This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on July 5, 2009
Introduction
I worked at this puzzle on and off all day between doing other things, so it is hard to know how much time I actually spent on it. The bottom right-hand corner did give me the most problems. I ended up with one clue for which I didn't comprehend the wordplay - although it was very nearly two.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4336].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
17ac English public school rule Dan breaks (7)
After doing a great many crossword puzzles, I was beginning to believe that there is only one public school in England (the famous four-letter one on the Thames). Apparently, there must be another at Arundel, although I could find no reference to any likely candidate through a fairly exhaustive Internet search. Aside from some schools in Canada and the US which I quickly dismissed, I found only one entry relating to a school in England - Arundel CE Primary School (but, based on its low-profile Internet presence, this would seem to be a pretty obscure school to rate mention in the puzzle).
By the way, what the Brits refer to as a public school would be called a private school in North America.
25d As a rule, give up second outing (5)
Despite getting the correct solution (from the checking letters and the first part of the clue), I puzzled over the wordplay for a very long time. I had almost resigned myself to throwing in the towel on this one, when the answer hit me.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009 (ST 4335)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on June 28, 2009
Introduction
It is always humbling to read the British reviewers discussing their solving times. They seem to complete the entire puzzle in the time it takes me to solve a single clue!
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by 7dpenguin pinch hitting for talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4335].
Commentary on This Week's Puzzle
19d Bigot's angry with drink (7)
I am puzzled by the role played by "angry" in this clue. A "bigot" is a REDNECK, and a Redneck is also a cocktail (although it does not appear to be recognized by the International Bartender's Association as an IBA Official Cocktail). I had thought maybe "angry" was RED and "drink" was NECK, but could find no drink called a Neck, although I did find one called a Horse's Neck.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
It is always humbling to read the British reviewers discussing their solving times. They seem to complete the entire puzzle in the time it takes me to solve a single clue!
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by 7dpenguin pinch hitting for talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4335].
Commentary on This Week's Puzzle
19d Bigot's angry with drink (7)
I am puzzled by the role played by "angry" in this clue. A "bigot" is a REDNECK, and a Redneck is also a cocktail (although it does not appear to be recognized by the International Bartender's Association as an IBA Official Cocktail). I had thought maybe "angry" was RED and "drink" was NECK, but could find no drink called a Neck, although I did find one called a Horse's Neck.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009 (ST 4334)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on June 21, 2009
Introduction
I achieved a fairly respectable completion time on this puzzle despite going down one dead end street.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4334].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
There were several new terms for me in today's puzzle, among them ODALISKS (9ac) and USANCE (28ac). However, I managed to work both of them out from the wordplay before going to the dictionary to confirm that these words actually exist. A somewhat similar case is the appearance of ID meaning "fish" in 8d. I searched through many reference sources before finding in Wikipedia (as did an anonymous commenter on Times for the Times) that this is an alternate spelling of ide (with which I am familiar from its frequent appearances in crossword puzzles).
Like those commenting on Times for the Times, I was a bit perplexed by the use of "required" in 19d, as the word seemed totally superfluous to both the cryptic wordplay and the surface reading.
In his blog on Times for the Times, talbinho wonders whether the Nursery Rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" would be known abroad. The Mother Goose rhymes are certainly well known in Canada and the U.S. - and I dare say throughout the English-speaking world.
In his blog , talbinho also expresses some disagreement with the use of "junction" for T. However, I thought this usage was fine, as junction can be defined as "2. A place where two things join or meet, especially a place where two roads or railway routes come together and one terminates" and a T-junction as "a junction where two roads or pipes etc. meet to form a T".
The dead end street that I ventured down was in 27d, where I initially had opted for HAIR as the solution on the basis that hair is often used to symbolize or indicate fineness (e.g., "to adjust a setting just a hair") and hair may need cutting. LAWN as a fabric was yet another new term for me.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
I achieved a fairly respectable completion time on this puzzle despite going down one dead end street.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4334].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
There were several new terms for me in today's puzzle, among them ODALISKS (9ac) and USANCE (28ac). However, I managed to work both of them out from the wordplay before going to the dictionary to confirm that these words actually exist. A somewhat similar case is the appearance of ID meaning "fish" in 8d. I searched through many reference sources before finding in Wikipedia (as did an anonymous commenter on Times for the Times) that this is an alternate spelling of ide (with which I am familiar from its frequent appearances in crossword puzzles).
