Comments on: Guardian 24,537 – Gordius

By: Dawn

Dawn — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:32:45 +0000

I agree with Bogeyman too. I enjoy making up a word because it fits the clue and looking in the dictionary to find that, incredibly, that word really does exist. I then see if I can use that newly learned word somehow in the day. What I hate is getting totally stuck because of some really obscure thing that I could never have guessed or known. Using the internet, like the dictionary, is Ok for an occasional answer but seems like cheating.

I like this site though because you give explanations which helps with seeing how to complete other puzzles.

By: Qaos

Qaos — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:17:28 +0000

Thanks Uncle Yap for another well written and informative post. I agree with Bogeyman that without books or Internet, this was quite hard.

As for the inelegance of repeating similar words in clues, I think that a duplicate pattern can look a little clumsy, but if it’s used more times (with different meanings) it can be quite clever. I’m sure either Paul or Araucaria set one with the use of the word “game” repeatedly, both as definition and subsidiary, that worked very well.

By: Bogeyman

Bogeyman — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:06:09 +0000

Another very tough Gordius offering, I thought – my heart sinks when I see the name. I did manage to complete it but not without the help of Google. Too many clues seem to rely on obscure bits of general knowledge (Lutine Bell and Polycarp for example). If I were doing this crossword somewhere without internet access I wouldn’t have a chance of completing it, and that doesn’t seem quite right to me. Am I being overly negative, or do others agree with me?

I agree with John’s comment about the obscurity of defining a tramp as “one without wheels”

Also agree with Gary about “Stannic” – quite brilliant clue!

By: John

John — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:58:47 +0000

Although I deciphered alone from “all one”, I don’t like it as a definition of “united”.
And in what way is a tramp “one without wheels”?
It’s also a long time since anyone used “poly” to describe a college.Other than that, quite a satisfying puzzle.

By: don

don — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:20:00 +0000

8 Down I took ‘sinister’ as ‘Non Dexter’ = ND, hence ‘be sinister’ = BE+ND.

My only carp was 7 Down. Never heard of Polycarp, a bit before my time, so like Dawn I had ‘carp’ without the ‘poly’. Sounds more like ingredients for a fish stew.

Again some clever and amusing clues.

By: mhl

mhl — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:55:15 +0000

JamieC: I think 25 = ONLY is the definition part and there are two cryptic subsidiaries, “short of a large cask” = BUT(T) and “brings back a small one” = TUB reversed…

By: Dave Ellison

Dave Ellison — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:27:38 +0000

Thanks for the explanation of 2d. I got the answer but couldn’t rationalise it. My thoughts were that “ready source” was the “r” at the end of the answer, and that I then needed to remove an “a” from a worshipper to give a hero.

By: Garry

Garry — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:45:51 +0000

A propos my comment last week about (almost) coincidental anagrams. I think today’s (exactly) coincidental anagram is fantastic – tin cans/can tins/stannic. Wonderful!

By: Tom Hutton

Tom Hutton — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:44:06 +0000

I didn’t like 19ac because it seemed to me that before any other letters appeared it could be either “but” or “tub” but otherwise it was most enjoyable.

By: JamieC

JamieC — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:17:42 +0000

I agree with PaulD re 10a.

The Lutine bell was traditionally rung when a ship was lost at sea (and again when it was found again!) hence “news of wreck.”

I am still a bit mystified by 19a – what is “25″ doing in the clue? Is it that BUT also means ONLY, hence an extra definition?