Comments on: Independent 7783 by Punk

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:49:25 +0000

Not quite as gentle as some Monday offerings but got there in the end. Held up on the NE corner thinking 5d was ‘stolen’ (= hot), though I couldn’t make the rest of the clue fit – doh!
‘Cathouse’ new to me also; wonder if someone might be in the doghouse if his visit to the cathouse was discovered?

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:45:22 +0000

Good as usual from Punk. In my primness I was only vaguely aware of the term tonsil hockey, and had never heard of bingo wings. I had only one slight misgiving: to polish (26ac) isn’t really the same thing as to clean — in fact when you polish something you often make it rather dirtier, with all that stuff you put on to make it shine.

By: flashling

flashling — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:47:20 +0000

Quite enjoyed this apart from not getting 13d, some lovely trademark punk/paul sauciness. Did wonder if the income bit would raise a comment but seemed fair enough to me.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:28:07 +0000

Many thanks for the blog, nms. A fine puzzle, with some smiley moments and clever clueing. SPOLIATION was the only new word to me. I’d vaguely heard of TONSIL HOCKEY, but put in BINGO WINGS just from the enumeration (must be the company I keep).

Thanks to Punk for the fun.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:56:23 +0000

Yes, I missed that anagram in POSTMAN PAT – just thought the stamp referred to the postman – amazing that ‘stamp on’ is an anagram of postman. Looking at the clue again it says “with stamp on letters”. I think this is a totally fair indication telling the solvers to use those letters (in some order).

By: NealH

NealH — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:49:43 +0000

Eileen,

I think that’s what I meant. However, there is nothing to indicate that the letters have to be rearranged.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:45:05 +0000

Hi NealH

Re 7dn; I didn’t take the anagram indicator as being ‘with letters’: I read it as PAT with ‘STAMP ON’ letters.

By: NealH

NealH — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:31:22 +0000

I didn’t spot the anagram in 7 down and was thinking that man must mean stamp in some context. In fairness, there isn’t a clear-cut anagram indicator apart from “with letters”. Other than that, it was fairly straightfoward, except for spoliation which I had to puzzle over for quite some time.

By: crypticsue

crypticsue — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:54:49 +0000

Very enjoyable, thank you to Punk. A great puzzle with lots of fun – I did laugh at 10/22 and 20a. Thanks to nmsindy too.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:47:10 +0000

Thanks for the blog, nmsindy, and Punk for a great puzzle.

Having miserably failed to spot an anagram in my Rufus blog today, may I redeem myself slightly by pointing out that in 7dn POSTMAN is an anagram of STAMP ON?