Comments on: Guardian 24,443 - Brummie

By: Gail

Gail — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:18:02 +0000

I have to admit that whenever I see Brummie’s name at the foot of the grid, I groan out loud. I am not at all fond of this setter. I always get there in the end, but his clues seem long-winded and lack elegance. Just my humble opinion, but I never find myself aghast with awe at his cleverness. I find him more irritating than anything else.

By: Duggie

Duggie — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:39:06 +0000

Thanks David. Never knew that. Collins says it’s US usage; Chambers doesn’t qualify it. Apologies to Brummie for questioning his def.

By: harry

harry — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:32:28 +0000

duggie - 14 ac is a somewhat longwinded clue, but it goes like this - The safety bicycle is the original name for what we now recognise as the standard bicycle shape, so called because it was safer than the previous “ordinary” style, better known to us the penny farthing, hence the “safety” was more lowly than the “ordinary”.
i still don’t like safety=protected though.

By: JimboNWUK

JimboNWUK — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:25:51 +0000

Not happy about the reference to “protected status”, in 14ac, SAFE = protected no status necessary leaving the TY unclued.

BTW hello uncle yap, do you still correspond with Bobvil and the rest of the mob? (rosie, dave t et al)

By: muck

muck — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:23:35 +0000

Thanks to Brummie for a tough but entertaining and educating puzzle. And to Uncle Yap for his usual excellent blog.

By: David

David — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:00:44 +0000

14a works for me, Duggie: An ordinary is a penny-farthing bicycle, so its ‘lowly’ successor is the definition.

By: Ciaran McNulty

Ciaran McNulty — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:50:14 +0000

I think sportsman=PLAYER is a bit more straightforward than having to remember the golfer?

By: Paul B

Paul B — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:42:32 +0000

And librae, solidi, denarii.

By: Octofem

Octofem — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:46:37 +0000

Hats off to Uncle Yap for finding all the new words. ‘LSD’ by the way, pounds, shillings and pence.

By: teesween

teesween — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:28:55 +0000

An enjoyable puzzle (despite some clues which, to me, didn’t quite work) and an education, with several words to add to my glossary.