Comments on: Independent 7771/Quixote

By: flashling

flashling — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:59:27 +0000

Ha Rishi, that what I thought of too as I wrote it in…

By: Rishi

Rishi — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:13:53 +0000

Ref: 21a CHASUBLE

There is no chance of my dropping the word in conversation this evening or later but I was reminded of The Rev. Canon Chasuble, DD, a character in Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:00:14 +0000

The usual pleasing puzzle from Quixote. Not too hard, and good variety in clues. My favourite was the clever definition in MAINMAST and I esp liked STRAIGHT too. Good surface too in DIRIGISME. Re NealH’s comment @3, I think that’s a rather strict view of Spoonerisms – if memory serves a dictionary example is ‘loving shepherd’ ‘shoving leopard’. Azed occasionally (and one can only be amazed at how he does it) has an entire puzzle based on Spoonerisms which can be based on swapping consonant sounds or be ‘vocalic’. Thanks for the blog, Pierre, and I certainly did not know that about ‘straight’ and ‘strength’.

By: Quixote

Quixote — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:54:45 +0000

Thanks for generous feedback. I’ve clearly been bumped forward from next Monday and will presumably come back in 3 weeks.

In my new Monday Indy role I am for the time being sticking to the Observer Everyman criteria for grids (white around the outside, 28 clues with 4 long answers, at least half the letters checking, so no lesser checking to accommodate ninas or themes). Some of the clues will be of an Everyman level of difficulty, but I shall feel free to introduce slightly trickier subsidiary indications and/or vocabulary to add a modicum of spice.

Those who want harder puzzles in the Indy will have their tastes catered for on other days of the week and those who want harder stuff from me can look for Pasquale in The Guardian, and in The Times (where of course I am anonymous).

Thanks again. Q

By: flashling

flashling — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:25:24 +0000

thanks pierre i didn’t see endless either. Mainmast was my last in as i was thinking of magnetic for pole which of course didn’t fit and delayed me somewhat in the NE. Cheers Don too for the fun.

By: NealH

NealH — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:08:20 +0000

I got through this one quite quickly, with mainmast being the last entry. That one was slightly tricky, I thought, because it was an unusual word and the different possibilities for institute, mother and degree. I don’t mind spoonerisms, but prefer it when swapping the initial letters actually makes the answer rather than just something that sounds like it, as in this case.

By: Pierre

Pierre — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:26:43 +0000

Thank you, Eileen. Kicking session over and blog amended.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:01:14 +0000

Thanks for the blog, Pierre, and the laughs.

I think you’ll kick yourself: endless ‘night’ is ‘nigh’.

Nice puzzle – thank you, Quixote.