I really enjoyed this witty puzzle from Paul – many thanks to him.
I can even forgive the inclusion of two[!] Spoonerisms in one puzzle for the sake of the glorious 10,21 – special thanks for that, Paul. 😉
Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Labyrinth here? Almost recognise one direction — help! (7)
KNOSSOS
KNO[w] [almost recognise] + S [one direction] + SOS [help!] for the Cretan palace excavated by Sir Arthur Evans and legendary home of the Minotaur – visit it if you get the chance
5 But this cuckoo is a songbird (7)
BUSH TIT
Anagram [cuckoo] of BUT THIS
10, 21 Producer of huge shock is electric — and yet shocking! (9,4)
LEICESTER CITY
Anagram [shocking] of IS ELECTRIC and YET – referring to the fairy tale which happened here in my home town eighteen months ago [overseas – and particularly US – solvers see here]
11 Introduced to hunts, minor tragedy at first beguiles (5-5)
SWEET-TALKS
WEE [minor] T[ragedy] in STALKS [hunts]
12 Bear right entering Trump’s country (4)
URSA
R [right] in USA [Trump’s country]
14 For African natives, if left imprisoned, could I be described as a funky Asian dictator? (11)
HIPPOPOTAMI
If we insert [imprison] L [left], we get HIP [funky] POL POT [Asian dictator] AM I?
18 Candid in flyer? (5-6)
PLAIN-SPOKEN
A reverse homophone [spoken] of plane [flyer]
22 Beelzebub, one probably now healed? (3,7)
OLD SCRATCH
Cryptic definition
25 Spooner’s sticky thing doubly distant — that’s not peculiar? (5,2-2)
FUNNY HA-HA
Honey [sticky thing] far far [doubly remote]
26 Received by monarchy, perhaps overly excited? (5)
HYPER
Hidden in monarcHY PERhaps
27 Detention sounding saucy? (7)
CUSTODY
A typical Paul clue: sounds like ‘custardy’
28 Flies parted, I pissed (7)
DIPTERA
Anagram [pissed] of PARTED I
Down
1 Stop child wiping bottom on bunk (6)
KIBOSH
KI[d] [child] + BOSH [bunk]
2 Writer’s requirement to go through dictionary sounded beastly (6)
OINKED
INK [writer’s requirement] in OED [Oxford English Dictionary]
3 Mobile home’s part converted to accommodate an unspecified number (10)
SMARTPHONE
Anagram [converted] of HOME’S PART round N [an unspecified number]
4 Sauce primarily, furthermore (nothing less), a dance (5)
SALSA
S[auce] + ALS[o] [furthermore, minus O – nothing less] + A – and it’s also a sauce
5 Between back walls, stack and line up masonry (9)
BRICKWORK
RICK [stack] + a reversal [up] of ROW [line] in B[ac]K
6 Slough hut (4)
SHED
Double definition
7 Old King Cole’s heart inspiring uplifting tune — class! (8)
TUTORIAL
TUT[ankhamun] [old king] + [c]OL[e] round [inspiring] a reversal [uplifting] of AIR [tune]
8 Quiet inland swimmer (8)
TERRAPIN
P [quiet] in TERRAIN [land]
13 Local store has shaved the fuzz for Spooner? (6,4)
CORNER SHOP
‘Shorn a cop’ [fuzz]
15 Offer money to pen column describing tiny nipples (9)
PAPILLARY
PAY [offer money] round [to pen] PILLAR [column]
16 Particular muscle providing parts thus (8)
SPECIFIC
PEC [muscle] + IF [providing] in [parts] SIC [thus]
17, 9 Company in battle, you might say, overcoming a former African leader (8,5)
HASTINGS BANDA
HASTINGS BAND [company in battle] + A for the former leader of Malawi
19 Basic connector (6)
STAPLE
Double definition
20 Mountain porter perhaps missing peak badly (6)
SHERPA
Anagram [badly] of [p]ERHAPS
23 Grass proves attractive when coming up (5)
SWARD
A reversal [coming up] of DRAWS [proves attractive]
24 Once called the universal doner, reportedly a mistake (4)
TYPO
Sounds like [reportedly] Type O, the blood type which can be given to anyone – with ‘doner’ as a definition by example! [I don’t know why ‘once’ – it still is, as far as I know – unless it’s a reference to the Tony Hancock sketch]
Thanks Paul and Eileen
Quickest grid fill this week, though it took longer to parse HIPPOPTAMI (and I still don’t see what the “For” is doing). Favourite was TERRAPIN.
