Comments on: Independent 7,425 by Radian

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:43:30 +0000

Ali @15: I can accept the ‘in’ as I didn’t read it as HIJAB being ‘cooked’ but that the answer, BHAJI, was ‘cooked’ in the word HIJAB.

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:12:28 +0000

T for “tempo” is confirmed by Collins. I fear that my copy predates the Euro however, though it knows all about the ECU, which is a blast from the past!

By: Myrvin

Myrvin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 07:23:28 +0000

OED has:
Abbreviations: for various proper names, as Thomas, Timothy, Titus, Theresa, etc.; T Mus., tasto, tempo, tenor, tutti; T officially stamped on a letter, taxed, i.e. postage to be paid; T (Physics) = TERA-; T (Physics) = TESLA; T in a ship’s log-book, thunder; T Math., time, terms, etc.; T (Physics and Chem.) = TRITIUM; t (Physics), top or truth, a quark flavour;

Can’t see it for TEMPO in Chambers – nor for TIME!

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:55:14 +0000

Yes, Wil, you’re probably right.
T for ‘tempo’ and E for ‘euro’ are two of these (one letter) building stones that Radian finds quite useful, but which are both questionnable.
I can see the euro-sign as an E [and therefore EE for euros], but … well, maybe Radian himself can tell us where to find them.

In 11d ‘taking’ wasn’t an insertion indicator in the way it sometimes is [see my post #12] – I say ‘sometimes’, because most of the time ‘A taking B’ is ‘A then B’.
But here it is even the other way around – which I found amusing for the reason given [that is, if that's the right reason].

Despite all this, this puzzle had the right ‘feel’ for me.
And I’m therefore happy to be a bit lenient.
[not sure whether that's right or not]

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:26:07 +0000

Lots of good stuff, but I think everyone is being a bit lenient: tempo for time (OK tempo = time and time = t, but, at least in a crossword clue, it doesn’t follow that tempo = t) in 15ac, the ‘in’ in 12dn, e for euros in 23dn (who said?), and ‘taking’ as an inclusion indicator in 11dn all struck me as rather weak. And as many as four hidden or hidden reversed.

But a very clever Nina, which I missed.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:17:23 +0000

I suspect Radian might have been familiar with Maria Edgeworth’s 19th century book “Adventures of an Irish RM”.

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:50:25 +0000

Hi Phil -

Yeah, I had to take a leap of faith with RM as well, but I checked before blogging and was relieved to find it right there in Chambers as “Resident Magistrate” – with no further elucidation, sadly.

By: flashling

flashling — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:28:06 +0000

Don’t get the RM for magistrates, but never been in a court. Didn’t find it too tough, a pint and a half’er after work tonight. Some new words to me like some previous commenters and didn’t have internet access whilst doing it so relied on Radian’s subsiduary bits. Age, hah we still thrupenny bits when I were a lad, bloody flybynights! OK not for long I’ll admit. Did wonder where NINE was for a second or two and thought I’d made a mistake…

By: Ali

Ali — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:35:17 +0000

I’m generally not one for complaining – and this was a great puzzle – but isn’t the otherwise excellent 12D ruined by the word ‘in’? The wordplay ‘cooked in hijab’ implies use of those 2 letters as well, no?

By: walruss

walruss — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:42:24 +0000

So THAT’S why the words got tough. Mind you, the across clues were made a lot easier by me spotting the ongoing joke. Clever stuff by Radian.