Guardian 27,476 / Qaos

81 comments on “Guardian 27,476 / Qaos”

1. Thanks Qaos and Eileen

   Qaos is usually one of my favourite compilers, but I found this a rather unsatisfactory mix of extremely easy clues (10, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 27 in the across ones, for example), and near impenetrable ones. I did like the theme, though – one of my favourite films, and Roberts the Pirate meant “DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS” immediately to me, rather than the real Welsh one!

   Favourites were BUTTERCUP and ESPOUSE. I hadn’t heard the word ODORATE, but it was easy enough to work out. I didn’t parse RETRO.

2. Re 23a, isn’t it In and NASTY plus the first of Game, being G?

3. Thanks Eileen and Qaos.

   23a is ananagram of IN NASTY, plus G (first game).

4. Yes, that’s how I saw it, Gareth. Sorry Eileen, I didn’t read the blog carefully enough!

5. Gareth got in first!

6. Many thanks to Qaos & Eileen.  That was fun, although the theme escaped me.

   23 I parsed as an anagram of NASTY and IN, with the first letter of game then inserted.

7. Eileen, I think the anagram at 23a is in nasty and then the first makes sense as it indicates just g

8. [PRETENDING doesn’t ring a theme-bell, but TRUE LOVE does – it’s what Westley wheezes when Miracle Max pumps his lungs with bellows (Max takes some persuading that that’s what he said, though – he hears it as “to blave” or bet!)]

9. Re 23ac: Thanks all – I can’t expect you to  believe this but that’s how I saw it when I solved it in the sleepless early hours – too long a gap between solving and blogging, with some sleep in between!

10. Why can’t I post anything today?!

11. OK, I can, obviously. And I can now see other comments too. I thought it was odd that there were no replies. Anyway, glitch fixed. Thanks for the blog Eileen and thanks to Qaos for the puzzle. I didn’t get the theme though I’m sure I saw the film a long time ago.

12. Lovely blog Eileen, thanks for parsing of RETRO. Great puzzle. Thats three good early films from RR. Dunno what happened in The Bucket list. Did the beancounters get to him?

13. A DNF for me as I couldn’t get 23a N Y GIANTS (Apologies to all US friends on the forum, as well as to my son in Brooklyn!)
    I liked some of this, including 12a TATTOO, 14a SEX SYMBOL and 29a ESPOUSE.
    I didn’t know the Welsh pirate 1a ROBERTS, so had to google to confirm that I had solved the anagram correctly. Several others I got but couldn’t parse (echoing some of muffin@1’s experience) – 2d ODORATE was unfamiliar to me as well, and the clue for 25d RETRO eluded me. I also couldn’t see why 19a was BUTTERCUP, nor why 15d was SPANIARDS.
    It goes without saying that I missed the theme, even though it has been said over and over that “Qaos always has a theme”. I have never heard of the film “Buttercup”.
    Clearly not one of my better days. Nevertheless thanks to Qaos, and with gratitude to Eileen for explaining the things I didn’t understand.
    Sidebar, I liked solving 5a CON BRIO – the name of a very energetic R&B band from San Francisco who performed recently at my music festival.

14. We also have the SPANIARD, Inigo Montoya, and, obliquely, the GIANT, Fezzig, for a complete set of the good guys. And of course “Inconcievable!” appears in a clue.

    For once, I cottoned on to the theme in a Qaos puzzle before I was done solving (as with Muffin, as soon as I got Roberts), so Princess and Buttercup (my remaining theme entries at that point) went in immediately thereafter.

    [Eileen, it’s a wonderful, witty, light-hearted movie with many memorable lines. Look it up.]

15. A mixed bag today, but a good range of devices. I wish Qaos had used 2.71828, though.

    Thanks to Qaos and Eileen.

16. Hi JinA @13 – I’m sorry, the link I gave was misleading: the film’s title is ‘The Princess Bride’. I could/should, perhaps, have given this one but I try not to use Wikipedia all the time. 😉

    Thanks for the recommendation, Mr Penney.

17. Give it fifteen years or so and my kids watched it umpteen times on VCR. Great film for kids and adults, lots of entertaining cameo appearances, almost perfect. Great script, a delight.

