Comments on: Everyman crossword No 3,388

By: jackkt

jackkt — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:41:09 +0000

Dead easy. 15 minutes is about as good as things get for me with a cryptic puzzle. Didn’t know the beehive state reference.

By: Davy

Davy — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:16:18 +0000

Thanks Stella,

An entertaining offering from Everyman and it’s nice to see Spike getting a mention. I would love to see his Q series again but it will never happen.

Favourite clues were ROLY POLY (liked ‘poorly cooked’), APROPOS (very good surface), RUPERT BEAR (wasn’t NOTW largely a comic ?) and DISMISSAL.

Thanks Everyman.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:38:08 +0000

Many thanks, Stella, especially for explaining the ORDINARY bit of EXTRAORDINARY. I too took tympanum simply as a musical drum. Although it’s obvious, just to add that in 22dn the reference to ’18′ is to 18dn, where RESPITE is the definition of LET-UP. Usual pleasing puzzle from Everyman, with ROLY-POLY taking me back to school dinner days.

Btw, I was, in a slightly perverse way, pleased to see your comment about LIECHTENSTEIN. I’d consider myself good at spelling, but this – together with MASSACHUSETTS – is a complete blind spot every time I have to write down the word. Pub quiz trivia: the national anthem of Liechtenstein – Oben am jungen Rhein – is sung to the same tune as God Save the Queen.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:27:40 +0000

… or even “considered”

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:26:51 +0000

Thanks all for your comments.

At 18ac, with the reference to Henry II’s supposed outburst which provoked the murder in the cathedral, I imagined the rest of the country, as opposed to the Plantagenet king, being in favour of the priest – probably not historical

I too had my doubts about 26ac, but I was actually thinking of tea-break in the work-place, which is usually around 11.00, I believe.

According to Wiki, the kettle-drum section of the orchestra is the “timpani”, with an “i”, presumably from the Italian. The first acception for “tympanum” are architectural and anatomical. I didn’t check this at the time, and indeed consider the instrument, but couldn’t remember it actually being called so.

By: Wolfie

Wolfie — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:02:02 +0000

Hi Stella

Thanks for the blog. Quite a pleasant and straightforward offering from Everyman. 27ac ‘tympanum’ is simply defined by drum I think – hence the tympani section of the classical orchestra. The eardrum reference is correct but unnecessary I think.

Does Everyman have a thing about mental illness I wonder? In the past month he has offered ‘nutcase’ (twice!) as a solution; this time we have ’round the twist’.

By: Bamberger

Bamberger — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 07:09:17 +0000

Thanks for the blog.
I hadn’t heard of auster for the south wind or ordinary.
Had to check the spelling of lictenstein/leichenstein before putting it in.Only one gripe -26a I had always taken elevens to be a snack-say an apple or kit kat and not merely a drink.

By: Mystogre

Mystogre — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:40:30 +0000

Thanks Stella. Another gentle ramble from Everyman although, like you, I had not heard of an ORDINARY before. That sort of clue gets the fingers working on references. But I am a little puzzled by your comment on Thomas a Becket. I didn’t take that from it at all, although I thought of him when I saw the turbulent bit. Then I found I didn’t need him as it worked fine.

Actually, none of the clues seemed to particularly stand out. But it was a nice time-filler.