Comments on: Guardian 24,604 / Enigmatist

By: mark

mark — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:23:46 +0000

Many thanks Geoff.

By: Geoff Moss

Geoff Moss — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:20:53 +0000

Mark
I assume you mean 26a. See comment #2 (in which I should have said *(I TROUGH).

By: mark

mark — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:42:36 +0000

Did anyone explain 25A? I’m still at a loss – watering animals?

Oh and I agree with others that 10A is awful; spent ages trying to put something inside two “c”s.

By: C & J

C & J — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:15:11 +0000

6d was the last we got, having gone off at a tangent with “asignees” – a perfectly acceptable answer to the clue (GIS = Geographical Information System) until we realised there was a missing “s”.

By: Gary Howe

Gary Howe — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:52:16 +0000

13 ac

Frog

This is an example of a clue that is impossible to get unless you already know at least one of the relatively obscure definitions and cannot be ‘worked out’ at all. As such it’s the worst sort of clue there is.

There’s been quite a few clues like that recently too. Frankly I don’t think they should be allowed in puzzles.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:37:31 +0000

Ian

I’m inclined to think it’s an & lit…

By: Ian Stark

Ian Stark — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:02:53 +0000

Re 11ac, I suspect that ‘say’ gives us the form of ‘speak’, i.e. ‘say inspired unintelligibility’. Hmmm, on re-reading this I don’t know that it makes much sense, but I know what I mean! Goodnight all, and thanks again, Eileen.

(Still no joy with the print quality in the Guardian’s pdf version, I note . . .)

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:44:14 +0000

Well, Ian, your suggestion of Wednesday seems to be taking off…

Smutchin, between various other activities, I have just finished your puzzle 3 [is there a 1 and 2?] and want to add my congratulations to Ian’s. [I'm really impressed by the beautifully clear format when printed out.] I agree with him about 14dn but think my overall favourite is 15ac – lovely surface. I really look forward to trying 4 – and Ian’s other ones – over the weekend.

Many thanks again, everyone, for your comments. It’s been quite frustrating not being able, between us, to come up with a satisfying explanation in all cases, especially for 11ac, but, in a way, I suppose, reassuring to find that it’s not just me!

By: noel

noel — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:52:05 +0000

Generally agree with comments – enjoyable but flawed, especially 11ac – I rejected my wife’s suggestion of the correct solution for quite a while.

By: Brian Harris

Brian Harris — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:36:55 +0000

Err, 14ac I mean. I was reading Smutchin’s post!