Comments on: Independent 7,443/Raich

By: NoddyBankie

NoddyBankie — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:54:31 +0000

Loved the Rangers & Celtic one, 23D. Collectively they are known as the Old Firm, so clue works on 2 levels. Very clever.

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:45:08 +0000

K’s D, ras-el-ranout is exactly what I bought! I also got some sumac for a middle-eastern salad tonight. I could feel a theme puzzle developing here if enough of these spices where in Chambers.

GRANT and AGREE both mean concede though as Allan_C suggests they are used slightly differently.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:36:26 +0000

Wil, one can say ‘I grant you…’ meaning, roughly, ‘I agree with you in that respect…’. – usually as a preliminary to disagreeing about something else. But I’d agree(!) with you that it is a bit of a vague clue.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:38:52 +0000

Thanks Ali.
Super puzzle from Raich with plenty of smiles along the way.I must be getting used to the Indie style,as soon as I saw the blank grid I thought – Nina! Still managed to miss the names of the ‘Fab Four’in the clues.
TARTRATE was an excellent clue,very funny.Also liked LADDER, and ROCOCO which,despite it’s surface,needed no knowledge of soccer to solve.

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:32:32 +0000

Very good crossword, as we have come to expect from Raich. Only one quibble, if that is what it is: in 20dn how is grant = agree?

Liked TARTRATE but I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere before.

Was thrown by 9ac, missing a simple hidden. Was sure that capital of Tibet was T. How dreadful.

By: Raich

Raich — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:58:37 +0000

Many thanks, Ali, for the excellent blog and to everyone for their comments which are much appreciated.

The theme forced an unfamiliar word or two into the grid, I tried to give straightforward clues for these.

By: Ali

Ali — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:46:03 +0000

Thanks all for the corrections. I blogged this one in a bit of a hurry and so didn’t check all the answers online!

By: flashling

flashling — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:35:29 +0000

Failed on Tagine, suspected anag but it could easily have been tanige – I had no idea, spotting the nina certainly helped me otherwise finish. Tartrate – loved it.
Certainly took ladder as per KD and Agree as per Eileen.

Good ‘un Raich, a few smiles on the way and thanks Ali.

So what’s happened with virgilius? Has he stopped supplying the indy?

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:19:24 +0000

Okay, in an attempt to get a further off-topic remark in before Gaufrid gets exercised, I will just further compliment Raich by saying that when contributors go off on one it’s usually an indication that the puzzle was tip-top and there’s nothing to complain about …

Colin, and others, it’s ras-el-hanout that you need. Which would form the basis for a cracking clue for any lurking setter.

I’m out of here for the rest of this evening.

By: Stella

Stella — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:48:33 +0000

Thanks for clearing that up. You’d make me want to try one, except I made a delicious couscous a couple of days ago, so I’ll give Arab a rest for a while

On the other hand, if anyone has the recipe – whoops! I thought I was stil on Jamie Oliver’s blog!