Times Quick Cryptic No 1883 by Des

91 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 1883 by Des”

1. At 13 minutes my run of missed QC targets continues – every day this week so far. I found the SW corner with the unknown or forgotten ASHET the most difficult to complete.

   Des set the very first QC back in March 2014 but this is only his 22nd contribution. The last two had themes starting with #1601 based on the months of the year. #1653 featured comic-strip characters and I’m tempted to suggest that today’s Nina continues that theme but that wouldn’t be fair on most of them, perhaps only the present incumbent.

2. ….although I didn’t go so far as to say at last, an easy one. I was a little surprised that I had chewed up 11:38 on the clock, as it didn’t feel that long. I did hesitate for a while on ashet, but what else could it be?

   I hope the SCC group finds this a little easier, they’ve had a rough week.

   Edited at 2021-05-27 01:49 am (UTC)

3. All over in 8.30 minutes.

   FOI 4dn DELINEATE

   LOI 21ac THAT

   COD 8ac ZAGREB

   WOD 22ac CHERRIES

   Edited at 2021-05-27 03:03 am (UTC)

4. Yet another toughie (8-9). NHO ENOW or ASHET and will not be remembering either.
   Struggled to parse ALLAY, took ages to work out JOHN tried to make SACH some sort of bag /satchel as by now my brain has ceased turning. Finally twigged FATHOM knowing it must start with a musical F.
   OLD LADY not exactly PC was it?
   Had to drag IMAGO from the depths of Biology A level which I had preserved like the memory of dogfish in formalin.
   Unfortunately I can’t say this was a happy solve for me due to too many out of reach challenges and I finally grumped home in 55 minutes feeling a bit like the sherrif, robbed.
   COD MARINER for the cryptic misdirection of tar.
   Thanks Rotter and Des.
   The sun has finally got his hat on hip-hip-hip hooray.
   1. Agree with you on 7D Old lady. There are alternative ways to clue that answer — it is for example the nickname of the Bank of England, and I wonder if Des could have made use of that.
      Cedric
      1. I don’t have a problem with OLD LADY for ‘mother’ as it’s common parlance and equal opportunity since ‘old man’ for ‘father’ is even more common – ‘My old man’s a dustman’, ‘My old man said follow the van’ etc etc. I’d be less comfortable with ‘Old Maid’ but I’m not convinced that political correctness needs to be an issue when it comes to informal sayings quoted in crossword puzzles and not intended with malice. Taboo words are another matter of course.
5. Miles off the pace. An even bigger DNF than Tuesday. Needed the blog a lot to see what had been going on.
6. Hurrah, I broke the 15 minute barrier for the first time this week despite some tricky clues. LOI ENOW went in with a shrug and fingers crossed. ASHET and IMAGO were also new to me but the wordplay and checkers were generous.
   Finished in 14.14, with WOD to LEERIER and COD to IN ONE.
   Thanks to Rotter and nice to see Des back.

   There seems to be some sort of prime ministerial theme in the across clues – I can see MAY, BLAIR, JOHNSON, ATTLEE and THATCHER

   1. Very good! Well spotted plett. (And ATTLEE also has PEEL backwards, I suspect accidentally.)

      Disappointing there’s no Campbell-Bannerman or Gascoyne-Cecil 🙂

      Edited at 2021-05-27 07:57 am (UTC)

   2. And Eden and Home
      1. And can we count BALL? (John Major’s father was Tom Major-Ball.) Then we’d have one in every across line.
   3. Yes, I alluded to this in my comment above but as the very first commenter I thought it was too early to be explicit. Thanks for picking it up. I was about to do so myself if nobody had spotted it by the time I came home from shopping.

      There’s another PM mentioned in today’s main puzzle btw – evident from the clue so I’m not giving anything away.

7. FOI: 9a. LAIRDS
   LOI: 22a CHERRIES

   Time to Complete: DNF

   Clues Answered Correctly without aids: 12

   Clues Answered with Aids (3 lives): 15a, 12d, 14d

   Clues Unanswered: 6a, 8a, 10a, 12a, 17a, 19a, 2d, 3d, 6d, 16d, 18d

   Wrong Answers: Nil

   Total Correctly Answered (incl. aids): 15/26

   Aids Used: Chambers

   Though this was perhaps the easiest QC for me so far this week, I still struggled with it. MY first Des puzzle.

