Comments on: Guardian 25,782 – Orlando

By: brucew_aus

brucew_aus — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:10:41 +0000

Thanks Orlando and Andrew
Look forward to the challenge of this setter and it was no exception. Finished it last week but with Melbourne Cup carnival started … only checked up on it today.

The orchestral group was new to me … so needed both fodder and reference help. A combination of factors led to a number not parsed properly – 10, 25 and 26.

Finished in NW corner with OCTOPUS and the clever ODDS ON – appropriate for this week!

By: William

William — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:19:11 +0000

Thanks Andrew, got ‘em all but, pathetically, couldn’t parse REELED OFF.

Gervase @4 I wish I’d spotted your ‘only one O’ wheeze, it would have forced the answer much more quickly.

CoD SIGHTSCREEN very elegant.

Excellent crossword Orlando, more please.

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:34:10 +0000

After yesterday’s defeat in the NE corner today was a pleasant stroll.

BITTERNS and ICE SKATING was enough to get the long anagram without having to look at the “fodder”. Then it was all over as it all fell into place.(That’s the problem/benefit of long answers)

Last in were 1 and 28d not long after.

Enjoyable puzzle though as ever with Orlando. Thanks to him and Andrew.

By: Galeraman

Galeraman — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:19:35 +0000

Yes RCW (@14 I agree! I have never heard oyster for native. I only got it because nothing else seemed possible! I must have lived a long sheltered life.

By: SeanDimly

SeanDimly — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:12:20 +0000

Thanks Orlando and Andrew. Favourite clue, 17d.
Also liked that the clue for 20d contained the phrase ‘in the shade’, which is where the 1a’s garden was.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:16:09 +0000

Like Robi with his ‘flower = river’ I have the same problem with ‘native = oyster’ – it delayed me again in this one.

By: Dave Ellison

Dave Ellison — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:44:57 +0000

Made very little progress with this one, as I failed to get the long clue; I had too few crossing letters to be of any use. I think if I had got THRUST, leading to ST (along with IN THE) I would probably have got it. But why did I fail to get THRUST? It seems obvious enough. Ah well, hope for something more 8d tomorrow.

By: Galeraman

Galeraman — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:03:04 +0000

Robi @6 “Yet again forgot flower=river – we haven’t had it much recently, I think.” Are you joking???

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:03:45 +0000

Thanks all
This started slowly and finished slowly so a satisfying exerise today.
I guessed all but’academy’ (in 5,11,18), using Gervase’s method, so had to do the long anagram check-off.
Last in was ‘grill room’ which I had solved much earlier but could not write in since I took a long time to parse it – no idea why.
I liked 1d (great definition) and 6d (clever).

By: Galeraman

Galeraman — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:13:58 +0000

Very many thanks Andrew and particularly Orlando for an imaginative puzzle. But for me it was by no means easy!! The long one went in almost immediately once I got off my fixation with Orchestra of etc. My COD by some distance was 17dn. But, like others I struggled with 6dn which was last in by some minutes. My only quibble was that I thought ex quiz It was a bit of a stretch!! When I got that, I was looking for a pangram but it was not to be.