Like those commenting on Times for the Times, I was a bit perplexed by the use of "required" in 19d, as the word seemed totally superfluous to both the cryptic wordplay and the surface reading.
In his blog on Times for the Times, talbinho wonders whether the Nursery Rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" would be known abroad. The Mother Goose rhymes are certainly well known in Canada and the U.S. - and I dare say throughout the English-speaking world.
In his blog , talbinho also expresses some disagreement with the use of "junction" for T. However, I thought this usage was fine, as junction can be defined as "2. A place where two things join or meet, especially a place where two roads or railway routes come together and one terminates" and a T-junction as "a junction where two roads or pipes etc. meet to form a T".
The dead end street that I ventured down was in 27d, where I initially had opted for HAIR as the solution on the basis that hair is often used to symbolize or indicate fineness (e.g., "to adjust a setting just a hair") and hair may need cutting. LAWN as a fabric was yet another new term for me.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009 (ST 4333)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on June 14, 2009
Introduction
As I will be away from home on July 26th, I am posting the link for this puzzle in advance - anticipating that the Citizen will adhere to the normal publication cycle.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
As I will be away from home on July 26th, I am posting the link for this puzzle in advance - anticipating that the Citizen will adhere to the normal publication cycle.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, July 19, 2009 (ST 4332)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on June 7, 2009
Introduction
Today's puzzle was quite straight-forward with a few rather clever clues. I was quite pleased with my solving time - even though it was not at all in the same ball park as talbinho's six minutes and change.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4332].
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
Today's puzzle was quite straight-forward with a few rather clever clues. I was quite pleased with my solving time - even though it was not at all in the same ball park as talbinho's six minutes and change.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4332].
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009 (ST 4331)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on May 31, 2009
Introduction
On the whole, not too difficult a puzzle. A couple of missteps initially held me up, but I eventually discovered them and completed the puzzle successfully.
Links to solutions:
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho may be found at Times for the Times [ST 4331].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
1ac Perhaps what Moby Dick had was a great experience! (1, 5, 2,1,4)
Initially, I had selected "A whale of a tale" as the solution for this clue. However, lack of progress on 7d led me to revisit this clue, and I fortunately realized that the solution might be A WHALE OF A TIME. This was confirmed when I solved 7d.
7d I harm Northern city (5)
Phrases such as "going North", "heading North", "towards the North", etc. in a down clue usually are a reversal indicator. Similarly, terms such as "going West", etc. are used as reversal indicators in across clues. The author of the Times for the Times blog, talbinho, obviously feels that the setter has overstepped the bounds in using "Northern" as a reversal indicator. As one meaning of "northern" is "moving towards the north", I can see that this usage might be appropriate. However, another meaning of "northern" is "coming from the north (as the wind)" which means exactly the opposite (i.e., moving towards the south). Oh, the precision of the English language - where a word can be its own antonym!
8d Number on a rabbit displayed with help (13)
In this clue, the setter uses a fairly common trick - so common apparently that talbinho does not even bother to mention it. "Number" here does not mean a numerical quantity, but rather something that makes one numb. A similar trick is the quite frequent use of the word "flower", not as a plant, but as something that flows (viz., a river).
17d Spot a fashionable jersey? (3,6)
Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, is noted (among other things) for its potatoes - like Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Idaho.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
On the whole, not too difficult a puzzle. A couple of missteps initially held me up, but I eventually discovered them and completed the puzzle successfully.
Links to solutions:
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho may be found at Times for the Times [ST 4331].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
1ac Perhaps what Moby Dick had was a great experience! (1, 5, 2,1,4)
Initially, I had selected "A whale of a tale" as the solution for this clue. However, lack of progress on 7d led me to revisit this clue, and I fortunately realized that the solution might be A WHALE OF A TIME. This was confirmed when I solved 7d.
7d I harm Northern city (5)
Phrases such as "going North", "heading North", "towards the North", etc. in a down clue usually are a reversal indicator. Similarly, terms such as "going West", etc. are used as reversal indicators in across clues. The author of the Times for the Times blog, talbinho, obviously feels that the setter has overstepped the bounds in using "Northern" as a reversal indicator. As one meaning of "northern" is "moving towards the north", I can see that this usage might be appropriate. However, another meaning of "northern" is "coming from the north (as the wind)" which means exactly the opposite (i.e., moving towards the south). Oh, the precision of the English language - where a word can be its own antonym!
