Comment – May-Sep 2012 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Comment – May-Sep 2012

 

Archived Comments – May-Sep 2012

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Updated 1st October 2012

 

81 comments on “Comment – May-Sep 2012

  1. No….. but I’m stuck on 21d and 23a……

    And my avatar seems to have disappeared…

    1. 21d, you need the crossword abbreviation (one letter) for old, followed by a three letter word for a cad then the two letter abbreviation for ordinary rank soldiers giving you a word for someone who makes speeches and thereby stirs people into action

      1. Thanks Mary, I’d worked out how to construct the answer, but for some reason couldn’t get the word for “cad” until you pointed out the answer is a “someone who makes speeches.”

    2. 23a is possibly a double definition, there was a lot of discussion on this on the blog this morning

      1. possibly once again the main definition is’ an undesired effect’, think of what soldiers returning to duty with thier guns are doing

          1. Thanks Mary, but I really just couldn’t get this, even with all the letters in AND your help.
            As I have already said in another place, I couldn’t solve it therefore i don’t like it!

  2. Nurse the screens! I’m going to lie down now until the nice matron makes it all better.

  3. Ahhh, so it’s not just me who has lost the Cryptic blog. Will look again later in case someone has found it and put it back in the right place.

  4. Right. I’ve created my own avatar on Gravatar, and I’ve had to use a new name, because “Lostboy” was in use.
    So this is an attempt to use my new avatar…..

    1. The avatar is associated with your email address not your alias – you could go back to that if you logout and just enter Lostboy and your email.

  5. Having a bit of a problem with the site today, when I use the refresh button it goes off and I have to ‘recover’ it

    1. it also says Internet Explorer is having trouble with this website and has stopped trying to recover it, try going back to homepage, this happens if I press the comment or back button, just wondering if anyone else is having a problem?

  6. Not done any good still having problems, wonder why?? nuisance and a mystery!

    1. it says ‘when a website causes a shut down or crash, internet explorer stops trying to recover it after two attempts to avoid causing an endless loop’ !! all gobbledygook to me, what a pain, is it just happening to me?

  7. Still having the same problems today but it doesn’t seem as if anyone else is having the same any ideas anyone?

    1. Yes- stop using Internet Explorer – it’s rubbish and doesn’t properly support current internet protocols (and never has!).

      Firefox is much better, or try Safari, Opera or Chrome

      1. OK will try one of the others later on to see if that helps, have to go to gym and accupuncture now, thnks Dave :-)

  8. Thank goodness the site is up & running again. I was beginning to get seriously worried that the Happy Engineers (or whatever they called themselves) had abducted BD! It was only a reply e-mail from Pommers that assuaged my concerns.

  9. Can anyone tell me the new address of the Mobile version of this excellent blog? On my Shameless android I seem to start on the right pages then as I enter the latest days blog it reverts to the pc version ….. I’m trying deleting everything in the phones memory but the old address is buried in it somewhere illusive ( or I’m yanking the wrong buttons)….. :(

    1. I’m not aware that it needs a different address.

      It only works on touch phones and there should be an on-off toggle switch at the top or bottom. If you are using the mobile theme it will have a title of “Big Dave’s Mobile Crosword Blog”, and it is a theme not a site in its own right.

  10. Hi Big Dave!

    The latest mobile version of the site crashes my phone! Literally!

    I have an iPhone 3GS running the latest IOS 5.5.1 and when I try to load today’s (DT 26,870) hints it tries to load it for a while and then crashes completely – by which I mean that the Safari web browser just closes of it’s own accord. I’ve never seen that before!

    It may be something to do with the volume of comments (101 at the time of writing) because it loads the current NTSPP page (currently 4 comments) just fine. I haven’t had a chance to rty any of the other pages yet…

    Perhaps the WordPress Happiness Engineers are a bit grumpy at the moment?

