Comments on: Independent 8006 / Scorpion

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 18:07:54 +0000

Needed e-help for 6dn and 12ac (which I couldn’t parse, so thanks for that) although I was using the web to check places in Wiltshire I didn’t know. Spent ages trying to find a racecourse for 21dn, which I’m sure was a deliberate misdirection.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:08:05 +0000

Like K’s D I got AVON straightaway, then 22 and the themed entries followed. I was ages, though, before I got 27a – after realising that it only needed F to make a pangram.

Actually there are TWO Avons in Wiltshire. One flows south towards Salisbury, the other is the ‘Bristol’ Avon which rises in Wiltshire and flows through Chippenham and Lacock before heading through Bath and Bristol to the Severn estuary. (And the latter Avon is linked to the Kennet by a well-known canal.)

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:11:23 +0000

Sorry Wanderer, we were at cross purposes.

By: Wanderer

Wanderer — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:16:45 +0000

K’s D @8 — I was referring to 19, STROKED, where it’s used as a verb (‘agreed to’). But thanks for pointing out its use in CHOKE. I hadn’t noticed that OK appeared twice in different forms.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:06:06 +0000

I don’t think you need to make a verb of OK for CHOKE. It’s simply an insertion of OK for ‘Roger’, as used by pilots to acknowledge receipt of a command from ATC.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:15:23 +0000

Many thanks, B&J, and Scorpion. Though unfamiliar with some of the places mentioned the reasonably straightforward wordplay enabled me to get them all. Decided to stop and check if LACOCK and KENNET existed – found they did and then finished the puzzle which was quite easy overall. Wanderer at #3, O.K.ed is supported by dicts all right. Favourite clues AS EXPECTED (as others have mentioned) – also FORE. Had no problem with advancing acceleration – it enabled me to guess the village I’d not heard of – as it just moves the letter to the right. I agree however with Eileen at #5 that usage can vary.

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:24:55 +0000

Thanks Eileen – we read K’s D’s comment a bit too quickly so apologies due to him. We were too desperate for a coffee after the regular swim and pilates class!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:21:55 +0000

Thanks, both, for a great blog of a great puzzle.

I see your problem with 10ac but I’m with K’s D – I think it can be read either way. [I always have to think twice when people say that an event in the calendar has been 'brought forward' - or 'put back'!]

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:05:18 +0000

Thanks for the comments so far.

We were hoping that someone out there would help us with 10ac. Any ideas?

By: Wanderer

Wanderer — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:01:41 +0000

Great fun. Thanks B&J and Scorpion.

STONEHENGE and AVON, both very clearly clued, were my first in but it still took me a while to get WILTS, simply due to my ignorance. I tried to justify HANTS for a while… ZAGREB led me to the possibility of a pangram, but by the time I got it, I had all the letters bar Q, which led me to QUANT. (Which I failed to parse, so thanks for your explanation.)

I’ve never seen OKED. Often seen okayed, as you write in your blog, and perhaps ok’d. I wonder how often people use the form given here? ‘My boss oked my travel plans’. Doesn’t look right!