Comments on: Guardian Quiptic 588/Pan

By: Angstony

Angstony — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:26:19 +0000

Nice puzzle overall. My only (minor) gripe was the ‘tea’ homophone used in 16d: I regularly frequent curry houses and I’ve never heard chapatti pronounced like that; it has a much shorter vowel sound at the end, as in ‘patty.’

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:07:24 +0000

Hi Eileen, thanks for that. Indian culture seems to have pervaded Britain (as is only fitting IMO ), but I missed out on the phenomenon. I hadn’t heard of Ganesh, either, but got it (him?) from the wordplay.

By: flashling

flashling — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 23:30:23 +0000

Sorry Pierre, didn’t get a chance to do this, might be tempted in future for the fun of it. Couldn’t get an Indy today or Grauniad to read on the train which was a tad frustrating. The “i” however had a crossword from “Empire” who I really don’t remember and couldn’t finish 2 or three (1 i’m not convinced of) left. Nicely blogged. Phil

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:22:45 +0000

At the risk of disagreeing with everyone, and as one who has the authority of being closer to the target audience, I found this on the tough side for a Quiptic, but there have been tougher. I can see why the rest of you like it though.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:05:51 +0000

As you said, Pierre, just as a Quiptic should be.
Many thanks to Pan for that.

GANESH was my first to go in, the cleverly constructed SEASCAPE the last.
Highlights, apart from SEASCAPE, were ADDERS (I do see your problem with ‘executed’ meaning ‘beheaded’, but they do these things in Crosswordland) and PHANTASM (which took me -relatively- ages to spot).

Not so keen on CAN DI for ‘Canadian girl’, but it’s OK.
[Candi is a girl's name in its own right (eg the 60s/70s soul/disco singer Candi Staton]

And I almost made a mistake, initially entering VENERATION instead of REVELATION in 23ac.

Nice puzzle.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:33:53 +0000

Hi Stella

I think you’re thinking of ‘ciabatta’ [and I take your point: it amuses me when people thing they're being precise when they pronounce it 'chee-a-batta!]

Chapatti is Indian bread and is a Hindustani word.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:52:09 +0000

Thanks Pierre and Pan.

I wrote ciapatti at first, ‘ch’ in Italian is pronounced ‘k’, and only used before an ‘i’ or an ‘e’, but the check button corrected me

By: Robi

Robi — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:20:55 +0000

The image might be better if it were interEsting.

By: Robi

Robi — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:19:32 +0000

A good puzzle, Pan; just right for the intended audience, I think.

Thanks Pierre for a good blog. I particularly liked BRENDA (nice to see BRA not clued as ‘supporter’ for once) and ADDERS.

Eileen @1; I guess you are referring to the Grantham grocer, rather than the drunk with a tea towel! As Pierre said, intersting image……

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:40:44 +0000

Merci, Pierre, for a lovely clear blog.

As you say, a nice, straightforward puzzle for newer solvers, with some amusing story-telling surfaces, like the sideways reference to Mrs Thatcher’s father!