Comments on: Guardian Prize Puzzle 25,556 by Araucaria

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:23:05 +0000

RCW, just making it clear that my comment @26 refers to HH’s comment and Davy’s reply, not yours.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:56:12 +0000

Mr Beaver
You leave me quite confused.
“I don’t agree with HH and RCW re Araucaria – ”
Araucaria is my favoutite setter and has been for 50 years.
What, in my ironic comment re HH, do you think indicates otherwise.
I do not bother replying to any comment Davy makes since he seems to like following me around and being unnecessarily rude or completely failing to understand my comments.

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:45:48 +0000

Mr Beaver @27, my thoughts too. To a certain extent one has to tolerate apparent rudeness and intolerance, otherwise how is your own behaviour different? Banning comments you don’t like gets nobody anywhere.

By: Mr Beaver

Mr Beaver — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:01:28 +0000

Davy @12. Not sure if you were being ironic, but I would take great umbrage if mild criticisms were censored as you suggest.
I don’t agree with HH and RCW re Araucaria – I always turn to his crosswords with great relish – but they’re entitled to their opinions, however eccentric

By: crosser

crosser — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:59:49 +0000

Thanks, Wolfie and Biggles.
Of course, “It’s just not on” is very familiar – it must have been the lack of a negative that confused me!

By: Biggles A

Biggles A — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:32:39 +0000

One of the OED definitions for ON:

Acceptable; played according to the rules of a game (originally esp. in Snooker); conforming to a standard of behaviour, etc.; practicable, feasible. Freq. in negative contexts, esp. in it’s (just) not on .

By: Wolfie

Wolfie — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:28:15 +0000

Sorry about missed apostrophe in club’s …

By: Wolfie

Wolfie — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:26:31 +0000

Good morning Crosser @22

ON as a synonym for POSSIBLE occurs in expressions such as ‘The Chelsea manager believes that a top-four finish is still on, despite the clubs recent poor results’.

By: crosser

crosser — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:43:08 +0000

Thanks, PeeDee and, of course, Araucaria who never fails to amaze me.
Like Chas, I first went to A Midsummer Night’s Dream for moonshine at 24a and wasted a bit of time there.
I finished this but at the risk of sounding dim, I would like someone to explain ON = possible in 18a. Thanks.

By: Vin

Vin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:05:23 +0000

Sellers, even.