Cold Comforts [Sep 5 - Sep 10]

Erk, local knowledge (or rather, lack thereof) sees me back at zero. But at least I've learnt that the River Wear flows past Durham Castle.

And I didn't think I'd see Catherine again for a while. 9100 is next on the chopping block.

Wine flu more like.

Ged bedder sood.

Sorry to hear you're under the weather, but pleased to see it hasn't dampened your spirits!

Perhaps some 17ac is in order before that nurse from 29ac gets to you...

Home with 9100. A gentle start to the week, I thought. Several nice clues here but nothing that will sear the memory. 1D was very Ponting-esque.

First in 23A, last 4A. Easiest: 28D or 23A. Hardest: 11A.

Just finished too. Agreed - by no means out of reach. First in 12ac, naturally, and last 19ac - the only word not in my vocab today. Not sure that I'd rate 11ac the hardest, esp once checkers are in.

Solving 24ac and 20dn together seesm very likely today.

I wonder if 1dn was meant as a double entendre?

Liked the way that 10ac and 27ac (mirror clues) had a _little_ to do with each other.

What, no mention of 27ac and 21dn. I'm stymied by both which makes me suspect I'm being obtuse.

A good eye-opener, with a question over quack in 17ac, and a bouquet for 5dn's rose. A lovely clue.

27A has a cryptic def which I quite liked. It might be argued that the words in the clue for 21D are wrongly ordered, but it's only a minor quibble.

Enjoyed the pace of this puzzle - perfect for sitting outside on a Sydney spring day while my daughter pottered amongst the lavender.

My first and last entries were exactly the same as Anthony's. Favourite clue was 30ac.

Hope your recovery is speedy, DA.

RK - great to see your byline.

Despite being 'confined' by this bionic snivel, I twigged to 27ac, and scrapped my WEE theory for 21dn. Consider my tally of uno on track -

Be warned solvers - 9101 requires stout heart. Still have half to crack after one grilled eel. Two stunning clues already: 10dn and 18dn, while 1ac is a lovely curveball.

You'll get it though I think, guys.
First in 10D, last 12A.
Faves: 7D, 14A, 28A. Some fine stuff there. Easiest: 10D
Hardest: 3D

I'm a bit worried about the first vowel in 11A, have fingers crossed.

Yup, it's a challenge today. 5 still to go. COD so far to 4ac, an absolute blinder that I got from checkers, and then had to go looking for both defn and wordplay. Thank goodness for 5dn! 9ac also cleverly constructed, and yes, 1ac (my first in) tipped me off that it was going to be a tough day. Thought 20ac was a tough one, too, but perhaps it was to help with the spelling (ha ha).

11ac seems fairly solid once it's in, Bon - have you parsed the whole clue?

Echo on the welcome back, RK!

Always the way. Put in a comment, and it all changes. Now just 3dn left, though I have some suspicions, but I must also commend 26ac.

Think I'm out of practice. Thank goodness for 5dn, Anthony? I can't even get that one. My RH side is looking decidedly bare.

Big tick for 1ac, though.

I'll give it another shot in the morning, but not liking my chances.

And I got there. Had been thinking along the right track all day on 3dn, but just messing up my spelling. An unfamiliar word-pair for me.

All I'm saying, RK, is that having 5dn is very helpful indeed for 4ac. I don't think I'd be giving much away to say that the checker isn't as common as, say, an E. As for getting 5dn, the middle word sort of gives it away, as long as you put on your English hat for a few seconds.

Think I'm on five...for now...

@Anthony - revisited 11A after dinner and now very happy with it.

One part beaten by the last clutch of clues, and two-parts beaten by needing to compose 2000 words arguing the lingual influences of telly for the Saturday symposium.

And off to Albury at 6.30am tomorrow. No rest for the prolix. But a fine challenge, 9101 - looking forward to the reveal, if I can't figure out the final four by nigh-nighs.

Cracked it in the cab. 24dn is new to me, and a little bemused by 'trot' in 27ac. But a lively puzzle with plenty of fresh fill.

Well I'm definitely out of the swing of things. You'll be pleased to know I did get 5dn in the end, Anthony (largely thanks to your hint) which opened up a couple more, but I still fell well short.

After examining the answers this morning, there are a couple I can be forgiven for, but others had me kicking myself. Well done boys for getting it out. Hopefully I'll be back up to your standard before too long.

9102 a much gentler ride. 28ac a bit sus. 8dn clever. And 25dn the only one of the fours to make it difficult.

9102 not a hard run. More fun to be had on the Clues of Winter II thread.

First: 25D
Last 1A - well, I should have got that first!
Easiest: 23D, seen this a couple of times
Hardest: 9D (although easier with the checkers)
Faves: 20A, 8D

I've also seen 4D before. Should be on the chestnut list, that.

