Comments on: Independent 7,824 by Monk (Saturday Prize Puzzle, 12/11/11)

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:30:40 +0000

Very tough and fair puzzle, as one expects from Monk. I spotted the metals but not the full subtlety of the NiNa which I must say was very clever indeed.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:37:08 +0000

Further to #1: I should have added in 5d that RHUMB can mean a point of the compass. Usually encountered in the nautical term ‘rhumb line’ which is a course crossing all meridians at the same angle.

By: MikeC

MikeC — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:42:24 +0000

Thanks Simon and Monk. Quite a tricky one – I totally failed to spot the NiNa (as I usually do!). In 10, surely “water” is the definition?

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:03:29 +0000

Well spotted, dialrib! I shall have to hang my head in shame as an (ex) chemist not thinking of that.

By: dialrib

dialrib — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:01:01 +0000

Could it be the Nina is NiNa? (chemical symbols for Nickel, Sodium)

I haven’t any authorative references but Spr is an abbreviation of Sapper (15d) and CinC for Commander-in-Chief (18a). For the rest of 18a, military alliance is NATO; I and O can be used as symbols for on and off; so ‘in military alliance finally turned on’ is IN NATI?

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:59:32 +0000

18a: CINC (or C in C, abbr for Commander in Chief) + IN + NATI (NATO with O changed to I, a reference to the symbols O (off) and I (on) on electrical devices. A bit laboured, but that’s the best I can make of it.

27a: ‘Mushrooms’ refers to the mushroom-shaped clouds associated with nuclear explosions.

5d: The clue was ‘Point one inch above book’. RHUM is a Scottish island, or ‘inch’ in Scots, over B

15d: Spr is the army abbreviation for the rank of Sapper (in the Royal Engineers)

Spotted NICKEL and SODIUM but couldn’t make any obvious connection except that they’re both metals.