March 17 2011

The Nation Decides

Sean-Carlo Rewind starts off AGHAST. Nestor Nightspree takes a more TACTFUL approach. While Cosima K Coinpott throws you into a BANANA REPUBLIC.

untitled These are three of the five new compilers that left-wing magazine The Nation is putting on trial this month. A rarity on the American newsstand, The Nation takes pride in the cryptic style of puzzle, and has hosted the clues and craft of one compiler – Frank W Lewis – for a staggering 62 years.

This month, Frank passes the reins for a new buck in the cryptic ranks – but whom? Maybe Remi Silk-Knee will get the nod. Or Barney Prey, the fifth of the five now being shown to Nation readers. And you lot, at DA Central.

Click this link, an offshoot of Eric Berlin’s crossword blog, and you’ll be able to download the sample puzzles of the aspiring five. The kooky bylines, of course, disguise the real applicants, though I can tell you BARNEY PREY is a blend of PAYNE & BERRY, two accomplished orthodox setters. As for the others, your speculations are welcome.

So let’s share our thoughts here on the blog. When you can, have a crack at the five, and report back here which setter would get your vote, and why. And just to compare notes, let’s also nominate our 3 BEST CLUES (across all five puzzles) and the 3 STINKIEST. Bear in mind, this is American fare, so the going may be gentler, and several of the references could err on the side of parochial, just as UK and Oz puzzles are prone to do.

Not so much you won’t have fun but. Have a nice day. Enjoy.

Comments

Stig Helson — 17 March at 05:41PM

Started all five, finished two. (The other three had clueing styles I didn't like, so persisted until I couldn't take any more). Of the two I finished, BARNEY PREY, was the most consistent and best written, while REMI SILK-KNEE came up with some nice things but was a bit PATCHY.

I'll have to think about best and worst clues, although I'll probably have to finish the other three crosswords to properly judge.

Stig

Stig Helson — 17 March at 05:43PM

Someone please downsize PATCHY.

Stig

DA — 18 March at 06:46AM

Yes Stig, if I was a betting man, I'd throw some cash at the Barney Prey consortium, only because I know the breeding. But will chew these puzzles on the weekend, when I get a little more breathing space.

Boniface — 18 March at 10:39AM

Done.

I agree Barney Prey is best in field, but I also liked Remi Silk-Knee. Worst is Nestor Nightspree - by miles.

Best 3 (1 being best):

1. Barney Prey's 1A with the clever clueing of ABSINTHE was great.

2. Remi Silk-Knee's 24A was gold.

3. I also liked Cosima's 23D with a clever disguise of the def. 17A was also worth a mention for the clever use of registers in the clue.

Worst 3: WOW some real Meh fodder here! (1 is worst)

1. "Long noun?"(6) by NN for LENGTH would have to be the laziest and most uninspired clue I've seen in ages.

2. "An attack has been arranged, or so I hear"(7) by NN for ARRAYED puts the homophone indicator in the wrong place - in fact the definition is in the middle of the clue. If this crossword wasn't so basic, that could have been a real (and illegal) red herring.

3. "Cut off from first aid: wildcat, mutt, ape" (8) by Sean-Carlo for AMPUTATE is a shabby clue. I get the animal theme, but sincerely, wildcat as an anagrind? I'd let it go if cat was part of the fodder, but that's not the case here.

Comments follow:

Best in order followed by solve time:

Barney (45 min) - toughest, most enjoyable and technically best. Got the WOW moment with 1A.
Remi (33 min) - clever clues here and a nice grid. 19D was good, loved the cheesy reference!
Cosima (50 min) - good puzzle, liked the theme, but have to say re 21A - a 16 word clue... come on.
Sean-Carlo (13 min) Too reliant on anagrams - making it a soda to solve, not a real puzzle.
Nestor (15 min) - This one is a Meh classic. Say no more.

Cheers All

Bon

RK — 19 March at 10:29AM

Firstly here is my ranking of the puzzle compilers (1 being the best):

1. Barney Prey - quite consistent, but still room for improvement. It contains one of my top 3 clues but also one of my bottom 3.

2. Remi Silk-Knee - reasonably consistent, with some clues that I thought were quite cute eg 19D & 8D. Could have done better with 23A.

3. Cosima K. Coinpott - this was OK, but nothing too inspiring. Some very easy anagrams. Liked 14D and 18D.

4. Nestor Nightspree - some shockers (13A, 18D) but a couple that I quite enjoyed (19A, 37A). Inconsistent.

5. Sean-Carlo Rewind - too many easy, obvious anagrams. Was confused by the superfluous 'cat' in 1D until I realised 'wildcat' was the whole signpost.

Here are my top 3 clues:

1. BP's 8D - this had me baffled for a while, and I thought it must be referring to some American murderer I'd never heard of. Had a good chuckle when I got it. Love the homophones!

2. RS's 24A - clever on several levels

3. NN's 32D - liked the simplicity of this, and the use of 'correct' as both definition and signpost.

And my worst 3:

1. SC's 7D - too easy and uninterestingly worded.

2. NN's 13A - Am I missing something here?

3. BP's 2D - Too easy, plus lazy with use of 'dam' as is.

I need to give honourable mention to SC for using the word 'spangle' (13A). All the compilers had some level of parochialism, but this one made me smile.

Did anyone else find the full stops at the end of the clues off-putting?

RK — 19 March at 02:09PM

On the topic of secret identities, I came up with the possibility of Caroline Andrews for Sean-Carlo Rewind, so I googled 'Caroline Andrews crosswords' and discovered she has published a book of cryptic crosswords.

DA — 19 March at 02:17PM

Fine unravelling, RK. The case of Sean-Carlo Rewind is now solved.

Meantime I've unravelled 2 out of 5 puzzles, with grim tidings for the hopes of Nestor Nightspree, whomever that might be.

Will report back on the raft en bloc by manana. (Imagine a blog issuing homework!)

RK — 19 March at 02:33PM

Remi Silk-Knee is Mike Selinker. I'm like a dog with a bone. It's a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon while my baby is sleeping!

DA — 19 March at 02:45PM

Barney Prey = Payne/Berry

As for Nestor - Peter N Shoestring?

DA — 20 March at 05:46PM

(Nestor Nightspree - presenting others?!)

My clear winner is Barney, with Nestor the nadir. Though I did savour the latter's 17-DN, where FILING - I = FLING.

Though I was hardly smitten by many clues - some quite clunky or facile to be blunt - with these three clues the outright stinkers:

Discard two caplets of Vitamin A and return orange in a lively, musical manner = ANIMATO = urrrghhh [Remi]

Serious illness takes eastern assistants = AIDES = godawful [Rewind]

Instrument one might rely on = LYRE = read the manual, Nestor. This don't work.

For a do-or-die contest I was surprised in the quality, esp among the also-rans, which may towards explaining why the cryptic bug has yet to bite deeply in the US.

dg — 21 March at 03:29AM

Nestor Nightspree = Stephen Gerritson

(A Google search did turn up a 'Stephen Gerritsen')

Gerri Stephenston

RK — 21 March at 09:27AM

Nestor Nightspree could be Three Person Sting, but I don't believe the combined efforts of three people could produce such a dismal puzzle!