Guardian Cryptic 26,933 by Rufus

37 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 26,933 by Rufus”

1. Thanks, PeterO and Rufus.

   Doh! Couldn’t explain BEAD – must be because it is early morning!

   A swift finish today. I liked TURNIP – very neat.

   I was wondering if ALUMNI is plural, how is ALUMNA the singular – a female student, of course.

2. Thanks both and good morning everyone.

   DE @1 Re ALUMNA, I would normally defer to Eileen for that sort of classical explanation!

   With BROWSED I spent ages looking for a synonym for ‘bed’ ending in B! Felt like a batsman caught out with a straight ball with no spin! Can’t remember the last time I saw this degree of simplicity in The Graun.

   I, too, liked TURNIP but felt this was at the lower end of that which this setter is capable.

   Nice week, all.

3. Thanks, PeterO and Rufus.

   Re ALUMNA: yes, Rufus doing an Arachne – good for him! [It’s a very neat clue, too.]

4. Thanks Rufus and PeterO
   Rufus at his most irritating. I realised that my STALAGMITE might be STALACTITE, but the former fits the definition better (formed from drips from above, while the latter doesn’t necessarily involve dripping) – it was wrong, of course. Why are ACES “units”? I know they can both refer to “ones”, but in rather different contexts. I didn’t like DWELL either. I tried FINANCIERS for 8d, though I agree in this case that DEPOSITORS is better.

5. My usual small gripes with R.. Not helped by putting worshipper at 20a. Grammar of 4 defeats me, and not sure about 1..most of my reading is for enjoyment:-) A lot of enjoyable clues too… So yes, usual mix.

6. I agree that 4D doesn’t really work. LOI for me.

7. re muffin @4 – The point that it is stalagmites which are formed by dripping is well made! Stalactites are formed by evaporation and no dripping is involved. I confess I only realised this after reading your comment and then consulting Chambers.

8. Re stalactites – surely something has to drip before it can evaporate? (or at least slide down to the point of the stalactite – does drip have to mean drop?)

   Also thought ECHOED a bit loose, as ECHOER and ECHOES would both fit and not violate the bounds of the clue.

   Thanks to setter and blogger.

9. I too waited for the crosser before eliminating STALAGMITE, but it occurs to me that “depends” also means “hangs”, which would fit STALACTITE.

10. Thank you Rufus and PeterO.

    I enjoyed this puzzle, especially the clues for TURNIP and ALUMNA. OCHE was new to me.

    A STALACTITE depends on “dripping” to grow (New Latin stalactites “to drip”, and meaning “that which drips”).

    A stalagmite depends on “drops”, or “droppings”, to grow (New Latin stalagmites “a drop”).

11. Thanks to Rufus and PeterO. I knew OCHE from previous puzzles but was slowed down by misspelling METHUSELAH (I got the last two vowels wrong) and could not parse DWELL. Still, a quick solve and much fun.

12. I had a ? beside DWELL and feel vindicated now I have been here. CHURCHGOER last in, despite all the crossers, and consideration of something religious as being the ‘service’ of the cd (as well as the forces, Downton Abbey etc). So all in all, pretty normal service for Rufus.

13. Thanks to Rufus and PeterO.

    Took a bit longer than I should have to get the NW. As did others, I had trouble getting DWELL 4d, my LOI, and I still am not sure about the parsing. I thought it odd that both clue and answer for 1a contained BED and looked for a synonym. OCHE 2d was a guess as I am not familiar with darts.

    I enjoyed solving some answers and was interested to learn the alternative meaning of METHUSELAH 15a.

14. Logomachist @7, I think Chambers may be wrong, encyclopedia.com states

    Rarely, elongated single crystals or twins of calcite are vertically oriented and look like stalactites, but in fact are not stalactites because they are not formed by dripping or flowing water and don’t have hollow channels inside. These elongated crystals are formed from water films on their surface.

15. PS Re 14d Somehow I learned along the way that STALACTITEs hang on TIGHT as they hang (drip?) from the roof, while STALAGMITEs MIGHT reach the roof if they try. So I think TITE makes more sense than MITE. Not sure how the crossers would have helped to resolve this, Auriga@9.

