Comments on: Inquisitor 152: On Tour by Glow-worm

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:40:32 +0000

Glow-worm is one of the regular Indy 15X15 cryptic setters as well as appearing elsewhere, eg Enigmatic Variations, Listener (as mentioned), and Telegraph Toughie. In the Listener, he specialised in puzzles based on children’s games.

By: HolyGhost

HolyGhost — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:13:27 +0000

So it is! – I bow to your modernity, sire.

By: kenmac

kenmac — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:02:26 +0000

Ah! Time to update your Chambers. “D’oh” is in Chambers 2008.

By: HolyGhost

HolyGhost — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:26:45 +0000

If one were nit-picking, that should be “doh” not “d’oh” (according to my Chambers).

By: kenmac

kenmac — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:46:49 +0000

Of course, I mean La Tène … d’oh!

By: kenmac

kenmac — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:45:49 +0000

You’re right George about La Téne – I’ve updated the blog. I think as I was keying it in, I thought, “I’ll check that before publishing as I don’t quite remember it.” But, of course, I forgot.

As for CASTELLA, I have vague recollections of Castella adverts on the TV in the 70′s; odd that there was no mention of proper names in the preamble.

By: HolyGhost

HolyGhost — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:53:30 +0000

I agree with both comments by George (who seems to be a bit of an early bird): CASTELLA for cigar, and La Tene is two words. I think the reason that Chambers includes "panatella" but not "castella" is that the former is a type of cigar whereas the latter is a brand name. I had ANDOVER first of all, like kenmac, but quickly saw VENICE and CREMONA so had to rethink it. And this is indeed Glow-worm's first outing as Inquisitor, but (s)he's produced about half a dozen puzzles for the Listener over the last 10 years or so, most recently just before last Christmas with one based on Hunt-the-Slipper.

By: George Hill

George Hill — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:17:56 +0000

By the way, my dictionary has La Tene (with accents) as two words – not mentioned in the clue.

By: George Hill

George Hill — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:28:23 +0000

I can help with 3D. CASTELLA is a cigar (though interestigly not in Chambers, which acknowledges panatella but not castella) remove CAST (= “thrown” away) leaving ELLA. Good clue except for the dictionary omission!
Good crossword. I particularly liked the placing of AGAIN – the tour being repeated several times in the song. I wasn’t quite sure what to write under the grid, but went for “Kiss Me Kate” like kenmac. “We Open in Venice” and “The Taming of the Shrew” were possibilities.