Comments on: DT 28479

By: Hoofityoudonkey

Hoofityoudonkey — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 05:53:41 +0000

Very late…
20d beat me as I did not know the university
22d new word for me, defeated by the double lunch
Thanks all

By: Hoofityoudonkey

Hoofityoudonkey — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 05:49:06 +0000

In reply to Sheps. And me!

By: Tonto McTavish

Tonto McTavish — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 02:30:40 +0000

In reply to Bluebird. Going back to you, I genuinely once owned a Bluebird,can't remember if it was Datsun or Nissan in those day, but a good reliable estate car.

By: Tonto McTavish

Tonto McTavish — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:42:06 +0000

Could someone please remind me where the typing toolbar is.

By: Tonto McTavish

Tonto McTavish — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:22:18 +0000

In reply to Angellov. Ferrari named the ENZO after their founder, can you imagine Lotus naming their greatest ever car, COLIN?

By: Tonto McTavish

Tonto McTavish — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:27:36 +0000

There seem to be many SELMAs in USA, this helps Mr Groening disguise in which state the Simpsons live.

By: Kath

Kath — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:24:51 +0000

Oh – I found this quite tricky but was trying to juggle it with visitors, cooking and watching the mens semi-finals at Wimbledon – should have done one thing at a time.
I was defeated by 15 and 20d.
I don’t think the answer to 9a = spots – it’s different and I’ve never heard of pills being shortened to 17a – maybe a lay person’s term.
My favourite was 12d.
Thanks to Giovanni and to DT.

By: Kath

Kath — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:14:50 +0000

In reply to sabrinastar. The naughty corner is only open on prize crossword days - the rest of the time we can say what we like as long as it's not rude, religious, political etc etc. BD is pretty liberal . . .

By: Kath

Kath — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:07:33 +0000

In reply to Rabbit Dave. I already had the last two letters in 15d which precluded 'Salem' so I never did get it. Never heard of it and neither has Pears.

By: Angellov

Angellov — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 21:38:30 +0000

In reply to Tonto McTavish.

By: Tonto McTavish

Tonto McTavish — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 20:09:43 +0000

In reply to Angellov. Not exactly exotic is it!

By: Angellov

Angellov — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 20:05:31 +0000

In reply to Tonto McTavish. TreVoR Wilkinson was founder of company.

By: Salty Dog

Salty Dog — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:47:19 +0000

Just into 2* time, and 3* enjoyment in the process. I enjoyed 1a particularly. Thanks to the Don, and to DT for the review.

By: Tonto McTavish

Tonto McTavish — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:20:22 +0000

In reply to Bluebird. Do you know what TVR is short for?

By: Gwizz

Gwizz — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:00:20 +0000

Nothing too obscure or awkward in this crossword for me at least. 6d was my favourite… I think. 2/3* overall.
Thanks to Giovanni, and to DT for the review.
Now back to the decorating…..

By: Jon_S

Jon_S — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 18:49:55 +0000

A good end to the working week, ** for difficulty about my experience too. Last in the SE corner.

By: Vancouverbc

Vancouverbc — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:05:39 +0000

***/***. Trickier than normal and needed help with 23d which I’d not come across. 4d my favourite. Thanks to DT and Giovanni.

By: Merusa

Merusa — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:57:59 +0000

Good puzzle again today.
New word was 23d, easy enough to work out and Google.
I never got 20d, my eyes are getting so bad that I didn’t notice it hadn’t been solved!
Like Orphan Annie, I had the answer for 22a so didn’t fall into the Salem trap.
Fave was 19a, remembered many happy hours there when I lived in London.
Thanks to Giovanni, and to DT for his hints and tips. Enjoy your croquet, my Mum’s favourite game.

By: Heno

Heno — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:53:04 +0000

Thanks to Giovanni and to Deep Threat for the review and hints. A very enjoyable puzzle, quite tricky in places. Got “neighs” for 3d, and needed the hints for 20d, which was last in. 23d was a new word for me, but I was able to solve it from the wordplay. Favourite was 14d. Was 3*/3* for me.

By: Orphan Annie

Orphan Annie — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:05:10 +0000

Good week after last week which was a write off. Lots of lovely anagrams to buck me up, 20d had to be Googled, did not fall into Salem trap as I already had 22a. Thanks to Giovanni and DT, hope croquet going well. Loved quickie pun as I suspect that it where I spend most of life.

By: Miffypops

Miffypops — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:37:57 +0000

In reply to sabrinastar. It is one of my blanks. I know it has a letter B probably the first letter of 9ac which is probably beer ( because Friday quickies are always pangrams) but I don't like the clue

By: Miffypops

Miffypops — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:37:57 +0000

By: sabrinastar

sabrinastar — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:18:28 +0000

btw – 11a pretty easy if you think of National Trust chairs……………
(hope I don’t get sent to naughty corner!).

By: Bluebird

Bluebird — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:14:48 +0000

I decided to see if 19d was, like its English equivalent, the most common German family name.
Apparently not – it is pipped at the post by Muller (Miller).

The equivalent meanings are Kowalski (2nd place in Poland) and Ferrari (3rd place in Italy…….somehow, the latter 2 seem more romantic in their own languages.

Can you imagine trying to market a British sports car called a Smith?

And Stella and Stanley Smith just don’t have the same oomph as their Streetcar versions.

By: sabrinastar

sabrinastar — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:00:27 +0000

Anyone get stuck on 5d in the Quickie?
I’m a landscape architect, so I got it…………thought it pretty tricky.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:20:27 +0000

Usual excellent Friday fare even if I have never come across the plant in 11a before or the US town (the wordplay was simple in both and google confirmed the town). Not sure about caper for game in 16a and 20d held me up for ages and was the last in. But that is nit-picking.
My fav was 1a even tho I didn’t realise that F in Musical notation could mean strong as well as loud. I’m afraid most things to do with the Arts leave me cold as my education was almost solely science based and I haven’t a musical bone in my body along with Mrs B but I am learning.
Thx to all

By: Tonto McTavish

Tonto McTavish — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:54:05 +0000

In reply to Tonto McTavish. Just looked at full list of events, Jools Holland? Honkytonk piano accompanies Mahler?

By: Una

Una — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:51:25 +0000

Lots of good clues . 8d was my favourite .
Thanks to Giovanni and DT.

By: Una

Una — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:50:21 +0000

In reply to Tonto McTavish. 28a might also be considered topical.

By: Una

Una — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:47:10 +0000

In reply to Rabbit Dave. Me too .

By: Sheps

Sheps — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:41:53 +0000

In reply to Angellov. Me too !

By: Jezza

Jezza — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:27:19 +0000

In reply to Angellov. Glad I was not the only one who looked at 'neighs'.

By: Tonto McTavish

Tonto McTavish — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:22:36 +0000

I liked the topical 19a. Thanks to all.

By: Young Salopian

Young Salopian — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:17:30 +0000

A very comfortable and enjoyable solve from Giovanni this morning. I really liked 20d as my COTD, and overall agree with the 2*/3* rating. I recently saw a film of the same name as 15d about the civil rights movement in the US and twigged it quite quickly, so did not fall into the Salem trap.

Many thanks to The Don and DT.

By: Paso Doble

Paso Doble — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:56:39 +0000

We put Salem in and had to resort to Google for the correct answer. Otherwise, plain sailing and enjoyable **/****
Thanks to the Don and Deep Threat.

By: Angellov

Angellov — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:31:02 +0000

No sweat today but plenty of fun. 19a spelling unfamiliar to me. Nearly settled on ‘neighs’ for 3d! Fav was 24a. Many thanks as always Giovanni and DT.

By: Angellov

Angellov — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:26:27 +0000

In reply to Ora Meringue. And me!

By: Ora Meringue

Ora Meringue — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:22:54 +0000

In reply to Rabbit Dave. I had Salem too....perhaps we were bewitched.

By: Ora Meringue

Ora Meringue — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:22:21 +0000

Enjoyed this one, but head scratching was involved.

Was unaware of that spelling of 19d and 23d was a new word for me.

Thanks to the setter and to Deep Threat for his review.

By: Rabbit Dave

Rabbit Dave — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:22:11 +0000

I agree with DT’s rating of 2*/3* for an enjoyable puzzle in which my only hold up was putting in Salem initially for 15d.

20d was my favourite.

Many thanks to Giovanni and to DT.

By: Senf

Senf — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:20:20 +0000

Certainly trickier than last Friday’s puzzle, completed at a canter with some head scratching – 2.5*/3.5*.

Candidates for favourite – 1a, 12a, 27a, and 4d – and the winner is 27a, or maybe it’s 4d.

Thanks to Giovanni and DT.

By: Toadson

Toadson — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:14:48 +0000

Plenty of enjoyable clues, a new place and a new word (as far as I can remember), but all able to be worked out. Thanks to all. By the way, someone yesterday provided a link to a Dutch puzzle in the Independent – all quite achievable apart from one clue requiring knowledge of US politics, which not everybody would have.