Independent on Sunday 1,681/Hoskins

21 comments on “Independent on Sunday 1,681/Hoskins”

1. I think it was Samuel Johnson who said ‘when you are tired of Hoskins, you are tired of life.’ – just a thought, Pierre … just a thought. 🙂

2. 🙂

3. Thanks, H and P!

   Liked BELABOUR, CHEAPSKATE and MOORHEN.

   De-vice the clues? Not my advice. Add vices, if you will (No offense meant to others). Use drugs. Be on the wind. 🙂

   Enjoyable devices. Great service. Thanks again.

4. You know what you are going to get with Hoskins and we got it today in spades. I loved it with CHEAPSKATE my favourite.

   Many thanks to Hoskins for the fun and to Pierre for the review.

5. I don’t have any problem with the prevalence of innuendo in Hoskins’ puzzles, makes up for lack of it elsewhere! The bottom row spells ENYA, the multimillionaire Irish singer, formerly of Clannad. Probably coincidence but if not perhaps Hoskins could elucidate. Thanks to him and Pierre.

6. Thanks Hoskins and Pierre

   If ENYA in row 15 is coincidental, what about DRUNK in column 7? It’s a shame that the RHS couldn’t have been arranged to give AGAIN in column 9!

7. Excellent stuff and a lively start to a Sunday. I’m at one with the popular favourites MOORHEN, CHEAPSKATE and BELABOUR (for which the penny didn’t drop, so thanks to Pierre, and thanks to Hoskins)

8. What’s boring about a Moorhen, I think it’s quite Coot

9. That is truly dreadful, nicbach. To the extent where it’s actually quite funny.

10. To be honest, I feel a bit cheated on the odd occasion that we get a puzzle from Harry that doesn’t contain any innuendo so I hope he carries on in his usual way – cheeky without becoming overly offensive. One of the very few compilers who seems to be able to achieve that.
    1d made me smile and my favourite was probably CHEAPSKATE.

    Thanks to Hoskins and to Pierre for the review.
    As for Moorhens, Pierre, the adults may well look a little boring but the youngsters are adorable!

11. Well I’d been saying Hoskins wasn’t being as rude as usual and here he’s back to being the cheeky chap. And I think he’s better for it. Cheers Pierre for the blog and the disparagement of the moorhen. Coot joke was very good nicbach, I fully approve of such awful puns.

12. I completed this filth a little sooner than usual before kicking my television in and sending the bill to the BBC.
    My stand-out favourites were Anchor, Beaufort and Moorhen.

13. Thanks Hoskins for the Sunday amusement. My favourites were COMMODE, CHEAPSKATE, BERLIN, and BEAUFORT (for a moment I thought the answer might be “bean fart” from the crosses but that would not parse). No problem with the potty references from this side of the pond obviously. Thanks Pierre for the blog.

14. Many thanks to the Grumpy Frog for the blog and to all who solved and commented.

    This puzzle was one of a series of ten drunk/sober puzzles I subbed last April with the idea the drunk ones would be full-on Hoskins and the sober ones totally unspiced. Of course, I was drunk when I wrote them all whatever their spice level. Enya, who I am sure is teetotal, was purely coincidental.

    I’ll be back in eight days on the 23rd May with an easyish Korma puzzle for you to nibble on, but until then it only remains for me to get Pierre his slippers and Ovaltine; put the Antiques Roadshow on for him; and say goodnight and good luck to all. 🙂

15. I really don’t appreciate the sarcasm in this or in your previous comments. It’s not obligatory for setters to comment on Fifteensquared; most don’t, or do so just to say a polite thank you. You might want to consider that before you post your next one. And to remember that individual bloggers as well as the site administrator have the option to moderate or remove comments.

16. Wow. Are you really suggesting that because you don’t like someone’s humourous, gentle, and good-natured comments that you are threatening censoring them so no-one else can see another opinion (especially one that tickles you under the arms)? Surely that can’t be right, Pierre, eh?

    No doubt next you’ll trot out the old ‘I do this blogging for free, you know’ chestnut soon. Well, I do it for a living but you don’t see me – who has more to lose than you over it – trying to censor stuff I don’t like (well, there was that one time when I offered Maize outside, but I did apologize for that the next morning) so either my feelings aren’t hurt or the sort of puzzles many folk like don’t get sidelined because of the Tristrams.

    Lets hope that other bloggers and the site admin also have the option to restore comments deleted/moderated by bloggers who think that they should not have to face any gentle critique or gentle teasing of what they write or their opinions.

    We are all fair game – sloggers and betters alike, I fancy. 🙂

17. Site policy says that ‘aggressive, insulting or inflammatory comments are not acceptable and will be removed’. That’s the line that I’m suggesting you don’t cross, then you won’t have to apologise in the morning. Please consider this exchange closed so there is room on the thread for anyone else who wants to comment on your work.

18. Pierre – I have met you in real life and exchanged mail with you and from that figured you were a decent bloke. I have not crossed any lines: you know this; I know this; and everyone reading this – including site admin, no doubt – knows this.

    With all due respect, it is now obvious you cannot take gentle ribbing though you seem to be able to hand it out or make pronouncements (under the umbrella of personal opinion, I am sure) till the cows come home … until you are called out on it in the most gentle, friendly and humourous way.

    I would suggest you stop hiding behind ‘site policy’ and get a sense of humour and a thicker skin. You are just as able to have what you write critiqued as I am (though I would hope that that is always done in the gentle and friendly and humourous way that I have done it).

    There have been no rule breaks here. There has been no whatever it was you quoted and the very suggestion of having to avoid apologies in the morning is ludicrous (apart from yourself apologizing to the readership of this great site for throwing your toys out of the pram; threatening censorship; and generally not displaying the sense of humour that your usually excellent blogs are renowned for).

    I imagine you have just been having a bad day and so forgive you for your out of character behaviour. No doubt things will look better in the morning and no hard feelings from me as I also have had bad days too – though not recently, thank the Sol.

    Onwards and upwards for all. 🙂

19. High five to Hoskins . . . And Pierre. Come on chaps, we’re all in this together (apparently)

20. Right on, Aphid. 🙂

21. Was it Plato that said “Sod off Geoff”?

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