Comments on: Independent 7,290 by Tees

By: Merlyn

Merlyn — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:05:07 +0000

I liked 18A as well – I wondered whether G&S were aware of the apt anagram. I think Opera is permitted (rather than operetta) as they are frequently referred to as ‘light opera’.
Thanks for the explanation of 28A – I got the answer, but was racking my brains about cats covered in custard!

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:59:43 +0000

Opera or Operetta? The G&S oeuvre is frequently referred to as ‘The Savoy Operas’ after the Savoy theatre. To digress, opera is sometimes defined as having no spoken dialogue, and operetta as that which does; in which case Beethoven’s Fidelio is an operetta!

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:31:30 +0000

I should have said, instead of ‘it’s a brilliant clue’, ’18ac is a brilliant clue’.

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:29:49 +0000

Excellent crossword. I’m glad to see that Tees hates Z=last because I’m not that keen on it myself. Pity the answer to 26ac wasn’t OPERETTA, since so far as I’m aware the G&S products are seldom called operas, but I suppose that an operetta is an opera so it isn’t actually unsound, and it’s a brilliant clue. As is 24dn (OTIS).

By: Tees

Tees — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:31:19 +0000

Many thanks for blog and comments, splendid in equal measure.

11ac is a CD intended to evoke pathetic scenes of madness, and namore: I realised before submission that BAGGAGE CAR would also fit, but to be precise it is the American rather than the Brit usage and so I left off any SI. FYI I don’t think you can (officially) have a baggage van or a luggage car – neither is listed in Ye Booke, for which reason and I would seek to evade accusations e.g. ‘your clue leads to at least two answers’. Mind you, Schrodinger’s Cat eh? Put that one aside for later.

In the prev clue I used ‘last’ for Z only because it is one of those crosswording conventions that everyone seems to know. I’m not so sure everyone approves of it – I hate it, but it liked my surface.

Cheers all.

By: Mick H

Mick H — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:25:30 +0000

Good fun puzzle. I had LUGGAGE CAR rather than VAN, and I think the clue works for either. There are moving cases in it of course, and I took ‘gone loco’ to indicate that trains don’t have them any more. Is that true?

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:16:22 +0000

Thank you for blogging, Simon. Had the same experience as you: got going, then got stuck, mainly in the NW corner. But finally managed it when I realised that 3dn was an anagram. Loved NEAR THING, and thank you for explaining CUSTARD – should have known, I’m pretty certain Kathryn watched it when she was younger. Trust that clue won’t provoke the debate that ensued on the Grauniad blog a few days ago when Sponge Bob Square Pants was the theme.

I’m not sure exactly how 11ac works either. But a very enjoyable crossword from a setter I don’t think we’ve seen for a while in the Indy.

And Eileen, I’m afraid G&S is not on my cultural radar either. (However, panto is – first performance tonight – panic time in about four hours!)

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:14:47 +0000

sidey, I’m sorry!

I often do do the Indy crossword but didn’t have time today, so just dropped by to see if I’d missed anything – and was annoyed to find I’d missed a Tees! [At least you had the enjoyment of the puzzle!]

[And, Simon, some of us would think that you're mssing something, too - but so long as it's from choice ...!]

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:26:29 +0000

And many thanks Eileen, G&S is a huge gap in my general knowledge…though not entirely unintentionally so

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:23:50 +0000

Interesting – I read that Z as representing “…last…”, but didn’t feel entirely confident. Still, the applet seems to confirm it as the required spelling here.

[Edit] Sorry, I’m clearly too slow