Crow falsely in leas, lacking trouble! (3, 4)
A ridiculously good &lit, even if the in is superfluous: crow falsely – leas trouble = cry wolf = crow falsely in leads, lacking trouble.
3 down: Spiritual mentor injected heroin, perhaps, at league club? (9)
TOSH for injected heroin = shot up was genius.
1 across: My job becomes monstrous when changing hands (5)
Changing hands is a classic DA manoeuvre, and this is another classic clue: monstrous when changing hands = cruel changing hands = cluer = my job.
29 across: French connection absorbs fraud in Africa (5)
An excellent reference to a common French word: French connection absorbs fraud = et absorbs gyp = Egypt = in Africa.
25 across: Gear in Top Gear broadcast, as kids claim (7)
An excellent piece of slang and definition: broadcast as kids claim = air bags = airbags = gear in Top Gear.
24 down: Old girl hides key on island (5)
Classic piece of DA subterfuge: old girl hides key = ma hides alt = Malta = island.
10 across: Epee quietly discarded, we hear in 26 across (GADDAFI) stronghold? (7)
Epee quietly discarded = E ee = triple E = we hear “Tripoli” = Gaddafi stronghold.
The groaning and giggling almost upset our bowls of pho.
27 across and 25 down: He’s a lecher in strife! (7,5)
A perfect &lit clue! anagram of He’s a lecher in = Charlie Sheen = a lecher in strife. I dont really know if Charlie Sheen really is a lecher, but he does seem to get into a bit of trouble. Great to see a great &lit clue.
DA Gold is back because there were a couple of clues that I thought exemplars of their kind.
17 down: Result in RAAF term at Holbrook (9)
I think this might have to go down as the greatest hidden word clue I’ve done. For those that aren’t aware, there’s a submarine museum at Holbrook, and the combination of RAAF and submarine had my mind wandering back and forth along military byways for a long while before the sudden flash of insight: in RAAF term at Holbrook = aftermath = result.
Has there ever been a more superbly hidden word than that? And across four separate words?
17 across: He had to 15-down (RAISE CAIN) with a Mum! (4)
The &lit is exceptionally neat and clever on its own, but in combination with the cross reference, which made an otherwise simple clue a little more difficult, it’s truly a work of genius (although the capital M in Mum is peculiar).
The reasoning: he had to raise cain = Adam = a dam = a mum = he had to raise Cain with a Mum.
mrigeoy emailed me with a fine suggestion: a record of the gold clues from the crosswords included in DA’s book, Puzzled.
Although I much enjoyed the book, I must admit I didn’t actually do the crosswords that were included. So mrigeoy has sent me this as a sterling example of what DA offers in his book:
‘You’re a sole ray of light’ and ‘You deserve top perch’? (4, 3, 11)
I don’t know the answer but I’m sure someone can work it out below.
And please, send in whatever other examples of fine DA legerdemain that you think should be included on here.
12 down: Loco inventor pilloried photographer beyond measure (10)
Excellent definition, excellent use of pilloried: pilloried photographer beyond measure = HENSON beyond STEP = STEPHENSON = loco (locomotive) inventor.
7 down: Macabre author of Kama Sutra? (9)
I knew the author and I chuckled: of Kama Sutra = LOVE CRAFT = LOVECRAFT = macabre author.
13 across: Cockney journo dispatched soundly to grave, perhaps (6)
Ridiculously good combination of brilliance: Cockney journo dispatched soundly = Cockney HACK SENT soundly = ACK SENT soundly = ACCENT = grave, perhaps.
15 across: Sweet sole trader? (7)
Excellent double-definition clue, one that had me thinking of fish at first: sweet = COBBLER = sole trader.
5 down: Poet raised with poor taste — does he leave this raised then? (6, 4)
Very amusing: poet raised with poor taste = ELIOT raised with TSEAT = TOILET SEAT = does he leave this raised then?
28 across: It descreases livestock fly with livestock? (5)
A nice one that took a while to click: livestock fly with livestock = BOT OX = BOTOX = it decreases (de-creases).
16 across: Virgin precaution [that’s how it reads] linked to degree in weight? (7)
Great definition: that’s how it reads linked to degree in weight = SIC linked to BA in KG = SICKBAG = Virgin precaution.
21 down: Copied clothing? May initially be charged in Gen-Y vein (5)
I liked the slang, but even more so I liked the punctuation that led me astray: copied clothing? may initially = APED clothing M = AMPED = be charged in Gen-Y vein.
2 down: Brilliant 24-across (portmanteau) unchanged by pest extermination (11)
Freakin’ genius: portmanteau unchanged by pest extermination = FANTABULOUS (fantabulous – ant = fabulous = fantabulous) = brilliant.
27 across: Hippie’s advice to enjoy number? (5)
I spent a while thinking DA was being tricky and meant number in the sense of something that numbs. I should have concentrated on the simpler option from the start, which also turns out to be amusing: hippie’s advice to enjoy = DIG IT = DIGIT = number.
17 down: Rumpus room using Titanic 24-across (portmanteau) (9)
Just when you might have thought you’ve read all possible anagram indicators, out comes DA with the inspired rumpus. Like this: rumpus room using = GINORMOUS = Titanic portmanteau.
19 down: Faux pas cryptically close to dropping a beer (7)
Features one of those delightful tricks that is almost impossible to work out before the answer becomes apparent: faux pas cryptically close to dropping a = SLIP UP cryptically NEAR dropping A = PILS NER = PILSNER = beer.
8 down: Celebrated red jelly after race meet (7)
Great direct definition disguise: jelly after race meet = ky after trots = Trotsky = celebrated red.
14 across: Clue not unravelled by breakfast patriarch (5, 4)
Another great direct clue: clue not unrivalled = uncleto by = Uncle Toby = breakfast patriarch.
13 across: Lite 18-down (in reach)? (5)
Another great one: lite = lo cal = local = in reach.
25 across: Black dog with frequent flyer points? (9)
A little easy, but good: black dog = jet setter = jetsetter = with frequent flyer points.
19 down: Where you may plunge into philosophical objective? (4, 3)
Clever: where you may plunge into = deep end = philosophical objective.
23 across: Bully boxes to be close, almost, to actor (5, 4)
bully boxes to be close, almost = cow boxes live end almost = Clive Owen = actor.
17 across: Giant dozer transport to glisten first off? (3, 6)
Nice one: transport to glisten first off = van twinkle first off = Van Winkle = giant dozer.
11 across: Heat of battle sees legend annihilate army base (6)
Super surface reading: battle sees legend annihilate army base = war sees myth annihilate y = war myth – y = warmth = heat.
12 across: Male companions pejoratively help kid’s reservation (8)
I love a good piece of slang, and this comes with two: help kid’s reservation = hand bags = handbags = male companions.
16 down: I help stars quash essentially taboo triangle (9)
Anything with maths gets my vote: I help stars quash essentially taboo = I sos celebs quash b = isosceles = triangle.
26 across: A watchful rear in men-only prison (6)
Hilarious surface reading: a watchful rear in men-only = a l in stag = stalag = prison.
DA Trippers 