Comments on: Independent 7818 Anarche (Sat 5-Nov)

By: Anarche

Anarche — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 22:32:07 +0000

Many thanks, beermagnet, for your sterling work. Thanks, too, to all who have taken the trouble to comment, and apologies to those of a nervous disposition. Yes, FILAGREE is a disconcerting spelling, but once I saw the wordplay I couldn’t resist it. I enjoyed setting this one more than I should have, so for the good of my poor benighted soul I’m working on a much nicer theme for some future date
Hope to see you all at Derby!
Love and hugs,
Anarche x

By: MikeC

MikeC — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:23:59 +0000

Thanks beermagnet and Anarche. Enjoyed this. As a matter of interest, I had 23 as RIDDEL (*IDLER incl D), who was also a martyr, apparently. Although my wordplay makes sense, I suppose it could be that almost any name would fit martyrdom!!

By: Jan

Jan — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:15:36 +0000

Thanks, beermagnet, it's useful to see the completed grid, and what a great puzzle - thanks, Anarche. I was thrown by 19d, which I didn't solve, assuming a foreign term was needed. The three bishops mentioned are known as the Oxford Martyrs with the Martyrs Memorial being in the city centre.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:41:33 +0000

Thanks Beermagnet.

How did you manage to reproduce the solved puzzle in your blog? Great idea!

I saw Cranmer readily enough, but had never heard on Mr. Ridley.

What amazed me was how readily I saw RHEOSTAT, considering I don’t even know what one does, ehem!

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:34:03 +0000

Thanks Eileen. I’ve corrected that Esther/Ester homophone

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:48:45 +0000

Thanks for the blog, beermagnet,

Super puzzle, if, as you say, you don’t dwell on the theme [which was amazingly well maintained].

Great surfaces, as always, and really witty cluing throughout.

I still can’t believe that spelling of ‘filigree’ – it just doesn’t look, or feel, right!

Just to be picky: in 13ac, ‘they say’ refers to the missing ‘h’ in Esther.

Many thanks, Anarche, for another excellent puzzle.

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 08:03:19 +0000

Sidey, you’re right, the Brims/Tone split is much more likely.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 07:59:23 +0000

I’m with sidey on the parsing of BRIMSTONE.

Held up for ages on 2d thinking the ‘endles woe’ was ALA[s], or even that the first ‘endless’ might be the definition, leaving ALAS for ‘woe’, until the penny suddenly dropped.

I was a bit doubtful about FILAGREE at first; it couldn’t be anything else but I’ve always spelt it ‘filigree’. However, Chambers gives both spellings.

A great puzzle, though. Some of the clues were (fire)crackers!

By: sidey

sidey — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:34:07 +0000

Er, that comment on brimstone should’ve been followed by ‘I think’. Sorry.

By: sidey

sidey — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:31:31 +0000

Excellent puzzle nicely blogged, thanks.

Couple of points, BRIMSTONE splits brims = Is filled as ‘she brims with happiness’, tone = pitch.

A trimester is three months so there are three quarters in a full term pregnancy.

NAUGHTIEST is possibly my favourite as James (that naughty man of the four letter word) pronounces his surname differently, naughty Anarche.