Comments on: Independent 7607 / Phi

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:49:21 +0000

Thanks Gaufrid.
I find this quite straightforward but enjoyable as Phi’s puzzles always are.
Proud to say that I actually spotted the theme/Ninas,but only because Phi mentioned an upcoming Fifteen Squared theme here a week or two ago.
I remember Kid Jensen from Radio Luxembourg,which,I see from your link,would have been about 40 years ago!
Thought 7 down was an excellent clue,also liked the cryptic definition at 9 across.

By: BertandJoyce

BertandJoyce — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:05:30 +0000

Thanks Gaufrid for highlighting the theme. We only logged on to check our understanding of 9A. We now realise why some of the answers were slightly more convoluted!!

Thanks to Phi for his tribute to 225!!

By: Handel

Handel — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:47:25 +0000

Many thanks for this Phi, which would have been a great pleasure even without the nod to bloggers and former bloggers! Look forward to more ‘ghost themes’, although not sure how many we’ll spot…

By: Phi

Phi — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:18:10 +0000

I think this sprang from noting 200 and 25 were the same length literally. Once I put a few blog identities into the grid the owners started standing down, and new ones came along. Hmph! OBERAMMERGAU/FRIDAY was too wide for the grid, of course. Incidentally a colleague here in NZ has the forename BRYRE (which, as it happens, combines intriguingly with his surname, but not something to go into detail about on a blog, I feel).

Ghost themes like this are a nice thing to try – a bonus if you spot them, and entirely irrelevant if you don’t. There will be more…

By: Jan

Jan — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:59:09 +0000

Thanks, Gaufrid and Phi.

This is only my third Indy puzzle and very enjoyable it was, too. I didn’t even register the significance of the 200 and 25 solutions let alone the bloggers! And after the comment @7, I’ve just spent several minutes trying to find flashling.

I must look at Anax #7588 – thanks again, Gaufrid.

By: walruss

walruss — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:37:15 +0000

It’s nice to see a theme you don’t need to crack to solve the puzzle, and quite right too as it’s so esoteric!

By: flashling

flashling — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:52:46 +0000

Can’t find me but anax did so no complaints, still no mention of Gaufrid though who deserves most of the credit. Riku is swedish for Richard so maybe he’s hidden in 17/20 could be just serendipity. thanks Phi for the puzzle and G fot the blog, I missed the 15 sq link unlike the Anax one.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:09:41 +0000

Many thanks for the puzzle, Phi, which I found was not too difficult. My favourites were LEFT-HAND and TWO HUNDRED. Thanks, Gaufrid, for the blog and for spotting the theme which I certainly didn’t tho looking for a while as I generally do esp with Phi. And, thanks, Phi, for mentioning us.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:17:32 +0000

Concerning briars and briers, the haunting folk song featured in the film adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd would have the spelling briars:

Through bushes and through briars
I lately made my way
All for to hear the small birds sing
And the lambs to skip and play

For those old enough to remember, Julie Christie sang it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuHlMn1scAI

Music aficionados like Phi will know that the song was rediscovered and popularised by Vaughan-Williams (allegedly; you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the Internet …)

By: mhl

mhl — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:17:28 +0000

Thank you, Phi! I suspect that this is the first and last time I will ever be mentioned in a broadsheet crossword, so what a wonderful surprise! For that to appear in a crossword from one of my favourite setters is the icing on the cake :)

I’ve put up a copy of the solution, highlighting the bloggers’ names here: http://longair.net/mark/fifteensquared-bloggers-phi.png