Comments on: Guardian 25,776 – Pasquale

By: Huw Powell

Huw Powell — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:40:02 +0000

It took me a month and a half to solve this, but I eventually got there!

Enough to like to be able to “forgive” the doubling of “mass”. I liked 12, along with most of the puzzle.

By: brucew_aus

brucew_aus — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:28:03 +0000

Thanks Pasquale and manehi

Like many, I found this one quite tough -and not helped by a major dose of hay fever! Never got a real run on with it after starting with TAIGA and KANT. Only got the long anagram when 1and 9 submitted – it has to be my cod to create a long anagram with such a relevant surface. Plenty of other fine clues in a puzzle that provided a lot of satisfaction when MARROW went in to complete.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:12:53 +0000

OK, RCW, that makes sense.
Thanks.
Also many thanks to manehi.
And despite the inelegancy in 15ac, to Pasquale for an otherwise good crossword (one that was a real challenge).

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:51:53 +0000

Sil
I think you need to read 7d as ‘old cat is (cat’s) being drowned…..’.
Then ‘cat is (cat’s) can be replaced with ‘pussy is (pussy’s).

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:42:24 +0000

As others said, a very tough crossword.
Since nobody mentioned it, I can’t see (yet) why in 7d CAT equals PUSSY’S (“11″).

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:09:36 +0000

Not as tough as Tuesday’s for me but still a good challenge.

I very much enjoyed this which was a surprise as I don’t usually get on with “The Don”.

Got the long anagram very early on but struggled mostly with the SW corner.

Last in was “taiga” as I’d never heard of it!! The word play was fairly explicit and it was only my own obtuseness which caused the delay.

As regards the double “mass”, surely if Pasquale doesn’t see his own “mistakes” then the crossword editor should. Isn’t that his job after all?

Thanks for the blog Manehi and Don for the puzzle.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:06:32 +0000

I see.Good point.
Rather like the ‘mass’ complaints.

By: Gervase

Gervase — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:54:34 +0000

RCW: I agree that ‘be’ is essential for 1a. Hiding a clue word in a charade is a common device. However, my quibble was that it isn’t very elegant to have the first word of the clue incorporated unchanged as the first part of the solution.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:55:25 +0000

Thanks all
A filling meal on Thursday does not compensate for an empty stomach on Monday.
This was definitely a sumptuous feast. A real little challenge.
Last in was ‘Motown’; a delicious clue.
27ac puzzled me because I took ‘situation’ as ‘site’ rather than ‘state’.
Gervase @3
I think the ‘be’ is essential but the ‘up’ could have been left out.
17ac Although I got I(c)an quite easily it was a while before I linked to ‘Belly’ (very weird nicknames England cricketers use? – show no ingenuity). A good clue.

By: John

John — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:07:50 +0000

Anyone else think it’s Monday?