18. An appalling puzzle IMO. Once again, and as so often in The Guardian, the puzzle isn’t hard by reason of tough setting, or compiler’s wiles, it’s hard because of bad setting. There’s no understanding it seems of cryptic grammar, and this is compounded by some outrageous faux pas at 6 and 7 down where totally obscure words are anagrammed. Nightmare.

19. crimper @18

    Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor iii. i. 100 Soule-Curer, and Body-Curer.

20. Enjoyable puzzle, though I hadn’t heard of the movie.

     

    I liked SEX SYMBOL, ESPOUSE, (because of ‘internet bride’ – pity that was hidden by the cross-reference) NY GIANTS (i was convinced i would never see it, which made me all the happier when I did). EAST! I was trying to see how 1/4 worked, thanks Eileen.

    Not sure about Burning as an anagram indicator, I guess in the sense of destroying, and 25d is one of those ambiguous clues that relies on the checkers for resolution.

    Many thanks Qaos

21. crimper @18
    You don’t mince your words, do you!? Will your alter ego, NHS, be along shortly to offer a similar opinion of this puzzle? Some may find it odd that the two of you (or rather one of you unless you are cohabiting) invariably extol every Tees and Neo puzzle but slate various Guardian setters, along with their editor.

    I am sure that, like me, many people have grown sick and tired of your regular rants and tirades during the last 15 months so I am now requesting that you desist forthwith.

22. Thanks to Qaos and Eileen. Phew got there in the end. I felt lots of the clues were relatively straightforward, but the rest I found quite tricky. Last one sex symbol (though I do not know why now). I also got held up in the NE with con brio, ionised and body curer, until a vague Shakespearean memory helped me out, and allowed a finish after nearly giving up. Overall an enjoyable puzzle, if somewhat tricky in places, and thanks again to Qaos and Eileen.

23. A good work-out, needing a couple of breaks before certain pennies dropped, of which one was BUTTERCUP. Although I know The Princess Bride exists as a film, that’s all I know – not even of its fantasy novel predecessor; so two themed puzzles in three days (cf Puck and The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter on Weds) where I know nothing of a theme but nevertheless completed. Guardian clueing can’t be that impenetrable …

24. I had a suspicion the theme would be along those lines, but not having seen the film I wasn’t 100% sure. I enjoyed this – a ice mid-range level of difficult and a couple of obscurities that were fairly clued.

    Thanks to Eileen and Qaos

     

25. There were a few that I got on the first pass but nothing I found easy – once again we all have different experiences. In fact after the first few I ground to a halt and then came back and polished it off with MrsW over lunch whilst my grandson is having his nap. BUTTERCUP and SPANIARDS were unparsed and loi was
    ESPOUSE which MrsW got as I said “I’m going to wordsearch” – it works every time :-). It’s my favourite clue for the definition.
    I knew there would be a theme and this time I’m quite happy not to have got it as I’ve never heard of the film, and despite the recommendations here I’m not going to bother with it.
    It’s fine with me when unknown words are clued as anagrams – at least I know what I’m working with and they can be deduced from the crossers – then there’s the moment of triumph when a search confirms I’m right. What’s not to like about that?I’m also happy when the wordplay gets me there.
    Thanks for the blog and parsing assistance Eileen, to E and contributors for the film references and to Qaos for a good end to the week’s puzzles.

26. … I meant “a nice mid-range level of difficulty”

27. And we’ve had 2 days of spring sunshine:-).

28. An enjoyable puzzle, but like Mr Whiteknight @ 25, I got stuck and finished it with the help of Mr Paddington Bear. I remained ignorant of the theme even with Mr P assuring me that I have seen the film!! I can’t remember it. But I managed anyway.

29. Thanks both,

    It’s hard to rate the difficulty of a puzzle when solving it with a granddaughter on one’s lap, but it can’t be too hard, as we managed to complete it. I like the hidden theme, which I did not get, as googling it leads to a film I shall probably enjoy.

30. Thank you Qaos and Eileen for an enjoyable Friday afternoon solve in the spring sunshine.

    I always particularly enjoy clues which are scrupulously fairly clued and lead you to words that you do not know, like 6dn and 7dn.