      1. Thanks Dave. I should point out (although I presume you realised this) that I am referring to the “mobile” version of the site. If I switch to the traditional view the page loads just fine on my phone – but I kind of like the mobile version…

  11. Good morning. Has anyone been able to download the Giant GK from the Telegraph today? It seems to have disappeared from both the home page and the GGK page.

  12. Recently, someone referred to a clue as ‘the best ever’. Think it was an anagram. Can someone please tell me the clue. Thank you.

    1. Hi lynne

      Don’t know about ‘best ever’, certainly don’t remember anyone saying it but you may be thinking of my blog of the Wednesday Toughie last week by Elkamere:-

      1a This describes loaf cut up (6,2,5)
      {SLICES OF BREAD} – A splendid all-in-one to start! The answer is an anagram (cut up) of DESCRIBES LOAF and it also describes what a loaf becomes after it’s been cut up. I think this might be my favourite clue this year!

  13. News Flash for Kath, the hosepipe ban has been lifted (not that we had one anyway) :-)

  14. I previously have had no problems with the links to clues on this great site. After a 2 month break i returned in June to find a different format since then I have only been able to get the links to work on occasions and when it wont the background just flashes green, if i go deeper it tells me that the page is not available.
    I am using an htc desire android phone and accessing the site through google
    can anyone advise or give me a solution … pleeease
    many thanks

  15. I seem to have found a way round the problem which might help others
    press on the answer tag of a previous day’s box and then it refreshes then press on today’s number and it brings it up straight away – a back door approach but so far it works

    (HTC Desire android access)

  16. i have been reading this fine site for a couple of years now (without posting).
    today i tried to look at DT 26,887 due an incomplete southwest corner , and my PC blocked access due to malware detection saying it was something to do with new.haverford.edu.
    it appears to be only this crossword, the others i have tried are OK.
    is this a known problem?
    Cheers
    John

    1. Hi John – welcome to the blog.
      There was a youtube clip in that blog which, I think, was causing the problem. I’ve now deleted the clip and the blog no longer comes up with the warning.
      One positive to come out of this is that you’ve de-lurked – so I hope that you’ll comment more in future. :D

    2. Thanks for letting us know. I wrote to the offending site and they have already fixed the problem but are awaiting the warning being lifted.

  17. you’re welcome.
    presumably, to post “proper” i need to do more than what i have done here?
    i haven’t posted yet because i am usually out of date by the time i have a puzzle completed.
    for this reason, i tend to pick and choose from the DT web-site, hence 26887.
    24 across was the sticker. i’ve never heard the word used for “overcharges”. i’d have been straining at that for days.
    J

    1. If you want to comment about an individual puzzle it’s best to post on the blog for that puzzle. It doesn’t matter if it’s weeks or months after the puzzle appeared – the writer of the blog will get an email with your comment. Since DT puzzles are syndicated in other countries we sometimes get comments months after the puzzle appeared in the UK.

  18. Is there a problem with the website everytime I click on a crossword number a load of mumbo jumbo can you help ?

    1. Welcome to the blog Jim

      Some people are having problems. It would help if you said what platform and browser you are using.

  19. After seeing the devastation caused by the floods in Devon on the news I’m hoping Gazza is OK? Gazza?

  20. Glug, glug. I’m fine – thanks for your concern, Mary. Perversely, after the deluge, it’s a nice sunny morning here now.

  21. To get at the interactive version of the NTSPP I have to use IE8. If I try to open it in Firefox it don’t work, I just get the words but no puzzle. I’ve tried turning off ad-block plus but it makes no difference. The pdf works fine.

    No big deal but just wondered of anyone else finds the same problem.

    1. No problems for me in Firefox. Have you tried using Ctrl/+ and Ctrl/- to adjust the size?

      1. Hi Gazza

        It’s not a size problem. This is what I get on screen when I click the grid (not formatted obviously) but no puzzle. Tought it might be ad-blocker stopping it but I’ve turned that off and it still don’t work. Wierd, works fine in IE8!

        Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 126
        A Puzzle by Radler

        + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

        This week we have another puzzle from Radler – this one is unthemed!

        + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

        If you prefer your puzzles on paper, a pdf of the puzzle can be downloaded from here.

        + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

        There is also an AcrossLite version.

        The AcrossLite software can be downloaded from here and is also available as an iPhone/iPad app.

  22. Has anyone any experience of accessing this web site on an ipad. I seem to only get the “mobile” version which doesn’t seem to have the Calendar and search facility.

    1. I can’t help sorry being a user of the old fashioned dead tree crossword. I believe there are some tips about those new fangled devices and accessing the blog on them in the FAQs page. If you can’t find all you want, I am sure some helpful soul will be able to advise you in due course.

    2. At the bottom of the iPad’s mobile version of the page there should be a toggle switch that enables you to access the full version of the site.

  23. Hello, new round here, nice place. Except the script you are using for the Accept Cookies pop-up. It has repeatedly crashed Firefox13 and Pale Moon 12 and done some very odd stuff to Iron 20.

  24. Welcome to the blog Sid

    It worked OK for me in Firefox.

    It’s a fairly simple facility and only has to be accepted once – don’t blame me, blame the morons at the EU who have nothing better to do than to think up silly regulations.

  25. Question :-

    A French orphan is free of entanglements (7) U-T-I-T

    All I can see is UNTWIST. UN (A in French) followed by Oliver TWIST, who was an orphan, but it’s very weak IMHO and should at least have a’perhaps’ in the clue. Or am I missing something blindingly obvious?

  26. Hi all, just a short note to say that although I have started doing the crosswords again, indeed I finished yesterday without books, machines etc. I still am feeling very spaced out and tired after my unplanned visit to hospital and not ready to come back yet, sounds stupid I know, so though I’m missing you all, I will still just be popping in and out for a while :-(

    1. I am missing you too Mary. What with you having a doctor’s note and Kath being on holiday, it is very quiet lately. Perservate on getting well and the crossword solving will soon be back to normal. Suexxx

    2. I was so sorry to learn that you’ve been ill, Mary, but relieved that your hospital stay hasn’t driven you back into the Clueless Club. Continue to do the crosswords and to pop in from time to time, please — better to see you now and then than not at all. And get well soon.
      All good wishes from Franny :-)

    3. Hi Mary
      Glad to see that you seem to be on the mend. Get well soon, we all miss your cheery presence around here!

  27. Glad to hear that you are well enough to face the rigours of the crossword. Hope you feel much better very soon.

  28. Hi Dave-when you said new monthly crossword-did you mean in the telegraph please-if so we can’t find it.
    thanks in advance

    1. Welcome David. If you have a look in the right hand column of the home page where it has a list of recent posts, you will see that third in the list is the Monthly Prize Puzzle. Click on that, enjoy solving the puzzle, enter the contest (the instructions are given after the puzzle) and who knows you might be the lucky winner of the puzzle books.

  29. Hello, I want a link to download a full version of Crossword compiler 8. Can you give it to me? I promise I will upload many crossword on crossword.info and I will give the link of my crossword for you. Thank you.

  30. May I first of all thank you for a first rate service, it certainly helps one such as I who struggles at times to see the reason for an answer, never mind not getting the answer!
    I don’t know if it is just my machine but having had the misfortune to upgrade my iPad from iOS5 to iOS6 the ability to see the answers has gone!

  31. Hi Dave,
    What a great, sanity-saving site this is.
    I’ve been getting into crosswords in the past year or so since retiring, so still a novice, but have developed this overwhelming urge to compile one of my own – just to see how difficult it probably is.
    Can anyone recommend a compiler that will be worth having a go with?
    The chances are it will only get the one outing, so i don’t want to pay a lot for it, i.e. free would be perfect.
    Thanks
    JohnY

      1. Thanks for your reply,
        That looks the business OK, but seems quite expensive if it ends up not being used that much.
        Would the trial version get me very far or just show me how that I need to purchase the full package?
        Would you struggle without all the add-ons?
        Are any of the free programs worth a look?

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