Comments on: Guardian 24376 Araucaria -”Inconsiderate Service Order” http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/ Never knowingly undersolved. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:16:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Eileen http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21722 Eileen Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:30:32 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21722 Well, as you said earlier, thank Goodness this is still 'Araucaria's day', with a return to some humour. The last one I wrote in was 13ac! Andrew, does it matter that 1ac and 25ac don't have a life of their own? [They do balance one another rather nicely.] Thanks for your explanation of 17dn. Well, as you said earlier, thank Goodness this is still ‘Araucaria’s day’, with a return to some humour. The last one I wrote in was 13ac!

Andrew, does it matter that 1ac and 25ac don’t have a life of their own? [They do balance one another rather nicely.] Thanks for your explanation of 17dn.

]]> By: stan http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21715 stan Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:27:26 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21715 I may have to apologise about being so sniffy about "PG"="Paying Guest" which does seem to be a current abbreviation. The problem is that I have only ever come across the term (a) in previous Araucaria crosswords and (b) in Wallace & Gromit's "The Wrong Trousers" I may have to apologise about being so sniffy about “PG”=”Paying Guest” which does seem to be a current abbreviation. The problem is that I have only ever come across the term (a) in previous Araucaria crosswords and (b) in Wallace & Gromit’s “The Wrong Trousers”

]]> By: Geoff http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21712 Geoff Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:43:43 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21712 A very easy puzzle for Araucaria, I thought. Can't add anything to excellent explanations from Stan and previous bloggers. So a comment about 21a: the CIVIL YEAR was a secular, not church, time period (as the name implies), although it traditionally started on a religious festival - the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on 25 March (the visit from the angel Gabriel, obviously timed to be exactly 9 calendar months before Christmas). By the time the Gregorian calendar was finally adopted in Britain in 1752, the old Julian calendar was 11 days 'behind' (in terms of dates of solstices etc) so 11 days were skipped in September 1752 in order to bring the calendar back on track. So as not to have a short year. the start of the civil year was also moved forward 11 days to 5 April in 1753. It was again moved forward by one day in 1800, which didn't have a leap day (following Gregorian rules), but no correction was made for 1900. That is why the tax year starts on the apparently random 6 April - one of the few relics of this old system. A very easy puzzle for Araucaria, I thought. Can’t add anything to excellent explanations from Stan and previous bloggers.

So a comment about 21a: the CIVIL YEAR was a secular, not church, time period (as the name implies), although it traditionally started on a religious festival - the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on 25 March (the visit from the angel Gabriel, obviously timed to be exactly 9 calendar months before Christmas). By the time the Gregorian calendar was finally adopted in Britain in 1752, the old Julian calendar was 11 days ‘behind’ (in terms of dates of solstices etc) so 11 days were skipped in September 1752 in order to bring the calendar back on track. So as not to have a short year. the start of the civil year was also moved forward 11 days to 5 April in 1753. It was again moved forward by one day in 1800, which didn’t have a leap day (following Gregorian rules), but no correction was made for 1900. That is why the tax year starts on the apparently random 6 April - one of the few relics of this old system.

]]> By: Octofem http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21698 Octofem Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:44:38 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21698 12 ac - _Sorry: my first comment and I was carried away. Was thinking of Macho from another puzzle! Must do better. 12 ac - _Sorry: my first comment and I was carried away. Was thinking of Macho from another puzzle! Must do better.

]]> By: Octofem http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21696 Octofem Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:32:45 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21696 12 ac -Tambo is also a small bongo drum, making less noise than the larger one. 12 ac -Tambo is also a small bongo drum, making less noise than the larger one.

]]> By: Andrew http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21685 Andrew Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:00:14 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21685 12ac - the "jingly drum" is actually spelt Tambourine, so TAMBO really is exactly half of it. (With the second half perhaps giving scope for a less tasteful clue...) 12ac - the “jingly drum” is actually spelt Tambourine, so TAMBO really is exactly half of it. (With the second half perhaps giving scope for a less tasteful clue…)

]]> By: John Ridge http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21673 John Ridge Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:37:33 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21673 23ac - TOPI is the sahib's pith helmet (more often spelt TOPEE?) 23ac - TOPI is the sahib’s pith helmet (more often spelt TOPEE?)

]]> By: Andrew http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21672 Andrew Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:20:47 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21672 Oh, and 17dn: I thought the AR was the "opening" of "article", in addition to the article=A in CHIC. Oh, and 17dn: I thought the AR was the “opening” of “article”, in addition to the article=A in CHIC.

]]> By: Andrew http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21671 Andrew Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:18:56 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21671 Oops - "..phrase on its OWN,...", that should be. Oops - “..phrase on its OWN,…”, that should be.

]]> By: Andrew http://fifteensquared.net/2008/04/30/guardian-24376-araucaria-inconsiderate-service-order/#comment-21670 Andrew Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:18:13 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=1489#comment-21670 9ac - the extra R is from R for Recipe = take (as in medicine). 14ac - DEAR BRUTUS: a play by J M Barrie, DE(from) + R in ARBUTUS I'm not sure about 1ac and 25ac - does either of them exist as a phrase on its on, without DISTINGUISHED? 9ac - the extra R is from R for Recipe = take (as in medicine).
14ac - DEAR BRUTUS: a play by J M Barrie, DE(from) + R in ARBUTUS

I’m not sure about 1ac and 25ac - does either of them exist as a phrase on its on, without DISTINGUISHED?

]]>