Comments on: Guardian 24,138, Paul: Ich bin ein Berliner

By: Debbie

Debbie — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:19:58 +0000

I don’t know whether I’m missing the point here but I read 7D as a sponge cake being a sweet (n) like a pudding or dessert rather than sweet (adj).

By: Mick Hodgkin

Mick Hodgkin — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 08:54:14 +0000

The clue was: ‘Pulmonary vein’s blood is taken round next day, for example, in circulation’. So despite not seeing the clue, I’d say you’re right on both counts, Paul!

By: Paul B

Paul B — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 08:49:48 +0000

I haven’t seen the whole clue, so just for now the ‘taken’ looks like an error in tense for the cryptic reading.

As for abbrevs in fodder, I’ve not had all that much of a problem over the years … but then I am a medium libertarian weened on Grauniad puzzles. The round for the O, on the other hand, if indicated at the front end, would not be a part of the anagram (O/ XYGENATED*).

By: eimi

eimi — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 08:48:49 +0000

As an editor, I’m much happier to accept IT than SA. As Mick says, IT survives as a certain appealing quality, but what might more commonly be called the X factor these days.

By: Mick Hodgkin

Mick Hodgkin — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 08:43:22 +0000

And ‘it’ is an equally dated word for the same – as in “I say, she’s certainly got ‘it’, old boy!”. One could argue that it survives in the popular tabloid term ‘it girl’. I’d argue that once crossword language ceases to have any meaning outside crosswords, it should be gently put out to pasture.
Re OXYGENATED, I took the definition to be ‘pulmonary vein’s blood is’, leaving ‘taken’ as a weakish link word.

By: Shirley

Shirley — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:39:49 +0000

28A – SA is a very old fashioned abbrieviation for Sex Appeal. It was used in Noel Coward type of language to avoid saying that someone was very attractive.
Typical pre war English euphenism.

By: mark

mark — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:12:46 +0000

don’t see the problem with 7D that you describe but I agree it’s not exactly elegant

I’m fed up with others though (got nowhere near finishing)

1D – as you suggest – this is just plain wrong as set!? I wondered if it was FLAM which I thought could mean fake and could be flam – e. That’s old flame = old dutch.
Clutching at straws but FRAU is just as bad i reckon.

28D – what is this stuff about it=SA. I’m none the wiser and guessing I’ll also want to rant.

15A the def then has to be all of “pulmonary vein’s blood is taken” – how is that OXYGENATED. I know it’s the vein bewteen lungs and heart and that that is roughly what happens…but what is “taken” there for?

By: Mick Hodgkin

Mick Hodgkin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:46:00 +0000

Quite so, Fletch – bum = sponge and soap = cake was fine. But for the surface meaning, you have to imagine a context for the clue’s sentence, as in:
‘Oh, darling, that’s so sweet – I’ve been looking everywhere for the soap, and it was under your bum all the time! Pass it here would you, love’.

By: Fletch

Fletch — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:47:53 +0000

I don’t believe the blogger needed the mechanics of the clue explained, it was the surface he said he was having trouble with.

By: bracoman

bracoman — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:42:10 +0000

Re 7 Down. Bum is a synonym of sponge as in eg cadge. Cake as in cake of soap. A sponge cake is sweet.