16. A little more challenging than Rufus sometimes is – liked TURNIP and CHURCHGOER

    Thanks to Rufus and PeterO

17. Thinking further, Auriga @9 comments that “depends” also means “hangs”, which points to STALACTITE.

    In this case @10 I should have written that a stalagmite “relies” on drops…

18. Stalagmites v stalactites: I learned it’s like ants in your pants, the mites go up & the tites (tights) go down

19. Yes,”tites”go down- a rather smutty way of remembering which worked for me.
    I thought this a little more difficult than usual for Rufus but rather enjoyable. My LOI was IMPAIR which took me quite a long time to see. I liked METHUSELAH and SYLLABUS.
    Thanks Rufus.

20. Learned ‘tight’ and ‘might’ as a child from one of those Enid Blyton secret cave adventures, always believed she made it up but who knows? Anyway, a breezy stroll today, though I say it myself. LOI BISHOP – convinced there had to be a ship in there!

    Thanks Rufus and PeterO.

21. Today, our beloved setter’s alter ego (in the FT), had only two(!) cryptic definitions and a lot of anagrams.
    What a difference does it make! [I have to blog that (prize) puzzle]

    Two things.
    I’m not sure I would clue SUDAN as ‘an Arab country’.
    Does ‘I’m reflecting’ really lead to IMMI?

    Thanks, PeterO.

22. I’m reflecting as in a mirror: IM-MI

23. Of course, Geoff, agree, but that is not my point.
    IMHO,’I’m reflecting’ is strictly speaking just MI.
    I know there is the image as you describe but there is also crossword language.
    I think, from that point of view, Rufus is a bit naughty here.
    Don’t worry, it’s not a major complaint.
    This suit doesn’t feel 100% comfortable, that’s all.
    [but then, me wearing a suit is something that happened at least 18 years ago]

24. S v.d. H

    I never really understand your commnents.

    I’m not sure I would clue SUDAN as ‘an Arab country’.

    Why not. Wiki has…..

    Ethnic groups[edit]

    Sudanese Arab of Al-Manasir
    The Arab presence is estimated at 70% of the Sudanese population.[14] Others include the Arabized ethnic groups of Nubians, Zaghawa, and Copts.[125][126]

    Sudan has 597 groups that speak over 400 different languages and dialects.[127] Sudanese Arabs are by far the largest ethnic group in Sudan. They are almost entirely Muslims; while the majority speak Sudanese Arabic, some other Arab tribes speak different Arabic dialects like Awadia and Fadnia tribes and Bani Arak tribes who speak Najdi Arabic; and Rufa’a, Bani Hassan, Al-Ashraf, Kinanah and Rashaida who speak Hejazi Arabic. In addition, the Western province comprises various ethnic groups, while a few Arab Bedouin of the northern Rizeigat and others who speak Sudanese Arabic share the same culture and backgrounds of the Sudanese Arabs.

    The majority of Arabized and indigenous tribes like the Fur, Zaghawa, Borgo, Masalit and some Baggara ethnic groups, who speak Chadian Arabic, show less cultural integration because of cultural, linguistic and genealogical variations with other Arab and Arabized tribes.[128]

    Sudanese Arabs of Northern and Eastern parts descend primarily from migrants from the Arabian Peninsula and intermarriages with the pre-existing indigenous populations of Sudan, especially the Nubian people, who also share a common history with Egypt. Additionally, a few pre-Islamic Arabian tribes existed in Sudan from earlier migrations into the region from Western Arabia, although most Arabs in Sudan are dated from migrations after the 12th century.[129]

    The vast majority of Arab tribes in Sudan migrated into the Sudan in the 12th century, intermarried with the indigenous Nubian and other African populations and introduced Islam.[130]

    In common with much of the rest of the Arab world, the gradual process of Arabization in Sudan following these Arabian migrations after the 12th century led to the predominance of the Arabic language and aspects of Arab culture, leading to the shift among a majority of Sudanese today to an Arab ethnic identity. This process was furthered both by the spread of Islam and an emigration to Sudan of ethnic Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula, and their intermarriage with the Arabized indigenous peoples of the country.[citation needed]

    Sudan consists of numerous other non-Arabic groups, such as the Masalit, Zaghawa, Fulani, Northern Nubians, Nuba, and the Beja people.

