Comments on: Financial Times 13,022 / Monk

By: John in USA

John in USA — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:05:53 +0000

There were some problematical clues here, for me at least.

10A Tenaces are card holdings, not hands, in bridge at least, so the non-cryptic definition doesn’t quite work.

3D “about” in the clue seems to have no function.

7D and 15D required knowledge well beyond my ken!

By: Will

Will — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:35:57 +0000

Thanks. In fact, that’s pretty remarkable, because a clue I was pondering in yesterday’s Times used ‘Normandy beach’ to define Gold, and I only understand it now having looked up Omaha – the three others were Juno, Sword and Utah.

Weird.

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:04:10 +0000

Hi Will
No, you’re not too late to get a response. Monk is one of the more difficult setters in the FT, but usually perfectly fair.

Regarding ‘Omaha’, this was the code name for one of the Allied landings in Normandy during World War 2, hence the ‘military target’.

By: Will

Will — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:41:37 +0000

I still don’t understand Omaha, in fact. But I’m too late to get a response.

By: Will

Will — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:40:00 +0000

I thought this was tricky. Nine references I didn’t know, though I’m swift to add that my vocabulary and general knowledge are very undeveloped by crossword standards: Tenace, Samos, Sephardic, Omaha as ‘military target’, Norma, Arcadia, Associated Press (though I’ve heard the term), Roll-top, Nates.

Quite enjoyable. Not sure I’ve done a Monk before.

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:50:38 +0000

Thanks Nmsindy
Of course! Now why didn’t I think of that?

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:45:09 +0000

I think it’s PM pressure, married