Comments on: Guardian 25,338 / Shed

By: Shed

Shed — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:34:15 +0000

Thanks all. 31ac as it appeared in print was indeed a mistake (by me) – my revision made it into the online version but for some reason not into print, though I submitted it in plenty of time.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:23:51 +0000

So, meaning: mine hasn’t ….. ?

By: Geoff

Geoff — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:19:46 +0000

Like Sil & Co, I felt that 12a was so tricky because the clue was the wrong way round. ‘Expensive drinks champion wasted on woman’ would have been much more satisfactory.

But I didn’t mention it earlier because even my pedantry has limits.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:34:01 +0000

Not as sunny as yesterday’s puzzle, but a good effort from Shed.
Nothing spectacularly outrageous, everything’s just well-positioned.
Although. My PinC had some trouble with the order of things in two of the clues (29d and the as such amusing 12d).

She read “Promiscuous, and without question, a bit sick” as: a word for promiscuous, and when you take QU off that word, you’ll get ‘a bit sick’. I do understand her objections, but I wasn’t completely with her (a) because it’s not the first time that a device precedes the fodder (even if it is not the logical order) and (b) because the commas make a difference.
A similar thing in 12ac (AGNES). It is more logical to read it as ‘Winner’ getting rid of ‘expensive drinks’. I think she has a point there. But as I do understand how it works, I won’t put the blame on Shed . She was also somewhat annoyed by the linking word ‘on’, and again, although I felt a bit the same, Shed hád to.

Clues like 28d (leading to HAKE) are always a bit ambiguous.
You can read it the other way around, which I initially did, thinking of [t]ROUT as the answer.

Some of the best (for us) perhaps ISAAC STERN (6d), PRINCE (7d), the aforementioned AGNES, ANNUL (17ac) and the really amusing FIRST GEAR (30ac). Please no bottom , tupu, one bum (16d) is enough!

Finally, a word about 24d (CUTTER).
Nothing wrong with it, but the clue could also have been “See, say, ship” instead of “Saw, say, ship” … [C (See, phon.) + UTTER]

Thanks, Shed.
And mhl as ever.

By: Carrots

Carrots — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:45:19 +0000

After my poor performance yesterday, Shed`s puzzle made me groan. I`ve never really enjoyed Shed (much too much like Literary Archeology, where each clue and definition is buried beneath an ice-slick surface). So, I didn`t crack it at lunchtime and it distracted me from The Great British Menu to come within three of completion this evening (ISSAC STERN, OUTTURNS & D`OH….although I`d guessed the latter from the operatives).

However, I can`t cry “foul!” because, when eventually unravelled, the clues and definitions were fair. Just a bit of a grind.

Loved Tupu`s alternative suggestion for 30ac!

By: Robi

Robi — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:26:53 +0000

Thanks Shed and mhl, especially for parsing AGNES - I even got as far as thinking of champagnes but didn't see the winner=champ connection (DOH!) TokyoColin @17; the EMOTE/Oscars connection is the reference to the tendency of some actors to gush with tears on the podium, I think. I seem to remember the 'stellar' performance of Gwyneth Paltrow.

By: chas

chas — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:42:17 +0000

Thanks to mhl for the blog.
I needed you to explain why AGNES was correct.

I was beaten entirely by 30a because I was stuck on the idea of people walking uphill – not motor vehicles! I also was trying to make the second word WEAR which did not help.

I liked 11a and 24d.

By: John

John — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:35:37 +0000

As well as “b” for boys, I don’t like “qu” for question.
Neither do I understand “scoring” as an inclusion indicator.

By: caretman

caretman — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:29:12 +0000

I started this off putting in 9a and 1d in about the time it took to read the clues and thought this would be a doddle. Well, it wasn’t that! It did yield but was nowhere near as easy as those first couple of clues suggested it might be. My last in was OUTTURNS, a word unfamiliar to me but it seemed like the only word that fit the pattern of the crossing letters. And given the comments here I’m chuffed that I got AGNES; usually large deletions elude me so I’m proud I saw that.

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:15:46 +0000

Tokyocolin @17:

This is a crossword in a UK newspaper. Both Julian Clary and Lily Savage are well known entertainers who are openly homosexual (=OUT). Strictly speaking Lily Savage is a character (formerly) played by a man called Paul O’Grady who now mainly appears using his real name, which is why the question mark is needed.