Comments on: Guardian 25,297 – Gordius

By: Dreadnought

Dreadnought — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:05:45 +0000

Don’t know if anyone’s still out there on this one, but it does strike me that e.g. A”driver’s test” is a test would-be drivers so similarly
“graduate finals” for would-be graduates?

By: Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:01:18 +0000

As for Leavings – I remember as a child using this term to describe Profit! Must mention it to my old fellow.

By: Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:00:19 +0000

Oh yes – only The Guardian could use a reference to an Ugg boot. Very droll.

By: Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:58:53 +0000

Some of these clues were excellent. Particularly:

1a. Obiter = a thing said in passing – Obiter Dicta
25a. Great use of (IX) to infer the 9th term
15d. Sinusitis – a lovely clue

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 23:09:05 +0000

Late start on this, as I didn’t pick up a paper on my way to work, so no sneaky glances and solving throughout the day. Managed to get all but 6 answers before calling it a day and checking here! 10 and 24 were new to me despite deducing them, and liked 12A and 21. The SW corner otherwise escaped me.

Oh well, another day…

By: Carrots

Carrots — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:55:05 +0000

Tupu….you truly are wise….and, indeed, know of all things, so I shall defer to your wisdom. Except, perhaps, for a certain tendency to absolve flaws when they are perpretated by a setter who should know better.

My point is that one clue (9ac.)compromised the solving of another (2dn.)… with another clue (1ac.) compounding the problem. I had BUCKINGHAMSHIRE long before either of the contentious clues, to which might be added UGANDA. (I know bUGGerall about fashion boots…and don`t care to).

Harsh? MOI?? I`m a pussycat..and have previously tried to defend Gordius for his odd streak of cruciverbalist genius.

By: Robi

Robi — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:28:35 +0000

Nothing wrong with this, although I couldn’t really enjoy with a multitude of distractions today.

I’ve only just realised that the anagrind in 20 was ‘dicky,’ I thought it was ‘suffer,’ so leaving me with the predicament of trying to correlate dicky with undergo. Thought it was something to do with a dicky going under a jacket (doh!)

Obiter, refels and the spelling of s(y)ilvan new to me. I did like INTERMIX, however, despite the grumbles above; surely, using ‘often’ would indicate that term nine is not always the appropriate time. I didn’t have any problem with (c)leavings, but failed to find the UGG boots – not sure they would really suit me. Nice surface, I thought, for ESPLANADES.

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:04:12 +0000

Now y’all know I like an argument just for the fun of it, but, having finished, I’m left with a total lack of enthusiasm, despite the obvious candidate clues.

By: yogdaws

yogdaws — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:44:59 +0000

Leave the Knotty One alone. We like him.

And nice to see he’s up on – or should that be ‘down with’ – current female footwear.

Gratitude to Gordius and Andrew.

Clue of the day: 2d

Have a good weekend everyone.

By: ray

ray — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:29:51 +0000

When I eventually spotted INTERMIX I thought it very clever. But on reflection many current degree arrangements make even the ‘often’ questionable as a justification. ‘sometimes’ might just about be o.k. Apart from the fact that semesters instead of terms have been adopted in some places, there are large numbers of four or five year degrees which wouldn’t fit and, with the concept of modules (and end of module exams) making inroads into degree structures, the whole concept of finals is maybe dated anyway.