Comments on: Independent on Sunday 1105 by Raich

By: Uncle Yap

Uncle Yap — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:56:33 +0000

Nice to be back in KL after a ten-day sojourn in Taiwan, climbing their mountain paths and drinking copious quantities of their beer in the name of a healthy outdoor pursuit called hashing.

If I had known that being critical can elicit so many responses to a prize puzzle in which interest usually pales after a week, I would have done it long ago with the FT Monday slot; which became so lonely that I gave that up some time ago.

Okay, maybe solving and blogging away from my comfortable and familiar desktop in KL caused undue rush and haste which resulted in me failing to spot the nina or recognise Saunders vis-a-vis French. Thank Gaufrid who never ceases to amaze me with his erudition and elephantine memory.

Perhaps my less than positive reception of this Raich puzzle can be blamed on my literary ignorance … but as the blogger, I had to be honest that I did not enjoy this quite as much as most others … and we can’t all be the same, can we?

By: flashling

flashling — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:35:37 +0000

Methinks UY was trying to get the most comments on an IOS blog, as with most I have to disagree with him. Seemed to me NMS had produced a great puzzle, Quixote had his style, well appreciated, but it was was time for a change. Perhaps Eimi should get Nimrod, Anax and Bannsider to do the Sunday rotation…

By: caretman

caretman — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 19:38:13 +0000

Thanks for the link, Eileen @16, outstanding comedy! And thanks to Gaufrid @2 for explaining Saunders and French. And one of these days I’ll remember to look for Ninas when I finish a puzzle!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:31:36 +0000

Re French and Saunders:

for those beyond our shores and /or otherwise unfamiliar – a clip with which I all too easily identify and offer as a tribute to Gaufrid, who has so often rescued me from blogging emergencies :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ4A0aaaOAw

By: scchua

scchua — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:04:13 +0000

Thanks Uncle Yap for the blog. This was my first Sunday Raich and I enjoyed it.
Your concerns have been addressed by caretman@1, I think. I might just add that the ellipses in 14D and 16D connect the movie, as mentioned in #1, “To Sir With Love”, set in a school/classroom, to “desk” in 16D.
Favourites were 4D SAUNDERS, for once “French” not requiring me to hit the dicts, 24A CHITCHAT and 23D BECKON. And it goes without saying, the Nina was lost on me, since I’d got used to the idea that Ninas were “Never On Sundays” and didn’t even try to look for one!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 17:52:34 +0000

Glad to see that five fellow setters enjoyed this, as I did.

Many thanks, Raich!

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:28:54 +0000

Bannsider @11
Title corrected.

By: Orlando

Orlando — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:50:08 +0000

I found this to be an enjoyable crossword, and I don’t understand why UY was so down on it.

Re Wander@7: Sirens (see 21 across) is an “episode” in Joyce’s Ulysses.

By: Bannsider

Bannsider — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:41:51 +0000

15ac: I believe “break” is an instruction to “break” the heading off. A nice touch, I though.
13dn: “they’re” is needed because otherwise the definition, strictly speaking, does not indicate a noun.
27dn: The definition fits nicely with the NINA and, for me at least, immediately recalled the Years poem.

Count me among those who immediately associate “Saunders” with “French”, and also among those who ewnjoyed this.

Just a thought: any chance poor old Raich could have his name corrected on the title – just a thought

By: Wanderer

Wanderer — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:13:36 +0000

Further search for a Joyce reference leads me to the interesting but presumably useless fact that an American poet, Marianne Moore, wrote a poem called The Jerboa. Otherwise the best I can do is put forward 12a, with its artist, as a possible nod to A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man. Surely someone can do better!

Good to cross Eileen, it’s nice to know someone else has similar thoughts!