Comments on: Financial Times 13,540 / Sleuth

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 09:55:35 +0000

Tony
From Chambers under ‘sally’: “a witty remark or retort” and for ‘quip’: “a short, clever remark” so they are near enough synonymous.

By: Tony Welsh

Tony Welsh — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:43:58 +0000

I got all except 23d. I suppose “scent” is a “number of clues” but it seems weak to me. I had problems with a number of other definitions, some already mentioned. For example, in 27a why is sally=quip? And in 12a, I would have said a turn was a fit of illness rather than emotion but my dictionary confirms that it can be either.

Bamberger, if you have a plausible answer but you are not sure, put the cross letters in lightly and try to solve some of the intersecting clues to confirm your choice. I did that with tern for example, since I am not good on wildlife and thought that it could well have been another bird. That led me to Steinbeck, which I was still unsure of since I had never heard of Rick Stein, but then I got setback and decided that all three answers were right. (Having already got buck and alone, I was then able to guess brass, but like the others had no idea why!)

By: bamberger

bamberger — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:26:50 +0000

I had bits and pieces solved all over the grid but got nowhere near finishing.
1a I was thinking of words like periodical rather than a particular one.
6a I thought of brass but couldn’t think of any possible connection with baggage. I seem to have a 100% record of not entering correct solutions because I just can’t see the wordplay and putting in incorrect solutions because I can a tenable if implausible wordplay.
20a Sadly had never heard of it.
5d I would never had got rue
16d Must remember Roman =Italian. I tried uno,una reversed but in vain.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:24:21 +0000

Pogel, a more likely explanation for Brass=Prostitute, given in Eric Partridge's Dictionary of Slang, is "Brass Nail" = "Tail". "Hooker" seems like too much of a recent Americanism to be plausible.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:20:39 +0000

In 13 down, I think cull = select in the sense of selecting some animals and killing others. Favourite clues, SWINDLE, EQUIP, SHRUB, SCENT

By: Pogel

Pogel — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:54:19 +0000

Brass – Cockney rhyming slang. Brass cooker – hooker.

By: smiffy

smiffy — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:41:50 +0000

Thanks folks – particularly Gaufrid. My knowledge of nicknames for immoral women must be skewed towards the vulgar rather than euphemistic end of the spectrum, as I’ve never heard either of those two before. They do have something of a post-war air to them.

I didn’t even stop to consider the potential ambiguity at 24D, but well-observed, Bracoman. The last time the subject of rugby positions came up in this blog, I was exposed as having dangerously little knowledge on the subject. This time that was probably a blessing!

Finally, I realise that I’d unintentionally omitted 6D from the blog. At least it’s a triple, rather than double, defintion clue.

By: Pogel

Pogel — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:04:51 +0000

Saki had a similar line, didn’t he? “The cook was a good cook, as cooks go; and as good cooks go, she went.”

I also liked 10ac.

By: Bracoman

Bracoman — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:27:07 +0000

In 24d, I initially had “back”, as it is equally valid. Once other clues were solved, I realised it must be “prop”.

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:34:59 +0000

Hi smiffy
In 6ac, brass and baggage are both terms for an immoral woman or prostitute.

Regarding 19ac, again=back is in Chambers. As an example, what about “I’ve got to go again/back to the dentist”?