Comments on: Guardian Cryptic N° 25,751 by Gordius

By: Davy

Davy — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:16:18 +0000

Thanks rhotician for your sevensquared response. Quite obvious really. I am grateful and not an ingrate…leading to great. Great.

By: rhotician

rhotician — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:52:04 +0000

On the other hand, thinking about it, ‘inlets’ gives LEST. I’ve had enough now.

By: rhotician

rhotician — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:37:12 +0000

Davy – I’m sure Paul B doesn’t intend to baffle, but he does like to be cryptic.

Think of the use of ‘urchin’ in the CHURCHILL clue. Now think about ‘inferno’ but forget about ‘no-no’. Reading ‘inferno’ as ‘in fern o’ gives three possibilities, none of which are words. He’s inviting us find a word in-something-something that leads to a real word.

He chose ‘inferno’ as an example that doesn’t work because the ‘urchin’ device and the ‘no-no’ device are related, one indicating addition, the other subtraction.

I suspect in-something-d or in-something-r might yield something appropriate but I don’t feel like thinking about it.

By: Davy

Davy — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:26:48 +0000

Re Paul B at 44

As always, you tend to baffle me. Maybe it is your intention to baffle but how could FERON (assuming that the word existed)
possibly be an answer?. I see that INFERNO has two Ns so removing NO leads to two possibilities which are INFER and IFERN
but not FERON. Please explain simply or is this just another joke !.

By: rhotician

rhotician — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 02:04:02 +0000

Sil – I think you’re right. I didn’t like ‘is’ myself. Your clue, to be read ‘hell has’ fixes it. And ‘that’ can just be removed.

By: duncan

duncan — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:58:10 +0000

went with “martini vermouth”, lost the whole NW corner on that account. should’ve got the crossers, but I’ve never heard of “italian vermouth”. oh well. no problem here with “urch” in “chill”…

duncan.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:58:47 +0000

I have no problems with Gordius, even if ‘historically’ (not to be confused by ‘hysterically’) I often oscillate between plus and minus when it’s a G-day.
I agree with some that this was a lot easier than the average Gordius, although TOOL (10ac) defeated us.

Now this, 15 across:

“A subtraction: INFER[no] with no NO. I like that one” [Peter O, many thanks for your excellent blog!]

“me thinks there was another crossword recently which used inferno with the end missing. that crossword i thought it was a great clue, but having seen the construct once this was rather a disappointment” [rcc]

“rrc@39 I thought also I had seen something similar. Shed had: “Hell hath no…”? – work it out on 7 July 2012 puzzle 25,767. I think I prefer Gordius’ version” [Dave Ellison]

“….. that hell IS a no-no?” [me]

IS? [me, again ]
Shouldn’t the clue be “Conclude that hell’s a no-no?”.
Apart from the fact that I also don’t see a role for ‘that’ (although I can live with, er ‘that’).
Maybe I’m nitpicking, maybe I’m missing something.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:47:44 +0000

Re INFERNO, shurely for Guardianistas this leads to FERON, or FOERN? Well, unfortunately there isn’t a FEORN either, dammit, but … let’s keep looking anyway.

Somewhere out there, there is an in-something-something that leads to a real word.

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:06:21 +0000

Davy @42

“For those who say this puzzle was too easy, just remember that the Guardian Cryptic is not published just
for the better solvers who post comments here. It is published for everyone who happens to buy the paper
or print it off from the website.” or do it online.

But however they access the puzzle and regardless of their skill level they are all surely entitled to an opinion!!!!!

By: Davy

Davy — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 20:27:24 +0000

Thanks Peter,

I thought this was an enjoyable puzzle from Gordius and particularly admired the cheek of NEWS CORPORATION.
Gordius has been heavily criticised in the past but I think his puzzles have improved significantly.

For those who say this puzzle was too easy, just remember that the Guardian Cryptic is not published just
for the better solvers who post comments here. It is published for everyone who happens to buy the paper
or print it off from the website.