Comments on: Independent 7662 by Monk (Saturday prize puzzle 7th May 2011)

By: Mustyx

Mustyx — Sat, 14 May 2011 15:11:25 +0000

Sorry completely wrong about 4dn. Didn’t spot the ninas. Duh!

By: Mustyx

Mustyx — Sat, 14 May 2011 15:06:47 +0000

Yes I agree with Allan C: wage is to carry on.
4dn: Both sides (here) refers to the LEFT in 26ac (twenty) and the RIGHT in 2dn (score) giving Twenty-Twenty. Cricket = this game. (Sorry Twencelas, I’m sure this is what you meant. just thought it needed clarifying).

By: flashling

flashling — Sat, 14 May 2011 10:00:08 +0000

My solve was much like NMS, seeing score>twenty>vision and guessing the sides would both be “TWENTY” after which I finished rather quickly for a Saturday. But it was good stuff thanks Monk and Twencelas for reminding me of it.

By: jmac

jmac — Sat, 14 May 2011 07:16:34 +0000

I found this much tougher than the last few Monk puzzles I have tackled, finding it very difficult to make much headway at first. I returned to it on and off during the week and it was only by spotting the nina that I eventually finished it off. Nevertheless I enjoyed it (otherwise I wouldn’t have spent so much time on it). Thanks to Twencelas for the helpful blog.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 14 May 2011 06:57:19 +0000

I read 10a as ‘wage’ = ‘carry on’ as in to wage war or wage a campaign + ‘work’ = ‘labour’. Chambers has ‘wage-work’ (hyphenated) as work done for wages. By which, as twencelas rightly says, you would make ready (money).

By: bamberger

bamberger — Sat, 14 May 2011 06:56:33 +0000

Probably four hours on and off only yielded 9a,11a,5d,7d & 15d.

Shako is the only unknown word

Way over my head, I’m afraid-I expect it was satisfying for the better solvers.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Sat, 14 May 2011 04:30:38 +0000

Yes, this was excellent and reasonably easy by the standards of some Monk puzzles. Getting SCORE was the breakthrough and then I saw the TWENTY possibility in the outer columns helped by the CRICKET clue. Thanks Monk and twencelas.

By: caretman

caretman — Sat, 14 May 2011 04:05:41 +0000

Thanks, twencelas, for the blog and explaining some of the elements I didn’t understand (particularly when it came to cricket). It took me a long time to figure out what the ‘both sides’ referred to; essentially only after I had solved the puzzle and then noticed the filled grid. It was a fun exercise following the clues around as they referred to each other in succession, with an enjoyable final conclusion. CORBIERES was the one new word for me; as a non-drinker I’m not particularly up on the French AOCs. Thanks, Monk, for a fun puzzle.