Sunday Telegraph Enigmatic Variations 1001 Sunday January 15th 2012

[x_word_fan]

I was going to say another easy one but 14a still eludes me - is Bari a misprint?

[x_word_fan]

I have him now - much more obscure than the rest - I suspect the posters from across the Atlantic will not find him easy to identify.

[Christiana]

Basically finished, though haven't worked out the title reference yet. I didn't find Bari too much of a problem, but failed to understand the title, Is that why I don't understand the answer to 26d which appears to me to be suffering from two defects - one the word "Haversham" which is misspelled and two the answer relates only indirectly to "Haversham" whereas all the other single word clues are directly connected to their answers?

[dr b]

Agreed, another easy one to start the year. The method of entry for the single word clues is not too hard to figure, long before the extra letters give the hint.

C, was the hinted-at character not playing CROQUET at the time the "directions to the puzzle" were uttered? As for 26d, I agree it should be HAVISHAM in which case the Dickens character fits, correct?

[DocHH]

Hello Everyone,
To be honest x_word_fan, I had trouble with Bari, and I'm here in the UK!
I agree Christiana, on both counts, but does adoption help? Drb, the game was certainly her hobby.
I enjoyed this EV, despite not being overtaxing. Will be opening a Shiraz Cabernet tonight!

[Christiana]

Yes, apart from my quibbles I enjoyed this one, somehow,more than last week's, even though it took roughly the same amount of time.

[novalis]

Hi everybody!

Found this lightweight but entertaining. I was glad to get through it quickly as I had a quiz in urgent need of typing up.

[haggis58]

Bari eludes me despite having googled a few times. Also can't find 1d and require justification for 43ac which I think is henry. Any help?

[turnerjmw]

Hi haggis58, 14dn is a much capped Pakistani wicketkeeper, 1dn a famous old English actress. You are right about 43ac, but don't think you need any justfication

[turnerjmw]

I meant 14ac, not 14dn

[haggis58]

Thanks Turner - found them all now. Much appreciated.

[devadolly]

That's why I didn't find you, I never think to enter the full E.....V.... - far too much typing. Thank you for the link drb. Below is my query.

EV 1001 Croquet by Salamanca
Good Morning EV'ers, All very quiet on all fronts, not even some N & C as it was far from taxing this week (even for me!) If it was going to be a literary enigma I would have thought tales from far off Persia would have been more appropriate to the number.
I'm after opinions...................what do the EVer's think of the daily Times Crossword in terms of difficulty? It has been suggested to me that it is the hardest of the daily paper efforts, but I am not convinced....comments please.

[DocHH]

Hello devadolly, pleased you found us! I stumbled on the thread more by luck than judgement. I am a subscriber to the Telegraph, so tend to restict my crossword solving to those challenges, Spectator excluded, as there is normally a link on AB on a thursday morning. Otherwise nothing would get done. On the occasions I have tried the Times or Financial Times I have finished them, perhaps taking a little longer than the Telegraph, but probably because I was not in tune with the compiler from the start.
Sunday looms, the weeks seem to zoom past!