Independent on Sunday 1,855 by Filbert

14 comments on “Independent on Sunday 1,855 by Filbert”

1. If you were to set a ‘heading for Antarctica’ it would be South – which works for the cryptic reading as well as the surface reading – though as you say it could indicate South without ‘heading for’ as well.

   Thanks to blogger & setter.

2. That was my interpretation for ‘heading’ as well.

3. My F1 gk isn’t too g, doesn’t get past Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss (similar era though). He’s a bit of a card this setter — long walk on stilts indeed! — had to laugh. Plus Nana’s blocked bog, and Roger’s problematic rogering style. All good fun, ta Filbert and MOH. [Not a bad neck of the woods to inhabit; in the ’90s me and the late mrs ginf had lovely clifftop and Castle rambles there. The caretakers were friends of my London sis and bro-in-l]

4. I’m in agreement with others ref the interpretation of ‘heading for Antarctica’. I was held up for a bit towards the bottom by not knowing FORM HORSE; once I’d worked out what it might be, the remaining solutions fell into place with HEELING LOI. Other than the rather vague def for VACCINATE and the tricky one for BLIGHTERS, no other major problems. MARCHING ORDERS is COTD for me.

   Thanks both

5. So that’s the narrow boat. Likes for FORM HORSE, SUBPLOT, the pier and the sack to pick a few. Don’t get the def for blighters? People in Showers? Lots of fun. Good blog. Thanks MOH and Filbert.

6. [Thanks shikasta et al for the supplying the right parsing for 19ac – blog amended]

7. Sofa more @5, it’s in the sense of “that shower” = “those blighters”. Terms of disapprobation.
   Thanks to Filbert and MOH

8. Struggled in the top half, together with a slow start in the bottom… in fact the Antarctic clue was the only one that made sense, for quite a while… don’t really associate a pier with a “long” walk, but the “stilts” made it likely… spent too long trying to bludgeon barge into the “narrow boat” with predictable failure… the “shower of blighters” took me back to W. E. Johns, so there was some light in the tunnel!
   Thanks Filbert n moh

9. Thanks both. Some impressive but taxing stuff, as is usual In my normal Sunday haze, a small number of questions linger…is FORM HORSE an acknowledged expression?: in what context does taught mean TAKEN?: Do people say ‘vacs’ for holidays? – don’t get me wrong, I’ll call them anything if it means leaving the forthcoming weather behind.

10. Thanks both. Some impressive but taxing material here, as is usual. In my typically hazy Sunday brain, I have some lingering questions….is FORM HORSE an acknowledged expression?: in what context might taught mean TAKEN?: do people refer to holidays as ‘vacs’? – don’t get me wrong, I’ll call them anything if it means leaving behind the forthcoming weather.

11. Liked GOVERNESS, THERMAL, VACCINATE, TESSELATE and DITCH.

    Calcite, it was MoH (I find your rating relevant).

    Thanks Filbert and MoH.

12. Thanks KVa 🙂
    TFO @9, yes, form horse is indeed an expression in racing circles. I wondered about taught/taken too, as I’d normally think of the students taking a course/being taught. But you can also talk about Mr Smith taking geography, or some such. And Chambers does in fact bear out, at definition 25 for take: to teach (a subject or class).
    ‘Vac’ is probably pretty archaic these days, but when I was at university many, many, many years ago, the summer break was known as ‘the long vac’.
    Now, fingers crossed that the site doesn’t fall over again when I try to post this…
    Phew!

13. I found this heavy going today, but as always worth the effort to see the elegant solutions MARCHING ORDERS was favourite.
    Finding it hard I asked Google about Calcite and found it to be 3/10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Am I the last person to spot MOH’s pun?
    On a separate note, for 9 across I invented a new word ‘IDING’. Meaning to hide using false ID. A quick Google proved me wrong.
    Many thanks MOH and F

14. Thanks Jayx2 @7. I get it. I haven’t come across the term but I have now.

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