Comments on: Financial Times 14,115 by Gaff

By: Paul B

Paul B — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:58:32 +0000

In my view, Jackson overdid it for length, not to mention CGI, in LOTR by some considerable margin – and still failed to get some of the seminal stuff in, like Tom Bombadil. And now, three more from the much shorter (as it were) Hobbit? Who knows what it will be.

By: Gaff

Gaff — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 18:42:46 +0000

All the analysis is correct including flashling’s spot that YESterday was Thursday, a device not available except in a date-stamped puzzle!

The 75th Anniversary in the preamble is of the publication of The Hobbit – not sure if anyone investigoogled their way to the theme from this.

While this was fun, and yes a little mad, to compose, I did recognise that not everyone would have read the book, so I tried to make it solvable even without connecting the D’s. My brother, who checks my puzzles for me, parsed every single D exactly and still had no clue what they were – he hasn’t read the book and is under instructions not to investigoogle!

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a big family Christmas day out to the cinema for 3 years in a row – we were bereft when it ended. Can’t wait for the new film.

Finally, apologies to Bifur(cate) whom I couldn’t fit in.

Gaff

By: flashling

flashling — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 23:04:30 +0000

Fairly sure that as this was the Friday puzzle, Thursday was certainly yesterday…

By: verbose

verbose — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 22:48:44 +0000

Thanks Gaff and Jed. I still don’t understand 25d. Confirmation = YES, but I can’t parse the rest of the clue.

By: mike04

mike04 — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:56:36 +0000

Thanks for the FACEPLATE explanation, DickW. Of course!

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:41:06 +0000

Typically challenging, eccentric and amusing stuff from Gaff. I haven’t read the hobbit but could just get everything before googling to find out what these strange little “D” words were – like DickW and crypticsue above. Two other commenters on the Guardian blog also had the same experience, so I think Gaff has been pretty clever at making this fairly mad undertaking accessible to the ordinary solver. I’m planning to get round to finally reading the book some time this year, before the film comes out.

I agree with DickW re 11a – “in the nude”: got a smile from me at the time. Roll on the next Gaff!

By: DickW

DickW — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:53:20 +0000

Oh, and a faceplate is the plastic (usually) plate on a light switch. Technically, it is in front of the switch (which is inside the wall), but it’s behind the toggle, so I forgave Gaff.

By: DickW

DickW — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:50:37 +0000

I too did not identify “D” until Googling some of the names when I finished the puzzle – made it extra challenging. The funny thing is that I speculated early on that D might mean “dwarf” because I seem to remember that it’s the 75th anniversary of Disney’s “Snow White and…” Right word, wrong source.

I saw 11ac as: NUDGE is “G in the NUDE” the dash being a distraction.

By: mike04

mike04 — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:15:50 +0000

Thanks Gaff and Jed.

In 11ac, I think ‘- grand!’ means ‘subtract G’. Then the answer, NUDGE, becomes ‘naked’.
I like the surface reading!

13dn: Superior = Commanding Officer = CO?
25dn: Thursday opening = YESterday?

I was hoping somebody might be able to explain switchback and FACEPLATE in 12ac.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 17:10:32 +0000

Investigoogle is good, crypticsue.

1ac D should be BALIN. Full list is Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Thorin Oakenshield, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, and Ori.

Great stuff, Gaff.