Comments on: Guardian 24544 / Auster

By: mhl

mhl — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:01:25 +0000

Petero: interesting – I didn’t realise that there was a revised version of that clue. The one I (and everyone else here, it seems) did at the time was the same but without the “Queen is replaced by Charlie and” bit, so leading to EQUADOR rather than ECUADOR. The PDF version still has the original clue, although the Java applet and normal printable version has been updated.

By: petero

petero — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:56:59 +0000

I’ve only just got round to solving this one, from a printout made near the time the puzzle came out. In this version, the clue for 6D reads:
Place where Queen is replaced by Charlie and night finally gives way to day in a line between the poles (7)
which leads to ECUADOR. What’s all the business with EQUADOR?

By: Duncan

Duncan — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:38:55 +0000

I’ve only now got round to looking up the last few days’ blogs.

#13 a hogsback or hog’s back is a generic term for a particular shape of ridge – or at least it was when I was taught geography.

Bluey is given in Chambers as a synonym for swag – which didn’t stop that being my last clue; shortly preceded by 6dn, for which I shared the disquiet on both counts (spelling and geography).

By: Paul B

Paul B — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:52:46 +0000

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (crossword ed. D. Manley), Rufus was ‘hated by nearly all his people’ for ruling over a ‘dissolute court’ and for his questionable sexuality – they were more Ximenean than Libertarian in those days – and the Rufus tag apparently had more to do with rosacea than a flaming mane, unfortunately.

Bunthorne was indeed a G&S enthusiast (‘Patience or Bunthorne’s Bride’ ‘n’ all that), and Cyclops’ real name, as Smutchin guesses, is Eddie Polyphemus. Dumpynose is probably my favourite, being an anagram of ‘pseudonym’.

By: smutchin

smutchin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:20:17 +0000

Colin – yes, comment #34 by Mhl, got that, it’s just that Gary’s “Auster-alian” sounded a bit tenuous to me, but I wasn’t thinking it through – Auster [the South Wind, of course!] and Australia share an etymological root [Latin:Australis, meaning south] so yes, it all makes perfect sense really.

I’ll have to get the Azed book – thanks for the tip-off.

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:47:11 +0000

Auster is Australian (I think that was stated way up thread.) There is no single definitive source of pseudonyms but Jonathan Crowther's A-Z of Crosswords has biographies of a number of setters including, for some, explanations of their soubriquets. Auster is listed in Azed's book. Her entry states that the name Auster, the south wind, was suggested by the late Alec Robins (Custos, Zander,...) who mentored her for a number of years. Azed's book is now available at a reduced price from Postscript Books for those who want o know more about Auster and many other setters.

By: Frances

Frances — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:44:52 +0000

Well, as a relative novice, I really enjoyed this one. To be able to solve clue after clue, as I imagine you experts do every day, made me feel very ‘chuffed’. There are days when I only get 2 or 3 overall!
The only one I couldn’t do was 10d. I enjoyed listening to the song, Brickman

By: smutchin

smutchin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:30:31 +0000

I assumed Auster was some kind of reference to the New York author or the plane of the same name, but the antipodean connection seems more likely, if slightly tenuous. But in any case, Auster being Australian means she can be forgiven for using Aussie terms – it’s the crossword editor who should have picked up on it being too obscure for British solvers.

Is there any definitive source on where setters get their soubriquets? Was Bunthorne a Gilbert & Sulllivan enthusiast? Was Rufus a red-headed youth? Is Cyclops one short in the eye department?

By: Gary Howe

Gary Howe — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:25:53 +0000

I wonder if Auster is some reference to the setter being ‘Auster-alian’?

It might explain that indulgent (and completely unsolveable unless you know it)answer to 10D

By: Paul B

Paul B — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:01:30 +0000

I (literally) don’t know about Tuck’s Art of Conversation, but 44 comments is a fair indicator (so to speak) that, for most people, a puzzle’s not quite up to the mark. The better puzzles tend not to exercise 15/2 folks quite as much, presumably as there’s so much less to quibble or simply chat about.

But the Guardian puzzle irritates me no end as a matter of fact, and not necessarily because it seems occasionally to lack so much lustre. I’m sure I’m not the only one to be thinking that, with only a small amount of extra attention, this most venerable institution could return to the level of consistency I once recall it had.

Rose tinted specs and all that, but I’m pretty sure it used to be somewhat better nurtured.