Comments on: Guardian 25,815 – Rufus

By: William Smith-Haddon

William Smith-Haddon — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:28:51 +0000

PeeDee above. I agree with you and was also hoping I’d missed something. For me the clue doesn’t really work as the ‘return game’ and the ‘a’ need to be the other way round.

Hey-ho, a nice puzzle nonetheless.

By: PeeDee

PeeDee — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:34:40 +0000

I was hoping someone would would have a clever explanation for RAURL, but it seems that it is just a bit of licence. Unusual for Rufus I think, he produces outrageous cryptic definitions all the time, but his wordplay is usually very sound.

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:46:51 +0000

Welcome back. Seems faster all round already.

I thought this wasn’t one of his easiest.

I liked the way either end of 27 could have been the definition or the anagrind, well before solving that is. That helped to make the solving of the anagram a bit less obvious.

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:14:26 +0000

Quite a nice Rufus. Not too difficult but some nice clues.

I must agree with NeilW @9 regarding RURAL though. Didn’t notice at the time though.

Last in were CROSSES and STIR as with other posters.

Thanks to Andrew and Rufus.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:49:24 +0000

Thanks all
Not very difficult but a league above the usual Monday offering.
The SE corner turned it into a respectable puzzle for The Guardian. Last written in was ‘grated’ although I had it much earlier but doubted ‘grated’ = ‘grilled’,eventually accepted it.
Otherwise,last was ‘sleepwalk’.
I thought 9ac was very clever.

By: Robi

Robi — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:14:15 +0000

Enjoyable puzzle, tricky in parts.

Thanks Andrew; like some others I got stuck on CROSSES – my last in. I particularly liked SLEEPWALK and UNCLOTHED. As you said, DYSLEXIA was a bit of a giveaway. Maybe ‘cyclopia’ could have been used instead, giving the possibility of a less obvious definition.

By: chas

chas — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:57:06 +0000

Thanks Andrew for the blog.

on 5d I got the idea fairly early on of somebody accompanying a young female but got stuck on ideas like nurse and nanny. When I had all the crossing letters I eventually saw the light

I also was held up on 11 looking for a reversal or even an anagram.

By: NeilW

NeilW — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:10:16 +0000

Thanks, Andrew.

Doesn’t “A return game between two sides in the country” clue RAURL, though?

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:02:26 +0000

Sorry Bryan, I don’t agree. It would need to be PROSPERS to fit the clue and CROSSES is clearly correct. I also got stuck with this and STIR though.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:51:35 +0000

Many thanks Andrew & Rufus.

I opted for PROSPER for 17a.

And I am confident that everyone will now agree that this is very much better.