8d Number on a rabbit displayed with help (13)
In this clue, the setter uses a fairly common trick - so common apparently that talbinho does not even bother to mention it. "Number" here does not mean a numerical quantity, but rather something that makes one numb. A similar trick is the quite frequent use of the word "flower", not as a plant, but as something that flows (viz., a river).
17d Spot a fashionable jersey? (3,6)
Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, is noted (among other things) for its potatoes - like Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Idaho.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009 (ST 4330)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on May 24, 2009
Introduction
I'm afraid that I am running a bit behind in updating my blog this week.
I managed to complete this week's puzzle successfully, although I did have concerns regarding the wordplay on a couple of solutions. However, my solving time was nowhere even close to that of talbinho (author of the Times for the Times blog) - who seems to measure performance in minutes while I measure mine in hours.
I have recently discovered that this puzzle appears in the Vancouver Sun on the Saturday prior to its appearance in the Ottawa Citizen. I also noted that the Sun doesn't publish the solution grid until the following week, unlike the Citizen which publishes the solution grid in the same edition as the puzzle. No doubt, this explains interest in my blog from the West Coast. Although I have not checked the other Canwest papers across Canada, I would not be surprised to learn that the puzzle also appears in some of them.
Links to solutions:
For a review of today's puzzle, see Times for the Times [ST 4330].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
27ac Trio's occupation, in book-craft (5,3,2,1,4)
Having figured out most of the solution fairly quickly (THREE MEN IN A ?O?T), it was not too difficult to find the title of the book referred to by the clue. I must say, though, that this was one of those cases where I was left with a distinct feeling of having overlooked some nuance in the wordplay. When Times for the Times did not provide any evidence of this, merely referring to the clue as a cryptic definition, I concluded that I probably had a pretty good grasp of the wordplay after all - with "trio" referring to "THREE MEN", "occupation" suggesting both that they are occupying a boat ("craft") as well as the fact that "bookcraft" (authorship) is an occupation, and - of course - the solution being the title of a book.
16d Cash left aboard at return of oil spill (9)
There appeared to be a clear consensus at Times for the Times that there is misprint in this clue - that "cash" should have been "case". Ironically, this fact did not appreciably slow me down as I merely attributed the unusual meaning for "portfolio" to being just another quirky British expression with which I am unfamiliar!
23d Current resting place (3)
The solution clearly appeared to be ROOST, but, for the life of me, I could not figure out the connection with "current" until I read the review at Times for the Times. Of course, I then discovered that the answer appears in at least two dictionaries - Chambers and Wiktionary.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
I'm afraid that I am running a bit behind in updating my blog this week.
I managed to complete this week's puzzle successfully, although I did have concerns regarding the wordplay on a couple of solutions. However, my solving time was nowhere even close to that of talbinho (author of the Times for the Times blog) - who seems to measure performance in minutes while I measure mine in hours.
I have recently discovered that this puzzle appears in the Vancouver Sun on the Saturday prior to its appearance in the Ottawa Citizen. I also noted that the Sun doesn't publish the solution grid until the following week, unlike the Citizen which publishes the solution grid in the same edition as the puzzle. No doubt, this explains interest in my blog from the West Coast. Although I have not checked the other Canwest papers across Canada, I would not be surprised to learn that the puzzle also appears in some of them.
Links to solutions:
For a review of today's puzzle, see Times for the Times [ST 4330].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
27ac Trio's occupation, in book-craft (5,3,2,1,4)
Having figured out most of the solution fairly quickly (THREE MEN IN A ?O?T), it was not too difficult to find the title of the book referred to by the clue. I must say, though, that this was one of those cases where I was left with a distinct feeling of having overlooked some nuance in the wordplay. When Times for the Times did not provide any evidence of this, merely referring to the clue as a cryptic definition, I concluded that I probably had a pretty good grasp of the wordplay after all - with "trio" referring to "THREE MEN", "occupation" suggesting both that they are occupying a boat ("craft") as well as the fact that "bookcraft" (authorship) is an occupation, and - of course - the solution being the title of a book.
16d Cash left aboard at return of oil spill (9)
There appeared to be a clear consensus at Times for the Times that there is misprint in this clue - that "cash" should have been "case". Ironically, this fact did not appreciably slow me down as I merely attributed the unusual meaning for "portfolio" to being just another quirky British expression with which I am unfamiliar!
23d Current resting place (3)
The solution clearly appeared to be ROOST, but, for the life of me, I could not figure out the connection with "current" until I read the review at Times for the Times. Of course, I then discovered that the answer appears in at least two dictionaries - Chambers and Wiktionary.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
