Comments on: Guardian 24,637 – Orlando

By: Orlando

Orlando — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:12:40 +0000

Hi Monica,

Fun debating with editors? It’s only a small proportion of clues that ever become the subject of debate, and such debate, while often fun, can sometimes be frustrating. I suppose the same may be said of the solving process.

By: Monica M

Monica M — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:39:05 +0000

Hi Orlando,

Thanks for popping in. I wonder … do you have as much fun debating with editors as we do deconstructing your clues.

Thanks

By: Orlando

Orlando — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:20:55 +0000

A big thank-you to Uncle Yap and everyone else for the positive feedback. It’s very encouraging.

With respect to 4d, though it was not really an attempt to deceive, I did think of MELBA when writing the clue, and I guessed it might occur to some solvers.

By: Barnaby Page

Barnaby Page — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:27:53 +0000

Interesting how many of us were misdirected into MELBA by 4d – I too managed to utterly banish St. Helena from my mind although I knew perfectly well that that was where Napoleon died. I wonder if the setter deliberately led us toward MELBA?

By: muck

muck — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:40:31 +0000

Eileen #25. I knew ‘mullet’ as a ridiculous hairstyle. But well spotted that Uncle Yap, erudite as ever, had quoted verbatim from Chambers. This is why I enjoy 15sqd so much!

By: steven

steven — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:22:08 +0000

Pumpkin:I see where your coming from,Fennel is associated with digestion, but drinks derived from fennel,Ricard,absinthe and pernot are generally associated with pre prandial drinks.

By: Pumpkin

Pumpkin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:44:13 +0000

Finished this late but take exception to 20 down – Pernod is a digestif, not an aperitif!

By: Harley26

Harley26 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:40:39 +0000

it’s interesting how different clues stick with different people. 4dn was the first clue i got when i realisesd that 1ac probably ended in ed. Agnus Dei is a new phrase to me, though parsable, and thanks for the explanation of VENOM – I got it but didn’t know why!

By: Ray

Ray — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:22:36 +0000

Enjoyed this one a lot but,like others, struggled in top left. Also spent ages wondering how 10a verbosity (which it clearly was) came from a starting point of veracity – another blind alley well explored!

By: John

John — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:27:59 +0000

Thanks Chris and Stiofain. I think I was making it more complex than it is.