Times Forum Here [July 4-16]

My dream run could very well be coming to an end. I have four to go - 18ac, 12ac, 15ac and 6dn - and it's not looking good. I think this is the setter I often have trouble with.

If I had to pick a favourite clue it would probably be 13ac. On the other hand, I thought 27ac was tres dodgy.

Oh, look. We're here. Silly me...I'd mixed up the 'I have no internet so keep using the old thread' situation with the 'I don't intend to have any internet so keep using the old thread' one.

Anyway, I'm out, but well done RK for getting 11ac out.

I can understand your confusion, Anthony. Especially with the title DA chose for this thread...

I ended up solving three of my four. It was just PLAYGOER that eluded me. I understand the definition, but how does the rest of it work?

Also, the only reason I knew PRIE-DIEU was from reading trashy historical fiction about the Tudors. I don't understand the wordplay in that one either.

Back to zero for me, after reaching a PB of 11.

GO in PLAYER, I believe. And P(ai)R-I (one)EU with DIE (long) inside. That last bit strikes me as a bit suss.

Double figures, through that last week or so, is incredibly impressive!

Pleased to have got through in decent time, with right guesses on wordplay (23dn, anyone?). 8dn my fave. Seemed to have a thing for &lits today.

Now it's my turn to be impressed. Well done Anthony. That wasn't easy. I missed two - BANFF and UNFALTERING. I knew 8dn was going to be something clever like that. If I'd had the F, maybe.

I'd not heard of Banff as a Scottish town, but the Canadian name had to come from somewhere, and it matched the wordplay...and was enough to get me off UNRELENTING, which just didn't sound fun enough ;-)

3 letters left today, but the wordplay hasn't come to me yet. Some nice stuff in there though - 5ac, 21ac (esp in that position, with the single-letter-word checker).

Really enjoyed this one. (Easy to say now that it's solved.)

Some great defs (5ac, 25dn) and good surfaces (19dn, 6dn). Also really liked 15dn and 25ac. 21ac was my last fill.

I'm trying to figure out which one you haven't got, Anthony. I'm assuming you mean you have 3 missing letters, and not that it's a 3 letter word.

6dn and 25dn to go. 3 letters in total, but that's why it may have been hard to pick. I'm pretty sure on what 25dn should be, with an idea about a sneaky defn, but lost on the wordplay altogether. 6dn I suspect I need to see with completely fresh eyes.

Got there in the end, but only by misconstruing both of them favourably!

I was just about to give you some hints! I don't think I've ever come across the agenda item as an abbreviation.

So, the funnies:

I decided BOA was being defined as 'Last item on', and figured OB for something to do with an agenda - maybe a Latin abbreviation - and A for American.

And then for 6dn, I had pound as LB, and stick as AT...pretty desperate, and embarrassing!

It's always good to confess these things, Anthony, and share the hilarity. And at least you solved them.

Unfortunately, your boa interpretation along with the woman in the picture DA put up this morning, has made me visually combine the two into some kind of grotesque striptease.

It's always good to confess these things, RK, and share the hilarity...

Groan. Wasted too much time doubting my first (correct) thought for 12ac before trying to be too crafty. Eventually came good when it slotted 2dn into place, and voila. That's three on the trot now...bound to fail tomorrow.

Congratz again Anthony. Obviously there is some law of crosswords that states that Anthony Douglas and RK cannot have successful Times runs concurrently. I failed miserably, partly because I ran out of time. (Too caught up in Q&A.) But looking at the answers this morning, I don't think I would've got 1dn or 19ac anyway.

talking agendas, personally I prefer AOCB which = Any Other Competent Business
which allows the chair to be .. selective

You must be having another bad day, RK, because I've only got half an answer left, and it's barely lunchtime! (3ac will be the last one in for me)

Four! (my best score in cricket equalled)

By the way, the Guardian has Paul today, but more interesting is that ..367 by Logodaedalus has the entire set of clues in rhyming couplets!

I'm hoping you were a good bowler Anthony.