I’m not sure that FUNNY HA HA is really a Spoonerism, as the H is transposed twice.
SALSA is a bit odd, as it also means “sauce” – is it thus a triple? (I see that you mentioned that, Eileen!)
Although SHERPA is commonly used for “porter”, the Sherpas (a race, in fact) act as guides and organisers on treks, and employ others do do the actual portering. (This is confirmed in Chambers.)
[Eileen – blood type matching is much more complicated than A, B, AB, O nowadays. There are lots more “groups”, and samples are tried against each other to check for compatibility problems.]
Nice puzzle – just wondering why 17 had Company in battle as
Battle with company would have been better as the use of “In” seems misleading?
Does the ‘called’ in 24 signal that ‘doner’ is being used as a homophone (for ‘donor’)?
muffin @2 – When I researched blood Group O, I found this https://www.blood.co.uk/why-give-blood/the-need-for-blood/group-o/
Yes, 10/21 is a great clue to a memorable success. I am still laughing at 28 across. The “If left imprisoned“ part of 14across really only makes the parsing a little more complicated as the clue works perfectly well without it, given that “described” can serve as “sounds like”.
[Eileen – good point about O negative being suitable for recipients with unknown blood type. Detailed cross matching is done whenever possible, though.]
Paul was “sounding saucy” in a couple of spots here, namely 28a, 1d and 15d.
I liked it a lot, especially given that I thought I had lost my mojo when I got “screwed over” in yesterday’s puzzle (a “did not finish” for me – probably my obtuseness and not the setter’s fault).
It took me ages to see OINKED at 2d, my LOI, but that one provided an amusing end to a fun experience.
For a while I thought 10a21a might be lightning bolt, but when the crossers didn’t work, I then thought that “shocking” might be an anagrind and so I saw the LEICESTER CITY anagram. But you are right, Eileen, I didn’t get the “shock” bit, although I do recall you sharing proudly that Leicester is your team in a discussion some time back about team colours. So the link you embedded in your blog was much appreciated.
I also couldn’t parse 26a HYPER or 20d SHEREPA so had to come here to see those, so thank you for those parts of your blog too, Eileen. Doh! A hidden and an anagram – why didn’t I see them?
Favourites in this Paul classic were 1a KNOSSOS, 18a PLAIN-SPOKEN, 22a OLD SCRATCH and 13d CORNER SHOP.
A big thanks to Paul, my favourite 25a setter.
I enjoyed this, so thanks to Paul and Eileen for the explanations.
I did have GYRO in for 24d, because someone who gives blood is a DONOR while a DONER is a type of kebab – and it turns out that GYRO is a Greek lamb sandwich. It didn’t quite work, so when the alternative TYPO came up, I started thinking something similar to @4 barker.
Thanks Paul; I made fairly heavy weather of this.
Thanks Eileen; I took ‘doner reportedly’ to equal donor, the former having a typo or mistake. Maybe that is what you meant in the blog. I also don’t understand ‘once’ unless this was a very ancient spelling of donor (I can’t find it in the OED.)
Yes, lovely clue for LEICESTER CITY, although very Anglocentric, if that’s the right word.
Thanks Paul and Eileen
In 24, I saw “Once called” as “Once you say it out loud”, to trigger the soundalike.
Thanks Paul, Eileen
My take on 24:
There are two homophone indicators: the first, as Simon S says, ‘once called’ to indicate doner should be read as donor; the second, to get from type O to typo.
I’m not sure why Paul wrote “doner” anyway – the surface doesn’t make much sense.
I went to Leicester Uni in the 60s and only visited Filbert Street when Man U or Spurs were playing there. So that clue floated my boat.
@Simon S
ah yes….but a “soundalike” to whom? It’s a Turkish word, döner, from “to turn” and is not pronounced as in Donna Karan or Althea and Donna except at three in the morning after a skinful in Bridlington.
(an umlaut bore writes)
I suspect ‘doner’ in 24d is an unintentional typo. Surprised only muffin@1 has commented on 25a, which isn’t a Spoonerism and, to my mind, is the weakest clue. The rest, however, is the usual high standard we expect from Paul.
@baerchen
You’ve misdirected yourself by knowing too much. Paul often uses nonsense words. Why shouldn’t doner be pronounced like loner? Otherwise, once called is doing nothing. Universal donor is a current, not old, meaning for type O.
muffin @13
cos it’s a typo, nespa?
