The Age Cryptic by DH #20,579

Wow, this one must have been done by most in time for the coffee to be just the right drinking temperature. It took me an hour and I didn't have any internet to help me because regional broadband is AWFUL! Screw you Malcolm Turnbull! Screw you and your lame copper wire shit! Fibre all the way!

Ok rant over - well that rant. Anyone else find 1A a bit off? Not the nicest way to start a puzzle. Yes I'm sure it's supposed to be funny and maybe I'm lacking that particular funny bone but I found it crass. I sat there hoping the answer wasn't what I thought it was - but it was. Also we had the same answer for 10A with DA on Friday  - why does that happen so often? I'm convinced the compilers have a group meeting and set challenges for words and phrases. Here's my pic:

The only two  I'm a bit unsure of is 3D and 9A. I got the answer for 3D, ANTICLINE by googling. I guess it's "caper" = ANTIC and "mark" = LINE where "antic" goes "previously" to make it the front word. For 9A I had to use one across and it suggested AGIST which was a field rented for feeding livestock, is this right? I knew the "soldier" = GI but why is AST a bar? AS T? I know a T-bar from skiing.


We had a nice day in Melbourne today, and my youngest came home, played in the garden for 10 minutes, complained of a headache, whined for half an hour, vomited everything and is now asleep. Is it wrong of me to be thankful she didn't hork in the car? Fingers crossed it's just a bug she picked up and it's gone now. Day two of hols and I've got a puker - I should have set up a betting pool.

Have a great night!

The Age Cryptic by LR #20,578

Unusual in that we often have to solve clues to guess the theme but here the clues were themed and the answers not so much, except for 18A which took me a long time to get - go figure. As I've come to expect with an LR puzzle there is wit and smiles to be found in the clues as well. Several clues have cosmetic surgery elements in them.

No brags on finishing quickly today. I didn't get my last clue in until after lunchtime. Here's the pic:

On this rare occasion I have all of them parsed, too. Just clarify a couple for me:

8D where it's "5 ways to get around" that's SENSE and it starts with the last S then goes "around" to the top and then down capturing UR in its way. Because it can't be an anagram as there's not fodder, right? It's the only way I see to spell "sense" correctly.

For 22D "Cat's mother" = SHE because of the saying "Who's she? The cat's mother?" which I'd never heard until I moved to the UK, as a way of correction someone (usually kids) for using "she" while the person is present. Is there a different way to interpret this clue?

Monday has been a joy, glorious weather and my daughter only cried once because I said she couldn't go swimming (she still has a cast on) and the magpies on my deck did not peck my toes which I appreciate very much.

I may not get to the puzzle tomorrow as I have to go to Melbourne for orthodontist appt and meet up with friends for sanity break. We shall see!

The Age Cryptic by DA #20,576

I had good fun with this one. It did take me a while to grasp the theme and I had to peek into D.A. Trippers to see what others were doing before the penny dropped. Once I had the theme I was off. It was steady going until the SE corner where 17D caused a jam. I enjoyed most of the clues this week.

Some of the best clues were the theme ones. It's sad to think so many solvers would have  known the theme and just put the answer from definition and denied themselves the fun of working out the whole clue. Here's my pic:

1, 5A - Solver cut out a domestic security appeal on air (8,6)

"Solver" is who we are looking for (It's not us) and "cut" = SHEAR "out A" means drop the A leaving SHER. "security appeal on air" is asking for a homophone of "lock homes!" to make SHERLOCK HOLMES.

10, 29A - 1-across's ally teased lad's entire acceptance of so-called ghost (9,8)

"1-across's ally" is who we're looking for. Not being a massive Sherlock fan apart from the recent movies and BBC shows and having never read the books (I tried when I was a teen and was horrified by the drug use and stopped reading.) I googled "Sherlock Holmes ghost" and got a wiki including a cast list. So much cheat, but hey. "teased LADS ENTIRE" is anagrind and partial fodder that will "accept" or take in a homophone "so-called ghost" = spectre / "SPECTOR" to make IN(SPECTOR) LESTRADE

11A - Even I quit game after lame final (5)

"Even" is our definition and here I'm not very sure what's going on. I'd figured "after lamE final" meant the first letter was E and then cross letters came in and I guessed the answer was EQUAL but how "I quit game" makes QUAL I'm not sure. OH! Is it a game bird QUAIL dropping its I?? That makes sense. I did waste time trying to even/odd an answer from this.

