Comments on: Financial Times 13,954 by Bradman

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:24:44 +0000

Re pennes at #13, I think the idea is that “nuts” is an anagram indicator and pea is an anagram of ape.

By: pennes

pennes — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:12:33 +0000

Oh could anyone tell me how 23 ac “peanuts” works. Maybe not getting a refernce to “nuts” means I am thinking too politlye and should get out more

By: pennes

pennes — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:05:00 +0000

This was the first FT I’ve attempted ( I’ve only just discovered that crosswords can be accessed and printed online). I always start with the last, down clues and the ” first” three went straight in and I thought it was going to be a doddle. I managed in the end about 3/4 so was pleased to see it is rated a toughie. I’m definitely in the liking 6 dn camp and 2 dn offbeat was a nice get.
I was wondering why the crosswords are given online; what is in it for the paper?

By: susan

susan — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:53:27 +0000

the supreme god is WOTAN (achieved victory=won)

By: Lenny

Lenny — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:24:31 +0000

I agree with crypticsue that this is the most difficult of today’s puzzles, although I only did the T***s and the Independent before I tried it. I thought the Don was really flexing his muscles with this. Unknowns for me were: Cottar, Wharfinger, Satang, Alkane, Alkanet and Silas. Everything was just about gettable from the wordplay but I have to admit I got the right call between Alkane and Alkene on a flip of a coin.

I was not helped by getting the anagram at 11 since my best initial attempt at the spelling was Beetelgeus, which threw me on 4 of the 5 crossers. I’ll go and write it 100 times. Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse…

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:41:12 +0000

Thanks, Jed and Bradman. Yes, this was pretty tough and it took me ages to see UNHORSE in the NE corner which I found the most difficult. I agree with PB at #5 that this refers to hands as measure of height for a horse. Everything very fair and clear in the end. What may have made it a little harder is that it is a pangram ie every letter of the alphabet is used in the grid.

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:40:22 +0000

PS. jmac @3 is surely right about 21d. Witan doesn’t fit the definition or the wordplay and Wotan does.

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:38:10 +0000

I agree with Pelham Barton re 6d. I think it’s a rather good Cryptic Definition clue – superficially about playing cards, but in fact a slightly elaborate/poetic but grammatically perfect description of unhorsing someone. And it seems to have flummoxed a few people, so it’s not too easy (a fairly frequent complaint against Rufus’ CDs, which usually surprises me).

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:34:59 +0000

An anode is an electrode though which current flows into an electrical device, the cathode is where the current flows out of the device. These could have a positive or negative potential depending on the setup and what your viewpoint is.

For example, in a valve the anode is thought of as the +ve electrode because that is where the electons are attracted to (electrons flow out of this end, so current flows in).

In a battery the anode is condidered the -ve electrode, since that is where the electrons flow out of the battery (so the current flows in through this electrode).

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:20:51 +0000

Hi everyone.

6dn: I think this is a cryptic definition based on “hand” as a measure of height for a horse.