Huh 7
Rolling down the Mekong, you get some QCT – or Quality Crossword Time. While my fellow crewmates took snaps of limestone tors and albino bullocks, kids splashing and men throwing catfish nets, I wrestled with Pasquale and Shed, Paul and Araucaria, Hendra and Logodaedalus in an old Guardian collection, plus a slew of other English downloads.
And below, like a tourist slideshow, are six of the the keepsake clues I’ve yet to fathom, with Araucaria the prime confounder. While my nervy pen has entered the answer, I’ve yet to work out the big Why. So look for your inner Buddha I besech, and enlighten.
Fool’s speech in production of Lear = NONSENSE [Araucaria]
Charts prove an asset, it’s said, for old battleship = GRAF SPEE [Puck]
Fish left in books to fill handed-out bread = DOVER SOLE [Paul]
Club clique, we are told = IRON [Araucaria]
Parts of solution put across for areas with social problems? = INNER CITIES [Brendan]
Number part of Greek letter? That’s funny = COMIC [Araucaria]
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I can help with the first one.
Fool’s speech = nonsense
production of Lear = The Nonsense Alphabet (children’s book by Edward Lear)
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Ouch. That’s the second time I’ve fallen for an ambiguous Lear – the mad king versus the Irish rhymester, as this earlier post [http://www.cassowarycrossing.com.au/2008/06/27/wrong-lear/] laments.
Thanks Paisley, one down, five to go.
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:13 pm
The last one I can explain thusly: number = c (Roman numerals I presume) and part of Greek letter = omicron – ron.
On the second one, it looks like charts is the aural clue for graphs or grafs. That leaves pee, but why pee is an aural asset I can’t fathom, unless P = profit (from economics equations) = asset and pee = aural P?
July 24th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Re Graf Spee – I think it’s pronounced Spay – so pay=asset.
July 24th, 2009 at 2:15 am
I can nearly explain the DOVER SOLE
VERSO is the left-hand page of a book (and recto is the right).
DOLE is hand-out
VERSO “to fill” DOLE gives DOVER SOLE
But handed-out would be doled, giving an extra d, and also I’ve no idea where the “bread” fits in.
July 24th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Number = C + OMIC/ron = COMIC.
No joking, AS, but that’s the punchline. Well done. As mercurial as Araucaria can be, he can also get sloppy with details. Why C over any other number? And while OMICRON is a Greek letter, why chop off the last three letters, instread of the last couple, or the tail? As for RON, what did he do wrong to get the flick?!
And plaudits too, RB. “Graphs pay” exactly, while the clue for DOLE is not “handed-out” but “handed-out bread”, which agrees cosily with fish. As for “left in books” = VERSO, that’s inspired from both you, and Paul. My clue du jour.
July 24th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
The brains trust (Mum) helped out with this one.
Club = iron (golf club)
“Clique” sounds like “cleek” = a golf club with an iron head
July 24th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Now that’s what I call forethought. Cleeks must be in the same golfbag as niblicks, brassies and mashies, no doubt. Tell your Mum she’s aced this clue the fair way.
Anyone care to navigate INNER CITIES?
July 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Admin, I still don’t get “handed-out bread” = DOLE.
July 24th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Think welfare payment.
July 24th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Yes, that’s what I was thinking. But I’ve only just this second realised that handed-out should be thought of as an adjective, not a verb (past tense)! All is now clear.
July 24th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Parts of solution put across for areas with social problems?
What was Four Across in this particular puzzle?
July 24th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
First zib and Co, an apology. Brendan’s original clue has ‘solutions’ plural, not ‘solution’ as I first posted it. So the pure versions reads:
Parts of solutions put across for areas with social problems? (5,6)
As for 4-Across in the puzzle – Guardian No 24740 [link below] – there was none, though 4-Down was SNIDER if that strengthens your theory.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crossword/java/new/complete/0,,-24650,00.html
July 24th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Re DOVER SOLE: RB almost had it but was confused by the tense (hand-ed). But if you read it as “handed-out bread” (bread = money) you get DOLE. (Paul is one of my favourite Guardian setters).
July 24th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
You’re crooning to the choir, John.
Depending on which paper and his respective aliases (Paul in The Guardian, Mudd in the Financial Times, Punk in The Indy and anon in THe Times) John Halpern is the mule’s eyebrows among setters.
July 24th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Re Brendan’s inner cities answer
http://fifteensquared.net/
a terrific crossword chat site for English crossword enthusiasts tells us that each across row in the completed Brendan crossword contains a city. Brendan often seems easy but there is nearly always a theme, sometimes cleverly hidden as in the one under discussion.
July 24th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
HS, a big thanks, for both the link and lightbulb.
Brendan’s city string hidden in Guardian 24740 [link below] is so ingenious it’s scary. A Cuban cigar to the solver who first spotted the inner atlas, where CAIRO, GENEVA, ROMA, LIMA, ESSEN, SEVILLA and ODENSE nestle as enclaves within the Across solutions. See it to believe it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crossword/java/new/complete/0,,-24650,00.html
July 24th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
That is fiendish and very scary!