Comments on: Guardian 24760 / Auster

By: maarvarq

maarvarq — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:19:23 +0000

On a related topic, do any other Aussies know why this crossword is numbered 25030 in the Australian (Canberra Times, anyway) reprint?

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:31:32 +0000

28th July: 24760

I started off with ‘subterfuge’ for 14a though couldn’t quite see why, but it messed up several clues for a long while.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:59:24 +0000

I didn’t like the puzzle much, and quite a few of the comments beneath it could have been taken off-line in my opinion, but there we are – that’s 15/2 these days.

OTOH I will stand up for Auster’s cryptic definition for STOCKROUTE (in Collins, tagged ‘Austral’ & ‘NZ’). I can’t see how the fact that (OE) NEAT is singular produces an adverse effect: to describe the answer cryptically as a ‘neat way’ (i.e. a way to transport a bovine animal) seems perfectly fair, and grammatically accurate.

Like some of the other ideas it seems a wee bit obvious, but, in the case of this relatively unfamiliar entry, it probably needs to be.

By: Tony Pay

Tony Pay — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 08:29:17 +0000

Is there, in fact, anyone who checks the online puzzle on a day-to-day basis? I imagine not; but in which case, what is the system used?

By: muck

muck — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:47:25 +0000

I enjoyed the puzzle, and the Antipodean references.
I don’t like to see insults however mild, so you have my support Gaufrid

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:12:02 +0000

Mr Beaver
Insults, mild (as you put it) or otherwise are not appropriate to this site. I would have expected that intelligent puzzle solvers could express their point of view without having to resort to such a tactic.

By: Dagnabit

Dagnabit — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:07:18 +0000

Hi, Mr Beaver — yes, FIDDLING would have made more sense. I put in FIDDL and then added the ERS only after I got 7d and 8d and suddenly the last half of 14ac looked like it wanted to be ROUTE.

By: Mr Beaver

Mr Beaver — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:56:18 +0000

Did any one else put FIDDLING for 4d ?
It seems to answer the clue as well – however it prevented me getting 14a, though I’m not sure if I’d got it even with the right crossing letters !

Gaufrid: re acceptable comment – you obviously take your role as moderator seriously, maybe too much so re Derek’s rather mild insults. Perhaps you could moderate your moderation in future ?

By: stiofain

stiofain — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:38:44 +0000

Did anyone else consider brazilians for 14ac on a first run-through?
I look forward to a toughie tomorrow to make up for the easy run this week.
Stiofain

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:31:44 +0000

Derek L.
Re comment #29. Any insult, however trivial (as you describe it), is not acceptable on this site. Your supporting argument is irrelevant.

There are better ways of indicating that someone has not ‘hit the standard’, as you put it, rather than insulting them. Please take a more moderate approach in the future.