Comments on: Guardian 25,423 / Gordius

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:48:21 +0000

Martin, I doubt you read that somewhere that was accurate. While there are most certainly some fish that spend part of their lives in rivers and part in the ocean, and species that prefer brackish water, piranha are not among them. The error didn’t slow me down though, these puzzles are notorious for a “vague” level of accuracy when they drift into scientific realms.

Fun puzzle, Gordius, and thanks for the blog, Eileen!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:09:07 +0000

Thank you for that, Martin P.

In view of the definitions in my dictionaries – Collins: any of various small freshwater voracious fishes of tropical America …; SOED: a voracious fresh-water fish; Chambers: a ferocious S. American river fish, ‘sea dwellers’ seems a perverse way to clue it. [But then it is Gordius. ]

By: Martin P

Martin P — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:55:44 +0000

I read that Piranhas do live in the sea too, in large shoals of up to 4000, like a number of other freshwater species. So there’s no need for any blushes, then.

By: robinwolves

robinwolves — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:47:10 +0000

I think Dover is quite a well known castle in Kent, as is Rochester. I’m sure there must be quite a few.

I enjoyed all of this, just a shame about 16.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:41:21 +0000

Thanks Eileen and Gordius.

I’ve always heard “alea jacta est”, but bow to your superior knowledge and research – thanks for the original quote, which I almost understand

I met GUNCOTTON the other day, when the Mythbusters were trying to recreate a Civil War rocket which was supposed to have flown some 300 miles to Washington – they made a couple of splendid rockets, which didn’t get further than a mile.

I agree about the shortcomings in some definitions. I didn’t give too much thought to 17ac, but my reaction when I finally got PIRANHAS was “they’re not sea creatures.”

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:23:24 +0000

Thanks all
What was essentially an over easy puzzle was stretched, for me, to an almost respectable difficulty by dialling tone (I also obsessed over Leeds) and piranhas (couldn’t see mis (haps) as an anagram indicator). The latter was impressive eventually.

By: liz

liz — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:45:25 +0000

Thanks for blog, Eileen. I agree about the def in 17ac and it’s a pity that the def of 16dn should have been inaccurate — perhaps that’s why it was my last entry! I didn’t manage (or bother) to parse 13ac, so thanks for that..

I liked what Roger called the ‘self-destructing’ clues. My favourite was 12ac.

By: tupu

tupu — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:41:10 +0000

Sorry Gordius for beheading you above.

By: tupu

tupu — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:40:47 +0000

Thanks Eileen and ordius

A mixed bag as usual as you say. Some enjoyable clues with good surfaces. I was badly delayed by Piranha which are, as you say and as far as I am aware, freshwater fish. But the construction was good, as you also say, and eventually led me to the answer.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:34:06 +0000

Thanks, BrigC. I do know not to trust Wikipedia implicitly – I should just have relied on my own knowledge and not gone ‘checking’!