Filled most of grid, got the instruction, identified the theme and some of the thematic answers and there my enthusiasm for this ends. It appears I now have to cold solve for a subject I have limited interest in where short of an internet slog I can't think how to narrow down answers
hi Andrew, agree this was a rather workmanlike slog for a so-so payoff. Mrs dr b is quite knowledgeable about the theme, so some of that must have rubbed off on me. But still a lot of googling to connect things properly.
Oh well, this leaves plenty of Sunday left for grading exams (boo) and watching football (yay).
I liked this, though I'm no expert on the theme. Once you have cracked it it all falls out quite quickly. Much easier to fill the grid and work back to the clue than vice versa, mind, and I can imagine if it's not your field at all it could be a bit of a struggle. I think I'm Kruger-ed out for the weekend (also set yesterday's Inquisitor)!
Working backwards would have been fine except we didn't get the theme until we had solved most of the misprinted clues! However, at least we were then able to finish up with speed although the word play for 32ac is still alluding us. We were staying in a Martello Tower last week (highly recommended - Landmark Trust property) and had no recourse to the internet so did last week's puzzles the old fashioned way.
Hello everyone,
Fortunately Herself was able to help with the thematic answers, never heard of 32a. Jogler(s), I think it's double definition. Have been plugging numbers into a quad set of telephones, the batteries on the old ones just died, why do you have to do each one separately? Definitely time for a Tempranillo and a sandwich.
Hi Jogler, in 32ac the first word is the definition, and the second gives the first half of the wordplay (pejoratively) and the last word the rest (abbreviation). You're unlucky, DocHH, most quad sets these days have a copy facility so you can synchronise numbers between handsets. Panasonics certainly do.
Found this far more straightforward than - but just as arresting as - last week's. As soon as I realised what one of the thematic answers was the rest fell into place.
Jogler(s), Turnerjmw is absolutely correct with the word play, ignore my stupidity! Stupidly I chose a BT quad, which I now need to plug in all the numbers to each handset, rather than one which will synchroniise entries!
How irritating, DocHH, as I know the BT Freestyle 750 has that facility. Phonebook > Menu > Copy All and choose the handset to send them to. A rare few even allow you to copy off a SIM card. You are most unfortunate to have one which doesn't
An enjoyable puzzle,and although easier than last week I had to research some of the 'accomplished solvers' as I'm not really into the genre.
As others have already said, working back from the solution was necessary to understand the wordplay.
I quite enjoyed this one, and didn't have to look up too many of the "accomplished solvers", which is a bit sad.
Kruger's Inquisitor, however, I found somewhat of a joyless slog, and I'm not sure that I can bring myself to re-check the grid entry to make sure everything is correct.