Comments on: Guardian 25,863 – Crucible

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:49:30 +0000

Re DL @48 “Isn’t that the argument promulgated by the National Rifle Association?”

By: rhotician

rhotician — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:38:53 +0000

I have no objection to iPods, nor to the appearance of IPOD in a crossword. But ‘Shuffle,say’?

By: Ian SW3

Ian SW3 — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:29:17 +0000

Lovely puzzle. More like this, please.

By: rhotician

rhotician — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:23:45 +0000

Thomas99 @38.

I should have known better than to assume that you were using ‘more honoured’ in the now more usual way than Hamlet’s. Even so I can’t agree that the “‘rule’ shouldn’t be followed”. I can agree that some clues diverge from the customary placement of the definition and are often the better for it.

As for ‘canard’ neither Chambers nor Collins support mere ‘belief’.

I also agree with you that muffin @15 is wrong, but you could perhaps have expressed yourself in a less highfalutin way.

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:21:13 +0000

Re @45 & @46: Isn’t that the argument promulgated by the National Rifle Association?

RE @47: that’s what I heard when I went down to the crossroads!

By: Paul B

Paul B — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:31:41 +0000

Devil, best tunes etc?

By: Brendan (not that one)

Brendan (not that one) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:21:57 +0000

I finally managed to finish this. Like a lot of others a big struggle with the NE corner.

It probably was a little to “clever” but I enjoyed the struggle. Too hard rather than too easy for me any day!

However I’m more and more puzzled by the fact that Saturday standard puzzles are being published on weekdays and that more and more crosswords are appearing with unchecked errors!

With regard to the iPod debate, I assume that the “refusers” of such devices also forgo radios and record players. The only difference after all is size and and added functonality.

I rejoiced the day Walkmans etc appeared as a lot of them replaced the awful ghetto blaster! Most of the annoying people with iPods are equally obnoxious without them so don’t blame the device. They truly are a boon!

By: Mitz

Mitz — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:26:45 +0000

Totally agree Derek – if you are in friendly company then to shut yourself off by plugging in your iPod or somesuch would be very rude. But it is the person being rude, not the device.

If a machine that can store thousands of pieces of music, any of which can be accessed and enjoyed within seconds, is infernal, then I hope The Devil sorted out his patent application properly – if you ask me such things are a miracle of technology.

By: Derek Lazenby

Derek Lazenby — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:06:17 +0000

Where I was brought up, it was always considered antisocial not to talk to strangers. Only mean minded, self centered people didn’t. But regardless of that, those infernal devices don’t just get used in the company of strangers, and then their use is precisely as I stated, regardless of how you regard strangers.

By: RCWhiting

RCWhiting — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:58:43 +0000

Thanks all
This was a toughie for me so extra thanks.
I failed to get ‘isopod’ and ‘shlock’.
I agree with Mitz @ 40 that the fact that I do not own a mobile anything hardly makes it unfair to use one in a clue.
Last in apart from failures was ‘tiptoe’, a clever clue
I was in the ranks of those who found ‘foxy’ hard to accept.