Ev Sunday Telegraph Enigmatic Variations 1088 -Aarrgghh By Samuel

[Twit-Who]

Ggrr!

5d is not in the recommended Chambers 2011! I know it's in previous editions but why go to the bother of mentioning other words not in BRB??

Despite this I did enjoy this puzzle although I thought the fruit wasn't sufficiently piratical. Thanks, Samuel.

[jim360]

Ooh picky, picky, picky! I suppose that 5d would have been in the Chambers 2008 appendix?

Anyway, lots of fun to be had, although I don't fully understand the wordplay to a couple of clues. Thanks Samuel.

[Twit-Who]

I know, very picky but I wouldn't be if the preamble didn't specifically recommend Chambers 2011 or at least state that the word is in earlier versions. That's my point.

[DocHH]

Hello Twit-Who and jim360,
I thoroughly enjoyed this week's EV. My first pass through the clues didn't yield many gifts, but enough to help with solving the rest. I agree that the fruit could have had a bit more Aarrgghh!

[dr b]

Not a harrrd puzzle, but jolly fun nonetheless.

[devadolly]

There seems to be a line missing in my preamble after "A Barbaric Truth" Or am I just being especially stupid?

Have a request for help from the compilers amongst you. Do any of you know anyone who could compile a weekly cryptic crossword of medium difficulty suitable for a farming paper? The Farmers Guardian recently lost their regular compiler and the current offerings are too easy and don't have any farming or rural bias. One of the editors approached me to see if I had any ideas. If, by some fantastic chance you know of someone who might be able to help please contact Vicci at [email protected] they would love to hear from you.

[Twit-Who]

Not sure there is a line missing, Devadolly. There is a gap followed by a new paragraph starting with "In fourteen".

[devadolly]

I'm being exceptionally stupid! Will save it for the train tomorrow, off to see the Pompeii & Lowry exhibitions.

[Christiana]

I am on holiday in the Isle of Man so several words are missing from the poor, elderly Chambers 20th Century Dictionary at my son´s house. Nevertheless have managed to complete it, albeit with two answers in which the wordplay is not yet clear enough for me. I also haven´t been able to work out where the penultimate letter of the 14 letter question came from.

[jim360]

Best bet deva is to contact someone like robin2ruth who, though she might not be able to do it herself, is certainly in contact with a lot of setters. While I'm slightly interested I'm probably not a suitable candidate myself, since I don't really have the time yet or the farming bias.

Mind, seems that robin2ruth aka Shirley is away at the moment so you might not hear back from her immediately.

[devadolly]

Thank you Jim 360, if you are in touch with RR could you ask her if she might be interested, she could make the Friday coffee break much happier for a lot of farmers!

[Ruthrobin]

Devadolly and Twit-Who, you know me as Chalicea but I am also RuthRobin and will certainly contact Vicci and might be able to help and can undoubtedly find someone who can. It could be great fun (I am from Yorkshire Dales farming stock). Just back from exotic Dubrovnik, thanks jim360.)

With regard to 5d Twit-Who, we are not required to signal proper nouns that are not in Chambers, only the common nouns. That is a crossword convention that Samuel (who is, of course, our new editor and very careful about the rules is applying there - I am just proof correcting the next of mine that you will see - coming into line with his adjustments.

I thought Aaaaaargh was great fun!

[Ruthrobin]

Aaaargh - sorry about those wandering brackets!

[devadolly]

Ruthrobin, would be great if you can find someone for the FG, the Xwords are just so dire at the moment, I am sure Vicci will send you a few of the one's we were used to (nothing too strenuous but did just stretch the grey cells a bit, sadly the compiler had to retire due to ill health)) and also a few of the horrors we have been suffering as of late.

[Twit-Who]

Thanks for info on rules Ruthrobin. That's bugged me for quite a while.

[Christiana]

This pirate thing must have really affected my thinking - just realised where the penultimate letter of the final ´question´came from. I had a comic book word in my answer rather than the Chambers version, which included the letter I needed.

Hope you enjoy the Pompeii and Lowry exhibitions DD. My eldest son and daughter-in-law have a wonderful large painting in the hall of their new home, which appears to be of a girl and a dog looking at a Lowry painting. The ´Lowry`painting-within-a-painting is signed "Lowryish" in small letters.

[novalis]

I got round to looking at this one earlier today as work got in the way yesterday. Very enjoyable and well constructed but I am still musing over the final unchecked letter in 13 across as the word play for the second part of the answer is eluding me. The BRB gives both E and O. Any hints would be most welcome.

[Twit-Who]

Definition for second part of 13a is under tear2 and obviously the pa.p is required.

[novalis]

Hi Twit-Who. Thanks for that. It came to me in a waking up moment during the night. I had been thinking about the four letter version of the instrument.

[LifesABeach]

Lots to talk about this week!

a) Twit-Who. Have to agree with you (partly).
AGREE - Proper nouns ought to be mentioned if they aren't in 2011... "all entries are in Chambers 2011 except proper nouns...."?
There is, however, a bit of a "get-out" as it only says 2011 is "recommended".
DISAGREE - Had no issues with my fruit. Says it sounds "aarrgghh", not that it has an "AR" in it (certainly sounds aarrgghh in my northern accent!).

b) dr b. Have to disagree with you - I didn't find this one easy!
Am sure of the entry, but still haven't got my head around 18A.

c) I am attempting to steal the crown for pedantry. 27A is a 3-4 in my BRB (2008) not a 7....????

[jim360]

Hyphenated words are usually treated as just a single word, so while the pattern might well be 3-4 all barred crosswords will tend to say (7), or possibly (7, hyphenated) -- but this is being phased out.