Comments on: Independent 6806/Radian

By: neildubya

neildubya — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:41:58 +0000

See comment 8 for an explanation about your first point.

See comment 11 for an explanation about the Olympics reference.

By: BrianR

BrianR — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:58:21 +0000

I am puzzled by response 5.
3. Sparkling wine announced for exclusive group (4)

My 3D clue was: Conservative’s in group, exclusive group (4)
Obviously SE(C)T.

Also puzzled by response 3 (Radian wouldn’t let the start of the Olympics go unnoticed, would he?)
Can’t find any reference to this in puzzle 6806.

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 16:00:15 +0000

Thanks Eimi – indeed, even with all the hints not easy to spot.
I’m just about to start on your offering in today’s paper!
I see there is a “Puzzle special” in today’s Independent which includes 4 cryptic crosswords that are unattributed. Do you know if these are by some of the Indy regulars?

By: eimi

eimi — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:27:00 +0000

I think Radian intended us to look for 08-08-08 (twice). They’re not easy to spot, as they are not all in horizontal or vertical lines, e.g. the first O of THROW IN THE TOWEL and WAIT, and OWE plus the IGHT of HEIGHTENS, the second O of THROW IN THE TOWEL and WEIGHT, in addition to the ones in bOATEr, OATEs and inchOATE.

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:33:17 +0000

After what Radian said above about “Beijing”, “auspicious” and “down to the second” I looked for 8s, as the chinese treat 8 as a particularly lucky number and the Olympics started on 2008-08-08 at 08:08:08.
There are 2 clear 8s in hEIGHTens and wEIGHT.
I can see 5 other 8s as homophones ATE and AIT in boATEr, wAIT, inchoATE, oATEs and terminATE.
Seven 8s doesn’t seem right, so I think I’m still missing something and I don’t understand Eimi’s mention about “looking around corners”.

By: davey b

davey b — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:20:20 +0000

Can anyone tell me the “nina”?

By: Radian

Radian — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:49:24 +0000

Schmect, schmekt. I’m surprised and a little disappointed no one’s spotted the timely inserts, some direct, some angular, all of them necessarily homophonic. Someone in Beijing would see them as quite auspicious, right down to the second. I’ll have to learn to put out more flags.

By: eimi

eimi — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:34:52 +0000

Readers of the paper are probably very confused now. Looks like I failed to change the online version of 3 Down, changed in the printed version during editing.

There is a very subtle nina in this – I’m not sure I would have seen it if it wasn’t pointed out, but it relates to the date and requires looking around corners in some places.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:24:26 +0000

Re: sect and sekt
Thanks Duggie. In my ignorance, I have never heard of sekt.
Maybe it’s because I don’t particularly like champagne.

By: Duggie

Duggie — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:51:03 +0000

Barbara: Sekt, I think