Comments on: Financial Times 13,656 / Redshank

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:26:08 +0000

Thanks smiffy, another lightweight (but very well written) puzzle by Redshank.
When I can solve a crossword without any kind of aides in, say, half an hour (like this one), then either that puzzle must be not very hard or it must be that I was on the same wavelength as the setter.
In Redshank’s case, probably both.

Not it that it makes any difference, but for me 5d wasn’t a reverse hidden [although it is on the face of it]. It saw it as the reverse (‘heading North’) of ‘retinue’ without the first and the last letter (‘endless’).

Thank smiffy (and Redshank, of course).

By: Wendy

Wendy — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:42:29 +0000

Thanks Andrew.

By: bamberger

bamberger — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:41:44 +0000

19d not 19a

By: bamberger

bamberger — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:38:55 +0000

I raced through about 3/4 of this but then came to a grinding halt
Failed to spot the hidden word at 24d
Couldn’t get the anagram at 18d despite having all bar the first checking letters. Ok could have used a solver but wanted to to finish it unaided.
Ditto the anagram at 16a . Some days they drop and some they don’t.
12a Shouldn’t it be sub-zero?
Didn’t understand 19a -have now googled it -Wikipedia may consider it famous -not with me it isn’t.

Thanks for the blog

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:48:09 +0000

Wendy: Redshank is aka Crucible (Guardian) and Radian (Independent) – see http://www.bestforpuzzles.com/people/a.html#Duggie-Anderson

By: Wendy

Wendy — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:01:15 +0000

Very enjoyable but perhaps a few too many anagrams.

Thanks Redshank. Are we allowed to know who you are please?

By: Eileen

Eileen — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:33:42 +0000

Thanks smiffy – and Redshank, of course.

Andrew had alerted me to a coincidence here on my blog of today’s Gordius, where I’d almost written a similar comment to yours on 16ac, the coincidence being that the solution, COLON, wasn’t clued by a colon.

An enjoyable puzzle and, as you say, remarkably topical.

I particularly admired AZTEC and SEASIDE [where you have a wee typo].

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:56:39 +0000

Many thanks Smiffy

This was very enjoyable with SUBZERO my favourite.