Comments on: Independent 7,706/Eimi

By: AndyB

AndyB — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:08:02 +0000

I wondered if the answer to 20d could be seen as nodding towards one of Bob’s famous early period songs, especially as it’s “the answer” that’s blowing in. Though I’d say that seemed quite a weak clue in a highly enjoyable crossword.

I’d understood “time out of mind” to mean so dated that no one can be sure of its origin. The chambers definition loses a bit of that sharpness perhaps. But a fair clue

By: ele

ele — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:53:04 +0000

A bit late in the day, thank you so much Eimi for getting this puzzle, completed (I was the one who compained about the lack of a themed puzzle on His Bobness’s 70th, when you let the cat a little way out of the bag). When I saw your name I hoped it was going to be this one. Got most of them, although some albums aren’t so familiar. A favourite other clue was 15d.

By: lenny

lenny — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:40:58 +0000

Thanks for the explanation eimi. I obviously need a new Chambers as my 2003 edition just says “from time immemorial”. I also did not understand Quixote’s amusing comment until you explained it. For those still in doubt, see yesterday’s blog.

By: eimi

eimi — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:01:56 +0000

Thanks to Ali for the blog and others for the comments.

Time out of mind is a bit confusing, but I trusted the definition in Chambers: “during the whole time within human memory, from time immemorial”.

Unfortunately the best Bob Dylan albums (Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, Highway 61 Revisited, The Times They Are a Changin’, Planet Waves – in my opinion) weren’t very crossword-friendly and others wouldn’t fit in to make a symmetrical crossword. Some of the albums here are pretty forgettable, and it takes a strong constitution to get through Self Portrait without resorting to the skip button, but I would recommend Modern Times to those who haven’t heard it. It rocks. Well worth the £4.49 you can get it for at Amazon and Play.com.

I’m not sure His Bobness would be happy to be considered almost the Spice Girls, though, Don.

By: lenny

lenny — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:25:03 +0000

Unusually for me, I guessed the theme as I was solving. Not that it helped since I only have Freewheelin’. The grid displayed Eimi’s usual ingenuity and it was not a difficult solve apart from Anele, a new word for me. I guessed Angle since it was the only word I could think of that corresponded to any words in the clue.

I had the same feeling as scchua about Time out of Mind. It appears to me that within human memory is the opposite of what the phrase means.

By: scchua

scchua — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:35:59 +0000

Thanks Ali for the blog, and Eimi for a rare appearance.

As usual, the theme went over my head, and didn’t even know there was a theme, as I was doing it offline. Only Dylan albums I have are compilations, and the others I know of are from the 60s. Still a pleasant puzzle not requiring any knowledge of the theme to complete. Favourites were 4D IT POURS, 7D WEED, and 18,29 TIME OUT OF MIND. A question about the latter, as the dicts give the meaning as “past or beyond memory” and therefore it can’t be “within human memory”.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:23:27 +0000

I see that Eimi correctly predicted Nadal’s foot injury. Any tips for the rest of the week?

By: NealH

NealH — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:36:45 +0000

Music is not my strong point, so the theme passed me by even though I looked up “Time Out of Mind” in Wiki and saw it was a Bob Dylan album. Maybe the fact that Modern Times was a Chaplin film led me away from thinking that all the across answers were connected. I think the large number of short answers made this a bit easier than it might have been. Only anele gave me a few problems because it’s not a word I’ve come across much.

By: flashling

flashling — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:18:33 +0000

I was convinced it was knocked out spent ages trying to work out why and failed. Laughed at the second def in 7d. Thanks Eimi and Ali. Totally faled on the theme, thought loaded and time out referred to magazines.

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:09:40 +0000

Sorry – didn’t notice nmsindy had parsed both of those too. I agree with the 10a/1d linkage as well.