Comments on: Guardian Prize Puzzle 25,700 by Crucible

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:07:23 +0000

PeeDee @15, you’re probably right as Crossword Compiler doesn’t allow one to shorten the word count.
But 4d and 5d could easily been clued as (15) with some kind of remark in the preamble doing the trick.

That said, I stick to my point of view that this was a nice puzzle and very refreshing compared to some recent Prizes.

By: Biggles A

Biggles A — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 21:53:40 +0000

If anybody is still out there it belatedly occurs to me that the reference in 17 could be to a baggage carousel which, without edges, could indeed make rather a mess.

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 14:22:30 +0000

I suspect that Crucible had to use the shortened word count to match the grid entry so that the Guardian’s online crossword application would still work. The full word count would have been better as it would not have signalled so clearly where the letters were omitted, but editorially it might not have been an option.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 11:07:09 +0000

BTW, er, …. my failure
Did I say “who’s”? Shame on me, unforgivable – “whose”, of course.
One can always blame it on me being a B&^%$y Foreigner .

As to the enumeration, yes, you’re probably right.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 09:41:14 +0000

RCW is presumably being ‘allusive’ Sil. He himself I suspect is an allusion. Or even an illusion.

But perhaps he means that the cut films should have been enumerated in full, since solvers are very clearly directed in the preamble as to what to do. To my way of thinking, the game was rather given away in that respect – no deduction required.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 22:23:41 +0000

RCW: “Another failure caused by enumeratio.”
I like that – very witty.

But who’s failure?
Yours? Crucible’s?

Nowadays, there is not much variety when it comes to who is setting the prize crossword. It is usually either Araucaria or Paul. Both really great setters, of course, but having (more often, please) a Shed or – like this time – a Crucible is very refreshing.

I am very disappointed by the lukewarm reception of this puzzle.
But then again: we are all different, aren’t we?

So, RCW, who’s failure?

By: r_c_a_d

r_c_a_d — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 22:07:24 +0000

Disappointing, mostly.

BTW the power unit in 4d is kW, I think.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 14:22:50 +0000

Thanks all
Another failure caused by enumeratio.

By: duncan

duncan — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 12:17:47 +0000

I put the movie titles in, though I remain as unconvinced now as then that the “endings” of either were cut. is it accepted crossword-shorthand for “cut” always to mean the end of a word is truncated? I should have thought that in this instance, we might equally have presumed some letters were to be missed from “during” the solution, not just the ending.

in fact, ACO did have an alternate ending…

I think ACO was also subjected to a number of censorial edits prior to its release, though the fuss about it than came afterwards has probably eclipsed this.

I cannot speak for LTIP; not a fan.

By: Biggles A

Biggles A — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 10:52:58 +0000

Thanks again PeeDee. Quibble is the right word and I understand. I just think there should be some limit to how far the imagination has to stretch.