    My last one in was 18dn: as an Arsenal supporter I was successfully misdirected.

31. No idea about the theme, but solved the puzzle without aids anyway, so the clues cannot be that bad.
    Thanks Eileen and setter.

32. [I’m surprised how many here don’t know the film. I would strongly recommend it – it’s great fun!

    In the episode of Big Bang Theory when the boys attend a fencing lesson run by Kripke,, he is distracted and one of them – Howard, as I remember – attempts to stab one of the others, shouting “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!”

    Of course, this won’t mean anything if you haven’t seen the film!]

33. Know nothing about the theme film, I’m afraid, although PRINCESS BRIDE rang a bell – but that’s as far as it went.  Having had moderate success at theme-unwrapping in the past few days, I suppose I can’t complain!

    A few unknowns today – ODORATE (I suppose it’s an archaic form of ODOROUS); OZEKIS (I figured that since the last letter was probably S, that left OKEZIS or OZEKIS – and I looked up the wrong one first!); BODY CURER (really?!).  I’m not well up on football of any shape, and the American variety even less so, so N Y GIANTS was rather a struggle (I was wondering whether any European team had the name “x Y <something>”…)

    RAY GUNS in a future arsenal?  Rather far-fetched, surely?  After all ray guns are so passé (I was about to say RETRO but that’s not quite the word).  Conjures up an image of 1950s and even earlier SF comics.  Even in the 1960s they’d been supplanted by phasers (whether on ‘stun’ or otherwise, Mr Spock!).  And goodness only knows what latter-day Kirk et al are wielding – but certainly not ray guns!

    In summary, not too difficult – the obscure words were fairly clued apart from the OZEKI/OKEZI ambiguity mentioned above.

    Thanks to Qaos and Eileen.

34. One of my favorite films as well. I would add BODY-CURER to the list of thematic words. Miracle Max cured a body that was only mostly dead, so I think he qualifies.  Too bad Qaos couldn’t fit in “blave”!

35. I have heard of the film but I’ve never seen it- I did see a trailer and thought it looked awful-and I don’t think I’ll bother!
    This was quite a mixture but I, mostly, enjoyed it. I did like BODY CURER although I wasn’t aware of the Shakespearean connection. ROBERTS had to be right but I’ve never heard of the Welsh pirate- PIRATE was one of the last ones I got- and I had to Google the Sumo wrestler. Worst of all, I’d completely forgotten about Russ Abbot so UNTRUSS was LOI.
    Despite the litany of failure above, I really did enjoy the puzzle.
    Thanks Qaos.

36. Why shouldn’t crimper be entitled to express an opinion which differs from the general adulation for setters displayed on this site, without being flayed by “admin”?  While I wouldn’t be as scathing, I do think that obscure themes, specialist terms and archaic words get in the way of what is after all supposed to be an exercise in linguistics not arcane knowledge. Not everyone agrees I know but it’s unfair to expect everyone bend over back wards to be nice, and irritating when plain clumsy cluing is  glossed over.

    In 25 ac for example how does “mister exchanged letters underground” describe the change from metro to retro?

    Plus in 15 dn “weather” isn’t synonymous with “rain”, nor does the clue lead properly to the solution, since it requires D to come after the rain reversal not before.

    It’s a pity that such loose cluing should spoil some excellent stuff e.g. 19/27 ac, 4dn.

     

37. jeceris @36
    “Why shouldn’t crimper be entitled to express an opinion which differs from the general adulation for setters displayed on this site, without being flayed by “admin”?”

    Different opinions are welcome on this site but not when they are being expressed by someone with an axe to grind and who is using multiple identities (sock puppets) when doing so.

38. I certainly find a combative axegrinder addressing the crossword more interesting than the tedious diary entries that have become the staple of the Guardian blog, with post 27 being perhaps the apotheosis. Whatever happened to Site Policy 3?

39. Jeceris: r

    Replace fist letter of Mr with the second to get from METRO to RETRO.

    Spring, (day weather) returns, with southern: Europeans. And rain is definitely a type of weather.

    I enjoyed this, despite not seeing (and not having heard of) the theme. Yesterday’s Greenland helped me with today’s Hebrides, though I still took far too long to see either of them.

