Top Field Athletes Only [April 18-23]

I have four left also. I wonder if they are the same four.

Do 18AC, 20AC, 9DN and 13DN ring a bell?

I hope they go like the clappers!

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

I've got all of those except 20AC. I won't give you any help of course, but 13DN is easy.

I'm still stuck on 11AC, and I think I know what 23AC is but not sure of the why.

23DN I presume? You'll kick yourself.

Have it all but 9DN now, though my 16AC is looking iffy. Can't make the first part of the wordplay work.

11AC is a classical word, with a modern bit of wordplay.

From what you've written, I'm pretty certain your 16AC is wrong and that's why you're having trouble with 9DN.

I've got 11AC. It's just 20AC now, plus I'm going to give 23DN a rethink now that you suggest it's obvious.

OK, I've got 20AC. It's what I thought it was, but now I can see it. Those ones always get me.

Solved. Never heard of 9dn before, and 16ac has nothing to with conflagrations!

Finished I think. Though not completely confident.

Did you scrape through? FIRE DRILL [sic] had me wrongfooted for a yonks. While TRANSKEI is ashamedly new to this solver. But I got there - for No 5.

Tuesday is a sapid little tester, let me tell ya.

Yes, I scraped through somehow, although there were a couple of new words for me too.

Today's is slow going too. The SW corner fell out very quickly, but the rest is coming in dribs and drabs. Too many distractions today. I need to give it my full attention for a while.

Ok, getting there. Just a few of the longer words to go. Favourites so far - 3DN and 18DN (despite the latter's tenuous definition - pop in a question mark and you can get away with anything.)

Is yours all solved, DA?

Two reds, no less. Just nutted it out then, with 8dn my last - a tricky one.

7dn is not a phrase I'm given to use, or hear, while 28ac is deemed offensive in some quarters.

15dn is booby trap for any spelling bee, 10ac a vague locale in my head, and my faves - the stories in 11ac & 19ac, plus 3dn & 4dn and [yes] the liberal fun of 18dn.

Tough but very enjoyable. Bring on Wednesday.

Just 8DN remains unfilled for me.

I feel the same way about 7DN. 28AC offensive? Really? 15AC is a word I don't know, so I've just constructed that one and am hoping it's right. 10AC is one of my favourite parts of the world.

I'll think a bit harder about 8DN.

Only hint for 8dn - and feel free to close your eyes for end of this sentence is -

is -

is -

is the -

is the answer you seek turns out to be less seasonal than literary.

That was one of my theories, but I wasn't sure if I was remembering the name correctly and I'm not sure how the middle of the word works.

All right. It's a D not a G. Got it.

My Airy will be 15AC. If what I have isn't a word, then it should be.

One measly letter was my undoing. I found the D in STRINDBERG. I even got LIPIZZANER.

But alas, I cannot ARROGATE unto myself mastery of Times 8982. This one letter has managed to ABROGATE all of the hard work done elsewhere in the puzzle.

I knew my answer didn't fit the definiton but I've never heard of ARROGATE and I still don't know how it is derived. I guess you only know what you know.

Back to the drawing board.

In Times-ese, a bishop is RR (Royal Reverence?) just as an artist is RA. Like neither, but that's the shorthand.

STRINDBERG was slow to come as I suspected the ice-mass was a RINK!

Knocked off Wednesday in a flash, with 3 queries destined for a future Huh post. For the record, the doubts linked to 24ac, 28ac & 3dn. See how you fare.

I've almost finished it already, so it must be easy. I have a big asterisk next to 24AC (indicating a Huh?) and I haven't been game enough to put 3DN in yet. 28AC I get.

I'm no gardener, if that helps. Can you honestly tell me that's a plant?

Let's just say I'd be lying if I said it wasn't.

Re 24AC (this will contain spoilers)

I assumed trunk was BOOT, but I think BOLE must mean trunk, with OK in that and then time (T) on the end. I will look up BOLE tomorrow when I'm allowed (not LET).

RK, you are hyper-right with BOLE. That's a xword-word for a tree trunk. (I was thinking BOOT too, weirdly.)

My other query relates to 'piece of advice' in 3dn, which seems like a bum steer to me. Or may I'm arrogating.

Yes, DA, that's my only remaining huh as well. If it was just 'advise' that would make sense. Aside from that, it was a much needed breezy puzzle.