Not too taxing today, but still really enjoyable. Had several favourites: 14ac, 17ac, 27ac and 20dn.

Will check out the Guardian.

Nope, I was generally incompetent. I used to field at backstop, which I'm pretty sure was invented for me.

In retrospect, that's a pretty appalling indictment of the series of teachers who coached our team. However, at the time it suited me fine!

11ac I liked for the deception.

Five - and some great clues in here - 18ac, 15dn, 24ac, 20ac, eg - good job with surfaces and subtle defns. Enjoy!

Yes, it was a very enjoyable Times today. I agree with you Anthony about the surfaces and defs. In addition to the ones you mentioned, I liked 7dn and 5dn (and I'm not normally excited by anagrams).

I don't get the hospital bit of 1dn though, nor do I quite understand 15dn. I get the reason for the second word, but not the first.

I'll give you a PRES(ENT) then - just take out one specialty from the hospital.

And one cubic centimeter is a CC, so three and a half is CCCCCCC...boom tish.

DA's 22 dn clue seems to me to be arse over 18 dn (dropping president) to coin a phrase, in that pursue means, well, pursue, not go in front of?? of course george smiley can tail from in front

I interpreted pursue to mean 'following' in that case.

That was me.

but if you pursue then you follow, yes, but you dont follow, you precede.
anyway clues like the french novelist are so brilliant that my pedantry above borders on the churlish, but that is JPR's schtick so to say smiley face icon opportunity

DA has used other indirect indicators, like 'eternal' = lop last letter (endless). Its just a thing. (Though I suspect he'd prefer discussion of his own stuff over at DATrippers.)

Now, if I can only get the last 2 out, for 4 in a row.

9052 for me has been a mixed bag. Most of it came fairly easily, but a couple took a little longer, and one still has me beat (13ac).

4dn is my pick. The definition fooled me for quite a while.

You don't often see wordplay such as 'so entering separately' in 2dn and I'm wondering if it's playing fair. Also, I don't get the wordplay in 12dn. Is it just a double def? If so, I'm not loving it. I don't understand how 17dn works either, nor the 'centre' component of 27ac.

So many questions today. Anthony? Bon? Anyone?

Hi All, I'm back after a week's radio silence in FNQ.

@RK: 13A is gettable if you think about whitewash soccer scores. Probably my fave clue in 9052.

2D - I agree with the scattered SO being line-ball on fairness. Not Ximenean at all!

12D seems like a tawdry double def.

17D I think refers to Guy de Maupassant who wrote a lot about war and the answer.

27A is a semi &lit with the centre of belief appearing in 'part'.

I also liked 5D, a nice piece of cognate clueing IMO.

Sorry all, I was slow getting here having also just headed off on hols. Tricky on the phone, but...

I liked 12d - I assume you both get that the difference between us and US is only one is a superpower? And St Guys is a London hospital... which doesn't work with well people, just sick ones ... not the greatest clue.

I was lucky with 13- having just seen Time To Time at the movies, I'm reading/ rereading the Green Knowe books to my kids and they feature a character with that name which was plenty enough to give me confidence to guess it.

Shooting for 7 tonight... could be a pb

Everyone seems to have the travel bug. It will be my turn next week. Welcome to the forum, Anthony on the road. You don't happen to know a monochrome guy called DA2 do you?

Thanks Bon for all your explanations, and Anthony too. I solved 13ac in the end.

I've completed the top half of 9053. The bottom half is still a mystery at this stage.

Nailed 9053 - or so I hope. 13D is the crunch I think and my last in.

Wordplay in 1D was good, but 5D was my fave.

All solved now.

I agree with you about 1dn, Bon, and yes 13dn was tough, but not my last. That honour goes to 16dn. I thought it couldn't possibly be what it ended up being, but then realised it was the only option and finally made it work. The 'many hours' part is a bit suspect in my opinion.

Favourites were 5dn and 15dn.

It's been a gloomy old day here in Sydney, and a light, humorous Times crossword would have been very welcome. Unfortunately I found it to be more on the drab side.

