Comments on: Guardian 25,516 – Boatman

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:28:36 +0000

Late to the party but whatever. Yes, at 5,10 knowing that the first word and first letter of the second must be a word helped me to gradually solve it.

As far as “tour de force”, this was certainly a tour de force of a puzzle, at any rate. How many different ways was the word “second” used? Ten? And look at the list of solution types Uncle Yap had to list in the key!

I got rolling with a handful of “easy” anagrams, and then it felt like every clue was a new and different kind of puzzle in itself. Excellent work, Boatman, if you ever see this, and thanks for the blog, UY!

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:01:01 +0000

I think the rule is (or ought to be) that each light should be a valid word.Shops, oiled,land and send are all OK.

By: Andy D

Andy D — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:21:25 +0000

It’s not often that I attempt crosswords on the day of publication, so I’m usually too late to post here. (I prefer to allow time for errors to be corrected on the Guardian website!) I have a clipboard containing a selection of recent puzzles from which I pick and choose. I invariably come here though, when I’ve either completed or (occasionally) given up on a puzzle.

However, I completed all of Boatman yesterday except for 19D. Looking in my old Chambers just after I woke, the solution, and its parsing, suddenly leapt out at me.

The old Chambers doesn’t give a “conversion” meaning for 12, just a lot of stuff about swords, but this meaning was fairly obvious and Google helped.

Very enjoyable puzzle, thanks Boatman, 25 probably my favourite. Unfortunately, in order for 20 to fit into the “second” theme, the definition makes the anagram almost superfluous – although I actually solved the anagram before I read the rest of the clue for the definition!

re 5,10 – recently there was Land’s End fitting in 2 4-letter lights. I can’t remember who that was, but remembering it helped.

By: chas

chas — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:05:05 +0000

Thanks to UY for the blog.

You expressed some concern about 5,10 being described as 4,6 while fitting in to two 5-letter spaces. I note that this tactic has been used by Araucaria on quite a few occasions. I was not at all worried by it here.

By: Boatman

Boatman — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:11:15 +0000

In case anyone’s wondering …

“Take care of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy, take care of poor Lady Hamilton …
“Kiss me, Hardy …
“Now I am satisfied. Thank God I have done my duty”

… reputedly.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:46:17 +0000

John,take care with your words, I have been sorely castigated for expressing such calumnies.

By: John

John — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:10:26 +0000

Like Muz I always believed his flw were either “Kiss Me Hardy” or “Kismet, Hardy”.
Like you, Harvey, I cringe at hyperbole, but it, not to mention excessive adulation and blandishment have long been a feature of this site. Sometimes you’d swear that Physics had been unified or a cure for cancer discovered, rather than a clever puzzle created.

By: chainsawpete

chainsawpete — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:09:53 +0000

Man-day is a legitimate unit in project estimation. A ten man-day project might require one person ten days or ten people one day or 3 people 3 1/3 days.

By: tupu

tupu — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:34:09 +0000

Thanks UY and Boatman (for visit as well)

I found parts of this hard and nearly put pickle (in 17a) as my last answer.
I also wondered at first about slapstick/lipstick. I did not much like the word order in a couple of clues though it greatly helped the surface (e.g. 5d).

Some very clever cluing e.g. 13a, 22a, 24a, 28a, 19d.

Less entertaining for me than some other recent puzzles but one must admire the setter’s skill.

By: sidey

sidey — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:33:48 +0000

Did anyone spot…

Yes, rather good, rather good puzzle.