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

lecrack

13th August 2021, 19:13
A little nudge, helveticus, do you have an old dog? Think of what you can teach him ( two words).
11 of 23  -   Report This Post

helveticus

13th August 2021, 22:07
Thanks for this nudge. This was one of the possibilities which I had considered, but it doesn't convince me, since the preceding word in this phrase is the exact opposite of what we need and is what you *can't* teach an old dog.
12 of 23  -   Report This Post

hypotheses

14th August 2021, 01:55
For 5A, I prefer an automotive alternative but it’s ambiguous to day the least. And I think 1A may be mis-spelt…
13 of 23  -   Report This Post

helveticus

14th August 2021, 08:32
Thanks! I wondered about 1A as well. Your suggestion for 5A was also one which I thought of, but it doesn't fully convince me either, since is more of a collocation than a *saying*. There is a third possibility, which is things which could be found on the seabed, but this is also more of a collocation than a *saying*. On balance, I slightly favour lecrack's one, since it is at least part of a saying which relates not to untrainable elderly canines, but to someone who is repeating disreputable behaviour. However, it is only *part* of this saying, whereas the other saying in the puzzle is complete. An ultimately unsatisfactory puzzle, then. Had I been the crossword editor, I would not have let it pass, but the editor in this case (Doc) has previous himself: I am still smarting over the unclued 'Hanny and Nanny' in his Enid Blyton puzzle, since she never published a book with this English title (the German titles of the 'St. Clare's' series include 'Hanni und Nanni' [sic]).
14 of 23  -   Report This Post

peter284

14th August 2021, 09:22
I'm not too fond of this one, either, especially in the rather obscure conclusion of the rubric.

Nonetheless, I have all save 12d. This SEEMS to run: ?A?A?S?I?H?RD

(a) are there errors in this? (b) any hints as to what 12d might be?

Thanks.
15 of 23  -   Report This Post

malone

14th August 2021, 09:26
Peter284, your second A is wrong. Check the preamble for the length of some unclued entries...

Lecrack's 'saying' seems totally back to front to me! The experienced animal can't be taught New....
16 of 23  -   Report This Post

peter284

14th August 2021, 09:37
Thanks Malone

It was a slip. I meant ?A?I?S?I?H?RD. Is that better?

I'm still in the dark!

I agree about the inversion of the theme at 5a. Yet again, DOC is failing badly as a crossword editor: such a hideous error should not have been allowed to pass.
17 of 23  -   Report This Post

kt17

14th August 2021, 09:43
Peter284, 12D is a lackadaisical saying, meaning that one's ingrained ways are long-lived.

M
18 of 23  -   Report This Post

peter284

14th August 2021, 09:43
On the other hand, it is possible for some naughty person to be up to his OLD (5a) again.
19 of 23  -   Report This Post

peter284

14th August 2021, 09:45
Profound thanks, KT, all is now light!!!
20 of 23  -   Report This Post