Comments on: Guardian 25,561 – Araucaria

By: Gordon

Gordon — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:21:22 +0000

Hi Andrew
Thanks for responding.
I had thought of a homophone, but still could not make it work; and as ATIC is given in my Collins as a legitimate suffix of Greek origin I got fixated on that, trying to somehow make that ‘Loud’. I had forgotten about Attica the place and only thought of attic the room.
Its amazing how I can finish the Genius usually, but get stuck on what I now see as a simple clue!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:19:46 +0000

Hi Gordon. “Loud” indicates that a homphone is to be used, so the second part of the answer is the non-word “atic” rather than “attic”.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:18:25 +0000

Hi Andrew
If you are still checking this blog, could you please explain how ‘Loud’ is used as part of 21a. I understand the ‘Atic’ bit being Greek, but not the reference to loud.
Thank you

By: pangapilot

pangapilot — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:10:13 +0000

re #33,line 2: I should have spelt it out in full “to spoonerise fodder put through the mill [i.e. hay ground]“

By: pangapilot

pangapilot — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:00:36 +0000

My comment #55 on Arachne’s most recent [Spooner’s kinkajou is BUNNY HAIR.] is borne out by the word order in The Master’s 6d. That is, “Spooner’s fodder” prompts you to spoonerise a synonym for fodder and get a dog, not vice versa. Similarly, I still maintain that Arachne’s clue asks you to spoonerise a synonym for kinkajou (i.e.honey bear) and get a phrase for rabbit fur. But maybe I should just drop it!

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:07:21 +0000

Re posts 15 and 30. Who would you rather believe? Chambers or an aeronautical engineer? Tell you what, you fly in a plane designed by Chambers, just don’t invite me!

As to the crossword, way over my head, so commenting would be unfair.

By: Cosafina

Cosafina — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:28:28 +0000

wonderful puzzle which I only just got round to, having been in a training course all day. Didn’t get 20d, and have only heard of “the cat sat on the mat” (never a pew) so 15a flummoxed me until I got 4a and worked backwards.
Happy Birthday Araucaria – long may you reign!

By: Mr A Writinghawk

Mr A Writinghawk — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:40:29 +0000

Many happy returns to A and many there be many more such crosswords, and allow me to point out, to still any suspicion of the slightest flaw in this sublime outing, that Chambers s.v. ‘aileron’ says “a flap on an aeroplane wing tip for lateral balancing”.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:29:55 +0000

Agreed Duncan:
“seem to be raising objections about being driven to the extra research if a solution is unknown to them;”

The critical word there is “them”. I’m guessing here, but I estimate that each day around 75% of the solutions are unknown to at least one solver. Note: solver, not poster on this MB!

By: duncan

duncan — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:54:05 +0000

doesn’t anyone else remember windsor davies’ character in “it ain’t half hot, mum!” referring to the troupe’s pianist as paderewski? that’s where I first heard the name, though having a piano-teacher mother helped.
enjoyed today, though I couldn’t complete it. some of the comments over at the crossword itself seem to be raising objections about being driven to the extra research if a solution is unknown to them; me, I don’t mind discovereing a new word, whether by google, wikipedia or whatever. I had no idea what rosellas were, though I could see the bits & had the crossers. didn’t know mugger as a kind of handbag material. never heard of mr steele. but now I have.

duncan.