Comments on: Independent 8204 / Crosophile

By: Crosophile

Crosophile — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:14:46 +0000

Thanks, Duncan, for the meticulous and visually stunning blog and spotting the snark. And well done, Thomas, on recognising the rest of the nina. I thought about having a hidden BOOJUM but it might have forced some obscurer words in the grid and would anyway have been too dangerous!

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:22:04 +0000

Thanks Duncan – you saved us having to check an alternative meaning of FORKS! Bert guessed it may have something to do with chess,

The theme also went over our heads but it was no less enjoyable for missing it.

Thanks Crosophile for the cleverly constructed puzzle – we are very sorry we missed the links!

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:15:36 +0000

Thanks, Duncan, and well done to you and Thomas for spotting the Hunting of the Snark theme, which went about a million miles over the head of this solver.

But it didn’t get in the way of an enjoyable and generally accessible puzzle. I liked very much INSULAR, LOWINGS, SPYGLASSES and RAILWAY; didn’t understand the Merc reference till I came here; and failed on FORKS, whose definition I thought was a bit obscure (but I would say that, wouldn’t I?)

Thanks to Crosophile too.

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:46:31 +0000

They sought it with THIMBLES, they sought it with CARE;
They pursued it with FORKS and HOPE;
They threatened its life with a RAILWAY-SHARE;
They charmed it with SMILES and SOAP.

[This stanza recurs several times in the Hunting of th Snark.]

By: sidey

sidey — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:27:49 +0000

The actual message on completion is Did you find it? Duncan seems to have.

By: duncanshiell

duncanshiell — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:03:54 +0000

NeilW @ 2

I’ve had a look – I can see SNARK in the unches in row 10. There is a reference to the Vanishing of the Snark in the clue at 4 down. It’s more than likely there are some more Hunting of the Snark references hidden elsewhere.

By: flashling

flashling — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:02:20 +0000

Hmm did dead tree, I looked for one, but it’s too subtle for me today.

By: NeilW

NeilW — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:53:54 +0000

Thanks, Duncan. If you complete this online a message comes up, “Congratulations. Did you see it?” This seems to imply a Nina but I didn’t and can’t see it!

By: flashling

flashling — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:47:18 +0000

Thanks Duncan and Crosophile, re homophones I was quite glad the O in WHORLED was checked as otherwise I might have got myself in a twist with WHIRLED…