Comments on: Independent 6880 by Nimrod

By: Al Streatfield

Al Streatfield — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:45:07 +0000

I finished this unaided in over an hour and a half, but can’t say I particularly enjoyed it. Didn’t understand three of the clues (explanations above) and my puzzle became full of question marks regarding the construction of the clues and the surface readings.

By: conradcork

conradcork — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:05:41 +0000

Alton is the man who has made the Independent look like the Star.

By: Mick H

Mick H — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:30:15 +0000

Neal, I’m sure you weren’t alone in being unfamiliar with Roger Alton, editor of the Independent, though I can quite see why Nimrod wanted an alternative to ‘journalist’.
Early Day Motions made me laugh, anyway!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:49:21 +0000

22ac: ‘casual’ – another meaning for ‘scratch’? Collins gives ‘rough, haphazard’

By: Geoff Moss

Geoff Moss — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:16:19 +0000

22a scratch – (formerly) the line in the ring up to which boxers were led to begin fighting (Chambers). I don’t understand the need for ‘casual’ in the clue.

By: Geoff Moss

Geoff Moss — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:08:46 +0000

8d A demonstration can be a ‘sit in’ so ‘demonstrated’ becomes ‘sat in’ which with the initial letter altered (‘change of starters’) gives ‘eat in’. IMO ‘starters’ should have been singular.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:42:19 +0000

That’s all I could think of – but it’s a very commonly used abbreviation in crosswords, isn’t it? and doesn’t usually need that explanation [ particularly 'very'] – but everything else seems to fit.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:35:58 +0000

The “very brief” may indicate that MO is to used for “Medical Officer”.

By: Geoff Moss

Geoff Moss — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:52:16 +0000

I think 19d is probably I in IN VAN – ‘up’ is ‘in the lead’ or ‘in van’.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:18:51 +0000

Testy: 1ac: I’ve got as far as QUANTUM OF SOLACE – new Bond [film] ST MO ON FLU* inside QUA [in the capacity of]…ACE [one] – but I can’t see the need for ‘very brief’.

Still working on 19dn!