Comments on: Guardian 24,605/Brummie

By: Gordon

Gordon — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:13:44 +0000

I agree with those that thought that ‘names of actors’ was far too general for a theme subject. I toyed for a while with the notion that the common element was ‘dynastic’ acting familes and indeed some of the solution were just that..Bridges, Sheen, Mason etc

By: chunter

chunter — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:47:50 +0000

17ac: also Barry and Julia Foster.

By: Dave Ellison

Dave Ellison — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 22:06:36 +0000

I agree with Stiofain_x; I was also looking for them to be Oscar winners or something similar. Gave up on 9 clues or so in the top half, after spending quite a while on it.

The scrabble puzzle seems a nice idea, and not too difficult. I managed the Futoshiki today in about 5 mins, the Killer in about 40 and Araucaria in about 30, so was very pleased with myself. And we, my wife and I, managed 10 on The Quiz, which is pretty good for us.

Nothing to do till Monday now, unless you count listening to the Secret Policeman’s Ball while doing the washing up (What DO You Know having been replaced with the detestable Quote – Unquote)

By: stiofain_x

stiofain_x — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:33:11 +0000

I thought the theme was too vague. I decided it was actors whose surnames were also a standard word but was expecting to find out here that there was some subtle connection I had missed, alas it wasn’t to be.
There were some great clues though and great surface readings especially 12ac which made me laugh.
Being a scrabbler I loved the new scrabble puzzle in todays Guardian mag its the first time ive seen one of these.
Stiofain

By: Barnaby Page

Barnaby Page — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:08:10 +0000

A “difficult but doable” one that kept me occupied, on and off, all week. The first of the themed solutions I got were PRICE, CLOSE and BRIDGES, plus an erroneous POINT for 10ac (point man = leader of a military patrol) – which led me down the mistaken path of thinking the theme was something to do with banking or stock markets.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:53:29 +0000

Mhl: thank you very much for that – very entertaining. I don’t know how all that has completely passed me by. Shades of the old song ‘I danced with a man who danced with a girl who danced with the Prince of Wales’.[I still don't recognise the photograph, I'm afraid.]

Ive never looked at the Indy Saturday prize puzzle bfore, so didn’t realise until now [trying to take up Fletch's recommendation in comment #9] that it isn’t online until a week later – after it’s been blogged on fifteensquared. However, I’ve already had my quota for today from Rev John’s two highly enjoyable offerings in the Guardian and FT.

By: Fletch

Fletch — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:08:10 +0000

I don’t think so Ian and it won’t be online til next Sat. I got the paper, a last-minute switch from my usual Guardian when I remembered to check who was in the Indy.

By: mhl

mhl — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:59:55 +0000

Oh dear - it would be nice if Fifteenquared used a version of Wordpress that copes properly with UTF-8. sigh. The latter link was supposed to be: Erdos–Bacon_number.

By: mhl

mhl — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:58:13 +0000

I read 23 down as John did - SHE + [h]EN. I really liked the theme in this one, for reasons that Eileen articulated well in comment #2. Incidentally, Eileen, if you weren't previously aware of Kevin Bacon, then it's worth noting the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and the wonderful related concept of the Erd?s–Bacon number. I hope that in the future some mathematician will co-author a paper with Kevin Bacon so that the actor also has an Erd?s number.

By: Ian Stark

Ian Stark — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:59:28 +0000

Fletch, or anyone, is there a printable version of the Indie?