Comments on: Guardian Cryptic N° 25,846 by Paul

By: Alan

Alan — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 15:30:10 +0000

Living in France I have to rely on somewhat erratic postal deliveries (especially over the Christmas holiday period) and I am therefore very behind with the Guardian puzzle. Did anyone ever resolve the SNICKERSNEE/SNICKERSEE business, or was it just an error?

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:54:46 +0000

I did the crossword late and enjoyed it, until a real struggle with 12d and 13a – couldn’t think of an appropriate vessel to begin with. Snickersee finally dawned on me and I wondered if it was a variant spelling but Chambers put paid to that. G & S meant I was familiar with the real word.

I can forgive Paul, but I thought there was a crossword editor at the Guardian who really ought to pick up this sort of thing: I had an email exchange with the then editor a few years ago when I inquired ironically about one clue that seemed to contain a mistake and got a very bad-tempered reply in which he claimed to solve all the crosswords himself before they were printed. I didn’t believe him then and haven’t since – which is a shame because the Guardian is easily the most fun of the daily efforts.

By: sidey

sidey — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:13:33 +0000

Brendan @24 the first quote in the OED is 1964 B. Humphries in Nice Night’s Entertainment (1981) 77 When I’d swallowed the last prawn I had a Technicolor yawn.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:33:40 +0000

A crossword to celebrate the Norovirus, it would seem. And why not.

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:23:56 +0000

sidey @23

Nobody has mentioned it because you are the first person to do it.

Technicolor is a trade name. The adjective modelled on it is technicolour. (see Chambers) Which was correctly used in the Bazza Mckenzie Private Eye strip.

By: sidey

sidey — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:03:19 +0000

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the misspelling of Technicolor yawn.

By: tupu

tupu — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:50:05 +0000

Thanks PeterO and Paul

I struggled with this on and off for much of the day. I was convinced it must be because of a cold, but am glad not to have been alone.

I saw snickersee and very reluctantly plumped for it in the end. I eventually got everything except ‘hop the twig’. I saw that 8d might be ‘denver…’ but the wordplay was a step too far for me at that stage. I only saw boot and the correct parsing on looking in the dictionary. I realise I had seen the expression before.

I was amused re 10a to see a hint in the adjacent picture of Zaha being booked for the offence.

Some very clever cluing as others have pointed out. I guessed 11a and 20a from the wordplay.

I quite liked 13a and 24a. 12a could have been a great clue – a pity.

By: nametab

nametab — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:08:31 +0000

I enjoy the level of difficulty, but if its midweek, then it gets too late because am unable to start before 10pm.
Nonetheless, it’s addictive, but have had to stop, having failed on INCA & 12d (never heard of answer, and no word-checker availed owing to error). Only got 19,2 at very last because that was all that would fit the crossers. COD 24a. Thanks to Peter O. Goodnight all

By: plotinus3

plotinus3 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:49:32 +0000

Agree with Wolfie @ 18. Some great clues but too many that are too clever by three quarters. And so to bed, irritable.

By: Morpheus

Morpheus — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:48:55 +0000

Don’t mind a tough workout but can we have more of them on Saturdays please? For some reason Saturdays have been fairly unchallenging of late. Maybe the thinking is that Saturday sees more occasional solvers so shouldn’t be too hard or maybe it’s just random editing?…