   6a. ENOW – I had this pencilled in but rubbed it out as I did not think it was a word. I had already used my three lives before I attempted this one, so could not look ENOW up to see if it was a word. Should have stuck with my convictions.

   10a. JOHN – Ditto the above. Had John pencilled in but removed it as I was not convinced.

   14d. LEERIER – Another word I was not sure was a word. This time, however, I went with my convictions and penned it in.

   18d. IN ONE – Yet another clue I thought was right but did not have the conviction to enter. I see a pattern emerging here.

   With my poor record this week, I might as well attempt the 15×15. I can’t really do any worse.

8. … but a pretty tentative submission, as far from all parsed when I completed at the 16 minute mark. To my relief all green though.

   I found this another very tough one and was not entirely on Des’s wavelength — NHO 2D Imago (put in from wordplay alone with crossed fingers), and did not see how 22A Cherries worked either (put in from checkers). Obvious, naturally, when it is explained to one. I also had to think hard about 21A That, where I was confused by the question mark at the end of the clue and thought the solution had therefore to be an answer to the question “Which two hints …?”

   COD 15A Do battle, a complex clue that I was quite pleased to work out — D.O.B. for birthday being the PDM.

   Many thanks to Rotter for another excellent blog — you are name-checked in the cryptic quintagram today!
   Cedric

9. A dnf for me — my first ever in 1833 QCs. I felt quite chuffed that I managed to solve a number of chewy Des clues and I managed some successful (logical) biffs (ENOW, ASHET) that I had never encountered before. However, I came to grief with 10a. I resorted to an alphabet trawl but must have missed something. Obvious now but I really couldn’t see it and am prepared to be honest about my blind spot. Red face. Grrrrr! And my first name is John! Well done Des and thanks to Rotter for an excellent blog.
   After 3 tough days this week, I was looking for an easy ride today. Some hope! I wonder what we will face tomorrow?
   Note. I have just confirmed that I still retain some brain cells by rattling off the latest Private Eye Cryptic so perhaps all is not lost.

   Edited at 2021-05-27 08:40 am (UTC)

10. Easier but still chewy! Excellent fun, showing that Ninas do not have to compromise the puzzle.

    Rotter asks “Who looked for a 5-letter word for gazed containing a C and meaning Clubber?”. I did that – and then I decided in fact it was an anagram (“around”) of “gazed + C”. So I was led up two garden paths! It didn’t help that I was proud to remember the capital city of Croatia as Split …

    FOI DISMAYED, LOI ALLAY (couldn’t see how “lay” = “set”, thanks Rotter), COD DO BATTLE, time 13:42 for an estimated 2K and a Half Decent Day.

    Many thanks Rotter and Des.

    Templar

    Edited at 2021-05-27 08:08 am (UTC)

    1. I’m not sure that ENOW, ASHET, and IMAGO were not connected with Des’s determination to slip in a Nina. I still cannot be bothered with Ninas and retain my belief that they mess up otherwise coherent puzzles.
       Btw — re Croatia and Split. I drove to both Split and Zagreb as a student — decades ago when they were still part of Yugoslavia…… John

       Edited at 2021-05-27 09:40 am (UTC)

       1. I’ve expressed the view before that Des in particular is so blinkered in his determination to produce a NINA (that’s wasted on the majority), that he forces in words that are obscure. Luckily I knew today’s batch.

          FOI DISMAYED (as I was on spotting the setter)
          LOI FATHOM (I’m 73, and never been to an “at home”)
          COD STOMACH
          TIME 4:46

11. No longer in use – no longer in my OED even, no longer valid for a quickie in my opinion.
12. My third DNF this week. As with all themed puzzles, obscure and archaic words abound — is it really worth it?
    I’ve noticed a progression here. The QCs increase in difficulty over the weeks until a revolt from the SCC, when easier puzzles start the sequence again.
    I think the SCC may be revolting!

    Brian P

13. At last one a bit easier, I remember liking Des in the past and wishing we saw more from him.

    I didn’t get the Nina, (I tried unsuccessfully to get DO BATTLE and EPIC into something), but my mother owned several very used ashets which we still use.

    I could definitely be counted as an “old lady” but luckily as I don’t usually feel much older than, say, 15 years younger, (I’m not letting on the exact numbers) it doesn’t bother me to be described as such. Being offered a seat on a train is now commonplace ( well it was…) and always surprises me as I leap on the train like a young lamb. I’m just trying to say, very long-windedly, that I don’t find being described as an old lady the least bit offensive, as I am one.

