Comments on: Guardian 25,180 / Brendan

By: Pommers

Pommers — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 23:03:06 +0000

I thought the solve today a bit odd on reflection! It was only when I put in the last answer that I realised the theme! Must be getting old! But the theme wasn’t needed for the solve!
As to Coppelia – it’s my favourite ballet so not v. difficult clue for me. 1 checking letter and it was obvious.

By: Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:22:53 +0000

Another set of well presented clues. Too many good ones to single out on in particular.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:54:36 +0000

Arf arf! But it’s sooo good to backtrack and find out why oh why, innit.

Editor and setter in one for this Guardian puzzle, and it shows.

By: sidey

sidey — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:28:44 +0000

Brendan is just about the only setter who will regularly allow many of his clues to be solved without the solver

Not at all, that’s how I do most Araucarias.

By: tupu

tupu — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:24:02 +0000

Hi Martin H and jetdoc

re congenital/natural. I take your point(s) and also realise that it is no big deal for you.

Starting at the other end with ‘natural’, I find that OED gives ’1. Existing or present by nature; inherent in the very constitution of a person or thing; innate; not acquired or assumed’.

The degree of overlap here does not seem too bad to me. It is very rare for two words to be complete synonyms either within or between languages, and it is this that allows for the sometimes witty dds in our puzzles. Nor does the range of meanings of a word always constitute a systematic logical set especially when metaphors take off in different directions.

By: Carrots

Carrots — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:45:34 +0000

Brendan is just about the only setter who will regularly allow many of his clues to be solved without the solver (i.e. me!) having the slightest idea why the answers are correct. I needed mhl`s blog to rationalise SEPTETS, AGAMEMNON (first in, in pencil), POLKAING (shouldn`t this be hyphened?) and SUIT. I also have to confess I`ve never heard of CELTIC SEA, but it couldn`t be anything else.

I was looking forward to a nice and cosy Rufus today, but Brendan entertained me splendidly: he`s a very clever setter.

By: jetdoc

jetdoc — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:17:08 +0000

I enjoyed this too. The first one I got was AGAMEMNON, probably because it was the first clue I glanced at. Like Martin, I wasn’t entirely happy with ‘natural’ for ‘congenital’, which Chambers defines as ‘dating from birth, but not necessarily hereditary; complete or absolute, as if from birth’.

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:13:42 +0000

Thoroughly enjoyed this one, though I’d never heard of Polk so for some reason wanted to put in Paliagni (who I’ve never heard of either!).
Also couldn’t get my head away from SAPPERS for 11ac, though couldn’t see how it could be right

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:29:09 +0000

Thanks, mhl.

Enjoyed this although couldn’t quite finish it – after late night watching the cricket, the Quiptic, the Indy and now this, my brain is a bit frazzled. Must go and do some work now!

Lots of good stuff as always from Brendan.

By: Martin H

Martin H — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:07:50 +0000

Enjoyable puzzle – I much prefer this sort of structural theme to the cryptic trivia quizzes sometimes set for us (dig out another 70s rock group or Dickens character, etc), although Brendan did manage to link thirteen to a couple of presidents – two is not a list though. I’m not sure that congenital means ‘natural’ – ‘innate’ yes, but that’s not the same. Small gripe though. This and a decent Quiptic made a good Monday.