Comments on: Guardian 24,543 – Pasquale

By: Fletch

Fletch — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:44:55 +0000

No, I’m sure Paul used it later than that.

Congratulations on being first to spot it!

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:01:57 +0000

Ah, sorry to appear to replicate your post. It wasn’t here when I posted. Still, it’s such a good anagram it bears repeating!

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:00:13 +0000

Rufus, just to quote here what you said elsewhere today:

“The Britney Spears anagram was first used by me in the Church Times cryptic puzzle of January 25th 2002.”

By: Rufus

Rufus — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:00:11 +0000

P.S. My first use of the Britney Spears anagram was in the Church Times of January 25th 2002 where it passed relatively unnoticed. I used it later in the Telegraph in 2002 when it provided some readers’ correspondence on the letters page. Should Paul, or anyone else, have used this anagram before the Church Times date I shall be very disappointed to have to apologise!.

By: Rufus

Rufus — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:28:20 +0000

I always thought I was the first to use the Britney Spears anagram. Val Gilbert, the Telegraph ex-crossword editor, supports this view in her latest book “A Display of Lights” (a clue for “crossword”) about six of the Telegraph setters, although I cannot recall offhand whether my first use was in the Telegraph or the Church Times.

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:43:12 +0000

Presbyterians = (Britney Spears)* was mentioned in the programme by Azed, that is the attribution being discussed way up there rather than ho originally used it is a crossword.

By: Smutchin

Smutchin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:40:50 +0000

Jimbo, a mild objection to your objections – I feel slightly aggrieved on Andre Gide’s behalf that you consider him obscure! But then he is one of my favourite authors. And while I’d not heard of the Rig Veda either, it was very gettable from the clue.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:46:07 +0000

That is my understanding also.

By: Fletch

Fletch — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:16:44 +0000

I always thought the Presbyterians/Britney Spears anagram was attributed to The Guardian’s Paul, no?

By: owenjonesuk

owenjonesuk — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:08:59 +0000

Thanks Qaos.