12A - Soldier during passover identifies 1-across's power (5)

"Sherlock Holmes's power" is what we're needing to find. Again I had all the cross letters and I knew "soldier" = GI but where "passover identifies" gets LOC (or is it COL? is "passover" a reversal signpost?) I don't know. Answer is LOGIC.

14A - Erratic compass I's repair (9)

"Erratic" is our definition and this was my clue in the grid. Thank you DA for throwing a few bones to get us newbies started. "COMPASS I'D repaired" is fodder and anagrind to make SPASMODIC.

15A- Beatitude is made of this! (5)

An &lit clue! The whole clue is the definition and it's a hidden word clue - wait is it a hidden word or an &lit or can it be both? - as "beatitude" is a "supreme blessedness" and other religiously inspired awe. "beatituDE IS Made" hides DEISM... a belief in god as as a creator who then goes away and doesn't interfere. I guess looking at the clue it was created  - intelligent design - never mind. I'm getting itchy just thinking about it all.

18A - Issue tracker extremes in light radar component (9)

"Radar component" is our definition and "issue" = MAG and "TrackeR extremes" = TR which goes "in light" = NEON to make MAG(NE(TR)ON) I had to look up the definition because all I could do was say "Magnetron!" in loud robot voices. Sounds like a Transformer name.

19A - Hard eastern ruler, 22-down? A horrible one (5)

This was one of my last clues in but when I got it - Hot Dog! "Hard" = H (which means if I see "soft" in a clue it could be and S?) "eastern ruler" = AGA and 22-down was "right" = R to make HAGAR - "a horrible one" is the famous cartoon viking Hagar The Horrible! That's who I'd mistakenly put in for 19D last week instead of Hogan. I must be psychic! Or DA reads my blog. (I know compilers make these puzzles months in advance, but it could happen!)

21A - Eccentric meals an integral part of boxing (9)

I'm not very sure what's going on here. Is this a very oblique double definition? I had the last five letters in place when "boxing" twigged for me - not pugilism but actual packing of stuff into boxes. "The integral part of boxing" = CARDBOARD. How "eccentric meals" works I'm not sure unless it's a euphemism for crap freezer food.

24A - Comic noble turned on laptop (5)

"Comic" is our definition and "noble turned" = LORD reversed to DROL and "Lap-top" = L for DROLL.

25A - Should ducks have wings clipped? (5)

"Should" is our definition and "ducks" = OO which are NOUGHTS and we must "clip wings" or remove the first and last letters leaving OUGHT.

26A - Your old doctor welcoming in old carnivore (9)

"Old carnivore" is what we're looking for and "your old" (No you're old!) as in your in ye olde language is THY then "doctor" must be LACE but I do not know why - someone will have to explain that, but the LACE will be "welcoming" the word IN to make THY(LAC(IN)E). Could the doctor = lace be like "doctoring" a drink or slipping a mickey?

28A - 20 went out, dressing to impress Cross? (6)

"Cross" is our definition and "20 -WENT out" = 20 as TwentY  with its "went" dropped. The TY will be "dressing" or wrapping around "impress" = ETCH to make TETCHY. A popular word in Scotland but when I looked it up it said its origin was unknown but possibly German.

1D - Soviet leader took out expert (7)

"Expert" is our definition and "Soviet leader" = S and "took out" means KILLED to become SKILLED.

2D - Liberal contrarily taxing arrival (9)

"Liberal" is our definition and "contrarily taxing arrival" means we want the opposite of those last two words to become EASY GOING.

3D - Swimmer showed up 5-across' player (3)

"Holmes' player" means we want an actor with three letters who has played Sherlock Holmes and whose name is, when reversed (showed up), is a "swimmer" is Christopher LEE.

4D - Ripped one's flesh (5)

"Flesh" is our definition and "ripped" = CUT as in the muscular bodybuilding and low body fat kind and "one's" = IS as one is usually an I and the S just tags along to make CUTIS. New word for me!

6D - Amazed possibly, stuffing up one method (4-7)

"Amazed" is our definition and someone please clarify - is "possibly stuffing" or just "stuffing" our anagrind with "UP ONE METHOD" the fodder to make OPEN-MOUTHED. I don't see the need for "possibly" unless to help make "stuffing" a stronger anagrind or just for surface. Possibly has its own uses as a signpost so I wasn't sure.

