Comments on: Financial Times 13,628 by Mudd

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:59:28 +0000

Coffee, Thank you for commenting. I have mentioned this before but one of the key differences I have found in being a blogger is that I have to figure out the full working of every clue. If I can! Previously I would frequently solve clues without really knowing why.

By: Coffee

Coffee — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:53:46 +0000

Obviously I’ve spent too much time across the pond, as Winnebago was the first one in – never got 27A or 26D. Quite a few that I got without knowing why, so thanks for the blog.

By: anax

anax — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:47:17 +0000

What I love about Mudd/Punk/Paul is that he lulls you into a false sense of security. As with so many of his puzzles I whizzed through much of this thinking ‘Nah, bit of a walk-over’ but then, as ever, he hit me with some real trickery. 26d was my last too, but the -U-O pattern offered very few possibilities. LUDO stood out as the main contender because it matched an apparently valid definition in the clue but it took me ages to spot the wordplay – at which point I had the delicious ‘Aha!’ pleasure of seeing it, and for me that makes a puzzle exciting and satisfying.
The ‘relegation’ trick is quite popular with setters – it’s even had quite a few outings in the ostensibly Ximenean Times puzzle. I think it only caused problems here because there rest of the clues were, generally, nowhere as tough. But it’s completely fair and a clever little sting in the tail.

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:26:16 +0000

Scarpia, bamberger, thanks for writing. I am very glad to know that I was not the only person to have trouble with 26D!

By: bamberger

bamberger — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:14:49 +0000

Did a lot better than the last three Mudds but defeated by 11d, 16a & 26d. Perhaps could have got the first two but 26d just seems silly rather than clever.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:29:39 +0000

Thanks Pete.
Another excellent prize puzzle from Mudd.
COWPOX,STEWING and COVENTRY were all brilliant,as was my last entry LUDO.
This took me nearly as long as all the rest of the puzzle.Using Orient was a nice bit of misdirection,I spent a lot of time trying to fit JUDO or SUMO before eventually hitting on the correct answer.

By: Pete Maclean

Pete Maclean — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:41:52 +0000

Aha! That wordplay for LUDO is very clever. Thank you, Sil.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:14:22 +0000

Funny enough, Pete, I found this Mudd relatively tough.
Even though there were a few Easy Starters like 20ac (OSLO), 29ac (TEDDY BOY), 1d (CABARET) and 3d (OREGON).

I liked the playfulness of STEWING (8d) and PIGMENT (11d).

LUDO (26d) was the last the go in.
Quite tricky, indeed.
My parsing is:
‘rowdy’ is LOUD, then ‘Orient’s heading’ [O] goes down (‘relegation’), leading to LUDO (definition: game).

Clue of the Day: WINNEBAGO (2d).
Never heard of this vehicle before, but a great surface.