Comments on: Financial Times 13,143 / Bradman

By: Pogel

Pogel — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:42:58 +0000

Nice puzzle, but putting in “scar(ce)” for 6d didn’t help.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:08:11 +0000

A very enjoyable puzzle, as others have said, with 16dn being outstandingly good. Thanks Bradman, and shuchi for the blog.

“None” – meaning the ninth hour from sunrise, i.e. normally 3pm – is confusingly a cognate of the word “noon”, meaning midday. I don’t know what strange etymological process brought that about.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:42:45 +0000

I’m sorry, too – it was a great clue!

Many thanks for an enjoyable puzzle.

By: Bradman

Bradman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:24:46 +0000

You’re right about NONE — sorry!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:32:18 +0000

Thanks, Shuchi.

Rishi, I’m sure you’re right in your interpretation of 26dn but all my dictionaries confirm the pronunciation of NONE in that sense as ‘known’.

16dn is a great & lit!

By: C. G. Rishikesh

C. G. Rishikesh — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:31:33 +0000

I thought that “noxious at the outset” glanced at the first part of the phrase NUMBER TEN, ignoring the latter part. But my explanation, given offhand, was speculative and completely missed the cleverness of it all.

By: shuchi

shuchi — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:20:00 +0000

Thank you both. I had toyed with the noxious = NUMBER idea but it didn’t explain the TEN.

I am kicking myself for not being able to see NO X, I had a feeling it would be something really clever like this . Thank you for explaining, Gaufrid.

By: C. G. Rishikesh

C. G. Rishikesh — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:18:17 +0000

26d is a homophone of ‘nun’, I think (‘broadcast’ being the homophone indicator).

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:10:20 +0000

Hi shuchi
29a ‘noxious at the outset’ is NO X or NUMBER TEN

By: C. G. Rishikesh

C. G. Rishikesh — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:09:25 +0000

29ac: ‘noxious’ in the sense a number is a poisonous chemical that numbs one when administered…