Comments on: Guardian 24584 / Enigmatist

By: stiofain_x

stiofain_x — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:12:41 +0000

A very tough but satisfying puzzle, one of the best in ages.
I agree that it would have been better if the nina hadn’t been flagged up. Is a nina still a nina if it is explained beforehand? “A Hogmanay puzzle” would have sufficed.
My enjoyment of this puzzle was spoiled though by the use of the term “paddy” to signify irish in 1dn, I and most other Irish people consider this a term of racial abuse and I think it more blatant than the recent clueing of “coolie” and “chinaman” which caused comment here.

By: mhl

mhl — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:23:49 +0000

Happy new year to everyone, and thanks for the nice comments about today’s post…

By: SimonHarris

SimonHarris — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:10:52 +0000

Well blogged, sir. This was tough indeed, although I found it a shade fairer than many Nimrod/Enigmatist puzzles, for some reason.

By: Roger Murray

Roger Murray — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:54:32 +0000

Only had to cheat on one (21dn, I’m ashamed to say, as it was one of the easier ones!) Quite a few half guesses, but to get this far with Enigmatist is a good day for me, as I find him the hardest of the Guardian setters. Happy New Year to you all.

By: Baijaaners

Baijaaners — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:02:35 +0000

Fairly tough today, very much easier once we’d found the message around the edge. A couple of the surfaces seemed pretty weak, particularly 12ac. Agree that the Nina would have been more rewarding if left hidden, but a nice puzzle nonetheless.

By: George Foot

George Foot — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:50:37 +0000

I was enormously surprised to see all the comments about how hard this crossword was. Normally I find Enigmatist probably the toughest setter in the Guardian. Usually a 2 hour job. But today I must have been inspired, it only took 35 mins. Admittedly I was lucky to spot the outside very quickly and from then on it seemed fairly easy. I have never done an Enigmatist anything like so fast. I didn’t understand all the answers until I read the blog but I had got them all right!

By: Brian Harris

Brian Harris — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:08:34 +0000

Very tough today, but satisfying. Once we’d got the New Year message round the edge, it made the remainder considerably easier. Solved 22ac, but only now do I realise what the clue means – “All about eve” – very nice! I don’t mind how 22,24 and 26, but I think too many of these would eventually start to be tiresome. Particularly liked 16 and 11, but there were lots of good clues in this. It was hard, but felt like a real achievment when we’d cracked it (took about 45 mins).

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:01:56 +0000

In essence a brilliant crossword that was rather challenging.

This I would have classified as ‘hard’.

11a, 16d and 22a were top class.

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:14 +0000

Well I got close, but had to resort to the Cheat button for the last 4. I found it hard work, too much “those letters look like” then going back to figure why, especially as I didn’t always get the figuring why and had to rely on the Check button not wiping out the letters to know I had got it right. So I didn’t find it that much fun, though to be fair some clues raised a smile. Still you would expect that from a someone who happily answers to Clegg’s phrase from Last of the Summer Wine, “Don’t mind me, I’m just a passing idiot”. (not that any of of you want to know, but passingidiot is my IM id on yahoo cos it appeals to my sense of humour, but anyone who wants a rambling natter should feel free to use it)

By: Mick H

Mick H — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:46:23 +0000

Some great clues here, especially EUTHANASIA. I don’t really see the need for the preamble, but it looks like the Guardian taking a stand against the unflagged nina.