Comments on: Independent 8194 / Phi

By: allan_c

allan_c — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:18:01 +0000

Oh dear! Got the gateway clue but missed the theme. Actually, thinking of Phi’s geographical allusions I spotted ‘map of a’ in the first row of unches, but there doesn’t seem to be anything else hidden so I guess it’s just co-incidence.

Btw the new Father Brown series, if you haven’t seen it, is one of those where the plots are “developed” (i.e. in this case unnecessarily embellished) from the originals. Not that “development” is always a bad thing and this series isn’t as bad as some.

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:27:14 +0000

Another theme completely passed us by. We thought there may be one when we came across some unusual words such as 21d and 14ac. We knew nothing about 23ac but that didn’t spoil the puzzle.

Thanks to Duncan and Phi.

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:41:15 +0000

Ah – forensic examination of the blog (and Wikipedia, I’m afraid) reveals the perpetrator to be…Phi! Phi did it! He inserted all the titles of the Father Brown (23a) collections into the crossword – The Innocence (16d) of Father Brown, The Wisdom (1a) of Father Brown, The Incredulity (11a) of FB, the Secret (26a) of FB and The Scandal (20a) of FB – and made off into the night. Very cunning.

By: Phi

Phi — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:19:58 +0000

Anyone care to have a closer look? The blog reveals a coincidence I had only the merest inkling about, but which increases the relevance.

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:30:52 +0000

Thanks for 7dn, I’d not heard the shark meaning, either.

Not too much problem with this. I didn’t find DRECK and SPELUNKER too obscure, but I think they are Americanisms and I read enough American fiction for them to be familiar to me. (I recall a friend telling me about an American crime fiction book that had a scene set in the UK and had an English policeman saying, “I’ll be a horse’s ass, I didn’t realise he was a spelunker.”)

LORIKEET I dredged up from my memory somewhere. TUI I didn’t know, but it had to be that and I didn’t bother to check it.

By: duncanshiell

duncanshiell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:54:31 +0000

Pelham Barton @ 3

Thanks – I’ve updated the blog

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:43:49 +0000

Thanks Phi for a pleasant puzzle and Duncan for the blog. I missed out on 25ac and 21dn (which I solved having read the answer to 25ac in the blog). I think it is unfortunate that two (to me) obscure words crossed, but no real cause for complaint as each was fairly clued.

7dn; I think there is a typo in the blog for the wordplay here. As I am typing this, it has TOPE in the answer instead of FISH.

By: MikeC

MikeC — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:47:06 +0000

Thanks Duncan and Phi. SPELUNKER was new to me but I did remember speleologist, so the word play and crossers made it quite “gettable” (not at all 15d!). I had to work for TUI and LORIKEET as well but they were very precisely clued, so no complaints – in fact, the opposite, a fine puzzle.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 07:56:19 +0000

Thanks, Duncan. As you say, a fine end to the week. I couldn’t understand A FISH OUT OF WATER, so thanks for the shark reference. And the antipodean references were interesting too. OMINOUSLY for ‘producing apprehension’ is maybe a bit of a stretch, but otherwise a most enjoyable offering from 10ac this morning; thank you to him.