Comments on: Financial Times 12,552 by Cinephile

By: Dhananjay

Dhananjay — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 04:20:25 +0000

That’s a great story Pete! I recently won a prize for the FT myself, so it was interesting to read about the olden days

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:58:59 +0000

Aha! I know that crossroads very well. I just had no idea what it was called, or even that it had a name. In fact, that crossroads happens to have a significance in my crosswording life: I have once won a prize for an FT puzzle. That was back in the days when the prizes were pens, or to be exact pen vouchers. I exchanged my voucher for a fine Pelikan at a pen shop just down High Street from what I now know to be Carfax.

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:43:35 +0000

Carfax: I thought this was a purely Oxford placename.
In Oxford the crossroads where Cornmarket, High St., St Aldgate’s and Queen Street meet is known as Carfax, and there is Carfax Tower there.
Most of this is now pedestrianised so is a good spot to arrange to meet up.
Maybe it’s because I knew this as Carfax before I noticed the old tower I always assumed it refered to the site rather than the tower.
Interesting that it has the same meaning outside Oxford.

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 05:22:42 +0000

Wow, that was quick. Thank you, Dhananjay. But why the capital C?

By: Dhananjay

Dhananjay — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 05:06:56 +0000

For 14 down, here is what Carfax refers to:

A noun meaning the place where four roads meet (though usually referring to the main intersection in the middle of a town) derived from the French Quatre face