This is hardly a Cryptic CW with 12 out of 29 clues as CD's, DD's & E's.
ACROSS
1 - Look at closely in critical appraisal (7) - INSPECT [DD]
5 - Maintains a rising pressure (7) - {A}{SSERTS<-}
10 - She lets Al around her as a guide (6) - STELLA* Why guide?
11 - Striking confession by an artist's model (8) - {I'M}{POSING}
12 - Pointed article for the medical profession to read (6) - LANCET [DD]
13 - Like set meals arranged for vegetarians (8) - MEATLESS*
14 - Finding myself, inter alia, with a girl (6) - {A{ME}LIA}
15 - Expenditure for striking place (6) - OUTLAY Anno pending. Striking place ?
20 - They have possession (6) - OWNERS [CD]
26 - What the theatre critic will expect to get as a perk (4,4) - FREE SEAT [CD]
27 - Ones with the severest degree of intellectual subnormality (6) - IDIOTS [CD]
28 - Stare at forms revealing a beautiful goddess (7) - ASTARTE*
29 - Some protective cover strangely lacking for a fabulous emperor (7) - CLOTHES [CD]
DOWN
2 - On Thursday, Anna arranged a meeting with him (6) - {NA{TH}AN*}
3 - One in blue could make mole panic (9) - POLICEMAN* Where does one see a policeman in Blue nowadays, at least in India?
4 - Firm having a last fling at a seashore (7) - {CO}{A}{STAL*}
6 - The singer, getting a concession, rushed round (7) - {SOP}{RAN}{O}
7 - Supporter of artistic work (5) - EASEL [CD]
8 - National of North African country bordered by Libya and Algeria (8) - TUNISIAN [E]
9 - The most popular member of the company? (4,9) - FIRM FAVOURITE [CD]
16 - A radical element? (9) - TERRORIST [CD]
17 - Respects free spirits (8) - SPECTRES*
19 - A line that goes direct to the outer circle (7) - TANGENT [CD]
22 - Not much at all (6) - LITTLE [E]
24 - After work is the time for entertainment (5) - {OP}{ERA}
Hi folks
ReplyDeleteLiked ASSERTS, STELLA, AMELIA, IMPOSING, FIRM FAVOURITE and some others.
10A - Is the word 'guide' expected to guide us as anagrind?
13A - Remembered a classmate of mine, lanky and skinny one, who was referred to as MEATLESS BONE as against BONELESS MEAT. Poor him!
29A - Nice reference to 'The Emperor has no clothes' from Hans Christian Andersen's fable.
2A - NATHAN is obviously meant as a Christian name by MM. Not sure if he is aware that it is a common name in Southern parts of India, mostly a diminutive of names like Ramanathan.
27 - Ones with the severest degree of intellectual subnormality (6) - IDIOTS [CD]
ReplyDeleteI once read somewhere the classification of persons based on IQ.
Those with IQ between 75 and 125 were with average intelligence.
IQ 50 to 75 would be an imbecile
IQ 25 to 50 would be a moron
IQ below 25 would be an Idiot.
NATHAN -an Indo-American name!, POLICEMAN, OPERA, ASSERTS were nice. After the discussion on easy clues we have 7d EASE to the learner. SPINET was new.
ReplyDeleteSuresh,
ReplyDeleteWhat happens above 125, let's hear that as well.
@ Col: Ref to your byline, though I too do not relish too many Es, aren't CDs, DDs also considered subsets of cryptic?
ReplyDeleteI do not recall the classifications for above average persons. Let me check out
ReplyDeleteAgree with Col, not sure there was much to enjoy in this puzzle via thinking.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_reference_chart
ReplyDeleteThis link gives all info on IQ.Idiot as per this is below 20
Blue-bottles in India (I agree they are a rare species):
ReplyDeleteJammu
HP
Kishore,
ReplyDeleteE & CD are almost similar. E is something I coined as I found some CD's were nothing but straight definitions found in dictionaries so there is hardly anything cryptic about them,, either you know the word or you do not. DD is just an extension of CD, it's like two CD's or two E's.
I especially hate a CD when they are of the 15 letter variety.
@Col/Bhavan: Agree that today was not one of the more enjoyable experiences, though solved easily.
ReplyDeleteIn my earlier post of 08:34 the moron changes places with the imbecile
ReplyDelete@ Suresh,
ReplyDeleteSo the answer to 27A should have been Profound!
Every time I get into a tiff with one of these autowallahs and other road hogs for jumping lanes etc I yell 'Idiot' at them which according to my wife only makes them happy since the advent of the movie '3 Idiots'. So I have now switched over to shouting 'Donkey'!!
