Comments on: Independent on Sunday 1089 by Quixote

By: Uncle Yap

Uncle Yap — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:09:27 +0000

Stella, thank you for the lead-in to Good King Wenceslas which I found at http://www.carols.org.uk/good_king_wences1as.htm. This allusion by Quixote totally escaped me. One lives and learns.

Tokyo Colin, per Chambers, ute is “a small truck, pick-up or van (in full utility truck or utility vehicle; short form ute; Australia and New Zealand).” Have we ever met at an international hash run? I have been hashing in Perth, Changmai, Kuilin and recently in Sri Lanka for the Solstice Run and I have booked for the China Nash Hash in September 2011. On! On!

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 17:51:47 +0000

Thanks UY. I must admit to finding this one really quite hard. In fact, I think I gave up with about four or five unsolved clues, and came here for enlightenment. Of course, I can’t grumble about the clues, just my mental faculties!

By: Stella

Stella — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:43:55 +0000

Thanks for the blog, Uncle Yap. I enjoyed this, though it took me a while to get going. As you say, nothing superfluous and some great surface readings.

I’m surprised you didn’t mention Good King Wenceslas for the long answer – he led me straight in, so that I didn’t even bother checking the anagram.

By: Tokyo Colin

Tokyo Colin — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 12:54:43 +0000

Thanks Uncle Yap for another excellent blog to an enjoyable puzzle from a setter I have mixed responses to. This was immaculately crafted as you said and the answers and references were all within my ken. So Quixote is in my good books today.

I always learn something from your blogs. Today it was that “shebeen” is originally an Irish word. I know it from South African literature and didn’t realise it was an import.

You are missing an E (from “inner energy”) in your anagram fodder for 3dn.
And for someone who grew up in an Australian country town, “Ute” isn’t short for anything. A ute is a ute, pure and simple.