Re: SCWC 80

Flying Tortoise:

On Jun 1, 5:13 pm, PeteBiddlecombe <peterbiddleco...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

(snip)

Such as what?  Sorry to be an old fusspot, but claims
like this are as pointless as ones like "many people in
rec.puzzles.crosswords have potty ideas about how to
write clues" unless you're prepared to give some examples,
never mind comparing cultural references in current
Times puzzles to the ones used in the past, or taking
into account the effect of other clues in the puzzle
on your ability to solve the ones with "old fashioned"
culture in them.

I have given examples within this very newsgroup on several occasions.
And I don't agree that my ability to solve or otherwise or any
comparison with the past is relevant. If your frame of reference for
movies, for example, is actors from the golden age of Hollywood
(Spencer Tracy I know has come up recently) then I have no problem
solving your clue but I would venture to suggest that it's hardly the
way to go about ensuring that there will be a trail of would-be
solvers in their late teens (as I was when I started) eager to take
over when my generation passes on. Moreover it's frankly an insult to
my generation to assume that we haven't watched a film or bought a
'record' since 1970. Sometimes doing the Times is like playing
Trivial Pursuit with the original card set from 1978 (and I should
know, I've still got that very set!)

So have I! I think the aging references reflect more on the aging setters
than their expectations of the audience.

--
Steve = : ^ )

.

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