Comments on: Guardian 24,713 (Sat 30 May)/Puck – Loss Leader

By: Crypticnut

Crypticnut — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:19:56 +0000

Sorry to be so late with this but it was published in our local paper only this morning.
Just wanted to point out that 17a – BOND – is also a band; all female string quartet specialising in up-beat versions of some of the classics. Definitely not one for the purists!

By: Paul (not Paul)

Paul (not Paul) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:07:58 +0000

Count Basie was our entry into the themed clues too and leonidas was our last as we’d never heard of him.

How did you get on in the Lamm? Nice weekend for it!

By: Colin Blackburn

Colin Blackburn — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:53:05 +0000

The grid was very impressive: getting the 11 bandleaders and BANDLEADER itself without too many obscure entries. I didn’t even think there were that many.

Re comment 6: 13:43 would be a reasonable time for the LAMM if it’s hours:minutes!

By: stiofain

stiofain — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:55:31 +0000

I loved the inclusion of Hendrix and thought it was a great clue.
Stiofain

By: Colin H

Colin H — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:48:38 +0000

Dave – the Biggles gave me a bit of trouble, too, but I got there in the end. Have fun with 28 ac!

By: sidey

sidey — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:39:09 +0000

I am now kicking myself, that is all.

By: liz

liz — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Thanks, Rightback. Had to do this without looking things up, as I was on a train, but managed it with a little struggle. I really liked some of these clues, especially 18ac, 22ac and 6dn. Spelled LYTTELTON wrong at first, which held me up at 13ac.

James Last is definitely right. I remember his records from the ‘easy listening’ section of the record shop where I was a Saturday girl too many years ago to mention.

Dave Ellison — keep trying with the Biggles…it looks forbidding but there are some nice things in there!

By: Dave Ellison

Dave Ellison — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:02:43 +0000

I think the preamble helped, as I got 21d very late in the day. Enjoyed this, though I didn’t manage to get a few at the end.

Having enormous trouble getting going with Biggles today.

Enjoy the LAMM, Rightback – will you do it in 13:43?!

By: Colin H

Colin H — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:43:03 +0000

I got in a bit of a mess with this one – having got the theme, I somehow managed to convince myself that 21,19 was KING OLIVER, which as you can imagine made a bit of a mess of the bottom left-hand corner. It was only on coming back to it later in the day that I realised where I’d gone wrong, and the last few fell into place.

Great set of clues, my favourite Saturday one for a long time.

By: Peter Owen

Peter Owen — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:23:41 +0000

3d. The first definition of “rampant” in Chambers is “rearing”. Since “rearing” means “rising” I think that this is a perfectly good indication to write MAN upwards (rather than backwards). The clue only works for a down answer.