7D - A heap found to undergo sexual reassignment (5)

"A heap" is our definition and the word "Found" is to "undergo a sexual reassignment" meaning it drops the F to get an M instead and become MOUND.

8D - 12-across is not grand, needing new radical element (7)

"Element" is what we're needing and "LOGIC IS not Grand" means to drop the letter G leaving LOIC IS but it's "needing New" = N and I think "radical" in an anagrind to make SILICON. I've not seen "radical" as an anagrind so I'd appreciate clarification if anyone has this or something different.

9D - Shoot, arrow tip piercing boyfriend of 5-across? (2,6)

This clue has brought some discussion to the DATrippers. I got it from the definition "Boyfriend of Holmes" and knew it was DR WATSON but I'd never made any connections to the gents being gay. I have "girlfriends" but they're just friends so "boyfriend" didn't register with me in any other way than male friend. I still couldn't parse the clue fully, only that "Arrow tip, piercing" = A getting in the middle but I had that from 14A. I think Celia Fate at DAT has the best solution "Read it as two words “boy friend”: boy->letters 6-8, shoot->letters 1,2,4,5 & arrow tip->3. Definition is “friend …”" which plays with DA's love of combining words that work best apart in the solving.

13D - Quaint hamper pack for 5-across player (11)

"Holmes player" is who we're after again and "hamper" = CUMBER and "pack" = BATCH as in a bundle to make Benedict CUMBERBATCH. "Quaint" has no other use so far as I can see or at least I didn't need it to have one.

16D - Miro abstract, thus described by 5-across nemesis (8)

"Holmes nemesis" is who we need and "MIRO abstract" is partial fodder and anagrind but I don't understand how "thus described" = ARTY. I don't know if MORIARTY was an artist but I thought he was a gangland leader of sorts. Is it "arty" in the "artful" manner of sly and crafty?

17D - Overseas, miss neglectin' pickup, as parked outside (9)

This clue was holding me up in the SE corner and I asked Celia Fate for a hint. I love having puzzle friends! Her advice was "ignorin' the commas helps. Defn 1st two words." What DA and CF don't realise is it's very common to slang write with an apostrophe at the end because in Boston we drop letters everywhere and write like we tawk. I ignored it as normal. Silly me! "Overseas miss" is our definition and "neglectin'" = IGNORIN' as Celia hinted in her reply. "pickup AS parked outside" means the letters AS will be on the outside and reversed to make S(IGNORIN)A.

18D - 1-across's brother so estranged from PC firm's audit (7)

See, once we know the theme these become easy. It's an exercise in reverse solving, but what a clever clue this is! It seems rude to not bother solving through it even if the answer is obvious. "Holmes's brother" is who we want and work this backwards "PC firm" means we want MICROSOFT the main PC software people (those "other people" as I say since we're Mac slaves here) "SO estranged" means to drop the letters -SO leaving MICROFT and "audit" is a homophone signpost getting us to our answer MYCROFT. It's a sweet clue.

20D - Sub console (7)

Double definition: RELIEVE. A substitute teacher is called "relief" staff and to console someone is to "relieve their pain. I guess I'm a bit unsure about how "relief" gets to "relieve" but I'm not overly bothered. Should I be?

22D - Just liturgy quoted (5)

"Just" is our definition and this is a homophone clue where a "liturgy" is a public form of ritual worship or a RITE which sounds like "quoted" RIGHT.

23D - Party near Christmas - turn-out for 5-across inventor (5)

"Holmes inventor" is who we want and a "party" = DO and "near Christmas" = YULE but with the "turn out" and I know from previous puzzles the "turn" = U for a U-turn which leaves YLE  for DOYLE.

27D - Bill exhibits a bed, empty (3)

"Bill exhibits" is our definition and "A bed empty" = A COT but the "CoT" is empty leaving an ACT which we'd see listed in a playbill.

There we are! A good Friday was had but getting the theme helps a whole bunch in this one. Next two weeks are a muddle with the kids on holiday - it feels like they only just went back! -  and I'll be chaperoning a gang of teens to Supanova - help me? No? Coward. and seeing friends in Melbourne. I'll be posting less I wager over this time. We'll see.