My father when faced with such situations used to shout out 'Kovar kazhiddhai' the second word means donkey, I don't know what the first means. I hope it's not something unmentionable if so, someone please let me know and I shall delete this post.
@ Deepak. Maybe Kovar means profound.:)
ReplyDelete@ Deepak. I think there is a difference between CD and E. E would be what comes out of a Quick Crossword, like Quick meaning Fast. No cryptic element in them.
ReplyDeleteA CD on the other hand would have a cryptic element and some of them when written well can be enjoyable. 9D, for instance, is quite nice. Once you get the answer you know it cannot be anything else.
@ Col: Believe it or not, my choice word on the road reserved for such transgressors continues to be 'idiot'. It has such a stress releasing attribute to it. BTW one of the IIM Prof.s in the movie is a neighbour of mine and we rib him calling him a filmstar.
ReplyDelete@Suresh,
ReplyDeleteYour statement 'Once you get the answer' says it all
@Kishore,
ReplyDeleteNowadays you will find people smiling if you call them Idiot as they then equate themselves to Aamir Khan and gang.
12a Pointed article for the medical profession to read: I would divide it into: Pointed article (def1) for the medical profession to read (def2)
ReplyDelete@ Col: Most of the time they may not even hear me, so their pleasure is denied. But I get my outlet.
ReplyDeleteNot very happy regarding 19d either. Outer circle implies at least two of them. How does a line going direct to the outer one become a tangent. Being more involved in mathematics than in language, I have serious reservations regarding this clue, though I too put it down as tangent.
ReplyDelete@ Deepak The distinction I am drawing is that an E can have more than one possible answer. A CD has a unique and sometimes interesting answer like the emperor's new clothes. That is why I do like well designed CDs
ReplyDeleteKishore, you took the words right out of my mouth. I completely concur.
ReplyDeleteSatya, are you a math geek too? If so, I can send you my paper on Kaprekar constant and beyond.
ReplyDeleteColonel, it is 'kOvERu kazuthai' which is a cross between a horse and a donkey- a mule. It is mostly infertile.
ReplyDeleteThanks PP
ReplyDelete@Kishore 9:18
ReplyDeleteI certainly enjoy math. I teach math at the university here, though my doctorate is in mechanical engineering. Please do send me your paper. My email address is snarimetla at gmail dot com.
Thank you.
It's obvious that 19D was written by the assistant and not the maestro.
ReplyDeleteI think 19D is a clever CD.
ReplyDeleteThe line "goes off on a tangent" and directly hits the outer circle.
All circular.
Agree with Col that it was hardly a cryptic crossword.
ReplyDelete19 D Tangent, as Kishore pointed out doesn't make sense.
Was it Bombay that used to have policeman in blue?
@ Satya 936: Just sent. In case you are interested, I am a part of a puzzle group where math is regularly discussed.
ReplyDeleteGiri, Yes, Bombay (sorry, Mumbai, in case SS is listening in) used to have blue coppers, as you can see in older movies.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kishore, If I recall it correctly Calcutta used to have cops in white. Of course it was 'cheddis' (shorts) for a long time for the constables in all cities.
ReplyDeleteCol sir,
ReplyDeleteShe lets Al around her as a guide (6) - STELLA
Stella is latin for star (hence stellar), which can in turn mean a guide. I guess that's what Manna intended, good idea but bad execution. That makes this clue a DD + anagram, What would one call that?
I have always been surprised by your dislike for CDs. I mean a genuine CD and not the ones here which masquerade as one. A crossword with just charades and anagrams would be quite boring ( as would a xwd like this with a lot of CDs/Es and DDs). I think a CD ( or &lit) more than anything else, tells us about the quality of a setter and his command over the language. The only problem with a CD is that like &lits it requires lot of skill on the part of setter to come up with a good one and when in incompetent hands most CDs fall flat and venture into the realm of the so called 'E' clues. So, they should be used sparingly and to good effect.
When written well, a CD can be a real penny dropping moment.
I know you don't concur. So, we shall agree to disagree :)
What I do not like in CWs are the "T" clues and also if it has too many anagrams.
ReplyDeleteMaddy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Stellar solution. In Manna and NJ's case we can call it a DAMN !!
I am not totally against CD's, my point is about having too many CD/DD/E in this case we have 12 out of 29 which is about 41% isn't that a bit too much? and if they are used for the 15 letter words they totally flummox me.
Everyone has their view. I am sure there are some here who would not mind 100% CD
15 - Expenditure for striking place (6) - OUTLAY Anno pending. Striking place ?
ReplyDeleteOUT = On strike (Ref. thefreedictionary.com) Hence striking
LAY = place
koveru kazhudai is mule..it is used to draw carts
ReplyDeletesorry was...not is
ReplyDelete