Comments on: Independent 8,038 / Nimrod

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 23:42:02 +0000

Another of those days where I didn’t have time for it during the afternoon and was out in the evening. Just got back and after another look decided to call it a day. Just checked in here to see what I missed, and giving up seems to have been the right move. Wouldn’t have solved this if I stayed up all night.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 23:11:17 +0000

Indeed, NMS & Allan. And while I don’t have a problem with this clue, or any of the others in this excellent puzzle, I fancy I’d have had a concern with the way the MA subtraction is indicated before worrying about anything else (since you need to solve the clue before you see the reasoning behind ‘her daughter’).

Anyway: manana, all.

By: allan_c

allan_c — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 22:48:46 +0000

Sorry, nmsindy, we were obviously typing at the same time.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 22:46:25 +0000

Re comment #8, I’ll also have to disagree. I think MANANA is universally known so, while it is indeed from a foreign language, no such indication is needed IMHO.

By: allan_c

allan_c — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 22:45:30 +0000

As regards “using a foreign language” I think ‘manana’ (actually ‘mañana’, but in crosswordland accents and diacritics are ignored) is one of those foreign words which has gained wide currency in English, such as ‘entrepreneur’ or ‘schadenfreude’. Certainly mañana is in Chambers.
But having said that, I must confess that I only got NANA because it couldn’t be anything else and had to consult the blog to understand how the clue worked.

By: mozzie1234

mozzie1234 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:18:07 +0000

I have to disagree. My idea of a great crossword is one where the clues are solvable without having to second guess the setters logic. Example – NANA – no indication in the clue of using a foreign language so only way to solve is to get crossing letters and guess – which IMHO is not how a crossword should work. Nimrod is just trying to be too clever….

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:34:03 +0000

You certainly drew a toughie here, RR, so well done on a comprehensive blog. I did eventually get there this morning, but like others, needed a lot of assistance and looking up. I don’t think I would ever have understood the PERHAPS clue, although it’s obvious when it’s explained to you.

I too was a fan of CEZANNE, but I also thought GHILLIE was clever, once I’d got LUNG out of my head.

Many thanks to Nimrod. Tough but a good’un.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:18:50 +0000

Yes, this was extremely hard, but very satisfying. I was quite a while through it before I twigged the meaning of the totally mystifying 2D. After that I was confident I would finish even being able to work out 8 that I’d never heard of. Did have to look in dicts to confirm one or two for sure.

A very clever construction indeed – my favourite clues were MANANA, CEZANNE and NIGHTIE. Thanks RR for explaining ABSYMAL – tho I guessed it early on, I did not understand the wordplay (until now). Thanks Nimrod and RR for the blog.

By: allan_c

allan_c — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:28:14 +0000

Definitely a day to be doing the electronic version with the check button handy, and word and anagram finders available.

And definitely some new vocabulary, viz 8, 17 and 23.

But special thanks to RatkojaRiku for a splendid effort unravelling it all and the explanations of clues which I solved but failed to parse.

My COD has to be CEZANNE – clever yet not abstruse.

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:58:14 +0000

PS. Sorry about the typos – “I decidied IT must be right”; “AN Indian peasant farmer”.