    Thanks to Qaos and Eileen.

40. I’d never read the Site Policy until now and having done so will never again post anything so irrelevant as a mention of 2 days of spring sunshine which coincided with the clue for 15d. Thank you for drawing my attention to the policy Van Winkle.
    As for whether entries are tedious or not that is as with all things down to how we choose to see things. I’m all for a range of views, and I prefer to be part of a community where these are expressed in an affirmative manner which invites debate. Fortunately that seems to be the approach of most contributors to 225 and I trust that this approach will prevail – and ideally spread to the much wider world where I believe it is sorely needed.
    Of course this post might be better suited to the General Discussion blog and I’m happy for it to moved there along with related comments.

41. ‘Keeping up appearances’ @ 11 doesn’t necessarily mean or even imply ‘pretending’ does it? Must it necessarily be pretence to ensure that you maintain standards in the eyes of others?

42. Got 1ac first off and assumed that a theme would emerge; just prayed that it wasn’t Thatcher-based.

    Not impressed by bizarre anagram indicators

43. Thanks to Qaos and Eileen. Tough going for me, especially RETRO-metro, and, along with ODORATE and OZEKIS, I did not know Russ Abbott or the PRINCESS car. I’ve recently taught Merry Wives of Windsor so I much enjoyed BODY-CURER (as applied to Dr. Caius) vs. soul-curer (applied to Parson Hugh).

44. Well crimper. Are you a sock puppet?

    bear @ 39. No matter how you justify it, it doesn’t work. Cryptic and surface grammar are all wrong.

     

     

45. The RETRO clue seems like something that Boatman might have done. I didn’t like it much, but that might just be sour grapes, as (as I said earlier) it was the one I didn’t parse.

46. There’s a lot to admire in Qaos’s crosswords, he certainly has his own style (including a ghost theme [which passed us by, once more]).

    That said, Alberich (the FT setter aka Klingsor in the Independent) recently wrote, referring to his view on puzzles submitted to his website:  “I will reject the puzzle if it needs more than five major edits. I’m not referring to typos or clues that have gone wrong through oversights that affect us all, e.g. an anagram that doesn’t quite work. What I mean is that more than five of the clues have substandard cryptic grammar or inaccurate definitions, and therefore need rewriting in whole or in part“. I really think that this Qaos crossword wouldn’t stand a chance there.

    I’m not writing this in defence of the comment @18 for which Gaufrid surely has his reasons to deal with it as he did.

    In 26ac, ‘retires girl’ is odd, ‘retired girl’ would be fine.

    In 18d, we have a similar thing: ‘condemns Sun’.

    I think 6d would be rejected for the very reason Laccaria gave us @33, although OKEZIS was less likely because of OK already being there.

    ‘First game’ = G?  Well, some setters do it but.

    Not sure 25d tells us to change ‘metro’ into ‘retro’. It might well be that it tells us to get ‘retmo’ [which is nonsense, of course].

    ‘Pointless meaning’ in 22d: ‘meaning’ has also E (east) [and another N].

    Can ‘Number 10’ (5ac) be seen as a plural? [just a question]. And what does the surface of 28ac mean? [just another question]

    Glad I’m not the editor.

    Don’t worry, we liked quite a few clues: 1ac, 13ac, 2d, 20d, to name a couple of couples.

    Thanks, Eileen for a fine blog (as ever) & Qaos for 3600 seconds of pleasure!

    Do I have to see ‘The Princess Bride’  now?   [by the way, I have an album with Mark Knopler’s music for thye movie on it].

     

     

47. [I have that album, Sil. The song is attributed to “Willy DeVille”. I’ve not been able to establish whether this is a real person or a “sock puppet”! Any offers?]

48. Way too tough for me on a Friday morning. I tossed it aside with only about 4 in.

49. Willy Deville RIP was a talented guy who fronted Mink DeVille, maybe best known for Spanish Stroll

50. [Thanks RedKev. I’ve heard of Mink DeVille, but no more than that.]

51. Evening all.

    Many thanks for the comments and as ever, to Eileen for time and effort in putting together the blog. Glad you spotted the ghost theme today.

