Comments on: Guardian 25,486 – Paul

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:47:16 +0000

SAUDI ARABIAN really embarrassed me, since I had worked out …BIAN, saw that it would “fit” the letter numbers, and have driven (old) Audis for decades! I was focused on the other “end” of the continent, of course. Then a little light started flickering, dimly… hmmm, the Middle East is not in Europe, no. And it’s not in Africa. And it sure as heck is not in the Americas!

Must be in Asia.

Sheepishly entered solution.

By: Coffee

Coffee — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:06:14 +0000

I suppose if it’s not British origin, and the puzzle is in a British newspaper, then yes, the dish is foreign. Visiting Singapore once with an elderly aunt, we got her some fish & ships which she thought was “lovely.. I don’t like all that foreign food… like garlic”.

As for Saudi Arabia, here in SE Asia, eyebrows were raised some years ago when Qatar was chosen to host the Asian Games…

By: stumped

stumped — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:30:35 +0000

Stella, point taken. However it wouldn’t be a surprise if Paella was somehow connected, given that Arabs spread it around beyond Asia India, where it is supposed to have originated, might be the easternmost extent of rice dishes named p*l*. In many parts of Central Asia, especially Uzbekistan, it’s known as “plov”.

By: Stella Heath

Stella Heath — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:17:38 +0000

Hi stumped – or a foreign life where Indian(?) food is still exotic; as others on this site are aware, I’ve lived in Spain for over 30 years

By: stumped

stumped — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:50:24 +0000

Ian W @9 Thanks for the clarification regarding ‘rhs’. About that clue, anyone that thinks the dish (disc?) is ‘foreign’ food must be leading a very sheltered life indeed.

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:37:36 +0000

Great fun.

Terrible start due to a “Start of the Affair” ageing couple on adjacent table in the pub behaving like teenagers. (Yuk)

Retreated to home to continue and two hours later all was complete and parsed. Third in was Kookaburra and then saw the “round” mini theme.

My only concern is that I’m not sure “Michael Finnegan” is a round?!

Thanks to Paul and UY for the blog.

By: Davy

Davy — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:59:42 +0000

Thanks UY and thanks Paul for the entertaining rounds which I didn’t spot till Michael Finnegan (last round). This puzzle kept me out of mischief for a good couple of hours and like many others, I couldn’t make sense of 11a so thanks to molonglo for his excellent explanation.

By: Giovanna

Giovanna — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:17:15 +0000

Thanks, Paul and Uncle Yap for the (necessary!) parsing.

RCW@ 27 – you can’t beat a bit of nostalgia on a dark evening! Dan Dare was pure magic and my favourite, too. Although I did like Desperate Dan and Aunt Aggie’s cow pie, complete with horns!

The rounds were fun but I had never heard the kookaburra one before. Like Stella @ 8, I saw in the old gum tree but alas no bells rang!

Thanks, again, Paul for a nice change of theme.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:59:30 +0000

“Strange but COELACANTH was one of my first in.”
Me too gm and I was born in 1942 and I remember the discovery off East Africa.

I also had the first Eagle and read Dan Dare.

What a dreary bout of nostalgia we are having – cheer up everyone.

By: gm4hqf

gm4hqf — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:40:33 +0000

Thanks Uncle Yap and Paul for what I thought was a difficult puzzle.

Managed to complete it but needed the blog to fully explain 21a and 25a.

Strange but COELACANTH was one of my first in.