Comments on: Guardian 25,667 – Paul

By: johnmcc

johnmcc — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 08:04:09 +0000

I’ve held off saying this for a couple of years now because I know how badly crit of setters goes down, but am I the only regular Graun solver who finds many of Paul’s clues . . . well, strained? 5 down for instance – so prolix! Just my twopenn’orth.

By: rhotician

rhotician — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:40:24 +0000

Tom @14 etc: Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Know what I mean?

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:31:17 +0000

Tom, you criticised the setter(s) for a particular habit.
I criticised posters on this MB for a similar habit(not you).
You carry on expressing your views, that’s what MBs are for.

By: Tom Hutton

Tom Hutton — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:33:10 +0000

RCWhiting @17. I don’t take delight in showing mock horror because I am not horrified. I just find it repetitive and tiresome. I am sorry that you find me wearing. I shall cease to comment lest I offend you again.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:58:04 +0000

Tom @14
“In spite of what Andrew says, I find the relentless suggestiveness of Paul’s crosswords rather wearing. It’s like having a child who has just learned a naughty word and insists on using it all the time in the house. Amusing the first time, tedious thereafter.”
What I find wearing is the way so many contributors on this MB take such delight or mock horror in finding them.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:26:55 +0000

Another nice Paul puzzle, not sure whether he’s ‘on the up’.
For me, he has always been in the upper zone of Crosswordland.

Just like others, I thought HELIPORT to be terrific.
And just like others, I did not like ‘another’ as the anagrind in 15ac.
But altogether, it was an enjoyable solve.

Due to ‘circumstances’, I had to do the Guardian (and Indy) puzzles online during the last three weeks but I must say, I cannot really get used to it – I still prefer solving them on paper. Alas.

Just one more thing about this puzzle and 27ac in particular.
The clue reads: ‘Erstwhile sweetheart crushed, it’s said’.
I immediately thought, isn’t ‘Had a crush on erstwhile sweetheart, it’s said’ much better?

By: Harv

Harv — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:23:15 +0000

Bit of a problem with the ‘brilliant &lit’ at 16. Helicopters have wings.

By: Tom Hutton

Tom Hutton — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:16:59 +0000

In spite of what Andrew says, I find the relentless suggestiveness of Paul’s crosswords rather wearing. It’s like having a child who has just learned a naughty word and insists on using it all the time in the house. Amusing the first time, tedious thereafter. A jolly good crossword though.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:49:10 +0000

Craggus is right - yes, my "worried" comment was not at all meant as a criticism of the puzzle, or to imply that I didn't enjoy it. It was about thinking it would take me a long time solve it and then write up the blog (at a rather unsocial time, though as there was a May Ball going on late into the night just behind my back garden it wasn't a day for an early night). I've heard Paul (John Halpern) say on several occasions that he thinks that (to paraphrase his words from memory) a good puzzle is one that leads the solver gradually and logically to the solution. I think this one succeeds admirably in that aim - as martin says, the progress from thinking you're getting nowhere to finishing the puzzle can be very satisfying.

By: Le Petomane

Le Petomane — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:07:35 +0000

The Bulgarian for hundred is “sto”. A stotinka(pl. stotinki) is a hundredth of a lev. Bought almost nothing in the days of the Peoples’ Republic, must be useless now. Familiarly known as “stinki”.