Comments on: Financial Tines 13,649 by GAFF

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:23:08 +0000

Thanks PeeDee.
A tough but excellent puzzle I thought.Some very clever wordplay and plenty of humour,plus a long anagram,which seems to be a Gaff trademark.This seems to be only the second Gaff puzzle in the FT and looking back at the blog for the last one I see a comment from Hellathwen –
“This puzzle is indeed Gaff’s first puzzle for the FT. He is known under other pseudonyms elsewhere and I am delighted to see his work appear in a daily for the first time. He has been a regular compiler for me as an editor for some years. This is an auspicious debut.”

If you’re here tonight Hellathwen,it would be nice if you could give us a bit more info.This is an equally auspicious follow up!

By: malc95

malc95 — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:49:04 +0000

I know it’s late, and there’s probably no-one still around, but I just had to comment on this one.

Being relatively new to The FT crossie, I’ve not come across GAFF before. I have to say that I thought this was excellent; just the right level of difficulty (3 pints of Original in the Cherry Tree)without having to resort to electronic aids, some fine surfaces and a large dose of humour in a neatly topical puzzle.

Favourites; 9, 24 & 26a, 3 & 7d; 10a very clever, but cod 4d.

By: Nestorius

Nestorius — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:23:26 +0000

Very tough challenge but I got there in the end. Topper for me was 12a.

By: jmac

jmac — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:11:42 +0000

Thanks for the blog PeeDee – really needed it. A very entertaining puzzle and I look forward to more by Gaff in the future.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:13:40 +0000

Many thanks, PeeDee, I really struggled with this and, even after completing it correctly (as I have now discovered), I was st a loss to explain some of the solutions until you (among others) removed the mysteries.

I did like OSCILLATE when the penny eventually dropped.

How very topical. It’s just a pity that Gaff failed to mention Elizabeth Taylor, RIP.

By: walruss

walruss — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:15:14 +0000

Quite an odd puzzle, but it was nice to see a re levant theme in a puzzle that is not The Independent!

By: crypticsue

crypticsue — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:41:22 +0000

There is a song called the Midnight Train to Georgia! I did struggle with this mighty themed puzzle with those long anagrams but I got there in the end.

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:37:46 +0000

Doh! Thanks Eileen. Can you explain 10 across?

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:35:17 +0000

Thanks, PeeDee.

Re 14ac: ILL is the middle of the previous [last] answer, OSCILLATE.