Comments on: Independent 8121 / Dac

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 22:04:50 +0000

Agreed with everyone on the magnificence of CONSORTIA. A bit harder than usual from Dac today, I thought. I had slight wonderings about the word ‘legendary’ applied to Sir Adrian Boult. Great, one of the greatest perhaps, but the word ‘legendary’ suggests something is going on of which I am unaware.

By: flashling

flashling — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:43:49 +0000

A little late on parade, sorry folks real life again. Have to hail Consortia which may well be in the top 3 clues of the year, Dac strikes again.

Cheers J&B and his DACness

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:04:24 +0000

Just about my level. The one I’ve had least trouble with this week. Completed it without even looking at a dictionary.

Sir Adrian Boult is one of my conducting gods. I have all the Vaughan Williams symphonies and Elgar symphonies in his recordings plus The Planets. I saw him conduct The Planets many years ago, and he conducted the first performance. I think he recorded on His Master’s Voice.

By: Ross

Ross — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:41:30 +0000

What utter brilliance the clue to CONSORTIA is!

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:35:33 +0000

Thanks to P B @5 for pointing out the typo. Joyce used to save examples of signs where the apostrophe had been used incorrectly to use with her students. She was also the one to type up this part of the blog!!

The blog is now correct until someone points out another one!

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:20:19 +0000

Allan at no 4 – PUTTO I had heard of (through crosswords I’m sure), but it was one of those ‘I know what that is, the chubby youth sitting on the cloud thing, but while it’s in your passive vocabulary you can’t for the life of you think what it is until you’ve got a crossing – or better still the first – letter. Why is that?

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:44:13 +0000

Thanks Dac for an enjoyable puzzle and B&J for the blog. I was held up on 21ac because I was trying to use “gently” on its own for the checked letter P and naturally cound not find a three-letter word for “hit” with a T in the middle.

1ac: I think the apostrophe in your answer is a typing error.

17dn: When solving, I took PO as Petty Officer, defined by Chambers 2008 as “a naval officer ranking with a non-commissioned officer in the army”. I think that definition would be enough to justify “officer” for PO. Taking PO as Pilot Officer – “(in the Royal Air Force) an officer ranking with an army second lieutenant” is much better as it fits the definition of officer as “a person holding a commission in an army, navy or air force”.

By: allan_c

allan_c — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:32:30 +0000

Another day, another new word – I’d never heard of PUTTO before. For anyone else who hasn’t, you can find out more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putto

Thanks, Dac and B&J

By: crypticsue

crypticsue — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:40:18 +0000

Very enjoyable, thank you Dac. The one that held me up the longest, even with all the anagram letters was the ‘decorative icing’. Thanks to B&J too.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:05:29 +0000

Thanks for blogging. You can always be assured of a good puzzle from Dac on a Wednesday. I found this a bit harder than usual, but there were some very pleasing clues, of which – like Conrad – CONSORTIA was my favourite. The picture of the dog and the phonograph for HIS MASTER’S VOICE is just ingrained in my brain for some reason – and we didn’t even have a gramophone when we were little (cue another MP sketch …)

Thanks to Dac too.