Comments on: Independent 8127/Crosophile

By: Crosophile

Crosophile — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:48:25 +0000

Thanks, Paul B. That’s spot on.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:43:45 +0000

I find 10ac very easy to understand: the character ‘I’ is ‘got drunk’ (not past tense) with STRANGE, ‘this (word that is synonymous with) rum’, in TANGIERS. The word we’re after is highlighted as ‘THIS rum’ as opposed to any other synonymous possibilities.

He’s just saying, ‘I is mixed up with the word you want, STRANGE, in TANGIERS’. Simples, and totally fair I think.

By: John

John — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:12:46 +0000

Thanks everyone for their help. I’ve made some corrections to the blog but am still unsure about 10ac. allan_c may be correct, but on the other hand I don’t think I’m wrong. Crosophile says that the def is ‘this rum’, and he knows I suppose, but it seems to me that ‘this rum’ doesn’t really define ‘strange’.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:22:30 +0000

That’s a classic comp. anag. construction though, Crosophile old bean. Furthermore, it looked for a second like you’d past-tensed there. But that would have given you a cryptic hernia.

Thanks for an excellent and clever puzzle.

By: Crosophile

Crosophile — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:04:40 +0000

Hi all. Thanks for blog & comments.
Re 10Ac [I got drunk with this rum in Tangiers]
the definition is meant to be ‘this rum’ (i.e. this word that means rum). Unusual since the defn is embedded in the middle of the clue but I think/hope it’s fair [not that I'm the judge!].

By: allan_c

allan_c — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:39:08 +0000

K’s D @ 5. I beg to differ from John. “This” refers to the answer, i.e. STRANGE, and “rum” is an anagrind. “I got drunk with” means that the letter I is inserted in the anagram of “strange” to give “Tangiers”. At least, that’s how I parse it. It would have been clearer if the clue had “by” instead of “with”, but that wouldn’t have given such a smooth surface.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:37:08 +0000

Thanks John and Crosophile. Mostly straightforward, but one or two I couldn’t parse (and I still can’t understand TANGIERS – are there not two anagram indicators?).

Good puzzle overall.

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:09:47 +0000

Hi John. For 9dn, how about “top of” meaning first letter (of A[nother])?

By: allan_c

allan_c — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:05:25 +0000

I got ZEAL taking the definition to be ‘fire’, ‘zea’ being a new word to me. Not too sure about ‘by’; ‘Corn left in fire’ would be a better clue imho.

25dn raises the question of whether it’s ‘loth’ or ‘loath’ meaning ‘reluctant’. The dictionaries can’t seem to agree; Chambers under ‘loath’ refers to the entry ‘loth’ which then gives ‘loath’ as an alternative spelling, while Collins has it the other way round. Personally I’ve always taken it that ‘loth’ is correct with ‘loath’ being a common error influenced by ‘loathe’.

Anyway, Thanks, Crosophile and John.

By: John Appleton

John Appleton — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:30:51 +0000

John, the T in AMUSEMENT is from T{emporary}.

I didn’t get zeal. I tried MEAL, assuming that MEA might be fire somehow (though it’d be “left by fire” the other way around). It was the best I could do anyway; checking letters like that need something a little less obscure, I feel.