Comments on: Guardian 25163 Chifonie – Light & Easy

By: otter

otter — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:24:02 +0000

I enjoyed this puzzle, mostly straightforward, with a few unusual words. I ended up completely foxed by three: 19d – simply couldn’t think of the correct synonym for ‘traffic’ even though the relevant meaning crossed my mind; 24a – very nice definition; and 26a – I know of ‘to gutter’ of a flame, but never considered ‘threaten to go out’ as the definition – I was stuck on ‘threaten’ as the definition. However, all three clues were perfectly fair and I only have myself to blame.

Tupu: ’7d seems likely to be mainly accessible to a relatively small constituency of sacred music lovers and/or older Catholics, or those like myself with some knowledge of Latin.’

I think it’s familiar to people who enjoy classical music in general: as someone pointed out about, it is part of the requiem mass, and some Requiems, e.g. Verdi’s, are frequently performed in the secular (concert) as well as sacred (church) setting. Also widely available on CD. I know the term, and I’m in none of the categories you list above.

By: Uncle Yap

Uncle Yap — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:43:24 +0000

tupu @ 31, today’s deliberate error well spotted

When I blog, I use a template in my mail program and overlooked changing last Tuesday’s number to this Tuesday.
Now amended so that future searches will yield the correct result. Thanks, tupu.

By: William

William — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 23:26:13 +0000

K’sD @16 & Tokyocolin @18…Thank you, but I couldn’t, I simply couldn’t.

Noel @19, thank you for the suggestion, but isn’t Cole’s Law a chopped vegetable salad in mayonnaise?

By: tupu

tupu — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:44:39 +0000

Hi Uncle Yap et al
According to my Guardian hard copy this is puzzle number 25,163! (not25,157)

By: Davy

Davy — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:05:05 +0000

Thanks Uncle Yap,

An enjoyable puzzle from Chifonie today with a good set of well-structured clues of which HEART OF STONE was a great answer to a marvellous surface. GUTTER was the last to go in although it was just a guess and I didn’t appreciate the candle aspect. I was thinking of gutter as a synonym for bunker. I’d never heard of DIES IRAE but it fitted the wordplay perfectly so I just wrote it in and couldn’t be bothered checking. Thanks Chifonie.

Today’s was a breeze after having a titanic struggle with Saturday’s Paul and still one to get. Can’t wait to see rightback’s solve time this coming Saturday.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 21:23:09 +0000

I enjoyed this. I liked ‘gutter’ and knew the term, but perhaps it only sprang to mind because it was mentioned by Tim Wonnacott on Bargain Hunt when he was describing some candlesticks!

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:01:27 +0000

Carrots at no 26, I’m jealous. I can only offer you the following: if because of the stormy weather you are bouncing off the walls and ceilings at the minute, then you might have TAKEN a blow to the head, or you might have SUFFERED a blow to the head.

Bon voyage!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:08:24 +0000

Stella – thanks for the tip about the Indy puzzle. I don’t usually do them because I don’t like the interactive-only interface, but this one was good fun, especially with the coincidental connection…

By: Carrots

Carrots — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:54:35 +0000

This comes to you from The Queen Elizabeth as she wends her way across the Bay of Biscay at a blistering 12 Knots because of heavy weather. Chiffiknickers has provided a nice, gentle start to our cruise, with only a couple of very small bones to pick. I always thought (being Godless) that I was a HEATHEN, but now, it seems, I am a SAVAGE as well. And I don`t really think TAKEN=SUFFERED…it would have to be qualified by ILL, wouldn`t it?

However, small bones in a big world. We and our fellow Slver-Tops are bouncing off the floor and walls at the moment, so I will sign off.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:55:05 +0000

Anyone notice the coincidence between a couple of comments here – Andrew@5 and Thomas@22 – and today’s great Indy?