I found this straightforward until four final clues defeated me.
There’s no “L” in HIPPOPOTAMI, so “imprisoned” has to mean, as in life, “take out.”
Thanks to Paul and Eileen
A lovely puzzle, and pitched more or less exactly at my level of competence, so all in all very enjoyable. OLD SCRATCH was new to me but the answer couldn’t really have been anything else. LEICESTER CITY was definitely my favourite clue. Thanks to Paul and Eileen.
James @17
He’s given a definition (“a mistake”). It doesn’t need a DBE too, does it? (and by convention, DBEs have a question mark)
Freddy @18 – the wordplay is *if* left [is] imprisoned… we get HIP POL POT AM I?
muffin
It’s not a DBE for the purposes of the clue, so it doesn’t need a question mark, or other indicator. It’s a nudge/joke.
I enjoyed it although I did wonder whether the solution for 5a had an original more Paul-like clue from which the more delicate amongst us had to be saved!
Thanks to Paul and Eileen too. I decided doner was a typo – perhaps someone who knows will confirm in due course.
Great fun from Paul today! Considerable variety and even a little rule-bending in the clueing, with many good PDMs. Like Julie in Australia @8, I initially thought that 10,21 (when the only crosser I had was the initial L) might be lightning bolt, but once I saw the anagrind and the fodder and then twigged LEICESTER CITY, it was my CotD (among many other favorites, including CUSTODY, SPECIFIC, BRICKWORK, and CORNER SHOP). Upon getting that last one, I had to pull up and play Brimful of Asha on YouTube ( https://youtu.be/epBrcupuz1U ) while I continued solving! My LOI was HASTINGS BANDA, which I tentatively got from the clueing and crossers, but I had to Google him to confirm. Given that this was a Paul puzzle, I was surprised not to see something much more prurient in the clueing for BUSHTIT, but I suppose that even Paul has boundaries not to be crossed! The only bad thing for me in this otherwise thoroughly excellent puzzle was the clueing of the “USA” portion of 12ac as “Trump’s country”, which I HATED!
Many thanks to Paul and Eileen and the other commenters. It has been another good week of puzzles. Happy Friday to all.
Thanks Eileen – I got the word play, just wondering why you used “insert”
crypticsue@23
I didn’t see your comment on 5ac until after I posted (including a similar observation) @24
Great puzzle. I got very mixed up over LEICESTER CITY, thinking the anagram was of ‘electric and yet’, and decided it was something to do with Leiden jars (which give a huge shock of static electricity). Eventually the penny dropped. Like Julie in Oz, my LOI was OINKED. Lots of wonderful clues. Many thanks to Paul and Eileen.
Freddy @25 – because that’s what I meant! 😉
Entertaining as always from Paul – found this quite tricky in places – SMARTPHONE in particular took far too long. OLD SCRATCH was new to me but easy enough to guess and check.
Thanks to Paul and Eileen
Thanks to Eileen and Paul.
After yesterday’s saucy clue setting being described as Paulesque, I looked forward to todays offering and wasn’t disappointed. To clue KI at 1d as a child wiping its bottom was inspired, as was 15d, and only in a Paul crossword could one, like DaveMc@24, be slightly disappointed that the clue to BUSHTIT wasn’t bawdier.
With Paul its becoming Carry On Crosswords.
Thanks to Paul and Eileen. Lots of fun. Here in the US I did know about LEICESTER CITY but not HASTINGS BANDA and needed help parsing FUNNY HA-HA and PLAIN-SPOKEN.
Good stuff from Paul. And great that you were blogging today, Eileen, in view of 10, 21!
Hovis @16 and muffin @1: the Reverend Spooner did not invent a game or sport with strictly defined rules. He had an idiosyncrasy of speech which broadly involved transposing sounds. Often these were the initial sounds of two words (“weight of rages” for “rate of wages”) but sometimes not (“Kinquering Congs their titles take”). I think “honey far far” for “funny ha ha” is just the sort of mistake he was prone to.
I know that some dictionaries define “Spoonerism” as the transposing of the initial sounds of words. But the clue at 25a does not refer to a “Spoonerism” – it says “Spooner’s”, and therefore refers to the sort of slip the Reverend might have made.
