Comments on: Guardian Cryptic N° 25,603 by Philistine

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:05:13 +0000

This puzzle was perfect. There were very many clever clues which were enjoyable to work out. AND all the solutions were accessible. For the first time for years I did not have to look up a thing in any dictionary, thesaurus, etc, etc, nor go on line. Thus, all of my time was happily spent enjoying solving the clues.

By: ernie

ernie — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:27:12 +0000

Found this a slog. Got a lot of the answers before understanding the reasons which turned out to be good and accurate. CO2 is a double definition. Thanks for the blog.

By: Rorschach

Rorschach — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:02:12 +0000

Does anyone else get a little spooked when you get deja vu in cryptics close together across papers?

I’m thinking especially here of Nimrod in the Indy yesterday using “Dawn perhaps” as an indicator for SUNup i.e. NUS (for NIDUS with “papers” inside) and Philistine today with SUNRISE as NUS rising. One day after the other and one is a reverse of the other but a little creepy all the same…

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:09:09 +0000

RCW @17. Split CO2 in CO and 2 then you get the definition (CO) and the subsidiary part (2).

By: Paul B

Paul B — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:09:53 +0000

Hmm. Nice grid though. Have you noticed how grids that have as the top left block position 2:2 are usually a good bet? It would, it seems to me, take a fair deal of bludgeoning to wreck one entirely.

By: nametab

nametab — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:55:37 +0000

I had Renee too for most of puzzle, and yet, once seen (which was only when I realised that no word fitted at 6d, Irene seems more obvious. Anyone remember Renee Houston? I like parsing of 16ac now that PeterO has explained – thanks. Couldn’t work out why GHOUL could be parsed for 12ac, so TROLL was last entry, after penny dropped for next-to-last 8d.

By: Robi

Robi — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:53:29 +0000

Carneddi @20; I'm sure you're right, although I see that Bronwyn is given as a variant of Bronwen.

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:48:41 +0000

Loved it! Philistine crosswords are so entertaining and thought-provoking.

By: cholecyst

cholecyst — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:54:56 +0000

I was also lead astray by RENEE but found this an amusing puzzle.

carneddi @26. I was hoping a Welsh speaker might drop in (I’m not one, unfortunately). Thank you! Strange that we are expected to be familiar with simple French, Italian, Spanish, Latin etc but not with our native languages apart from English.

By: Gervase

Gervase — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:30:30 +0000

Thanks, PeterO.

Quite diverting, with some unusual constructions, though not (IMHO) up to the standard of his previous puzzles. The clue for COMPANY didn’t work for me; and I was another who found that RENEE didn’t walk away, until her crossing letters showed the mistake…