CancelReport This Post

Please fill out the form below with your name, e-mail address and the reason(s) you wish to report this post.

 

Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

demeter

1st December 2014, 23:17
Thanks Ionacarr, I think the others have answered your queries already.

Almost done now. Just stuck on 1D and 11A
21 of 55  -   Report This Post

deepwater

2nd December 2014, 08:03
Demeter, Judging by the quotation source constructed, I think the alterations in 13a are c(H)ant and bar(R)ed, but unfortunately this is a pair I'm stuck on, with a choice of two possible entries currently. I can probably assist with some of the others,
22 of 55  -   Report This Post

dryden

2nd December 2014, 10:21
Deepwater, for the first part of 13ac you need a 3-letter dance followed by a very obscure word for CANT; for the second bit you need a word for 'have' (in the sense of having an illness or problem') minus the last letter, then an abbreviation for court.

In theory I have all of 6 paired clues to solve, but in 4 cases the grid entry can be only one possibility, so it's not essential to solve the clues. So that leaves 1dn and 11ac to solve, though I have a pretty good idea what the entries will turn out to be. The second bit of 1dn might be a synonym for WAN, in which case PALE comes to mind, but I cannot think of a synonym for PROBABLY that gives PALE when the middle is cut out (just thinking aloud).

I must say, much as I have admired and enjoyed Radix puzzles, this one has just been too much of a tedious slog to be enjoyable. I may be missing something, but I can see no connection between the original quotation and theme of the puzzle. It seems as if a quotation has been modified arbitrarily to suit the workings of the puzzle.
23 of 55  -   Report This Post

ionacarr

2nd December 2014, 10:26
Demeter, in 1dn the treatments are to FILE (then think why 'English' might be in brackets) and WARN.

I'm completely in the dark about both parts of 11ac (TEAM and TATERS, perhaps, but then so what?), 13ac, despite knowing the words, as confirmed by caphrist, and 17ac (possibly YES and TRES?). Still three half-clues that won't come out as well. It's not looking good.
24 of 55  -   Report This Post

ionacarr

2nd December 2014, 10:31
Sorry, credit for 13ac should have gone to deepwater. The synonym of 'probably' in 1dn is a very common one, but perhaps more often used as an adjective.
25 of 55  -   Report This Post

caphrist

2nd December 2014, 11:17
You are right about t(e)am. Def Railway and clue ends with IN. Next part Station chipped and tat(t)ers as an anagrind.
Despite a wonderful construction, far too many clues involve a concatenation of the most obscure, often doubtful definitions.
Still struggling with 32 and the replacement title.

26 of 55  -   Report This Post

ionacarr

2nd December 2014, 11:48
Aha, second half of 11ac magically revealed, but 'customer' seems a very off-hand part of the def.

In second part of 32ac, the word is SAIC. The clue consists of only the last four words. No idea about the first part.

I feel apprehensive about assuming that certain clues don't need to be solved because 'there's only one possible grid entry'. If you believed Chambers Word Wizard, you'd end up submitting an incorrect entry for 25dn. The correct version is provided for in the preamble. Who knows how many other traps may have been set?

Can someone supply, allusively if necessary, the justification for the answer to the second part of 19dn? It was an easy solve but I must be dim as I can't see why.

I agree with all who've deplored the wilfully obscure clueing, using devices often barely plausible, e.g. the word meaning CANT. Radix seems to have wanted the puzzle to be insoluble, disregarding the tacit consensus that if a solver is in doubt about a def, Chambers will offer reassurance. Not so here.

27 of 55  -   Report This Post

dryden

2nd December 2014, 12:42
Ionacar, I agree that it's unwise to rely on Chambers since some of the entries are proper nouns as is the case with 25dn). However, I cannot see any possible alternatives to the entries for 17ac, and 6,7 and 19dn. I've now confirmed 6 & 7, having solved both parts of both clues. I think I know the second answer to 19 but I cannot help you with an explanation since "not Ann" baffles me.

I'm inclined to think that first clue of 1dn is linguistically unfair.
28 of 55  -   Report This Post

ionacarr

2nd December 2014, 13:01
But you don't really have to be a linguist to see what is meant at 1dn. The problem is that the word that's thus derived isn't an exact synonym, but then, in this puzzle, what is?

I've 'reverse solved' 29 and 32 ac & 6 and 7dn: as long as you've solved one part and have a bit of time to spare, the maths will get you there.

So, finally, only 17ac remains utterly impossible, but if I trust the 'only one entry' assumption I am home and dry but still very peeved.
29 of 55  -   Report This Post

dryden

2nd December 2014, 13:17
Ionacar, my point, which I think you have grasped, was that one half of the language divide is slang, the other half isn't. The clue would have been fairer and more accurate if a slang indication had been given.

I'm also left with just 17ac. I'm assuming there's an added E to make EYES and a duplicated E to make TREES; this would lead to a subtraction, which is the only missing calculation in the across clues. However, a duplication of E in très makes trèes, which isn't a word. Accents are ignored in grid entries, but they shouldn't be ignored in clues. So I'm definitely puzzled.
30 of 55  -   Report This Post