It must have been breezy, as I've only got 5 left. Though it sounds like I'm leaning towards the answer you two have for 3-dn. I've still got 23ac to go, and let me tell you, I'd be happier if my clue for 3dn was for 23ac, as I have --*-*-* (indicating the letters I have). One of those times you wonder if the clues got jumbled!

Oh, and this:

RR is Right Reverend. Somewhat embarrassing that it didn't occur to me, Times novice or not, given that
a) I qualify for the second R, and
b) I had the local bishop sitting in my study for a couple of hours yesterday!

It sounds to me like you were getting some higher help with your solving yesterday Anthony. You just didn't realise it. I don't know if that gives the rest of us a fighting chance.

You're definitely on the right track for 23AC, which also has a religious connection.

Wow. Not often you get a dd where both of the defns are new to you! Thanks.

Of course, I could have just done the obvious and checked what that would give me for 23dn, but for some reason that didn't occur to me.

The irony is that there's a good chance said RR would also miss that as an abbreviation for bishop. We're so much more informal in the colonies...

I think that means I have a complete grid. Which would be a first. One in a row, perhaps.

Though it relies on 'need' in 24dn being used in precisely the opposite sense to to 20ac yesterday?!

28ac could be "Home in home of Old Man, and that's true" [or smthng better..]
or
It's the truth kid, shrink's partner takes in holy man

Perhaps we all got just a little bit cocky yesterday...

I'm nearly halfway...so yes, seems tougher today. Looking on the bright side, it will make it easier to beat my personal best (ie two in a row will remain an achievable target).

Three left on yesterday, with one I could guess but meh if I'm right. How'd everyone else go?

Managed to solve it, Anthony, but not without a few head scratches. Still trying to explain 7dn, and the def element of 15dn.

Tough one at 4dn, and a quaint phrase at 12dn. Not a sumptuous offering.

My guess at 7 down is that the solution that is found, fairly easily, is both an entire and part of an entire, if you know what I mean. A bit lame though. Got 4dn, 15dn is my guess, but frustated in SE corner with 17 and 27.

Was somewhat occupied this morning, so didn't make it to the newsagents. Fortunately, the SMH comes by itself...

Pretty sure The Oz didn't appear on Good Friday. At least not the places I checked.

So today - Saturday, April 23 - is a new day.

And now that I take a second look a7 7dn, ANNA sits in Christian name. Of course. Darn hiddens. Thanks Anthony.

It's been ages since I did a Times crossword. Today I relented and broke my boycott of Murdoch papers.

It seems pretty straightforward although I had a sense of deja vu with some - especially 16D. I saw that word only recently.

Just have 5A and 17D to go.

I have all the squares occupied now. I still have question marks over 5A and 17D. I've not heard of 25D but am pretty confident given the wordplay.

I still have a few outstanding in the Sunday Times. It's good to see 4D cruciverbalised but I'm not sure 13D deserves that honour just yet.

Running a bit behind schedule as I've been up at the folks'.

Regarding Thursday's puzzle, the definition element for ROADWORK is 'In the long run, training', as training for a marathon etc can be called roadwork.

There were a couple of expressions I was unfamiliar with in this puzzle, but it was solved (a bit unsatisfyingly).

I was somewhat startled when I saw the clue for 10AC as I had just read the part of DA's book where he mentions that exact reversal. Spooky...

Still working on today's.

That onion reversal - too good to resist. Like the LIT UP 'bulb' of TULIP. Just wait for that chestnut next.

Knocked off Saturday's puzzle just now. A lively challenge, with 18dn owning a dubious signpost, I reckon, and the workings of 27ac not altogether apparent.

Beware the sporting slang in 5ac. And the religious rarities at play in 16dn and 17dn. Only fair, being Easter.

You've made me rethink my 5AC now. 27AC makes sense to me, and 17DN was no problem. Just the NW corner left, but I'm finding it hard to break into. (That's not a request for help though.)

Well that was easy peasy in the end. I'm standing by my 5AC which is actually what I call the little peppermint lollies!

Funny how these things work. There I was, stuck with a pair of clues in three different corners, and then bang, one of each pair dropped into place, with its partner straight after. Went from being miles off to being finished in the quickest group of 6 answers of the whole puzzle. One in a row again, another PB.

Ironically, 17dn were anything but sectarian: they were the ones who called stridently for complete compliance with the prevailing order. Sect, yes; sectarian, no.

The clue uses one of the most woeful puns that you hear repeated over and over in Christian circles. A horrible cliched 'definition' that's used to help people remember that this group denied the possibility of the event that tomorrow recalls.