Comments on: Independent 7392 by Phi

By: flashling

flashling — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:36:24 +0000

Got to skylark by a way which made me enter the grid the right word but a fluke.

I saw Sky I lark but couldn’t see why I was removed not ie, and was unsure it it was australian anyway.

Really don’t know why deprecate the last to get took me so long though.

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:29:34 +0000

And with apologies to NMS for unnecessarily adding to his inbox, I might mention that with time left over to actually read the paper, today’s issue was ample reminder of why I keep buying it. Quite apart from the excellent crossword, I thought the cover story, Johann Hari’s piece and Robert Skidelsky on Keynes vs. Osborne were excellent, and for good measure an interview with a certain gap-toothed gallic lovely of whom a young Simon H was a huge admirer!

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:10:41 +0000

Must admit a similar experience to other solvers: this is quite hard, but I’ll get there. And I did, though how I dredged things like SAMIZDAT and EFFENDI from the old memory banks is a mystery. Well, probably not a mystery…more likely just excellent clueing.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:55:52 +0000

Thanks nms.
I always enjoy a puzzle from Phi and this was no exception.A nice mix of clue devices with some nicely worked anagrams.Favourite clues were 18 down and 25 across.
I read 11 across as a partial anagram {at some = steam o + pen (writing)} with an & lit element.

By: walruss

walruss — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:29:55 +0000

I got there too, NMSindy, but not a thrilling ride! Even so, AFLOAT floated my boat, so not all humdrum and dreary.

By: Derrick Knight

Derrick Knight — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:49:01 +0000

Agree, another lovely puzzle. AFLOAT also my favourite, although I also liked WINDSOR CASTLE. Had to guess SAMIZDAT from the wordplay.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:25:47 +0000

Thanks, nms, for a blog which explained the two or three clues where as usual I had only a vague notion of why the answer was what it was. I know what you mean about Phi: in his Friday Indy spot at least, he’s usually solvable if you persevere and it’s always a pleasing start to the last day of the working week.

I liked TAKE A BACK SEAT today; and TODDY, which had today as its starting point.

I was held up a bit by inexplicably entering WINDSOR PALACE