Comments on: Independent 6893/Tees

By: Al Streatfield

Al Streatfield — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:37:22 +0000

Re. the reference(s) to cocaine in this puzzle:

It is not clear whether they are approving or not, but if anyone doubts that cocaine is a naff drug, they are directed to an article on page 21 of today’s (Wednesday) Independent whose headline is: “Every time you consume one gram of cocaine, you are destroying 4.4 square metres of Colombian rainforest”… There is also a leading article on the subject on page 34.

By: Tees

Tees — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:49:27 +0000

Easiest Nina I’ve ever set.

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:21:01 +0000

Thank goodness for that. Ta.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:43:24 +0000

I think Mick H is just joking that he saw the word (NINA).

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:40:41 +0000

Mick, are you saying there is a NINA in there that we haven’t seen?

By: Mick H

Mick H — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:08:07 +0000

Experience teaches me that not all ideas are feasible, and you can be in debt without being bankrupt… but near enough – 27ac is in the sense of ‘that’s an idea’. Anyway, excellent stuff, esp EDAM and TROJAN HORSE.
And even I spotted the NINA this time!

By: Al Streatfield

Al Streatfield — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:40:14 +0000

Never heard of Doc Daneeka (although thought Catch 22 was a great book) or Mackem. Didn’t finish it as tend to be put off by obscure cultural and geographical references in daily puzzles. Liked 24 across (Bankrupt Enid disconnected by phone company) IN DEBT

By: Testy

Testy — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:04:11 +0000

This left me feeling pretty proud of myself after being able to finish it in spite of the tricky vocab and complex linking of clues. Maybe it’s a sign that the setter did his job well (i.e. easier clues to trickier words) but I think I’ll prefer to kid myself that I’m finally getting better at this game.

I had question marks over the “an idea”/FEASIBLE thing; the indirectness of SEMANE; and the Catch 22 reference (I had to work back from the answer and then Googled Doc Daneeka. I think it might have been more accessible, but perhaps too easy, if it had been Heller that was name-checked instead).

By: neildubya

neildubya — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:50:13 +0000

2d def – yes I’m sure it is just “action of battery”. I included “regulatory” in my comment to illustrate how well-hidden I thought it was. Not a very good illustration obviously!

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:45:16 +0000

This was a treat, eh!
I know I’ve seen some enjoyable puzzles from Tees but this was something else – feeling probably enhanced by an ideal solving experience near the real fire with a decent pint in the pub.
Linking Catch-22 to the Fish theme – the great PDM when the “sprat to catch a mackerel” part of 20A’s clue is understood (I wouldn’t quibble about the def. there) – some lovely disguised wordplay throughout.

I’d add 17A to your list of tricky words – I’d pencilled in C(o/a)P(a/o)NIERE but couldn’t decide between those two options.
Agreed that the wordplay in the others led to them quite nicely though I didn’t get the 25A tree, not helped by spelling Gethsemane with an O there (reveals RE ignorance). Mind you, I wouldn’t include 5 BESSON as “tricky”, he’s well-known enough surely – but I know they aint hard if you know ‘em.

Absolutely loved 2D – suspect Tees is fan of Thing from the Fantastic Four – BTW I think the def. is “action of battery” or just “battery” as the regulatory is part of the wordplay supplying the G.