    Thank you, Des and Rotter

    Diana

    Edited at 2021-05-27 09:02 am (UTC)

    1. Likewise, Diana, I qualify as an elderly woman, in years, so ‘old lady’ is inoffensive.
14. My view is the DT bridges the big gap between QC and 15 x 15. I’ve DNFed the QC twice (both this week) but often fall short with the DT.

    I accidentally renewed my DT puzzles subscription last week so my full on 15×15 assault is postponed for a year.

    Edited at 2021-05-27 09:04 am (UTC)

15. My disastrous week continues, towel thrown in at 40 mins with 7 absent and two incorrect.

    Since I had never heard of IMAGO, I confidently went with IMAGE, since past=AGE, and the Image is the final stage of development of a photograph. I thought that was a clever cryptic, it never occurred to me that it was wrong. That saw off 10 across.

    I was slow with ZAGREB, as I was convinced that Croatian Capital=C, and tried mightily to get “dancer” to fit.

    For 12 Dn, I though that bag = SACK, and really tried to get SETBACK to work. This led to 21a= “OKAY”, the two hints were “OK”, and “AY”.

    Should have got MARINER. For DO BATTLE, I couldn’t get the first part tried, “In”, and “At”, but could not see how to get “birthday” to work.

    And an “at-home” for a social gathering seems pretty obscure/old-fashioned.

    NHO: ENOW, IMAGO or ASHET.

    COD: EVE

    1. In Battle seemed to fit the clue perfectly, and caused me no end of grief with Stomach.
16. I found this very tough. Had three left after 21:30. I had guessed ASHET and ENOW.
    Eventually I got MARINER and ZAGREB which left me with 10a. Just could not work out what was needed. Looked for names but failed to find John. Another 15 minutes spent on that.
    So DNF for me. Experience needed for this one; nothing unfair.
    David
17. Too much archaic and rare vocabulary for me. What have we all done to deserve a week like this. I think i’ll go back to the telegraph crosswords if they are reckoned to be easier as we learnt yesterday. Thanks for the blog. DavidS
    1. I generally find the T-Graph cryptic just a hit harder/slower than the Times QC but easier than the Times 15sq. However, yesterday was an exception. I found it very tough. Have you tried it? John.
18. I’m a new digital subscriber. I might go back to pen and paper as I think it gets the mental juices flowing better…

    I’ve never timed myself as I often have several goes at the crossword throughout the day, but I often complete it. Not this week though. So many impenetrable clues.

    Is there a link to all the abbreviations used in these very helpful blogs? And what’s a Nina?

    Thanks all, and keep up the good work!

    1. Welcome! There’s a link marked “Glossary” which you will find towards the top right (on a PC) or towards the bottom (on an iPhone or iPad) which has lots of interesting stuff in it.
       1. Thanks so much! Very helpful. At last I know what FOI is (not Freedom of Information!).
    2. I prefer the pen/pencil approach too. I find the printed copy stimulates concentration.
19. Failed on MARINER, SCRUB, STOMACH, JOHN, but knew ASHET and guessed ENOW and reckon we have had IMAGO before.
    FOsI. DISMAYED, EVIAN, SON IN LAW, OLD LADY, LAIRDS.

    I don’t usually complain but am finding the not very Q Cs somewhat discouraging at the moment.
    Thanks vm, Rotter.

    1. IMAGO came up in QCs 384 (Corelli), 921 (Mara), and 1,217 (Orpheus). Look what Jack’s done by telling me about the search function!
20. ASHET and ENOW were new to me, but not hard to work out. LOI, Little JOHN on the other hand took me several minutes to figure out. Didn’t spot the nina. Was taken well over my target at 13:14. Thanks Des and Rotter.
21. Agree with TheRotter that despite their being unknown words for me (I am looking at you 2D, 6A and 16D) it was possible to parse them.

    Got hung up on 8A with Capitol C , as theRotter pointed out.

    Favourite clues were 12D and 22A.

    As far as 7D OLD LADY goes, there is the more frequent term of ‘my old man’ to describe a father, so perhaps this is where this clue ties in? (As a mother I didn’t take offence!)

