Comments for Fifteensquared

Comment on Guardian 25630 – Gordius by brucew_aus

brucew_aus — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:55:30 +0000

Very late in getting to this one and for me far from straightforward! RACHMANINOV kept me at bay for days until it finally dawned and with more effort to parse – it was clearly the cod.
Found this a good contest – with several not parsed correctly – had gone with Dorset sheep for WOOL rather than the place, missed the clever device for D-IRE although I think that I’ve seen that used before and missed the definition of SAN. provided a challenge and some fresh learning (RACHMAN, Ms WOOD) so it gets a big tick from me. Thanks Gordius.

Comment on Guardian 24125/Gordius by Monroe Hlastala

Monroe Hlastala — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:44:13 +0000

Great information

Comment on Guardian 25,638 – Picaroon by buddy

buddy — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:35:30 +0000

Re Lionel Messi, it’s always as well to be upfront about your own pockets of igorance.

I’d never heard of William Shakespeare until I encountered him in a crossword.

Comment on Financial Times 13,997 – Dante by Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:34:05 +0000

A GLIMPSE is indeed, as you say, a quick look at something (which could mean just for a ‘second’). But one can also have a ‘second look’ at things which is what the surface suggests and which has nothing to do with GLIMPSE. So, therefore a Cryptic Definition that was, in my opinion, (only just) justified by the two interpretations of ‘second look’.

Comment on Sloggers and Betters (London) – 30th May by Mick H

Mick H — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:17:14 +0000

Apologies, I will be out of the country. Next time. Have a good one.

Comment on Independent 7984 / Klingsor by Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:16:03 +0000

Oh dear – all is forgiven Klingsor! For the first time for ages we have not managed to complete the Indy cryptic and really needed 225 for help. Thanks Duncan we really needed your detailed blog tonight.
If only we had been more awake tonight – it is after 11pm – we might have noticed the nina which would have helped with our last two answers 18d and 18ac!!
Yes, 225 is definitely the nina!

Comment on Independent 7984 / Klingsor by Dormouse

Dormouse — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:48:56 +0000

As usual, I totally missed the Nina, which would have helped, as I thought about “squared” for 18d and couldn’t see why. Couldn’t get 18ac either. Never heard of a panel saw, either, and at first guessed it might be “bench saw” but then I got 17dn. No idea if there is such a thing, but it sounded plausible. Did like the complexity of 1ac and the surface of 3dn.

Comment on Guardian 25,638 – Picaroon by Sil van den Hoek

Sil van den Hoek — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:43:12 +0000

Really excellent puzzle by a setter we should savour.
The only clue that we more or less didn’t like was SLAP-BANG (10ac), but I am happy to say that we parsed it wrongly …. .
No cryptic definitions, but a crossword based on clever constructions – indeed, right up my street.

And such beautiful surfaces on top of that!
Like 2d or 13ac.
Splendid hidden answer in 13d (ILL AT EASE), nice inclusion of the device within the surface in 7d (‘I gain ground’) and an anagram in 21ac (TRADITIONALISM) that was not that obvious as it could also have been (AIM)* into something.
Special Prizes for the concise and elegant PIRATE (24ac) and TESTATE (19d).

In his post @45, Picaroon worries about the use of WITH in 25ac, which may be irrelevant to most solvers but which makes immediately clear to me that he cares about his work.

Top-notch crossword.

Many thanks to my fellow citizen Andrew for the blog.
Quite surprised though that Lionel Messi was a bridge too far.
Even Arachne – who is also not into footie – knows him (and wrote a (very nice) clue on this magician a while ago) ….

Comment on Guardian 25,638 – Picaroon by Tramp

Tramp — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:39:01 +0000

Picaroon: thanks for the thanks. If only I were a top pro.

Keep up the excellent work.

Comment on Financial Times no.14,006 by HAMILTON by scchua

scchua — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:29:17 +0000

Thanks Ringo and Hamilton.
The NE corner was also the last ones in, but all in all quite enjoyable. Re10A TEASPOON, a spoon was the name of an obsolete golf club, a wood designed to give a higher loft to the ball.