Comments on: Private Eye/Cyclops) 468 – Frottage Special

By: simon

simon — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:22:00 +0000

I found it difficult this week as well. There were at least 4 clues I just could not answer. However, in a fit of pique, I have thrown away the magazine and now can’t recall exactly which ones they were! Onward and upward…

By: Mike Newth

Mike Newth — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:54:04 +0000

Oh yes! Thanks.

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:29:35 +0000

Beermagnet – It was suggested that we had a look at your blog to read the scientific joke at the end of your blog! Have a look at the Indy puzzle today if you have time and you will see why!

By: beermagnet

beermagnet — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:43:08 +0000

Mike,
Providing is synonymous with If
and backing provides the reversal indicator thus delivering FI
That’s what the “IF<" in the wordpllay explanation was trying to say.

By: Mike Newth

Mike Newth — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:14:46 +0000

I’m sorry to be dull but 9 dn still doesn’t click with me why does “after providing backing ” yield FI ? Most fortnights I hit a sticking point with Cyclops and it’s frustrating when it’s a 4 letter one and you have 2 lights!

By: John King

John King — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:09:05 +0000

I found it a really difficult edition this fortnight.

What didn’t help was that I (semi-racistly) came up with ALOE for 23A: Plant causing first of many a foreigner’s ejaculation (4)

By: lemming

lemming — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:04:02 +0000

I dithered over 23d. One possibility, I thought, was Mila, a genus of cactus, with the ejaculation being the French “la”. I decided an espionage mole, though not necessarily a plant (they could have been in position before they were recruited), could well be or be deemed one. But it was only the finding of the “mole plant” that swung the balance enough for me to send my entry in. It shouldn’t really be a matter of balance of probabilities though, should it?

Continuing the pernickety vein, I was glad to find thread http://fifteensquared.net/2009/09/28/private-eyecyclops-400-16-years/#more-11172 containing some details of how winners are selected. If I want to follow up on that theme, better here or there?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:18:16 +0000

Ann Widdecombe spells her first name without an E, so 30ac parses correctly as ANN + OUNCE + R.

By: PeterO

PeterO — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:51:06 +0000

Cyclops seems to be showing his bloomers here – not only an apparent note to himself left in the clue for 25D, but he missspells Anne Widdecombe. In 23D, mole could just as well be taken as a plant as in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy.