Comments on: Inquisitor 1122: Last One Standing by Loda

By: Chris Jones

Chris Jones — Sat, 08 May 2010 09:15:31 +0000

I’ve just seen today’s solution and, like mc_rapper67, also went for cubiform as a credible definition of QQ. A very enjoyable puzzle nonetheless

By: Mike Laws

Mike Laws — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:56:06 +0000

Yes it is, HG. A bit off the wall, but at least ODDS is fully checked.

Sorry about misinterpreting the bit of your blog about QQ – it was 2.54am!

By: Ali Lloyd

Ali Lloyd — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:20:46 +0000

mc_rapper67, I also toyed with highlighting cubiform. I thought it was a nice cryptic indication of QQ.

By: HolyGhost

HolyGhost — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:42:25 +0000

Mike – I made the guess when I was about half way through the puzzle, obviously not at the end.
And is my wordplay for ODDS at 23a correct?

By: Mike Laws

Mike Laws — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:54:55 +0000

Just reread the blog. HolyGhost, why did you have to guess which the last one was? All the other 25 members of the set of doubles had been omitted.

And mc_rapper67, why didn’t you look under qq in Chambers?

By: scarpia

scarpia — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:29:14 +0000

My first response on Fifteensquared.I have followed the blogs from work for quite a while but have only just managed to get a good internet connection at home so as to be able to join in!
I very much enjoyed this Inquisitor,the main difficulty I had was with 2,22 and 30 down.the double,’doubles’ causing me problems.

By: mc_rapper67

mc_rapper67 — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:08:59 +0000

Maybe I looked at this for too long and got double-vision!

I didn’t spot that the abbreviation of QUARTOS is QQ, I only found QTO as the abbreviation of a single QUARTO…so, I plumped for 1D – CUBIFORM – homonym for Q (CU) + twice (BI) + formed (FORM).

By: Quixote

Quixote — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:48:12 +0000

I enjoyed this as a gentle Saturday evening slow-burner solve and thought it just the right level of difficulty for an Inquisitor. Like Mike, I was reminded of Sabre’s puzzle (one of his easier ones!).

By: Mike Laws

Mike Laws — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:32:43 +0000

No, not that tough, but Inquisitors don’t have to be too tough, just not too easy!

I remember the theme fom a Sabre Listener crossword in the late 70s, which also used EXXON, and an alternative non-Chambers spelling for the QQ.

Titles should be relevant in some way – “Last One Standing” refers not only to fact that QQ was the last thematic item, but also that QUARTOS was a down entry.