Guardian 27,371 – Rufus

49 comments on “Guardian 27,371 – Rufus”

1. Over in a jiffy but I really liked CHARTREUSE, HIJACK, ECSTATIC and MIKADO. Rufus is brilliant, in his own unique way. Many thanks to him and to Andrew.

2. Thanks Rufus and Andrew

   I liked ALMA MATER, CHARTREUSE and CARETAKERS. I didn’t like “a number” for M in MYRTLE (it might just as well have been “a letter”). CHAIRPERSON was just silly.

   Most people would regard The Mikado as an operetta, rather than an opera, but I suppose G&S works are known as “Savoy operas”.

3. @3. I grew up with G&S and we had many of the printed scores. From time to time the family sat around the kitchen table and sang extracts.

   To us they were known as comic operas (and I think that is what G&S called them). The use of “operetta” might be more modern and the article in Wikipedia does not use it in connection with their works.

4. Very enjoyable! My favourites were CHARTREUSE + TADPOLE.

   Thank you Rufus and blogger

5. trenodia @3
   “Grand opera” (at least) doesn’t have spoken dialogue.

6. Thanks for the blog. Beautifully smooth surfaces as ever. Not sure about ecstatic as a synonym for enthusiastic. Was very dim with chartreuse (nice clue), looked at it a long time despite having the crossers.

7. Yes, usual Monday Rufus and as usual there were a several that resisted for a while – including TADPOLE which was well disguised (and loi) along with AGENT (second to last). ECSTATIC didn’t come easily either as with the C and T in place we were fixed on it beginning with S. Many thanks to Rufus for a brisk start to the day and Andrew for the blog.

8. I agree WhiteKing@7; I spent longer than I should have (with hindsight) on some clues.

   By confidently filling in CELL MATES for 10a instead of ALMA MATER, I made a rod for my own back in the NE, until I revisited and amended my error.

   I also put a ? against a few. I thought disgruntled shareholders might be more inclined to target the CEO than the CHAIRPERSON. Didn’t see the allusion to CAPABILITY Brown at 22a, and also did not parse 27a CONCEDE (my dimness on the latter two).

   So thanks, Andrew, for the clarifications, and thanks as ever to Rufus for the confidence-building consistency with which I can solve your puzzles.

9. Thank you, Andrew.

   Towards the better end of the Rufusian gamut with ticks at CHARTREUSE, TADPOLE & HIJACK.

   Not quite sure why an OPERATIVE is necessarily a skilled worker but perhaps it’s in the dictionary def which I don’t access to this morning.

   Like drofle @1 I do admire Rufus in his quirky way so many thanks to him.

   Nice week, all.

10. Thank you Rufus and Andrew.

    I do enjoy being able to solve a crossword in a reasonable time, like today. I seem to remember that referring to G&S works as ‘operetta’ in the past was avoided because of unfortunate French connotations, certainly the term could be used nowadays.

11. Thanks to Rufus and Andrew. Not very hard but I’m a big fan of starting the week with a puzzle that everyone can have a go at. I particularly enjoyed CHARTREUSE and ALMA MATER

12. More challenging from Rufus than last week’s puzzle, although after writing in the first three across at first glance, I feared the worst.

    ALMA MATER ended that sequence though, and a word of appreciation to Rufus for using ‘two scholars’ to mean MA MA rather than the obvious LL. If I recall correctly, a poster last week commented favourably on a clue that used ‘love’ to mean something other than O (or some similar crossword cliche), and I’m all for compilers going against the grain in this way. Both setters and solvers can get complacent.

    I then slowed my progress down further by assuming 25 was ‘oversleep’: way too obvious when TEMPORISE makes it a far superior clue.

    Is ‘force’ as OPERATIVE a term from Physics, or am I just being obtuse? The two are not mutually exclusive of course.

    I loved CHARTREUSE and AGENT, and I also liked NAMESAKES: though easy to solve, it is a quintessential piece of Rufus wordplay.

    Thanks to Rufus and Andrew.

13. (the)MIKADO and (the marriage of)FIGARO both almost work with the Kipling work/reversal upfront indicator. Might make a mental note of that.
    Excellent puzzle from Rufus, I thought.
    Thanks to S&B.

14. @12 I don’t know anything about Physics, but I took the definition as “in force”, which I equate to operative.

15. Thanks Rufus; the top half went in smoothly enough but I got a bit stuck on the bottom.

    Thanks Andrew; my LOI, I forgot the rather silly COVE for fellow – Collins gives it as ‘old-fashioned’ and the ODE as ‘dated,’ so doesn’t it deserve an ‘old?’ Is ‘leading to’ supposed to be the anagrind in 2d?

    I thought CHAIRPERSON was fine; he/she is just as likely as the CEO to get into the firing line. I also rather liked TEMPORISE, ALMA MATER and CHARTREUSE.

