Comments on: Inquisitor 1221: Known – or Unknown by Nimrod

By: BadHarry

BadHarry — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:50:28 +0000

Slowly getting though my backlog, hence the lateless of this entry.
Found this one thoroughly enjoyable, and not too difficult once you had decided you could ignore most of the rubric to begin with – perhaps I was just in the right frame of mind for it.
However, I didn’t manage to explain 26 but as there was only the S unchecked I filled it in anyway.
Searched as many did for how OUY and eventually banked on it being a faulty clue – happy to see that was right.
Latching onto Oliver Postgate didn’t help, but removing SECRET seemed fairly probably if not explicit.
Thanks to all.

By: HolyGhost

HolyGhost — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:38:24 +0000

Thanks, Hi, for passing on the message from the editor/setter.

Notwithstanding that, there seems plenty of evidence (here at least) that the rubric left how to deal with SECRET ambiguous. It could be argued that it is initially hidden in the grid and that it is to be exposed, or brought to light, by highlighting it. And I don’t see how the “yellow coloured CATs and BAGs in different parts of the grid” served as hints, except possibly to highlight SECRET (=the CAT) in yellow.

By: Hi of hihoba

Hi of hihoba — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:07:43 +0000

I have just received a note from Nimrod/John H concerning the outstanding questions above which he asked me to post on his behalf.

“Quite cross to find that the word “capped” had been dropped from the clue to YOU i.e. (b)UOY rev, somewhere between proofs 2 and 3.
Lyall – boy’s name, no-one famous. The SECRET is OUT, so it was to be removed from the solution and put below the grid as instructed, and as hinted at by the yellowy colured CATs and BAGs in different parts of the grid.

As for the entries, I’ve asked…and will keep doing so. I want to know just as much as any of you!”

By: John Lowe

John Lowe — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:09:49 +0000

There also seem to be some spilled BEANs – one top left in urBANE and up to three bottom right, including sEANBean. Whether or not they are relevant I don’t know.

On 29th February John H wrote”(iii) I shall soon be able to answer the popular question as to how many entries are received each week, so watch this space!” I’m still watching!

By: Pandean

Pandean — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:22:39 +0000

@5 Oops, I meant to say ‘”What to do with SECRET was also a mystery to me…”

By: Ali

Ali — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:18:26 +0000

Well, on the John H scale of difficulty, I really do hope that he puts himself at the top end here! As this was published on the day of the Listener dinner, I’m guessing he will have seen some of the best solvers in the country having a crack at this one. If so, I’d be interested to know how they got on generally.

This was easily the most complicated rubric I think I’ve ever seen in the IQ and ultimately was another one of those puzzles which I started, got hardly anywhere with, got distracted by other things (including the following week’s puzzle), came here and then wished I’d persevered. Very impressive stuff all round though.

By: Pandean

Pandean — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:06:53 +0000

Thanks for the excellent blog Duncan, and to Nimrod for the puzzle which I enjoyed. I don’t usually solve the Inquisitor, but was attracted by the algebraic preamble.

My thought on the B of BUOY in 14dn is that it would be submerged (and thus not visible) so only the YOU part of YOUB is seen.

In 39ac I took LYALL just to be a first name (as per Lyall Watson, writer of ‘Supernature’) and so defined simply by “He’.

What to with SECRET was also a mystery to me, and I didn’t bother too much as I wasn’t going to send in my solution. I’d hoped to get the answer to the mystery here, so maybe Nimrod himself will drop in? Or else I’ll check the published solution in due course,

By: regalize

regalize — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:31:14 +0000

Thanks brave Duncan for the blog and to Nimrod for a corker of a puzzle.
I posted on a previous Inquisitor thread that getting to grips with the preamble was a big part of the fun. Hah! I eat my words. Being published on St Patrick’s Day, I immediately saw ‘TOP O THE’, put two and two together and of course made nothing at all- for a long time, too.
I opted for blanking out the secret assuming that as it was clearly there, it was meant to be hidden. I can see, Duncan and HolyGhost that your reasoning does make more sense.
As always, my Saturday fix didnt let me down.

By: HolyGhost

HolyGhost — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:49:21 +0000

I cannot help with the B of BUOY - I think it must be an error in the clue - and my best offering for LYALL is John Lyall, an English footballer and manager, though that's something of a long shot. Regarding what to do with SECRET, I took my instructions from the rubric: "If so, and Nimrod holds this to be correct …", namely someone has let the cat out of the bag, i.e. the secret has been disclosed (defn. in Chambers), or, in other words, brought to light. And, having wondered about them for a while, I let the POST THE and BAG GATE overlaps go. As Duncan says, an enjoyable challenge - thanks go to him & to Nimrod. (Difficulty: 4/5)

By: Gordon Fisher

Gordon Fisher — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:58:35 +0000

As someone who struggles with every Inquisitor I thought this was beyond the pale.