Comments on: Everyman N° 3,461 (3rd. February)

By: Stephanie Fleming

Stephanie Fleming — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 03:34:03 +0000

Thanks for explaining “Lang may your lum reek” have known the expression for years but never knew what it meant!

By: Barrie Graham

Barrie Graham — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 02:34:04 +0000

Is it just me or was ‘Everest’ rather a feeble clue in an otherwise rather feeble crossword? Sub-par I thought.

Barrie Graham, Auckland

By: michelle

michelle — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:54:30 +0000

sorry for late reply due to time zone difference.

thanks for the good wishes, PeterO and Kathryn’s Dad.

Also, Kathryn’s Dad is correct – ‘antipasto’ is singular and ‘antipasti’ is plural. ‘Antipasto’ is a masculine noun, and most masculine plurals change their ending to “i” instead of the “o” in singular.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 14:51:33 +0000

Thanks, Peter. Good luck with the snow!

And well done, Michelle. Indeed, ‘lang may yer lum reek’ is a Scottish expression of goodwill (how current I’m not sure) meaning ‘long may your chimney smoke’. ‘Reek’ in standard British English means ‘smell bad’, but in this expression it just means ‘smoke’. It’s linked to the German ‘rauchen’ and the Dutch ‘roken’.

As to the Italian bit, we need someone who speaks it well to help us out, but I think that ANTIPASTO is singular and ANTIPASTI is plural. So since Everyman has clued it as ‘an hors d’oeuvre’ then the singular is the only right answer.

Thanks to Everyman for the usual Sunday morning entertainment.

By: Bamberger

Bamberger — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 14:21:55 +0000

I couldn’t parse 12d -never heard of Mario Lanza or Lanza Mario. I couldn’t get 20d as I had antipasta . I don’t think I’ve come across it as antipasto -no doubt Italian speakers can explain whic is correct and why.

By: PeterO

PeterO — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 14:05:34 +0000

Congratulations, Michelle @1. I’m not surprised that lum was new to you. It appears in the Scots expression “Lang may your lum reek”, which is good wishes, although someone who does not understand it might not be sure that it is not an insult.
I might have mentioned that clue as particularly difficult: not only for the lum, but a fair number of solvers seem to be horticulturally challenged, and the definition ‘plant’ is minimally helpful.

Now, having cleared my car from 2 foot or more of snow, I have to find out how dire the roads are.

By: Robi

Robi — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:40:03 +0000

Thanks Everyman and PeterO.

The usual high standard of surfaces. The ‘in’ in 26 is fairly necessary for the surface.

BY THE SAME TOKEN was my favourite.

By: michelle

michelle — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 04:50:25 +0000

Thanks PeterO.

Very enjoyable puzzle.

Favourite clues were 9a, 10a, 20a and 17a.

New word: lum = chimney in 10a

I was pleased that I could finish this puzzle and parse all of the clues (a first for me, I think).