Comments on: Genius 114 / Paul

By: NormanLinFrance

NormanLinFrance — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:34:45 +0000

@9 sidey
I can’t begin to imagine how difficult life must have been without the most basic conveniences

By: sidey

sidey — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 06:09:05 +0000

I enjoyed this too. But I’m surprised so many seem to find this word game novel, I can (just) remember doing this at school as well as adding one to numbers, you three-faced triple-crosser for instance. I may have had a deprivied childhood.

By: Jan

Jan — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:22:07 +0000

Thanks Gaufrid and Paul. I thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle, great fun. I didn’t make any notes this time but remember chuckling quite frequently at the sex changes and I also remember that it took a while to ‘see’ 23a and 25a.

By: DuncT

DuncT — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 18:31:36 +0000

Thanks for the blog Gaufrid. Overall I found this reasonably easy and really entertaining (24dn excepted – I wasn’t even sure it was right until now). 3,21 and 10,18 have already been mentioned, but my favourite new word is chrysanthedad. So much more satisfying than the non-words you often have to enter in this type of puzzle.

By: Trebor

Trebor — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:55:09 +0000

It was completed a while ago, but I do also recall being somewhat mystified by 24d.
Moving on though…Some of the SEXCHANGES here are absolutely inspired. TALLGIRL was my gateway via the absolute certainty that “TALLBOY” was the definition yet didn’t fit the checking letters – so the penny dropped quite quickly.
Terrific puzzle.

By: paul8hours

paul8hours — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 13:58:27 +0000

Ooops, I mean ridiculous of course ….

By: paul8hours

paul8hours — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 13:57:19 +0000

Thanks Paul & Gaufrid.
I had fun with this one, not only because I managed to finish a Genius for 2 months in a row.
I worked out 7a from the wordplay and that told me what ‘S 14a’ must be.
I had to laugh at 10 18, for the rediculous clue topped by the surreal answer.
I am as puzzled as anyone by 24d. I just hope this is not setting a precedent for clue structure in the second 100 years !

By: fearsome

fearsome — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 12:11:03 +0000

Thanks Gaufrid and Paul
Really enjoyed this one, it took me a while to get the theme and then still a fair struggle to complete so just right for the Genius.

By: NormanLinFrance

NormanLinFrance — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 10:39:56 +0000

Thanks for the blog, and the site in general.
When I found the first unamended answer (Haile Selassie)almost immediately I spent some long minutes looking at ways for £sd to replace £s and p’s or vice versa (ex-change)before the old and the new pennies dropped simultaneously.

By: Mr Beaver

Mr Beaver — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 08:57:36 +0000

Thanks Gaufrid, and thanks to Paul for a cracking puzzle – hard, as you say, but rewarding due to the beautifully surreal 14a’d answers.

I thought Haile Seladdie was wonderful, and particularly Little Lady Funcleleroy – haven’t I seen her singing the blues on Jools Holland ?

Our progress was very like yours – I think 30a was the one that finally made the penny drop, I was thrown off the scent by suspecting 23a was HEAF and thus the change was some form of truncation.

I see what you mean about 24a, it doesn’t follow the ‘rules’ but it’s very clear that EGRET is the intended answer, so I think it’s ok.