Comments on: Independent 7668 Bannsider (Sat 14-May-2011)

By: Mustyx

Mustyx — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:29:42 +0000

We always called it ‘piggy in the middle’ and this variation was new to me. Excellent puzzle.

By: caretman

caretman — Sat, 21 May 2011 21:51:38 +0000

Thanks, beermagnet, and the discussions explaining the definition of 7d. I put it in but had no understanding of why it might be right. Also, my experience was the opposite of beermagnet’s; 1a came right away for me from the letter count confirmed by seeing how it parsed, while the bottom took much longer. It didn’t help that in the states the game referenced in 23a is ‘pickle in the middle’, and although I had come across the phrase BAY CITY ROLLERS I hadn’t even known they were a musical band, much less tartan-clad. One clarification on beemagnet’s blog in 17a: ‘cheers’ = TA with ‘repeatedly’ meaning to duplicate it.

This was a good, challenging puzzle which took some research for me to solve (POSTCODE LOTTERY was also unfamiliar to me) and solutions I had to check were really words (STATUA and TUI), but to me that’s a big part of the attraction of solving puzzles. So thanks, Bannsider, for the workout.

By: flashling

flashling — Sat, 21 May 2011 18:28:28 +0000

Odd that BM I cleared the lower half in no time and struggled with the top, I too initially thought ENO but realised in the end, TY BM and the Bann man

By: Bannsider

Bannsider — Sat, 21 May 2011 14:11:14 +0000

Actually I should add, re 8 down, CH is just a dictionary abbreviation for CHESTNUT (as in the horse).

I also neglected to thank beermagnet for the excellent blog. Thank you!

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Sat, 21 May 2011 10:19:15 +0000

I thought this was one of Bannsider’s finest puzzles, very tough all right but made progress all the time. Understood LEICESTER as the rugby team all right (eventually). Esp liked hiker = upper in 1 across and ‘vets unexpectedly’ as a definition of SPOT CHECKS which gave such scope to mislead. Great imagination and originality, I thought, in the puzzle as a whole, and everything was completely fair. Thanks, Bannsider and beermagnet. BTW, whatever about the Heineken Cup, don’t forget another final today which will of special interest to another setter if a perimeter message of the past is any guide.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 21 May 2011 08:03:42 +0000

Nice one, Bannsider – all the best!

By: Bannsider

Bannsider — Sat, 21 May 2011 07:55:59 +0000

Sorry about “LEICESTER”. Usually I go back over my puzzles when they appear so they’re fresh in the mind for the blogs, and I must admit when I re-read this one I did think “ooh, that’s tough!”
Sorry Eileen, but I will now do a further letter-substitution, “north” for “church”, on LEICESTER, to come up with the team I will be supporting today in the Heineken Cup Final. Mind you if you are a Leicester supporter you may be in sympathy

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 21 May 2011 07:44:56 +0000

Congratulations, beermagnet, on a super blog of a very hard – but ultimately satisfying – puzzle!

Re7dn: I live in Leicester and am a Tigers supporter but iyt still took ages for this to click. I think it’s one of the most obscure clues I’ve ever seen, in both wordplay and definition.

I think it must be the rugby team and I think the wordplay is LETTER [character] accepting ICES [totals] instead of ['for'] the first T[ime]

Many thanks, Bannsider, for an interesting Saturday!

By: jmac

jmac — Sat, 21 May 2011 06:09:05 +0000

I thought 7 dn was Lee (Chinese character) + ices (totals) + t (time) + r (first letter of 15 ac) making an &lit as Leicester are a well known Rugby Union team (or fifteen). But I could be completely wrong.

This was one of the most enjoyable crosswords I have attempted recently, with some brilliaant clues. Thanks Bannsider & Beermagnet.

By: tor

tor — Sat, 21 May 2011 05:07:22 +0000

What on earth was I thinking, please ignore that.