As always leave tips and alternate solutions in the comments below. Enjoy any time off you happen to get and have a great weekend.

The Age Cryptic by DH #20,573

This one was tough, too. Last week the puzzles were a breeze this week it's punishment for having said the puzzles were easy. Ebb and flow. Another one with some medical answers that without dicking about (cheating) with anagram solvers, would have been impossible - or I'd have to wait until my friend Doug the ENT was online so I could ask him about 7D. I often torment Doug with clues that have ENT in the surface because he doesn't solve cryptics and it seems to kind of bug him which means I'll do it more often. (birth order: last born, can you tell?)

I had to use One Across for 3D and 15D because although I had all the elements for 15D I'd never heard of it and was doubtful. Same goes for 16D, that's a new one on me, too.

Yesterday I was in a Twitter chat with LR and a few others about his puzzle yesterday and a tweet he shared where he said "Just realised HATERS GONNA HATE fits perfectly in a crossword grid. But of course NYT already did it last year. Innovators gonna innovate." and I'd asked if there was a copyright reason and he'd said no it was because it was a phrase his editor had rejected. I asked about what the rules were compilers had to follow and he said "SMH doesn't like Americanisms and phrases which aren't broadly familiar. Then of course there's the "breakfast test"..." All very interesting. Imagine my surprise then at seeing 25A "Finished weary, completely fagged out? (9)" Well! Americanisms are a no-no but this is ok? I've lived in the UK I know what it means and all, but still. Seems a kind of favouritism to allow "fagged out" but not "Haters Gonna Hate" because it has "gonna" in it. Didn't DA use "sorta kinda" in a clue several months back? LR needs to fight his corner harder - SMH/Age should embrace opportunities to draw in and encourage younger solvers, using their phrases and trends.

It's part of the whole stigma of cryptic crosswords; that they're for old people, they're too hard or are full of archaic words (kinda true). Worse is the idea that only nerdy types do them - Vive les Nerds I say! It's been a Nerd revolution for over a decade and we're winning! I think the papers have to join this century and call out to the younger generations Throw them a bone once in a while with clues and puzzle themes specifically targeting them otherwise the risk is a smaller future for cryptics.

Here's my pic:

13A - Some pressure very big? Tomic upset concerning diffusion through membrane? (7)

Definition is "diffusion through membrane" and I know the last five letters are "TOMIC upset" but I'm not understanding where the OS is coming from to give us OSMOTIC.

3D - Little jerk after record. Irish menagerie in disease affecting lots of animals (9)

I got "little jerk" = TIC and it was going "after" other things but whether "report" is a homophone signpost or we're wanting a synonym I'm not sure and I've no clue what "Irish menagerie" is about either but "menagerie" looked like a good anagrind but no fodder here. What do those words do to make EPIZOOTIC?

4D - Love hanging that woman around? Left Achurch's footwear accessories? (9)

"Footwear accessories" is what we're looking for and "love" = O and "that woman" = SHE where the O is "hanging around" to make SH(O)E. Then "left" = L and here I'm stumped because "Achurch's" = ACES...Oh is is just A church's but DH made it look like a name so it's A CE'S. Ha-tcha-tcha I got ya!

20D - Hard with repressive order initially causing devastation (5)

I keep thinking this is a first/last clue but it's not, even though it says "initially"  but I think it only applies to "Causing". Is this "Hard" = H "repressive order" = AVO which I think is like a restraining order but DH uses "repressive" instead and then the C to make HAVOC?



That was my puzzle day. Hope yours was kinder. I was delighted - happy dance - that I got the reverse anagram in 26A. They're a rare clue and I'm not good at spotting them but I nailed it this time.

As always if you have solutions or got your answers in another way, please let me know in the comments. Tomorrow I'll look at the DP but will probably go for the Guardian puzzle. I'll see how I feel about them both. (That's me being a coward about solving Guardian puzzles. Don't let me get away with that!)

Have a good night!

The Age Cryptic by LR #20,572

I guess that whole "Monday puzzles are supposed to be easy" rule has gone out the window.  This one started off simple enough and then something happened around the middle that made it painful. I think it started with 7D and 14A. My first reaction to 14A was TYRANT but would that work? No. I had IRIDI_ _ _ _ for 7D and couldn't get those last four letters. Not because the clue wasn't helping but because my mind was determined to walk the wrong paths.

