Comments on: Independent 7,342/Dac

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:48:04 +0000

Pat @ no 4: SCINTILLA came to me pretty quickly, so I must be of Betty Boothroyd’s generation or something. However, as an encouragement to setters, my Kathryn expressed a vague interest recently in what cryptics are all about, and has started to do the quick crosswords regularly in the Indy and Grauniad with her uni friends. So perhaps the Young Generation will become the Fifteensquared Generation in about two decades’ time.

By: flashling

flashling — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:57:18 +0000

Well I thought scintilla the best clue, but a marvellous misdirect on 2d even if I did get it early on. OK then Pat maybe I’m older than I feel, did look for anag of girl say for a while…

By: pat

pat — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:49:17 +0000

TILLER (girls) may not be known to the Young Generation.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:28:18 +0000

Yes, this was good, my favourites were DAIMANTE and ABIDE. In BE FOUND WANTING, there was an excellent cryptic definition but I think there was a straight definition too ie prove inadequate. And thanks for explaining SCINTILLA, I was looking for (a n girl say)* for quite a while, did get the answer, but did not see why till now.

Good that you’re back blogging again, Ali.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:58:58 +0000

Thanks, Ali. For me this was an excellent example of the setter losing graciously. For many, this was probably not the hardest puzzle ever; but everything fairly clued, lots of smiley moment and the more difficult solutions available with help from the crossing letters. And as always from Dac, some great surfaces which you only appreciate when you have a look back after you’ve finished and read them at face value.

Too many good clues to choose a favourite. Anyone else spend more time than they should have trying to get JOE into 17dn?