Quite educational today, with KNOSSOS, BUSHTIT and HASTINGS BANDA all being unfamiliar to me. I had to cheat on the last one as I didn’t see the clue construction clearly enough.
LEICESTER CITY is brilliant. I also really liked DIPTERA – it’s a clever connection of definition and wordplay that forces the rude surface reading. Not that I’d have expected Paul to avoid it, you understand, but I can’t think of any other anagrind that avoids the vulgarity. Interesting clue.
Great fun. Thanks, Paul and Eileen.
‘Leicester City’ is needed brilliant, especially for this life-long fan (and long-term lurker hereabouts) who will forever wear a smile due to the surreal events of the 2015-16 season, arguably the greatest team performance in sporting history. I knew you were a denizen of Leicester Eileen – do you go and watch the City?
JimS@32. Good point well taken.
Another great Paul puzzle and excellent blog. Thanks to both.
I had to come here for 2d which passed me by completely. On the topic of Leicester City, the huge shock was widely reported here in the US. The Premier League is covered by the NBC Sports channel quite comprehensively – The Foxes are on air at 9am Central tomorrow – along with a wrap-up of the week on the hilarious “Men in Blazers” show.
Hi greyfox @34
I’m afraid not – I have been known to go to a Tigers match 😉 – but, that season, like most people I know, I was completely caught up in it and watched the televised matches. Between that and Richard III, this has been a good place to be.
grandpapatee @36 – glad to hear it: I hope you enjoyed the link I gave.
Nice,inventive puzzle from my favourite setter which did take me a lot longer than it should’ve done. Take a stroll down memory lane with HASTINGS BANDA and laugh along with FUNNY HA HA. Took me ages to see LEICESTER CITY though. Footbally things don’t stay in my memory long unlike KNOSSOS which brought back many memories!
Thanks Paul.
JimS @32.
Well said. I hope this finally ends the constant debate about what is/is not a Spoonerism. They’re just a bit of fun, which over-analysis totally ruins. Without Paul’s wit (and wisdom) crossworld (sic) would be a much duller place.
And, of course, thanks to Paul and Eileen for another excellent puzzle and blog.
Greensward @39
I disagree. If a clue is indicated as a Spoonerism, surely it should be a Spoonerism? (As you probably gather, I’m generally not a fan of them anyway 🙂 )
The one we’re talking about is a particularly poor example anyway, as a substantial proportion of the population (including me) wouldn’t pronounce “ha” to rhyme with “far”.
muffin @41 – but the two clues aren’t indicated as spoonersims but as things that Spooner might have said, ie, per history not per dictionary. And why do “ha” and “far” have to rhyme? We are looking for the sort of thing that Spooner would have said were he trying to say “honey far far”. What relevance is it that you pronounce “funny ha ha” differently from others?
Lots of good stuff here. Really liked OLD SCRATCH – although double-def’s are not invariably my favourites, this one really leads the pack! Especially as it gives me an excuse to post a clip from a classic old movie, featuring The Man himself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmtfouEJ0Cw
Although LEICESTER CITY is clearly likely to mystify some Transatlantic solvers, likewise I think BUSHTIT (should it be two words?) might be problematic here in Blighty. Here we call them Long-Tailed Tits, I think BUSHTIT is the American name (certainly I’d not come across it). Still, an easy enough clue.
LOI was SWEET-TALKS. Had to cheat a bit on that one, with all the crossers in place I ‘guessed’ the W and used the ‘check’ button. Bingo! But I should have got it without that help.
As for TYPO – I share the view that there is indeed a TYPO in the clue. Deliberate, maybe?
As always, thanks to Paul and Eileen.
muffin @41
Yet more over-analysis. Repeat after me: They’re just a bit of fun, they’re just a bit of fun … (and I’d love to see the stats behind your comment ‘a substantial proportion of the population…’)
Van Winkle@42 – exactly – I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “spoonerism” in a clue. As for the typo in TYPO – of course it’s deliberate!
Thanks Paul and Eileen
Greensward @44
I don’t think anyone north of Watford Gap would rhyme FAR with HA (unless they lived in a stately home, perhaps)!
Van Winkle
I’m prejudiced – my least favourite type of clue that I can bring to mind (though very occasional ones do make me laugh). There are several complaints on the Guardian site about a crossword with two Spooner(whatevers).
I should have added, Greensward, that generally I don’t find them “just a bit of fun”, as I expect you’ve worked out.
