Comments on: Guardian Prize 25,478 / Paul

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:10:26 +0000

As a relative newcomer to this MB and all the jargon I welcome the occasional explanation, so thanks Eileen.
After 50 years of solving Guardian crosswords it has been quite strange to discover this little world on here.
Strange, sometimes enjoyable, sometimes not so.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:45:46 +0000

RCW

These are commonly known as ‘lift and separate’ clues and I remarked on them in my comment on 5dn.

Thanks, dunsscotus and r_c_a_d for bringing us back to the puzzle. I’m interested to see, r_c_a_d, from your email address, that you are masculine – so thanks for the sympathy.

One of my favourite pmt jokes:

‘How many pre-menstrual women does it take to change a light bulb?’

’157′

‘Why?’

‘IT JUST DOES!’

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:26:58 +0000

A very regulat trap in solving cryptics is to consider two adjacent things, that seem linked, as one. Usually a compiler does this with words but in this case (original to me) he has done it with letters (PMS, PMT), this is a very commendable development which has potential.

By: r_c_a_d

r_c_a_d — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:17:36 +0000

I agree with dunsscotus about Mandy: that was actually a highlight for me in this puzzle when it finally clicked.

Contemporary words and phrases are fine if they are widely used, I think. And the Prince of Darkness has been “around” since 1997.

I wasn’t so keen on Werrity the other week since he was a flash in the pan and I don’t follow current “affairs” that closely.

Interesting to see wide support for PMT + PMS. Oh well. My instinct was to groan with pain at them, but I appreciate the originality.

By: dunsscotus

dunsscotus — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:56:25 +0000

May I strike a positive note with regard to contemporary solutions? I like the Mandy/Prince of darkness type of clue because they often ‘ring a bell’, so that I have to do a bit of research, to refresh my memory of recent history. I agree that this may provide a problem for the editor of a future anthology, but that’s what editors are for.

Finally, speaking as a (semi)retired teacher, can some of you stop giving us a bad name?

By: Will Mc

Will Mc — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:15:07 +0000

It’s amazing how some people come to resemble their initials.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:40:38 +0000

You are always so rude, Davy,I think I will ignore you now.

By: Davy

Davy — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 09:57:10 +0000

Dear RCW,

In 21, you said the following :

“I rather suspect that Davy thinks I must be lying because my assessment was at variance to his.”

So, let me get this right. I think that you are lying when you say the crossword was rather too straightforward. So logically, I think that you thought the puzzle was difficult. Very strange !.

Yes RCW, you have the right to your own opinion but it’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it. You have this arrogant attitude which people just do not like. You seem to think that the crossword is published for you alone and that no-one else matters. As has been said before, the crossword caters for a wide audience and solvers of different abilities. We don’t all have a brain the size of a planet and if there was an Enigmatist type puzzle every day then there would be many complaints.

So RCW, just have a little more understanding and maybe think of others as well as yourself. A big ask I know.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:40:07 +0000

Davy,just to be generous I think our methods of reasoning could be different which is why I find clues easy which you don’t.
Let’s consider SNOWDROP.
‘naughty word’ – anagram, ‘blooming thing’ – a flower.
Did I know a flower with (word)* inside it (welcoming).
Yes,I did,instantly,Snowdrop. So I had no need to even read the rest although I saw rev(snop) and knew that ‘pons’was a part of the brain.
This illustrates why I do not get hung up over imprecise definitions like many others seem to.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:27:45 +0000

Eileen,as one retired teacher to another,you are a stickler.
I saw a couple of comments along the lines of ‘this was easier than the ones in the week’ which I,personally, had very much enjoyed.
So I was loosely agreeing with those comments.
Alternatively, I feel that I am perfectly entitled to comment on my own view of the level of dificulty of any crossword in The Guardian.
Nor do I think others are justified in demanding that I prove myself correct,clue by clue.
I rather suspect that Davy thinks I must be lying because my assessment was at variance to his.
I do not demand proof of why anyone else has a contrary view to mine.
I have said before that, unlike a lot of posters,I rarely (if ever) haggle over some minutiae in one or two clues, I am very tolerant in that way. My criterion is difficulty ie how long does my solving pleasure last.
Today’s alphabetical was on the easy side (he says cowering under the table).