Comments on: Independent 7,696/Mordred

By: Ali

Ali — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:29:57 +0000

Good to see my ability at missing themes is maintained then!

Thanks to all for the pointers. Having spent 2 hours earlier this week mouse-proofing my flat after my pantry got raided, I agree that they’re unwelcome guests. I completely missed the ‘treble hind’ link to the nursery rhyme and I’m sometimes dubious about ‘semi’ &lit. clues as the term seems oxymoronic, but this works OK as a cryptic def.

By: superkiwigirl

superkiwigirl — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:05:31 +0000

Many thanks for the blog, Ali, and for a most enjoyable puzzle, Mordred.

I saved this up as an after dinner treat, and wasn’t disappointed.

Like spb @ 5 I entered tithawk before needing to try TITLARK when I failed to get my online message of congrats. And like nmsindy @6, dialrib @8, and scchua @ 9 I agree about the “wildlife” theme – in addition to the creatures already mentioned there is a hen at 17d!

By: flashling

flashling — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:53:33 +0000

Thanks Ali I couldn’t finish this for some reason. Thanks Mordred for the workout

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:27:15 +0000

I rambled on a bit back there without mentioning that I also thought it was an excellent puzzle. And I don’t mind the cricket references! Let’s just hope the Rose Bowl hasn’t turned into a Goldfish Bowl by the end of this test (it’s pouring now but apparently it drains very well).

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:35:05 +0000

Fine puzzle from Mordred – some tough clues, but enough more accessible ones to give you a chance to establish base camp on the foothills before attempting the ascent. I liked TATER, and did know NACELLE from constructing too many Airfix model planes when I was a youth. I liked TOTTER too, but only understood it after coming here. I’m keen on my cricket, and it’s a great clue, but it just seemed a bit too up-to-date!

Thanks for the blog, Ali.

By: scchua

scchua — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:41:04 +0000

Thanks Ali for the blog and Mordred for a perhaps easier than usual puzzle.

Yes, there seems to be an undeclared animal theme (by coincidence cf. today’s Guardian cryptic), unless it’s one big coincidence.

I thought that 29A THREE BLIND MICE was just a cryptic definition, with “treble hind cut”=”three tails cut” as in the rhyme. But then “treble hind” is also an anagram of THREE BLIND?

19A OLD STAGER, though I had the answer, for the parsing, I was looking for a cricketer associated with STAGE, being misled by “former”=OLD!

By: dialrib

dialrib — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:12:20 +0000

In the Down answers there are OTTER and (as indicated in the clue) OUNCE. Besides the mammals we can also find TERN, CROW, TIT, LARK and TITLARK. And if we want to stretch it even further, ANT and CELL!

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:58:24 +0000

I share the slight disquiet about 29. I took it as an &lit too, with mice indicated by “unwelcome visitors” , which they certainly are to the farmer’s wife. But there was still the feeling that I hadn’t quite got it. I think the problem might be that the mice are “three blind mice” before as well as after “treble hind cut” – and they are more “visitors” before than after, when I’d have thought they’d be fugitives. Then again unwelcome visitors don’t really stop being unwelcome visitors even when you’ve got rid of them… All in all I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the clue, it’s just that it seems to snag a bit on something as I take it in. Hence the question mark, I suppose.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:40:22 +0000

I found this a little easier than Mordred sometimes is and I enjoyed it. While not being able to put my finger on it exactly wondered if there was some sort of a theme with a lot of animals appearing in across answers eg MONKEY, OX, MARE, BOA, CAT, STAG, LION, MICE etc. Thanks Mordred and Ali.

By: spb

spb — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:09:18 +0000

Very disappointed that there is no such bird as the tithawk.