First clue in was 16A and last one in was 18A. I don't know why some people find these facts interesting but I'll share for the curious.

I thought there was going to be a medical theme with 1, 5, 9-across and 1, 2-down but if there was that seemed to be all of it. I really liked 8D and I was disappointed 26A wasn't a TOSSER. I know, six letters. Shame really. Here's my pic:

12A - Review marriage vow rhyme with street comedian (8)

I have nothing. I can't see where it comes from to make the answer PARODIST. I got the answer from cross letters and choosing "comedian" as the definition - in fact I thought it was "street comedian" and was trying other words for busker but I see "street" = ST at the end. Is it a homophone of "Parody" maybe? I don't see why.

14A - This clue is just mean! I fell for the misdirect. I'm guessing "key support" refers to keys on keyboard and the "dictator" is one who'd dictate to a secretary. I get it, I just wanted to shake my fist at this clue a few more times.

7D - One princess's into one band doing a metal cover? (9)

This was nearly my last clue in and the answer is IRIDISING. I think "one" = I, then "princess" = DI going into "one" = I again and "band" = SING? It's the band part that I'm not sure of. Or is "one band" = RISING? I'm not seeing the end bit. OH wait, that R - "band" = RING ah now I see. Sorry. I(R(I)(DI)SING) That's not confusing at all (yes it is)

13D - Check again regarding frugal year on south-east (9)

I solved this as "regarding" = RE, "frugal" = ANAL, "year" = Y and "south-east" = SE to make REANALYSE. What stumps me is "frugal" = ANAL. Is that right? I know frugal to mean very economical, to waste nothing. This sheds a very different light on the popular American TV cooking show The Frugal Gourmet.

That was my Monday. I did not finish by lunchtime today so no boasting from me. Good to see LR back. I had expected EM (I think it was EM, they've not been around for a while) or someone else - how many compilers rotate on the Monday?

Hope your Monday was kind to you.

The Age Cryptic by DA #20570

DA is always a challenge but this one was a bit kinder and had some funny clues. I like DA puzzles because you can see the wit behind the clues. I had fun and it took me the better part of the day to finish. I liked 20A and 25A and I was psyched I got the homophone clues so quickly. 15A was my first entry.

I found with a lot of these clues I was saying "It can't be..." and it was. Then I said "Why is it that?!" and there I struggle. It's happened, after a year of solving cryptic crosswords everyday I'm now solving clues by looking at them and just knowing. Sadly, that's not good enough, I still have to know why.

I have many unsolved elements that hopefully I'll get as I type through them. Here's the pic:

1A - D-d-drunk skipping round, drunk in East London (9)

"D-d-drunk" is our demonstrative definition. I'm not sure how "skipping round" = ST but I get "drunk in East London" is a cockney hint to (-h)AMMERED to create STAMMERED.

6A - Pyjamaed banana's TV show (5)

"TV show" is our definition and "Pyjamaed banana's" leads us to the Bananas in Pyjamas show where the bananas are named B1 and B2. If we spell out B ONE then add the S in the clue we can get BONES. I did not get this, I had the cross letters in place and drew a blank. Sandy cleared it up with "6a just sound out a pajamaed banana (just one if them) and write that done without using numerals and see if that helps."

9A - Devour lamb stew for seconds (3)

"Devour" is our definition and this is odd because we need the definition to solve the clue because "for seconds" is our signpost to use every second letter for each word to get our answer; "dEvour lAmb sTew" = EAT. It's not often we use the definition as part of the solution.

10A - Emperor dipped both hands, thence foot, in wine, trimming gut (11)

"Emperor" is who we are looking for and with cross letters I could see the answer was CHARLEMAGNE. I think the "both hands" = RL for right and left and I think the wine is
CHAM(-p)AGNE where "gut removed" means to drop the letter P. so that's CHA(RL)(E)MAGNE. Ah, so "thencE foot" means use the last letter from "thence" which means this one is solved!

11A - Fat cat ends on tasty cheese (6)

"Fat cat" is our definition and "ends TastY" = TY and "cheese" well more precisely "tasty cheese" = COON which is a brand of cheddar which gets us TYCOON.

