Comments on: Financial Times no.13,965 by LOROSO

By: Pogel

Pogel — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:43:09 +0000

I convinced myself the director was Spielberg – spiel/pitch – and then gave myself a headache trying to justify the berg…

By: anax

anax — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:47:18 +0000

Hello everyone – sorry I’m late! Many thanks to Ringo for blogging and to everyone for their comments. Delighted that Lenny makes mention of my mentor; Roger played the major role in getting my crossword career off the ground. I’ve always tried to write clues in as individual a way as I can but it’s great to know that bits of Roger’s influence come through from time to time – it’s unintentional but I’m glad it’s there.

By: crypticsue

crypticsue — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:06:09 +0000

A few Loroso’s ago, I made what turns out now to have been an error in saying that I thought Loroso was user-friendly Anax. Since then he has upped the toughness and today’s puzzle, although great fun, did take me a while to sort out. Thanks to him and Ringo too.

By: Wanderer

Wanderer — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:53:45 +0000

Marvellous, if difficult, crossword. Thanks for the explanations of SASQUATCH and PROFESSOR, which I got (in the end) without parsing. Held myself up for ages by entering BRUSQUE instead of BRUISER. The definition (tough) was a bit of a stretch, but the wordplay seemed to work: B for bishop, RU’S for game is, and QUE for queen… It even gave me a crossing Q for sasquatch, but in the wrong place. Failed on the choreographer.

COLOSSIANS my runaway favourite. Reminded me of the trick for remembering the epistles in the right order: A,E,I,O,U. This gives galAtians, ephEsians, philIppians, colOssians, and… thUssalonians.

Many thanks Ringo and Anax.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:39:06 +0000

Yes, this was very good indeed. Esp liked THATCHING, TRUTH DRUG, NOT WITH IT, COLOSSIANS (my last answer), GARBLED. All totally fair, and, yes, on the tough side. Thanks LOROSO and Ringo.

By: Lenny

Lenny — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:58:53 +0000

Invigorating indeed Ringo, and a lot more difficult than this week’s Anax. I loved Air Kiss, Colossians and Not With It. Loroso normally has a very different style from his erstwhile mentor, Roger Squires but some of the clues today, particularly the one for Truth Drug certainly bear the ring of the master of the cryptic definition.

Ruth St Denis was new to me. I thought Sasquatch was also new to me but it must have been at the back of my mind somewhere because, otherwise, I would never have worked it out from the wordplay.

Who would guess that there are two 9-letter directors beginning with Tar…? I too hastily wrote in Tarkovski before finding that it did not fit in with Cairo.

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:56:07 +0000

Thanks Loroso for an enjoyable puzzle and Ringo for the blog. Favourite clue 3dn: punctuation is not to be ignored.

By: Ringo

Ringo — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:14:22 +0000

Ah, thanks Togo – I had the ‘squatch’ part, but SA had me stumped. It’s not an abbreviation that readily comes to mind for me. All updated now.

By: togo

togo — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:11:30 +0000

mmm. Maybe sasquatch is zip=nothing=squat (from diddley-squat?) opening (between) it = Sex Appeal) and CH as the starts to convince and her…. Wish professor would explain itself though. Very much agree with your Bravo re: Colossians.

By: Ringo

Ringo — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:08:13 +0000

Sorry Togo, meant to go back and fill those in… but forgot. Have updated PROFESSOR now. Still working on SASQUATCH…