    Somehow, I can’t see myself sending puzzles to a Ximinean website or newspaper any time soon! You’re more than welcome to do so yourself. I also can’t see myself posting on here any time soon either, but you can always catch me on Twitter (@qaos_xword).

    Best wishes,

    Qaos

52. Qaos @51

    “I also can’t see myself posting on here any time soon either, …”

    I’m sorry to hear that. Is there a particular reason?

53. As something of a newcomer to the Guardian crossword I found this difficult, and didn’t finish but enjoyed it nonetheless. I am old enough to be familiar with Russ (Abbot) but though it too obscure to be relevant.
    I’ve a lot to learn.

54. I think, Gaufrid, Qaos is a kind of annoyed about my post @46 [unless there is of course another reason].

    If so, the only thing I can say about it is that it’s not about Ximenean v Libertarian (or whatever). Some of the clueing is just a bit iffy, avoidably iffy, spoiling the overall feel of the crossword. For me, that is. It could have been so much ‘better’. And if so, it would fit in with the stick I got at another place after criticising some (only two) clues in a Gozo puzzle this week. It made me think of something the great Neil Young once said in a wonderful BBC4 documentary: I only care about the music.

55. Qaos, what Gaufrid says. Please do. Guilty of not  always commenting , but do lurk. Hope to see you at S&B Betters events ……..

56. Quite right Qaos.

    If you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

    I assume you’re having a bad day so I won’t add any other comment regarding the puzzle.

    However I would have thought that by now you’d be inured to criticisms to things you put in the public domain. They certainly won’t be the last you’ll generate.

    Illegitimi non carborundum (or Noli pati a scelestis opprimi for the Ximenean readers)

57. If you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

    Well, that’s not what I would do.

    If I said something unreasonable in my comment @46, I’d prefer the setter to tell me why I am wrong and/or why he made the choices he made.

    That would make a lot more sense than just running away from it all.

    [all this given that it was indeed my comment @46 that set the whole thing on fire]

    ps, lurkio, Latin was one of my subjects at school – haven’t got a clue what all this means though.

58. Oh dear!

    I’d written a quite lengthy reply to Gaufrid’s comment @21 et al, then lost internet access, which I have only just regained, so that’s all gone, but I just had to respond to the following.

    I’m dying to go to bed after the usual convivial Friday evening family get-together and feeling tired and even more than usual emotional after reading  the comments from Whiteking @40 [“will never again post anything so irrelevant as a mention of 2 days of spring sunshine which coincided with the clue for 15d.” – I fully concur with all elements of Site Policy, except point 3, which I queried when it was first set up and which I and many others, including yourself – within reason – cheerfully flout. Please continue to do so [within reason 😉 ] …

    …and Qaos @51 – that is really sad. We really value setters dropping in [and meeting you at S and B gatherings]. I do hope you will change your mind. [I don’t do Twitter. 🙁 ]

59. Strange day with Admin popping in to wrestle. I’m quite a fan of post 18 as it says what it means, presumably in accordance with Afrit’s Injunction 🙂

60. Thanks Eileen – I will continue to test the boundaries – within reason of course 🙂 It’s how we learn.

    Qaos – I hope you feel differently sometime soon.

61. I am curious to see no comment on the curious use of “INNER” (as a hidden indicator, which I don’t recall seeing before) in two consecutive days.

    (I’m partial to a Russel’s paradox, by the way)

    Thanks Qaos and Eileen

     

62. Sil@57 The first is pseudo Latin for “don’t let the bastards  grind you down”; the second is “Do not allow criminals to crush a”, according to on-line Latin translator. I wish I hadn’t bothered now.

63. Sil,

    My comments were addressed to Qaos but he appears to have taken his bat home. 🙂

    Illegitimi non carborundum has come into popular use over the last 50 years and is “dog latin” which is supposed to mean “Don’t let the bastards grind you down” but actually doesn’t mean that or even make much sense.

    The phrase Noli pati a scelestis opprimi is latin which actually does mean this, allegedly. I can’t confirm this but might be able to in the future. I am teaching myself latin after a 50 year gap but as yet have only purchased Kennedy’s Latin Primer. I am thinking of this teach yourself book. (Any comments Eileen or others?)

