Comments on: Financial Times no.14,219 by Redshank

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:21:28 +0000

Oops, Ferret, you’re absolutely right.
It was a pangram.
Mea culpa.
[and credits to Redshank]

By: Ferret

Ferret — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:57:04 +0000

SVDH…….playgoer completes the pangram?

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:49:30 +0000

Really good puzzle.

I know Redshank likes pangrams.
He missed an opportunity today.
LEAN instead of BEAN would have done the trick …

My favourites: 20ac (SEVENTY EIGHT), ABATTOIR (28ac), 3d (STET) and 11d (CROSS-EXAMINE).

By: Ferret

Ferret — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:54:44 +0000

Very demanding, especially the NW corner. I parsed 14a as S + W + AN ( and possibly such as in rock an’roll’ , fish an’chips)….much prefer yours though! Also had the TT in 4a relating to the Isle of Man motorcycling.

By: Rowland

Rowland — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:37:10 +0000

This was pretty tough, but still just about in the daily range. And still good evidence for the FT being up there with the best, Yesterday’s too was rather good.

Cheers
Rowly.

By: Ringo

Ringo — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:19:21 +0000

@Thomas – see comment #7 above!

By: Ringo

Ringo — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:18:09 +0000

@mike – ah, okay, that makes more sense than my parsing. I struggled with this one (I’m not sure why, in retrospect); my solution only occurred to me as I was just about to publish the post.

My parsing does work, though, just about: the OED defines ‘stoke’ as ‘a thrust with a weapon, a stab’, though the definition is obsolete. But I’m sure STROKE with the R transposed is what Redshank had in mind. Many thanks for the clarification!

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:17:59 +0000

Where did you get stoke=”hit or strike with a weapon”? It’s not in Chambers. My parsing for 9a (“Fire tender hit right at the back”) is hit=stroke (e.g. in cricket), with r (right) moved to the back.

Thanks for the blog. It was a surprisingly tough one – especially 9a, 31a and 2d. 2d was the hardest by far; really had to stop and calm down for that one. On a pretty demanding day at the Indy (Klingsor) and Guardian (Araucaria) too, this was the toughest of all. Well done Redshank!

By: mike04

mike04 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:13:05 +0000

Beat me to it, Ringo!

Just thought I’d mention 9ac in your blog: hit = STROKE then move the R to the back.
Maybe that’s what you meant? Mike.

By: mike04

mike04 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:01:17 +0000

Many thanks, Redshank and Ringo.

Agreed, Ringo, this is a wonderful puzzle.
As well as the ‘& lits’ you mention, the stylish, smooth wording in clues such as
the ones for STET and CROSS-EXAMINE craftily throws the solver off the scent.
SNOWDROP is just a delight on a cold January morning (well, here in the UK)!

31ac UNREST: abandoned = unrest(rained).