EV 910

[devadolly]

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's Mr O...............I just knew it was going to be before I opened the paper, oh woe!
I am heading straight into DC to hang some black-out curtains, dust off the psychiatrist's couch and take to my bed in a darkened room.........................................
............................................I
t
is a far, far better thing.......

[DocHH]

Hello Devadolly, As soon as I saw the setter's name, I thought of you! I must admit it did take a while for the penny to drop this week! I also had to work the cryptic part of the clues quite hard to get the answers, very few gifts!

[devadolly]

Hello DocHH - well wrap them, wrap them and send them to me, I have managed 4 and even then I have no idea of what I am doing. Mr O is a sadist.

[DocHH]

Devadolly, I had trouble getting my head round the fact in some cases there is a word to be removed from the clus, and others a letter. He further confused me as the quotation isn't in my 7th edition of ODQ, but it is the 3rd edition of the Concise ODQ! Time for a beer I think.

[dr b]

Hi all,

22a made for an easy toehold into the grid; I quickly sort of stumbled (for the wrong reason, as it turns out) onto the "treatment", so the mystery of the grid was revealed pretty early. From there it was just plugging away to the finish. Nothing very special here, I'm afraid.

But, it is a lovely midwest Spring day, temp now about 60 headed towards 75! Time to cut the grass, and then see if Tiger can catch this Brit who has the audacity to be leading the Masters!! Enjoy your Sunday!

[Physicsgirl]

Oh no. Devadolly, have brought some lovely fruit scones and tea-room blend to DC. Last week I may have completed, but apart from 22a (is it entered normally please?) no progress in the 5 mins I have found to look at it. Doom, doom.

[DocHH]

Well, the comment novalis made last week obviously put the hex on Spurs getting to the Cup Final! The London Derby on wednesday could be interesting!!

[devadolly]

Oh well done Physics girl, it is so lovely to have company in the DC! That's what I have done with 22a (one of the 4). Fruit scones sound lovely enough to raise me from my bed of pain and to cast the cold compress aside long enough to check how far the sun will be over the yard arm after tea. Can you risk a half glass of fizz (care of the 30 YHL)a little later?

[DocHH]

Physicsgirl, 22a is entered normally, there is actually a "hint" in my first post! I suspect that I stumbled onto the treatment, for the wrong reason as dr b!

[copelander]

Hello all, 22a is entered normally, which is a good hel. The enny dropped for me quite early, though for the wrong reason, as I think for the other Docs.The NE corner is still causing difficulties, but I'll kee trying.

[DocHH]

Hello Coelander,
In that NE corner there are a few thematic jewels in 14a. 7d, 8d, 9d and 10d are also thematic. As is 12a! I would have thought you would have recognised the medical terms of 12a and 10d!

[copelander]

Thanks, DocHH, all sorted now, but, no 12a is not a word I've ever seen before.... too young maybe!!!

[Physicsgirl]

okay, I know what to do but still not getting anywhere. Have wasted an entire hour trying, think I will go and do something more productive. DC ahoy!

[tweaker]

After reading all your comments here, I'm going to be clever and avoid this puzzle.
In fact I'm going to go out in the garden, douse it in toluene and burn it.

A work of the devil out of the way - God will be happy.

I take it that alternate weeks is tough.

So good luck to all - I prefer the look of the Spectator this week!

[DocHH]

Tweaker, you should not have burnt EV 910, you should have saved it so that in 3 weeks time you can reconcile the solution, against the clues that you didn't solve. This will give you guidance, on the way to look at future EV's by that Setter. Another posibility is to wait for just 2 weeks i.e. until after the deadline for the solution to arrive at the Telegraph, and look at,

http://fifteensquared...enigmatic-variations/

that should also give hints how the Setter operated that particular week, (the site is normally quite comprehensive in its explanation). Some Setters are more devious than others, Devadolly's nemesis (MR O) often proves to be the most devious! BUT, his cryptic leads are always precise when the Solver arrives at the answer! His enigma however may, from time to time need a leap of faith! Other Setters can use more questionable cryptic leads, but result in an easier EV. You certainly cannot assume that EVs on alternate weeks are easy and hard!

[tweaker]

DocHH.

I have prints of it. 3 weeks time I can re-look over it knowing I have help.

My posting was rather HARSH but, more of a 'feeling' at my time of reading others comments here. One thing I would never literally do, would be to burn crosswords.
They fascinate me, and I keep everyone I come across.

I only meant it as a joke! So don't worry sir, the harder ones I come across I place
in my folders, and come back to them once I am more skilled.

[novalis]

Hi Everybody!

Unexpected but very welcome visitors and copious amounts of red wine from various parts of the world meant a late start ( i.e today ) on this. Found it a typically challenging Oxymoron puzzle but very fair. A case perhaps of where a bit more than Less gets you there.

Tweaker!

It's often the case where there is a run of relatively "straightforward" ones followed by a run of more challenging puzzles. As DocHH points out the best way to learn is to attempt each one, look for hints in the weekly EV thread and then look at the soulution when it is published.

Doc HH!
My apologies for putting a curse on Spurs. As you say, Wednesday could be interesting.

[Jogler]

I went away for the weekend and left the h-g to his own devices (or, as Dd might describe it - the devil's device!). On my return this afternoon said devil's device was thrust into my hands to check out and cast light on a couple of answers that lacked certainty (as if I could!). I am glad that I missed the agonies although h-g seems remarkably unscathed. I have only one query, and that is over the highlighting. I am not happy with the idea of 'all the initials' - has anyone else some views on this?

[novalis]

Hi Jogler!

ALL the basic initials ( first name, family name ). I looked in vain for the middle initial.

[DocHH]

Hello Jogler,
How on earth can you leave him all on his own to cope with not only daily life, but EV as well! Did you leave him the BRB and ODQ, to have taken those would have been unforegiveable! Hopefully also you didn't leave him to do the ironing as Herself does me most weeks!
High-lighting! Assuming you have sufficent answers in the grid and have identified the quotation, and therefore the quotation's originator, you will know the originators initials! Now peer at the grid and look for all the contiguous squares that contain those initials, that make the appropiate shapes! If it hel(p)s ignore rows 1-3 and 11-13! Even if you don't have a fully populated grid that should help you with completion of the grid! Even Novalis has given a hint, albet reduced by a meadow in the last sentence of the first paragraph off his post after his salutation!

Novalis, please do whatever is neccessary voodoo-wise to ensure Spurs win on Wednesday, Herself's sister will have a really bad time from future son-in-law if they lose. Glad the red wine flowed well, and without detriment to solving ability today. I like having guests, it's just annoying when they get in the way of habits, viz EV!!!

Tweaker, I realised you were joking. Just trying to be hel(p)ful, as Novalis says you'll get hints from us, aimed at getting the thought process heading in the right direction rather than the easy option of the direct answer. We also appreciate the humour as you probably realise! This is a social thing as well as a Crossword helper, BTW DC=Dunces Corner, which was invented by Devadolly, so anyone who didn't complete could go for suitable refeshments. A word of warning though, you go there at the expense of bearing gifts and suitable refreshments! Some of us have tried to make occupation there austere, but Devadolly keeps changing the locks! Pleased you have decided to have a go at EV.

[devadolly]

Oh! I'm fed up with all you clever cloggsis. I've got no-where with the preamble, the quotation, the damned questions I must be THICK, THICK, THICK and would lock myself in the DC until next week but I have a deadline to meet tomorrow and the first pull of rhubarb to make into pies. What on earth is it all about and why can't I see even the slightest gleam of light? Trust me tweaker, with this fella even the answers are convoluted and don't make sense................. I bet he's a damned scientist!