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Archive for October 2nd, 2007

Independent 6540\Virgilius

Posted by Colin Blackburn on 2nd October 2007

Colin Blackburn.

Virgilius’s theme today was just a little obvious, a mirror-symmetric grid with greyed-out rugby goal posts in the middle. Yes, it’s the Badminton Horse Trials…no, of course not, it’s the Rugby World Cup currently being played in France (and Wales!) Every clue somehow had a surface that was about rugby or alluded to it, some answers were rugby-related and several bits of word play used rugby terms (though not RL.) The competition is in the gap between the group stage and the quarter finals, at least one clue reflected this.

The grid is brilliantly constructed and the clue surfaces great, however, I didn’t feel it was one of Virgilius’s best. It felt constrained even though there were the usual flashes of brilliance. Also, I am left confused over several clues, not normal for Virgilius and me. It might be that I’m missing some rugby nuances.

Finally, Virgilius must have set this before the group stages ended as there is no mention of the mighty Argentina!

Across
10 HACK OFF — HACK + OFF — I assume the definition here is “Remove” while “foul kick” = HACK
12 WINSOME — WIN SOME — partial success = win some! Nice clue.
13/15/18 RUGBY WORLD CUP — cryptic def. — not a great cryptic def and very obvious despite the confusing enumeration (5,3,5).
21 HAKA — initials &lit — this was a very neat clue.
24 GOAL — O in GAL — a try is converted into a goal.
27 ODDBALL — ODD BALL — for those of you with no clue what this is all about a rugby ball is oval, an odd ball for soccer players.
29 NO-WIN SITUATIONS — double def. — this was either presumptious, prescient or the puzzle was knocked up in the last few days. Neither Canada nor the USA won any matches. Virgilius could have picked on Japan, Namibia or Portugal but two North American countries provided a neater surface.
Down
1 FORWARDS — cryptic def? — Is this just a cryptic definition referring to the support given by the forwards to the locks in the scrum?
3 TRY TRY TRY AGAIN — 3 x TRY + A GAIN — I read the final A GAIN as another score, maybe the clue can be parsed differently.
4 UNHEROIC ? — cryptic def? — I’m lost on this one.
6 ACKNOWLEDGMENT — (WE MOCK ENGLAND)* + T — good anagram but hopefully the weekend will prove Virgilius wrong. Incidentally, this is a less normal spelling of acknowledgement.
17 PLAY DOWN — PLAY + DOWN — ref. County Down.
22 GALLIC — “gaelic” — nice homophone clue playing on the related adjectives fro the French and the Scottish.
23 PACK UP — PACK + UP — the forwards make up the pack.
27 POINT — double def. — rugby scores are measured in points, a single point victory is possible but worrying if you’re a fan of either team.
26 IRISH — IRIS + (matc)H — that old chestnut flag!

Posted in Independent | 6 Comments »

Guardian 24197 / Paul - Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink…

Posted by tilsit on 2nd October 2007

tilsit.

Solving time: 24 minutes

I sometimes imagine Paul, in his spare time, at the end of Southend Pier, playing his banjo and telling rude jokes to the assembled punters in a straw boater and striped jacket.  However, having met the man, I can confirm that he doesn’t indulge in such behaviour.  However, sometimes, his puzzles
make you wonder whether he should indulge in the odd trip to the seaside, if the crosswords ever dried up, not that they ever would.

This one is no exception and is full of the usual fun. Bravo (and encore!) Paul!

ACROSS  * = ANAGRAM  cD = Cryptic Definition (R) = Reversal.

9  OVULATION This is a bit complicated and if I have it wrong, please advise. 
  ”I appreciate that, darling, nothing = TA LUV O (R) +  I + ON.  “It happens
  once a month” = definition.  Very clever.
10 YEAST Y (UNKNOWN) + EAST (Point)
12 UNCHAIN CHA(P) [short bloke] inside UNI(O)N [loveless marriage].
13 MAJOR JAM (R) + T(OR)Y
14 GREENGAGE G + RE-ENGAGE
16 AMBULANCE CHASER   LANCE (To pop) inside SUCH A* inside AMBER.  nice clue and image.
19 EXPEDIENT EX PEN (old writer) about DIE (end)  + T
21 PERCH Two defs.
22 NEMESIS Release of man =  SEMEN  (R) + IS  Even Cyclops would be hard-pressed to beat this!
23 SHOTGUN SHOGUN with T (end of biggest) inside.
24 VIOLA Double def.
25 ACROPOLIS CROP + SILO attached to A

DOWN
1  CONSUMMATE MATE (couple) with C + ON + SUM -  Total = definition.
2  PUT-UP JOB   PUT-UP (Has to accommodate) + JOB (Biblical character, famous for patience)
3  RANKER Double def.  I am sure the idea of using Jonathan Ross must have crossed his
  fertile mind.
4  PIMP  PI + MP
5  INDUCEMENT cockneys, famous for dropping their aitches, would use ‘INDU CEMENT for biding.
6  HYACINTH HINT + H with CAY (r) inside
7  PANAMA Double def.  A Panama is a type of hat.
8  STUN  NUTS (R)
14 GINGER SNAP  GP with GRANNIES* inside.
15 EARTHINESS EAR + SHE ISN’T *
17 LODE STAR LOST READ *
18 STRUGGLE ST +RUGGE(R) with L inside.
21 PROMPT Dbl def
22 NAVY  The main body of a church is the Nave, so……
23 SERF  Hidden answer.
Thanks again to Paul for the knockabout fun!

Posted in Guardian | 5 Comments »