Comments on: Quiptic 596/Hectence

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:35:00 +0000

Damn hard work for a Quiptic, or was the on-line poker distracting me?

By: crosser

crosser — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:57:40 +0000

Thanks Hectence, and Pierre: I needed your explanation for the parsing of “nectarine” at 12a.
In 22a, I hadn’t thought of S bends, just the usual boring “U”s!
I agree with Stella about American women’s use of “wallet” for the British “purse”, and I think they also say “pocketbook”, a word I discovered when I first started teaching English in France – as a translation of “porte-monnaie”.

By: Robi

Robi — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:29:41 +0000

Thanks Hectence and Pierre. Largely OK for a Quiptic but I failed to parse COGNAC and HAZARDOUS (attack of the bends) properly.

As Stella says there’s a coincidence with today’s Rufus. A purse in America means a woman’s handbag.

I did like NECTARINE, although ‘expressly’ may not be a very usual homophone indicator (?). Also liked PATRIARCH and TIGHTER.

By: Pierre

Pierre — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:28:21 +0000

Thanks, both – of course you are correct. It’s both the vessel itself and a kind of coarse paté (sorry, my laptop won’t do circumflex accents …)

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:44:22 +0000

Thanks Hectance and Pierre for an enjoyable puzzle.

There’s a coincidence at 19ac with today’s Rufus, which made it easier than it might have been

I agree with scchua re ‘terrine’. I found the clue rather clever.

In answer to your query, though I’m not American, I think she would call her purse a wallet.

I think my favourite is probably 6d. Nice clue, as you say.

By: scchua

scchua — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:57:49 +0000

Thanks for the blog Pierre, and Hectence for a nice puzzle.

Re 12A NECTARINE, I think the 2nd homophone is “terrine”, a dish, as in an appetiser. Another reading for U + S in 22A HAZARDOUS is U’s = “bends”, a couple of U-turns, I think.

Favourites were 22A HAZARDOUS, 3D CLERGYMAN, and 8D COGNAC.