Guardian 29,571 / Picaroon

134 comments on “Guardian 29,571 / Picaroon”

1. Thanks Picaroon and Eileen

   Hardest puzzle I have completed for months. Totally fair but real hard sledging. Love the theme – second day running I have read all the books.

2. Much more approachable than yesterday’s offering, probably because, apart from D himself, the answers were not proper nouns.
   Thanks to Picaroon and congratulations to Eileen for her 1000th blog, enlightening as always.

3. Thanks Picaroon and Eileen – congratulations on 1000!
   I didn’t enjoy this as much as most Picaroons, but it was still good. Raised eyebrow at 8d – “broke” is considerably more extreme than POOR!
   I hadn’t heard of AMOROSO sherry. I tried a partly unparsed OLOROSO until it didn’t work.
   Favourite SAVABLE.

4. I enjoyed this even though I haven’t read any DOSTOEVSKY, I’ve picked up enough in passing, from radio serialisations and plays, to know he wrote CRIME and PUNISHMENT, the GAMBLER, and the IDIOT. POOR FOLK was new to me but because I knew what I was looking for it was an interesting Google.

   All in and parsed, albeit slightly slower than yesterday.

   Thank you to Picaroon and Eileen (with congratulations/commiserations on 1000 blogs).

5. 1000 blogs! Congrats Eileen.

   Another super puzzle from James. Too many nice clues.

6. I loved this – a worthy puzzle for your 1000th blog, Eileen: congratulations!

7. Fabulous! Similar to, but so much better than, yesterday’s. A setter at the top his game, combining elegance and ingenuity. Loved it and sorry when I’d finished. Thanks to both. Merry Christmas, Eileen.

8. I really enjoyed this, but the message down the middle column is a bit bleak.

   Thanks and congratulations to Eileen

9. I thought “por” must have been Spanish for “for”, but Google translate tells me that “por” means “by” and “for” in Spanish is “para”.

   Never heard of Eric Ambler nor Dostoevsky, so my enjoyment was probably not as great as for those familiar. A for Are was a bit odd (are we talking about the little-used unit for area, one percent of a hectare?), likewise M for Marks.

   Overall enjoyable, as Picaroon’s usually are. Thanks, and thanks Eileen.

10. Yep pretty smooth as per from the pirate, with just a faint eyebrow at the def for savable. Of the D oeuvre I’ve read C and P and The Idiot, but well over a half-century ago! Thanks Pickers and we’ll done Eileen.

11. I quickly opened up a list of Dostoevsky’s books as a help to solve this puzzle as I could only remember two of his novels, one of which (The Brothers Karamazov) did not feature in this puzzle.

    New GK for me: writer Eric AMBLER; AMOROSO sherry.

    Congrats to Eileen on 1000 blogs – I have always enjoyed your blogs and hope to read another 1000 of them!

    Thanks, both.

12. Thanks to Picaroon for a clever and satisfying puzzle. Many thanks and congratulations to Eileen.

13. I’m looking forward to the next 1000, Eileen. Congratulations on this landmark.
    I agree, a clever working of the theme. I haven’t read the LANDLADY as yet, but I save DOSTOEVSKY for when I’m feeling too happy. Karamazov probably too tricky to fit in a crossword. I liked the succinct POEM. Thanks to Picaroon and Eileen.

14. gdu@9: ‘for’ can be either ‘por’ or ‘para’, depending on context, and ‘por’ can be ‘for’ or ‘by’. I wouldn’t rely on Google Translate, which generally gives only one option for each word. Reversi Translate is much better and shows examples of usage.

    I found this difficult but superior in every way to yesterday’s effort by Paul. The fact that answers were titles rather than characters makes a huge difference, and the clueing is much less quirky, to put it politely.

15. There were no comments when I started writing this, so apologies if there are duplications because I was @15 when I edited to add this🤣.

    Congratulations on achieving this milestone Eileen and thank you for bringing all of us such shrewd insights into our collective pursuit.

    I thought this was a lovely solve from Picaroon. Difficult in parts, but ultimately satisfying. So many great clues that it’s hard to choose favourites but I’ll go with IDIOT and STEAL for the surfaces. I struggled with SALVABLE and still don’t quite see how it meets the definition.

