Comments on: Guardian 25201 / Araucaria

By: maarvarq

maarvarq — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Some Araucarias are reasonable, and some I loathe, Unfortunately I can’t tell which is which until I’m enmeshed. Most of this one was reasonable, but some (3 dn and most of the SW corner) was vile.

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:30:25 +0000

I didn’t get JOHNSON until BOSWELL became obvious… Interestingly, while this puzzle was fully of answers I simply had no familiarity with, I often had them written out in bits and pieces and merely had to look them up to confirm that they were, indeed, words, or the correct answer, at least.

Heck, CELIA was one of my first “in the margin” guesses, but one of the last answers inked in, after an amusing 20 minutes spent researching actresses who played Alice in live-action Wonderlands. Then I finally said “screw it” and looked up Celia Johnson.

Still not thrilled with “No way in which” at 24, although the rest of the clue is obvious in its intent.

Thanks again Araucaria and Duncan!

By: Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 18:38:30 +0000

What a lovely story relating to Bristol Dad (Guardian comments)

By: Carrots

Carrots — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:13:54 +0000

Hi Eileen….and there was I deluding myself that I had discovered a whole new diversity of income for impecunious setters!

I`ve visited Araucaria`s site and have immediately decided that I must have one. All I need now is an excuse! (I`m working on it!)

By: scarpia

scarpia — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:00:55 +0000

Hi Eileen,to follow on from your link/comment …
My wife comissioned a customised Araucaria puzzle for my 50th birthday some time ago and I was very impressed by the amount of personally relevant clues.Apparently she sent him a list of info.and he managed to tailor the grid to include most of it.The clueing was up to his usual devious standards and I can highly recommend it as an excellent gift for the hard to please cruciverbalist.
Plus she got to speak to him on the phone when he needed to check a couple of items(lucky woman!) – she told me he was a charming gentleman,for whom nothing seemed too much trouble.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 08:03:46 +0000

Hi Carrots, if you’re still there.

I don’t know about ‘a small fortune’ but anyone can have a customised crossword from Araucaria:

http://araucariacrosswords.com/

By: Carrots

Carrots — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 23:47:01 +0000

Eileen: What a lovely idea! Setters could make a small fortune devising customised puzzles for special occasions…especially if they could get them published on the appropriate day!

Cholecyst: Well done! I didn`t think anyone would spot the source of the piracy!

XX to both.

By: rrc

rrc — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:48:18 +0000

Dupin – if only Aracaria wrote for the Church Times i would rejoice, then I might understand some of the clueing. The Saturday double puzzle was utterly amazing for the breadth and depth of knowledge.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:14:23 +0000

Hurrah, Carrots [22 and 25]! [and Cholecyst and Stella]

You [and dupin] may be interested in this, which I saw on the Guardian’s comment site:

“Today’s crossword turns out to be a present from my son to me on my 60th birthday (hence 28). I wasn’t told but had to solve the crossword first, and then be prompted by the family.
I am:
a Jewish, 11-playing medic (hence 18, a rather obscure muscle, even to a medic), with a love of 1ac 4. My name is 10 26l. And in an odd coincidence (because my son didn ‘t know), my father liked using the slightly slang 17.
So very many thanks to Araucaria & my son, and apologies to some frustrated or foxed solvers.”

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:06:47 +0000

Hi Dupin, I’d like to say that culture, whatever your age, is accessible – particularly nowadays – and always welcome. The problem for us older solvers, particularly those who don’t live in the UK, is the speed at which new things enter into the realm of ‘general’ knowledge