Independent 11,910 by Eccles

14 comments on “Independent 11,910 by Eccles”

1. Many thanks to Eccles for yet another splendid challenge, which was a lot of fun.

   I was unable to parse 4d, never having heard of the puzzle, so thanks to Quirister for the enlightenment.

   I am not convinced that “scrimp” and “save” are synonymous, but they do go together like gin and tonic. Also I think that 19a was unfair. The required spelling is not in Chambers, which cites only PETASUS. Collins gives PETASUS as the UK spelling and PETASOS as US.

2. A splendid summing-up of this puzzle in Quirister’s introduction.

   I particularly enjoyed MATADOR, FAIRY RING, ELABORATE, DISOWNS, ELIJAH, RED FLAG, RASHER and PETASOS, where I’m more familiar with the Latin spelling ‘petasus’ but there’s no ambiguity: the wordplay makes it clear.

   Many thanks yet again to Eccles and to Quirister for brightening a dull Wednesday.

3. My faves: FAIRY RING, IMRAN KHAN, REDEEM and MAGNATE.
   Thanks Eccles and Quirister.

4. {2d: ‘… A[n].’}
   [8d BICEPS misused as a plural again]

5. FrankieG @4: thanks, blog now corrected.

6. I knew O’Hare but still struggled to eventually reach Opera Hood, which I had to look up online. Guns = biceps was also new to me – always good to learn new slang from the Indie puzzle. Excellent as usual so thanks to Eccles and Quirister.

7. Tricky little number for me as is always the case with this setter, but I get such a sense of satisfaction out of a completed grid. Not keen on 17a, would anybody actually say that? and I doubt that I’ll remember the old hat but several others took my fancy. Top marks here went to FAIRY RING, SCRIMP, SOFA BED & the cheeky AROSE.

   Thanks to Eccles and to Quirister for the review.

8. This had me leaning quite heavily on the checkers. STARDOM was probably my favourite. I also enjoyed the snowmobile but I wasn’t expecting such a playful playtex in the Indy!

   I agree with all the comments so far, except to say that Cambridge (along with others) recognises BICEPS as plural as well as singular: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/biceps

   I think one “walks” or “does” a hiking route such as the Camino de Santiago rather than “visits” it… but that’s a mere quiblet.

   Thanks both

9. Thanks Eccles for an expectedly excellent crossword. My top picks were ELABORATE, SOFA BED, MAYFLOWER, TEMPO, and BICEPS, the latter a refreshing take on an overworked muscle. I guessed ELIJAH then parsed it and I needed the blog to untangle OPERA HOOD. My only quibble is using ‘out’ twice (24a, 14d) as an anagram indicator. Thanks Quirister for the blog.

10. Big thanks to all the bloggers. Bean doing cryptics for a few months now after getting into them from MinuteCryptic. This is the first time I have got through a Eccles grid. The blogs been invaluable at making the step up. Few I got from the definition and crossing letters so good to read how they are parsed.

    Favourites: 25d, 18d and 19a.

11. I’m embarrassed to admit that despite O’Hare being the closest airport to where I live, I couldn’t work out the parsing of OPERA HOOD. It didn’t help that I kept thinking of ORD, the airport’s standard three-letter code. [From Orchard Field, its original name before they named it after fighter pilot Butch O’Hare a few years after WWII. Our other big airport, Midway, also has a (rather more obvious) WWII namesake.]

12. Staticman1 @10: welcome to Fifteensquared, especially if this is the first time you’ve commented. Well done for completing this one – hope you continue to enjoy doing cryptics (and reading the blogs).

13. I haven’t finished this, and won’t tonight,
    but on the train home and 25 made me laugh out loud when I got it. People looking at me. How do you explain?!

14. mrpenny @11 I’m another ORD victim! Just bunged in the likely answer with a shrug. Fun puzzle, thanks to Eccles and Quirister.

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