Comments on: Guardian Cryptic N° 25,842 by Araucaria

By: Richard Samson

Richard Samson — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:37:49 +0000

Thanks to all the FifteenSquared readers and writers, and warmest thanks and appreciation to Araucaria, who has almost always defeated me, but always in the nicest way.

By: Anton

Anton — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:50:41 +0000

24d: The “lawman” must be the physicist of Boyle’s Law fame. (Incidentally, in my country he shares the honour with a Frenchman, as in “Ley de Boyle-Mariotte”).

By: KeithS

KeithS — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:42:45 +0000

So pleased, briefly, to find another Araucaria in the Weekly. So sad to realize the news underlying it. It’s all been said by now, of course, but what a wonderful spirit to be able to clue 13,15 the way he did!

By: Jane 58

Jane 58 — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:25:52 +0000

Dear Araucaria, Thank you so much for your puzzles which have given me so much pleasure, encouragement and tuition – especially the jigsaws.

By: BernieD

BernieD — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:07:56 +0000

I always look forward to Araucaria in my Saturday Guardian and the many hours of digging into Roget’s and the OED and pondering the anagrams. I do not find the puzzles as easy as most of the regular contributors, but I still definitely enjoy the chase. Thank you Araucaria for all the pleasure you have given this poor solver, I wish you well and offer my gratitude for those puzzles you still have time to confound us with.

By: Jane 53

Jane 53 — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:46:40 +0000

When I tell my friends who have no interest in crosswords how much of Araucaria’s wonderful character is to be discovered in the clues he sets, they look at me as though I’ve rather lost my marbles. But it’d all there, isn’t it? The wit, the humanity, the ferocious intelligence and passionately held principles, all in abundance. And I just love the way a nonagenarian ex-vicar comes up with clues involving drug slang rock acts. Hero and genius, and I hope his last days are as happy and serene as they deserve to be.

By: Coffee

Coffee — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:13:09 +0000

Oh dear, how could I have missed this? Very upsetting news & want to join you all in wishing the Rev the very best Thank you for hours of head scratching, including those still to come.

By: copland smith

copland smith — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:15:39 +0000

Never have I felt so numb at the completion of a puzzle. May there many more puzzles, John, and thank you for decades of pleasure. Each time the name Araucaria turns up beside a puzzle, my day is lifted, before I even begin. Love and best wishes.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 18:34:10 +0000

Thanks all
This contribution is late because I have been in the CCU at the local hospital where I solved it.
I cannot express my gratitude any better than many of you have already done.
I must add that to fit so many relevant words into one puzzle was a major achievement and when I had finished it I was in a perfect place to tour the wards showing it to all the professionals and explaining the background.
A minor point which nobody else seems to have commented on: in 14d I found that ‘theftfoot’ fitted the cryptic perfectly (left foot forward) but it was uknown to me and the only reference available was “A Dictionary for Nurses” (!); of course it failed on the definition which I checked in Chambers when I came home today.
Oh! Those delightfully challenging ‘specials’ which Geoff Anderson remembers with such pleasure.

By: SteveC

SteveC — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 09:45:52 +0000

Devastating news indeed. Setrungo’s idea of planting a monkey puzzle tree in his memory seems perfectly fitting.