Muffin – I do agree about ha/far. I once read an article on Russia that said “dacha” was pronounced to rhyme with “Thatcher” – caused me no end of confusion.
FirmlyDirac @43
I had to reply to your conjecture as to whether BUSHTIT is the American name. I can tell you pretty confidently it is not. Here in the US, the only bird species I can think of with a name even vaguely similar is a Tufted Titmouse. Even the word “titmouse” is enough to make most Americans (unless they are birdwatching enthusiasts) smirk. If one were to refer to a bird as simply a “tit”, well, here, people would think of only one possible meaning of that word. And if one said the words “bush” and “tit” as a phrase together, the entire conversation would tilt in the direction of querying this apparent attempt at (take your pick) hilarity/ lewdness/ childishness/ offensiveness.
Seeing this was a Paul on a Friday sort of puzzle, I approached it with an appropriate mixture of apprehension and anticipation. As it turned out, Spooner was my friend, twice, and everything flowed nicely from then on: not too fiendish, but numerous pleasures, HIPPOPOTAMI and PLAIN SPOKEN being probably my favourites. LEICESTER CITY caused this Spurs supporter some distress, as they did 2 years ago.
For all of you with a sense of humour, who enjoy a good Spoonerism, take a look at clue 24, 20d in Philistine’s prize puzzle #26591. Classic.
My 2p’s worth on Spoonerisms.
Just thought I’d look up the word. My Chambers says, “a transposition of the initial sounds of spoken words” (my bold). Nothing about transposition of letters, nor about there having to be exactly two sounds (or letters) involved in the transposition. It’s how they’re spoken that counts, allowing for a bit of looseness in the speech.
Hence I think the transformation of FUNNY HA-HA into HONEY FAR-FAR is perfectly valid. It’s certainly a clever one! Incidentally, I’m guessing this is a reference to a hilarious little book published back in the 1960s, Funny Ha Ha and Funny Peculiar, by Denys Parsons. Anyone else remember it?
But I agree with others, there shouldn’t really be more than one Spoonerism in a puzzle. One of the problems is, there isn’t really any indicator word other than “Spooner” itself or a derivative. The wordplay device is hence immediately revealed – which takes some of the fun out of solving!
DaveMc @49. Thanks for your info. Reminds me of ‘another place’ (a UK-based internet forum) where I used to post regularly, and where the word “tit” was immediately intercepted by the swear-word filter. Made it tricky to put up posts relating to birdwatching!
So it seems that BUSHTIT originates over here. Well, I’ll stick with “long-tailed tit” as being more descriptive. We often get them in our garden, and very welcome they are!
1961Blanchflower @50. Your comment about your dismay over LEICESTER CITY, reminds me of an incident at school, way back in Spring 1961 it must have been. I should explain that my school was located in Croydon – not a million miles from White Hart Lane, as it happens.
During a History lesson, when we were doing the Elizabethan age, the History master wrote up on the blackboard “Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester” (one of QE’s favourites). He then wrote the word “(city)” in very small letters, alongside. You should have heard the eruption of furious chanting from my classmates, that ensued: “SPURS! SPURS! SPURS!….” This went on for several minutes. End of all serious teaching, in that lesson! 🙂
To this day, I have no idea whether the master was a Leicester fan. But he was certainly having a bit of fun!
And yes I remember Danny Blanchflower!
Greensward @51
Not impressed by that one either. However I did like this from Nutmeg, not long ago!
Small bit of anatomy, such as Spooner’s Manx cat has? (7)
FirmlyDirac @54
Ah, Danny Blanchflower – what a legend, one whose name I am proud to adopt. I enjoyed your history lesson, though I don’t particularly remember Robert Dudley: I was more of a Harry Hotspur follower! Leicester did OK in 1961: they reached the Cup Final where they lost to Danny’s Double winning Spurs, a defeat which one would have to admit they avenged two seasons ago {sob!}.
I enjoyed this and you have helped my understand the ones (quite a few) I could not parse. I wondered on terrapin about terra + p + in (but p in terrain is neater and fits the clue better, as for my version you would need something telling you to take terra first).
Hello charmmeth @57
I don’t recognise your name so, if you’re new here, welcome! I initially went down that road, too but, as you say, it didn’t parse satisfactorily, of course. It’s what some of us here call a ‘lift and separate’ [‘in land’] clue. Some people [including me] like them and others don’t. 😉
Muffin/greensward. I have spent most of my life north of Watford and the homophone was fine by me…
BH @59
!!!!!
