Guardian Quiptic 930/Matilda

11 comments on “Guardian Quiptic 930/Matilda”

1. 

   Shirl

   #1 - Mon 11th Sep 17, 08:58

   
   

   Thanks both. Nice Quiptic, nothing to frighten the horses.
   Interesting to see that Turing (once an unknown) is now famous enough for crosswords. Will he last as long as Al Capone and the Model T Ford?

2. 

   michelle

   #2 - Mon 11th Sep 17, 10:11

   
   

   I did not waltz through this but I did manage to complete it.

   My favourites were EXIST, MANUFACTURING, BEETLE (loi)

   Thanks Matilda and Pierre.

3. 

   VDS Prasad

   #3 - Mon 11th Sep 17, 10:37

   
   

   24A. No, this solver doesn’t know poisson is French for fish! But has learnt a new word, thanks to Matilda.

4. 

   Rishi

   #4 - Mon 11th Sep 17, 11:07

   
   

   Re

   15 Immunity from the next poem I compose

   I am uncomfortable with the anag signal ‘compose’. The verb in this tense coming after the anag fodder – is it acceptable?

5. 

   BlogginTheBlog

   #5 - Mon 11th Sep 17, 11:13

   
   

   A handful of clues a bit advanced for a quiptic, I thought, but a very good crossword.

6. 

   michelle

   #6 - Mon 11th Sep 17, 11:16

   
   

   VDS Prasad@ 3
   re 24a
   I know some French – but I only was able to parse it after i solved/guessed it as POISON and then I parsed it in retrospect

7. 

   Sil van den Hoek

   #7 - Mon 11th Sep 17, 13:00

   
   

   Indeed, a good crossword.
   But I didn’t tango through it as some clues were ‘harder’ than most others.
   9d, for example, or 8d or even 6d (not having 5ac yet).
   The device used in 19ac (STRONGEST) is nice.
   Not seen very often in a Quiptic but those who are familiar with Arachne and Philistine must have encountered it before.

   I found it a pity that we had two elevenses (XI) crossing each other in 3d/10ac.
   And also that we had two TESTs (4d/18d).
   But it didn’t distract from the overall quality of this crossword.

   Re Rishi @4, the use of ‘compose’ in 15d was the only thing that I really didn’t like.
   That said, ‘composed’ wouldn’t work in the surface.
   The only way one can justify ‘compose’ is to see it as an imperative.
   It’s in fact similar to putting ‘doctor’ behind the fodder, which doesn’t work for me either but which every now and then crops up in crosswords (without people moaning about it).

   So, a deserved plus for Matilda.
   But I am not fully convinced that it was ‘perfectly’ pitched for a Quiptic.

   Thanks, Pierre.

8. 

   ZweiBieren

   #8 - Mon 11th Sep 17, 15:45

   
   

   I really liked 19a. A trick Rathvon and Cox have never pulled. And a bit of wishful thinking on the surface.

9. 

   dicty

   #9 - Tue 12th Sep 17, 17:37

   
   

   I had never seen Pairs as an indicator for french but pleased to know it. 25a solved on the clueing but where’s the definition; a subcontinent conjured out of wordplay? Bravo for 19a, very smart. Thanks Matilda and Pierre.

10. 

    Sil van den Hoek

    #10 - Tue 12th Sep 17, 22:57

    
    

    dicty, if indeed you are referring to 25down [which is unlike you say]: the definition is just I (at the start of the clue and underlined by Pierre).
    In the NATO alphabet I stands for India.

    Every now and then “in Paris” or “in France” crops as an indicator, not very often though.
    One that’s more widely used is “Nice” like in “Nice wine” for VIN.
    As is “Nancy” – for example, in “Nancy’s mother” (MERE).

    Hope this helps.

11. 

    muffin

    #11 - Fri 15th Sep 17, 13:34

    
    

    Thanks Matilda and Pierre
    A very good crossword, and mostly a very good Quiptic too. I agree with some others that 3 or 4 clues were of a rather more difficult standard – TAXI, BEETLE, ANIMALS and MANUFACTURING are the main ones I’m thinking of.

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