Comments on: Guardian Cryptic Nº 25,349 by Orlando: A tall story

By: Giovanni

Giovanni — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:34:58 +0000

Anyone know what has happened to Orlando? No puzzles at all in July – v.unusual!

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:25:42 +0000

Another fine example of how a relatively easy (for some even ‘too easy’) crossword can be very enjoyable.
Orlando cares for the surface, and is one of those setters who can produce a clue that takes perhaps half a minute to solve, but at the same time leaves us (read: me) with sheer admiration for the elegancy of it.

18ac (NO ONE ELSE) was such a highlight today, as were eg 10ac and 11d (and a few more).

I am a bit surprised that so many people thought of FRENCH for 26ac, as this Polish/language clue/device is almost chestnutty.

Also surprised (like some others) about the ignorance re SIENNA MILLER. I got it immediately from the crossing letters but couldn’t (fully) parse it eventually [so many thanks, PeterO].
Sienna Miller played next to Keira Knightley and Matthew Rhys in 2008′s “The Edge of Love”, about Dylan Thomas (and in particular his relationship with Vera and Caitlin). Rather well-known.

Thanks, tupu, for mentioning the lightness of touch.
Indeed a reason why I prefer a crossword like this over yesterday’s.
But then, we’re all different, aren’t we? As are setters.

By: don

don — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:15:44 +0000

“May our setters long enjoy the right to roam anywhere they like in English-Language-Land”

Yesterday ‘a bas’
Today ‘ici’

Saesneg? Mae e’n mynd o ddrwg i waeth!

By: Dave Ellison

Dave Ellison — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:04:04 +0000

I liked the first clue, which I got straight away. I anticipated there would have been some adverse comment, and had thought Orlando wrote it with 15 squarers in mind!

Wives a kind of reference to Chaucer, too, I thought.

By: Carrots

Carrots — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:56:09 +0000

I made such a mess of this that I`m ashamed to publish the details. Suffice to say I got six clues wrong…and altered perfectly correct ones to accommodate my little “cuckoos”.

Many thanks Orlando & PeterO: lets hope that you`ve taught this Mr Toad a lesson he`ll never forget.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:55:26 +0000

MattD: The use of ‘city’ here is a reference to expressions like: ‘He works in the City’. In Britain this is conventional shorthand for ‘he works in the financial district of the historic city of London’ – an area covered by the Eastern Central (EC) postcodes.

Yes. this is Anglocentric, if not even more narrowly Londinocentric – but that’s where the puzzles are generated. It’s no worse than the many references (fortunately thinning out a bit now) to cricketing terminology which have tended to plague cryptics.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:41:06 +0000

OK TC I was being rather Euro-centric.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of Japanese gossip magazines which have featured the couple and OK has a Japanese version.
Their on-off relationship has been a world-wide news story – you might wonder why (me too) but it is a fact.

By: Tokyocolin

Tokyocolin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:34:29 +0000

And speaking of old buffers I am compelled to point out that Mao Tse Tung is the old, discredited Wade-Giles transcription of Mao’s Chinese name. The currently accepted Pinyin version is Mao Zedong. The pronunciation of course has not changed.

Having said that I had no issue with entering the “old buffer” version at 1dn.

By: Tokyocolin

Tokyocolin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:21:43 +0000

Thanks PeterO, and to Orlando. I enjoyed most of this and some clues especially so.

I too entered Doomiest and French initially. And Yarn was also my last in, doh!

I have to disagree with RCWhiting’s assertion that she “has been literally everywhere”. Not big in Japan. But I agree that “City” has always been EC in crosswordland. I never knew why and now I do. Thankyou K’s D.

By: Robi

Robi — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:21:39 +0000

BTW (with Gaufrid’s indulgence) did NO ONE ELSE see SIENNA MILLER appearing at the RIALTO in the MOODIEST ANECDOTES penned by the KNIGHT and ICIER OLD WIVES? This meant a great deal to MAO TSE-TUNG who ABUSED his FIBREGLASS DREADNOUGHT at the thought of MAP-MAKING at SANDRINGHAM. BY NO MEANS did his lack of ORDINATION prevent his FINISHing his SAGA with a SURGE of DATA – a YARN about Steffi GRAF and her REVERSAL of fortunes. OLLIE, of course, regretted the SPILLAGE of his SHEPHERD’S PIE, so ate TETRA instead.