    Since you raise it Eileen, I enjoyed this much more than yesterday because it was possible to solve without knowing the theme, although in fact I did work it out. The difference for me was as stated by Auriga @2 and Rob T yesterday. Although I am a fan of Austen I didn’t remember some of the characters and was not able to solve those clues without looking up a list of characters, which didn’t feel right somehow. A more able solver perhaps could have done.

16. I’m very fond of Picaroon’s puzzles, and love a lot of this one, but am I missing something? E.g. ‘Are’ => ‘A’, ‘Marks’ => ‘M’, ‘saw’ (n) => ‘DATED’ (adj)? Maybe someone more experienced can explain that these are reasonable…. I see no others are objecting.

17. Inverted Geoff@9 – the por/para for/by correspondence is one of the classic difficulties of learning Spanish for English speakers.

18. poc@14, I don’t have a great deal of faith in Google translate either, but as I don’t own a Spanish-English dictionary, it was the best I could do. Next time I’ll try your suggestion, thank you.

19. I think Dostoevsky could fairly be described as a HIRSUTE PATRIOT, (though the patriotism was of a very particular type, pretty close to that of Vladimir Putin in modern times).

20. I enjoyed this, having read a lot of Dosto as an adolescent – the best time to read him, I think. Drdubosc @16: A is an accepted abbreviation for ARE, the measurement (100 sq metres), but I always forget that; M for MARKS is a reference to the old German currency; and DATED = SAW as in “I dated/saw Penelope Cruz for a couple of years …”

21. Much, much better than yesterday’s for reasons pointed out by people who commented before me 🙂 I have read as much Dostoevsky as I have Austen (ie none) but several of the titles are familiar and by about a third of the way through I had CRIME, PUNISHMENT, IDIOT and GAMBLER which gave me the theme.

    Many congratulations to Eileen on 1000 blogs!

22. Having now read the comments, DuncT@8, perhaps the message goes with The GAMBLER – lets hope so…

    [gdu @9, I like what you did with your name – no idea how you managed it! ]

23. Soundly defeated by Picaroon today, after HIRSUTE had absolutely flown in right at the very start. And here’s my little story as to why the word is burned into my memory, if I may…
    So, in the early 1970’s I was at my first teaching practice as a student and on the very first day I was introduced to the staff of the school in the staff room by the rather spiky headmaster, with: “And on my left, the hirsute gentleman”… The H word wasn’t one I’d come across before, and imagined, rather pleased with myself, that I had heard him referring to my smarter than usual attire for the occasion. Only afterwards was it explained to me that he had been referring to my rather long hair.
    Back to the puzzle, enjoyed its cleverness and misdirection with ultimately the use of the Reveal button, a pity I wasn’t quite up to the task this morning…

24. Much preferred this to yesterday’s for the same reasons as those above. Never read any Dostoevsky but nonetheless managed to get a few of these (I clocked that they must all be books, didn’t quite realise they all had to be Dostoevskys, because not all references to 2 were). PUNISHMENT definitely came about from its reference in 25d rather than me actually figuring it out though!

    I don’t understand how GAMBLER = better though? Every definition I look up just suggests the risk/money definition, and I don’t keep a physical dictionary at home. I feel like there’s maybe an archaic version of “gamble” that means ‘to be well’ but can’t quite remember, and like I say, that definition isn’t appearing anywhere I look.

    Plenty of other NHO in this, too many for me to list, but overall still enjoyable and felt pretty fair. Thanks Picaroon and congratulations Eileen on your 1000th blog

25. I heard that Picaroon made some notes for this puzzle while travelling on the Underground. A fitting puzzle to mark your thousandth blog. Congratulations.

26. @16 Drdubosc – for dating a person might use the phrase “I’m seeing a guy…”, and in past tense that would be “I saw a guy…”. The former is definitely more common than the latter, but not unreasonable I think (and I’ve certainly seen it in previous cryptics)

27. Congratulations on the 1000th blog!

    I didn’t recognise POOR FOLK or the LANDLADY as DOSTOEVSKY titles, but unlike yesterday, it wasn’t essential to know them to complete the puzzle. But I do know CRIME and PUNISHMENT.

