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Crossword Help Forum
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strangelybrown

27th February 2024, 09:37
16a Knocked back, this stuff's high grade wine (4)
?S?I
Asti I suppose, but why?
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chrise

27th February 2024, 09:45
it's A?
not very good
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geting

27th February 2024, 09:47
ASTI
ts = this (abbr in text messaging) reversed in A1 = top grade
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strangelybrown

27th February 2024, 09:58
Thanks, wasn't aware that 'this' could be abbreviated to 'ts'.
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jono

27th February 2024, 10:04
I think Chris’s parse is more likely. There’s no support for ts=this in Collins and the apostrophe in “stuff’s “ doesn’t work if we are meant to take “stuffs” as an insertion indicator.
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geting

27th February 2024, 10:18
Yes, I see what you mean about the comma. Chrise's solution is the correct one.

By the way, Jono, as you're there and seem very knowledgeable about all this, I need a book of cryptic crosswords. The Times series are all sold out on line. Would the Telegraph be a reasonable substitute as regards complexity?
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jono

27th February 2024, 10:31
Hi Geting, yes I would think they are broadly equivalent in terms of level, though I’m no expert on the DT. They are blogged on Big Dave’s site and have a strong following.

You may have seen Whetstone’s thread “Times Cryptics… PREVIOUS PUZZLES”. In fact he moved on from the Times to the Telegraph a while ago so all the recent posts relate to Telegraph clues, though it’s hard to see any difference.
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geting

27th February 2024, 10:34
Many thanks Jono
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paulhabershon

27th February 2024, 12:33
Comparing DT cryptic with The Times, one rule observed by the latter is not allowing more closed letters than open ones in a solution. I am not keen on the DT's frequent ?-?-? for five-letter words.

Quibbles like this have made me a Times disciple even though my parents brought me up on the DT. I also like the Times rule of not allowing living people as a solution, but perhaps the DT observes this too?
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geting

27th February 2024, 14:38
Thanks for your observations Paul. The Times is my preferred choice but as I mention below their online stock of cryptics seems to have sold out during the pandemic years
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