Comments on: Guardian Prize No 25610 by Paul

By: bruce_aus

bruce_aus — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:07:52 +0000

Thanks all

Agree that this was an easier version of Paul, especially for a Saturday Prize! Notwithstanding, it was an enjoyable solve with some standout clues – 26a,5d and 14a. Wasn’t able to parse 8a for some reason … so thanks for the help with that bridesong.

By: apple granny

apple granny — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:05:19 +0000

This was fun, but rather too easy for Paul and the weekend prize. But no complaints – more time for gardening and other things. I thought “Meow” was OK – quite amusing really. I like the schoolyard joke too, aztobesed @13. It’s some time since we submitted prize puzzles. Over the years we have won a Chambers, a Collins and a Thesaurus from Guardian or Observer. All are now very tatty, and need replacing/updating, but the Guardian prizes don’t seem so useful at present.

By: Andy D

Andy D — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:25:08 +0000

Enjoyed this one, but then I usually enjoy Paul’s puzzles. I like the type of theme where you’ve no temptation/need to search through lists online looking for possible answers. I didn’t get 24A for some time but that wasn’t a great hindrance.

Last in 19D and 14A. Favourites 5D 23A 17A 6D.

Prize puzzles seem to me to be rarely the most difficult of the week.

By: JoannaM

JoannaM — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:03:36 +0000

Many thanks Robi. I was having a senior moment, I fear.

By: aztobesed

aztobesed — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:58:23 +0000

2d? Paul should bear in mind for the future the schoolyard joke about the man who gets back to his flat and finds he’s locked himself out. Peering through the letter box he sees the cat on the stairs and tries to get the cat to open the latch from the inside – to which the cat replies “Me? ‘ow?”

Though this might have been difficult to phrase in a clue and may well have been even more objectionable.

By: Robi

Robi — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:49:31 +0000

NT=New Testament or ‘books.’

By: JoannaM

JoannaM — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:34:55 +0000

I too went down the guinea route for 22a for ages. Also had trouble with 17a. Can someone please explain why “reserving books” yields NT? thanks.

By: Robi

Robi — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:30:53 +0000

Not as entertaining as some of Paul's, but still enjoyable, although I took some time to see the key BIRD. I agree with bridgesong about 2d, which seems to be a rather lazy clue. 'Painful comment from cat, or setter' would surely have sufficed and would IMO have been better. I did particularly like COBBLERS and BEWILDER. No particular criticism of BEERFEST, which I think is in common parlance.

By: nametab

nametab — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:21:40 +0000

Whimsical more than challenging Paul. Some nice double meanings and misdirections, but once you got the theme it was straightforward.
Agree with sentiments of Tupu @7. No harm in having range of difficulty even for prize puzzle. (One from Custos that was several degrees easier than the rest used to crop up about every four weeks).
I, too, stopped submitting for the competition years back, but it would be interesting to know various statistics.

By: bridgesong

bridgesong — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 07:43:07 +0000

I should perhaps explain that my objection to 2 down is two-fold: partly it’s just too simple, but I mainly object to the word “me” appearing in both the clue and the solution, when it would have been relatively easy to construct a clue which didn’t use the word. Grandpuzzler’s parsing of the wordplay is of course correct.