Comments on: Independent 7,435 by Anax (Saturday Prize Puzzle, 14/08/10)

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:56:47 +0000

I was a bit late getting to this puzzle, but it gave great satisfaction when I finally solved it all and understood it all pretty much.I found it very hard to break into, and only managed to get one or two short answers for ages. Then I saw the ‘definitely’ anag and that gave me DEFENSIBILITY and shortly after my first thematic answer ABBEY ROAD. Two more followed so it had to be LONDON tho it took me quite a while to see why. After that, the puzzle yielded, taking not quite as much after I entered DEFENSIBILITY than before it. The puzzle contained much clever misdirection with excellently cloaked definitions. My favourite clue was the linking of PETTICOAT LANE to SLIP ROAD, but there was much else to admire also.

By: Peter Biddlecombe

Peter Biddlecombe — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 22:14:40 +0000

I found this very hard too – over 40 minutes, from memory. Wondered where the “Stoke” had gone in 4D but then found that there’s a plain “Newington” just south of the river.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:00:09 +0000

Thanks Simon.
This was pretty tough but the only answer I couldn,t parse was 20 down.I knew it must be OCARINA but the way I was looking at it left the ‘I’ unclued.Thanks to your blog I can now see how it works.
LLOYDS was my favourite,one of the easier clues perhaps, but lovely misleading surface.

By: Petero

Petero — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:21:34 +0000

Simon
Thanks for the blog. I too found the puzzle a bear, with some impressively ingenious wordplay; in many cases it required your expert guidance for me to get it. I was bothered by 12A: I would have thought that the word ‘sculpture’ might well be applied loosely to a cast, but sculpting and casting are surely distinct activities for a sculptor; however, it does make for a neat surface.

By: redddevil

redddevil — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:38:06 +0000

I agree with sidey – “what game are you in” is used for “what line of work – i.e. business”.
Enjoyed the puzzle but just failed on tifosi which I feel was a little vague. “Ferrari lovers for example” I’d have been happy with but the clue made it specific which it isn’t.
Petticoat Lane was also my fave.

By: Big Dave

Big Dave — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:23:55 +0000

I took BIZ as the old Spectrum game. The Biz

By: sidey

sidey — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:14:17 +0000

I think BIZ = game in “what’s your game?” = “what’s your business?”.

Very taxing but doable.

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:51:12 +0000

Hi jmac, I must admit I intended to add a note to that one; I’m not quite sure how BIZ comes from “game”. I wondered if people refer to showbiz as “the game”, or whether there’s a reference to the, er, “oldest” profession, but I can’t clear that one up myself I’m afraid.

By: jmac

jmac — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:29:12 +0000

This one stretched me but I found it all the more enjoyable, firstly when I eventually solved it, and just as importantly (for me) when I managed to parse it (save for a couple). Once again thanks to Simon for clearing up all but one of my loose ends, namely, how does “biz” equate with “game” in 22 down?

Of course thanks to Anax for a great puzzle – I particularly liked the way the London theme avoided the usual stuff. My favourite clue was OF OLD , it just eeemed really neat.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:19:00 +0000

Some diificult bits here, not helped by my putting ‘iambs’ instead of ‘iambi’ at 6d, but I got there in the end, helped by the theme. Thanks, Simon, for explaining NEWINGTON; it had to be that but I couldn’t follow the wordplay. Favourite clue PETTICOAT LANE.

Re TIFOSI I think the Ferrari reference might be to its use as an adjective meaning ‘of or from Ferrara’, i.e. somewhere in Italy. It was a new word to me; I guessesd it from the wordplay and googled it to get this reference – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tifosi