     

64. Sil van der Hoek.  @46 you bring Alberich’s name into the argument.

    May I say something?  When I launched myself last year, in my rather amateurish ways, into the heady game of setting, I got slated by several individuals – notably one esteemed individual (not Alberich) who happens also to be a setter for the Indy and the FT – and via his sock-puppet (as I suspect).  One particular comment made by this person was (and I quote): “What I’m afraid I don’t like about this puzzle, or the previous two, is that so many of the surfaces are essentially meaningless. I know this doesn’t bother some people, though.”  Classic put-down aimed at putting me off for life, wouldn’t you think?

    Actually, not.  I did back off for some weeks, feeling peeved, it is true.  But I then submitted a puzzle to this same Alberich, and he was kind enough to accept it almost at once!  True, he did ask for a few amendments, mostly because he thought my definitions weren’t tight enough, but that’s perfectly fair and part of the learning process.

    My point?  People are all different, and if you get on the wrong wavelength with someone, yes you might get stick.  If you don’t, you might end up with a good working relationship.  I’ve learnt all this over the past months!  I’m certainly not an orthodox Ximenean at heart, and I’ve said as much to Alberich, but he’s nevertheless prepared to look at my submissions in the future (at present, he’s over-stretched and not accepting any guest puzzles).

    I do think, however, that merely to pan a crossword in general terms without offering any specific feedback, is not very helpful on this site!  I don’t follow contributors’ “form” so I don’t know what this ‘crimper’s past history is.  I assume Gaufrid has some justification.  Remember Thumper’s oft-quoted advice: “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all”…

65. Interesting reading!

    Whilst comment 18 maybe a bit harsh it is a ‘IMO’ and has a point.

    Jeceris @ 36 (first paragraph) and van W at 38 say what I’ve often thought about some comments on this site but dared not say.  Nice to see the point made so eloquently.

    I also thank Sil @ 46 for a breakdown of gripes that I had with this puzzle.

    That being said, I do look forward to Qaos puzzles, prefer them to some of the more esteemed setters and hope they keep coming.

     

66. Laccaria @64, where were you so unkindly treated? I googled Laccaria and FirmlyDirac (your other moniker, I think) to find your puzzles, but could find no associated blog.

67. Oops! Just to clarify my ‘van W at 38’: I agree up to the comma but not the bit about 27.

    As usual, someone else (in this case Eileen @ 58) has made the point about site policy better than I could.

68. Fsh (fanshawe?) @66 – it’s no big deal really, don’t get me wrong! – but it happened on the Grauniad‘s own comments columns underneath one of their puzzles last summer – I don’t recall the exact date, sorry.  I have to admit I ‘lost my rag’ a bit and did a flounce – that was after another insult from someone else.  I still post regularly on the Graun under my FD pseudonym, but very rarely about crosswords.

    To be fair to ‘crimper’ – whilst I still think he/she is out of order, he/she does make valid points about 6d and 7d – both of which I too mentioned.

    So: you’ve identified the wordplay as an anagram.  You know what the fodder is.  You know it’s going to be a completely unknown word.  Placing letters between the crossers yields two plausible alternatives, and you can’t choose between them.  So you reach for Chambers…

    Is this ‘cheating’?  Some purists would say ‘yes’ – in which case, to be truthful, I’d have to mark myself with a ‘DNF’ seeing as I chose the wrong one.

    But we could prolong this argument for days….

69. Yes, Fanshawe’s the name. I was always fascinated as to how anyone could get ‘Featherstonehaugh’ to sound like that! Peculiarly an English thing, I’m thinking.

    Your procedure for dealing with arcane words anagrammed is admirable, but I’m guessing most people couldn’t be bothered. There’s an unwritten rule about that which some setters seem to follow, but there’s also a cheat button!

     

70. Eileen — a minor typo in the blog for 10a LOVE — you have a parenthesis instead of an O in the decoding.

    Somebody else may have said this, but I can’t find it if they have.

    Now back to reading the comments!

     

71. What, no comments in the last five hours?

    I saw Princess Bride decades ago, but don’t remember much about it.  “Dread Pirate Roberts” sounded vaguely familiar, but when I googled it I found that it was the alias adopted by the man behind the Silk Road scam.  I wondered at the time why he’d pick such an odd name.

