Comments on: Guardian Cryptic N° 25,828 by Orlando

By: brucew_aus

brucew_aus — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:58:42 +0000

Thanks Orlando and PeterO

Did finish this late on Boxing Day but have only just checked it after driving Melbourne – Sydney (what we do to visit relos!)

As others, found it challenging in places not helped by lazily writing ESCAPEE in at 17. Had to check up on SHAMMY (spelling) and LUNG as open spaces (closest I could find was a green lung – so happy enough).

Had G – RANITA after finding her as a Hebrew girl’s name.

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 14:21:47 +0000

Quite tricky for me too. So much so that I’ve just entered the last 2. ISSUER and SHAMMY. Main delay caused by having APPLAUDED and FLUNG for 13 and 22d!!! (I blame the Champagne!)

Thanks to PeterO and OrlandO

By: PeterO

PeterO — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 09:47:54 +0000

John @12

The OED gives the first appearance of ‘shammie’ in T Baker’s Art of Angling. dated 1651, and spelled with a y in the 1653 edition.

By: john McCartney

john McCartney — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 08:54:41 +0000

Shammy? Is that acceptable now? Chamois is the word, pronounced “shammy” in English car salesman argot, I know, but surely not in dictionary? O tempora, o mores!

By: g larsen

g larsen — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 00:09:59 +0000

All was going well except for the SW corner, where I scuppered myself by putting ‘recounted’ for 13d. It does fit the clue well, but for the surplus ‘article’.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:56:40 +0000

“Robi @ 7 – are you familiar with the Betjeman poem that starts “Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough”?”

Or, more relevantly, the Slough of Despond in ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slough_of_Despond

Like tupu, I came to this late, owing to family festivities, but couldn’t miss an Orlando. Many thanks to him ,as always, for a witty and entertaining holiday puzzle – and to PeterO for the blog.

By: muffin

muffin — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 19:20:57 +0000

Thanks to Orlando and PeterO

After overindulgence I found this hard work – I gave up on ISSUER.

Robi @ 7 – are you familiar with the Betjeman poem that starts “Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough”?

By: tupu

tupu — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:52:34 +0000

Thanks PeterOand Orlando

I only got hold of this late afternoon. I too found it quite tricky in places. I had to check ‘lung’ and did not parse the second half of ‘trimaran’ though the answer itself was clear enough. I particularly liked 12a, 22a, 24a, 6d, and 7d.

By: Robi

Robi — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:36:31 +0000

Thanks Orlando and PeterO.

I thought this was quite tricky, especially as I didn’t know SLOUGH=mud-filled hollow (so, the name for the town? ) and LUNG=open space in town. Couldn’t parse TRIMARAN and got caught by the Adonis in 8. My brain must be addled after the Christmas festivities.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:51:57 +0000

Thanks all
I thought this was thankfully very tricky.
Last in was ‘amorist’,I had been convinced it was ‘amorini’ (plural loves) but couldn’t fit the ‘film’ in.
This led me to struggle with Bartok.
I didn’t know ‘granita’ and spent a while on glacé derivatives.
A good workout, well done.