Comments on: Independent 7,586/Math

By: rodders

rodders — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:59:00 +0000

Re Eimi # 29 agree – if you can be leggy ( generally accepted expression ) then surely you can be army ( or chinny or heady or whatever ).
Agree with above 24a was not cryptic – end of alphabet Z and start counting one – seems fair enough to me !

By: eimi

eimi — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:53:11 +0000

Nice to see so much comment on an Indy blog. In defence of army, Virgilius once told me that, living in the States, he has discovered that there isn’t a noun that can’t be verbed. By that same token, I’d suggest that there isn’t a noun that can’t be adjectived, at least light-heartedly in a crossword occasionally. Perhaps a question mark might have helped.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:30:30 +0000

I would agree with Wil’s point (c) – I took ‘finish alphabeT’ to indicate ‘T’ and entered TONE although I couldn’t then follow the rest of the clue. So I only spotted that it was a pangram, not a double one. But at least it wasn’t a crossing letter so it didn’t cause problems with the rest of the grid.

By: jmac

jmac — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:52:00 +0000

Hi Simon,

I just meant as opposed to Rodders and Flashling. I agree that it wasn’t easy but no more difficult than usual for Nimrod (but this is quite subjective, I know). Looking forward to your blog.

By: Simon Harris

Simon Harris — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:28:11 +0000

Rodders (13), yes, me too – not least because I have the task of blogging it! A Saturday Nimrod is always going to be a toughie, so I’m not sure what Jmac means to say at 18 (“balance”? against what?).

By: Hallow Brink

Hallow Brink — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:35:11 +0000

Am sure it’s been spotted, but really impressed with this puzzle so thought it worth leaving a comment, along with the 26/27 across theme you even get favouritism at 8/19 down!

Great fun despite being relatively new to these and having to cheat on a few!

6 down was my favourite

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:43 +0000

Yes Flashling@21, but although it may be pretty clear once spotted, ‘i.e. replaced’ does not indicate that you drop I and replace it with E. I find it quite impossible to think of a way of interpreting it so that it does say that (and the clue must say what it means even if it doesn’t mean what it says). It’s no good being loose and saying ‘well I could see it so it’s good enough’. Unless it is clear for all to see it isn’t good enough.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:50:13 +0000

A quick p.s. to my previous comment.
I can find no reference to ARMY being used as a collective noun for octopuses,I read it as sea meaning a large amount – as in ‘a sea of troubles’

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:40:14 +0000

Thanks Ali.
I can only echo most of the above comments – brilliant puzzle!
Re. Will’s comment A @20 – I think that is what Uncle Yap would call a tichy reference,o.k in my book.

By: flashling

flashling — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:18:10 +0000

@20 Wil your b point i’d disagree with, the replacement of I by E seemed pretty clear once spotted. On D perhaps the word first should have been put in the clue, C I’d say is a nice misdirection albeit not really there, but this is the Indy where new tricks are encouraged. A army I can’t really defend however. Perhaps Eimi will pop up to defend it, you never know.