Comments on: Independent 6673/Morph

By: Mick H

Mick H — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:20:08 +0000

Thanks for all the comments. Colin, you’re right about PASSENGER, and Ali, you hit the nail on the head with regard to the thought process behind TESTOSTERONE. That’s exactly how it went!

By: neildubya

neildubya — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:55:45 +0000

Yes, you’re probably right.

Also, I meant to include 19a in my post, but forgot. Brilliant clue: “Bit of nookie in broken-down motor-car - a shag, maybe?” (9)

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:45:10 +0000

I think 5 down is actually,
PASS + E + N +GER
EN isn’t as far as I know an abbreviation for English but N is listed as meaning ‘and’ in Chambers, as in rock ‘n’ roll.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:55:18 +0000

Yes, a lot faster than my usual Thursday struggle… Several of these I guessed from the definition, and / or partially understood wordplay. 9ac was my favourite, I think, even if I spent too long thinking that ’salt’ referred to the TAR at the beginning.

The one mistake I made (15ac) also revealed the curious fact that the online version seems to tell you that you’ve successfully completed the crossword whether or not there are any errors in it.

By: Ali

Ali — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:09:10 +0000

I liked this one a lot. Some very cheeky clues, not least cormorant and testosterone, the latter being the kind of word I’m sure you’d look at a setter and then wonder if you could dare pull off such an outrageous homophone! I agree that it works though, so bravo Mick from me!

Ali

By: Testy

Testy — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:52:52 +0000

Quite a saucy one this with a few sexual references. BODICE RIPPER, TART-RATES and the shag in 19A (and GUILT if you’re Catholic). I could almost feel my 26A levels rising.

I thought the surfaces were all really good.

19A reminded me of the Isherwood poem which my dad often recites:

The common cormorant or shag
Lays eggs inside a paper bag
The reason you will see no doubt
It is to keep the lightning out
But what these unobservant birds
Have never noticed is that herds
Of wandering bears may come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs