Comments on: DA Gold (from 16/17th of November) http://datrippers.com/2009/11/16/da-gold-from-1617th-of-november/ "A force for good", David Astle (DA) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:28:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: RB http://datrippers.com/2009/11/16/da-gold-from-1617th-of-november/#comment-3006 RB Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:47:51 +0000 http://datrippers.com/?p=437#comment-3006 NC, I agree. I find a period of protracted bemusement is necessary for maximum enjoyment and satisfaction. NC, I agree. I find a period of protracted bemusement is necessary for maximum enjoyment and satisfaction.

]]> By: NC http://datrippers.com/2009/11/16/da-gold-from-1617th-of-november/#comment-3005 NC Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:50:41 +0000 http://datrippers.com/?p=437#comment-3005 Thanks for the compliment AS, but I have never been able to fly through a DA. Even my rare successes have involved long stretches of utter bemusement punctuated with delightful flashes of sudden insight. But I quite like it that way! Thanks for the compliment AS, but I have never been able to fly through a DA. Even my rare successes have involved long stretches of utter bemusement punctuated with delightful flashes of sudden insight. But I quite like it that way!

]]> By: RB http://datrippers.com/2009/11/16/da-gold-from-1617th-of-november/#comment-3003 RB Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:26:33 +0000 http://datrippers.com/?p=437#comment-3003 Ah yes. This "make saga sag" clue was quite brilliant. As mentioned a few weeks ago, we need a name for this type of clue. DA had two this week. And he would have had three if he'd clued 12D as "U"! Ah yes. This “make saga sag” clue was quite brilliant. As mentioned a few weeks ago, we need a name for this type of clue. DA had two this week. And he would have had three if he’d clued 12D as “U”!

]]> By: AS http://datrippers.com/2009/11/16/da-gold-from-1617th-of-november/#comment-3000 AS Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:17:15 +0000 http://datrippers.com/?p=437#comment-3000 NC, some weeks you seem to fly through the crossword, other weeks you seem to struggle, but the pattern doesn't seem to coincide with the general consensus. I wonder if there's a particular type of clue that you have trouble with. As for the succinctness, again, I just didn't see the cleverer and more robust explanation. I really did think it was a double definition in that MAKE SAGA DROOP is to cut it short, like it was a piece of material, and make it droop. I didn't think wordplay was involved at all! Will emend shortly. NC, some weeks you seem to fly through the crossword, other weeks you seem to struggle, but the pattern doesn’t seem to coincide with the general consensus. I wonder if there’s a particular type of clue that you have trouble with.

As for the succinctness, again, I just didn’t see the cleverer and more robust explanation. I really did think it was a double definition in that MAKE SAGA DROOP is to cut it short, like it was a piece of material, and make it droop. I didn’t think wordplay was involved at all!

Will emend shortly.

]]> By: NC http://datrippers.com/2009/11/16/da-gold-from-1617th-of-november/#comment-2999 NC Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:44:28 +0000 http://datrippers.com/?p=437#comment-2999 I have found the last two DAs really tough and haven't been able to get anywhere near getting them out. Fantastic crosswords though, and I am enjoying reading the explanations. 8 down, 13 across: Briefly make 2-down (saga) droop? (3, 1, 4, 5, 5), answer = cut a long story short, is great but seems like a really unusual (unprecedented?) clue type to me. It has a whiff of that new clue type DA has been using occasionally lately, where the answer is a wordplay instruction. I don't think that calling it a 'double definition' does it justice. AS's explanation is very succinct. This is my (painfully explicit) version: Make 2-down (saga) droop = make saga sag = turn saga into sag = take the last letter off saga = cut saga short = cut a long story short. Wow. I have found the last two DAs really tough and haven’t been able to get anywhere near getting them out. Fantastic crosswords though, and I am enjoying reading the explanations.

8 down, 13 across: Briefly make 2-down (saga) droop? (3, 1, 4, 5, 5), answer = cut a long story short, is great but seems like a really unusual (unprecedented?) clue type to me. It has a whiff of that new clue type DA has been using occasionally lately, where the answer is a wordplay instruction. I don’t think that calling it a ‘double definition’ does it justice.

AS’s explanation is very succinct. This is my (painfully explicit) version:
Make 2-down (saga) droop = make saga sag = turn saga into sag = take the last letter off saga = cut saga short = cut a long story short.

Wow.

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