Comments on: Guardian Quiptic 619 Pan

By: scchua

scchua — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:07:39 +0000

Hi Stella, PeterO and grandpuzzler, thanks for taking part. And to the latter 2, well done! You’ve got them, save a few wrinkles. These are the answers I had prepared 6 hours earlier. (BTW, the context of the images are not necessarily the same as the required answers, eg. That was Plowright shown in her role in Enchanted April, but I think the locale for the latter film, though in Italy, was not Tuscany.)

12A TUSCAN: These actresses have featured in films with Tuscany as the locale:
Maggie Smith – A Room With A View
Joan Plowright – Tea With Mussolini, which also included Cher, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Lily Tomlin
Diane Lane – Under the Tuscan Sky
Liv Tyler – Stealing Beauty.

16D SCARRING: The first is Al Pacino who took the role of Scarface, a fictitious gangster. He also played Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggierro, a real life gangster, in “Donnie Brasco”. The others too have portrayed real life gangsters:
Robert de Niro – Al Capone in “The Untouchables”
Warren Oates – Dillinger in the movie of the same name
Mickey Rooney (he with the babyface) - George “Babyface” Nelson in “Babyface Nelson”
Warren Beatty – Clyde Barrow in “Bonnie and Clyde”

21D OXALIS: the plant genus which gave its name to oxalic acid. Similarly the other plants with edible parts: Brussel sprouts, chives, and rhubarb contain oxalic acid.

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:07:48 +0000

Bit of a struggle today, but then so was Rufus, so maybe I wasn’t in the right mood.

By: grandpuzzler

grandpuzzler — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:50:25 +0000

Thanks Pan and scchua. The missing lady is Diane Lane who was in Under The Tuscan Sun. Is that Belmondo? I don’t have a better answer.

Cheers…

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:40:49 +0000

You’ve certainly cleared things up for me, PeterO, especially regarding the plants.

By: PeterO

PeterO — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:06:54 +0000

Here's my take on the pictures. Working from the bottom up (starting with the easy one): the standard warning is not to eat rhubarb leaves, as they contain too much oxalic acid, but lesser amounts do no damage, and are in such common eatables as Brussels sprouts and chives, as well as oxalis (obviously; its trefoil leaves can be chewed, but it is better known for its flowers). The theme of the middle set seems to be crime films, mostly noir-ish: Al Pacino in Brian de Palma's Scarface gives the introduction, followed by Robert de Niro (in whatever). Is top right Jean Paul Belmondo? I have not tracked down the photo, but he would fit the theme with films such as À bout de souffle and Pierrot le Fou (although the photo shows a much older person than either of those two rôles). The second row is Mickey Rooney (the photo looks like a publicity still, but Rooney played various rôles such as Baby Face Nelson) and Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde). The top group looks like films shot in Tuscany. Top left looks like Maggie Smith channelling Lucille Ball; the Tuscan film that comes to mind is Tea with Mussolini, but the shot shows a much younger Smith, if she is indeed the subject. Top right is Joan Plowright, also in that film, but the still is from Stealing Beauty. How am I doing?

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:00:09 +0000

Thank you, scchua. I enjoyed this outing from Pan, and thought there were some clever clues, given the constraints of producing an ‘easy’ puzzle. FAIRGROUND and TEAMMATE were examples.

Never heard of STITCHWORT, but with some crossing letters it became obvious because of other plants that end in WORT, like RAGWORT.

Your comment about the Derby Day is spooky – I have just returned from the venue where we have been discussing the hot buffet options!

By: scchua

scchua — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:43:35 +0000

Hi Stella, only the first is the oxalis, but all of them have something in common, though all of them have edible parts, with the last three quite commonly consumed.

I hope to be back late tonight with the answers.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:45:21 +0000

Thanks scchua and Pan.

An excellent blog, but as usual I don’t see the links in your illustrations. Are those plants all OXALIS?