Listen With Others

It seemed to us that this was a debut crossword but I am told that we have already solved a Filbert crossword in the Magpie (last July, on the theme of Simon and Garfunkel’s songs) and that he sets for the Indy. The preamble was not too daunting, misprints in down clues and two across entries with ‘extra’ definitions instead of clues, then a term to change for a three-word paraphrase, and an object to ‘replace’ leaving two entries as non-words.

I liked the look of the little 11 X 12 symmetrical grid and speedily scanned the clues to confirm that we can admit Filbert to the Listener Setters’ Oenophile Elite (after all, the annual setters’ dinner is coming up next month in Stirling). Calamity! I got right through the clues with a few rather generous ones giving instant answers, but not a toper, drunkard, cask of armontillado or dram to be seen and it looked like a thumbs down (or up depending on which way you interpret that decision about the gladiator) for poor Filbert.

It wasn’t until we had completed our solve and I asked the other Numpty “What is the point of the title, White Rose?” (we had, originally decided it was going to lead us to a Yorkshire theme or something to do with the Wars of the Roses). Daylight dawned. “It’s a couple of fine bottles of summer wine, the White and the Rosé, isn’t it? Cheers, Filbert, see you at the bar!”

By this time, we had filled our grid and found the give-away “That ball was on the line” and SUPERBRAT crossing our grid and the SERVICE LINE. A visit to the Internet reminded us of the event (how sad that the spoiled brat’s antics gained such publicity and how sad that it is pretty clear that his protest was justified). “You can’t be serious!” (which we paraphrase as “COME OFF IT”, maintaining real words in the grid) he tells the umpire. “CHALK FLEW UP”. We move the O (the ball) and write that into our grid giving two new words. “Hang on a minute”, says the other Numpty “Isn’t that why white rose?” What a fine finish. Thanks, Filbert.