What a contrast. I had this one done before morning tea.

My first in was also 25dn. Last, 9dn. I was going to say the same thing about 4dn, Bon.

Overall, a bit too easy to be satisfying, and no mind-blowing cleverness. I did quite like 20ac though.

Whoo-hoo, I'm on one!

Soon as you realise the first word in 7dn isn't LAND, you're home. Jeez that nook was giving me gyp before that! (Did I mention I have man-flu?)

That's one for me too, since I put in Landry not Lanark yesterday. Don't ask me why.

I can tell you why...it was the dry clothes, in the laundry, with the U missing.

Urghh. Not my favourite puzzle.

I query 'working' in 14ac, 'cunning' in 20ac, and the words 'and white' in 13dn.

You need a turbo knowledge of Africa for 2 clues, while 20ac is not a Gillard reference.

Ten down is neat, while there seems to be 2 answers to 3dn, unless you can suss the wordplay. While 24ac is a huh unless the (bad) gag is about euphemism. I give it 4/10.

Still a work in progress here, but 3dn seems secure enough on the basis of wordplay, unless I've completely missed something. 'And white' might be helpful, but it also muddies the wordplay a bit.

...oh - was also going to say that I had a perfectly good answer for 25ac until the checkers wrecked it...and I had to commute it.

Correction. Two perfectly good answers. No wonder I couldn't make 21dn work!

Third time's the charm, it seems. I tried mightly to mess myself up, but failed even at that!

Little Dorrit might have something to say, indirectly, to you DA.

Home and hosed on 9103.

First: 1A
Last: 4A
Easiest: 1D (was writing down the answer as I read the clue!)
Hardest: 17A - a real bore.
Faves: 10A, 13D, 16D.
Disliked: 24A for same reasons as DA.

Re 14A "working at last" is fine I reckon.

Not a great puzzle, I'll admit, but I also don't think it's as bad as DA suggests.

I thought 14ac was quite clever, and have no issue with the 'and white' in 13dn. It's known for being white. If anything, the setter was being a bit generous with that one. 24ac is also pretty nifty if you know the Little Dorrit reference. As for 'cunning' in 22ac, the word in question can mean that, although you don't come across it very often.

I also liked 19dn, as the definition was not at all what I expected it to be. 18ac was cute.

But 1ac, 1dn, 2dn and even 9dn, don't really seem worthy of the Times for me.

We're so darn hard to please.

We're all in, it seems, so I'd like to claim the inventiveness prize for COMMUTED and REDACTED for 25ac. I have to say I was very doubtful about a spice called CARDETAT...

My final fill was 15dn, while hugs of very strength are attached to 10ac and 6dn.

Not a whole lotta fun though 5 and 7dn were nifty. We're due for a dazzler, maybe on Sat.

9104 a fair challenge I thought.
First: 13A
Last: 10A
Easiest: 13A or 24A
Hardest: 1A - tricky...
Faves: All clues in the NW corner. And 7D. for deception.
Disliked: Not much.
Queries: Not completely sure how 22A or 25A work.

Can't believe I left 1ac until second-last. Sigh.

Still stuck on 10ac - none of the possible words seems to have much to do with the clue. Perhaps it will come to me later. I hope!

I haven't got 10ac either or 2dn, which is making me wonder if my 1ac is correct. I'm fairly confident with the rest.

@RK - if it's apparent why I'm self-flagellating over 1ac, then your answer is correct. If there's any doubt, perhaps you've got what I had for a while, until I got 2dn.

Well, my run comes to an end at 7. 10ac was truly an abysmal clue, so bad that I'm proud of missing it.

Not one of the UK blog-haunters got it legitimately, and only one of them figured out the 'reasoning' after the fact.

In the end, my answer seems quite justified - a non-word for a non-clue. I'll rant more tomorrow, no doubt.

6dn, by the way, DA, refers to British slang for a particular speed. In miles per hour!

Well I fluffed those clues in the NW corner as well.. But believe I have 9105 in the bag. Monday will tell...

Had the right 1ac, but still failed to get the other two. Maybe you could explain AMEN, Anthony, as I haven't the foggiest about that one.

Today's began with a rush and then came to a staggering halt. My remaining clues are all interconnected though, which is giving me hope.

Amen is alSO tuBE exIT - the right pairs providing the wordplay.

"It" is what you get as a definition.

I went for UMEN, as both LUMEN and RUMEN refer to tubular exits, and I figured someone was playing fast and loose.

Meanwhile today's was easier, but I dare anyone to conclusively argue the final letter of 11ac. Choose your guess well.

COD to 12ac, it's fairly elegant.