October 27 2011
Scattered Fog Patches
Morning all – you’re in for a mild day with isolated showers in the western district and on the ranges. There’s a frost warning for all strawberry farmers, and south-easterly breezes on the bays. We’re looking at a top of 25 degrees…
Reason I’m fudging a forecast is due to the Australian Met Bureau throwing down tools this week. A pay dispute, by all accounts, and I predicted the subbies would make merry with the puns, but not so far. To date, the headlines have been pretty lame:
Stoppage by Meteorologists Won’t Halt Weather Forecasts [The Australian, hohum]
Weather Bureau Forecasts Strikes [SMH – warming up]
Forecasters' Strike to Leave Weather Up in the Air [the best on record, from ABC Online]
Surely we can do better?!
And while on matters misty, and mystical affairs, two word treasures for your pleasure. The first is from blog regular Nib who found this elegant piece of Anagram Art, with punctuation included. (Shades of Stanley’s Dr Strangelove in this week’s awesome Storm.)
And second is the sweetest strawb of all – a brand-new, whistle-and-belled themer from one of UK’s best compilers, the man they call Loroso. Or Anax. Or Dean Mayer. A feast for the mind, I forecast. Feel free to bung your appraisal in the Comment section, with hints + hee-hees, but no spoilers please.
Comments
Criseyde — 27 October at 08:34AM
Wether on while BOM mob off!
Daphne du Maurier — 27 October at 08:38AM
Bom hit by lightning strike!
DA — 27 October at 08:42AM
Manipulating an old pun clue:
HAIL FELLOWS? WELL, NYET
Criseyde — 27 October at 08:45AM
Or should that be:
Weather on while BOM mob off..... to dodge complaints about typos. Some would get the pun, and it doesn't matter if others don't.
Tempting to use all 3 homophones.
Criseyde — 27 October at 08:57AM
Fingers pointed at striking weather watchers.
Boniface — 27 October at 09:02AM
Weathermen put BoM under a cloud
Anthony Douglas — 27 October at 09:45AM
Bureau gets wind up
PD James — 27 October at 10:28AM
Wildcats (and dogs) threatened.
Rob T — 27 October at 10:31AM
Wildcats (and dogs) threatened.
'Storm' DA-mage on its way 'weakly'.
Honeymooners manage wet patch.
Stanley Kubrick — 27 October at 11:40AM
Just finished the Anax - the theme could have come straight from a SMH/Age puzzle (would have suited one of your "all across clues share a theme" ones) contrasting with the occasional UK-centric term.
Stanley Kubrick — 27 October at 11:49AM
Only real unresolved question for me from the Anax was the "expert" part of the wordplay in 3 dn. (I think I've got the thematic answer and the "deception" part).
Stanley Kubrick — 27 October at 11:56AM
Actually, I think Anax may have misspelled 3 down, replacing the final "o" with an "e"
Em — 27 October at 12:41PM
BOM threat: forecasts off the radar
DA — 27 October at 01:10PM
Had a crack at the Anax largesse, and loved it. Quite parochial in a surprising way, esp 9ac for this taxpayer.
Some of the anagrams are so slick, you don't even realise that's what you're facing. I won't mention clues but be warned.
Thought the construction for 12 was refreshing, the story of 15ac eerie, and the deceit embedded in 26ac deft. And how good does 8dn read, for such a lengthy non-themer?
Also admired the concision of the clues: not a word spent in idleness. Even learned stuff, being taught by a Pom too, which showed plenty of 22dn on his part. Muchos gracias, Loroso - a rare treat.
Anthony Douglas — 27 October at 02:39PM
19dn for me. I note that while 22dn fits, 7dn moves away from the 15 part of the theme...
Not sure what you mean by calling 5dn a non-themer, but it's good.
14dn looks like a slip up. Will, really?
KM — 27 October at 03:04PM
BOM blasts pay drought, forecasts lightning strike
KM — 27 October at 03:11PM
Patchy pay precipitates lightning strike for bureau
KM — 27 October at 03:16PM
BOM calls lightning strike over dry spell
Boniface — 27 October at 03:58PM
BOM's away - forecasters launch opening salvo in wage war
Criseyde — 27 October at 04:57PM
Public Sector Union's hour of darkness
CPSU fronts BoM over wage low
JPR — 27 October at 09:08PM
Amazonian butterfly says 'Why do I bother?'
Rob T — 28 October at 08:36AM
Haedline: Forecasters will accept deal "when Hell freezes over"
anax — 28 October at 09:06AM
Weather forecasters' strike "may cause cirrus disruption".
Boniface — 28 October at 09:15AM
Anax, you should be severely pun-ished for that!
Rob T — 28 October at 09:19AM
Forecaster with cold-fronts media: "Bosses are just a bunch of clouds".
JPR — 28 October at 09:37AM
just reminds me of ISIRTA's Macbeth, "Yes we can" "I hear you can foretell the future"
RobT — 28 October at 02:04PM
BOM entreaty to Queen before marching: "don't reign on our parade"
Criseyde — 01 November at 06:45AM
is it possible to post a link to the solutions for the Anax crossword at some time please?
DA — 01 November at 11:05AM
Criseyde - not sure if Anax has set up a solution link, but the key entry is AUSTRALIAN ELECTORATE, and a lion's share of the answers are exactly that: Groom, McMillan, Kooyong, Lyons, Eden-Monaro, Grey, Swan, Latrobe, Flinders, O'Conner, Melbourne Ports & Gilmore. Bountiful & brilliant.
Mr X — 01 November at 12:12PM
Think I was right about the spelling hiccup. Isn't it O'Connor ?