    A tricky but solvable QC for me. Thanks to therotter and Des

22. I thought I was on to a quick solve . 1ac went straight in. But then I was somewhat engulfed in a mire. I saw enow early but the clue seemed to say the opposite of enough, until I realised that “no longer” was a hint at an archaism. Didn’t see the table-setting, or the way Zagreb was hidden, so I biffed those. Would not have got Evian if it hadn’t appeared very recently clued the other way round in a Times Crossword. Needed all the checkers for stomach,(LOI) since satchel fit and contained a cat. NHO ashet so had to look it up in the OED – it sounds like the French for plate, so I guessed that was what was intended as French was the language at court for so long. Couldn’t believe that editor was the answer, seemed too simple in the context of the rest of this. Saw fathom early on but never did parse it. Thoroughly enjoyed this, it was a workout for me, it took me half an hour. Liked all the clues, old lady was my least favourite. Possibly because I am one, though “lady” may be stretching a point. Thanks, Rotter and Des. GW
23. It was QC 1883
24. Due to the week so far, approached this QC with a much more fatalistic air, happy to put parsed but unknown and completely unparsed answers in.

    A finish! And in 25 mins!

    Definitely ascribes more to some lucky biffing than any particular skill, though I let myself be led by the wordplay for the several words I’d NHO (Imago, Enow, Ashet) and put them in with a shrug.

    John fell into place before Imago so avoided the trap of Image for 2dn.

    Could not parse Set=Lay but allay=ease seemed the only valid answer, so another shrug.

    Perhaps things have taken a turn for the better, in line with the weather?

25. What is going on this week? Another real struggle with a forced pause when the only word I could get to fit loi 12d S*n*a*h was Sunbath… It shows how desperate I was by then that I gave Sunbath a good 5mins worth of parsing effort. Couldn’t see anything wrong with the crossers, but rather than DNF I took a break, came back and saw Dob, rather than InB, should to go in front of -attle in 15ac, and that (finally) gave me stomach. Getting on for an hour in total — way too long for a QC. Invariant
    1. Way too long? According to my iPad I took 9hrs 23 mins! I didn’t realise I had left the Times app open and I wasn’t necessarily actively working on the clues for all of that time… Maybe we need a challenge for longest time taken to complete. Maybe not, but it might give me something to brag about on here occasionally 😉
26. Who looked for a 5-letter word for gazed containing a C and meaning Clubber? Nearly – I went down the same path as Templar looking for an anagram of gazed + C!
    Some cryptic cluing worthy of the biggie, I’d say, but doable (if you’ve been doing them for a while at any rate!). Below target tho at 11:35. I liked ZAGREB – talk about hidden in plain sight! Also FATHOM and MARINER.
    I did enjoy the challenge today but do feel for beginners this week – it has been very tough and when you can’t see through the fog, it becomes very demoralising.
    FOI Enow
    LOI Ashet
    COD John (my husband’s name – but not for that reason!)

    Thanks Des and much appreciation as usual to Rotter for the usual informative blog

    Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
    A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse—and Thou
    Beside me singing in the Wilderness—
    And Wilderness is Paradise enow.

    The Rubaiyat of Omar Khhayyam – love those poems 😊

27. We’re on a run of trickier puzzles, and no bad thing in my book.

    NHO ENOW, and the DOB of DO BATTLE was a new device for me. Seen ASHET before, ditto IMAGO. Super hidden in DELINEATE.

    Played all round this excellent offering from Des, but the ball missed the stumps, and I was able to go all green in 10:43.

    Thanks rotter for the blog.

28. 6:15 today, no real issues with the clueing but didn’t feel sharp enough this morning. I couldn’t see the 5 letter anagram for 16d “ashet” first time around and count me in as another who was misled by 8 ac “Zagreb” even though I was there not that long ago (pre-lockdown I should add)! Funny how the brain can seize up on a crossword clue!
    COD 3 dn “Mariner”.
    However it is clear that this was seen by many as another tough QC. I am concerned to read that some are becoming disenchanted with the recent sequence of these puzzles. Crosswords are meant to be enjoyable, although undoubtedly frustrating for all of us at times and I think a balance has to be struck that encourages newcomers to experience the pleasure and satisfaction from completing these puzzles. Maybe next week??
    Thx to the Rotter for an interesting blog and to Des.
    1. Agree. When some solvers have comparatively small gaps in time between the QC and the main fare, something’s going wrong
29. I guessed ENOW but remembered ASHET once the three checkers were in place. I was wrong footed by the cluing for ZAGREB until the B checker appeared. My last one’s in were JOHN, the D for DO BATTLE (my COD) and finally FATHOM. 14:02 so on a par with others. Thanks Rotter for the detailed blog.
30. To be honest I am getting a little dispirited. I started these to learn how to do crosswords and thought they were supposed to be aimed at beginners. I am beginning to realise this is not the case which is a shame as it would have been encouraging for those of us new to this.
    Over the last month there have been very few reasonable puzzles with most little different from the main puzzle.

    It seems that the main purpose of these puzzles is to give experienced solvers the chance to brag about record times, great for them lousy for those of us just wanting a solvable and reasonable puzzle.

    The blogs have been great and really help but it would be nice to at least get a couple of puzzles a week that gave us a chance.

    I wonder how many people have thrown in the towel, everyone needs a few wins to be encouraged to continue.

    Me I give up as well. 😔😔

    1. “It seems that the main purpose of these puzzles is to give experienced solvers the chance to brag about record times”. For starters, don’t confuse the puzzles with the blog. The main purpose of the puzzles is to provide pleasure for people who enjoy doing crosswords. The blog was set up, and is run, by people unconnected with the Times. As for the blog: Do you read the blog? If that were the main purpose–or even a purpose–of the blog, why would all these people be posting? (Not to mention that none of the experienced solvers have ever bragged about record times.)
       1. I first joined this blog because it seemed to me at the time that few slowcoaches posted and I thought it would encourage others if I mentioned my struggles!
       2. Bye-ee!
    2. To the first Anon (timeline 11:59am). I’m sorry that you are feeling dispirited, all of us have been through such periods, so you are not alone. Please don’t give up.

       Might I suggest that you begin by joining the TfTT community (it’s free) or at least having a name to sign your postings so that our members can interact with you properly. There is the most amazing support and encouragement available here to help you improve, both from experts and other beginners.

       Nobody comes here to brag. Some of us post our solving times as they are useful yardsticks for others to measure their own performance if that’s what they want to do, but if they bother you, just ignore them and do your own thing. Most important is to have fun!

       Edited at 2021-05-27 12:27 pm (UTC)

       1. Correction — on the one day a year when Kevin has a cold or a hangover and so I manage to squeak a couple of seconds below his time, I definitely come on here to brag 😎

          Edited at 2021-05-27 12:33 pm (UTC)

          1. Hangover? Moi? I’ll have you know that I have had exactly one hangover in my life, sometime back in the 80’s (the decade, not my age). God knows how I avoid them.
          2. Well yes, but that’s friendly rivalry between two long-standing contributors, so not really the same thing. If ever I beat Verlaine in solving a Friday 15×15 nobody here will ever hear the end of it! But I think on the whole it’s unlikely to happen.

             Edited at 2021-05-27 12:40 pm (UTC)

       2. I have tried to sign on but it keeps failing. I would much rather have my name to my comments.
          1. I too found it very hard to register and get a name. Eventually I Googled ‘Live Journal’ and tried to register there, but it failed many times and needed several messages to them for Help before I was get set up with a name/account. I use an iPad with Safari browser, with various Privacy options set, and wonder if Live Journal is not really attuned to Apple kit. Keep trying! At least you have not been blocked as I was after two anonymous comments!
          2. If you prefer that it’s okay but I’m puzzled why there should be a problem registering. The usual reason for rejection is because the chosen user-name has already been taken, and the simple solution is to add a couple of random numbers on the end.
31. “ seems that the main purpose of these puzzles is to give experienced solvers the chance to brag about record times”

    No, that’s the purpose of this blog since its inception

    1. To the second Anon (timeline 12:26 pm): Posting snide remarks anonymously is not welcome here but we are more than happy to engage in constructive discussion of puzzles and support solvers who find themselves struggling.

       Edited at 2021-05-27 12:34 pm (UTC)

32. If I do produce a record time, you’ll all know about it (although I think my 2:24 earlier this year is as good as it will get). However my times are there to be shot at, and I don’t duck the issue when I have a day like yesterday (8:12 against 8:37 for the 15×15).

    When some of the rest of you who complain about us speed merchants have been at it for over 50 years, and can read and write more quickly than most other people, you may just find you’re joining the sub 5 minute club. I do hope so !

33. We also found this very tricky and resorted to aids. Even then we were still short of fully solving. As ever, seeing the answers makes us feel we should have done better. Some clever clues, eg 10a. Glad to learn the new ashet and enow, Wonder if we will see them again?
34. The very title of this blog is a great part of the problem. When I first started on the QC almost all of the contributors were the 15x15ers. In the old days there weren’t many solvers going over 15 minutes. They used the QC as a warm-up or warm-down exercise. Slow times were not usually recorded.

