Comments on: Enigmatic Variations 974: Repent Sinning by Ifor

By: bb

bb — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:09:18 +0000

One quibble with the endgame: AMPHISBAENAE and AMPHISBAENAS both appear to be acceptable plurals for AMPHISBAENA (Chambers Word Wizard only gives AMPHISBAENAS). Both words are available in the grid for highlighting, and the preamble does not say the highlighting has to be symmetrical. Obviously AMPHISBAENAE gives a prettier grid but it’s hard to see how AMPHISBAENAS could be marked wrong.

By: Dave Hennings

Dave Hennings — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 07:23:19 +0000

Ifor, Thanks for your comments. Regarding the clue to PELLAGRA, I read it as Normal (anagram of ‘paralegal’, which it isn’t) when I solved it and only realised it was a DLM when doing the blog. I forgot to mention that the clues were fine, especially when your original clue to 8dn is substituted; and I loved the idea of Songs of Praise being shown on Japanese TV!

By: Ifor

Ifor — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:29:10 +0000

Dave – thanks for this. A couple of points prompted by the blog – I did indeed try to include CADUCEUS at the bottom of the grid, but failed to find a way to do so. And you were kind enough not to point out that the clue to PELLAGRA contained a superfluous word and had a nonsensical surface. It should have read “Help for brief pellagra attack” but somehow underwent a change after proofs were agreed (I suspect it may have been read in haste as an normal clue with “attack” as a feeble anagrind)

Ifor

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 15:24:57 +0000

Thank you, Dave.

I really enjoyed this one with four types of clue. You’re right, of course, about the significance of the title but it also reminds me of the garden of Eden.