Tuesday 22 March 2011

No 10108, Tuesday 22 Mar 11, Spiffytrix

ACROSS
1   - A queen's fit and fertile (6) - {A}{R}{ABLE}
5   - Drink outside good hotel with novice (8) - {BE{G}{INN}ER}
9   - Copper fixed cocaine deals here? (3-2-3) - {CU}{L-DE-SA(C)*} &lit
10 - Observe soldiers going in to write using special symbols (6) - {NO{TA}TE}
11 - Pass by polar bear (4-8) - {COLD}-{SHOULDER}


13 - Setter ‘n' solver discussed available options (4) - {ME}{N}{U}
14 - Word play for beginners — any crossword rookie oughta solve this inept clue (8) - {A}{C}{R}{O}{S}{T}{I}{C} My COD
17 - Nourishment for Lent or Ramadan? (4,4) - FAST FOOD &lit
18 - Partner ditched Democrat for Republican judge (4) - (-d+r)RATE
20 - King eats at Spain's troubled old province (4,8) - EAST PA(K)ISTAN*
23 - Fruit ignited oriental life force (6) - {LIT}{CHI}
24 - Intellectuals' empty on the top? (8) - {EGG}{HEADS}
25 - Signs like 14? (8) - INITIALS [DD]
26 - Consider fools' point (6) - {ASSES}{S}
DOWN
2   - Crush fish after removing its head (4) - tROUT
3   - Casualties in census? (4,5) - BODY COUNT [DD]
4   - Loans left to go down with supports (6) - (-l)EASE(+l)LS
5   - Perhaps disc brakes avert these causes of accidents? (8,7) - BACKSEAT DRIVERS* Unfortunately my car doesn't have Disc Brakes!
6   - Crowd incited riot at glacier (8) - {GANG}{OTRI*}
7   - No one in this north Indian hill station is a native (5) - NAiniTAL
8   - Sexist term created for fanatics (10) - EXTREMISTS*
12 - Return mimic's share and break-up (10) - {SEPA<-}{RATION}
15 - They dash for special computer accessories (9) - {S}{PRINTERS}
16 - Male about a woman — the one with a priceless smile (4,4) - {M}{ON}{A} {LISA}
19 - Part of flower for Mark (6) - STIGMA [DD]
21 - Kolkata city's silent (5) - TACIT [T]
22 - Stirs up fizzy drink (4) - ADOS <-



50 comments:

  1. 14a ACROSTIC is an &lit

    My COD 5D Backseat drivers - very nicely phrased

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bhavan

    You wrote under yesterday's blog: "I think I'm beginning to see what you mean. In today's puzzle (10108) there are at least a couple of clues that were OK on the surface, but jarring in cryptic reading."

    Criticism is most welcome. But it will be useful if it's specific. I would appreciate if you can cite at least one such clue so we might agree or disagree with you.

    @Venkatesh. 14a is only an acrostic. It is not an &lit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is ADO a countable noun? Yes! (I first thought it was not!)

    ReplyDelete
  4. 21d: Is 's a sufficient hidden indicator? Opinions sought.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @CV sure, here are the two that made me comment thus :

    5 Drink outside good hotel with novice (8) - {BE{G}{INN}ER}

    What is with doing here ? In cryptic reading I didn't get what Wordplay (with) solution was trying to imply.

    21 - Kolkata city's silent (5) - TACIT [T]

    In cryptic reading this is : Kolkata city has silent (5)

    Isn't that an unfinished sentence?

    ReplyDelete
  6. My CoD is 11. Really liked the succinct description.

    ReplyDelete
  7. CV @ 8.42 : I'm happy with 's expanding to has as a hidden indicator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bhavan

    I think 5A should be the other way round.

    Novice with drink outside good hotel (8)

    We then interpret the answer is with that wordplay.

    21 - Kolkata city's silent (5) - TACIT [T]

    This has no problem at all. "Kolkata city" (the letters present in these words) has TACIT.)

    ReplyDelete
  9. No one in this north Indian hill station is a native (5) - NAiniTAL

    I see only a deletion for 'I' (No I). I don't see a deletion indication for 'IN'.

