Comments on: Guardian 25270 Paul – Sperm Donor, Indeed

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:31:50 +0000

If that philosophical discourse leads one to the conclusion that one should adjourn to the pub, count me in.

By: Dave Ellison

Dave Ellison — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:08:57 +0000

Smutchin and Derek: How about a philosophical definition such as Bertand Russell dicussed in “An inquiry into meaning and truth”?

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:48:44 +0000

I thought making out was American. According to my American friends, somewhat more than necking is implied. In fact quite a lot more, if ya know what I mean.

Smutchin, and which definition would that be? Chapter and verse please, I did a lot of both of those in my degree. Start with triangles, if you can abuse similar to mean identicle then there would be no need to differentiate between identicle and similar triangles, you could call both similar. That is not done as the two names are clearly used in their conventional ways. Whilst one could regard identity as a special case of similarity, the fact is, in that case you use the word identity, as to do otherwise would be to lose information and therefore accuracy. Crap clue.

BTW, thanks, ages since we had the entertainment of a disagreement, lol,

By: Smutchin

Smutchin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:26:50 +0000

Derek L – Paul is using the mathematical/logical definition of similar rather than the everyday definition. Nothing wrong with the clue.

By: tupu

tupu — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:21:12 +0000

Hi Richard
I too wondered about this. I checked ‘make out’ in Chambers which loosely supports Paul here.
OED also gives ‘slang (orig. and chiefly U.S.). To engage in sexual activity (with another person) which stops short of intercourse, esp. kissing and caressing’.

Re neckties, I’m afraid life has moved on. I remember a lecture in the 1950s when the learned lecturer asked the males in the audience how many were wearing ties. All were.
Nowadays I suspect only the odd eccentric would be doing so. Just look around you!

By: John

John — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:16:03 +0000

Richard: have you never had the adolescent pleasure of a necking session in the back row? If you had I believe you’d be making out.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:39:30 +0000

Make out = neck? I don’t think so!
Also a necktie is normalwear not formalwear!

By: Martin H

Martin H — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:32:59 +0000

For the benefit of crossword lovers in non cricket-playing countries, UY, we should perhaps point out that a batsman dismissed having made no runs is said to have scored ‘a duck’ (0 like the egg). Maiden overs don’t come into it. What you describe is more like a no-hitter in baseball, and we should never give misleading information to Americans about cricket – they find it confusing enough already.

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:13:59 +0000

Didn’t get very far with this. 4d illustrates why. The enclosing letters cannot be A-A and be called similar. Similar precludes identical as it carries a conotation of there being some small difference. Rubbish clue.

By: Wolfie

Wolfie — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:03:35 +0000

I can’t remember when I last enjoyed a crossword so much! Paul has shown once again that it isn’t necessary that a crossword be difficult for it to be a joy to solve – providing it is compiled with wit and imagination. Thanks for the blog too Uncle Yap.