Comments on: Guardian 25,078 / Rufus

By: Barnaby Page

Barnaby Page — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:43:35 +0000

Was I the only one who became so fixated on 14ac starting CAPITAL that it took me forever to get the (really rather obvious) VATICAN?

By: tupu

tupu — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:08:26 +0000

Hi Eileen
I missed your late comment last night. While the length of my comment on apostrophes may be unwarranted, I am not sure it is a ‘red herring’. Myrvin’s explorations of Chambers and OED and my own instinct (that the ‘loo’ may be silent as in ‘gents’) still suggest otherwise. Of course it doesn’t alter the answer, and one doesn’t always have time to think about such things .

Hi Scarpia
I personally went for clocks ‘in’ because it’s more faithful to ‘entrances’. See also the published solution.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:51:19 +0000

Thanks, everyone, for the comments.

I admit to having got rather lost after Rishi’s comment#22, querying the plural: I think signs do usually say ‘[Public] Conveniences’ and I believe [never having entered therein] that GENTS [sic] does / do provide more than one facility.

The discussion re the apostrophe is something of a red herring, surely?

Many thanks, Rufus, for providing perhaps more enjoyment than was intended!

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:37:52 +0000

Monday stuff? Yes, of course [it's Monday].
Easy? Yes, I think so.
And everything else [well, a lot of what I think] has been said by Davy (# 30).

My PinC always says that Rufus is very good at using the English language to full advantage [or something like that].
I think she’s right.
A clue like 15d [of which Davy says it is 'just brilliant'] is indeed just brilliant.
Easy, I know, but every word is in the right place and well-chosen, including the very appropriate anagrind.

Another winner was GET THE SACK [said the one that hates cd's ].

There were weak clues, too [like 17d or 19d], but more than enough to compensate these [apart from the ones already mentioned, e.g. 9ac, 5d].

Only a pity about 1ac+5ac.
It calls for an ellipsis, but it isn’t there.

By: easy peasy not

easy peasy not — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:35:08 +0000

Was grateful for many easy clues after the debacle of Saturday’s puzzle which is still rebuking me from the kitchen table. But today fell short on stake and heir. A cheer for one clue not mentioned so far I don’t think – the droll 27a.
PS – am pleased to have found this excellent website.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:19:12 +0000

Thanks Eileen.
I really enjoyed this puzzle.Not difficult but with some lovely clues and not one dodgy cryptic definition!
I like your “Chatterley” idea,it hadn’t occured to me but does give a nice extra dimension to the puzzle.
17 down is one of those rare clues where 2 (slightly different)answers are both correct – I’d entered CLOCKS ON.
Favourite clues 9 across and the excellent 22 across.

By: rrc

rrc — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:01:04 +0000

I liked this – particularly 11a, 14a, 26a 3d, 13d 16d

enjoyable

By: Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:34:54 +0000

Monday stuff. Enjoyable tho’

By: Davy

Davy — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:33:22 +0000

Thanks Eileen,

I thought this was a marvellous puzzle from Rufus who doesn’t always get the credit he deserves. Yes, it was on the easy side but there are always two or three clues which stump me. Took me a while to see CAUSEWAY and HEIR and I failed to get MANTIS.

Rufus is definitely the master of the smooth surface and even though most answers are relatively easy to get, the clue structures are often brilliant. Let’s see his detractors emulate his clue writing ability.

Among loads of smooth surfaces, my favourites were ABOUT TURN which made me smile, SATURNALIA and IN THE PAST which was just brilliant.

This puzzle showed Rufus in top form. Thanks for the entertainment.

By: tupu

tupu — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:22:37 +0000

Thanks Myrvin.
I think we’re dealing with a colloquialism whose true home is in everyday spoken language without authoritative written conventions – plus the fact that the state of the apostrophe is in tatters! However, a brief stroll through the history of that wayward symbol (from C16/17 in English) suggests that it was ever thus, apart from some Victorian efforts to impose a bit of discipline upon it.