16. Thanks to Rufus and Andrew. A typical Rufus and for me a quick and enjoyable solve. I needed all the crossers to spot ALMA MATER, was not sure about the “force” second meaning of OPERATIVE, but did not have trouble with CHAIRPERSON (gender-neutral terms have become the norm in the academic world). CAPABILITY Brown brought back memories of a course long ago on Pope and Swift.

17. Thanks Rullytully @14. I was indeed being obtuse as that’s a perfectly clear definition of OPERATIVE.

18. Just a comment…. re Andrew’s “undemanding Monday fare” A little condescending I feel. It may well be “undemanding” for the more experienced solvers out there. I was of the understanding that Monday was the day for beginner/intermediate solvers, me being one. As such, I look forward to the Monday cryptic, particularly Rufus. We all had to start somewhere.

19. For those that don’t feel ‘challenged’ on Mondays perhaps not putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard until it is finished will prolong the fun. It is rather satisfying. Ps also no reference works / apps of any kind.

20. I plumped for FIGARO instead of MIKADO, convincing myself it was IF< + (agro)* with “turned” doing double duty. Never mind. Perhaps I’m tired but I found it more of a challenge than usual for a Monday. Thanks Rufus and Andrew

21. Thanks Rufus and Andrew

    I also thought it was a little more difficult than recent Rufuses. Mind you like ardenian @20 and baerchen @13 I also fell for FIGARO at first which did slow me up. LOI was TADPOLE which also had me head scratching for a while.

22. All very straightforward as so often from Rufus, but pleasant enough.

    Thanks to Rufus and Andrew

23. Another boring Monday Dufus write-in.

24. I thought this rather a good Rufus. I did like CHARTREUSE,ALMA MATER and, yes, COVE. Perhaps because I’m rather old. Good fun.
    Thanks Rufus.

25. Thanks Rufus and Andrew. Delayed by operative which might just as well have been defined unskilled worker, and by chairperson, one of those weak Rufus clues that I wish someone would save him from. I want to struggle because of a real challenge not because of a couple of dubious crossing solutions. Nitpicking perhaps but it’s why every week I wrestle with Rufus while others say it has been a write-in for them.

26. grandpatatee @23 – name calling? Really? How old are you? If you don’t enjoy doing them, then why bother? There’s that definition of madness – repeatedly doing the same thing but expecting a different outcome. If you don’t enjoy Rufus’ crosswords then STOP DOING THEM. Or at least stop complaining about them afterwards.

27. Not sure my age is relevant. As I posted last week, I merely ask for an occasional change from thin gruel on Mondays. And I never write phrases in block capitals.

28. … never before has a boy wanted more!

29. grandpapatee @27: I only asked because name-calling (especially with cheap wordplay) seems very childish.

    And you never answered the question – if you don’t enjoy doing them why bother?

    Let’s assume Rufus will do the vast majority of the next 5 years of Monday Guardian puzzles – as seems likely. Are you going to do all 200 plus of them, and then post here about how little you enjoyed it every time?

    Your whinging here won’t change anything. There will still be Rufus puzzles most Mondays. The only way to break the cycle is to not do the thing you aren’t enjoying, so that you then don’t feel the need to gripe about it afterwards. To carry on doing it is madness – like punching yourself in the face, and then complaining about it.

30. Like others, I know what to expect from Rufus – most people want a gentle start of the week and that’s OK with me – even if I like to rise to the toughies! No need to bicker!

    Anyway, a faultless if not-too-hard one today. No especial favourite, pretty well-balanced I think.

    Baerchen @13 – re MIKADO v. FIGARO – yes there are many Kipling works, KIM and IF amongst them – amd both, in reverse, could be the start of an opera! But the rest of the wordplay ensures that you go for MIKADO. It’s not an ambiguous clue – unless GARO is some obscure synonym of “fuss”.

    Totally off-topic à propos: memory jogged: years ago I knew a chap who kept a dog which he named ‘Garo’. I thought that a rather odd name for a dog – but then the owner’s first language wasn’t English so I assumed it meant something in his native tongue. It was only after I was shown the dog’s pedigree, that I realised its real name, given by its previous owner, was ‘Garrold’ (it was a golden cocker). My friend had simply mis-heard the name on taking ownership of the dog!

31. MarkN @ 29: given his age, I think it’s extremely doubtful that Rufus will be setting for another 5 years.

32. Complete! Hurrah! 1 across a new word for me and I had FIGARO at 19D for reasons given above. 24D last in for me, the DD not instantly obvious. 11A my favourite but just so glad to have completed it. See you next Monday.

33. Early start away from home this morning so only got to this late afternoon. For me this is classic Rufus, a mixture of cryptic and double definitions and wordplay that test the porridge lexicon and help the ancient synapses stay glued together. (I hope!) As usual some nice ah-ha moments; alma mater, chartreuse, tadpoles.

