Comments on: Guardian Cryptic 25419 Rufus

By: liz

liz — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:01:11 +0000

Thanks, scchua, for letting us know the connections in your picture puzzles. I should have spotted Dorothy Sayers, great fan that I am. I welcome your additions to the Monday puzzle and please keep them coming!

I REALLY don’t see the point of criticising Rufus on the grounds of how easy his puzzles are (and sometimes they are not). We all know what his brief is and the fact that he executes it so elegantly is a source of pleasure to me. (When I don’t like his cds I will say so.)

re Mr Beaver @12. I do think you are bit of a *churlish ingrate*. Can’t we enjoy a variety of blogging styles just as we enjoy a variety of setters’ styles? I thought the blog was funny.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:02:08 +0000

To criticise the work of a journalist cannot be inherently offensive.

By: Davy

Davy — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:55:38 +0000

Thanks scchua,

I enjoyed this although Rufus’s style of clueing isn’t always to my taste. My favourite clue was AUTHORESS which took me quite a time to get as all five words in the clue could be considered anagrinds which is a definite rarity. Thanks Rufus.

RCW : Your acronyms for Rufus and scchua, would be more interesting if they made any apparent sense.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:11:31 +0000

The trouble with some of Mr RC Whiting’s comments, in my opinion, is that they can require clarification. IIRC he has attracted attention in a bad way once or twice before, where, apparently, no offence was intended.

By: FranTom Menace

FranTom Menace — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:58:32 +0000

Enjoyed today’s puzzled – although thought that the “in the dormitory?” was misleadingly redundant. Nothing standout but a pleasing evening solve.

RCWhiting – You obviously understand Rufus’s easy Monday offerings seem to target entry-level decipherers. Instead of unhelpful slating of the crossword every Monday you could always accept that it’s not for everyone.

By: tupu

tupu — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:55:38 +0000

Hi Sil

I like your suggestion re 26a which is otherwise uncharacteristically wordy, I think, for Rufus. Perhaps he will emlighten us?

By: scchua

scchua — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:03:45 +0000

RCWhiting, I do apologise for making the wrong presumption/interpretation. Now that you point it out, I see what you meant to say. And this time I noticed your last line, and I’m not making any presumption whatsoever.

By: Dave Ellison

Dave Ellison — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:56:21 +0000

grandpuzzler @ 20. Is it still known as saran wrap in the States? In the 60s I was grinding my own telescope mirrors and the book I was using referred to saran wrap to measure the thickness of something (which I forget now). I had no idea what saran was was, and I am not sure we had cling film then.

Sorry if this is a bit off topic.

By: Robi

Robi — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:54:21 +0000

Pleasant enough puzzle.

Thanks scchua; and I did like the pictures, although I’m glad that you explained the links so that I don’t have to think too hard before University Challenge and ‘Only Connect’ (the latter is on BBC4 and worth a look – they even had a panel of crossword addicts once……)

By: chas

chas — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:42:09 +0000

Thanks for the picture explanations scchua. Actually, I recognised Yoko but did not remember that she had been associated with a kidnap. Equally I had not known about Frank Sinatra and kidnap.
I did know about the Lindbergh kidnapping, but I did not recognise the people in the photo.