I thought I’d take this opportunity to address some issues that have come under discussion on the blog recently.

Missing/Late Posts

There have been a few occasions where we haven’t been able to blog puzzles, or where we’ve posted late, and this usually attracts some commments. I’ve explained this elsewhere but it’s worth repeating: if we don’t blog a puzzle it’s not because we can’t be bothered. It’s much more likely that real-life has got in the way somewhere along the line - you know, families, jobs - that kind of thing. Also, internet connections fail and sometimes people are sick. All of which can contribute to puzzles not appearing. It doesn’t happen very often and I know it can be annoying, especially if you’re a setter looking for some feedback or a solver needing some help but really, there’s not a great deal we can do about it. All I can ask is for you to be patient: if someone can blog a puzzle, they will. If no-one’s available, they won’t.

Commenting in the wrong place

This is sort of connected to the first point: we’ve had a few people asking about the whereabouts of a particular puzzle by adding a comment to another puzzle. Some other people reply to that comment and soon enough we have a mini-discussion happening in the wrong place. This is not a good idea for two reasons: first, bloggers are automatically emailed all the comments on their posts and they don’t want to read comments on other puzzles (well, they might, but they’d rather read them on the blog itself, rather than having their inbox clogged up); second, if the missing puzzle is finally blogged those comments are now in the wrong place and may not get read by others. So from now on, comments in the wrong place will be silently deleted. You have been warned. If you really can’t help yourself and absolutely have to enquire about a missing post (despite the first point above) send an email to blogging@fifteensquared.net.

Unexplained clues

We don’t explain all the clues in a given puzzle. The reason for this is explained elsewhere (I’ll give you a clue - it’s a question I’m frequently asked) but it can be a tricky business deciding which clues to explain and which to leave out. What’s obvious to some is impenetrable to others. If we haven’t explained a clue you’re stuck on or don’t understand please don’t post a grumpy sounding comment along the lines of “What about 5D?” or “You missed 17A and it’s driving me mad”. Instead, post the full clue complete with enumeration along with a polite request for assistance. That way, someone who didn’t solve the puzzle will be able to help you, as well as those that did.

Situations Vacant

It’s probably obvious by now that we simply don’t have enough people with enough time on their hands to blog all the puzzles we’d like to. So, if you’ve ever fancied trying your hand at blogging, now’s your chance. The first thing to say is that you don’t need to be a speedy solver; if you can finish most puzzles you start, that’s the most important thing, along with being able to explain most of the wordplay in a puzzle. It’s perfectly ok occasionally to say “I don’t understand this clue” (I do it all the time) or “I couldn’t get this answer”. If you’re interested, but not sure if you’ll be any good at it then the best thing I can suggest is just to try it: solve a puzzle and then sit down and write your own blog, in a similar style to what you read here. If you want a second opinion, I’ll be happy to read it, just send it to me at blogging@fifteensquared.net.

We need bloggers to cover the following puzzles:

Independent: we need two people to take a rotating daily slot and one or two subs to cover absences like holidays.

Financial Times: same as Independent - two people for a rotating daily slot and a couple of subs.

Beelzebub: currently covered by one person (me) so it would be useful to have one or two others to rotate it between.

Any others: if you’re interesting in blogging a puzzle that we cover but which I haven’t mentioned here, send me a mail anyway - we’ll probably be able to work something out.

All offers to help, questions etc should be sent to blogging@fifteensquared.net.

Solving time - approx. 20 minutes

Another witty and scurrilous (I mean that as a compliment) offering from Gordius today! Really enjoyable to solve, although it required a lot of general knowledge (some of it fairly recent and UK-specific) to understand some of the clues fully.

Across
9 VASE,CT,O MY! - cut indeed - ouch!
10 HE,LEN - ship launcher = HELEN is an old chestnut that I haven’t seen for a few years. From Helen of Troy, “the face that launched a thousand ships.”
11 R(ETRE)AT - être is “to be” in French-speaking Martinique, inside rat=”desert”
12 IS(MAIL)I
13 INRO (iron*) - a little Japanese box found in crosswords and on Antiques Roadshow.
14 LITTLE CHEF - “failing” referring to the fact that the roadside restaurant chain went into administration earlier this year.
16 NOCTULE (clue not)* - a type of bat.
17 HOTSPUR (up short)* - nickname of Sir Henry Percy, a 14th-century soldier.
19 HOME,OFFICE - nice idea, but only true for those of us who work in an office.
22 FR,A,U - that’s French and German required today.
24 RAPHAEL - “Leah, par” all reversed. When I see the name Raphael I think of the painter, but it’s also the name of an archangel.
25 TROLL,OP - funnily enough, I thought of Jade Goody even before I got the answer to this clue…as may have been Gordius’ intention. One dictionary definition of jade is “a woman regarded as disreputable or shrewish” anyway.
27 ANDROGENS (send organ)* - a hard anagram to crack for some reason. I had most of the crossing letters before I got it.

Down
1 A,VERSION,T(HE)RAPY - HE inside party*
3 SCREW - Brit slang for a prison warder.
4 CO,NT,RITE
5 TYPIST - “Thai pissed”, naughty Gordius!
6 CHAMPER(s),T(ips)Y - I worked it out from the wordplay, and thought I’d vaguely heard of it as a word. It’s the crime of participating in a lawsuit as a third party in order to share the proceeds of winning. A bit like those “accident lawyers” who advertise on TV.
8 UNFIT FOR PURPOSE - as John Reid described the Home Office when he took over there. I thought the first half of the clue was a bit weak though, unless I’m missing something.
15 CUP,OL(ATE)D
17 HOCKTIDE - to hock something is to pawn it, and “Uncle” is a nickname for a pawnbroker. Hocktide is a medieval festival which now only survives in Hungerford - no wonder I’d never heard of it!
18 PA,R(ALLE)L - PA + ELLA (Fitzgerald) rev. inside R and L (sides).
21 FULMAR (harmful* - h) - with F?L??? I was thinking FALCON, and couldn’t think of another bird that fit for ages. When I finally deciphered the anagram at 27 I remembered FULMAR and only then realised it was an anagram.
22 MOT,OR - duh! last one I put in, despite the fact that I’ve been working on MOT computerisation for nearly 4 years!

A corking puzzle from Virgilius with a subtle theme, explained in 17A. (The clue in the blog title is, I think, by Enigmatist - but apologies to the setter concerned if I’ve got that wrong).