    I don’t believe this is far from the mark.

    Does ‘I’m reflecting’ really lead to IMMI?

    Of course it does. What else could it lead to except what it actually is????

25. My God, you spent a lot of lines on explaining that Sudan is an ‘Arab country’.
    For me, it is just that my first thought would have been ‘African country’ if I were the setter.
    That’s all.

    Does ‘I’m reflecting’ really lead to IMMI?
    Of course it does. What else could it lead to except what it actually is????

    I am afraid, here I disagree (despite your 4 question marks).
    As I said before, I think it leads to MI.
    I also said that it’s not a major complaint.

    S. v.d. H, I never really understand your comments.
    That’s because I am stupid and I don’t know how crosswords work.
    If I were you I would ignore my comments.

26. Thanks setter and blogger. I was taught it is C for ceiling and G for ground to distinguish the rock formations.
    I still think we are missing something in the parsing of DWELL.

27. Sil @ 25 and before, I’m with you on these points.

    Otherwise thanks to setter and blogger for a puzzle that tested me more than I think it should have. However I don’t think that browsing is necessarily linked to enjoyment (no doubt there is a dictionary to refute me). I browsed Chilcot, but…

28. I found this tricky for a Rufus. ALUMNA was new to me, and I too had to wait for 22a to decide between STALAGMITE and STALACTITE, not having thought through the full significance of “depends” and “dripping” in this context. I’m not keen on ACES or DWELL for the reasons mentioned above, but I don’t have a problem with IMMIGRANT. To me, “the reflection of I’m” would be MI, but “I’m reflecting” suggests both “I’m” and its reflection, and so IMMI.

    Favourites were NEIGHS and TURNIP

    Thanks, Rufus and PeterO.

29. I enjoyed this puzzle.

    My favourites were 10a, 22a.

    I wasn’t sure how to parse 4d or 21d – BIS = twice is new for me. Also 9a – I did not see how ACES = units – is it referring to British army / Army Corps of Engineers?

    OCHE is a new word for me.

    Thanks PeterO and Rufus

30. [Auriga, I hope you can forgive my inane remark yesterday regarding the crossers for the limestone formation at 14d STALACTITE. I was thinking of T or M as the crosser but of course you meant C or G. Duh! You must have thought I was both daft and rude. My apologies.]

31. I thought somebody might have commented on the cluing of myna. I know it’s in the text but I’ve never heard of a taking myna , noisy myna is common and also indian myna. The myna is a much maligned bird but I have seen noisy myna’s protect persecuted bicyclists from marauding magpies.

32. Julie @ 30 – No worries, easily done. Apologies unnecessary, but accepted.

33. WSW @31 – I’m sure there are also plenty of parrots that can’t recite poetry parrot fashion, but myna(h)=talking bird is an established cliche and not just in Crosswordland. A few previous clues:

    Araucaria 21879: Bird that says words such as “unimportant” (4)
    Paul 22393: Paul, but not me, gets the bird (4)
    Audreus 22617: Bird distinguishable from many around (4)
    Brendan 24449: Unknown taken in by eccentric man that can be taught to speak (4)
    Rufus 26132: Bird able to speak, surprising many (4)
    Rufus 26933: Talking bird many may climb up to see (4)
    Paul 23699: Many confused over height, which is up (5)
    Orlando 24546: Shy man trained birds (6)

34. Here is a myna bird talking

35. Thanks PeterO and Rufus.

    Pretty usual fare for a Monday.

    TURNIP was classy, BROWSED slightly iffy, and STALACT(GM)ITE had to wait for 22ac – and I consider the answer to be wrong since it is formed by seepage whereas a Stalagmite is formed by drips. But this is Rufus so we always expect some imprecision – and love him for it.

36. Thanks Rufus and PeterO

    Very late as per norm these days … and found this one slightly more challenging than normal for Rufus. Much the same experience as others except that I had 22a before looking at 14 – so didn’t have to think it through at all – just wrote in STALACTITE.

    Started (with OCHE) and finished (with BEAD) in the NW corner.

37. Tights fall down and mites grow up…well, tights used to, but hooray for Lycra!

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