Comments on: Independent 7,773/Dac

By: timon

timon — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:37:00 +0000

Glad I wasn’t alone [nmsindy@8] in struggling over 1D, have to confess I didn’t get it or 9A but had no access to references, though I now see it is a very fair clue. Gnome as “maxim” a new one on me. Managed to eek out the rest of the puzzle over a few days – excellent cryptic sustenance while away from the UK.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:36:02 +0000

A fine puzzle, accessible, totally fair. MAGGIE was esp good and was my last answer. I have to disagree with the criticism of hymn = sing as, apart from Chambers quoted above, both the Concise OED and Collins give the verbal sense. Many thanks, Ali, and Dac.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:44:12 +0000

Thanks, Ali – never come across the verbal use of HYMN before.

By: scchua

scchua — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:15:55 +0000

Thanks Ali and Dac.

This was a breeze after today’s Paul, but just as enjoyable.

Great surfaces. Especially the suggestive 16A PULLED A FAST ONE which was my entree, and the &lit 23A TRAGEDIAN, with seldom seen use of the Academy’s complete acronym.

By: flashling

flashling — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:56:22 +0000

Not sure KD , prison bit , yeah ok – I guess it’s you sing songs/hymns bit weak IMHO but fair enough and getable. Well ok I don’t think it’s one of Dac’s best. Good grief, a complaint about a DAC clue?? Had to happen eventually …

By: Ali

Ali — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:45:06 +0000

Yep, I probably should have mentioned that it also took me quite a while to break into this one. Definitely on the tough side for Dac.

K’s D – Chambers gives HYMN as both noun and a (transitive) verb.

Pant at 13A duly corrected too, cheers!

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:39:01 +0000

I agree, Ali, it was a fine puzzle, but it took me ages to get going with it as well. PENNY FARTHING was good, as was PULLED A FAST ONE. I still don’t understand SING SING – I know ‘pen’ is ‘prison’, but how can ‘hymn’ equal SING rather than SONG? One’s a noun and one’s a verb, no? I know the clue won’t be faulty, because it’s Dac, but I can’t see it, so if someone doesn’t mind explaining, I’d be much obliged.

By: NealH

NealH — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:51:47 +0000

I thought this was Dac on excellent form today and really enjoyed all the clues. 1 down, 10 down, 16 and the brilliantly apt 12 were top notch.

By: flashling

flashling — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:48:49 +0000

No complaints having finished, just that I personally found this one tough to crack open, looking back I can’t see why, just one of those days I guess. There’s no hard clues just ones you don’t know the answer to I guess. 13 Pant??