Comments on: Financial Times 13,616 by Cinephile

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 12:53:28 +0000

Hi bamberger. The wordplay of 12a is hard indeed; it was probably the clue that took me the longest.

I cannot well say how much time this puzzle took me but it was longer than most. As is typical I worked on it periodically over a couple of days. There have been puzzles that I completed in a single 20-minute sitting but those are very exceptional. I am generally not a fast solver and take a relaxed approach picking up the puzzle for a few minutes now and then over the weekend.

By: bamberger

bamberger — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:33:19 +0000

Got about half out but scattered all over the grid.
10a How did I miss that?
12a I think that wordplay is hard
21a Now that is really hard.
5d Another really hard one

Thanks Pete -I know this site doesn’t go in for times but I’d be interested as a “one off” as to how long this took you roughly.

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:50:39 +0000

Hi Coffee. I Googled “Berlin spree” and there it was!

By: Coffee

Coffee — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:29:55 +0000

Thanks – was left with Spree being the most likely for that one, but I had never heard of the river either. Finally can send it to the recycling bin.

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:48:25 +0000

Scarpia, Thanks for noticing that typo in 21 across. I have corrected it. And of course you are right about 1 down! I have fixed that as well.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:44:11 +0000

Thanks Pete.
Perhaps not one of the Rev’s very best puzzles but enough good stuff to make it enjoyable.
As you say ABUT was very good and I also liked BUBBLE WRAP.
In 1 down I think ‘keep’ is the insertion indicator.
24 down,I can only assume the reference is to (copied from Free Dictionary) “private treaty – a sale of property at a price agreed on by the seller and buyer without an intervening agency.”
Can’t say that makes it a great clue but I might be missing something here as well.
BTW slight typo in 21 across – missing W.

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:40:57 +0000

>> Oxford tells us: a PRIVATE TREATY is the agreement for the sale
>> of a property at a price negotiated directly between the vendor
>> and purchaser or their agent.

Thank you for finding that. But surely it means that the clue is hardly cryptic?

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:30:57 +0000

Last week I really let you down by not submitting a post for an exceptionally fine Cincinnus crossword, but then they ALL did.

In this puzzle, 9/10ac ánd 26/27d are examples of what it’s all about when we talk about ellipses. Chapeau, Cinephile!

I especially liked HYPHENED, because there was indeed a hyphen in the clue, which gave us the definition.

Other highlights were the great anagram leading to SYSTEMATIC (3d) and the witty 22d (EXTORT).

I had no question mark in my notes for TREATY, so I must have parsed it last week.
Yep, I did:
Oxford tells us: a PRIVATE TREATY is the agreement for the sale of a property at a price negotiated directly between the vendor and purchaser or their agents.

Good puzzle.
I didn’t put any minuses in my notes.