Comments on: Independent 8036/Anax

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:23:45 +0000

We needed a bit of electronic help on this one as we wanted to get some shut-eye after a later than normal start – thanks to 2012 – well that’s all good then!

Missed the alphabetical bit but saw the pangram which helped us with our last one in – vector. Memories of vector analysis came flooding back – only kidding!

Anax – we should have seen it was your puzzle today and started earlier. You were on good form today!

Thanks to John for the blog especially for 24a which we couldn’t parse.

By: John

John — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:14:39 +0000

allan_c @3 kindly suggests the lack of the last three is the result of an electronic gremlin. Not so, I’m afraid, sheer incompetence. I got into a muddle and wrote the answer for FRET SAW in the across answers, then cut and pasted it to the end for me to meet in due course, then I forgot that anything followed it. My apologies.

Blog corrected now.

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:10:05 +0000

One of those days. Got 10ac almost immediately and 23dn after a few minutes. Then nothing for a couple of hours! Finally got a couple more clues in the top right, but decided probably not worth my while staring at it much longer.

I haven’t worked out if it is certain setters that stymie me so, or if some days my mental processes are just not up to solving crosswords.

By: anax

anax — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:32:37 +0000

Evening everyone
Thanks John for a great blog and to all for your comments. Yes, the pangram using first letters (let’s call it an Alphabetical Jigsaw, then!) was restrictive in terms of the grid but, once the gimmick was spotted, hopefully not too big an obstacle.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:42:33 +0000

THanks, nms – as I said, I knew the haircut but I thought I
must be missing something more.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:18:39 +0000

I think it’s a type of haircut as John mentions, Eileen = Number One Haircut. I think if you look at it, it might be approximately described as a short, sharp, shock (ie hair) – ie cut v short and using gel perhaps.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:45:34 +0000

Would someone please explain 24ac for me? I got the Whitelaw and Mikado refs and the haircut but not the gel. I think I’m being dim today.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:31:30 +0000

I found this easy to get into, but tough to finish. For once, I had been paying attention in class, so twigged the pangram, which helped with VECTOR and XHOSA because I knew I was those letters short. The 26 different starting letters passed me by.

I thought QUEEN BEE was good and also liked DIRTY WEEKEND.

Thanks to Anax and John.

By: JollySwagman

JollySwagman — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:34:00 +0000

I dunno about unches but I had to back a few ‘unches to get through this one. The long ones yielded easier than the short ones and then it flowed OK.

Penny only dropped a moment ago on 24a even though it seemed easy enough to enter at the time. The ‘unch that it was a pangram ‘elped too

Re unches – do setters choose their own grids? I thought in the days of hot-metal and litho that the papers kind of said – Fred – you’re booked in for day X and you’ve to use grid Y. Maybe that’s not necessary with modern print-setting.

Thanks for the blog John and Anax for another fine puzzle.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:29:51 +0000

Comment #6 I guess points out what the setter aimed for in this crossword. It has exactly 26 answers each starting with a different letter of the alphabet. Quite an achievement. While I noticed the emerging pangram – this helped me with VECTOR – I did not spot the starting letter aspect.

Maybe I was lucky but I did not find this as hard as Anax can be. It did help that I got COUNTERPARTS in the LH column straightaway and knew the Donne quote which went straight in also. Favourite clue: JANSENISM. Re less than 50% checking, there were 4 here as you say, John, but I think 4 in a 9-letter word should not really be a big problem. This left YAWNS and XHOSA (both of which I thought had fairly easy clues – I got them quickly enough) and the theme would have helped also, I’d say. Many thanks, John, and Anax.