Comments on: Independent 7834/Mordred

By: 4across

4across — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:44:36 +0000

cash and carter may have something to do with the theme ? see “Johnny and June Carter Cash sing Jackson” on utube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzhzCF77GDo

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 22:26:12 +0000

Thanks, John, and Mordred. A little easier than some Mordred Indy puzzles, I thought. Spotted Jackson all right but not the related references. Was looking to see was there a Micheal to go with it, actually. Re Allan_C’s comment at #16, I think placing ‘escalating’ at the end of the clue makes this unambiguously ‘stops’ tho I agree it needed a little extra thought just to be sure.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 21:39:59 +0000

Nothing too difficult, though I missed the Jackson theme completely. But I thought one or two clues were a bit iffy, e.g. 7d which at first glance could be either STOPS or SPOTS and it wouldn’t have mattered as the T and P were unchecked. On the other hand I liked 14d as another example of a Ford model not referring to T – although having got the T as a crossing letter from 20a that was my first thought.

By: Cumbrian

Cumbrian — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:29:41 +0000

Hi Gaufrid

Many thanks for the enlightenment re SC; I can’t believe I’ve never come across it before, and googling it didn’t shed any light. I don’t recall the word from my schoolboy Latin either, although it was a very long time ago and an experience that I have just about managed to blank from memory. (“You boy! Conjugate the verb ‘to go’!” The stuff of nightmares…….)

By: IanN14

IanN14 — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:25:57 +0000

Now I think there’s more to this than has been pointed out so far.
The Jackson thing may have something to do with it, and I don’t know enough about late 20th Century American politics (and have neither the time nor the inclination to bother finding out) but surely President (2d) Carter (8d) and Noam Chomsky (29ac) had connections regarding Israel, and Ford and Bush are mentioned in the clues.
Of course there was also a President Jackson, too, and maybe other stuff I don’t know.
Or maybe it’s just all a big coincidence?….

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:25:22 +0000

Thank you, Pelham, I shall treasure that one. Do you think we all need to get out more? Actually, thinking about it we are all getting out more, on Saturday in Derby, and I’m starting to worry slightly now …

Thanks again.

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:38:54 +0000

K’s Dad @9 following Thomas99 @7: please see General Discussion comment 164:

http://fifteensquared.net/2010/12/26/general-discussion/?cp=4#comment-175288

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:02:08 +0000

Hi Cumbrian
SC is the abbreviation for the Latin ‘scilicet’ which means ‘namely’ or, as in this clue, ‘that is’.

By: Cumbrian

Cumbrian — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:37:17 +0000

I’m being a bit thick here, but I can’t see where the SC in 13a comes from……? Help!

I missed Chomsky, which was nicely hidden and a name I only vaguely recalled after I’d cheated, but a nice clue.

Additional trivia re Jackson, or specifically Jackson Stops, the estate agents. In a previous lifetime I spent some time working in Rutland where there was a pub called the Jackson Stops. According to local legend, the building had been for sale for quite a while with the agent’s sign prominently displayed, and became known as “the Jackson Stops place”. The name stuck.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:13:10 +0000

Thanks, Thomas. I am out working this afternoon, but I will ask Pelham nicely now in anticipation of having the explanation on my return!