Comments on: Financial Times 13,587 / Dante

By: Agentzero

Agentzero — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:58:59 +0000

Thanks to everyone for the comments!

Sil, your posts are always so thoughtful and detailed. I had a similar reaction to 4 across. I ultimately decided I didn’t mind it because you can think of OP “getting” C to join it in entering TRIAL (not necessarily consecutively). I was doubtless influenced by how much I liked the surface.

Regarding 1 down, Collins gives as a definition of “main” “a principal pipe, conduit, duct, or line in a system used to distribute water, electricity, etc.” One could argue, though, that a main (which delivers water) is distinct from a sewer (which takes it away), and that one would hope to find a rat only in the latter, and not the former.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:17:02 +0000

One more remark about TROPICAL, catalysed by dram’s post.
Agentzero’s explanation is, I think, “OP and C in TRIAL” meaning “TRIAL comes around OP and C”.
If so, the word “getting” is not really alright, as OP is not getting C (it’s not OPC).
OP and C are, of course, both in TRIAL, but the word “getting” doesn’t justify that – IMO.

By: dram

dram — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:27:02 +0000

Many thanks Agentzero for the blog which helped this learner-lurker understand the gaps, especially TROPICAL. Thanks too to Dante for the entertainment!

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:44:23 +0000

Like just like Jan, I had slightly more trouble with this Dante than usually.
I knew 16ac had to be PLAY ON, but I didn’t fully get it.
Oh, those cd’s [or is 16ac a dd?].
Another one that I found relatively late was SEWER RAT (1d): I know “it’s a pest”, but “in the main”?
I think the girl’s name in 23ac (philo)SOPHY is very unusual. There will surely be SOPHYs in the world, but a lot more SOPHIEs.

All this may be a matter of taste, but I put a real question mark to the use of “doctor” as an anagrind when it is positioned behind the fodder. I remember a similar discussion a while ago in which Dr Gaufrid raised his eyebrows, just like I did here.

Many thanks, Agentzero, for the blog which tells me that you particularly liked 4ac (TROPICAL). I do, too, but I am not quite sure whether the construction is 100% right or not.
It says: OP getting C during TRIAL.
What does “getting” mean here? It looks like a container indicator: TRIAL (with C in it) coming around OP.
I can’t remember having seen “getting” being used this way.
Normally it would tell me: OP + (C in TRIAL), which is not the case here.
But, maybe it’s just me who doesn’t feel comfortable with it.

Finally, there are two consecutive clues in which “on” appears in a similar way (3d and 5d). The use of that little word in OGRE is fine (the reversal of GO “on” (on top of) RE), but in the next one (ROLLS UP) it is the other way around – for some people that’s fine, others [like me] prefer to have AB for “A on B” in a down clue.

Apart from these things, a gentle start of the week (as Uncle Yap would call it).

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:37:36 +0000

Thank you, Agentzero. I always read the FT and Guardian blogs but am usually too late to add a comment. I rarely do the puzzles on the days they appear so I’m only ever ready for the prize blogs.

I struggled to finish this puzzle – I’m not a fan of double definitions and a couple of cryptic definitions left me cold.

By: Uncle Yap

Uncle Yap — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:20:19 +0000

Welcome AgentZero to the Lonely Planet. The trouble with prize puzzle is that most solvers would have forgotten ten days later. However, there are some learner-lurkers here who use this relatively simple puzzle as a weekly lesson. Do not be discouraged … your effort is being appreciated, albeit silently