28. Perhaps Guardian setters need to get out more. The Guardian - Quick crossword No 14,758 - Aug 24 2017. But cluing Tibet that way is just plain wrong. I too thought that drafts/draughts and checkers/chequers were there to draw the necessary US/UK usage distinction. Even so, I have heard of this particular team. One glance at this blog tells one all he needs to know about the #1 obsession of the Brits, doesn’t it? tchup =p-Left in pizza and anagram of hut with c for cold. Splendid puzzle with some very tricksy parsing but I thought it was fair enough. 25. Excellent puzzle. You explained several where I had the right answer but not the parsing. 26. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Premier Sunday - King Feature Syndicate - Jan 19 2020, The Telegraph - QUICK CROSSWORD NO: 29,182 - Oct 15 2019, Wall Street Journal - Aug 26 2019 - Championship Run, Wall Street Journal - Aug 10 2019 - Occupational Therapy, The Telegraph - QUICK CROSSWORD NO: 563 - Aug 5 2019, The Guardian - Quick crossword No 15,288 - May 8 2019, The Guardian - Quick crossword No 15,232 - Mar 4 2019, The Telegraph - QUICK CROSSWORD NO: 28,898 - Nov 16 2018, The Times - Concise - Times Concise No 7728, The Guardian - Quick crossword No 14,758 - Aug 24 2017. A direct misrepresentation (8,3). An enjoyable puzzle with a couple that resisted strongly.

Aren’t checkers (or chequers) draughts not drafts. BRONTOSAUR is outdated now, we should all be using Apatosaur apparently, but I don’t suppose it really matters. The Guardian - Quick crossword No 14,758 - Aug 24 2017; August 24 2017.

29. 14. It took me a while to parse KETCHUP but once I realised ‘virtually’ meant ‘almost’ it was quite clear. 39. Which even those that haven’t done French for a bit can probably work out.

Thanks again Tramp, a very enjoyable puzzle. Guilty as charged. Liked the ADRIATIC SEA but had never heard of BAR. Much more interesting solve than many other puzzles. Not that this a complaint . [Flashling, you know as well as I do that here in the East Midlands it chucks it down – as it has been doing this morning. Trailman @ 24 Funny how regional some words are. 15. I really enjoyed this puzzle even though I found it towards the easier end of Tramp’s spectrum. I will read properly on Thursday. Also, not to nitpick, but in 7, Hef is Hugh Hefner’s nickname, so “Playboy head” is already HEF. 23. Enjoyed this without understanding how he got Fajita. Plenty of excellent clues plus a fun mini-them. Enjoyed this but struggled with a few of the parsings, especially KETCHUP and BIG MAC. Phillip Schofield admitted he was 'terrified' as he watched his co-host bash a piñata full of sweets to pieces during Wednesday's episode of... BRITBOX, a British streaming service with Britain’s finest shows available to watch at the touch of a button. Favourite clues: KETCHUP, BUCKETFUL, BRONTOSAUR, BIG MAC, GROUNDBREAKING [among others]. Thanks Flashling for the explanations. PS Eileen @21 – it’s been mostly bright, sunny and breezy here in Notts this morning. GROUNDBREAKING a wower, and a lot of laughs. Simple double def on the lines of the theme, Spent so long looking for word play, well played Tramp.

Stuck on ketchup too. 21. I think it’s the well-known European football team Ajax of Amsterdam, so a ‘European side’ in that sense. Another smashing puzzle, thank you Tramp. Got held up with understanding KETCHUP (couldn’t work out the KE part) and hesitated for a long time with TEEM (hadn’t heard of the ‘throw it down’ term for rain before!). Delighted that nobody’s complained about the brand names, even if they may not be my favourite companies. I might wish it were so but Tibet is a lot further from being a country than Scotland or Quebec.

. Hi again. KE(y) + P(izza) and then as per your parsing. Posted by flashling on October 21st, 2014. 35. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 19. 10. Was another who initially wrote in IDOLATERS and had to back track to get PILE. The Gloria Steinem movie 'The Glorias' did a great job in casting...see how much the cast looks like their real-life counterparts.

Tired of your current crossword puzzle? Most enjoyable! Brilliant clue for ADRIATIC SEA and MISSIONARY drew a wry chuckle ! Just another case of the setter having more fun than the solver? 38.

I’ve a feeling the ‘pole star’ would have been top–less! Your email address will not be published. 37. 1452: Bridges by X-Type, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar,_Montenegro. 31. Title.

2.

If weather forecasts are required, I can confirm that is very windy in East Kent but with lovely blue sky. 9. 42 comments before 2 p.m. = an unusually busy morning!