    With 15D, the for is seen the other way round.

    ReplyDelete
  10. @Shyam, in cryptic reading of the clue, we should substitute the answer for the sentence to be meaningful ? If so, never knew that !

    ReplyDelete
  11. Also in 9A which Col has marked as an &-lit, I am not sure what the intended definition is. What is the connection between dead ends and fixing drug deals?

    ReplyDelete
  12. 7 - No one in this north Indian hill station is a native (5) - NAiniTAL

    Shyam, you are right, solvers cannot implicitly assume that "in" is on double duty here. Even if we do, "one in" is "IIN" and not in the same order in the final answer for deletion.

    ReplyDelete
  13. As far as I know, yes, Bhavan :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. In my opinion, this is certainly not Spiffy's best. Waiting for Meghna to come out with her cup of woes!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Shyam,
    In my view, Cul-de-sacs or Dead ends are 'shady' areas where such deals are done, more so if a Copper is doing it

    ReplyDelete
  16. Shyam @ 9:05,

    Just goes to show CW setting is no easy job, that's why Sankalak's CW stand out with hardly any disputable clues

    ReplyDelete
  17. Colonel : I wouldn't say I'm disputing clues, but discussing the finer points.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I don't find anything wrong in 9a. The pic evoked is plausible as DG explains above.

    ReplyDelete
  19. 21 - Kolkata city's silent (5) - TACIT [T]

    Shyam

    The point that Bhavan makes on the above clue is:

    The surface reading is OK.

    's (expanding to has) is OK as a hidden ind.

    But the wordplay (what Shuchi calls cryptic grammar) is "Kolkata city has silent" - which as you can see is not grammatical.

    Anyway this is splitting hairs - when basically silly clues see the light of day in the feature as a whole.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The objection about 7 as enunciated above is sustained.
    (Commotion in the court)
    Judge retires to his chamber after having announced the verdict.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Col 9:06

    Ya Col. I got it. I knew there was something to it I didn't understand.

    CV 9:24

    I will hold "Kolkata city has silent" to be grammatical, by considering "kolkata city" as not two words, but the set of letters, "kay-oh-el-... why". I assume "A set" is implicit at the start, else we may need a "have" :)

    I agree with you these are trifing points, but since we have a setter who lends his ear to these, so I think it's definitely worth telling :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. This crossword is in the public domain.

    So it must bear scrutiny.

    And we are dissecting it because we respect the setter's work.

    And the criticism that we are making is informed criticism.

    In such an exercise whether the setter listens or not is immaterial.

    ReplyDelete
  23. CV Sir, Yes, it's immaterial that way, but from a personal point of view, I am motivated to note the finer points only because Spiffy will make his defence later in the day with high probability!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I tend to come in late and by that time mostly everything is done and dusted.

    But can't help commenting on 21D: everyone has considered it to be 'city has' but I read it as 'city is' and then the clue seems quite OK.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Enjoyed today's crossword.
    21D - i think 'is' does not give a telescopic answer here.
    Cold shoulder my COD

    ReplyDelete
  26. Chaturvasi @8.40:
    Seriously is ADO a countable noun? Shakespeare didn't think so, else it would have been titled 'Many Ados about .....'!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Forget Shakespeare. Yes, he had "Much ado" but he might also make "A Comedy of Errors"! Joking!

    I had a doubt myself and looked up Chambers before learning and recording here that i'ado' is also a countable noun.

    One lives and learns.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Shakespeare adds: "What You Will".

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sorry. Pl read 'ado' for i'ado'.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Kolkata city's silent (5) TACIT [T]

    The surface reading is:
    Kolkata city is silent.

    The cryptic reading is:
    [the block of letters] "KolkaTA CITy" has TACIT (silent).

    No problem here. The cryptic reading is only required to be a grammatical equation between definition and wordplay. The surface needs to have a real-world meaning, which it does in this clue. Some may call the indicator weak - 's can be many things and the solver can have trouble seeing if it is a connector or a c/c ind or whatever, but that's a matter of taste rather than rule. I think the clue is just fine.

