Comments on: Everyman No. 3377 (19th June)

By: CliffLeinhart@live.com

CliffLeinhart@live.com — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 01:42:20 +0000

going to have to buy one for our mum

By: crosser

crosser — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:11:58 +0000

Many thanks, Kathryn’s Dad and sidey.
I’ve now found it in my OED – it wasn’t in the smaller edition I consulted. Funnily enough, I knew the word in French (through doing French crosswords) as meaning a collection of anecdotes or “bons mots” (the SOED definition given by K’s Dad) but had no idea it was used in English. I agree that “gossip” is stretching it a bit.

By: David Travis

David Travis — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:08:29 +0000

“What can make prelims simpler?” — what a great clue. Thanks for writing this up!

By: sidey

sidey — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:28:42 +0000

Beaten to it by K’s Dad.

By: sidey

sidey — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:23:06 +0000

crosser ANA is in Chambers and a few other dictionaries as a collection of someone's table talk or gossip, literary anecdotes or posessions, a bit obscure for Everyman really.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:22:38 +0000

Thanks, Lorraine. Happy holiday! Although not a religious retreat, as Mystogre seemed to be implying …

ANA for ‘gossip’ is something I struggled with too when I restarted cryptics. It’s one of those little words you’ll never use in conversation and unless you do crosswords will probably never know. ‘A collection of a person’s memorable sayings; publications concerning or associated with a person, place, activity’ (SOED). It comes ultimately from the prefix in words like VICTORIANA or AMERICAMA. So it’s not that close to ‘gossip’ in the colloquial sense, but that’s what it gets clued as. Worth filing away.

CHAUFFEUR was my favourite today – pretty obvious, but clever.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 08:08:39 +0000

Bamberger @ 3

Read all about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander's_Ragtime_Band

The 1938 movie is among my favourites.

Many thanks Lorraine and have a great time. I hope that you know how to make a Maltese Cross?

You hit him in the eye.

By: Bamberger

Bamberger — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 07:47:59 +0000

Found this very hard and gave up with less than half completed.
1a Didn’t help that I’d never heard of her.
4a Tried mansion block, apartment block etc but never thought of court
9a & 25a – Catch 22 if you can’t get 9a you can’t 25a and vv.
16a Thought this was the hidden word of “slang”
21a Alexander’s ragtime band -what that?
5d I don’t get ana =gossip either.
13d I thought salamander as a type of lizard -never heard of it being a lamp.
20d Never heard of this.

Surprised that it was thought easy.

By: crosser

crosser — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 06:21:05 +0000

Thank you Lorraine, hope you enjoy your holiday. Could someone please explain ANA for “gossip” in 5d? I got ARENA, of course, but couldn’t understand why, not knowing the word.

By: Mystogre

Mystogre — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 05:51:43 +0000

Have a god holiday Lorrane. As always, thanks for taking the time to do the blog.

Another of his gentle rambles through the language. 9ac was a bit of a smile and I also enjoyed 7d and FIDELIO stretched me. I also discovered a new (to me) type of stove. And 15d was delghtful. That is as it should be – every crossword an exploration.