Comments on: Independent 6992/Nimrod (Prize puzzle 16-03-09)

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:01:54 +0000

Give them a go, Allan_C, the principles are not different, and, if you don’t mind the obscure words as you say (essentially the current edition of Chambers is the source for Inquisitor etc), it opens the door on an extra thematic solving experience IMHO.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:26:17 +0000

At risk of being judged off-topic by Chatmeister, I don’t have a problem with obscure words on Saturdays or any other day. But the Inquisitor etc are a whole new ball game where the answer to a clue often has to be “treated” before entry in the grid. Call me unadventurous, but I prefer to stick with straight cryptics.

By: Al Streatfield

Al Streatfield — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:43:49 +0000

It’s never quite clear to me why it’s permissible to include obscure words, which may need reference books to find them, in normal Saturday prize puzzles (i.e. the prize equivalent of a daily). Surely these words are more appropriate for the other Saturday puzzle (i.e. The Inquisitor) where the solver knows where he or she stands and will happily go to Chambers, or possibly elsewhere, and look things up…

By: eimi

eimi — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:23:45 +0000

Salar is also a salmon in a novel by Tarka the Otter author Henry Williamson, but his political views probably (hopefully) preclude a new lease of life for his works. The little room is cell, rather than cellar - no particular reason why a cellar should be small. With these and other references, this was certainly a Saturday puzzle.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:44:57 +0000

I find that ‘salmo SALAR’ is the Atlantic salmon, so it could be T + CELL [little room] in SALAR.

Allan: Milly-Molly-Mandy is enjoying a new lease of life and I was able to introduce my granddaughter to her.

By: Geoff Moss

Geoff Moss — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:39:36 +0000

Thanks Nmsindy.
There doesn’t appear to be any other way of parsing this clue but I have been unable to find sal as an abbreviation for salmon in any reputable (or even not so reputable) reference.

Googling does indicate that this abbreviation might be quite widely used in the food and catering industries, and amongst anglers, but it doesn’t seem to be specifically defined anywhere.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:03:08 +0000

“Use this for seasoning salmon having little room on bone (10)”

By: Geoff Moss

Geoff Moss — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:50:18 +0000

Alan
“And I’ve never come across ’sal’ as an abbreviation for ’salmon’ – can anyone quote a source?”

It doesn’t appear in any of the standard references and, like you, I have never seen it before. I would be interested in knowing the full clue, though I could wait until it is on-line tomorrow.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:23:29 +0000

I think you’re right about how ‘long’ is ‘die’: more particularly in “I’m dying for a —–” referring to a drink, cigarette or whatever.
Liked the clue about Milly-Molly-Mandy but not sure how well anyone under 45 would get it – or are the books the sort that continue to appeal to successive generations? And with refs to J R Hartley and Helen Wills Moody I think this was definitely a puzzle for the older generation.
And I’ve never come across ‘sal’ as an abbreviation for ‘salmon’ – can anyone quote a source?

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:26:46 +0000

MILLY MOLLY MANDY Comes from each M of the 3,000 ( M M M ) replacing each of the heads of “silly lolly handy”