Comments on: Guardian 25,529 / Paul

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:03:22 +0000

As Paul B says (re 26), this is the Grauniad, and one thing that is fun for both us and the setters is they do allow a fair amount of leeway. Personally I was content to allow as much leeway as considering 18 to contain the “definition”: “TEAT” = “one used to BREASTFEED”, but of course for that to be fair there should be a reverse reference from 26 to 18.

A fun puzzle, fairly straightforward, with some nice twists to get one’s head around. Slowed down for a bit by spelling CENTER wrong without thinking… and 9 came last, in bits and pieces… one of the last stages was “porter” which set me looking for names, then came CHARLIE and it clicked.

Thanks for the fine blog, Eileen, and for the enjoyable puzzle, Paul!

By: Paul B

Paul B — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:45:36 +0000

Bear a child consuming large meal, female on the end? (10)

… is in The Guardian, it should be remembered, where as a setter, I suggest, you get a bit more leeway by tradition.

I think others have lit upon this already, but the problem seems to be that the manipulation required to turn FEAST into EASTF isn’t particularly accurate (strictly it leads to FEASTF), which is odd for this compiler.

But WTH: it’s still a piece full of excellent and amusing clues. The ‘row’ pun in particular I liked, with BEER GOGGLES and LEFT RIGHT AND CENTRE close behind.

By: Wolfie

Wolfie — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:48:32 +0000

I agree with those who consider that 26ac can, at a pinch, be taken as an &lit. My objection to it, however, is that it is the sort of contrived and ugly sentence that only occurs in Crossword Land.

I enjoyed the rest of the puzzle though!

Thanks Eileen for your blog – as thorough and clear as ever.

By: carneddi

carneddi — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:53:25 +0000

Re 6d…
Q – What did the Slug say to the Snail?
A – Wanna buy a Big Issue!!

By: tupu

tupu — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:31:43 +0000

Hi Thomas99

Thanks. I think I’ll buy that – the whole clue does double duty as a definition and as building instructions. I imagine NeilW @4 also had that in mind.

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:28:35 +0000

tupu-
Sorry, I won’t add any more after this. But your comment at 32 isn’t right. It’s an &lit. You don’t lose anything. Everything is both wordplay and definition. Just read the clue again. It’s so obviously simultaneously clear wordplay “AND LITERALLY” describing breastfeeding!

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:25:48 +0000

RC Whiting @26 – I think that hits the nail on the head rather more succinctly than I could. People seem oddly unwilling to accept it as an &lit. It’s very strange.

By: tupu

tupu — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:25:16 +0000

RCW

Ingenious reading of bear a child consuming but where then does ‘breed’ containing ‘eastf’ (= the large meal, female on the end fit in)? You have admittedly produced a definition but at the cost of losing the instructions of how to produce the answer.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:24:06 +0000

Ad that goes for 29, too.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:22:46 +0000

I’m sorry – I took so long to compose that that I completely missed 25-27 but I’m going to call a halt here.