January 18 2011
Dec Climax
EMMA MAILL is an amazing name. First up, all her consonants are Roman numerals. Look at them: MMMLL. This Sydney writer joins a rare coterie that includes such luminaries as Lady Di and journo David Dale.
And secondly, Emma was the name attached to a note I received this Xmas past. The note was tucked into a parcel that held two cufflinks, the A to Z of word-nerd chic. How gob-smacked was I? When not writing, Emma turns her hand to making artisan jewellery – a hobby to whittle writer’s block, she reckons.
‘Just enjoy the cufflinks,’ the note went. ‘Consider them a token of my appreciation for your investment in my grandfather’s cognisance. He’s been doing the Fairfax cryptic for years and is now a nonagenarian with a killer noggin!’
Wow. Thanks Grandpa Maill for being such a Diehard 9.0, and thanks Emma. Even now I’m lost for words, which doesn’t happen often. I’ll wear my Scrabble bling with zeal, any formal chance I get. As for those other Roman numeral honorees, treating Y as a vowel, try to crack these other clues:
- Black activist (7,1)
- Roman poet (4)
- Cape Fear avenger (3,4)
- Chrysler exec (3,7)
- Leading Women author (3,3)
- Ex-English XI coach… (5,5)
- …and ex-Oz bowler (4,4)
- 2010 World Cup hero (5,5)
- Three singers – from three different nations
Name any others in the Romanesque clique?
Comments
Nib — 18 January at 02:01AM
1. Confused local between millenia finds fox tail, black panther.
2. Found in radio, video and romantic poems?
3. Ends climax with clubber dropping down on Batmanphobic De Niro?
2am, blimey. Those next few look tricky.
(PS. Does a boxer call his punch combinations cufflinks?)
SK — 18 January at 07:26AM
Picking up on Nib's "spoiler" style..
8. Dead keen to house footballer.
SK — 18 January at 07:41AM
9. A brilliant singer? (4)
A couple of others-
10. Forefathers of banking (6)
11. Iconic film character (3,3)
SK — 18 January at 09:03AM
One more (clued in Nib-style)-
12. Clubber and backing singer (in a double-D cup), headed up video awards lip-syncers (5,5)
Boniface — 18 January at 09:15AM
13. Ducky (5,8)
SK — 18 January at 10:00AM
For consistency, here's 2 earlier offerings clued cryptically-
10. Pointless remedy for bankers (6)
11. Road warrior refused drug test? (3,3)
SK — 18 January at 12:46PM
Hmm...I've got another English singer-
9. Singer achieved bugger-all (4)
14. A boy between two girls...he composed himself (7)
SK — 18 January at 02:51PM
Boniface's discovery (no.13) is elegant in that it is possibly the longest eligible famous name (at 13 letters), and contains 5 of the 6 possible letters. Challenge- is there a (suitably well known) celeb out there that has all 6 Romans, and nothing else but vowels?
Boniface — 18 January at 05:28PM
Thanks SK and I think I have all your Continental candidates. I note that Viv can be male which conjures up a rather disturbing image...
SK — 18 January at 07:46PM
Yeah, best not to go there...
Did you get the clubber? (He's a Yank)
SK — 18 January at 07:49PM
And as for the "challenge", I can't think of any. Was hoping that Max Ludovici was famous for something, but apparently he's just a 9 year old kid on Facebook...
Nib — 18 January at 08:13PM
Pity 'vexadecimal' isn't a word.
Boniface — 18 January at 08:22PM
Yep, SK. Good to see you had another use for Iva Davies as he just missed out on this list.
SK — 18 January at 08:42PM
Iva also narrowly missed out on the Uma Thurman club...is he destined to always be the bridesmaid?
Summoning the Ghost of Brainstorms Past...remember the overlap challenge?
Vexclaimed- Blurted out in frustration
SK — 18 January at 09:04PM
Forgot to post the Chrysler man-
4. Carman (not barman) makes an ace cola ice shake (3,7)
Coincidentally, Chrysler's most famous marque satisfies the same test (8). Spooky...
SK — 18 January at 09:14PM
6. Pommie cricketer...oddly valid?
SK — 18 January at 10:11PM
And in the same vein-
15. Lively, cold wind strikes Caribbean bat (5,5)
Boniface — 18 January at 10:20PM
OK SK, here's your caddie:
Top of class after mark A instead of E. A classic marque! (8)
Boniface — 18 January at 10:27PM
Is it just me or do Roman numerals have a particular predilection for cricketers? Maybe that's why I never progressed past orange boy...
Nib — 18 January at 11:03PM
A poem:
You vexed, lied and deceived
Called me a doll
Claimed my all
Cleaved, I calmly leave
Nib — 18 January at 11:21PM
Adam + Eve, Dad + Mum
Impaler skewered chav lads with three eyes? (4,3)
TV show with catastrophic fiery ball (1,4,4)
Boniface — 18 January at 11:46PM
Nib, are you a recent divorcee?
Here's the haiku version:
You cuddled, coaxed me
I voiced my love - you claimed my dive.
You made my day.
SK — 19 January at 07:27AM
Ah yes, we were in desperate need of a Vlad.
And I Love Lucy is almost as ancient.
More recent TV yields another pair of Romans, Masterchef finalists Adam and Callum.
Sam — 19 January at 08:52AM
I was hoping there was a famous Clive Maddox out there somehwere...
SK — 19 January at 11:55AM
Nib, your poem hints at-
Malice, vice, divided love, deceit (emailed evilly), a vile mad devil (excluded a mildly cold medical device).....
My advice- move! (ie exile)
...(the) devil made me do (it)...
Boniface — 19 January at 03:03PM
A wine and cheese cavalcade:
Calcavella & Caciocavallo
Cococciola & Comelico
Mammolo & Del Colle