Enigmatic Variations No. 1579 – Line of Duty by Eclogue

9 comments on “Enigmatic Variations No. 1579 – Line of Duty by Eclogue”

1. Hard work, but a satisfying ending especially once I’d finally figured out the extra letters!

   Regarding the verse itself, the Wikipedia entry for Damocles has a version of the poem with that exact first line (Above where seated in his tower) so I assume multiple options must exist.

   Thanks to setter for a good challenge and blogger for clearing up syrups!

2. Like mc_rapper67, I got into the theme of weapons via RAPIER. Like Arnold, I had difficulty at the end with BAGWIGS and the rhyming slang. And I agree with both about the just-right quality of the puzzle: challenging, tough, educational, satisfying,

   The ingenuity of the above grid with its coloured components is a pleasure in itself, Let;s hope a good number of people see and enjoy it, even if few, in most weeks, are moved to post a comment on the EV. Special thanks both to mc_rapper67 and to Eclogue.

3. I believe that what Chaucer wrote was more along the lines of:

   And al aboue, depeynted in a tour,
   Saugh I Conquest, sittynge in greet honour,
   With the sharpe swerd ouer his heed
   Hangynge by a soutil twynes threed.

   Anything in modern English has certainly been ‘adapted’.

4. Thanks for the comments so far – much appreciated, as usual…

   arnold at #1 – not sure I’ve seen you on here before – so nice to welcome a new name. I did go to that Wiki page, but obviously didn’t read far enough down!

   quenbarrow – at #2 – thanks for your enthusiasm, and the weekly attempt to get the comment numbers up! We aren’t paid by the comment (in fact we aren’t paid at all!), but we do gain valuable dopamine from them…

   Phibs at #3 – a fayre poynte welle mayde…

5. I find it interesting that the comments here on EV puzzles rarely, if ever, refer to the quality (whether high or low) of the clues.

   My enjoyment of a puzzle, even a themed one, depends to a large extent on the standard of the clues. But other solvers may see the clues in a themed puzzle as being simply a means to an end(game), and not be unduly fussed about their calibre as long as they can solve them. As someone who spends a lot of time ‘polishing’ my clues for themed puzzles, I’d very much like to hear what other solvers think.

6. @5 Phibs: For the EV and this blog in particular, I might remember the theme and my solving experience, such as how hard or easy, but not the quality of the clues. This is because the blog comes out 9-10 days after I finish the puzzle, so I glance at the blogger’s solving experience and mostly ignore the clue analysis unless I recall a clue or two with which I had trouble. But it is rare that my recall should be so good. {I do enjoy mc_rapper67’s decorative touches.} All of this goes into why I seldom find reason to comment in this space.

   As for daily puzzles and others, themed or not, I am happy for clarity in clues and if several make me smile or amaze me. But this usually lasts only until I move on to the next puzzle. I’m confident that the effort you and others put into polishing your clues has an impact on my solving experiences even if I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. For example, I’m sure I’ve gotten frustrated if I can’t even ARRIVE at the endgame because the clues are too dense or I am too dense to figure them out. …

   This turned into a bit of ramble but I hope the feedback is helpful and I surely don’t want it to discourage the extra work you do.

7. ps: ‘Clarity’ is open to wide interpretation. What I meant is once I arrive at the answer, I can say the clue makes sense to me and I think I know what the compiler intended.

8. Phibs at #5 – you make an interesting point there, although one that might get a wider airing in the General Discussion slot?

   (I know you didn’t refer to the blogs specifically, but to the comments – I just thought I might add my tuppeny-worth).

   There is usually so much going on in an EV blog that I rarely make mention of the clues, except to maybe make a generic statement that they were overall relatively ‘tough’ or ‘gentle’. I think I (and maybe the commenters?) start from an assumption, or a presumption, that the clues in an EV/IQ/Listener will be of a certain quality (as opposed to difficulty) and they will have been test-solved and edited to an extent that any that the setter hadn’t ‘polished’ to a suitable degree would probably have been picked up and referred back to them.

   Conversely, with a standard blocked grid puzzle – a Grauniad or an Indy – I will normally highlight a few favourite clues – and occasionally call out any write-ins, duff clues that might not be of the level expected for the level of puzzle – e.g. Saturday Prize workout vs. mid-week enjoyment…

   When I write up the parsings in a blog, I often notice (and appreciate) things that I maybe glossed over in solving, and I sometimes highlight any clever niceties – although whether anybody reads these is a moot point! ub above maybe doesn’t always; other commenters seem to read all the parsings in minute detail and are quick to pick up on any omissions or inconsistencies!

   Ultimately, I tend to align with ub’s view at #6 that after I have enjoyed solving (and often blogging) a puzzle, the memory gets pushed off the conveyor belt with the arrival of another puzzle and another set of clues, and often another blogging deadline…but this certainly doesn’t detract from the appreciation and enjoyment of a good puzzle at the time.

9. ub and mc – thanks for your comprehensive responses which I found very interesting.

   One point that I would make is that (at least with themed puzzles) it would in my experience be extremely unusual for a clue to be ‘polished’ (at least in the sense that I mean it) by anyone except the setter – the test solvers (where they are used) and editor will certainly identify clues which are unfair and/or unsound, and either make modifications or request revisions from the setter, but they wouldn’t normally suggest or seek improvements to a fair, sound clue even if the surface reading makes little sense.

   I shall continue to polish away, though, even if it’s only for my own satisfaction!

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