Comments on: Azed 1916/who is Aled J?

By: Alan O'Brien

Alan O'Brien — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:03:50 +0000

I had an unusual experience with this one; normally I have to toil quite hard to get off the mark with Azed. But with this one I got KVETCH straight away; instantly. I used the word a few years ago at a chess site: I wrote that David Bronstein is a great player but a terrible kvetch. It’s funny because it was true.

By: bridgesong

bridgesong — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:25:51 +0000

Pen-nibs is in earlier editions of Chambers, until at least as recently as 1993, although there is no definition given (its meaning presumably being considered obvious).

By: ilancaron

ilancaron — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:54:40 +0000

Thanks Chunter! (I can see with a name like that you’d have a vested interest in fixing issues having to do with chanter).

By: chunter

chunter — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 10:36:28 +0000

7d: in the comment ‘pilbroch’ should be ‘pibroch’.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:26:24 +0000

And 27dn is REEN – NE’ER reversed, and it means a ditch, so the reference is to “last ditch attempt”.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:23:40 +0000

Hi Ilan, thanks for this.

8dn – Aled Jones was a famous treble when he was a boy, particularly known for singing “Walking in the air”, though he didn’t sing the version in the film of “The Snowman”.

25ac should be ELOGIST – IS in (TO GEL)*