Guardian 24,448 – placeholder
Posted by diagacht on July 23rd, 2008
(From Neildubya: I’m not sure if today’s blogger is available today so here’s your placeholder for you to start discussing the puzzle.
Diagacht: if you’ve written your post you can edit this entry and replace this text with your blog.)
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
“!!”?
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
In 5 down, can anyone explain where the C comes from? I assumed that ‘”0-0 at half-time”‘ is NIL+O+TI, but I’m not sure how you get the C from “sent in radio report”.
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Not sure if you’re asking for help, Muck; but if so…
(CAN A MOLE (E)XIST)*
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Mhl, I assumed it to be C= cent, homophone of SENT
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Ah! Thanks, David.
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I can’t help with that 5D MHL, but I will ask about 23A:
Fix return of best pan (7)
I’ve put in STEWPOT from “pan” but can’t properly parse it.
Talk about a grid of two halves – I was sailing away with the left hand side, then had to grind out the right hand side due to tricky answers such as 5D, 6D, 12A, 15A, 23A and in particular 16D. I think I’ve got there in the end (with crossed-fingers on 23A).
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Beermagnet, STEW = fix (in a fix, stewing, etc) and pot = rev of top
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
My guess is that Muck isn’t asking for help.
Beermagnet: Fix = Stew, Return of best = top
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Thanks, it was the Fix/Stew relationship I just couldn’t see.
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Can anyone give me a helping suggestion on 16dn? I’m completely baffled. Just a hint in the right direction would do.
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Tom, it’s a mangled French phrase..
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:25 pm
“?”!!
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Tom: Inky-Pinky
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Grateful thanks. It was driving me mad.
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I take it that “during sex” indicates putting f for feminine in the anagram. Is during a fair indicator?
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I think “on the contrary” means you have to reverse the sense of the preceding bit – i.e. “sex? during undies off”.
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I’ve got them all ‘cept 6 down. Can’t get the sense of it; any hints?
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:17 pm
6D Type of mayo(nnaise)
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I think the wordplay is slightly unsound – “visitor” should be “visitors” (which of course would mess up the surface reading).
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Thanks, Beermagnet and Andrew, got there at last with a bit of googling. I struggled earlier with “regular” letters starting in Mayo, to find a visitor, clearly without success. County Mayo, Simon Mayo and the Mayo Clinic didn’t help, either.
I liked 1d. Having got that the other long ones followed quickly.