Comments on: Independent 8202/Raich

By: Raich

Raich — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:53:53 +0000

If I may comment on this, without obviously knowing all the ins and outs of what has happened in Powys over the years. Both of the main dictionaries that include proper names (Collins and the Oxford Dictionary of English) define it straight off as a county so I’d no hesitation (or doubt) whatsoever in using that as the definition in the clue.

To learn a little about the area, which I don’t think I’ve ever been in, though I’ve been to Wales many times both through work and pleasure, I’d also looked at Wikipedia (which I realise cannot be absolutely relied on and further checking is always advisable). There too the word ‘county’ is used in the first line. I see now that deeper down in the Wiki article there is a reference to a ‘unitary authority’ but, as eimi has pointed, out their website (to which there is a link in the Wiki article) uses the term ‘Powys County Council’.

By: eimi

eimi — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:31:40 +0000

I think Raich is justified in calling Powys a county is it’s called a county. Even if it wasn’t still a county, Raich would be justified in calling it a county. A setter might define Nero as Roman emperor, even though obviously he isn’t any more.

By: Lancastrian Bluenose

Lancastrian Bluenose — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:41:49 +0000

Just because something is called a county,doesn’t mean that it is.

By: eimi

eimi — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 18:16:57 +0000

As of 6 hours ago today, Powys County Council were tweeting – perhaps someone should tell them.

By: Lancastrian Bluenose

Lancastrian Bluenose — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:41:46 +0000

Powys not a county, but an administrative area, that’s why I couldn’t get this.

By: Raich

Raich — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:29:52 +0000

Thanks, Pierre, for the blog and all for your comments. Yes, Wil at #10, there is no Nina/theme here.

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:50:31 +0000

Enjoyable as usual, and I thought this was a lot easier than many crosswords the Indy offers. Easier than whatever I have to blog tomorrow no doubt.

Yes I know ‘graphicly’ is in Chambers etc and so it’s OK, but the spelling is so odd that either a hidden or an anagram cries out.

Raich usually has a gentle Nina, but I can’t see anything here apart from one or two short words in the unches, and that’s surely just chance.

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:17:55 +0000

Yes, we were also misdirected in 26ac. SW corner took a bit of teasing out until the penny dropped for 26ac. If it had been left to Joyce she thinks she would still be here for some while trying to sort it out! Not being into football, OG did not naturally come to mind either!

Enjoyable puzzle though so thanks to Raich and also Pierre for the blog. It was good to know that if we couldn’t sort it out, we knew someone who could!

By: Mick H

Mick H — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:27:47 +0000

Nice misdirection in 26ac. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in considering and rejecting a few products of the derriere before the penny plopped.
Thanks Raich and Pierre.

By: allan_c

allan_c — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:06:30 +0000

Yes, I too finished this one fairly quickly (under half an hour), but the SE corner took a bit of teasing out. I read 13dn slightly differently thinking of a different sort of channel hop, from England to France where you would go from, e.g. 4 o’clock to 5 o’clock – but Pierre’s interpretation is a lot simpler and no doubt what Raich had in mind.

Thanks Pierre and Raich.