Comments on: Financial Times 12796 / Quark

By: C G Rishikesh

C G Rishikesh — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:31:42 +0000

‘To be oneself’ is ‘to be in one’s normal condition of mind and body (after an illness, emotional stress, etc.)’ Or perhaps to feel comfortable without having to put on an affected pose. The not-so-cryptic clue seems to glance at the idiomatic expression.

As for the word “baker’s” in italics in the other clue, the point I was trying to make was that the emphasis was not really necessary. It can be solved even without the word in italics.

By: John

John — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:16:44 +0000

7D ICING is seen on the top side of a cake in the baker’s, but not on topside in the butcher’s.

12A appears to be ONESELF, but why ‘fit as normal’?

By: Bradman

Bradman — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:03:39 +0000

There is a short note about the late Eric Burge (Quark) by the printed crossword. A few more puzzles remain in the pipeline.

By: Magpie

Magpie — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:41:44 +0000

Hi Rishi
Your missing answers are: 10ac CROWN (go on river = row inside c & n – cape north head(s)); 14ac LORDS (another nice cricketing reference); 9dn SCROLL (double definition).
I wasn’t sure about 7dn either, although the answer fell in place easily enough. Can find no reference to baldness in my Collins & OED! Perhaps its just that icing is found on top of a cake and (in meteorological terms) on the ground (i.e. bottom).

By: Eileen

Eileen — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:41:21 +0000

Sorry – meant 18dn!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:40:45 +0000

19dn: could it be that Rhine rhymes with wine?

By: C G Rishikesh

C G Rishikesh — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:29:30 +0000

If my memory serves me right, I read somewhere recently that ‘icing’ also means ‘bald head’. Is there any glance at this meaning in Clue 7dn?