Comments on: Guardian 25,481 / Paul

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:50:02 +0000

Like most (or all) of you, I loved this light-hearted romp. I think almost every solution brought a smile – even the ones I couldn’t fully parse. Sadly, I have to admit I didn’t “get” the freezer puns, though they are hilarious. I’ve never heard cocaine referred to as “Charlie”, and I’ve watched a lot of gritty movies, but the “Sheen” was fairly obvious and it couldn’t be his father Martin. Only managed to “buy into” JOANNA because McCartney used it in Let it Be (the movie), and eventually I figured out what the heck he was saying.

My favorite clues were 14a and 6d, big smiles there.

Robi @ 22, hilarious!!!

RCW @ 25, I agree with the deceptive definition thing. I haven’t seen one in a long time (perhaps Frank Lewis used to do these more than the other setters I encounter?), but my favorite clue format is when three words are used, all the same length as the solution, and all of which could conceivably be anagrinds.

RCW @ 39, pizza in its modern incarnations can mean anything you want on some form of dough, so perhaps you could use your favorite Indian dough recipe, sauce, and toppings to make one?

In conclusion, thanks for the blog, Eileen, and the other explanations from the rest of you, and most of all to Paul for the wonderful tone of this puzzle.

By: Alex in Oz

Alex in Oz — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:11:42 +0000

Like RCWhiting, I didn’t know SPECULAR and it was the last one in. I was also caught up on sweet toppings (e.g. for ice cream) at 9ac until I got the final letter ‘i’ courtesy of 5d. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this – it definitely added some pleasure to an otherwise tedious day in Sydney.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:31:44 +0000

Matt@34
I doubt I will. I cook all my own meals from basic ingredients, mostly Indian cuisine.
Ref:37,38 I also do not own a mobile phone.

By: Gaufrid

Gaufrid — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:59:13 +0000

Hi duncan @37
WPtouch, the plug-in that converts the site for viewing on a mobile, was last updated four weeks ago so it might have been more than a few days since you last tried.

However, an earlier update several months ago cured the problem on certain hand-held displays but this did not appear to be consistent as one person indicated that the comments could now be viewed but another, with the same device, reported that the problem was still present.

By: duncan

duncan — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:38:04 +0000

charlie sheen my c.o.t.d.
see the psychotic episodes on youtube if you’ve the stomach for it,.
btw, how long has this bit (responses) been working on the mobile version? been a few days since I tried. tim berners-lee *will* be pleased!
duncan.

By: Taxi Phil

Taxi Phil — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:33:41 +0000

An absolute delight. “Charlie Sheen” made me laugh out loud, and was COD if not COY (and it’s nearly the end of the year).

By: James Droy

James Droy — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:32:56 +0000

The best fun I’ve had solving these damned things since Bunthorne shuffled off. Congratulations Paul.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:25:21 +0000

Never eaten pizza?! You must put this right immediately!

By: Robi

Robi — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:41:38 +0000

Thanks, Stella, Eileen & yogdaws; you shouldn’t really encourage me

Thankfully to some, this will not be a regular feature of my posts………

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:13:34 +0000

Thanks, Aoxomoxoa @31 and Neil @24. This clue was cleared up for me by the first few comments but I didn't alter the blog, because there were several people to thank. [In case you're new here, it's always - well, usually - worth reading the comments, as well as the blog.]