Comments on: Guardian 24,737 / Araucaria

By: mhl

mhl — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:10:58 +0000

I meant to say this earlier, but thanks for the excellent post on this puzzle, Eileen! We managed to parse everything in the end, but it took a while…

With regard to ETHIC, I now deliberately look out for “for” and “’s” as hidden answer indicators in Araucaria’s puzzles – there are a couple of other examples in this old comment:

http://fifteensquared.net/2008/11/21/guardian-24552-gordius/#comment-54957

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:20:13 +0000

The Boys in the Backroom

Quite right, Eileen, QUOTE: Backroom boys people who provide vital scientific and technical support for those in the field who become public figures; the expression derives from a reference by Lord Beaverbrook in 1941 to, ‘the boys in the back rooms…they are the men who do the work.’ UNQUOTE

But ‘Destry Rides Again’ appeared in 1939 so, evidently, The Beaver had been inspired by Frederick Hollander and Frank Loesser, although the boys then in question were running a crooked card game.

Bryan

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:53 +0000

I loved it!

Many thanks, Araucaria, I found it easier than most Prize Puzzles – like yesterday’s for example which, thanks to 8d, took me forever.

I didn’t get the Marlene Dietrich song initially but when I did I immediately ordered a copy of ‘Destry Rides Again’ which I hadn’t seen for ages. And, when it came, that was a real bonus.

But I guess that you have to be of a ‘certain age’ to remember that.

Bryan

By: Chunter

Chunter — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:43:19 +0000

I can't resist mentioning I Zingari, a cricket club that was founded in 1845.

By: Crypticnut

Crypticnut — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:55:37 +0000

Just to add a little more to the “ZINGARO” debate – according to Wictionary ZINGARO is Italian, male gender, for gypsy. Plural is ZINGARI and feminine is ZINGARA.

Hope this doesn’t add to the confusion!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:24:43 +0000

“(My Gran used to have an expression – “The better I’m makin’ it, the worse ’tis gettin’”).”

That’s exactly how I felt, Neil! I quite agree that it’s nothing like the omelette thing.

[I love the picture of you kicking your head!]

By: Neil

Neil — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:09:59 +0000

Eileen and NeilW (oh dear, I’m a W too; potential further confusion):
I got in a pickle with ZINCALO/ZINGARO until Eileen showed me the light. I’ve even got bruises on my head, from where I’ve been kicking myself! So, if NeilW is still fretting, forgive me for interfering but, following Eileen’s lucid interpretation, this is how I saw it:

ZING = life. A ROMANY with ‘many’ (a lot) taken away (going) leaves A RO – to add on to ZING. Whoopee – ZINGARO!
A Zingaro is a a Romany but is also part of the wordplay. Eileen identfies HIM as the definition; that would be ‘him’ the previously referred to Romany, thus, the Zingaro. Yes?

(My Gran used to have an expression – “The better I’m makin’ it, the worse ’tis gettin’”).

I thought this made absolute sense, quite unlike the “anomalous’ business, which nobody could seem to make any reasonable sense of at all (pace Eileen, who had a go).

By: NeilW

NeilW — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:57:02 +0000

Thanks, Eileen; a little clearer but… a bit like Araucaria’s recent poser “anomalous”, where you’re still left wondering if there’s something more!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:42:35 +0000

Hi Neil

I’ll do my best! Zingaro ia a gypsy, as is a Romany and, I’ve just discovered, a Zincalo! – but the wordplay doesn’t fit him as an answer. ZING [life] + A ROMANY with a lot [many] going gives ZINGARO = ROMANY = ‘him’. [I hope that’s clearer but I’m not sure it is!

By: NeilW

NeilW — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:00:54 +0000

Congratulations, Eileen, on a super analysis. Like my namesake, I also had Zincalo for 11ac, but really just out of desperation. Please would you mind elucidating further on what Zingaro has to do with “him” – still completely lost!