Comments on: Financial Times 14217 Crux

By: Keeper

Keeper — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:14:55 +0000

As a Yank, I must take exception to 23a. In no American calendar will you find a holiday called “Labour Day.” Labor Day, yes. (sschua seemed to acknowledge this distinction but, for some reason, didn’t call it out for criticism.) This reminds me of an FT puzzle where the grid called for “Pearl Harbour” vice “Pearl Harbor.” Um, no.

By: scchua

scchua — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:54:41 +0000

Good question, Sil – yes, why indeed?; something I myself have asked before. Except that, to bring out a more productive answer, ie. to get to the Crux of the matter (assuming there is an answer), I would have put it: “Why is there no/so little discussion about my crossword” question mark (pictures or no pictures notwithstanding).

I don’t know whether Crux might be thinking this or not, or whether you’re asking a rhetorical question, but he would not be alone amongst the FT setters generally across the board and across all bloggers – ie. why is there so little discussion in 15sq. about the FT puzzles?

And in any case, I’m not sure that the amount of discussion/comments on these blogs equate directly to the quality, appreciation, or enjoyment of these puzzles.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:32:50 +0000

Not many comments today.
While Crux (whose puzzles I have blogged quite a few times) is not the hardest of setters, there is still much to admire.

What about 1ac (LARGESSE)? Isn’t this a fabulous clue?

And I can see Crux thinking, after writing so many thoughtful clues [like 10ac, 14ac (really good surface) and 28ac]:
Why is the discussion about all these pictures and not about my crossword?

On earlier occasions I have said that Crux isn’t my favourite cryptic-definition-setter. I think, in particular, 23ac (LABOUR DAY) and 2d (ROAD TESTS) are pretty weak. As was 21d (DAY CARE) which also had an annoying DAY shared with 23ac.

Despite the above, I like this setter very much.
With in the anagram department two fine ones (3d (EAGER), 4d (SEA LORD)). They might have been done before, something that I always say when I see a great anagram, but. Yes, but.

Thank you, scchua.
And – even more – Crux!

By: NormanLinFrance

NormanLinFrance — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:49:32 +0000

[[Of course! I knew I'd seen the picture somewhere]]

By: scchua

scchua — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:43:37 +0000

[[You're right NormanLinFrance! Well done. The answer to the middle one is not far off from, in fact it's very close to one of the others. I'll put a link to the answer below the pictures.]]

By: NormanLinFrance

NormanLinFrance — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:19:34 +0000

[[Barbara Feldon was in Get Smart (TV series), middle one escapes me, Tippi Hedren made several films with Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense]].

And thanks for the ever-entertaining blogs.

By: fearsome

fearsome — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:33:38 +0000

thanks Crux and scchua
Angostura was my last one and it took me a while to convince myself of it.
I thought there was ….gas…. in the middle for rabbit