It wasn't all bad, with a couple of Oz references, a bit of literature and music as well as some teen-speak. Some of the surfaces were cumbersome, but I did like 21ac and 1dn, and also 'cracking up' in 13dn.

14ac was the last one in.

14 was looking like it might have to wait, but the right answer had come to mind and it worked. Still only just getting started but with you on 21 and 1d.

Got there on yesterday's with intrigue last... having thought of and dismissed too! A bit meh. Pleased to have the pretty lady before the French party; the shape of the clue there was obvious but the answer remained on tongue tip, so I had to crack the word play for a French phrase I'd never heard! Felt like I'd earned the pb :)

Close call: just realised that 5dn did not end in O. With first, third, fifth and last letters in place for 11ac, I had leaped to the wing conclusion!

(In first word, that is)

Got 9054, with 19A last in, had to dig deep into the memory banks there. Another small UK town features here, but is eminently gettable from the wordplay.

Liked 7D as well.

A top-notch Times today. I liked 24ac, thought 26ac very clever, as was the misdirection in 6dn. My favourite was 22dn, if I'm understanding the wordplay correctly.

As usual, I need a couple explained to me though - 18ac and 15dn.

OK RK, you inspired me. I was going to start my count tomorrow, just until I could poke my nose above the post-Bali backup, but your critique's as good as glowing. Will solve tonight, between chores, and see if I can't open a fresh tally. Or at least shed light on your quandaries.

Nice to have that orange glow back in the mix.

It's a good puzzle to kick off on. Nothing in there will trouble you. But just because I enjoyed it doesn't mean you will. One woman's meat, and so on.

Hi RK
Re 18 down
I wait in line = IQ (so to speak) which is a measured amount of (spoiler) int.........
But I too don't understand the snow bit of 15 down

Whoops, 18 across I meant

And also I would have thought the first word in the 21 across clue should have been "if"

And now some purple!

Crikey, Mauve. How did I miss that? Mine's obviously not high enough.

Re 21ac: that's what the 'provided' is for.

And how did I miss that. Thanks RK. I kept seeing "it" provided in seminal and thinking huh?

Curiously, I enjoyed 3 different clues - 1ac, 27ac and your enigmatic 15dn. (This works as soon as you twig that snow refers to telly static.)

I'm presuming 3dn is also a topographic term? An enjoyable puzzle, and welcome to the Times tank, Mauve.

Lost my post - try again

I guess so DA because why the "deep"?

Admittedly I passed it off as drink=punch and bowl=deep depression but the "in" doesn't really work

And yes, thanks for the welcome. Rainy days in Lorne with the Times Cryppo. Beautiful combo. And I'm with RK. 26 across was my fave.

I'd just like to make it clear that I'm not in Lorne...

You could've kept them guessing RK

Not much left to say now! Except that I squeaked through on yesterday's, having looked like I'd stalled in the se, and with today falling out so nicely, I'm now on the eve of double figures :)

It is a topographical term, btw.

I trust nobody has fallen for the silly oops in 11dn?

Yes, no real trouble today. I liked 11D best, the use of celestial in the fodder was excellent. There's a Punchbowl in Sydney of course, and depression is a word which immediately springs to mind when I think of it...

Today looks tougher... in spite of having some of the more esoteric vocab I still have 5 or 6 to get in the bottom half.

18ac is part of the first bit of funny wordplay I ever spotted myself... and it's possible that I read the same observation in Puzzled?

Just 21 + 25 to go. This one is a stinker!

Psst, swap you 25 for 24?

It is a bugger. I have something like 8 left to solve (between keyboard bursts). You've done super well to get that far, Anthony. Hope the light bulb gives one last flicker.

Done! Very nice way to get to the decade.

I had the right candidate on mind for 25 but just needed to remember the trivia part. And with no deep knowledge of London, I had to go with an educated guess that rant true somewhere in the subconscious.

24 was a bit too clever for its own good - took ages to persuade myself that I was right. Finally remembering Pierre was the key. Looks like that rote memory challenge in 1987 has paid off at last.

23 26 6dn my picks today.

