Comments on: Guardian Prize Puzzle 25,274 / Araucaria http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/ Never knowingly undersolved. Thu, 23 May 2013 16:10:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Eileen http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155100 Eileen Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:50:39 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155100 Hi Sil

It’s not a major issue with me, either, but thanks for the link. :-)

I really came back to ask anyone still there to disregard the second part of my comment 36, which is nonsense, and to apologise to Geoff, who is quite right. The rule to which I was referring is the first one: ‘Words that require capital letters in the cryptic reading must have them.”

]]> By: Sil van den Hoek http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155085 Sil van den Hoek Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:19:23 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155085 Hello again Geoff (and Eileen), I am still not sure about ‘American’
But before I go on, I want to make clear that it’s not a major issue to me :) .

The dictionaries tell us that America is either the USA or North+Central+South America.
But I am more interested in the adjective ‘American’.
Chambers says just “Relating to America, esp to the United States”, while Oxford gives us a.o. “relating to the continents of America: the American continent south of the tropic of Cancer”.
Especially the ODE example is interesting, because it tells us (or at least me) that ‘American’ is related to the American continent (as a whole).
So probably, stricly speaking one might say: Acapulco is an American town.
But who does?
It is a Mexican town or a Central American town.
Are Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro American cities.
I don’t think so.
But then, some Americans will think the town’s American …

It all reminds of me a great Randy Newman song from his 1972 album ‘Sail Away’ called “Political Science”: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b98_1282408807

But as next week there will come a point that I’m 60 (yep), I am more curious about who will be the setter that day.
And whether my name will be in that puzzle in some way …. :)
Fat chance!!

Today my greatest achievement was, however, re-directing at least one solver from Everyman to Falcon. [and I do like that]

]]> By: Eileen http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155080 Eileen Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:05:26 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155080 Thanks, Geoff. I totally agree re the use of ‘American’ – my reaction was the same as yours, viz: ;-)

Re deceptive capitalisation: I know I’m sticking my neck out here but, as one of Araucaria’s self-confessed apologists on this site, I still maintain that, as far as I can remember, [even] he has not been ‘guilty’ of this ‘sin’. As I said, I’m more than willing to stand corrected.

]]> By: Geoff http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155073 Geoff Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:55:52 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155073 Sil @34: This usage of ‘American’ is perfectly legitimate, and listed in all dictionaries. I gave a smile of satisfaction at this clue, and Araucaria’s wresting of the term from the imperialistic clutches of the USAnians.

Eileen @22: My point was that Araucaria could have used deceptive capitalisation here without incurring the wrath of the Inquisition, but he didn’t!

]]> By: Sil van den Hoek http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155064 Sil van den Hoek Sun, 27 Mar 2011 11:20:08 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155064 One more point, as nobody mentioned it so far.
Is it really fair to clue ACAPULCO (16d) as ‘American resort’?
The town’s in Mexico.
I know, there’s North America, Central America a.s.o, but even so.

]]> By: Sil van den Hoek http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155038 Sil van den Hoek Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:32:34 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155038 Eileen, I think this is probably one big misunderstanding.
I háve read your blog and my post ís about this puzzle, but I have skipped reading your parsing of 3+, because on hindsight I wanted to take a closer look at the clue again (a thing I didn’t do after solving the crossword a week ago, and something that I haven’t done so far yet).

Ah well, there’s no time be wasted in the next 24 hours …. :)

]]> By: Eileen http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155037 Eileen Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:09:29 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155037 Hi Sil

It’s late and I’m conscious of the hour I’m about to lose.

I’m not sure of the meaning of your last comment.

My comment at 27 was questioning how you could comment on a blog without having read it!

I’m going to bed now! :-)

]]> By: Sil van den Hoek http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155035 Sil van den Hoek Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:41:40 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155035 Eileen, I know.
But an important factor in Araucaria’s puzzle was the influence of ‘that long one’ – at least for me, and as I have noticed for others too. Mentioning Paul’s crossword wasn’t about that puzzle as such, but about making clear once more that long clues cán spoil a crossword (in different ways) – which was unfortunately the case in this Araucaria, too.

]]> By: muck http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155034 muck Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:41:07 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155034 Here: Spoilerism or Survival of the Spoilerist

]]> By: muck http://www.fifteensquared.net/2011/03/26/guardian-prize-puzzle-25274-araucaria/#comment-155033 muck Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:36:22 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=27638#comment-155033 Hi Sil
I thought spoilerism must be your neologism
But it exists already

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