Comments on: Guardian 24,644/Rover

By: Ralph G

Ralph G — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:53:51 +0000

Re 34 above, thanks for putting my mind at rest! I’m sure I should make a much worse fist of commenting in Dutch – which is a marvellous language eg: Shakespeare in translation- the (deceased) king addressing Hamlet: “Ik bin dein papa’s spook”. This may be apocryphal; not sure about the apostrophe, either. Never been able to check it because all the Dutch people I’ve asked about it read their Shakespeare in English.

By: C & J

C & J — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:06:25 +0000

Like others we had “doer” instead of ‘dyer” , and unlike others do pronouce doer and dour the same.

By: Tyro

Tyro — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:38:43 +0000

My problem with USHERESS is not that it was an obscure word. Like most people I’m happy to learn new words. It was that it was clued as if it was a well-known word that everyone would know. Cryptic definitions only work on words people would be likely to know. I just think Rover got confused and thought usheress was the word we all know as usherette.

By: Barnaby Page

Barnaby Page — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:21:48 +0000

Mostly echoing what others have said:

5ac – spread betting is a form of betting in which one has more ROOM, metaphorically, to profit than in a straightforward win/lose bet (i.e. in a spread bet, a number of outcomes can be successful for the individual gambler). Possibly a word like SPACE or OPPORTUNITY would have worked a little better.

9ac – very weak – could be LIFEBELT, LIFEBOAT, or at a pinch LIFEVEST (though the last is probably hyphenated), and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are others.

27ac – like nearly everyone else, I hadn’t heard of an USHERESS (as opposed to an USHERETTE), but I suppose one very obscure word in a generally easy crossword is not a problem.

21dn – indeed, REGAL is as good a solution as LARGE (apart from the slight matter of being wrong!).

23dn – I’m not utterly convinced by ALL as a synonym for UTTERLY. It was utterly disgusting, his behaviour was utterly appalling, &c &c – I’d be very happy to be corrected, but I can’t bring to mind a phrase where ALL would substitute.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:56:10 +0000

If, I say if, ‘read’ were a ‘room’ (re 32-34), 5ac would be a good clue. I know, I have to be humble, but now this clue isn’t. And there is a lot against some others.
In addition to these:
We thought in 15 ac the s of waters could be left out.
And in 3d (although nice) the word ‘one’ is of no use, even misleading.

By: stiofain_x

stiofain_x — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:31:52 +0000

A very poor puzzle i thought with some annoying clues and answers.
Usheress is a horrible word salt cellar is a weak clue and an obscurity too far and dyer is rubbish.
Stiofain

By: Paul B

Paul B — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:12:17 +0000

Yes, well. Let’s not go there.

I’d meant to plead at some point with Tom Hutton that ‘flowing’ implies movement, and in this instance there isn’t any. I didn’t mind the ‘through’ – that was fine back at #6, and still is.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:12:07 +0000

Ralph, you are absolutely right.
I am starting to blush now, for such a mistake.
I had something (wrong) in mind – that read is a study room.
And, even worse, then we are – purely by accident – back to a discussion in the Chat Room: read = study = room ….
I am sorry.
Please, forget my entry 32.

By: Ralph G

Ralph G — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:48:57 +0000

re 32 above: that’s a highy ingenious read(ing)of the clue. I thought there may be a Dutch connection here in read=room but ‘reden’ means cause or ground, I think. So where does read=room come from?

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:19:38 +0000

Andrew, thank you for the blog.
As to 5ac, you mention SPREAD as being a ranch – correct, indeed.
But I have a different view on the rest of the clue.
I see SP as Starting Price (odds, betting)and READ as a room.
So, SP-READ is a room for betting.