Comments on: Independent 7245 by Merlin

By: IanN14

IanN14 — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:15:14 +0000

Almost, K’s D.
Close enough.
April 3rd, eh? Perhaps he won’t miss a penalty this time?…

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:38:49 +0000

Surprise me, both of you (before Gaufrid sends us into the naughty corner for being off-topic), is N14 the postcode for Tottenham by any chance? Talk to me on April 3rd around 1655 GMT when the boy will have done good …

By: sidey

sidey — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:28:18 +0000

I didn’t spend enough time on this and missed quite how good it was, shame. Surely most people have heard Camptown Races?

Gwine to run all night!
Gwine to run all day!
I’ll bet my money on de bob-tail nag,
Somebody bet on de bay.

By: IanN14

IanN14 — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:23:52 +0000

Kathryn’s Dad,
Sorry, but I think you’ve somehow missed the fact that Darren Bent was transferred to Sunderland in the summer…

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:16:15 +0000

Thanks for the congrats, Kathryn’s Dad.

I would not dissent from the last para either.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:24:32 +0000

Thank you for the blog, nms, and belated congrats on your Indy debut yesterday – you produced a tough but enjoyable puzzle which eventually defeated me, but when I saw the blog I couldn’t really understand why (the mark of a well-constructed crossword, perhaps?)

Merlin’s offering today also got the better of me, although only in the NE corner, where BANTAM and BOBTAIL were beyond my ken. But talking of the NE, great to see CUDDIE at 1ac – my first to go in after about two seconds’ thought – it’s also a term from my native North-East, although I think we spell it CUDDY. And Cuddy’s Duck is the Northumberland term for an Eider, if memory serves – after Saint Cuthbert, although what Cuthbert has to do with horses I’m not sure.

And to make my day, Darren BENT makes an appearance at 8dn, he being the prolific striker for by far the greatest team the world has ever seen …

By: Quixote

Quixote — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:42:36 +0000

Nice one, old friend!

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:09:24 +0000

Yes, I should have noticed the ALL and hunted them down further, and in particular should have remembered TOUCHSTONE from a Shakespeare play I knew quite well… As you say, the puzzle gets better.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:22:02 +0000

And still that’s not quite all …

1ac – two for the price of one! CUDDIE: Chambers: a donkey; a horse; a stupid person.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:14:37 +0000

Sorry for all the crossings in the post!