Comments on: Guardian 25,309 / Paul

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 23:18:32 +0000

I got up late, deliberately. Walked the dog. Went to the bookies for the morning greyhounds. Had lunch. Played poker on-line. Watched the snooker. Sadly, somewhere along the line, my brain had inadvertently absorbed the appropriate trivia and I solved 24,15 despite my best efforts to be unable to do so!

And just to rub salt in the wound, the winner of the first at Fontwell was Royal Wedding which I studiously failed to back. Fortunately, I hadn’t backed anything else, otherwise I would be really upset!

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:19:07 +0000

Good puzzle. But I’m not sure about “manan(a)”. As well as being pronounced differently (ny), ñ (n with a tilde) in Spanish is considered a distinct letter of the alphabet. Take the final a from “mañana” (with tilde) and you get something that you would pronounce “man-yan”. Conversely, “manana” with n instead of ñ (i.e. without the y sound) doesn’t mean later in English or in Spanish. And I’ve never heard of a cocktail called a a manyhattan.

By: rrc

rrc — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:58:47 +0000

a most enjoyable solve – some very clever clueing – and I even liked the ference for today!

By: tupu

tupu — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:52:45 +0000

Thanks mhl @17. I got there in the end!

By: grandpuzzler

grandpuzzler — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:21:41 +0000

Thanks Paul and mhl. Learned a new word – CHILLAX. Couldn’t find it in Chambers or Webster’s Third but did locate it in the Urban Dictionary. Will try it out on my teenage grandsons. Like Bryan @16 I wrestled with KIM NOVAK although that may have been in my dreams in the 50′s.

Cheers…

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:14:58 +0000

I carefully avoided both radio and TV, turned the pages rapidly in the Guardian and finally came to the crossword- ah -safe at last.
A nice comfortable solve, just 24,15 to get.
No,no,no,Paul, I really did not need that.

By: caretman

caretman — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:04:13 +0000

Agree with all, an excellent puzzle, very enjoyable! Thanks, Paul, and thanks mhl for the blog. Answers went in fairly steadily with regular aha moments, particularly for 18 ac and 25 ac (and, of course, 24 dn). Are hot pants still called that over there? Here in the states that name seems to have disappeared after the 70s (although the fashion itself may occasionally be seen). My last in was 16 dn, gotten from the word play and then confirmed in wikipedia.

I was pleased to see a mostly non-current event puzzle today. Yesterday’s crossword in the New York Times was an utterly pedestrian puzzle with the long answers all related to the event on your shores, so getting a puzzle with outstanding clues and no overbearing theme was greatly appreciated.

By: Dave Ellison

Dave Ellison — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:31:12 +0000

Yes, agreed, excellent stuff today. Thanks mhl for explanation of NASAL, and Paul, too, for the Xword. Especially enjoyed I BEG TO DIFFER and the KATE one. 17d the last one in, and thanks to my wife for that – I was stuck on having a drink.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:50:57 +0000

Nice one Robi

By: Geoff

Geoff — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:48:05 +0000

Thanks, mhl.

Splendidly entertaining puzzle from Paul, with just enough acknowledgement (a great &lit) to topicality.

Too many good and varied clues (in contrast to yesterday!) to pick any favourites.

17d was my last entry – a couple of misleading potential anagrinds (indefinite, novice) decoyed me. I spent a while trying to fit ZIN(c) into 7d until I spotted the correct answer.