    Liked this very much, particularly HIRSUTE, the two Richards and the Kind of Blue album – and the Starmer clue was topical and funny. LANDLADY took a while because I was expecting the N and Y to be together in the answer, not scattered at random.

    (Yes, GDU@9, it is A for are – gets me every time as it’s a measurement I’ve never met outside Crosswordland)

28. SamW @24 – someone who bets, ie is a gambler, is a better.

29. SamW @ 24 – A gambler is a betting man ie. a better.

30. SamW @24 – bet and gamble are synonyms 🙂

    EDIT: ha, I need to type more quickly…

31. Gladys @27 – the placement of the N and the Y in LANDLADY isn’t random, the N is contained (“around New”) and the Y is separately at the end. I too expected the N and the Y to be consecutive but Eileen’s parse makes total sense if you consider the Y to be a separate final fragment.

32. Ah of course! Just never occurred to me. Thanks folks

33. Hats off to both. Just splendid.

34. A grand grid to mark the occasion!
    Thank you for your years of guidance, Eileen.

35. gladys @27 and Rob T @31

    I think it would have been clearer if I’d added a + before Y (year). I’ll do that now.

36. Picaroon is generally in my sweet spot, although today the first pass was slim pickings. After I had 2D and 12A I thought that the theme might be writers in general but soon realized it was one writer in particular. I’ve read a lot more Ambler than Dostoevsky, but am familiar with lots of titles. And concur with the majority here, this was much more accessible than yesterday’s.

    One quibble: Amoroso as a type of sherry is new to me, and doesn’t appear on any list I consulted. Internet search suggests that it is closer to a specific blend (or even brand) from one maker than a type in its own right? In fact, search for amoroso brings up as many hits for oloroso, which I originally wrote in, and which held me up for a little while.

37. Thanks, I see it now – lift-and-separate abbreviations for New Year.

    Yes, AMOROSO was new to me too, but I didn’t look it up, just bunged and shrugged and assumed it was something I didn’t know.

38. 1000 blogs! Wow! Many congratulations to Eileen!

39. One of my favourite setters and one of my favourite bloggers. Many thanks both and congratulations on the milestone Eileen. Gen Z is also a fan of Fyodor: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/dec/17/white-nights-fyodor-dostoevsky-social-media-instagram-booktok-tiktok

40. Google tells me that “amoroso” is an alternative name for “cream” sherry – i.e. sweetened oloroso.

41. A fine puzzle as ever from this setter.

    Congratulations Eileen on your 1000th!

    Thanks Picaroon and Eileen

42. AMOROSO is the name occasionally used for cream sherry. (I did know it, was aware that it wasn’t my preferred sherry, suspect I’ve been given it under that name at some point.)

    (and cross posted with muffin)

43. Super puzzle as is to be expected. Even with rather a lot of cross-references which are not my favourite device,. I stayed away from yesterday’s blog, ashamed of my philistinism. But today was another matter and I recognised most of the titles as I encountered them. Only POEM took a little while to drop. Like our blogger, I feel there are too many good clues to pick a favourite: maybe LANDLADY for that neat lift-and-separate of New Year deserves special mention. (Mind you, having praised the setter, I do look forward to the burying of WAS A BI as a clue for the condiment. I feel I have seen that one rather often.)

    Thanks Picaroon and Eileen – with special commendation for reaching your milestone

44. I parsed SAW: ( 14ac), i.e. DATED, in the sense of a saying that has become passe/ cliched, by overuse over a long period of time; but brian-with-an-eye@20 surely has it correct.
    And, respect too, for having dated Penelope Cruz.

45. It’s not often I love a crossword so much for both the theme and the quality of the clueing but this hit the sweet spot for me. I read a lot of Dostoevsky when I was younger, loved him at the time (apart from the ending of Crime and Punishment), not sure how I’d feel about those books today. I may have read an Eric Ambler, I was certainly aware of him.
    Dostoevsky also wrote poems and letters – there is so much interlinking in here, like Easter eggs.
    Thank you Picaroon and Eileen.

46. brian-with-an-eye@20 😉 & 😀 — Petert@25 😉 — gladys@27 😀 [I’m looking forward to W&G: Vengeance Most Fowl on Christmas🎄Day.]

47. Also, Dostoevsky was forced to write The Gambler to pay off his debts after going BUST playing ROULETTE.

48. Mega, Eileen, should have said earlier😄

49. ★ and Zorionak, Eileen! ★

50. No relation to the Pirate, of course.
    Rare indeed for me to complete a grid with fully parsed solutions, recognise a theme, but not require any Googling to help with the themed answers. All achieved today.
    This is clearly the hallmark of an excellent puzzle for which Picaroon should be congratulated. As indeed Eileen on her milestone.

51. Dear Eileen, many congratulations on your 1,000th blog. It must be quite a challenge to find new, creative ways of saying “flawless, top-class puzzle from Picaroon”.

52. baerchen @51. I’ve said something like that many times. 😉

53. Grand achievement, Eileen. Glad you got such an elegant crossword to blog for the occasion.

54. Me @52
    Ha! – I’ve remembered that I blogged Picaroon’s first Guardian Cryptic puzzle, in March 2012 and wrote then:

    “It’s always a little disconcerting to come across an unfamiliar setter’s name – particularly on a Friday, when we expect something more challenging, and even more so if you’re the one due to blog. I don’t recognise Picaroon’s name and s/he hasn’t made it to Michael Curl’s excellent Who’s Who yet. [One more slightly disconcerting thing is that a Picaroon – I know from crosswords – is a pirate, so could this possibly be a subterfuge by some setter that we already know and love?]
    Once I got into this, it didn’t take long to realise that here was a puzzle that was right up my street: inventive cluing, including three ‘lift and separate’ examples, with ingenious constructions and beautifully smooth surfaces [which really are worth going back to savour, after solving], and a wide range of subject-matter, with some witty political comments thrown in – in fact, plenty of smiles along the way, which always goes down well with me.
    All in all, a gem of a puzzle: I could take a lot more of this setter – whoever s/he is.”

    At that point, Picaroon had set only Genius puzzles, under a different pseudonym but, since then, he has added Quiptic and Quick cryptic puzzles to his Guardian repertoire (as well as cryptic puzzles for other publications) and has hit the spot exactly in every genre.

55. Congratulations to Eileen on her blogging milestone. Thank you to Picaroon for a very challenging crossword, even though, for a change, I spotted the theme

56. 21a – how is TO the opening of LETTER?

57. Steffen @56 – To whom it may concern – as one of several options

58. Surely it’s not a coincidence that hidden in row 8 we have Dostoevsky’s wife, ANNA

59. Many congratulations Eileen – that’s some achievement! What a brilliant puzzle to bring up your 1000. He really is the best of us.

60. Eileen: We are humbled and eternally grateful for your labours on our behalf. You are a treasure. 💛

61. Another given up early.
    I think I’ll give the Guardian a rest for a while

62. Tough but very enjoyable. Since I got the first four acrosses straight off, I thought it would be easier, but then I hit a wall. To my shame, I have to admit that I thought to myself “The Gambler – that’s a Dostoevsky title” long before I worked out 14d DOSTOEVSKY itself (and I had all the other titles already in). A real clanger of a penny drop. Thanks, Picaroon and congratulations and many thanks, Eileen.

63. [I read Eric Ambler’s The Mask of Dimitrios (1939) a couple of years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it – it’s a gripping spy thriller if you like that sort of thing, and he writes very well.]

64. Thanks Gladys@39. “Bunged and shrugged” has now become our favourite way of expressing “This has to be the right solution but we don’t know why and we’ll look it up later on Fifteen squared”. It’s bound to be shortened to B&S here. One of us used to say “That’ll do” in this circumstance, but “B&S” is much better!

65. Gave up quickly when I saw how much cross-referencing there was in the clues. I know (and love) Kind of Blue and have read Dostoevsky but knowledge doesn’t help at all if you can’t find a way into the clues. Yesterday’s and today’s cryptics have made me doubtful about ever getting the hang of this!

66. Don’t give up, Amma – you’ve been doing so well!

    Remember, some of us have been doing this for decades. 😉

67. Took a while but then I got Dostoevsky and it all fell into place; an excellent puzzle.
    Sarah@63 – great book!

68. Congratulations on the 1000th blog Eileen! Excellent puzzle, tough but fair (once I worked out the inverted envelopes like “Latin/ neologism goes around” in NEW WORLD). Didn’t realize every novel was Dostoyevsky and got awfully confused by DOLT because my mind automatically filled in the crossreference as to 2 rather than 21. I though, “In Donald Barthelme’s wonderful story The Dolt, the title character is preparing to take the National Writer’s Examination, but that’s surely far too obscure to pass muster!” Come to think of it I had a similar problem with ROULETTE reading 2 for 12 there. My misfortune that the numbers are so close!

    Particularly liked the constructions for NEW WORLD and DOSTOEVSKY, the clever definitions for HIRSUTE and PATRIOT, and the elegant surfaces for GAMBLER and CRIME.

    Thanks Picaroon and Eileen!

69. Amma@65
    I have been doing the Guardian cryptic for 55 years and I still get stuck but that’s part of the fun!
    It’s a great way to exercise your mind and it’s educational too.

70. 57 Shanne thank you

71. Another great one from the Pirate. Apart from Raskolnikov and the missing Karamazovs I can’t recall any characters from FD novels, so it was just as well that today’s theme was gentler than yesterday’s 🙂

    Thanks to Picaroon and congratulations to Eileen for the Mblog, splendid as ever

72. Very good puzzle and blog to match. Nothing to add to others’ comments except that I took the wordplay for IDIOT as a single unit – an informal LETTER to Mr Amin might start ‘TO IDI …’
    Thanks to Picaroon and (with congratulations) to Eileen.

73. Most everything I wanted to say has been said, but I’ll definitely add my congratulations to Eileen!

    The thing to understand about Google Translate is that it has been trained on parallel corpora, so context is key. So give it a variety of short sentences with different senses of “for” and you will see some come out with “para” and some with “por”.

74. beaulieu @72: I agree about the parsing of IDIOT – but I think that is what Eileen was expressing

75. Congratulations Eileen – a very apt puzzle.

76. Loved it.
    I’m not the best solver, and I got stuck in the NW corner, with 4 unsolved – I didn’t really have time to persevere, and I see they were all gettable.
    Better for me, personally, than yesterday, but that’s because yesterday was too hard for the likes of myself!

    … And I saw the theme! Yey!!!!!!! I hardly ever spot themes.

77. Really enjoyed that, but in the interests of getting my day back I abandoned ship with four clues left to solve.
    I couldn’t quite believe Eric Ambler was the writer in question at 12, but I filled it in and hoped for the best.
    Really liked Steal at 20, and Folk at 27 down.
    I’m sorry to say I had Landlord carelessly written in at 19 down, until I realised I needed a D at the end of 29.
    Good fun and greatly enjoyed, albeit not quite finished today.

78. Congratulations on 1000 blogs, Eileen!

    Another top-class crossword from my favourite setter. I’m not generally a fan of highly interlinked puzzles but, unlike yesterday’s, this was accessible enough to keep me going.

    Literary ignoramus that I am, it appears I solved it the hard way – without realising the theme was so pervasive. Bravo, Picaroon! I spotted the connections between CRIME, PUNISHMENT and DOSTOEVSKY, but the other works passed me by. Sigh.

79. A real tonic for me, a puzzle by my favourite setter and commentary from my favourite blogger, on a miserable day on which I’m nursing a cold and fever. Loved the Miles Davis and Starmer clues and managed to complete, though I couldn’t fathom Lett for European until I looked it up.
    Congratulations to eileen on a great landmark and her continuing ability to combine intelligence with humility and encouragement
    Merry Christmas to both with thanks for providing us all with a great year of fun and mental stimulation and to all contributors to this fantastic b;og

80. Well what more can one say at comment #79 (assuming no one else is writing this minute and beats me to it).
    Another delight from my most favourite setter in all his piratical guises and a very fitting gift to Eileen (favourite blogger) on her 1000th blog
    Best Wishes of the Season to all

81. Just done it having got back from a short holiday. Found it quite difficult as was Paul’s yesterday. I’ve been doing Grauni cryptics for yonks and these two were some of the hardest I’ve come across. Must be getting old! Two great setters. We’re all so lucky to have such brilliant creatives. As for Eileen you’re a star. Strewth 1K. Needed you today so a thousand thanks and happy Christmas. I’m expecting a mammoth job from Maskerade tomorrow to finish off a challenging week .

82. Congratulations Eileen, and many thanks for all your efforts.
    As for the puzzle; for me, this was yet another brilliant offering from Picaroon and infinitely more enjoyable than yesterday’s puzzle.
    I understand Eileen’s preference to say nothing if she does not like a puzzle, but I think that it is necessary to let the editor have both positive and negative feedback in order better to understand solvers’ preferences.

83. Tough but fair, and one of those which gave more enjoyment as it unfolded.
    Needed Eileen’s expertise to parse a couple, but I can live with that.
    Thank you very much Picaroon and Eileen; and here’s to the next thousand.

84. Adding my congratulations to Eileen – what a milestone! As you say, Picaroon’s puzzles are always tremendous, and this was a welcome relief after yesterday’s mostly unsuccessful struggle with Paul. Thoroughly enjoyable.

85. Congratulations on your 1000th Eileen. I always enjoy your blogs and parsings, and boy did I need it for today’s offering.

86. Great puzzle.
    Thanks to Picaroon and particular thanks and congratulations to Eileen today.

87. lemasterman @79 – re, ‘Lett for European’, remember Cole Porter:

    In Spain the best upper sets do it
    Lithuanians and Letts do it
    Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.

88. A good puzzle, but easier than the usual Friday fare. Can’t believe yesterday’s wasn’t rated; for me, Paul has assumed Araucaria’s mantle. I can still recall his classic double grid with the answers “Musique concrete” and “Budgie Smugglers”. Brilliant!

89. Eileen, congratulations on your 1000th. Your blogs and comments always make me think your students were lucky to have you as a teacher.
    A splendid puzzle from Picaroon for all the reasons already given. Many thanks to both.

90. Ian Shale @88, I agree with you that, for a year or two after his passing, Paul did indeed assume Araucaria’s mantle. But, for me, his clues then started to become more GWIT and probably more fun for the setter than the settee (at least, this settee). His surfaces started to become clunkier. Can’t really say that I’ve enjoyed one of his for a while now but I do respect that others really enjoy them.

91. Late to the party today. A splendid brain tickling puzzle from Picaroon and a grand blog from Eileen. Many thanks to both, especially Eileen who deserves special congratulations and may there be a thousand more!

92. Thanks Picaroon, and congratulations to Eileen!

    It’s lovely to see so many (well deserved) nice comments coming her way.

93. Aoxomoxoa@90: I agree 100%. Paul is the only setter whose puzzles I skip these days. In contrast, I think Picaroon is my favourite. This puzzle re-enforces my views. With thanks to Picaroon and Eileen.

94. Well done Eileen. I love the way you blog.

    As usual, I needed you for the parsing of a couple today. I wonder how long it will take me to remember that a = are.

95. I got the theme fairly early.
    The top half went in easily enough, but not the bottom half, so looking forward to some enlightenment for Eileen’s typically excellent set of hints.
    Thanks both.

96. Finally got to comment, after a dilatory morning and early afternoon.

    Fine puzzle, Picaroon, thank you.

    And Eileen — delightful blog and big congratulations to you, looking forward to your next grand. I always light up when I see your name as today’s blogger.

    I’ve read a few by Dostoevsky and rather a lot by Ambler. One of my favorites is Epitaph for a Spy, in which somebody minding his own business accidentally picks up the wrong camera and gets in trouble when he has the film developed.

    Thanks again, and more congratulations!

97. George Clements @82 – you are assuming the Guardian crossword editor reads this blog. Some of the setters definitely do and engage with the comments, others don’t and I’m under the impression that although Alan Connor knows 15squared exists, he doesn’t come here to find out what solvers think of crosswords published in the Guardian. It’s not as if the Guardian doesn’t have its own comments under the crosswords and a monthly crossword blog with comment section.

98. A lot of new stuff for me explaining my poor effort today
    DA – Russian for ‘yes’
    LIED – Classical air
    TO – Opening of letter – ?? Don’t understand this
    M – Marks – Ditto
    LETTE – European – Ditto

99. Celebrating your 1000th, Eileen, and thankyou a thousand times. You always open up a new world for me. I really enjoy your comments and the way you engage with us here.

    I don’t know many of Dostoevsky’s works but it didn’t matter. For some reason, probably Picaroon’s clear cluing, I found the solve fairly smooth sailing, with some chuckles at the surfaces along the way.

    I asked google a question, can’t remember what, and found this interesting link below about the connection between his gambling and the writing of Crime and Punishment and the Gambler, as dc mentioned @47.

    https://www.cqu.edu.au/news/1111187/how-dostoevsky-overcame-his-gambling-addiction

    I also found Anna, his wife’s name, then saw that in row 8. Agree with Richard Poole@58, surely not a coincidence.

100. HIYD @98:

     – TO as a form of written address eg “To whom it may concern”
     – M as old German currency abbreviation
     – LETT is old word for Latvian

101. Rob @100 – Thanks

102. As you may remember, I’m not a fan of Paul either, but yesterday’s was by far the most enjoyable of his that I’ve done for ages. I am a fan of the key author, though. I’m disappointed that so many people seem to have rejected her without even trying to read any!

103. Congratulations Eileen. Great you “picked” a pickers for the milestone. I enjoy your blogs and the way you continue to interact with comments in them. Long may both continue.
     I found this more approachable than yesterday but it still required a mid-afternoon brain reset to complete.

104. Muffin @2&102: I had Oloroso to start with as well.
     I thought 20ac very apt given Miles’s reputation for taking ownership of other people’s tunes.
     I got the impression that it wasn’t Austen who was upsetting people as much as the way her work was used in the puzzle. Some of the defenders of yesterday’s puzzle have expressed relief that the same method wasn’t used today.🙂

105. Zoot @104
     Today, yes, but yesterday there were several “I haven’t read a word of her”….

106. muffin @105 – I haven’t read a word of either Austen or Dostoevsky, and that’s just two statements of fact and neither of them is a judgement in any way 🙂 I enjoyed today’s crossword more simply due to the way the theme was worked.

107. Rob T @106
     But you should try her! You don’t get what you are missing.

108. muffin @105 I’ve just re-read yesterday’s blog and agree there are a number of comments like that, but with one possible exception they are not derogatory, merely statements of fact. I don’t think this is necessarily rejection of an obviously treasured author. I am frequently surprised by the number of clearly educated people who say they have never heard of many composers, most recently on here Alexander Borodin.

109. muffin @107 – thanks for the recommendation! I just felt strongly that none of yesterday’s criticism was of Austen as a writer, merely criticism of how her work was integrated into a puzzle. I would posit that many people who confess to having not read any particular author do so from a position of regret, perhaps even embarrassment, and not a position of ‘rejection’ 🙂

110. me @107
     I was going to add an edit, but was too slow. How can you decide that an author isn’t worth reading without reading a word of her/(him)?
     [I always used to finish a book once I had got more than a couple of pages in, but have now learned how to give up earlier!]
     Some responses since I posted. My point is, don’t reject a very revered author without even trying her.

111. [btw I forgot to say that amongst my several jazz albums I have a special pile of my best four – John Coltrane’s A love supreme, Keith Jarrett’s Koln Concert, Getz and Gilberto’s eponymous album and, of course, Kind of blue (which I have just put on to listen to).]

112. muffin @111, 👍to A Love Supreme and Kind Of Blue; don’t know the other two so will check them out.

113. muffin@110. I don’t think anyone rejected Jane Austen, just hadn’t read her. Perhaps on hearing how passionate you are about her works, some may now be interested. A scientist, such as yourself, with a great love of literature, is very appealing.

     I know almost as much, or as little, about Dostoevsky as I do about Austen. But for me it’s about the solve. The theme to me is immaterial. I always feel sorry for the setter who follows a controversial crossword, as the one following is not given their dues. The setters, like the authors in these two themed crosswords, are incomparable.

114. PS muffin, Love John Coltrane’s A love supreme. Can still hear it in my head despite my tinnitus.

115. Aoxomoxoa @112
     Do so! Though it’s not necessarily a recommendation, the Getz/Gilberto album I often play to people who think “they don’t like jazz”.
     It starts with The girl from Ipanema, sung by Gilberto’s wife, Astrud. Do you know the story? She had only gone to the studio to take his packed lunch. When she arrived, he said “you speak English. Try singing this”. The rest is history!

     paddymelon @113
     I take the point that titles are much fairer than characters. However it seemed to me that lots of people were almost boasting about never having read Austen

116. Thanks for all the nice comments – but I was only really remarking, en passant – several of my colleagues have already passed that milestone in the last year or so – I was just chuffed to have landed a Picaroon today after such a long gap – and certainly not wanting to resurrect any further discussion re yesterday’s puzzle.