I should, perhaps, have been more specific in my expression of incredulity @60 – HA is pronounced “Hah” and FAR is pronounced “farr” – not even vaguely similar!
All this debate about Spoonerisms is making me think of the “Port Shoem by Speverend Rooner” that appeared in “Monty Python’s Big Red Book”, which I remember reading in high school back in the 1970s. Apologies if it has been replicated by others in prior 15^2 blogs:
I’ve a house and harden in the country
An ace I call my plown,
A treat I can replace to
When I beed to knee alone.
Catterfly and butterpillar
Perch on beefy lough
And I listen to the dats and cogs
As they mark and they biaow.
Yes wature here is nunderful
There is no weed for nords,
While silling by my windowflutter
Biny little tirds.
muffin @ 61
Sure Ha is Hah, but the phrase is FUNNY HAR-HAR, so HONEY FAR-FAR works fine (for me, at any road).
I know I’m late to the party (I’m hours late by time zone anyway) but has anyone here yet brought up the great Flanders and Swann? Their “Hippopotamus Song” is one of my favourites!
It plays upon Latin gender and number playfully, but its chorus is sublimely good:
Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood!
So follow me, follow
Down to the hollow
And there let us wallow
In glorious mud!
Another north-of-Watfordian here with predominantly short a’s. Simon’s point is valid: we’re looking at “ha(r)-ha(r)” not “ha(h)!” I would always use long a for the former, particularly when discussing an estate ditch. And for the laughing version, I refer all to Maxine Peake in the wonderful Victoria Wood comedy Dinnerladies (“Har har, Hale an’ Pace…”)
I’d’ve thought it was nigh on impossible not to get from (…,2-2) anyway – there’s a limited number of “Desmonds” to choose from.
Hi Canuck James @64
This time, I resisted providing a link to the song [I’ve done it several times in previous blogs] but the solution in today’s puzzle immediately, of course, brought to mind the splendidly articulated ‘a regular army / of hippopotami…’. It’s here if you’d like to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnOj9O16_I
Canuck James @64: some more info:
Flanders and Swann’s Hippopotamus Song was in fact an outrageous (and deliberate) parody of Dog-Latin for comedic effect, and none of the supposed gender-endings are correct.
The word actually comes from two Ancient Greek roots, not Latin:
????? – “horse”, and
??????? – “river”.
The song has some quite hilarious rhymes e.g. “she hadn’t got a ma” with “hippopotama” – the pseudo-feminine form; and “regular army” with “hippopotami”: pseudo-plural.
As far as I know, the only strictly correct plural of ‘hippopotamus’ is the horrible ‘hippopotamuses’. Let’s hope that word never comes up in a Guardian Cryptic!
Sorry 225 doesn’t seem to like Greek characters. I meant to put:
“hippos” = “horse” and
“potamos” = “river”.
Eileen @66 & FirmlyDirac @67:
Thanks for the link, Eileen! I still have my old vinyl copy of ‘At the Drop of a Hat,’ which, interestingly, was released in two versions (being recorded live at two different theatres during two different tours of the show). The only tracks I’ve found on YouTube seem to be from the “other” release, which suggests my LP is the rarer one (and, I think, the earlier one). I only bring this up because my recording strikes me as a distinctly better performance, all in all.
FirmlyDirac, I am aware of the true Greek etymology, but I wasn’t when I first heard the song as an adolescent. Either way, whether it’s doggerel or not, it’s still brilliant!
Cheers to you both, and all at 15^2, whose wit and wisdom I always enjoy (even when I’m able to complete a puzzle!).
DBE & PDM?
Schiele @70
DBE – definition by example
PDM – penny dropping moment
Wonderful, wonderful Paul. How does he keep on doing it – and always so fresh!
My only uncertainty – was “doner” intentional or unintentional heterography? On solving, I presumed it was an error (Paul is prone to these from time to time – such is the celerity, I assume, of his composing that this is inevitable; s/he who makes no mistakes has ceased to strive?) but, having read some comments here, maybe it was an intentional bit of dry humour. On balance, it probably was a genuine cock-up. Perhaps we’ll never know….?
But it brought me here to enjoy the friendly environs, old hat from newcomers, new thoughts from respected habitué(e)s and a beautiful blog from Eileen.
Many thanks to all (especially Sir Gaufrid our generous and talented plate-spinner!)