    The SCC did not exist until a couple of years ago and now they are beginning to form the majority. They really want to get into the 15×15 arena. But patience, it usually takes years to get slick! Copius reading of the right books, good GK and above all Geography don’t ‘alf ‘elp!

    When Kevin or Phil Jordan bang in times of well under five minutes, this is seen by the SCC as ‘bragging’. No, really! (Verlaine can knock these off before one can say Jack Robinson.) Talk of two minutes is so dispiriting. So some folks like to use aids – and others abhor that.

    Now some are so fed-up they want to go off and do the Telegraph Quick – whatever. Fine, nobody can stop them, – the QAnons positively encourage this – but they have, nor engender much if any, loyalty. The QAnons will ruin this blog – eventually. Sign-on or begone!

    The Old Blighter suffered his first ever QC DNF in 1,883 goes – which is perhaps telling. I imagine the setters see us all as fair game and are upping-the-ante a bit. Otherwise where’s their fun!?

    I remember my first trip to the Times Finals in Piccadilly, in the late eighties. On the first puzzle I had just got going when someone ran to the front with his paper complete after just over 3 minutes! It was spellbinding and totally dispiriting for most!

    It was later revealed that ‘Speedy Gonzales’ had failed to fill in one letter, in a three letter word down at the bottom. Bummer!

    This is a marathon with a sprint finish!

    Edited at 2021-05-27 03:52 pm (UTC)

    1. Dear Mr Horryd,

       May I just say, as a confirmed member of the SCC (who is currently sliding back towards being a no-hoper again), that I love to read about those who routinely knock of the QC faster than I can actually read the first eight or ten clues. I don’t think they are “bragging”. They are just reporting on their experience and on their view of different aspects of the daily challenge.

       I also love to read about the experiences of slower solvers and non-finishers, and about what they found relatively straightforward, particularly difficult or downright impossible.

       Over the past year, I have come to appreciate that among the strengths of this forum are the broad range of ability of its contributors, the constructive help and guidance provided by the main bloggers and others, the amusing anecdotes, diversions and entertaining discussions about nerdy trivia, and the encouragement received from time to time when one has had a ‘bad day’.

       Long may all of this remain, and I hope you concur.

       1. Very well put, Mr Random.
       2. Spot on, Sir!
35. I came, I swore, I concurred that this was a bit of a toughie. But I got there in two sessions. DELINEATE was v clever. A couple of words new to me but fairly clued and parseable. LEERIEST for some reason held me for ages and CHERRIES was slow as well.
36. 83 minutes again today, but this time I was unable to finish, having thrown in the towel with one clue unsolved (ZAGREB) and four clues written in only faintly (IMAGO, ENOW, JOHN and ASHET).

    I can understand why Anonymous (who triggered the ‘Very hard’ discussion, above) is “getting a little dispirited”, as I have spent a total of 4 hrs 46 mins on the four QCs so far this week, and DNF two of them. Whilst I know that I’m still very much a member of the SCC, I would like to think I’m no longer a no-hoper. However, my recent performances would suggest I haven hardly improved at all since I started nearly a year ago.

    Just as I did yesterday, I got 1a (DISMAYED) straight away, but everything fell apart after that, and it was a really hard grind from then on. Not very enjoyable, I’m afraid, but I will wake up tomorrow in good heart and looking forward to another QC.

    N.B. Due to her having a life, Mrs Random is unlikely to get to this puzzle until tomorrow or the weekend.

    Many thanks to Des and to Mr Rotter for his much needed blog.

    1. You are doing fine — I was still using diary entries at your stage.
    2. I’m the last person to offer hints on solving but I am having a very nice time teaching my kids and there’s one golden rule I tell them if they’re stuck: is it (a) an anagram or (b) a hidden (reverse or standard). Surprising how often it helps

       Having said that I eventually buffed ZAGREB having completely missed the reverse hidden! 😀

37. Travelling today so had to do this on the hoof and it turned into another shambles (#3 for the week). Apart from Ashet, the answers weren’t too bad, but I found the clueing difficult. First time I’ve seen DOB for birthday (that I can remember at least) which didn’t help for 15ac.

    Didn’t record the exact time, which was a good job, but gave up with around 6 to go.

