Comments on: Guardian Cryptic 25665 Rufus

By: Paul B

Paul B — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:34:52 +0000

Re 10ac I should say not, as it seems to be a pun, or cd, without any true definition. &lits tend to be unerringly accurate in defining their required words and phrases, even where large dollops of poetic licence are allowed.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:18:01 +0000

Prejudice and prejudgement did mean the same,they have moved apart with use over time, as many words do.
Hardly an howler in a cryptic crossword.

By: Innocent Abroad

Innocent Abroad — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:54:19 +0000

[6] No: I think 1A is fine, indeed I wonder if the Reverend himself has not done similar things in the past. The real howler is 20, where the clue wants “prejudged”, not “prejudiced”. They don’t mean the same thing!

By: Patrick Traill

Patrick Traill — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Is 10A not an and lit? Sell = dispose of, at a higher price = up.

By: rrc

rrc — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:28:53 +0000

1a was my last answer – I thought it was quite clever

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:10:34 +0000

Thanks all
Not a puzzle worth much discussion. I agree with JamesC @6.
More interesting is Derek’s amazing perceptiveness revealed @12.
How does he know that I am female?

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:33:26 +0000

Twas OK by me.

I think the blog suggestion in 11 would definitely cause a stir given the majority here are of the male persuasion!

By: John Appleton

John Appleton — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:28:52 +0000

1a doesn’t feel, IMHO, misleading enough to be cryptic, if that makes sense. A better example of such a clue comes from Rover:

“Three swans” is one of the answers (7) – ANAGRAM.

There’s something in the surface of the above that makes it just that bit more misleading, and perhaps a bit more satisfying when the penny drops.

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:38:06 +0000

JamesC @6 -
It’s fine to complain about “weak cryptic definitions” and “loose cluing” – but only if you say which clues and what you think is loose or weak (and why). To complain about the presence of ambiguity in a cryptic crossword, however, is absurd.

(To be fair you are specific about 1a but I can’t imagine what you think is wrong with it.)

By: Miche

Miche — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:53:54 +0000

Thanks, scchua.

I thought the use of the Irish for Ireland at 1a was a bit of a giveaway that it was the word Éire we were to consider, rather than the country.

USURPERS took me a while. Otherwise straightforward stuff.