This one is doing my head in. Can't believe you've finished it Anthony on the road.

I've got 6 to go.

Thankfully I am learning something from this crazy Times regimen. I realised I knew 28ac because it was in a puzzle a few months ago. I think it was in that insanely difficult one that tripped DA up on ORDER PAPER. So now it's in this insanely difficult one. The way 19ac was clued was vaguely familiar too.

So far, my faves are 2dn and 17dn.

Someone might have told me that 23dn had nothing whatsoever to do with headwear. Great clue.

I won't say I'm overly confident, but every square is filled. 3dn was my last as it suddenly hit me in a fabulous aha moment. 21dn is a shot in the dark, but I might be lucky.

I'm glad I persevered.

Can I be honest? I bailed.

Not for want of trying. But unless I crack this beast (with 7 left to fill) while watching a Bali-tape of Super 8 tonight, then I'll need to begin my innings on Saturday.

No great damage to my tally, as my tally is no great thing either. Congratz to you both - Anthony and RK.

[And well done too on nabbing PINELLA, RK - see if the Cold Duck flies for your coop, or perhaps SK's bird was figurative.]

It seems I crowed early. Despite having a perfectly reasonable definition and wordplay, I chose the wrong headgear. Rats. Mine was the more interesting word though.

No doubt tomorrow will rub it in with an obscure breed of duck...

I'm through too I think, but gambling on 21D as well. Was happy to remember 10A which appeared recently too. "This paper" indeed!

Well I wasn't rewarded for my shameless stab in the dark. And rightly so. That kind of behaviour should never be encouraged.

Very curious to know what Anthony had for 23dn. That one was such a comedy of errors for me. I got the O at the end of the word first and thought, ok that's the 'old' part. Then I got the O at the beginning and thought, oh THAT'S the 'old' part, and then eventually realised that neither of them were. (That story's bound to be a hit at the next dinner party.)

Also curious to know whether DA went with Super 8 or Missing 7.

And then there's Bon who could possibly be back on zero with the rest of us if he had the same luck as me with 21dn.

I had OUTR(e)O. Given the looseness of LAYER I thought that was pretty reasonable. But that's the danger of getting a run of tough clues out... once I had trishaw I didn't think for very long.

Stabat what? Glad this wasn't puzzle #100 or I'd be fumin'.

As for LAYER - that's a huh to come.

ROADWORKS is sloppy too. While I was only just chatting about the NORNS last week - not. And who's BARNES in relation to WALLIS? I need a coffee.

In the meantime, Super 8 has a great ear for kid talk, and a lavish use of light. I'd recommend a legit disc however, since the Bali version made the end-game seem a coalmine.

It was the NORNS/BARNES intersection that put paid to my run. From the moment I solved 1A, I knew it would have parochial leanings...

I had fun with 23D as well, trying to justify OVOLO against the solidity of TRISHAW when it all clicked.

Is there anybody out there with runs still on the board or are we all back to zip?

I really enjoyed today's, no 9057. There's nothing too challenging in it, just a cool little puzzle for a Saturday afternoon. I like the style of 7D and 15A... and 18D.

It's official - Boniface is on a count of one. (See if I can match you tonight, after a slow-cooked lamb with a ballsy red - but not too many.)

Nothing too challenging? Are we doing the same puzzle? I'm having big trouble in the SW corner.

I'm going to give it a rest for tonight and use my extra day tomorrow.

(I'll see your slow-cooked lamb DA and raise you my mum's roast chicken. Could have gone the red though.)

Didn't make it today- knew I'd gave to guess on 22, so checked and had jumped the wrong way. Don't know that I would have brought15 to mind anyway.

Just for the record, presuming there's such a phrase as DISCOVERED CHECK, this black duck is on the count of one.

Admired CRUCIBLE, and have a funny story to tell (in the next Times post) about OFFLOAD.

DISCOVERED CHECK is indeed a phrase, though not one I have ever encountered.

And miraculously I'm joining you on one DA.

Discovered check is used in chess.

Looks like we are the pace, RK (though nothing to crow about just yet!)

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