12A - Chili Pepper music wasted beat initially (8)

Such a tricky misdirect for us Gen X crowd. I got this from cross letters and definition "Chili" is our definition and "pepper" = CAP, I suppose, but I got "MUSIC wasted" as fodder and anagrind which got me the answer. I'm not sure what "beat initially" is about or if "CAP" really is a nick name for a pepper unless it's a Scotch Bonnet but that's a stretch.

15A - Declared honest love for old ruler (7)

"Old ruler" is our definition and "declared" is a homophone signpost where "honest love" becomes FAIR O which sounds like PHARAOH.

16A - Meeting first couple on quitting addiction (7)

"Meeting" is our definition and I got this from the thesaurus and cross letters but how we get there I'm not sure. I had thought it was something to do with "quitting addiction" and cessation but I don't know how.

18A - Question underling (7)

Double definition: SUBJECT.

19A - Sensitive guy lost heart catching crooner heading off (7)

"Sensitive" is our definition and "GuY lost heart" = GY which will be "catching" a "Crooner" = SINGER and "heading off" means to drop the first letter leaving INGER to make G(INGER)Y. I've never used gingery in that way, have you? "After 100 squats my ass is pretty gingery" or is it to describe someone who's emotional, like they've poked ginger in their eye? I spent a lot of time listing crooners and trying to remove compass points from their name to get this, I was frustrated when I realised I was down that rabbit hole.

20A - Creeps or runs? It's undecided inhouse (8)

"Creeps" is our definition and this was explained in the D.A. Trippers by Ray "“runs” = letter 3. “It’s undecided” gives a TLA for letters 4,5,6. “inhouse” – read as “in house”. “in” position indicator. “house” 4 letter synonym for letters 1,2,7,8." So this means  "runs" = R, "it's undecided" = TBA for "to be announced" and "in house" = DIGS with in as a container signpost to make DI(R)(TBA)GS.

22A - Wash out bowl rims separately (6)

"Wash out" is our definition and "BowL rims" = BL as rims is used like edges and "separately" = EACH to make BLEACH.

25A - Norm can flag (3-8)

"Norm" is our definition and it's not the guy from Cheers but shortened form of normal. "Can" = BOG as both are slang for toilet which was reminiscent of last week's clue where "can" was used. "Flag" = STANDARD to make BOG-STANDARD.

27A - Literary convict eludes woman spelling I-S-S-U-E? (3)

It's one of those rare occasions where my feminist radar didn't ping but others' did regarding this clue. I was more involved with the struggle of thinking of "literary convicts" and yes my first thought was Great Expectations but I discounted it as it was too many letters. Silly me. I thought of Of Mice and Men, Count of Monte Cristo, Man In The Iron Mask, The Fugitive which I wasn't sure was a book first, Les Miserables even Harry Potter and got nowhere. Should have stayed with my first instinct and MAGWITCH from Great Expectations where "eludes woman" = -WITCH and leaves MAG as a synonym of "issue" and here the misogyny claim is laid. DA didn't have to clue this as "woman" he could have used sorceress, enchanter, conjuror anything to keep this in the realm of fiction and magic to get us to remove the word witch. By just using "woman" it's like saying women are witches. I'm glad others pointed this out as I was so absorbed in which criminal I hadn't noticed. Glad to know others look out for this sort of thing, too. A short discussion about it is on DAT.

28A - Applaud text oldie retained (5)

"Applaud" is our definition and "retained" is a hidden word signpost showing that within "tEXT OLdie" is the word EXTOL.

29A - Tackle a bloke smuggling stripped part aboard boat (9)

Not sure if "Tackle" or "boat" was the definition I worked the middle trying to find words for "bloke" that had "stripped pARt aboard" = AR in it and that was A MAN giving us AM(AR)AN leaving the beginning to be CAT and our definition is a "boat" = CATAMARAN. I've never heard of "tackle" = CAT so this took me a while and thankfully there was a cross clue to get us the C. CAT is a short name for catamaran in the dictionary so I wonder if the same thing as 12A is happening here where a thing's nickname is clued as its opening?

1D - Cleaned up benches on time (5)

"Cleaned" is our definition and "up benches" = PEWS but for a down clue it's reversed to SWEP which is sitting "on time" = T to make SWEPT.

