Comments on: Guardian 25,608 – Brendan

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:13:37 +0000

TMR
‘stuff’is a regular in cryptics as a synonym for textiles,so stuff= tweed is direct.

By: tupu

tupu — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:38:24 +0000

Hi TMR

I think, as menehi says, the vehicle is ‘camion’ with P for poarking inside.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:35:18 +0000

TMR @21

French vehicle = camion, p = parking = campion (a flower)

See blog above.

By: g larsen

g larsen — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:32:34 +0000

TMR @21

Look again – the French vehicle is CAMION, which is surely well-known to those with even a smattering of French.

I thought this was a terrific puzzle – felicitations a Brendan!

By: TMR

TMR — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:20:13 +0000

Didn’t appreciate this one at all I’m afraid. It’s fine to have a theme but not fine to use CAMPION as “French vehicle” – I studied French to a respectable level and have never come across that word. YOYO I also found obscure, and “stuff = material = tweed” is unacceptably indirect.

Aside from that there were a couple of decent clues but not enough to salvage this one.

By: Frances

Frances — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:00:24 +0000

I loved this one, so thank you Brendan.

I’m usually a lurker a few days or weeks later, as it often takes me that long to finally give up. But I’ve just spent 4 happy hours on this one with only 4d unsolved (several unexplained – so thanks, Manehi). I was looking for a 4-letter fruit with ‘R’ for river in it. “Limers” nearly worked! Having cheated on that one, 12a came nicely.

Martin @18 – You weren’t alone in your reasoning!!!

I’ll be back if/when I ever finish on the same day again.

By: brucew_aus

brucew_aus — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:37:11 +0000

A very nice puzzle today … thanks Brendan and comprehensively blogged … thank manehi.

Spoiled with two good ones in a row. First in TANGO and last one in was MICHELIN with a groan when realised that it was the star-ratings for hotels and restaurants. Needed help with the parsing of YO-YO MA.

Such clever and subtle clueing with favourites 24, 19d and 5d. Nice to see NED make it two days running.

By: martin

martin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:57:57 +0000

13d. As communicated by pilot… “in de air” (India). I know, terrible, but that’s how my brain worked!

By: Dave H

Dave H — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:11:55 +0000

Firstly thanks for the blog as I was one who certainly neded it to explain 5d, 20a, 29a and 27d.
Usually really enjoy Brendan and I don,t wish to be the party pooper but I have a big issue with clues that have no cryptic element to them and soley rely on knowledge to get the answer. This is particularily true of 5d and 20a where I have absolutely no knowledge of the quote and writings of Wilde and Browning and there was no other way of determining an answer. At least 29a had an anagram and 27d a definition which led to reference searches to establish the reason for the answer.
Apart from this gripe I thought the rest of the crossword was first rate.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:49:16 +0000

MJ
Thanks for correction. Strangely, 8d was one of my first in which would not have happened if I had known that.