Comments on: Guardian 24,860 – Araucaria

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:36:32 +0000

Hi, KG (without a B, I hope), here’s “nobody” …
Damn those French ….
Anyway, at last someone who does understand the meaning of BIS.

By: KG

KG — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:13:44 +0000

Nobody may ever read this – but coming back from travel, did the puzzle, enjoyed another excellent Araucaria.

I am amazed that ‘phosgene’ can be used as an example of science being used in a crossword. Vey few chemists I know educated after, say 1975, would be familiar with it. Historians, of whatever age may well be. A bit like glauber’s salts.

Perhaps we can look forward to the next generation of setters using solutions like 2:4:dimethyl chloride, or whatever.

And Sil, when I’ve been to operas in France, ‘bis’ was what they wanted. I believe that only the English ever used the encore word, comme le ‘cul-de-sac’. I think bis is the latin for twice.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:25:21 +0000

57 Comments, before this.

I wonder is this the most Commented puzzle ever?

Curious of Hove

By: IanN14

IanN14 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:32:52 +0000

Consider yourself excused, Sil.

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:25:48 +0000

I know, Ian, I was wrong.
But when something’s nesting in one’s head, it stays in there for a while.
In my case, just a bit too long.
So, excusez moi.

By: IanN14

IanN14 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:05:44 +0000

Sil @45,
Just noticed you used me as an example.
Sorry, but I hadn’t intended what you said.
I was just pointing out that a bok (not bock) was an antelope.
As Lanson says @51, a spoonerism doesn’t require correct spelling.

I think the clue reads:
“antelope” = “bok” + “utter vain boasts” = “bluster”, (all Spoonerised).

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:48:47 +0000

And your Spoonerisms.
Especially the second one!

By: Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:44:40 +0000

OK. Lanson, end of discussion.
You’re right.
BTW, like your homophones.

By: Lanson

Lanson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:39:56 +0000

sorry second example isn’t a spoonerism

By: Lanson

Lanson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:37:30 +0000

I thought that many spoonerisms were homophones, roars with pain/pours with rain, hollow cylinder/silly hollander, they don’t need to be exact in spelling