Comments on: Independent on Sunday 1091 – Quixote

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:12:45 +0000

Mass was one of the Indy regulars for many, many, years, a great setter, especially skilled at exploiting all the various meanings of words in the English language and putting them into a totally fair, but often very difficult, clue. Appearances in recent years have been rarer, 3 in each of 2008 and 2009 and 2 last year (2010). He is also well-known for his puzzles in the themed crossword area, Listener etc, and was once editor of the series in the Saturday Indy which has now become Inquisitor.

By: walruss

walruss — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:30:13 +0000

Yes NMS, I am sure I have solved a Mass puzzle in the Indy. He is not frequent though by any means, although the ones we have right now are pretty darn good. Cheers.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:37:20 +0000

Yes, they were a great collection of setters with their puzzles reviving a dormant interest in crosswords – it was a deliberate policy at the newly-launched Indy to promote their crossword. I think there were eight pseudonyms that appeared at that time – the five you mention, Quixote, Marcy (who set the first Indy puzzle) and Albipedius. I think Lucifer (who I agree was very hard) and Albipedius may have been the same setter, now sadly passed on, as have Aquila and Marcy. Mass sets the occasional cryptic but I think may be very closely involved with the concise puzzle and maybe others at the Indy behind the scenes.

By: flashling

flashling — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:18:54 +0000

Hmm, I remember Portia, Aquila, Aelred, Mass and Lucifer at the the time. All now sadly missed. Perhaps a DM persona was there – but it was twenty odd years ago. I know Mass still does IOS concise stuff. Lucifer – I don’t think I ever got more than 3 answers on his. They were my introduction to Cryptics so thanks to them wherever they are.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:20:33 +0000

Not entirely wrong, Quixote was one of the regular weekday Indy setters before the IoS was launched (in 1990). He then moved to that and is still there of course and ceased appearing in the weekday Indy.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:10:37 +0000

Hi flashling,you’re right of course,I must be getting confused by the Don’s many identities.
Time I went to bed!

By: flashling

flashling — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:34:32 +0000

Hi Scarpia, don’t ever actually remember Quixote or his other identities doing a week day puzzle for the Indy but could be wrong. Thanks for the explaination over Robi’s comment – It’s been a long weekend and I’ve spent too long on a train trying to do a Beelzebub, my excuse and I’m sticking to it . I’ll shut up now…

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:23:00 +0000

Thanks flashling.
Only recently started doing these,as I don’t buy the IOS so am a week late tackling them.
They seem a bit easier than Quixote’s weekday Indy puzzles but usually with a couple of difficult to parse clues thrown in e.g. 7 down.
I’m another who put SUGARLUMP at first.
Favourites for me were 1 across and the nice anagram at 24.
Re Robi’s comment – Qui(xo)te – less ten zero.

By: flashling

flashling — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:03:37 +0000

Welcome to our club Robi, do keep coming back. Flashling. PS I agree about 3dn which is why I put the little remark in, but Quixote is the one to ask really. Not sure I get your last line though? Perhaps I’m being dumb – not unusual!

By: Robi

Robi — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:10:01 +0000

Thanks Quixote and flashling.

Didn’t like ‘wet arm’ for inlet; why not ‘sea arm’ as in your blog, or would that be too obvious?

I, too, put sugarlump at first until it didn’t fit with the across clues. Thanks for explaining what Rosamund was doing in 7; I assumed it must have been some obscure literary reference. I thought of putting in ‘cigarette’ at first for 14, but realised that didn’t match the wordplay.

This is my first go at a Sunday Independent – I’m more of an Every man. You less ten-zero enjoyable.