Comments on: Independent 7533/Raich

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 09:35:40 +0000

I enjoyed this one though missed the theme until I had finished it and saw ELVIS. I spent too long trying to justify POETASTER in both definition and wordplay. Despite downloading many a podcast I didn’t consider PODCASTER existed until desperation took hold. I also missed the wordplay for RAP but guessed AP must be an abbreviation for something meal related.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 09:08:44 +0000

Thanks, John, for the explanation of 6d which I didn’t understand (the clue, not your explanation). I should have known it with the number of medics and pharmacists in my extended family; a.p. is used as a shorthand on prescriptions for things to be taken before meals.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:50:42 +0000

Okay, John, I stand corrected! He shares a surname with a more famous Test cricketer, mind you … although I don’t think Sir Viv ever donned the gloves.

By: John

John — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:58:15 +0000

No, K’s D, I do mean Richards and don’t mean Russell. Jack Richards (of Surrey I think) played a few matches for England in the late 80s or so. Good batsman, even scored a century on at least one occasion, but was dropped fairly early on because his keeping wasn’t thought to be good enough. I think all this is true, but you can check him out on cricinfo. Like my remarks about Elvis, off the top of my head.

By: flashling

flashling — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:04:00 +0000

E is the Spanish car plate, I italu around an anagram of NUN.

Didn’t spot the Nina until I’d finished but appreciate it now. Thanks Raich/John

By: Ramasamy

Ramasamy — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:53:12 +0000

Hello people

Could someone please explain the Anno for ENNUI? I understand NUN’s anagrammed, but what’s the relation between Spain, Italy and EI?

By: NealH

NealH — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:27:51 +0000

I found this quite enjoyable with a nice mixture of clues and cultural references. The top left corner was the most difficult, probably because trochee is not a word I’m particularly familiar with and, like Mick H, I was convinced for a long time that pop-up must come into 3 down somewhere. Neutrality was also quite tricky because I was looking for the name of a state.

By: Mick H

Mick H — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:22:14 +0000

And of course there’s Elvis’s little-known experimental number “Gnostic Ennui”.
Good stuff as ever from Raich. Podcaster had me trying for ages to find a word for ‘he prepares material’ with POPUP (internet advert) round the outside!

By: Mordred

Mordred — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:15:36 +0000

I liked this one. Didn’t spot the song titles until after the Nina which came very late on. Enjoyed the joke at 4D and the original hidden indicator at 18D.

By: scchua

scchua — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:33:46 +0000

PS. Oops, it’s A LA of course and not ALA