Comments on: Guardian 24375/Gordius – ance upon a time

By: Gordon Roy

Gordon Roy — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:36:42 +0000

All comments about 7d Reest being a rubbish clue and a poorly indicated anagram of Steer are totally incorrect. Reest has two meanings 1. To cure, as was pointed out, and 2. To gripe or complain about something. To beef about something is to complain about it.

It is a perfectly good double definition.

By: Cruciverbophile

Cruciverbophile — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:21:14 +0000

This comment’s a bit late but I’ve only just done the puzzle. Gordius has the potential to be one of the best Guardian setters and often comes up with some astounding clues. I feel he lets himself down on occasions by some blatantly unfair clueing (and I don’t mean minor infringements of Ximenean rules, with which I have no problem). This crossword contained a few examples of this, as noted above. I agree with Paul that a light-hearted reference to terminal cancer has no place in any puzzle and the editor should have picked this up along with the more dodgy clues. There are times when one wonders whether the Guardian crossword editor actually exists at all!

By: Kamintone

Kamintone — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:03:09 +0000

My first reaction to this puzzle was “appalling”, but that’s perhaps a bit harsh. It was nevertheless a sub-standard effort which suggested that Gordius was working frantically to meet a deadline. I can see no justification for REEST at all.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:27:35 +0000

I completely agree that “terminal cancer” should not be clued in what is after all supposed to be a light-hearted diversion.

By: ACP

ACP — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:00:53 +0000

The puzzle was good except the disappointing finish of REEST and that corner.
BITTER END did seem to be the original intention.
And so it was.

By: muck

muck — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:43:35 +0000

Posts by ‘Paul B’ and ‘Berny’ above. Are these OK?

By: Berny

Berny — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:14:46 +0000

One further comment.

I do enjoy Gordius’s puzzles and have referred to him as ‘gorgeous gordius’ but this is a case of ‘gorblimey gordius’.

By: Berny

Berny — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:04:53 +0000

Given the volume of discussion then why did we all bother – this was a case of terminal 5 syndrome – maybe Hugh ought to go back to the Falklands or wherever he went – a case where the editor ought to apply some critical faculties. This carries the circuitous far too far!

By: Paul B

Paul B — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:58:30 +0000

Rubbish puzzle from a setter who’s usually rather good, imho.

And once again it’s Guardian Poor Taste Alert, after a couple of recent clues had the potential to be interpreted as racist.

As someone who’s recently clued ‘radiation sickness’ I suppose I should be careful, but perhaps thanks to Troy Kennedy Martin (Edge of Darkness) rather than George Bu(ll)sh(it) or Tony Bliar, not all that many people tend to die from it. Obviously the same cannot be said of ‘terminal cancer’, and I imagine anyone affected would not care to be reminded of it in so trifling a manner.

So, insensitive and careless editing, plus some unnecessarily tough words as others have said – pretty much one after the other – in the above.

By: manehi

manehi — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:52:45 +0000

If “imbibence” were a word it might have fitted nicely.