Comments on: Guardian 25,168 – Rufus

By: guyroscope

guyroscope — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:47:55 +0000

Have a heart! I’ve been trying the Graunidad cryptic for a number of weeks now,having eventually got bored with the quick and this is the fist one I have completed without cheating so to turn to this blog for confirmation only to be confronted by “Easy, easy, easy” was a bit sad…..

By: Mr Beaver

Mr Beaver — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:14:10 +0000

Maybe because we didn’t start til 10pm, but we didn’t find it particularly easy either. Couldn’t get 16d (or 6d, having made the same RECONNECT mistake as others), and am still far from convinced of its fairness. But I have to concede some neat clues, eg 5d, 28a.

By: Alexander

Alexander — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:42:30 +0000

This was awful. It wasn’t easy it was full of dodgy similes.

By: Roger

Roger — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:28:51 +0000

Thanks Andrew. A brisk walk with Rufus this chilly evening.
An oyster can also be the colloquial name for a reserved person so I wonder if Rufus had that in mind when he wrote 15d.

By: Robi

Robi — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:10:27 +0000

Of course, 225 is 15 squared – I’m getting there slowly!

By: Robi

Robi — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:05:21 +0000

Thanks, Pierre @ 13. You are right; I am new to blog. I just managed the Quiptic with one cheat; not sure what you meant by 225 (?)

By: Stella

Stella — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:23:54 +0000

Thanks for your comprehensive explanation, tupu. I shall no doubt be referring to it soon ;^

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:57:10 +0000

Tnanks to Bryan and Tupu for the oyster = native explanation. It’s funny how these slightly odd synonyms don’t appear for ages, and then like buses, they all arrive at once.

By: grandpuzzler

grandpuzzler — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:52:28 +0000

Thanks to Rufus and Andrew. Welcome to Robi @ 10. Although I am not a newcomer to cryptics, I also had RECONNECT at 10A and BANG at 6D.

Cheers…

By: tupu

tupu — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:46:47 +0000

Thanks Andrew and Rufus

A relatively easy stroll.

I had not knowingly encountered scotch = wedge as a noun but it is connected with the the verbal form of scotch (e.g. plans) which literally means to block with a wedge and may be the usage intended here.

Re Native :- OED gives b. An oyster wholly or partly reared in British waters, now typically in artificial beds; esp. the common European oyster, Ostrea edulis. Also: an oyster of a superior quality. Freq. attrib. Cf. Colchester natives at COLCHESTER n.

1818 W. KITCHINER Cook’s Oracle (ed. 2) 259 The Milton, or as they are commonly called, the melting Natives do not come in till the beginning of October. 1836 DICKENS Sketches by Boz 2nd Ser. 201 A newly-opened oyster shop,..with natives laid one deep in circular marble basins in the windows.

Others above have explained the logic. Beyond that one can only say, in just so fashion, that that’s what it means.