March 11 2011
Clues, Views, News
As the last post slowly cools – and what a fine and furious forum we enjoyed as well – I should seize the moment to let you know a few bits of biz you may appreciate. For something different, let’s approach this in an orderly fashion shall we?
Our esteemed judge of the Grand Clue Comp – none other than Loroso – has a puzzle appearing in Thursday’s Financial Times. You can hit this link to reach a printer-friendly version of his crossword, which looks a trademark gem.
I’ll be chairing an authors' panel next Friday – March 25 – at the State Library of Victoria, in company with novelist Max Barry, kids writer Wendy Orr, literary agent Jacinta di Mase and story wizard Emmett Stinson. Combined with dinner and booze, the powwow tackles the rights of writers, and the offer to attend is open to anyone with a bookish bent. Details here.
Next Saturday, March 26 , if you happen to be in reach of the remote, then hit Channel 2 at 6pm to watch Can We Help. One segment I’ve been told will trail a semi-familiar crossword maker ushering Pete Rowsthorn through the rare book collection of that same Victorian library, this time to hunt down antique puzzle books. A post-air podcast will be your other option, but worth a look purely for what we unearth.
And just to spread myself a little thinner across the media lanscape, come Monday, March 28, you can tune your radio dial to 693AM around 2.30pm. Get the right frequency and you’ll be hearing the velour tones of Denis Walter chatting with lateral thinking larrikin, Glenn Capelli and myself about just the subject – creative cogitation.
Pretty much what goes on here, in fact, 24/7 at WordWeb Inc. The home of all spring-heeled harebrains.
Comments
PRS — 11 March at 01:12AM
In light of the cooling forum - should that be carebrains?
anax — 11 March at 02:30AM
Oh gosh. Thanks for the plug DA!
My girlfriend is going to be furious with me - she's travelling up to visit tomorrow and has a copy of the puzzle to solve on the train. Nice to know that, while she thinks of me, she'll have something pink and hard in her hands.
I printed off a copy myself just for a 'reminder' solve... took me 20 minutes. My own damn puzzle.
I'm hoping her rolled-up copy of the FT isn't overly heavy.
DA — 11 March at 06:43AM
Oh, Anax, you'd make a Pigalle service provider blush. Had a dip last night, with that damn poem at 22/13 to go. Seamless class in 1-,12-,25-ac,6-,19-dn [to name five] and a rich cackle over 9-ac. A lively affair.
(Eerie also to see your hot + cold trickery in 27-ac.)
GymBunnies — 11 March at 08:40PM
Or in the light of the cooling forum, should that be headline cogs? ;-)
Just wondering if I should let non-poms know that the Financial Times is printed on pink paper? No, I thought not.
Sam — 13 March at 12:22PM
Thanks for the Loroso link – very enjoyable, even though it took me a few days – who knew ‘peter’ had so many meanings! I’m still stuck on 26a, and 22a/13d (is it a poem, a religious order?) – grateful for any hints… Also, I’m guessing 24d is ‘ahoy’ but not sure why?
PRS — 13 March at 05:57PM
@Sam
From Wiki
'Sir Christopher Andrew "Chris" Hoy, MBE (born 23 March 1976 in Edinburgh) is a British track cyclist representing Great Britain and Scotland.'
DA — 13 March at 06:03PM
And Sam, that elusive poem is magnum opus of John Dryden, I learned. Not my long suit.
Sam — 13 March at 10:13PM
Thanks PRS and DA, that clears it up - an anagram after all - had tried all sorts of combinations!
DA — 14 March at 06:59PM
I'm with you, Sam. Had AHOY earmarked as a future Huh. But then some PI work unearthed the triple-gold UK champ of the Beijing velodrome. Bloke's a knight no less.
(Funny how one nation's Stephanie Rice is another lot's who?)
PRS — 14 March at 10:02PM
Had AHOY been clued here, we could have used our equestrian gold medallist Andrew Hoy... to each his/her own