     I definitely didn’t want to divert any appreciation of this brilliant puzzle – and I’m glad to see that that didn’t happen.

     As for the next 1,000: it has taken since 2008 to get this far and so, at my advanced age, considering that I blog once a week + a monthly Prize, I’ll settle optimistically for another100 (DV – as my Presbyterian mother-in-law always added. ;_),

117. Eileen@116. DV Deo volente. I think you may have taught me that as well. With very best wishes for your health and longevity.

118. “How Miles ends Kind of Blue is appropriate” is just brilliant. Congratulations Picaroon, and Eileen on your wonderful milestone.

119. I’d say that the Dostoevsky aspect of this puzzle was a theme, but that Paul’s use of Austen amounted to a complete structural substrate for the puzzle going far beyond that, so representing a different challenge, needing far more extensive knowledge of the writer’s works.

     Or perhaps I’d just got used to the idea after the first.

     Picaroon and Paul still remain two of my favourite setters.

     Cheers all.

120. Thanks both,
     As a counterbalance to most of the comment here, I did not get on with this at all and much preferred yesterday’s puzzle.

121. ENB, 44
     I’d date Penelope Cruz at circa 1974

122. I’ll tell you what’s great about Eileen. She is always sunny and upbeat. Never damns with faint praise. Always writes with a sense of delight. 1000 is quite something. And still she keeps smiling. Brava

123. Very late with this, but I must congratulate Matthew Newell @1 for having read the whole of Austen and Dostoevsky in two days. Quite a feat.

124. A struggle from start to finish – well, if revealing four can be counted as a finish – but I gave this lots of time and patience over the last day and a half. I’m full of cold which possibly doesn’t help but I’m not fooling myself that I would have fared better otherwise.

     Overall this was a huge stretch for my solving capacity but I’m glad I gave it a fair crack of the whip.

125. Congratulations on reaching 1000 Eileen, and what a great puzzle to reach that milestone with.

126. In late answer to Eileen, although I found this difficult, I thought it fairer than the previous crossword. Dostoevsky was solvable without knowing 2, and writer was fairly easily solved. After that, if you knew the books some were probably a write in, but they were all approachable without the GK. Getting C&P helped me, but I feel that if I recognise that, most solvers can.
     In contrast, I thought in the previous crossword, the linked clues were very hard without the GK to help.

127. What Ratsalike@60 said…

128. No one else pointing out that acai is not an energy drink? It’s more like porridge.

129. More than completing a thousand blogs, Eileen, what needs to be praised and valued is your warmth and affection in them. Even a distant (also as aloof) reader like me feels your radiance. So gratitude for and congratulations on your ability to touch an old timer like me.

     Picaroon’s puzzle was as lovely as it was often inscrutable!

     Thanks both.

130. Late to the party as always – my husband and I print the crosswords and do them as we travel.

     But Muffin @3, I was surprised at “Raised eyebrow at 8d – “broke” is considerably more extreme than POOR!”

     because one of my favorite sayings is “Broke is a condition of the pocket, poor is the state of the spirit,” and my father always said, “I’ve been broke but I’ve never been poor.” To me, “broke” is temporary!

131. Congratulations Eileen on your 1000th blog (although by now you will have written several more)! For me you are the heart and soul of this blog. I always appreciate your thoughtful blogs and comments

     NE held out the longest, with DATED opening the gates somewhat. Failed on AMOROSO (didn’t show up in any sherry searches) and POEM

     I also had the unparsed LEGAL instead of PENAL

     Thank you to Picaroon for teaching me how to spell DOSTOEVSKY!

132. Thank you, Mig, if you’re still there!

133. Yes! Getting a reply from you just made my day!

134. If admin will allow, I’m working through the archive with a goal of catching up with the current blog. Made it this far!

Comments are closed.