Comments on: Financial Times 13833 Gaff

By: scchua

scchua — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:24:40 +0000

Thanks Gaff for dropping by. Your comment, as is your puzzle, is most appreciated. I just realised this is the first one of yours that I’m blogging, and I look forward to the next one.

By: Gaff

Gaff — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:14:23 +0000

The 10th private eye is Buffy Summers, the vampire slayer. Rather different investigative methods to Miss Marple, maybe, but you have to admit she would make a welcome addition to Scchua’s gallery! Others are as per Scchua’s thorough analysis, for which congratulations.

By: Jim T

Jim T — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:02:40 +0000

FLETCHER might be reference to “B.J. Fletcher, Private Eye”, a popular Web series produced in Canada.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:40:15 +0000

ARCHER could be Miles Archer, Sam Spade’s partner in the Maltese Falcon

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:26:05 +0000

9A?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_Summers

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:41:41 +0000

What about Andy Summers?
He was the guitarist of the Police ….

By: scchua

scchua — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:34:53 +0000

Hi Sil, I’m not entirely sure about SUMMERS, but – in PI jargon – there doesn’t seem to be a more likely suspect. The field of enquiry is reduced (?) as we’re looking for private/amateur sleuths and policemen/public servants are ruled out as suspects.

Perhaps Gaff himself might drop in to give us the denouement. That would be the icing on the cake and would be much appreciated.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:48:43 +0000

Many thanks, scchua.
I found out quite quickly that it was all about the Private Eye magazine, which I [unlike many Brits] find something of bygone days. Revolutionary in the Seventies, bit outdated in Modern Times [well, that's just my opinion, sorry].
And then I thought, perhaps all these people are current or former employees of PE. Well, I couldn’t be bothered too much.

I found this a pretty easy crossword (apart from one or two in the NE), but to be fair to Gaff, it was very well constructed. And indeed a nice twist to make use of ‘the other meaning’ of PE.

Just like others, I counted only 9 private investigators.
SUMMERS doesn’t seem to be one of them, although it’s quite tempting to include him.
Or is it perhaps ROUSE? Jack Rouse is an actor who played Superintendent Jack Meadows in ITV’s The Bill. That said, ROUSE is nót the character himself.
Maybe there is an Inspector Elsewhere, or one called Terrorist …

By: scchua

scchua — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:22:31 +0000

Thanks Wanderer and MikeC. Yes I had 17D as the ninth connection to 11A (my tenth is 9A SUMMERS, of which I’m not absolutely sure). In my hurry to submit an already late post, I didn’t do a proper final check. Will correct the gap.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:16:14 +0000

Thanks scchua and GAFF.

Re 10d, it makes no difference to the outcome, but I usually think of TT as short for Time Trial.