    Like MarkN I dislike the carping: to me, and I suspect many others, Rufus is an old friend I meet on Monday mornings for a wordy ramble. Some other setters are not to my taste but I don’t feel the need to complain about them.

34. Re MarkN and grandpapatee: it is perfectly reasonable to say that Rufus crosswords are too easy. I too do not enjoy them as they are too easy and there are too many vague clues such as 18a.

    Now it’s fair enough if these crosswords are popular,but maybe the Guardian could insist on better/sharper/harder puzzles. I am sure that Rufus is more than capable of supplying them.

35. I am really unsure why people feel the need to post comments designed to make others feel small.

36. baerchen @35
    I’m treating your question as not rhetorical. I think (for me at least) online posts are what people are thinking at that moment – the self-censorship important for face-to-face meetings is often just ducked.

37. Grandpapatee ( or whatever)@23…..sneering with an undercurrent of boastfulness. Most unpleasant combination. Luckily the great majority of us are fond of Rufus.

38. To those complaining – why not time yourself solving Monday puzzles? Treat them like a quick crossword; look at some flowers or something else that’s lovely in the extra time you’ve gained through a quick solve 🙂

39. I parsed 18a as “A sitting target” and “target for disgruntled shareholders”.

    If this forum descends any further into childish flame wars, I fear I will have to stop reading them.

40. Neil Masson @34 – but this is the whole point – if they were “better”/harder/sharper they wouldn’t be popular. It is not perfectly reasonable to say that Rufus crosswords are too easy. There are plenty of opinions expressed on this board that they are just right and only a minority (if one heavily over-represented among contributors to this site) who feel that the Guardian has a duty to challenge them on a daily basis.

41. All right except 19d, in which without much thought I entered Figaro. After all a Kipling work turned could be FI.

42. Just seem MartinD @37 and the “( or whatever).” And I’m the one accused of unpleasantness. I will cease posting on this site.

    ‘

43. Neil Masson @34 – when you say better puzzles, I think what you mean is puzzles that are better suited to your tastes and ability level. It’s clear from the comments that for many Rufus is just fine. As I’ve said before on this issue, there are many difficult puzzles on this site, including Genius, Azed and Prize. Please don’t resent those of us who need or just enjoy something gentler – it’s only one day a week. Surely there is room to share.

44. Alison @43
    Well said. As an occasional contributor and keen follower of this forum I have not enjoyed reading parts of this blog and of a blog a couple of weeks ago in which banter and argument gave way to some unpleasant and personal comments. It is sad to see some-one deciding (or possibly only threatening – who knows?) not to contribute any more because of this.
    To all those who comment positively and join in the discussions, keep coming. For the record, I generally don’t enjoy Rufus’s puzzles, but I had no time to try this one and cannot comment on it.

45. Sorry to see ill feeling and aggressive posting breaking out again. For what it’s worth, I quite enjoy Rufus puzzles: they aren’t usually too challenging for sure, and some of the clueing isn’t especially cryptic, but there is always some clever thinking and wordplay going on. As with Everyman on Sundays, I generally expect to be involved for a shorter time than with other setters. But a quickly completed grid does wonders for the morale!

    If posters here are really too clever for these puzzles then don’t do them, or at least try not to post in such a way as to make less experienced/able solvers feel bad. I reckon I am a better than average solver (been trying since the 1970s!) but quite a few other posters and bloggers here are way ahead of me. Such is life.

    Anyway, calling Rufus Dufus was rude, dude.

46. Simon S @31 – who knows? John Graham (aka the immortal Araucaria) continued setting until shortly before his death at age 92. Roger Squires, aka Rufus, is 85. OK they are very different guys, but long may Rufus continue! 🙂

47. To those who find Rufus too easy, I’ve only just finished this one with a little help from 225. I’ve looked at today’s and Yesterday’s cryptics and not solved one clue (yet!). I’m getting better, Monday’s puzzle took me until Saturday to solve about 66% of the clues a few months ago. If it wasn’t for Rufus on a Monday, I very likely wouldn’t have started trying the cryptic at all.

48. I thought it was a bit tougher than usual, finishing it a week late. Of course, when it was done it didn’t seem so hard after all.

49. As a beginner to cryptic crosswords I like Rufus as most weeks I can complete the majority of the clues, once or twice in the past year I have done it all, so I am happy. What seems to be, being said here is that Rufus is not a good learning area for beginners as he does not follow all the correct conventions for a crossword setter. if that assumption is correct, my question is, is there a setter who “does it correctly”?

    Personally, I like Rufus’s style, it’s a little quirky at times, isn’t that the essence of cryptic crosswords, rather than been formulized.

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