Wednesday 8 December 2010

No 10019, Wednesday 08 Dec 10, Sankalak

ACROSS
1   - Saying no when getting weaker (9) - DECLINING [DD]
5   - Heavenly highway (5) - ORBIT [CD]
8   - Member of royalty, one new, included in papers (8) - {PR{I}{N}{C}ESS} or is it {PRE{INC}ESS} with inc from 'included'
9   - The invader with a t'tail wagging (6) - ATTILA*
11 - Where in Tamil Nadu meals are cooked (5) - SALEM* Very close to Gridman's Erode, and is Dr DS's home town!
12 - Small, humble carriage — one not known for speed (9) - {S}{LOW}{COACH}
13 - The element to aid rum production (6) - RADIUM*
14 - Hat-maker in a military ship (8) - {MIL}{LINER}
16 - Song of a Spanish city cut short by girl (8) - {MADRId}{GAL}
18 - The cupboard to get rid of in an American state (6) - {C{LOSE}T}
22 - He sells papers from all points and books, including Time (9) - {N}{E}{W}{S}{AGENT}(Addendum - {N}{E}{W}{S}{AGE}{NT} - See comments)
23 - Colour seen in Northumberland (5) - UMBER [T]
24 - Get back, say, in fall (6) - REGAIN [CD](Correction - {R{EG}AIN})
25 - One not particular about what he eats? (8) - OMNIVORE [CD]
26 - At which one maybe free and threatening (5) - LARGE [CD]
27 - Relating to money at any price, for all to see? Funny (9) - PEC(U)NIARY*
DOWN
1   - He makes a sworn statement, with notes, on a problem (7) - {D}{E}{POSER}
2   - Scared youngster drinks a drop of lemonade (7) - {CHIL{LE}D} A drop of Lemonade would be just 'L'
3   - Such a one would be at home with Trappists (15) - INCOMMUNICATIVE [CD]
4   - At home, sibling gets time to lay down the law (6) - {IN}{SIS}{T}
5   - A case of one's eyes deceiving one (7,8) - OPTICAL ILLUSION [E]
6   - Greatness is added to it as a nation (7) - {BR{IT}AIN}
7   - A cheering drink with dear French sir! (7) - {TEA}{CHER}
10 - An apt mantra in retrospect — it is often repeated in a musical piece (5) - {MO}{TIF} <-
15 - Attendant starting rigmarole with radio receiver/transmitter (5) - {PAGE}{R}
16 - Such water is preferred by the wary diner (7) - MINERAL [CD]
17 - A twisted word concealing the years of an old lady (7) - {DOW{AGE}R*}
19 - Our bases (not eastern) violated in secret (3,4) - SUB ROSAe* Never heard this before
20 - In a concise way, restyle composition (7) - TERSELY*
21 - Kind of energy used in ending WWII (6) - ATOMIC [CD]

23 comments:

  1. Hi
    Another nice rounded one. PR(INC)ESS and NEWSAGENT references to the papers.
    MINERAL water, however, to be distinguished from bottled water, which is what most of our so called Mineral water is, expecially in the bulk packs. I am not even sure if the refilled bottles are cleaned or water filtered before filling from borewells.
    OPTICAL ILLUSION reminded me of Lushin Dubey, the stage actor and actor Lillette Dubey’s sister, who is said to have started out (before changing it) named after the Russian aircraft Ilyushin, which sounds like illusion, an auditory one at that.
    SUB ROSA, I must confess, reminded of covert spook ops and of its innovative use by Dan Brown. Lamb to the Slaughter is, of course, sub-nosa.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 8a, I thought the latter anno, Deepak, not sure of how C comes into the former.
    22a. I too put in this word, but how does AGENT turn up. Mebbe T from time, but other parts?
    2d. Two drops of Lemonade or one twin drop. But a drop connoting ‘one’ a bit rummy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. As confessed in 831, Richard must have gone under the petals if he has sinned !

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thought there were too many CD's today. But they were nice.

    Not clear on the anno for PRINCESS. Not clear why "one new, included" = INC. If INC is from "included," why "one new"?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think the anoo for 22A is

    NEWS AGE NT

    NEWS from all points
    NT from books
    AGE from time (which is included in)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Though recent crossword setters and blog writers/commenters are from the IT industry or the engineering/mathematics fields, an Eng. Lit. student might have advantage in solving. 'Sub rosa' is a Latin phrase that literally means 'under the rose'. I think it's a legal phrase.
    I used to pick up these phrases by idly perusing the back section of Chambers where you have a list of foreign words and phrases.
    One may have encountered 'sub rosa' in PGW or Henry Cecil.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Literally meaning 'under the rose', it is used in the Church for confessionals. Also used in the intelligence/covert ops field for unofficially sanctioned ops which should not be traceable back to the country/government involved.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Legally it is equivalent of 'in camera'.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Another enjoyable offering. Liked 10D.

    ReplyDelete
  10. When a court conducts 'in camera' proceedings, they are held within a room, such as the judge's chambers, so no outsider is present there and the accused may reveal certain things which may embarrass the person if said in an open court.
    'Sub rosa' actions are done under cover purposely because they are covert operations and to expressly preventing their coming to the knowledge of others.
    Both are legal terms but not quite equivalent to each other.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Agree, CV. Exactly why I mentioned spooks in the first place. Because it is not a legal term in that sense.

    Also agree with Vj's NEWSAGENT

    ReplyDelete
  12. I now think my first anno for 8A is the right one

    Member of royalty = Definition = {PR{I}{N}{C}ESS}
    one = 1 = I
    new = N
    included = C (Symbol for Charge Conjugation)
    in = Inclusion indicator
    papers = PRESS

    ReplyDelete
  13. Deepak, I would still go with your second, as the charge conjugation is a not so commonly known abbreviation. It is for Sankalak to clarify which anno is the one he had in mind.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kishore,
    With the second Anno, the words 'one new' are totally superfluous

    ReplyDelete
  15. Absolutely agree on that, but on the other hand isn't the first one a bit esoteric ?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Is this possible? Included = Caught = C? Is weird though...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Deepak, with ref to your initial comment on sub-rosa, looks like the spooks know more about the military than the other way round :-) Is that because spooks are usually sub-rosa ?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Shyam, don't you think it's a bit round about? Doesn't seem fair to me.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Colonel, how are included and charge conjugation connected?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Did anyone catch yesterday's episode of The Simpsons (repeated today at 1630)? It's the one in which Lisa becomes a "cruciverbalist." I was surprised that she wasn't one already. (The episode is actually a couple of years old, however we're getting it here for the first time, I think.)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yes VJ... The obvious explanation seems to be that Homer has nodded :D

    ReplyDelete
  22. 6 - Greatness is added to it as a nation (7) - {BR{IT}AIN}

    Col - Anno. could be different over here.
    Great Britain is the only country with "GREAT" as a prefix!

    ReplyDelete
  23. David John, yeah that seems better. Equating greatness to brain seems a bit iffy to me. Also, there is no insertion indicator in the clue.

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com