Comments on: Financial Times 13,580 / Sleuth

By: Mark Allen

Mark Allen — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:05:42 +0000

On 1dn, I parsed it c = constant term, woman = Callida

By: Tony Welsh

Tony Welsh — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:38:52 +0000

My quibble of the day was with 21a. I have not come across “a” for “about” before. Usually “c” or “re”.

I did not quite finish, having problem with top left. (Would you believe I am a car nut living in the US but could not come up with Cadillac?) I was almost convinced that 12a was Osly — L (start of lean) inside OS(large) Y(ard) — which is a river (“flower”) in Catalunya according to a Spanish language site I found! But then the clue would have been “start” rather than “starts”, so I did not put it in. No excuse really.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:06:20 +0000

You’re probably right there (15a), Gaufrid, but I think the phrase ‘sumo wrestler’ is pretty common and I’d say that would justify it all right. Pleasing puzzle, favourite clues BRIE, RED CARD, FOIL.

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:50:23 +0000

Hi again Ramasamy
I take your point regarding 4ac. Initially I tried to think of a synonym of ‘forge’ that was 8 letters long so there was some misdirection in the clue but I was convinced that HO[r]DES had to be part of the answer and I’m (un?)fortunate to be old enough to remember the UDI.

With regard to 15ac, I should perhaps have expressed a qualm about this one as well. SUMO is a type of wrestling, the wrestler is a ‘sumotori’ so I suppose the answer should really be ANIROTOMUS.

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:55:29 +0000

Hi Ramasamy
For me, ‘wear’ and ‘corrode’ both indicate that something is being reduced in size or thickness rather than being mixed up or broken up and reassembled.

By: Ramasamy

Ramasamy — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:54:31 +0000

I have a quibble and a doubt. There is no indication in 4A for being a definition with an example. Quite a number of nations would have had a ‘Smith’ at the helm.

The doubt is whether there should be any special indicator in the clue when using an example to define a part of the word. For example, in 15A, the usage of ‘wrestler’ for ‘SUMO’. If the answer is no, will the setter be justified in using ‘sleep’ for ‘REM’, given the existence of a ‘REM sleep’ in the Chambers?

Will greatly appreciate clarification

By: Ramasamy

Ramasamy — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:37:54 +0000

Hi Gaufrid

Reg 29A, I see no problem. We frequently come across ‘wear’ as an anagram indicator, to mean ‘corrode’ in the cryptic reading. Please confirm if that is what you had meant.

By: bamberger

bamberger — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:13:46 +0000

I am convinced that the setter composed the lhs and rhs at different times when in different moods. I more or less wrote in the rhs but only got 1a, 12a, 20a & 14d from the lhs. That said , I should have got 30a. Just stared blankly at the ones I couldn’t get with no idea of what was wanted.
Thanks for the blog-as usual makes it all clear though 25d is a bit tricky is you haven’t heard of doge.