Comments on: Independent 7,278 by Phi

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:27:11 +0000

Enjoyable puzzle, favourites READY MEAL, SP0ONER, THOR.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:52:40 +0000

Haven’t been to Oz, sadly, but I think Nullarbor Plain is reasonably enough well known to be in a daily puzzle. Its name I think comes from a bastardisation of Latin – null = no/nothing; arbor = tree. So a treeless plain, which Ian, having travelled there, could no doubt confirm.

By: mhl

mhl — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:25:44 +0000

Thanks for the post, Simon. This was very enjoyable, as ever from Phi. I was just slightly frustrated to be left with N_L_A_B_R PLAIN, and guessed the wrong arrangement of the first word… (I hadn’t heard of the Nullarbor Plain, and was wondering if it might be some region of the moon’s surface.)

By: Ian

Ian — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:52:03 +0000

Thanks for the blog Simon.

The two across 14 letter clues for me made the Nullarbor Plain straightforward, especially as I have had the good fortune to travel through it on the Sydney – Perth Indian Pacific railway.

Solid clueing throughout – a characteristic of Phi.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:25:22 +0000

Thank you, Simon.

Goldilocks puzzle today – just right. We’ve had some great stuff this week in the Indy.

By: sidey

sidey — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:28:04 +0000

You’ve added a superfluous A to the anagrist for 8,23. Area is needed in the definition.

By: IanN14

IanN14 — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:39:31 +0000

Thanks, Simon.
I’d wondered if there was something going on with “fan” being used twice, but I can’t see anything…
19ac. is, I think, just P inside “sooner” (as in “I’d sooner” = “I’d rather”).