    Never heard of OZEKIS.  I figured it was an anagram of “size ok”, so tried various letters and the check button.

    ENIGMA — not only is there one n left, there’s also an e.  Pretty pointful, if you ask me.

    I didn’t know the Shakespeare quotation, but a doctor’s job is to cure bodies, so I got it anyway.

    Featherstonehaugh@69 — In The List of Adrian Messenger, by Philip MacDonald, a very aristocratic family have a dog named “Featherstonehaugh” whose name, we are told, is pronounced “Foon.”

72. Perhaps I should call you on the featherstonehaugh then, Valentine!

73. I’ve been reading the blog with bemused interest, but would just like to respond to Laccaria @66, and say that the advice you were given explained exactly where you needed to improve, and hopefully the fact you had a puzzle accepted by Alberich meant that you had actually taken the advice on board and upped your game.

    I got similar comments (from a different setter) for some early puzzles of mine, also put in straightforward terms, and if you think the puzzles are good then it stings, (I’m afraid I am a very weak solver so probably didn’t have time to do your puzzle myself) but there are two ways to respond – you can sulk and deny, or you can work to improve. I appreciated greatly the bluntness of the comments I got.  I think it is unfair to suggest that the comment you were given was aimed at putting you off for life – glad to see it didn’t, anyway.  (The setter you refer to does seem to have quite a knack for saying perfectly reasonable things that cause quite a hoo-ha!)  I also think sock-puppet is slightly wide of the mark, as he makes no secret of it.

74. Until I read some of the comments on this blog I’d thought that *I* was this community’s Champion Exponent of the Fit of Pique.
    Blimey!

    I failed to solve several of this puzzle’s clues – and that is in spite of ‘The Princess Bride’ being one of my favourite films.
    So I came here to find out what I’d missed.

    I too could see the answer to 1ac long before I worked out the answer to 16ac, and even though it made me think immediately of Westley, I subsequently failed to connect the theme to 19ac [Facepalm].
    I also totally failed with 25dn 🙁
    Like the ‘lift and separate’, this appears to be another mode of clue-writing whose existence I need to try harder to remember!

    My failure with several of these clues is of course attributable to my own too-rigid application of traditional Ximenean ‘rules’ (in this case after a way-too-indulgent-at-my-age Friday evening).
    But, as I once wrote after one of my own hissy fits, one of the joys of cryptic crosswords is the continual chance to try to learn new techniques.
    So, no complaints from me about this puzzle 🙂

    [I probably ought to note that last bit down in my diary, eh? 😉 ]

    Cheers,
    Gem.

75. Lovely puzzle – thanks to Qaos and Eilean. I’ve never seen the theme film, but as a Pembrokeshire man Black Bart is something of a local hero, so that helped. I rarely spot themes in any case!

76. Don’t want to get involved in the heavier issues that were debated but one query please as I tackled this puzzle late.
    I’ve seen a couple of comments on 25d which defeated me and I’m still confused. If it were METRo becoming RETMO (and if there was such a word) then I’d grimace at what I thought was an awkward clue, but how does ‘exchanging the lettters’ mean you only change the first of the two that make up MR? Just looks wrong to me on top of clunky?
    Happy to have a lightbulb moment as someone points out that I’ve misunderstood something.

77. (Sorry for mis-typing yor name, Eilean. Fat finger phenomenon.)

78. This time it was my malicious smartphone! Eilean. There. Did it.1

79. Old fashioned mister exchanged letters underground.

    Eric, if you substitute all the bits you get

    Retro mr exchanged letters metro.

    …in which the compiler has probably not said quite what he means, hence disturbance at OK corral.

80. Going for the last comment again – though we know Eileen checks sometimes so she may see this.
    Eileen – thanks for doing the blog & Qaos – thanks for puzzle. Took a while to get started and then got most of it; but needed the wet weather today to complete. We spotted the theme before the end, though not all the links. I hope White King might watch the film when the grandson is old enough not to need naps!
    And read the site policy – but I like the riffs that come from the puzzles so I’d hate that to go from the blogs.

81. Thanks, Wombles – I hope you are the last. 😉

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