    ReplyDelete
  31. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thanks Shuchi for the clarification. I just had an afterthought on this. In case one finds the implicit assumption of "A set" or "A block" as unacceptable, we could just consider this:

    "fodder" has "answer", which is exactly how the cryptic reading is. "fodder" remains singular in spite of being composed of 2 words.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Sorry for the long absence folks. As I may have mentioned in passing a while ago, my mom had been battling cancer for over 2 yrs, and the terrible disease finally got the better of her last week. She was in terrible pain for most of the past 2 months, and actually dissociated from her body for the last 2 weeks of her life. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to serve her over the last month and a half, and for all that she gave to us.

    I put in an ad in the obit today, to appear in tomorrow's Chennai edition... My mother's name is Radha Raghavan. Please pray for the peace of her soul and it's journey into the heavens. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Even if we do, "one in" is "IIN" and not in the same order in the final answer for deletion.


    Does it matter if the words are not in order? The letters in the words are still in the correct order, aren't they (the fact that one word is just a character long notwithstanding)?


    Judge retires to his chamber after having announced the verdict.

    And he usually refers to the Chambers before announcing the verdict. ;-)

    No problem here. The cryptic reading is only required to be a grammatical equation between definition and wordplay. The surface needs to have a real-world meaning

    Seconded. If the solver sticks to just one interpretation of a word, a phrase or whatever in solving a clue, the person would be whining about every puzzle. (Assuming this person is an erudite "elitist" whose comments appear in speciality blogs. :P)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I'm sorry to hear of your loss, Hari.

    ReplyDelete
  36. @Hari - Really saddened to hear about your bereavement. My wife joins me in expressing our sincere condolences to you and everyone else who has been a part of your mother's life.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks everyone for your feedback. I do agree with the fact that this has not been among my better efforts.Apologies for that. In fact I had sent a revised version to The Hindu a few days back in which some clues were completely changed ( 21, 24, 26 included). But I guess it was too late by then for these changes to be incorporated.

    ReplyDelete
  38. My heartfelt condolences, Hari. I pray to the Lord of the Seven Hills to give you and other family members the strength to bear the bereavement.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hari
    Please accept my condolences in your bereavement. May God give you strength to bear the loss which is irreparable. RIP.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Very sorry to hear of your mother's death, Hari. May God be with you

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hari,
    On behalf of all the visitors to my blog and myself please accept our heartfelt condolences.
    May God give you and your family the strength to bear this loss.
    Yours in grief,
    Col Deepak Gopinath

    ReplyDelete
  42. @Hari, good to have you back but sad to hear about your loss. Please accept my condolences.

    ReplyDelete
  43. @ CV 20 55: Some use 'irrepairable' and others 'irreparable' - which is right?

    ReplyDelete
  44. ram
    To answer your question:
    Both the words 'irreparable' and 'irrepairable' are correct.
    My use of the either word would depend upon the context.
    I would say: "I am afraid I can't use this motorcycle anymore. It is irrepairable." It means 'beyond repair'.
    When I want to say that the loss of a loved one or even an antique such as the Kohinoor diamond is a loss that cannot be made good, the word is 'irreparable'.

    ReplyDelete
  45. ...Does it matter if the words are not in order? The letters in the words are still in the correct order, aren't they (the fact that one word is just a character long notwithstanding)?
    ...


    @Navneeth, it does. In this example it was three letters and easier to spot. The custom if it can be called that is to indicate that the letters to be deleted are not in order. This is usually done through an anagram indicator for those letters.

    My intention in highlighting it was not to poke holes in Spiffytrix's clueing.This issue like the others, is just me nitpicking.

    ReplyDelete
  46. My intention in highlighting it was not to poke holes in Spiffytrix's clueing.

    I did not take it that way.

    [It] is just...nitpicking.

    It's something I pride myself on doing very regularly, though not always in a cruciverbal context. Therefore I can understand your point. :D

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hari,

    I missed yesterday's late post.Hence the delay in my response.Pl. accept my heartfelt condolences and no doubt I will be praying both for her soul and strength for you and others in the family to bear the loss.Cancer particularly can be crippling both to the patient and more so to the close ones who have to look on helplessly.I have a few personal experiences which make me dread even today.

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com