Comments on: Everyman 3430 – 1 July 2012

By: mc_rapper67

mc_rapper67 — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 19:27:50 +0000

Robi at #6: you may be right … at the end of the day, if I can solve it and explain it in a blog I’m happy – the classification is a technicality!

You have spurred my curiosity though, so here is one pointer, from http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2010/06/cryptic-definition-vs.html:

”
Here’s a quick tip to dispel the confusion.

In an &lit clue, the whole clue is both the definition and the wordplay.
In a cryptic definition, the whole clue is only the definition. There is no separate wordplay.
”

Re Napoleon – I had heard an urban myth that it is still illegal in France to name a pig ‘Napoleon’, presumably at the risk of causing offence to the memory of the great little man…(?)

By: Paul B

Paul B — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 17:32:17 +0000

Re MAUDLIN, I note Everyman’s dark blue bias. Poor old Magdalene.

By: Robi

Robi — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 09:47:58 +0000

Thanks mc_rapper67 for your good blog; I needed your help to parse NOT A SAUSAGE.

Usual smooth surfaces from Everyman. I did remember Napoleon the pig from Animal Farm, but I couldn’t remember the name of the Farm [Google did oblige.]

Not sure that I should put my toe in the &lit water but isn’t MANOR FARM a cd rather than an &lit? I particularly enjoyed WHEELBARROW for the misleading use of ‘turn round.’

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 09:47:35 +0000

Thanks, mc_rapper67, for a fine blog, and for stepping into the breach, dear friend.

I wouldn’t exactly describe myself as a beginner, but I always do the Everyman, because it’s invariably a sound, accessible puzzle with lots to enjoy, so I think more experienced solvers can also enjoy it.

There is usually a wide range of reference material, too, and today I was pleased to be reminded of THORA HIRD and NAPOLEON from Animal Farm, which I must have read last in ’67.

Donna, I’m not surprised you struggled with NOT A SAUSAGE – I think it’s an expression very much in British, rather than American, English. But then we Brits have to memorise all the two-letter abbreviations for your fifty states … life can be tough sometimes.

By: mc_rapper67

mc_rapper67 — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 09:31:55 +0000

Thanks for the feedback and comments.

Donna at #1 – a lovely exposition of the solving process…and nice to see an American being forced to spell ‘sceptic’ properly (;+>)

Bamberger at #2 – I have corrected the spelling of Magdalen College, thanks.

Davy at #3 – as far as 1967 is concerned, very significant as it was my entry in to this wonderful world…I guess my parents had been celebrating England’s win in the 1966 World Cup!…

By: Davy

Davy — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 08:32:36 +0000

Thanks mc_rapper67 for your excellent blog and I totally agree with your assessment of this puzzle.
I also liked IMAGINE although its construction is fairly obvious I suppose. Thanks Everyman for yet
another very entertaining crossword. I would maintain that Everyman is not just for beginners and
judging by the commenters, this does seem to be the case.

PS mc_rapper67 : does 67 have a special significance to you as 1967 was my favourite year when I was
young and foolish ?. Still foolish though so no change there.

By: Bamberger

Bamberger — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 07:46:15 +0000

I guessed 13d must be manor farm but had no idea why. My best guess was that some biographer of the French Napolean had named a chapter about his life on Manor Farm.
8a the Oxford version is Magdalen -Fenbog Poly has the other spelling.

By: Donna

Donna — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 23:29:38 +0000

Thank you, Everyman, for the puzzle and mc_rapper67, for the enjoyable blog. I managed to solve the entire puzzle, but a few clues gave me a bit of a tussle. At first I spelled 18 Down “Skeptic” as we do here in the States, but then quickly realized that this was an Everyman and changed the spelling to “Sceptic,” which, of course, made perfect sense! I’d never heard the expression “not a sausage” at 9 Down, but when I saw the answer heading that way, I checked it in Chambers. 13 Down confused me for a bit and my husband said that he recalled a fictional pig named Napoleon but he couldn’t remember what book it was from. I immediately thought of “Charlotte’s Web,” but that pig is named Wilbur! So I googled “fictional pig Napoleon” and then eventually stumbled upon “Animal Farm.” I knew that 6 Down was an anagram and I had all the crossing letters but realized that this was probably an actress I’d never heard of. So I kept on playing around, inserting different letters and googling them and finally I did get Thora Hird! It turns out that I had seen her on TV once or twice but didn’t know her name. So, all in all, a most entertaining and informative puzzle! Hope you all had as much fun with it as I did! “See” you next week!