Comments on: Independent 7532 by Glow-worm

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:56:09 +0000

Thanks, Glow-worm and nmsindy, for the puzzle and blog.
11a had me puzzled; I read “Guinness” as “ale” (which it isn’t, except in the broadest sense) so couldn’t make out how the C came into the answer. Brain obviously wasn’t firing on all cylinders for me not to think of Alec.
I thought at first we had a pangram, if you spell 1d as BAPTIZE (which rather messes up the clueing) but then realised there was no Q.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:10:02 +0000

I think, dram, it’s that where you most often hear that phrase is when someone says – ‘it’s not rocket science’ to mean ‘down to earth’ or pretty uncomplicated. It is of course defined as ‘complex business’ as you say.

By: dram

dram — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:48:04 +0000

Great job Glow-Worm, I much enjoyed a slightly easier puzzle today. ECONOMICAL was my favourite, but Isis would have been if it had not been one of the two I couldn’t get!

‘scuse my ignorance everybody – how does ‘but not so when down to earth’ contribute to the solution ROCKET SCIENCE? I got it from ‘a complex business’, the rest baffled me.

By: flashling

flashling — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:35:30 +0000

Thanks NMS/Glow worm, took ISIS & GLAD the same way. I’d always taken FX to be stage shorthand for effects.

@K’s D, so we’re no longer safe from advertising even on 15sq? Be afriad…

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:14:15 +0000

Yes, that would be difficult, Sidey, I should have said using units from the metric system, which are kilograms for weight.

By: sidey

sidey — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:21:35 +0000

Weight divided by square of height (all in metres)

How do you weigh yourself in metres?

By: scchua

scchua — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:01:27 +0000

Thanks nms for the blog, and Glowworm for a nice puzzle.

Re 7D X FACTOR I think your initial explanation of FX as a homophone is still valid. Whether used to denote sound or special effects, FX’s origin is undoubtedly as a homophone. Somewhere along the way, the qualifying “special” must have got dropped, probably by Hollywood.

I think by now you might have noticed that Glowworm used the same device for 15A ISIS(=Iceland’s) as for 1D BIS(=Bishop’s).

Favourites were 1A BODY MASS INDEX, first time I’ve seen this comtemporary term in a crossword, 4D SWORD OF DAMOCLES, and 13D DYSPEPTIC, the latter two with enjoyable wordplays.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:20:06 +0000

I should have looked up FX in dicts, they all give it as ‘special effects’ so that explains it, I’ve updated the blog.

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:10:08 +0000

For FX Chambers gives “(sound or special) effects” so you are both right.

By: NealH

NealH — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:50:20 +0000

I think FX is more usually "special effects", as in the name of this film.