Comments on: Guardian 25,273 – Arachne http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/ Never knowingly undersolved. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:42:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Carrots http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154427 Carrots Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:40:52 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154427 A very entertaining puzzle indeed, which needed a second pinta to complete. Thanks, A & A

When, in the late `50s and early `60s, the first “cruel gruel” curry caffs started to appear in the (then) industrial north, my fellow sixth-form habituaes and I were intrigued by a flavour that only “Indian Curry” houses could achieve. This was characterised by a slightly flat, anise taste which worked well with cardamoms and cumin in a long simmered sauce. I was a student away at college before I discovered that ASAFOETIDA was the missing, secret ingredient and I have not been without it since.

If anyone fancies a nostalgic trip down memory lane, stewed and pureed cauliflower makes a great thickener for old-fashioned curry sauce, for which there are any number of recipes.

]]> By: mike http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154426 mike Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:33:39 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154426 late as usual. I read “bad” as an anagrind rather than a judgement in 9d, or as “not a bad”. Either way a great clue – great being defined as clever and making one smile when it’s solved. Thanks for the explanation of 7d and 11a, and I add my admiration for 12a. Excellent.

]]> By: Daniel Miller http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154425 Daniel Miller Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:32:54 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154425 A quite splendid slow burner. Several clues to admire – gave in with 2 to get..

- 12 Advent (so simple really!)
- 24 Unshoe – so well concealed

- 6 Bloody – lovely surface
- 7 The use of E.S.T.
- 9 The clever anagram for MM
-20 The well concealed Rhubarb – I’m thinking Rummage, Unearth etc. “Barb” from dig was very elegant.

I missed out on the crazy 11 across (yes I saw the anagram but gave up on it) and also the Goldeneye (14) which I am familiar with but couldn’t see the “one with a bill”

So, in conclusion, a tremendous crossword.

]]> By: chas http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154421 chas Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:42:06 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154421 I guess it is a mere coincidence – there is a batch of photos of Marilyn in today’s paper on P11 under the groan-worthy headline of Stripe Tease

]]> By: Sil van den Hoek http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154418 Sil van den Hoek Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:15:35 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154418 I do like curries, my PinC doesn’t.
But we both had never heard of ASAFOETIDA (did I spell it right? – there’s something of a foetus in it :( ), so we didn’t complete this crossword in our away-from-any-kind-of-resources session.
I was rather surprised to see that many of you knew this ingredient.

It has been a good week for Guardian crosswords [and shirley @30, you should probably have thanked Rufus too].
Talking about ‘too’, in 13ac that word is the definition for AND.
Chambers gives ‘also’ as one of the definitions for AND, and I can see a situation in which they are interchangeable.
But although ‘too’ is in the Chambers Thesaurus for AND, I can nót see their interchangeability. Just like my PinC, who thought this was a bit ‘impure’.
So please, stand up and deliver!
Andrew didn’t like I=me in 27ac (INTO), we didn’t like it either [but it looks like a great scientific formula :) ].

MARILYN MONROE and the fine ASAFOETIDA (tasty?) are splendid clues, but we agree with Geoff @17 : 3d (LAPSE) probably being the Clue of the Day.
We liked UNSHOE (24ac) too.

Don’t agree with him (Geoff) that it was our favourite puzzle of the week.
1ac (USELESS) was not really good, 10ac (CAMP) under par too for reasons mentioned by several others.

Don’t agree with walruss @24 either.
“I’m not a big fan of this compiler, but [...].
Well, I am – even though the evenness of her puzzles varies [which might look like a contradictio in terminis], they always have something extra/special/personal.
“Arachne’s not as bad as some of the others, though!!”
The two question marks tell it all ….

Good puzzle.

Thanks Andrew and Arachne [alphabetical order ... :) ]

]]> By: Gary http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154410 Gary Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:12:37 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154410 sCAMPering is perhaps the most nonsensical clue I’ve ever seen. There must be some explanation that hasn’t been seen/explained yet

]]> By: Jim http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154406 Jim Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:51:19 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154406 Foxed by abreast and goldeneye

]]> By: MGWD http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154401 MGWD Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:23:13 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154401 Typed “safe aid a anagram” into google and was directed straight here! – A great place to come as a last resort in future. Congrats. I agree with Andyb – spidery was surely a reference to writing – and could have had some sort of indicator?

]]> By: Scarpia http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154399 Scarpia Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:18:12 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154399 RCWhiting @ 36
Only second hand copies now available,you could try http://tinyurl.com/656v97c

]]> By: Robi http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/18/guardian-25273-arachne/#comment-154398 Robi Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:13:54 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27393#comment-154398 RCWhiting: you can find it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chambers-Back-words-for-Crosswords/dp/0550100490 . Don’t know whether it is any better than the CCD I gave above @35.

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