Comments on: Guardian 25,427 – Paul

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:38:28 +0000

This was fun! Thanks Andrew for explaining the couple I didn’t get, and Paul for the wry and amusing romp. Had ROCK early, and a few other words, when RIGEL popped out at me I had to smile and fill in STAR. More smiles with the clues that appeared cheeky on the surface.

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:14:57 +0000

I entered ‘rigid’ for 23d (set) so was stuck on 27a

By: matt

matt — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:56:06 +0000

Good puzzle. Had me beaten on public transport for a couple of clues (cullinan, altair, avocado (for some reason)), but the internet came to my rescue once home.
I like the twinkle in Paul’s eye. If the sauce were crowbarred into every other clue (see cyclops), or even every puzzle, then it might get a bit overwhelming, but here and there it adds to the flavour.
Thanks Paul, thanks Andrew.
PS: rim and scarifier both fine, to me.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:56:47 +0000

I am pretty ancient (more the latter than the former) but knew KC, someonewho is probably more famous for his death than his life; and FM who was probably one of the most famous people in the world when he died.
Although I didn’t know GS the HM group Kiss was familiar so it was easy to check their line-up.

By: tupu

tupu — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:21:28 +0000

Thanks Andrew and Paul

Only finished this this morning (except for Cullinan which escaped me). Agree with UY re 22a.
Very hard and and, for my aging sins, I was not at all at home with the rock star theme. Got but failed to understand 16a.

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 07:21:31 +0000

Thanks Andrew for explaining Cullinan. I guessed and looked it up in the dictionary, not there, so abandoned the idea not believing it to be a word.

By: Uncle Yap

Uncle Yap — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:58:01 +0000

22A is my COD ….. topless to show boobs. Risque with great taste. Classic Paul

By: ACP

ACP — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:37:50 +0000

It’s amusing that many found the rock star theme a little tricky.
For me, I struggle with all the operatic and poet themes and found this puzzle so much easier.
If I could ask Paul to do a Teletubbie themed puzzle ? That’d be even better.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:21:59 +0000

Stella
Thanks for sympathy, I am a Mr.,not that it is relevant.
Sorry I must disagree with:
“Smut has become an unfortunate feature of Btitish humour in recent years”
by simply quoting Max Miller and Carry On films.
Smut is an issue which will never affect my view of a puzzle as long as it is not easy smut!
Objectors should try Cyclops in The Eye and stand back for an attack of the vapours.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:36:44 +0000

The mixed bag of responses seems to sum up this puzzle as challenging, not to everyone’s liking – no accounting for taste – but definitely good.

Smut has become an unfortunate feature of Btitish humour in recent years, as far as I can tell from Spain, but Paul’s slight excursions into the risqué can hardly be described as such, and usually produce a smile.

Not everyone is a rock fan, but then not everyone likes opera, or G&S, or punk, but most of us have heard of the people referenced here – it’s not as though I had to go on a journey of discovery to find the themed answers, as sometimes happens.

I find myself increasingly sympathetic towards Mr(s?) Whiting who, with all the grouse about “too easy” puzzles, is scrupulously fair when encountering a bit of a challenge.

I’m now going to carry on watching “The spy who came in from the cold”, with Richard Burton – I always thought the main role was played by Alec Guinness; maybe that’s a more recent version ?