Comments on: Guardian 24,011/Gordius – very difficult for a Tuesday http://www.fifteensquared.net/2007/02/27/guardian-24011gordius-very-difficult-for-a-tuesday/ Never knowingly undersolved. Tue, 21 May 2013 08:26:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: <![CDATA[loonapick]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2007/02/27/guardian-24011gordius-very-difficult-for-a-tuesday/#comment-1330 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 17:59:29 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=299#comment-1330 Michod

Whether or not some people say Muscle-ini it would still be incorrect. At least in my opinion! This isn’t an example of an English word which may be pronounced differently because of local dialects, it is an Italian word and as far as I know is always pronounced MOOSELEENEE. I have checked with as many dictionaries as I can find and they all agree with me.

]]> By: <![CDATA[Ilan Caron]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2007/02/27/guardian-24011gordius-very-difficult-for-a-tuesday/#comment-1328 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:27:51 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=299#comment-1328 I had to use a dict for DURANCE (I saw DUCE but didn’t see how to get RAN inside — thanks), FRAISE – even with (as fire)* I needed to check — I could only think of strawberries), VINOLENT, OENOPHIL and MERIMEE (having never heard of him — nor of INGE for that matter embarrassingly). ALFALFA as medic was quite obscure to me because I’ve only ever eferred to it as ALFALFA – even when it’s in my salad. All in all, a puzzle for a Sat or a Sun.

Note that in 1A Gordius has hitched himself to Araucaria’s (C, ) wagon.

]]> By: <![CDATA[Michod]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2007/02/27/guardian-24011gordius-very-difficult-for-a-tuesday/#comment-1327 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:00:08 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=299#comment-1327 PS Welcome to the site Brian, glad you like it.

]]> By: <![CDATA[Michod]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2007/02/27/guardian-24011gordius-very-difficult-for-a-tuesday/#comment-1326 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:58:55 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=299#comment-1326 I agree, there was a very high proportion of dictionary words and obscure references for a daily puzzle. Took me about 35 minutes, but I was stumped by 15ac and 14 down. I guessed AMPLITUDE, so clearly would have got it with a dictionary, but I was also hampered by having CRATE (CR AT (th)E) FOR 26 ac. I now see it was CRAFT.
I was also thrown by MUSSOLINI, as I would pronounce the U to rhyme with ‘put’. I think you hear ‘Muscle-ini’ from Cockney squaddies and upper-class officers in old war films, but I’m with the Italian/northern camp on this one. And as for DURANCE, obscurity aside I’m not keen on the combination of an indirect indicator to lead to the wordplay like that. It’s one thing having Ward? (4,2) for ‘DRAW UP’, but this is more like having ‘Department of hospital?’

]]> By: <![CDATA[Brian Merrick]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2007/02/27/guardian-24011gordius-very-difficult-for-a-tuesday/#comment-1329 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:51:06 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=299#comment-1329 I’ve been following this site for a few weeks now and just wanted to say how useful I have found it. I’m newish to cryptics and sometimes the answers are not always enough–especially on today’s Gordius. Best wishes

]]> By: <![CDATA[conradcork]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2007/02/27/guardian-24011gordius-very-difficult-for-a-tuesday/#comment-1331 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:13:02 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=299#comment-1331 Re 22 across. Medic (over here usually spelt medick) is what Americans call lucerne, or alfalfa.

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