Comments on: Independent 7946 / Eimi

By: Rorschach

Rorschach — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:55:05 +0000

Our Mutual Friend! Of course!

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:15:54 +0000

OK, I think I get it now. I did see the BBC version (1998) but had completely forgotten all of the names. Curiously, I had been planning to read the book, but not for a while.

By: duncanshiell

duncanshiell — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 06:46:49 +0000

Regrettably you could probably put CHARLES DICKENS (or many other novelists, composers, artists etc) in the top row of the grid and I would still struggle to recognise the theme! If however, you tried a range of folk musicians, a variety of sports or some fairly well known scientists then there is a chance I might just spot a theme (says he no doubt setting himself up for a fall).

By: eimi

eimi — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:03:28 +0000

Duncan didn’t make a story out of the answers here, but someone else did with some of the Acrosses, such as 1, 4/11/13, 10, 19/”16″/32, 20, 29/11/13, and 31 (wonderfully played by David Morrissey in the most recent BBC adaptation). But I’m glad the theme didn’t interfere with the enjoyment or solving times.

By: flashling

flashling — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:23:03 +0000

Quite agree with NMS whose rankings whilst personal to him do seem to reflect my personal experiences, I guess those who prefer Ximinean will take longer due to grumbling and muttering about the libertarians… Must be a bl**ding obvious theme Eimi cos I still can’t see it, knowing your past I suspect it’s pop music based though.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:11:36 +0000

Dormouse at #9, don’t worry about timings – the most important question to answer about any puzzle IMHO is ‘did you enjoy it?’. Some will be easier than others and it’s of interest to note solving times eg to compare setters but that’s about it.

By: eimi

eimi — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:25:05 +0000

The ghost theme seems to have passed everyone by – just think how quick a solve it would have been if you’d spotted it

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:35:41 +0000

GAL was a new one on me. Never used that when I was doing A-levels in physics and applied maths back in the sixties.

All these timings are making me feel inferior. If I do a crossword in an hour I think I’m doing well. (But I tend not to do them in a single sitting.)

Agree about Saturday’s and Beelzebub. Only got about half of the former and by eleven o’clock Sunday night had managed only two clues in the Beelzebub, and if I haven’t got it by then, it doesn’t seem worth continuing. (For a while, I considered that the clues were just random phrases as an April Fool’s joke.)

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:20:51 +0000

Certainly a quick solve although we did have to check 9d as the only word we could fit in was ‘brer’. We thought 20a was somewhat weak but liked 10a and 1d which made us smile.

We were pleased we weren’t blogging Saturday’s prize this week although we did eventually finish it with some electronic assistance. However, we have only just finished the ‘cheeky’ Beelzebub on April Fool’s Day! So…… Yesterday’s and today’s puzzles came as a welcome light relief.

Thanks Duncan and Eimi!

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:57:15 +0000

Yes, Duncan, I wondered what might be coming later in the week with two easy puzzles in succession. Solved in two passes in 18 minutes, no word finders or anagram solvers required. That being said there were one or two misdirections (to my mind anyway; perhaps I was reading too much into the clues). For instance “Nice rustic” in 4a had me wondering if we had to find a French word for a rustic or countryman. And 1d was a little tricky, finding something with a J in it.
Agree with you, flashling, about Saturday’s Bannsider – I’ve not finished it yet!