Comments on: Independent 7968 (Sat 28-Apr 2012) Nimrod

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:22:49 +0000

beermagnet-
In I think Nimrod may be thinking of “no ifs or buts”, “it’s a big if” etc. Anyway, Chambers is unequivocal: “If [...] n. a condition”.

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:11:26 +0000

Isn’t it always the way. When the wordplay is explained it seems relatively simple.

Q. How did I not see ASK (request), CONDITION (if) all inside DEC < (return of cold period)
A. Because I got hung up on C for Cold, didn't see DEC as a cold period, and couldn't believe IF = condition. (Call me old fashioned or maybe too technical, but surely condition is the statement following "if" that potentially resolves to True or False. IF is a conjunction that introduces condition, but is hardly synonymous with it. Is that enough squirming?)
So thanks Phi for sorting that one out.

Similarly DEMENTIA PRAECOX / (MEDICA[l] EXPERT ON A)* That was one where I could've sworn I'd understood the wordplay when solving but completely went blank when writing up the blog. Now I know I hadn't got it earlier. Ta, Richard.

Lenny, I didn't mention it, but SHUTEYE was my also last answer in, mainly because I put Squeeze in and didn't see the error till writing the blog.
I'm sure I've seen Villi = Hair used in some wordplay not that long ago. Searching here (15^2) didn't turn up where though.

By: Rorschach

Rorschach — Sat, 05 May 2012 13:32:24 +0000

Phew! That was hard work!

By: crypticsue

crypticsue — Sat, 05 May 2012 12:49:12 +0000

For some reason I was on Nimrod’s wavelength when I solved this one and it all fell into place in a reasonable time for one of his crosswords. I did have to check that 9a and 5d really existed (the latter being a word that I didn’t know before and hope I don’t have to remember it again). I also admit to getting the first part of 16a and then googling until I found the second bit. Particularly liked 11a and 4d. Thanks to Nimrod for the fun and beermagnet for sorting out the explanations.

By: Lenny

Lenny — Sat, 05 May 2012 12:45:29 +0000

Thanks BeerMagnet, presumably Cask-Conditioned went in easily, even without the wordplay. This was superb stuff from Nimrod. There were two complete unknowns to me Pulvillio and Properispomenon that I managed to get from the wordplay. Last one in was Shuteye. I, too, was trying to complete the pangram with some procrustean version of squeegee to use up the Q and G.

Some brain-dredging was required. I have not come across Villi since 0-level biology, 50 years ago and the last person I heard use the phrase Dementia Praecox was my Latin master at about the same time. I came here to get the wordplay for that answer but I see that I shall have to work it out for myself. Oh, its (medical expert on a)* without the l.

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Sat, 05 May 2012 09:20:58 +0000

Did most of this Saturday night (I’d been out in the evening) and having slogged through all those obscure words I finally got stuck on 13d. Also guessed SQUEEZE for 23ac, obviously fixated on those zeds.

By: Richard Heald

Richard Heald — Sat, 05 May 2012 07:44:28 +0000

… and the wordplay for NURSERY is indeed [(I)N SURREY]*.

For 16Ac it’s [MEDICA(l) EXPERT ON A]*.

By: sidey

sidey — Sat, 05 May 2012 06:27:49 +0000

Way beyond me. But…

NURSERY: A handicap race for two year old horses.

By: Phi

Phi — Sat, 05 May 2012 05:55:49 +0000

14 I think is ASK CONDITION in DEC (rev.).