The Times Crossword Friday Masterclass: Episode 41

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** TODAY'S PUZZLE **
In the 41st edition of our attempt to solve a Friday Times crossword, Simon takes on today's puzzle which is harder than usual, features some fantastic clues & may harbour a tiny bit of controversy!
The puzzle is available to play on The Times crossword club website (which is behind their paywall):
www.thetimes.co.uk/puzzleclub...
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** NEW CONTENT ON PATREON **
Joining us on Patreon costs as little as $2 a month and includes Mark's solve of The Times' Club Monthly special - a vicious cryptic!!
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[@LorisLaboratory]

I love how Simon often says things like he's not interesting at parties, but then every couple of videos reveals something fantastical he's done that average people never have like "I've white water rafted on the Zambesi" 😆

[@CharlieGrant88]

"Dunroamin" is a stereotypical name for a cottage or guesthouse - from "done roaming" i.e. a place to stay at the end of travel.

[@nigelgraves8784]

frequently used as a house name for retired couples, but I find it hard to believe it's in the OED. It's not allowed in scrabble.

[@ConManAU]

Parodied by Terry Pratchett in his Discworld books where the home of the Gods is called "Dunmanifestin".

[@1fosters]

Next to the Dewdrop Inn

[@Maenamburi1]

A friend vastly overspent on refurbishing his house. When the work was completed he renamed it 'Dunmedohin'.

[@ALKroonenberg]

I loved the surface, because I think it actually gives another way to get the answer (or another way to parse once you’ve got it). If you’re outside near your home at two am, you’re probably done roaming for the night. With “so-called” as a homophone indicator, you get dunroamin! Pretty new to these videos and puzzles (Dutch cryptograms are very different), love watching these to be impressed - and even inspired ;) - by the unbelievable knowledge and skill on display

[@jackportz]

Do you know CTC featured in a clue in the Independent 11,571 (Nov 11th): Mark originally created ‘Cracking The Cryptic’ (4) Might be worth a bonus video…

[@BryanLu0]

That is an extraordinary clue, wow

[@1fosters]

Wow. That wordplay is sublime.

[@cqzen217]

Could someone explain the wordplay please. I gather the answer is 'etch' but I'm not sure how 'originally created ‘Cracking The Cryptic’' backs that up? Thank you!

[@1fosters]

@cqzen217 . . . . . . . Mark is the definition. 'Originally created' is the first letter of created, C. 'The cryptic' is an anagram of The. C is 'cracking' (or splitting) the anagram of the. As you surmised the answer is Etch.

[@rockhopper_penguin]

Another excellent solve. Thank you Simon. This is my weekly comment to help St Algorithmus understand the wonder of cryptic crosswords

[@thitherword]

42:50 This is how I imagine Simon responding to the initiation of nuclear Armageddon.

[@robertberwick3856]

I would have answered maybe 2 of those clues today. You made mince meat of what seemed to me a ridiculously hard puzzle. Bravo Simon. Keep them coming.

[@yitzijansnow3321]

My best explanation: In the past, you might say something like "thou goest" for "you go". Perhaps it would be valid to say "thou disinterest" for "you dig up". This would explain both "you" at the start of the clue, and "from the past possibly". If that is the case, that question mark there is definitely warranted.

[@user-og4le9tq4l]

I was thinking about when you see when companies were founded in the past (e.g. Est 1925), but I like your reasoning better

[@mikechappell5849]

yes, that was my explanation too

[@hoagy_ytfc]

Ha, my justification was unbelievably bad - I knew it had to be wrong... I had "EST" as in the US timezone, which is behind (in the past of) UK time...

[@DJColdCutz_]

I think “possibly” means est, as in an abbreviation for “estimate” lol. Simon immediately gets DS which is an abbreviation for detective for which busy is a slang term, but gets stumped by an abbreviation for estimate. Sometimes our brains just fart 😂

[@kempisthomasa7311]

Methinks thou art on to something.

[@plusjeremy]

Good lord you were on the wavelength today, zipping through many I struggled with. Great solve!

[@Alex_Meadows]

Well done Simon! Always love these. My best guess for "disinterest" is that "est" refers to an estimate, hence the "possibly", but I may be horribly wrong. I got seven before you today. However, I play a wretchedly underhand version of this game in which I allow myself to look at clues that you haven't seen yet. I justify this blatant cheating on the grounds that you're much better at cryptic crosswords than I am.

[@DJColdCutz_]

That’s what I think “est” is too. If the definition is “possibly indicating something dull?” then possibly and ? at the end are redundant. So possibly is est is estimate, and the definition is “indicating something dull?”

[@rhysbart]

This setter knows so many words I don't. Very good.

[@debrabowen4276]

Love the cryptic crossword videos!

[@Raven-Creations]

I'm in awe of this setter. There were so many beautifully crafted clues in this, some of them very inventive, like yell ow ow. Ell is valid for an annex according to Collins. I think the suffix -est on disinter is the old second person singular indicative, as in "dost thou knowest the way to San Jose?" as might have been sung by ye olde Dionne Warwicke. Dunroamin has a wikipedia page: "A stereotypical name for a cottage or guesthouse". It's the somewhat hackneyed name of the house, rather than a definition, which is probably why the question mark is there.