2D - Lobby for an IT expert adding light (11)

"Lobby" is our definition and the answer is ANTICHAMBER. I don't know how we get there. I figure "an IT" is fodder but that makes "expert" an anagrind and not one I've seen before. Nor do I know how "adding light" = CHAMBER unless AMBER is a stop light colour and "adding" is just CH? Lost here.

3D - Half a mind to flaunt way to cook (9)

"Way to cook" is our definition or maybe just "cook" I'm not sure. I get that "half a MInd" = MI and "to flaunt" = CROW but I'm not sure where the AVE comes from to make MICROWAVE. Unless "way" = AVE as similar street names and AVE is short for avenue?

4D - Race tips supplied by morning papers (4)

"Papers" is our definition and "RacE tips" = RE and "morning" = AM to make REAM. I had thought "supplied" was going to be a container signpost but it's just for surface.

5D - $50 lord gains Scrabbling (6,4)

Took a while to see that the definition is just "$" and "50" = L as the Roman numeral and "LORD GAINS scrabbling" is fodder and anagrind to make DOLLAR SIGN.

6D - Fails ultimately from investing in crops (5)

"Fails" is our definition and "ultimately" is usually used to hint that the first letter of the previous word is our target letter - or maybe I've thought that because it's usually used to the right of the target word in clues I've solved before and I grab the first letter from the word on its left (is that confusing or what?). The definition of "ultimately" is "last; furthest or farthest; ending a process or series:" so it really means the last letter of the next word furthest away, either side. This was a revelation for me, so don't laugh! As "fails" is the definition we need to take the last letter from the next adjacent word "froM" = M and that will be "investing in crops" where "investing in" is a container signpost and "crops" = BOBS like the haircuts not the agriculture, to create BO(M)BS.

7D - Silver, say, close to coin silver (3)

I'm not sure but "Silver" must be our definition and I know one of them is "silver" = AG and "close to coiN" = N as we want the closing letter of the word coin. This makes our answer N(AG) but why "Silver, say" means I don't know. I'm not seeing a homophone of silver and nag unless we're back to horses like last week's Trigger and this is the Lone Ranger's horse Silver who was a nag? From what I've read Silver was a boy horse.

8D - Spy prepared to accept mark or yen as kickstarter kitty (4,5)

"Kickstarter kitty" is our definition and I know "mark or yen" are different currencies or MONEY but this wasn't helping me get what "spy prepared to accept" was about. It could be "spy" = SEE and "mark" = DM for Deutschmarks the old German currency but then I can't get the end of the clue. Answer is SEED MONEY. I feel I'm missing an anagram here with "prepared" in the clue. DAT Dom says "8d letter 4 is the first letter of a 4-letter word meaning prepared – this means that “yen” is NOT backwards, just the single letter." Meaning "prepared" = DONE which takes in "mark" = M and then "yen" = Y for the end? SEE(D(M)ONE(Y) is this right?

13D - Be pugnacious at first, laying into quieter Canberra heavyweight (5,6)

"Canberra heavyweight" is who we are looking for but I got this from cross letters and a confirmation that I was looking for a proper noun but spent a fair amount of time looking for Aussie boxers out of Canberra. It wasn't until I'd solved 12A that I twigged the answer was CLIVE PLAMER. Unfortunately I'm not able to reverse solve this clue. All I've got is that it's likely "quieter" = P but not the rest. Ah, Ray has explained this morning "13D – “Be” gives 4 letter synonym for letters 2,3,4,5. “pugnacious first” = letter 6. “laying into” – container indicator. “quieter” gives 6 letter synonym for letters 1,7,8,9,10,11." meaning "quieter" doesn't give a P as I'd expected but means CALMER with "be" = LIVE and "Pugnacious at first" = P to be C(LIVE)(P)ALMER.

14D - Pretty exotic broth won over nice cook (10)

"Pretty" is our definition and "exotic broth" = PHO and "won over" = GOT  as in "got them eating out of the palm of my hand!" reversed to TOG and "NICE cook" is partial fodder and anagrind to make PHO(TOG)(ENIC).

15D - A bod's contorted with pole dance (4,5)

"Dance" is our definition and "ABODS contorted with POLE" is anagrind and fodder to make PASO DOBLE. A kind of Spanish dance.

