Comments on: Guardian Quiptic nº 583, by Hectence

By: crosser

crosser — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:28:50 +0000

My comment at 8 was for Kathryn’s Dad, by the way.

By: crosser

crosser — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:24:33 +0000

It’s a bit late now, as I’ve only just got round to doing the quiptic, but in 22a I saw “plot” as a verb:to plot (eg a route) is to map (out).

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:20:49 +0000

Rufus was easier, and that was hard for a Rufus! Stuck on 12, 15, 23, 13, 16. Not sure why now I see the answers. Especially as my first chance for ages to volunteer on the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway after all the health crap is going to be Ivor the Engine at Easter. One might have thought that would bring Ivor closer to the front of the brain! Must be old age catching up.

By: Stella

Stella — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:21:44 +0000

Hi Robi, thanks for the links. I didn’t know of either, took ‘money’ as simply the natural object of the verb ‘squander’.

By: Robi

Robi — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:08:22 +0000

Thanks Hectence and Stella for an informative blog.

I,also, was a bit confused by 24a. I think there might be a triple meaning here for blue, viz:
squander, depressed and ‘blue money’ as in a film (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083666/) and a Van Morrison song (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Money.) Otherwise, I don’t see what ‘money’ is doing in the clue.

I agree with you about 10 as I understand ‘raising’ is usually used in down clues. In 26, I took PRI as Public Relations Institute as a PR unit, but your explanation is better.

19 and 23 were the last ones in, and I took a while to parse VERITY, although I quite like that clue.

By: Stella

Stella — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:04:27 +0000

Thanks Eileen, for your explanation of ‘blue’ – it didn’t even occur to me to look for that

The wordplay you mention got lost somehow between copying and pasting, and I’ve now recovered it.

My dad was never a Pete either, K’s D Regarding ‘gaga’, I understand it as senile, or besotted. I think the latter could be taken as ‘foolish’

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:51:03 +0000

Thank you Stella for a very full and informative blog.

I found this mostly a pleasing puzzle, with – like you – one or two niggly bits mainly to do with synonyms. Does GAGA mean foolish? Is MISHAP bad luck and is a plot a map?

Elsewhere, I fully agree with you and Eileen about 10ac. East to west or vice-versa yes; raising, no. In 23ac, there’s one of my pet dislikes: setters use ‘boy’s name’ to indicate a diminutive. Pete for Peter, Ed for Edward, and so on. Why? Big boys called Peter can also be called Pete (but don’t ever, ever, do that to me, just so everyone knows).

Eileen’s explained BLUE, and the clue therefore works, but I was on the same train as you. For a cryptic, maybe, but possibly not here. And since it is a verb, we don’t want to get into a discussion about the present participle, do we? (It’s blueing, btw.)

But overall, a good beginner-level puzzle imho, so thank you Hectence.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:18:54 +0000

Sorry for the repetition!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:17:30 +0000

Thanks for the blog, Stella.

Re 24ac: this word has caused discussion before. ‘To blue’ [past tense 'blued'] means to squander.

I agree entirely re 10ac.You seem to have omitted the wordplay for 4dn.

[You seem to have omitted the wordplay for 4dn.]