Comments on: Independent 7596 by Bannsider (Saturday Prize Puzzle 19 February 2011)

By: Bannsider

Bannsider — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:08:08 +0000

Apologies mc_rapper67 – I see I misplaced the underscore in your name!

By: BadHarry

BadHarry — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:48:48 +0000

I did wonder myself if I was being harsh but decided I wasn’t since there was so much praise from every other quarter. It’s a real shame that my colleague and I have come to associate the name Bannsider with unfair clues. He wish to address this, but it’s unlikely if no-one mentions it. It will have been noted that I also used the phrases “flashes of genius” and “intricate and entertaining” so my hope for better is not unfounded. I really liked 8D and the misdirection of 12A was wonderful but those had already been highlighted.

As for the spoonerism, in most Scottish accents the vowel of “word” is like that of “cut” but longer. In broader Scottish accents the vowel of “bird” is like that too, but more often it’s something like that of “hiss”. There’s no problem rhyming “watching and “botching”.

By: Bannsider

Bannsider — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:47:45 +0000

Thanks to mcrapper_67 for an intriguing blog – these entries are of great interest and value to us setters and all your efforts are greatly appreciated!
I can’t remember if INTERVIEW was originaly intended as part of the “mini-theme” but if it wasn’t, it is now!

I don’t claim any great merit for the SPOOONERISM clue, but I wonder in which accent BIRD-WATCHING is not a spoonerism of WORD-BOTCHING …
For NOUVEAUX RICHES, an anagram was clearly called for but it would have meant two long anagrams in a row so I decided to be a bit more “lateral”.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:42:27 +0000

Hi mc_rapper67,
Until recently I was the same as you and thought the Z spelling was an American usage,but in the(English) dictionaries I possess and checking online it seems that is the preferred option.The same applies to other similar words e.g. sterilize,fertilize.
Do keep up the fight for colour,flavour etc. or before we know it four will become for,to the confusion of us all.
These days,I think the preferred spelling of the Viking king is Knut or Cnut.

By: mc_rapper67

mc_rapper67 — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:40:21 +0000

Hi all – thanks for the comments and suggestions.

BadHarry – I feel you are maybe being a bit harsh on Bannsider, but everybody is entitled to their opinion.

Scarpia – thanks for pointing out that Chambers doesn’t indicate HOMOGENIZATION as an American spelling. Maybe it is just that I work for an US-owned company, and am forever fighting against those annoying missing ‘u’s in color, flavor etc., and against the tide of Zees instead of Ss. Fighting against the tide? Given the theme of this puzzle – does that make me a bit of a Canute?…

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:39:23 +0000

Thanks mc_rapper67
I didn’t spot the theme but I still thought this was a super puzzle.
As usual with Bannsider this wasn’t easy.i always add to the difficulty by trying to fit fancy wordplay into clues that turn out to be quite simple cryptic definitions.
Re.1 down – Chambers lists the ‘Z’ spelling as the first option and doesn’t suggest it is an American usage.

By: BadHarry

BadHarry — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 14:48:11 +0000

Sorry, but it’s the typical unfair Bannsider fare.
Some of it, of course, is intricate and entertaining but this renders the poor bits all the more frustrating.

Maybe there’s only 2 really annoying clues:

In 2D, “cross-channel components” evidently means two foreign words that fit the (admittedly clever) definition. But there’s nothing cryptic about it – the two words just mean the answer, but neither is it a double definition.

The spoonerism in 18A works in some accents though not mine. It was deemed necessary to point out that a “star” is only an “‘ero” in certain locales. Why is that not the case here, or is it that Spooner’s accent was well documented?
But, anyway, where’s the definition? Nowhere – just two bits of word play.

Works hard – shows flashes of genius – can do better.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:54:05 +0000

Yes, great puzzle, took me quite a bit more than 30 minutes. Did not spot the theme. Thought HOMOGENIZATION with a Z was OK as an fairly obvious anagram was given. Thanks, Bannsider, and mc_rapper67. Some great clues as always from Bannsider eg NOUVEAUX RICHES where I think ‘loaded’ = rich.

By: Tokyo Colin

Tokyo Colin — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:29:23 +0000

Thanks MC for explaining what this was all about. I had no chance, not knowing the incident, the people involved or even Radio 4. Kipper Ties, Flotel, Cellaret were also blank spots until today. But I ploughed on with a bit of help and enjoyed some of the ones I solved, esp.24ac, 5d and 6d.

In 2dn I think ‘Set’ refers to a group as in ‘Jet set’, in this case the Nouveaux Riches, rather than a set of French words.

And in 5dn I think it is read as AL ‘in’ TENTS, i.e. ‘under canvas’, the camping term.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 08:57:31 +0000

Quite a tough one, took much longer than 30 minutes. Held up for a long time by 6d [very devious, I thought, "fur" (= for) or "mit" (= with) came to mind more readily than "und" in the German reference] and 12a [trying to fit something around UR - "ancient city"], also thinking the second word of 7d must be "bird" and wondering if there was a bird commonly known as a howler. Got there in the end, but missed the theme altogether, having forgotten all about the "14 18"