Comments on: Guardian 25,392 – Araucaria

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 04:28:19 +0000

One quibble: In 8D, “often” is an adverb, but “rare” is an adjective. Is this the sort of looseness Araucaria is known for?

By: stiofain

stiofain — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:39:45 +0000

I didnt bother continuing after seeing the offensive Ulster=NI erroneous chestnut, this really needs banned.

By: Carrots

Carrots — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:31:37 +0000

A leisurely and most pleasurable solve after a physio session with Torquemada this afternoon. Pleasurable, that is, until I confidently put in SHERRINGHAM instead of Bressingham. (fish: Herring/Sikh:Sham`m/Norfolk`s “Garden Resort”. No, I agree that it doesn`t quite work, but it seemed near enough for me).

Once again I find myself wondering just how the canny devil does this: lead one up the garden path and into the wishing well with an obliging grin on one`s face.

Went to DEADWOOD once…I think it`s where Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back during a cardgame….or was that Tombstone? I wonder if Mr Graham plays poker?

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:58:37 +0000

Hi Eileen, Ferrybridge/BuryFridge is the powerstation you see on the A1, my wife worked there for a while. Drax is quite a long way away to the east.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:30:20 +0000

Hi Mr Beaver

Brilliant – if only! [Another landmark on the way to our beloved Dales. ] [I think you should patent that idea!]

By: Mr Beaver

Mr Beaver — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:46:19 +0000

On first looking at 16d, and thinking of Yorkshire power stations, I came up with Ferrybridge. Aha! I thought.. Bury fridge! Which would be a great spoonerism – if only it baw any relation to the clue

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:19:27 +0000

Thanks all
Disappointingly easy for Araucaria.
Stillsome nice clues especially 14d.
I certainly do not pronounce bore as baw but I guess it’s geographical.

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:31:07 +0000

Had to get the other half to do the last 6, sigh.

Only query though, wasn’t 16 rather more nadgering than implied by Spooner?

By: tupu

tupu — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:54:19 +0000

Re 7,22

As the definition seems to be ‘useless people’, the enumeration 4,4 is correct, I think – at least that’s how I remember seeing it in that sense. My Chambers (not the lastest) gives ‘dead wood’ or ‘dead-wood’ and my COD only gives the former. OED gives all three possibilities with relatively old quotes. I suppose a ? could have been useful though for the SD part of the clue.

By: gm4hqf

gm4hqf — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:27:41 +0000

Thanks manehi and of course Araucaria

I have to disagree with the general concensus as I found this one quite difficult. Not having heard of ANNE FINE and BRESSINGHAM did not help.
I struggled for ages to get into it and NORMAN MAILER certainly helped. Last in was PEER PRESSURE.

In the past I have seen puzzles described as difficult which I thought were a breeze. Peoples brains must all be wired differently.