Comments on: Guardian 25079 – Bonxie

By: maarvarq

maarvarq — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 01:46:54 +0000

As “English” and “side” (in the context of snooker) are both pretty obscure, I found 12ac highly unfair given the unhelpful crossing letters.

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:21:27 +0000

I didn’t get SIDE 12A, and only had RUMMY 26 penciled in, but I LOVED this puzzle. There were some easy bits, there was the delightful intertwining of important clues, what seemed like an endless series of themes (chess, churches, squares, etc….) and the most important part, that I almost managed to finish it. With copious assistance and cross-checking with various internet sources.

My wikipedia editing pattern is beginning to look like a live blog of gaurniad puzzle clue topics…

Thanks, Bonxie, for a delightful romp, and Uncle Y, for the explanations of what I missed!

By: muck

muck — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:31:16 +0000

Spike Milligan was known as 'the famous typing error' - Milligna

By: Davy

Davy — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:09:40 +0000

Re #48, I think Spike Milligan would really appreciate being called Spike Million, assuming he wasn’t ill.

By: arfanarf

arfanarf — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 07:17:31 +0000

The Conrad Hutchison tale reminds me of a Spike Million line in his Mussolini book. While invading Italy he complains that there is hot water coming out of the cold tap.

By: Myrvin

Myrvin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 07:15:46 +0000

UY @ 45
Also my “The Chambers Dictionary” 1997.
But not in OED as far as I can see

By: Bryan

Bryan — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 05:19:22 +0000

UY @ 45

Eleven, going back to 1872:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambers_Dictionary

By: Uncle Yap

Uncle Yap — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:48:03 +0000

From my Chambers Dictionary & Thesaurus (Compact Disc)
C or C.
abbrev: Calorie, a kilocalorie; esp in place names on maps, Cape; Catholic; clubs (); cocaine (); Coloured (); Command Paper (series 1870\sm1899); Conservative; Corps; Cuba (IVR); the sum of $100 ().

That was why I wrote
+ C (castle, presumably altho’ Chambers does not support this and the chess notation for castle is R for ROOK)

I have donated my dead-tree copy of Chambers (20th Century) to my club as the small font is beyond me nowadays.

My question : How many versions of Chambers are there and why is my CD version at variance with Myrvin at 35
“C or C. abbreviation: Calorie, a kilocalorie; especially in place names on maps, Cape; castle (chess)” ?

By: Paul B

Paul B — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:11:40 +0000

Well, it’s Wednesday.

Of course, castles are rooks in serious chess. But we should be aware that whilst castling Kingside is 0-0, castling Queenside is 0-0-0.

By: Aloysius Donald

Aloysius Donald — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:46:10 +0000

My brain is so addled with cruciverbalism that I don’t know what day it is, thanks to those who set me straight.