Comments on: Financial Times 13,958 by Monk

By: Keeper

Keeper — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:44:59 +0000

I’m sure my late post will go largely ignored, but I wanted to voice a quibble with 14ac. While foil and epee are both fencing swords, they have enough differences that it seems inappropriate to use one as a definition for the other. I imagine Monk chose “foil” over “sword” so that it might make more sense following “bel paese.” Perhaps “blade” would have been an acceptable alternative?

By: JollySwagman

JollySwagman — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:26:15 +0000

Late in – only just did it – but just had to say what an amazing achievement (the puzzle that is – not my having solved it).

In fact only got the last few thanks to spotting PB’s italicised comment added later by PeeDee – so that only made the cheatometer needle quiver slightly.

Thanks to all the abovementioned.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:36:36 +0000

Thanks, PeeDee and Monk. I noticed the first and last letters of all answers were the same, but, by no means as quickly as PB at #3.
I was a little over half way through the puzzle. This made it easier to finish the puzzle, which I found not too difficult overall, and in particular to track down the more unusual answers which, I guess, the theme forced into the grid. No complaints about the NITROGEN clue. Yes, it was an unusual approach but I think N = nitrogen and N = new are pretty well-known.

By: Wanderer

Wanderer — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:44:06 +0000

Terrific. A recent Monk crossword in the Indy, in which all across clues started A and all down clues D, alerted me to the possibility of a similar device, so I spotted the first/last letter element quite early. However, the first complete rows I filled in were the ESCRITOIRE/EPEE pair, followed by CHALDAIC/CLERIC. This misled me into thinking that not just every clue, but every pair of clues, would have the same first/last letter.

25ac: Difficult (and my last in) but the fact that I knew it had to end in N made it less of a stretch than it might have been. My favourite clue.

Many thanks to PeeDee and Monk.

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:52:03 +0000

Thanks Monk for a delightful crossword and PeeDee for the blog. Did you not notice that all the answers begin and end with the same letter? I guessed that aspect of the puzzle after my first two answers. (8ac and 1dn).

25ac: I agree this is a bit of a stretch for a weekday newspaper crossword.

13dn: A nicely constructed “& lit” clue, but I think it would be better with “fixing” instead of “changing”.

18dn: Here I would prefer “raised” to “withdrawn” in a down clue – I think the surface would be equally good. As usual, I have no quarrel with those who think differently.

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:48:44 +0000

Thanks Gaufrid, mystery solved. I had not heard of S=Succeeded before, I guess it is used in the sense of a successor to a hereditory office.

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:38:10 +0000

Thanks PeeDee
6dn is S (succeeded) POT LESS (free of 3 {hash})