Comments on: Independent 7735/Punk

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:56:51 +0000

Yes, a nice one from Punk. A real groan when I got PUNNET.

Wil @ 7, I’m with you there about plum tomatoes; I guess the ‘tinned’ was inserted to go with ‘opening’. Cue for debate on unnecessary words in clues?

Favourites? PUNNET as aforesaid, also MORON.

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:40:47 +0000

Yes congratulations to Punk on his nuptials. The usual nice puzzle from him, but I had two quibbles:

Is ‘Nudge, nudge, wink, wink’ really a definition of ‘Say no more’ (22ac)? I got it because I happened to be around at the time of the Monty Python sketch, but has that really become so well-known that it’s part of everyone’s general knowledge now? And are plum tomatoes (6dn) tinned food? Surely a plum tomato is a type of tomato and it may or may not be tinned? But perhaps I’m ignorant on this point.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:27:09 +0000

Thanks Pierre and Puck for a load of chuckles and one (22ac)

6d eluded me for a while, as where I live I’m more used to seeing them alongside other fruit and veg.

By: caretman

caretman — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:54:15 +0000

Thanks, Pierre, for the blog!

On this side of the water, CALUMET is not an uncommon word. It’s even the name of several towns and counties, including one county in the state I grew up in. For me, PUNNET was the new word, but clear once I discovered it. My feeling of ‘chuffiness’ was when I unscrambled SPEARMINT RHINO from the anagram and a handful of crossing letters and then found that that really was the answer.

I add my congratulations to Punk on his nuptials and thanks for the puzzle.

By: walruss

walruss — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:27:56 +0000

Good stuff! I’ve just returned from a week’s meditative retreat, so calm I am as a millpond. So far. It was nice to get the Indy done after the usual fare from the Guardian! Best clue probably PLUTO and TOM. Thanks all.

By: NealH

NealH — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:11:05 +0000

I think a few people would plump for Raging Bull and GoodFellas as better known than Last Temptation, although that was very controversial with some religious types at the time. I got through this fairly efficiently as well, although I wasn't particularly keen on 20 down (seemed a bit gimmicky). But 19 down was good (shame it wasn't a more recent PM), as were 21 and 12.

By: Cumbrian

Cumbrian — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:57:06 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed both Punk’s puzzle and Pierre’s blog, so many thanks to both. CALUMET was a new one to me as well, but accessible from the wordplay, and I’d never heard of SPEARMINT RHINO; in fact after googling it I possibly spent more time reading about the place than I spent on the crossword.
I’m not sure if SAY NO MORE would make sense without recalling the Python sketch (how long ago was it?), but it’s still very clear in my memory. I think my favourite was probably MORON for the use of “display behind”.

By: flashling

flashling — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:48:20 +0000

Indeed congratulations to Punk & his Missus. Flew though this couldn’t get answers in quick enough. Re 2dn I used to walk past the place on my way to work, never been in there – honest

Thanks Pierre for the blog, hmm is 3d where the honeymoon is?