Comments on: Guardian 24,530 – Brendan

By: Testy

Testy — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:37:32 +0000

I’d say that, in general, the number of comments is inversely proportional to the soundness of the puzzle.

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:46:11 +0000

Referring back to the number of comments. That there are more on this blog than the same day’s Indy blog is down to what it now a meta-discussion rather than a discussion of Brendan’s puzzle. That there are more comments generally for the Guardian puzzles might be for two reasons. First more people do the Guardian puzzle for conservative reasons. And, that there is more to say about the Guardian puzzles because they are more often contentious, the grid here, the unfairness of some setters, the blandness of a few setters,…

At the moment I can’t think of a single Independent (and IoS) setter who isn’t consistently good regardless of their style. The only Guardian setters who fall into this category seem, with a few notable exceptions, to also be Independent setters.

And, as a final point to KB Pike, Brendan was scrupulously fair in his cluing, not something that can be said about some Guardian setters.

By: KB Pike

KB Pike — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:29:30 +0000

Thanks to all taking up my point of setters as blog-readers. I’m (somewhat) reassured, but do not really expect to see much “improvement”. Unlike some solvers, I do crosswords to be entertained – how long it takes me doesn’t matter – and I like and applaud creative clueing, diagrams, themes etc etc. But I also expect fairness from the setters in all these respects. No matter what theme Brendan cleverly contrived in this puzzle, it’s not fair to link the centrepiece to the 4 corners by just one letter each. To coin a phrase – Crosswords should cross.

[Rant over:-)]

By: ACP

ACP — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:49:54 +0000

I’ve just gone back and found the Ninas – brilliant !!
Obviously, to get such a grid a few unusual words were needed. The last time he used this grid was when each of the quadrants had a unique vowel only.

All complaints about Monday-type puzzles should immediately be deleted.
Brendan’s creativity should be enjoyed ANY time he wishes to publish – who cares when.

By: gsgeorge

gsgeorge — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:57:31 +0000

Is there a zig zag theme in all four sections?
ZIZZAG, TOOTH, DANCE and …….(found it?).

By: Fletch

Fletch — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:21:06 +0000

I think you’ll invariably find it’s par for the course NMS that there’s more comments on the Graun blogs than Indys.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:15:54 +0000

That’s a little irrelevant, Fletch, IMHO. Did not do the Guardian puzzle (which I’m sure was very good if it’s set by Brendan) but I think comments refer back to the original blog – if everything is explained fully in the blog, there may be no comments at all!

By: Fletch

Fletch — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:42:33 +0000

Whatever, Paul B. However scintillating the current Indy team is, 32 comments on the Graun, 2 on the Indy.

By: Albie (Taupi)

Albie (Taupi) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:38:04 +0000

I also enjoy reading the feedback here whether positive or negative as this site is one of the few where we can learn the solvers’ opinion.

I’d just like to point out that the Guardian, along with most of the other papers, has a number of set grids. This practice survives from the hot metal days. Compilers may only use those grids for normal puzzles and are encouraged to use them all. This is a weak grid, as are several others.

Setters may try to link the quarters as Brendan did with the nina; but, even knowing Brendan’s penchant, I failed to spot it until it was pointed out here.

Also, the setter usually has no control over when a puzzle will be published. Puzzles are submitted. The crossword editor decides when, and if, they are published.

I too, as a solver, was surprised to find a puzzle this difficult on a Monday but who knows what other things the crossword editor had to contend with.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:15:54 +0000

Um … thanks indeed, Dave! But as I’m sure you know my remark was something of an aside – it amused me to ponder the mental condition of some imagined entity who has derived all (as in absolutely everything) he or she knows from a bunch of persons, only partially sane themselves, such as crossword-makers – in a conversation about the unnecessary (and even irritating) prevalence of recondite words in (certain) daily puzzles.

Today’s Brendan puzzle seemed choked with them, although we were able to justify their presence with the discovery of the Nina, mentioned above. But as a Monday puzzle – if such considerations and conventions are yet observed in Farringdon – this was pretty tough, and whatever you say in hindsight, a bad grid is a bad grid.

While I’m at it, let me chime with Eimi in responding to Tom Hutton’s comments about Indy books. The current team hasn’t had a chance to publish anything just yet, and I would like to think – although in reality I’m completely sure – that any such presentation would stand a fair chance of matching, or possibly surpassing, the ‘vivacity and humour’ of the occasionally wonderful Grauniadiers.

As a source of entertainment, solid clueing, and of interesting grids, I find these old issues invaluable. And I find they sit well alongside my equally ancient stock of G and Times tomes.

Finally, good luck to ‘KB Pike’.