Comments on: Independent 7819 by Phi

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:53:43 +0000

Phi @12: Thanks for confirming exactly how deliberate the pangram in the clues was(!)

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:55:04 +0000

I think that’s OK, Auntiquarian, with the one being the corgi. Looking at the functionary as the main part would not quite fit, I’d say, as the ‘one’ would not have very much meaning.

By: Auntiquarian

Auntiquarian — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:31:33 +0000

Liked 29. I got 10 from the cryptic bits, but I can’t see how the straight definition works. A corgi isn’t a ‘functionary carrying Queen’s one?’

By: Phi

Phi — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:08:16 +0000

Pangram in clues as well? Oh, yes, that’s right, yes, intended every word – well, letter – um (whistles nervously)…

Josef Suk (b 1929) the violinist died earlier this year, which I thought made him more newsworthy than his grandfather the composer (Josef Suk again, obviously a shortage of forenames in Czechoslovakia). Josef Suk senior (b 1874) was married to Dvorak’s daughter, which does plug him very nicely into the Czech musical hierarchy. Junior did study under a violinist beginning with K, but not Kreisler.

By: flashling

flashling — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:05:22 +0000

Hmm not really looked for pangrams in the clues, last week it was obvious though. Struggled to complete this but did so in three bouts with it. I blogged 11 Nov last year expecting armistice day but got Eimi’s 50th birthday instead, however the date 11/11/11 as Allan_C notes rings alarm bells, we’ll see.

Thanks NMS for a fine blog and Phi for an unusual double pangram.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:58:12 +0000

Good work PB – it’s nice to see you here @ Indy!

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:00:14 +0000

I forgot to mention earlier that this crossword is pangrammatic in the clues as well as in the answers, although there is of course more room for a pangram in the clues than the answers.

The two three-letter answers were not necessary for sufficient linkage between sections or cross-checking in the answers, but were needed to complete the pangrams, 12ac in the clues and 25ac in the answers.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:25:02 +0000

Thanks, nms.

Had a bit of a double take when I saw it was Phi and wondered if the site was playing silly b******s again. Fine puzzle, usual good range of clues and subjects. Pleased to get RILKE, because I’d stored it away from last time (and I’m waiting for KLIMT to come back up again too).

Like Allan, I took BICYCLE THIEVES at face value, but there will no doubt be something else in there going on. I hadn’t heard of the film either.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:07:41 +0000

Phi on Monday? – hmm, I think you may be right about Friday, NMS. I see the date will be (in one way of writing it) 11/11/11.

Failed to spot the pangram (again!) but as someone observed recently it might be a case of having to spot non-pangrams soon.

And I think people may be trying to read too much into 18a. I just took it at face value.

By: NealH

NealH — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:07:30 +0000

Lenny,

You obviously haven’t seen the film recently – he’s actually putting up a poster and has put the bike against the wall a couple of feet away. As he’s new to the job, he’s struggling to put up the poster and a thief grabs his bike while he is thus distracted. You could argue he should have invested in a lock, but maybe he couldn’t afford it. He did have to sell all his bed linen just to get the bike back from the pawnbrokers.