Comments on: Independent on Sunday 1,163 by Poins

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 13:15:40 +0000

I think you’d probably right, Wanderer and Paul B, but I solved it the other way thinking that ‘travelling’ was also being used as anagram indicator to give a &lit touch – yours is, I think, the more convincing explanation tho.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 10:29:19 +0000

I’d say you have it, Wanderer. Definition plus link word (‘in’), then IT ‘to’ (i.e. placed with) IRAN containing NE plus T(rouble). Best of all, I liked the Catholic rat.

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 09:43:45 +0000

I only managed to get about a third of this done. But I had heard of Marshal Ney, and I’m sure he’s turned up enough times in crosswords that as soon as I saw “marshal” in the clue I was looking to see how “neY fitted in.

It was a poor weekend for me with the prize crosswords in both the Saturday and Sunday Independents, with only the Beelzebub giving me no trouble, and I nearly completed the Inquisitor, so I’m not sure what this says about my mental processes.

By: Wanderer

Wanderer — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 09:20:38 +0000

Thanks Simon and Poins.

My own justification of 17 doesn’t involve an anagram (and so is probably wrong). I read ‘north-eastern Iran without’ to mean IRAN outside (without) NE, giving is INERAN. Before that we have IT from the clue, and following that we have T (‘a hint of trouble’). So IT+INERAN+T.

I tried and failed to post a few minutes ago — it seemed to disappear into the ether. If it reappears, I apologise in advance for double-posting.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 09:02:13 +0000

I think the ‘without’ indicates containment, Simon. so it’s t in (it NE Iran)*, I think. Favourite clue, CONCLUDE.