[@davidrattner9]

Brilliant from you today Simon!! Thank you so much for continuing these! Fascinating to me how you quickly come up with answers!

[@longwaytotipperary]

Ditto! 😁

[@perman17]

Thanks for another enjoyable video! I'm working on solving cryptics, and it's challenging to get your head around as a newbie. So these videos are really invaluable for me!

[@vinyl1Earthlink]

The correct parsing of disinterest refers to a jocular idea of someone in the Middle Ages saying thou disinter-est.

[@missioncardiac7599]

As I was walking all alane, I heard twa corbies making a mane; The tane unto the t’other say, ‘Where sall we gang and dine to-day?’ The first verse of The Twa Corbies. And Wat as in Angkor Wat of course.

[@DontMockMySmock]

Despite being American, I know "Dunroamin" (an English stereotypical name for a cottage where some young couple has settled down, from "done roaming" but faux celtic or something) because of reading Terry Pratchett. In the Discworld series, the gods reside in their celestial home, Dunmanifestin.

[@stevewood8]

Really enjoyed the lesson. My homework this week is to memorise the names of the nine muses. Please keep these coming, they are much appreciated.

[@hoagy_ytfc]

"Throwing" is the most important of the Muses.

[@oak3001]

I love these videos. Please keep 'em coming!

[@lucasglanville2880]

Love this series, never stop

[@basilicon.]

Yes, Io is a moon of Jupiter and it's one of the four Galilean moons (the biggest ones). These moons are typically visible by most telescope on nights when Jupiter is out (unless you are unlucky, and all four moons are either directly in front or behind Jupiter). The name Io comes from Greek myth; Io was one of the many mortal lovers of Zeus, and was the ancestor of many great kings and heroes, including Heracles.

[@johnciolfi5085]

Ell, as used for a building wing or annex, is an extremely common bit of “crosswordese” - a relatively uncommon word that shows up frequently as a filler word in American crosswords (much like “lee” and “alee”). Usually in the US, “el” refers exclusively to an elevated train.

[@peterbiddlecombe1939]

Mildly surprised that Simon didn't know more Muses, which would have made 4D an instant write-in. But that gives me a chance to mention the Beryl Reid crossword sketch, findable on KZbin, in which a Muse is part of the amusement. There is a Two Ronnies one too, with a similar railway carriage/social classes scenario.

[@azrobbins01]

Love these! Please keep doing them!

[@user-ho4vm1hy4e]

Times is too difficult for me but I love these videos. Ide comes up quite frequently in other crosswords I do, I guess because that combination of letters occurs in many words.

[@profregan6937]

Consistently the finest educational fun on all of KZbin.

[@Da-chompy]

I think "in the past possibly" being est is an abbreviation for the word established

[@pauld5337]

Thank you for doing these cryptic crosswords, really enjoy watching how these clues are cracked.🎉🎉🎉

[@Prazzie]

Thank you for another extremely informative video. This puzzle contained many words I've never encountered, which means I didn't have a hope of completing it myself.

[@zelassin]

Sheesh, whitewater rafting in Africa, watching opera in Sydney, temple sightseeing in Thailand, Simon has been everywhere and done everything it seems. No wonder dude's such an erudite

[@21deezer]

Dunroamin was in an advert a few years ago which I think was the name on a gateway to a cottage

[@fergusdunn5265]

I'm certainly learning a lot watching these videos. Managed to get a couple just before Simon today and worked out the wordplay quickly after being told the answer.

[@nickr3115]

Wonderful as always, thoroughly enjoyable!

[@longwaytotipperary]

Always a good way to start the weekend!!

[@arthurcharest9061]

Another fun solve, thanks Simon!

[@LogiBizzle]

Thanks for another excellent masterclass Simon!

[@Anne_Mahoney]

Another gem: these are great fun. 😺

[@Donrafa189]

Thank you for another crossword Friday.

[@Ray_Ridley]

Don't forget to add a like everyone - keep this series going !

[@williambarnes3868]

The word Dunroamin is often a name given to a house/home for people who have finally settled down and no longer roam. It is a sort of joke name!

[@litis5151]

14 minutes in and we've already done 4 or 5 lookups in the dictionary for words being abbreviated to 1 or 2 letters. Bit much this time around but enjoying it as always.

[@hoagy_ytfc]

12D is a brilliant clue, it took me some time to work out where the definition ended.

[@matthewjoyce1849]

Another way for -est of disinterest might be est => estimate => possibly

[@nfc153]

I think 14D is a bit naughty - even with a question mark.

[@daveperry7050]

Well done on a pretty efficient solve to a tricky puzzle. It beat me today, as I had to resort to aids for the last 5 answers, all in the NW corner. I didn't know the Muse, also couldn't get 1d, 8, 10 & 20.

[@user-yl3pp8fy9w]

Bit extreme to get aids just for a crossword 😅

[@theskyisteal8346]

I don't know what's going on with the Chamber's but I can confirm that "ell" is very common in american crosswords as a building extension or annex.

[@user-wx8qi1ht7u]

thoroughly enjoyable

[@robertrome2293]

Thank you, Simon, for another wonderful episode - perhaps one of my favourites. Sadly, this one was a DNF for me. 4D defeated me simply because I am ignorant of the names of the muses - at least EUTERPE. Otherwise, I got all but about six fairly quickly - including Dunroamin - but there was quite a lot of biffing or semi-biffing going on. I love, listening to the blog because I so often have the same thought processes (albeit usually a lot slower). On this crossword, I went through exactly the same process and confusion with ELLS and like you I got DISINTER but biffed the EST element. I got WAT, GODS & STROPS but all caused me problems because of a lack of vocabulary. I also wasn’t aware that OO is chess notation. Thanks again again for a brilliant solve

[@alanward4346]

Merriam Webster dictionary has 'ell' as an L-shaped building extension and Wikipedia has 'Dunroamin' as a stereotypical guesthouse. QED!

[@maxstunner100]

Inner bar is for silks, otherwise you are called to the utter (outer) bar!

[@TrekBeatTK]

And here I thought yellow snow was only caused by desperate micturation.

[@vinyl1Earthlink]

As a collector of 20th century American art, it occurred to me that certain artists sign their works with My Name, N.A. It's the National Academy of Design, which admits a limited number of fine artists to membership. I wonder if they would ever use this in a British puzzle?

[@nightwishlover8913]

Unlikely - British.

[@brycecrux2730]

got none again... still need the explanations, so please keep doing these!

[@user-gs3nz8xj5x]

I got Dunroamin quite quickly, I suppose I’ve seen a lot of these in the north.

[@beluch2768]

I got disinterest : You ending in the past of the language : thou disinterest your father (= dig up)

[@hmusic197]

Disinterest-disinter (dig up); est. (from the past, established)

[@peterblin7913]

love it

[@suewilliams7091]

great solve as always Simon. I did get a few before you today. I wondered if the "est" in disinterest referred to established when something is first put in or formed like a company, just a suggestion and can't remember the clue exactly

[@sebastienlecoq3956]

Fun fact, my company name starts with imago, in a contact that would make sense for this definition... But I asked the founder, and no, he only used latin for image, he was not aware of the english/French meaning.

[@AngoDecay]

I proud that the "castles" clue made me think about chess but i still wouldnt have got it haha

[@mikecass8306]

i've stayed at a dunroamin guest house, classic name 😁

[@markcroxteth2108]

Super

[@stubbsz]

Dunroamin, duncaring, dunlivin

[@Stu_1977_SEmelb]

So, it's been said that there'll only be one hidden clue per cryptic in these crosswords... is that an official policy they have? Unofficial? Has it ever been found to be not the case? What about the Quick Cryptics? Is that a different situation? Will there be more than one hidden in those from time to time? If anybody reading this has any insight for me, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you again for these weekly videos, Simon (and Mark). They are wonderful.

[@Stu_1977_SEmelb]

Anyone..? Anyone..?

[@Stu_1977_SEmelb]

Bueller...

[@peterbiddlecombe1939]

It was once found not to be the case, in a puzzle used in the Times Crossword Championship about 15 years ago. I don't think any contestant worried about it, and seemingly very few noticed. I was apparently the first to inform the Times xwd ed who was there as referee in case anyone disputed results or had an alternative answer which they thought was justified. His comment was something like "good heavens!".

[@peterbiddlecombe1939]

(That said, it is a policy, for standard hiddens. Reverse ones, where the word is backwards in the text, are seen as different.) It's a Times policy, not enforced in the Sunday Times cryptics which I edit. (They also use non-monarch living people occasionally.)

[@Stu_1977_SEmelb]

@@peterbiddlecombe1939 Oh wow! Thanks for that! :)

[@paulellingham9358]

Is the EST part coming from latin "from the past" like "alea jacta est"? I have limited latin knowledge! You dig up = DISINTER. From the past = EST. and it's all "possibly evidence of something dull"

[@johnmerriam8661]

Look out where the huskies go. Don't you eat that yellow snow!

[@zelassin]

Strictly commercial

[@johnmerriam8661]

I've never trusted a fur trapper ever since.

[@michaelpdawson]

Roger Waters: "Dunroamin, duncarin, dunlivin"

[@palpytine]

"Possibly evidence" = "estimate"?

[@leeuwevdh]

How does this video have 383K likes with only 9K views?

[@thandeka2580]

21:44 what was that word? Brushareshay?

[@nightwishlover8913]

16.20 "is the dictionary wrong?" Unlikely - more chance of the setter pushing the reasonable limits of his or her art to ridiculous extremes. Imho. I can just see the setter filling in most of the crossword then frantically searching through endless obscure references to find the rest.

[@andrewshelley410]

He's not a Roger Waters fan then.