Comments on: DT 26010 http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/ Putting the words to lights - crossword clues explained in plain English Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:25:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Big Dave http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-4004 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:05:13 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-4004 Well done Mary

Normally I censor solving times in case they deter newer solvers, but I’ll make an exception in your case!

]]> By: mary http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-4003 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:54:20 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-4003 hello all, i know this is the wrong place to talk about todays 26011 but i just haaaad to write in cos i finished in just under 35 mins, which for me is fantaaaastic! i know for all u hardened crossword solvers, todays is going to be just too easy but for us beginners, thank you, thank you, setter, when i started doing the cryptic back in May, i know i couldn’t have done half of this, today i haven’t had to refer to the blog but did have help from my chambers dictionary, however without doubt this site has prove invaluable in getting me to be able to do this today….thank you all

]]> By: RayT http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-4002 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:22:04 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-4002 Big Dave,

The Quicks have single word answers and clues and the Cryptics, with the occasional exception, do have single word answers.

]]> By: RayT http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-4001 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:17:09 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-4001 Nathan,

Thanks for your comments and thanks to Tilsit for his fine analysis.

]]> By: Big Dave http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3999 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:26:27 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3999 Fallingstarr

This does happen from time to time, and the worst thing you can do is to start on the wrong puzzle. If you see an incorrect puzzle (sometimes it’s a sudoku!) quit and reselect.

]]> By: Big Dave http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3998 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:24:09 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3998 Nathan

Just to clarify, as I made the same mistake myself when he first told me, it is his quick crossword that always has the single word answers. For the cryptic it is nearly always true.

]]> By: NathanJ http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3997 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:43:05 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3997 Big Dave

Apologies – I have just read your reply to one of my previous postings in the comments section where you confirmed it was Ray Terrell. Sorry about that.

I must say I like the fact that Ray Terrell almost always has one-word answers. I don’t like puzzles that have many multi-word answers. I admire Mr Terrell for not giving in to the multi-word answer tendencies that some other compilers seem to have.

]]> By: NathanJ http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3996 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:33:25 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3996 I eventually finished this puzzle over 3 different sittings – after sitting one 9 were unsolved, after sitting two 6 were unsolved and then in the third sitting I finished it thanks to my trusty Chambers dictionary. It goes to show that the people who write those cryptic crossword “How to Do” are right – it does help to leave the puzzle and then come back to it with a fresh mind – you see things that you didn’t previously.

Tilsit – thanks for a really good review. I particularly liked your explanation of why batman = orderly. Although I got the right answer for this clue I did not understand the word play until I read your explanation. Thanks.

I initially didn’t like this puzzle but after I finished it I felt I had achieved something and I could see what a clever puzzle this was. Well done to the compiler (was it Ray Terrell?).

]]> By: Fallingstarr http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3995 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:33:58 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3995 I completed this in a record breaking time of 5m 35s which isn’t really a great achievement considering the cryptic questions on my grid were Quick Crossword clues. Upon completion I started the Quick crossword – and guess what – the same clues so I completed that in 1m 52s!

Am I the only person to have had a ScrewedUp experience?

]]> By: Libellule http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3993 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:44:10 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3993 Dave,
I suspect Ray T. (assuming it is he) had some fun and games today, OK this is not an easy puzzle, but it isn’t “hard” either. It was better than the Toughie in terms of construct and use of words. Overall I thought it was a good puzzle..
For me this was a 4*because I had to work at it :-)
In terms of what I thought – well I am with Tilsit…
“Quite an entertaining puzzle today and a bit of a challenge. The clues were well-written and nicely misleading, and it took me a little longer than I would have liked. There was nothing too taxing in there but a few clues just required a bit more thought than on a Monday”
pretty much sums it up.

]]> By: Little Dave http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3982 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:00:56 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3982 Either my brain is not working today or this was rather devilish. Something in between I guess. I need a glass of wine to lubricate the grey matter.

]]> By: pianydd http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3981 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:56:49 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3981 Thanks Libellule for your excellent interpretation of 19d; much wailing and gnashing of teeth over it until now. Overall, somewhat unimpressed with today’s puzzle.

]]> By: newtocryptic http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3980 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:47:21 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3980 Absolutely hated it. Even having read the hints I found some clues total incomprehensable

]]> By: Libellule http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3979 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:27:39 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3979 Tilsit, re. 19d
“To describe a VENT as a hole is a bit loose”, well according to Chambers I get a number of definitions that could be associated with “hole”
an opening, aperture
an airhole
a touch hole for firing a cannon, etc
just for example….
And then when you associate advent with a coming or arrival. This clue works perfectly OK. Or maybe thats me being pedantic :-)

]]> By: Barrie http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3978 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:59:39 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3978 Thanks chaps for the explanation of TRENDY. I think that just about sums up todays effort. UGH!

]]> By: Paul http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3976 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:37:24 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3976 A shot (as in an attempt at something, as in ‘have a shot at that’) is a TRY. Put that around a goal (as in an objective, as in ‘end in itself’) which is END.

You get TRENDY, which is ‘in’, as in ‘in fashion’ – as opposed to ‘out’ as in ‘out of style’.

]]> By: Libellule http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3975 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:32:01 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3975 The definition is IN
TRY (shot) around END (goal)

]]> By: Greenhorn http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3974 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:24:34 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3974 The lunchtime team got very few out and called up a reinforcement of a Guardian solver who usually gets that out in 30 mins. He was bamboozled by the north east. Four star for me.

]]> By: Barrie http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3973 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:10:57 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3973 Really disliked todays puzzle. Far too convoluted and with some very wishy-washy definitions. 19d is expecially poor. Also can someone please explain how you get Trendy from 22a?

]]> By: bigboab http://bigdave44.com/2009/08/18/dt-26010/#comment-3971 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:58:00 +0000 http://bigdave44.com/?p=5562#comment-3971 I thought this was much harder than the toughie today, I liked 5d but on the whole I felt a bit enenamoured with the thing, I can’t put my finger on why.

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