17D - Admit style reflected solo state (9)

"Solo state" is our definition and I think "admit" = SING as in one who confesses "sings like a bird" and "style reflected" = MODE reversed to EDOM. What I'm missing is where we get the middle letter from to make SING(L)(EDOM)

21D - Nut to punt on Eels centre (5)

"Nut" is our definition and "to punt" = BET and "eELs centre" = EL to make BETEL.

23D - Dominate an old comic (5)

"Old comic" is who we are looking for and I was looking for a comic strip or cartoon for a long time, trying to make HAGAR fit. I needed cross letters to see this because I wouldn't have thought "dominate" = HOG (not that I thought it was hag either I just couldn't think another five letter comic strip character starting with an H) and the "AN" from the clue would make HOGAN the favourite Aussie comic and movie star.

24D - Finesse nailed in reception (4)

"Finesse" is our definition and "reception" is a homophone signpost for "nailed in" = TACKED -> TACT.

26D - Old coot getting back object (3)

"Old coot" is our definition and I don't know what this is! So infuriating to get stumped on a three letter word. I think "getting" = TIG like in a game of tag. Do Aussies call that Tig like the Scots do?  reverse that for GIT but what is "object" there for? I don't know!


That's me done for the week. Not a bad week really. I think I'm going to drop the DP and focus on the Guardian puzzles for Wednesday. I still find them really hard. any other free puzzles you can recommend? I have a subscription for the Age/SMH but don't want to pay for another subscription to just solve the puzzle unless it's really worthwhile.

Enjoy tour weekend! I'm taking the kids out for burgers because I have a thing for burgers. Need a big break from the computer before it becomes my Grand Overlord.

The Age cryptic by RM & DH #20,566 & 20,567

Quick posts for these two as they weren't super difficult. I did find the RM harder than the DH. I'll start with RM.

I solved this from the bottom up and got 19D in first which must be the psych major in me that could spot that one so fast. I found the top difficult because I couldn't get 1A and had to cheat to get that before moving anywhere. Quite disappointing. I also cheated for the last word on 22D but I'm not kicking myself there - the phrase is off. I know that as "As a last resort" so I had "In the last....." and drew a blank. I was also unsure about 9A because I'd already had STEREO in 17A and wasn't expecting the same word twice, even as another version. But it was hard to argue with the hidden word right there before me.

Here's my pic:

11A - Second little taste is the most delightful (8)

I don't know where the "TEST" part is coming from. "Second" = S, "little" = WEE so how does "taste is the most" = TEST? I don't see how we drop the A and mix the rest of "taste" to get there.

I was going to ask about 4D but I just saw it's "agreement" = OK "entering into" "the day before" = EVE to make EV(OK)E.

That's all I had trouble with yesterday. Once I had the pun for 1A everything else fell into place. I really struggle without a first letter in place. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. 

Today's puzzle was done in an hour. My fastest newspaper solve yet. I'll wager the advanced solvers had this done before their first cuppa was cold.

3D - Irish business starts naming old Colleen the final heretic (10)

ICONOCLAST is our answer and I know "Irish" = I, "business" = CO but I don't know where the "NO" comes from. I had a dumb handwritten typo in there so ignore the "noo/new" thing, I was not paying close attention. "Colleen" = C and the end is "final" = LAST so I don't know why "old" = NO.

4D - Experience final stroke in hoist (5)

I got this from cross letters and definition, otherwise I'm stumped as to how we get HEAVE.

13D - Something to eat for supporters of Charles (4,2,4)

My last one in the grid and I had all the cross letters and no idea. I used One Across to help me out but don't know what this about. Charles Lamb, sure but is the clue just a play on his name? Is he a popular guy in Aussie history? I've never heard of him. Yet I got 17D immediately because I love Doris Day. I got 16D after a lot of googling because I only know about Carlsbad California and couldn't figure out the Czech link. "Lewis" did not make me think Carl Lewis first. Jerry Lewis would always be my first Lewis, especially since it was his 89th birthday yesterday. Carl Lewis isn't far behind, though as I know him from the Olympics.


That's all I've got. I printed off today's Brummie and will give it a go but it looks tough. I need to give these Guardian guys a fair shake more often - the puzzles are free, why do I shirk them? Lazy. Comfortable with the gang at the Age.

If you have questions or solutions please add them in the comments as they are always appreciated. Have a great day!