Comments on: Independent 6980/Bannsider (Prize puzzle 28-02-09)

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:15:33 +0000

This was extremely tough but I got there in the end. Favourite clue TRAFFIC CALMING.

By: eimi

eimi — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:45:29 +0000

It’s wot chavs say, innit? End of!

By: Paul B

Paul B — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:35:49 +0000

In defence of the Bann Man, I should say I *have* come across ‘end of’ on its own. Understandably, not everyone can be bothered to say ‘story’ as well as.

Usual brilliance – great puzzle.

By: Bannsider

Bannsider — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:44:28 +0000

Fair points Allan C and Al S: homophone clues are often desperately contentious and I apologise at the liberties taken with phonetic nuances. Then again, I wonder: are the stretches of imagination required to see “Dis nae land” = “Disney land” any greater than those of many other cryptic devices.
And hands up who has not chuckled at the joke (many variations of whgich I’m sure exist):
“Q – What’s the difference between Donald Duck and Walt Disney?
A – Donald Duck has a beak and Walt Disney …”

By: Al Streatfield

Al Streatfield — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:04:50 +0000

Allan C:

Rather than a “good clue” shurely “a nice idea, but should have been abandoned on the drawing-board”…

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:02:05 +0000

And I couldn’t work out the definition part for 3dn. I’ve never come across “end of” on its own, only in “end of story”. Even though ‘floor’ was there to provide the ‘f’ I began to wonder about floor coverings and if “end of” was trade jargon – end of roll &c, not that made any sense either.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:50:24 +0000

I meant #12, not #8

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:49:17 +0000

Al (#8)
“DISNEYLAND is not a homophone of DISNAE LAND” I agree with you and think there’s a misunderstanding of Scots pronunciation here. The Scots form of ‘gay’ is spelt ‘gey’ but people think it’s still pronounced ‘gay’ as in English. So by analogy they pronounce ‘Disney’ as ‘Disnay’
In fact, according to Chambers, ‘gey’ is pronounced more like ‘gee’ (with a hard g) just as it would be in English, to rhyme with ‘key’ and of course ‘Disney’
But it was a good clue for all that!

By: Ali

Ali — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:53:46 +0000

Cheers Eimi/Neil. Can’t argue with that one then. Score one (more!) for Bannsider.

By: Al Streatfield

Al Streatfield — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:04:22 +0000

DISNEYLAND is not a homophone of DISNAE LAND. DISNAY LAND is, in my opinion.