    FOI — 4dn “Yob”
    LOI — dnf
    COD — 20dn “Eve” — probably better ones but I enjoyed the surface of this

    Thanks as usual!

38. Not much more to add to what’s already been said. Fortunately I knew the capital of Croatia and IMAGO, but unfortunately I had never heard of ENOW, an ‘at-home’, ASHET or LEERIER so this was a struggle that took me 42:43 plus a bit extra while I checked to see if I could think of a more plausible word than ENOW to go in 6a. In one of life’s strange coincidences, (re pebble’s comment above) my mum was reciting the Rubaiyat of Omar Khhayyam to me just yesterday evening, but I’d never heard of the poem before. Anyway, thanks to Des and Rotter.
    1. Lovely coincidence — I bet some people will know The moving finger writes etc, even if only from the Agatha Christie book 😊
       Am quite keen on your predictive text version of my name — I think I should change my user name to Pebble, much more fun than my initials 😅
    2. My favourite quotation in the whole of English Literature comes from Fitzgerald’s translation of the Rubaiyat :

       “The moving finger writes, and, having writ, moves on. Nor all thy piety, nor wit, shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out one word of it.”

       Simply put, “You can’t turn the clock back”, but so beautifully expressed.

       1. When I was a pretentious teenage hippy, I used to keep a tiny and very old copy of the Rubaiyat in my back pocket at all times! I still have it — and still love it 😊
39. Completely stumped
40. Although I put in imago, ashet and enow, without having heard of any of them, when the clock reached an hour and fifteen minutes, I gave up, with five answers not completed.
    Spent a little time in the DC (Dispirited Club).
    Tomorrow will be a new challenge.
    Thanks, Rotter.
    1. The Dispirited Club — a great new addition 😊 Fingers crossed for better spirits tomorrow!
       1. Thanks, Peebee! I have just picked up your comment and yes, the spirits have definitely lifted, since. 🙂
          1. Thats ok! I imagine spirits are even better this week 😊 Penny
41. I wasn’t expecting to add a comment this evening but… first, I have to say I found this was even harder than yesterday. Mostly completed in ‘pencil’ with some lucky inspiration eg 10a John. Only 3 across and 4 down on first pass, but got there in the end with much deliberation over 15a Do or To? My incentive to sign on was to add a vote to Some Random Chap’s spot-on comment! FOI 10a. LOI 15a. COD 3d. So pleased to have Rotter’s blog to check out the parsing on my pencil work.
42. Top half a breeze, but bottom half into headwind and I ran out of time. Other things to do, and all. But if I may add my very late tuppenceworth to those solvers who are discouraged by failing to finish, that’s all part of the learning process, and if you stick at it you will find yourself improving. Honestly. And instead of mourning the DNF, try celebrating with a Yay, I managed one clue/two/a quarter/half…!
43. Yet another toughie. Eventually did all but SE corner where I has AS ONE instead of IS ONE which cocked things up, but would never have thought of LEERIER anyway. NHO ASHET.
    Some very neat clues, though. Can I finish Friday’s???
44. Also, please, what is SCC?
    1. SCC is the Slow Coach Club, describing those solvers that take more than 30 minutes to solve. From the comments above, we may see the DC (Dispirited Club) added to our jargon, which can all be decoded using the Glossary that exists somewhere on this blog. I can’t be more specific as it jumps around a bit depending which device you are using to read the blog. As a habitual iPad user, I can never find the damned thing.
       1. I always thought the SCC kicked in at 20mins, but I would love to be wrong.

          I think I’ve managed to find the glossary once, almost by accident, but have since forgotten how and have given up trying.

          1. Hi invariant — just saw this after a late message from someone else. On my Kindle and my phone (Android), the glossary is right at the bottom of the opening LJ page, but on my PC, it’s on the top right. As Rotter says, it could be anywhere, but I’ve found that if you just keep scrolling, it eventually turns up, with lots of other interesting links too 😊 Penny
             1. I’m sure your right, but Huawei have done an excellent job hiding it on my media pad tablet.

                I know it’s there somewhere but..

                1. Sorry I can’t be any more help! Husband and daughter both have Huawei but not the TftT blog so that’s no use either 😅 Good luck with the continuing hunt …
                   1. Thanks — if I ever find it again, I’ll be sure to let you know
45. You are correct of course, my mistake. 20 minutes is the lower boundary for the SCC.
46. Just finished this one today

    (but I also started it today – and took 14m)

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