Comments on: Financial Times 14247 Aldhelm

By: scchua

scchua — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:24:01 +0000

Not to worry, PeeDee!

By: Rowland

Rowland — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:25:43 +0000

Trouble is Sil, if you miss the meanng of ‘what follows’ or whatever it is, you’re unfairly had I would say.

Cheers
Rowly.

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:26:15 +0000

scchua – I just noticed that I have misprinted your name @5 – confused you with someone else entirely – my apologies!

By: scchua

scchua — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:01:04 +0000

[[grandpuzzler and PeeDee, right on all except half of pic#4, which answer is in the link I've pasted beneath the pictures.]]

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:40:19 +0000

[[richard e grant was in a tv version of the scarlet pimpernel]]

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:32:10 +0000

This debut goes into my books as ‘a very neat one’.
Natural surfaces though not as exciting as, for example, Tramp’s, Arachne’s or Donk’s.
But “Caught in temptation” (7d) or 18d were just excellent.

I hardly ever solve a Times crossword, but this is the kind of cluing I associate with that newpaper.
Precise, not much padding and not many extravagant ideas.
Therefore, for once, I was hoping it would please someone like Rowland, but unfortunately he found it necessary to put the emphasis on one of the few “adventurous” clues as being one ready to “fry alive”.
Like others, I couldn’t explain CAMEO (10ac), but with hindsight it is really a nice idea.

I also liked the fruity surface of 15ac, and the lift & separate device in 21d (flat/screen).

I had to check HEREWARD (12ac), but the construction was clear.

All in all, a relatively easy puzzle.
Very well written, with one or two sharp edges.
I think, Aldhelm has finesse and deserves his/her place in the FT!

Thanks, scchua.

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:26:37 +0000

Thanks Sichuan, an odd mix of the very easy and the fiendishly difficult I thought.

By: grandpuzzler

grandpuzzler — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:13:14 +0000

Thanks Aldhelm and scchua for the puzzle and blog.

[[Leslie Howard (1934) and Anthony Andrews (1982) were in the The Scarlet Pimpernel which relates to 2 Down Pimpernel. Karen Black and Richard Benjamin were in Portnoy's Complaint which may relate to 4 Down Lumbago which could be considered a complaint of sorts. The other picture resembles Richard E Grant but I can't relate to the blog.]]

Cheers…

By: Finn

Finn — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:04:40 +0000

I believe that Aldhelm compiles the mixed straight/cryptic crossword in the Weekend FT Magazine – so this isn’t a true debut.

By: Rowland

Rowland — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:04:39 +0000

10 ac should be fried alive!!