Friday 24 May 2013

No.10781, Friday 24 May 13, Gridman


I notice a distinctive loco-motive in this great opener from Gridman, who transports us to a world of transportation devices. We have a snow vehicle in 5a, a water vessel in 26d, an airport in 21a and an assorted bunch of land (rail, road and cross country) vehicles (powered (by animal, fuel, human) and non powered) in many other clues, including a vehicle of last resort in 10a.  Amazing how so many  themed entries appear in one single crossword !

ACROSS
1 Worn-out cars negotiate a slope, Ji (8) JALOPIES (A SLOPE JI)* Archie Andrews' proud (?) possession
5 Tool for Arctic vehicle? (6) SLEDGE 2
9 Part of passenger train with no passenger (5,3) GOODS VAN (CD) Remember the so called Brake Van  where we had to stow our luggage in olden days if it exceeded limits? Nowadays, everyone seems to carry everything in the passenger coach itself . As if to balance this, people may be traveling in goods wagons. 
Khuda bhi aasman se jab zameen par dekhta hoga, mere train-ko kisne banaya sochta hoga !

10 Transport for those who are late (6) HEARSE (CD) Reminded me of the joke about the undertaker who married a snake charmer. Their towels were labeled Hiss and Hearse. 
12 Combat venue has no new patch (4) AREA (AREnA)
13 Strange desire to change scene endlessly in houses (10) RESIDENCES (DESIRE SCENe)*
15 Time to bleat about PC (6) TABLET (T BLEAT)* Nowadays people seem to resort to the pill regularly, to start or stop things. Also, income tax return is the time people bleat about Palaniappan Chidambaram
17 Didn’t go out to partake of food (3,2) ATE IN (CD) As rightly noted yesterday, nowadays doctors don't make house calls, while caterers do
20 Group extremely ebullient after a month (5) OCTET (OCTober E T)
21 New train to a Japanese city (6) NARITA (TRAIN A)* The airport city
24 Agra fussed about protective measures (10) SAFEGUARDS (AGRA FUSSED)* These can work as an alternative to the pill referred in 15a, unless, of course, it was blue 
27 A couple of unknowns removed from a group of stars in festival (4) GALA (GALAxy)
29 No advertisement in Greek islands for vehicles (6) CYCLES (CYCLadES)
30 One Naxalite leader’s referring to spurring (8) INCITING (1 N CITING)
31 Scold engineer’s charge (6) BERATE (BE RATE)
32 Solid figure in part of an automobile (8) CYLINDER (CD,DD) Solid, but is still hollow in an automobile
DOWN
1 Sleek cat or sleek car? (6) JAGUAR 2 Both are cool things. Was it a car or a cat I saw ? < >
2 Provide new equipment over to robber (6) LOOTER (RETOOL<) When the pills don't work ?
3 Mail an advertisement without hesitation (4) POST (POSTer) Dedicating this to the poster girls and boys of this blog 
4 Avoid the first woman holding notice (5) EVADE (AD in EVE)
6 Town fit for a lord (5) LIEGE 2
7 Wrong credit the journalist ran (8)  DIRECTED (CREDIT* ED)
8 Nevertheless no good service (8) EVENSONG (EVEN SO NG)
11 A state of confusion in the palanquin? (6) LITTER 2 The state of confusion could get even more   compounded and confounded it a cat started a family in the said palanquin and all those kittens started their output processes   
14 Arc around Tamilians’ capital transport (4) CART (ARC* T) Most Indian hill stations seem have a Hill Cart or Hill Track Road  
16 Laud lavishly, taking a new carriage (6) LANDAU (LAUD* around A N)
17 Photographer’s setting for a public transport in Indian cities (4) AUTO 2
18 Broaches hesitantly about what used to be known as “growler” (5,3) HORSE CAB (BROACHES)*
Try this

19 Facts far cooked up over transport for employees (5,3) STAFF CAR (FACTS FAR)* Brings up images of the WW II German officers in their staff cars  
22 Different article seen in haphazard drive (6) VARIED (DRIVE* around A)
23 Bachelor’s rage for decrepit car (6) BANGER (B ANGER) Chitty-chittier and bang-banger  
25 Girl slashes rate. Marvellous! (5) GREAT (G RATE*)
26 Vessel for a ladies’ man? (5) DANDY 2 Can a dandy be randy ? The only water transport here, also called the yawl   
28 Car figures in reminiscences (4) MINI (T) Remember the awesome Mini Coopers in The Italian Job, (the older version with Michael Caine) ? 

24 comments:

  1. Nice thematic puzzle. So Gridman is Mover for today?

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    Replies
    1. If he has shoved in a pram, it would have been from end to end !

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  2. As if the crossword was not brilliant enough, we have a load of humour added with comments in front of the answers. :)

    10 Transport for those who are late (6) HEARSE (CD) Reminded me of the joke about the undertaker who married a snake charmer. Their towels were labeled Hiss and Hearse.

    An undertaker is said to be the most reliable person, since he is the last person to let one down.

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    Replies
    1. ;-). I remember seeing a sign at an eatery: Catering is undertaking.

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    2. I have to thank Gridman for letting me have the puzzle yesterday itself, thus giving me ample time to compose

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  3. Liked the cartoon of God's van, seen in God's Own Couintry.

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  4. Fantastic opener & an awesome post to go with it

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  5. New train to a Japanese city (6) NARITA (N TRAIN)* The airport city
    TRAIN* A

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  6. Kishore, the font that you've used in today's blog is really nice. What's it called?

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    1. There you have me, VJ. I don't remember doing anything different. Yes, I had first composed the comments in word, in TNR, and copied it into the blog template. But I did not change any font settings.

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  7. Lovely start of the day. Great Crossword. and excellent reporting (for want of a better word) by Kishore. Kishore has added life to the crossword.

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  8. The opening para in blue is in Arial, 10 pt

    The words Across and Down and the clue text are in Trebuchet MS 12 pt

    Most of the after-clue comments are in Times New Roman - some in 12 pt and others in 11 pt. Some after-clue comments retain Trebuchet MS 12 pt

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    1. Thanks, CV, for taking time to make the analysis. I suspect the Trebuchet came from the TH site and the Arial from the MS word default. Gridman's mail to me was in TNR which was probably retained and continued in the comments typed in MS word. After this was copied into the Blogger, some more comments were added, which continued the Trebuchet from TH. What a potpourri I have made ! Should be more careful in future.

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  9. Nice punch in 10a &32a &1d too.Lovely CW in toto.

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  10. @ Kishore Very enjoyable post! Thanks.

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  11. KISHORE: Wonderful re-pun-ders to each clue. Khuda---- song reminded of me of my own reflections whilst up in the heavens travelling non-stop Delhi- New York. I marvelled at human achievements, wondering as to how this horrendous and gargantuan vehicle has made us all possible to be transported thousands of miles, with all those humans and cargo along such high altitudes,with an almost fail-safe system, in such short durations. This crossie from Gridman on transport, with your wit added, transported me to higher altitudes and I also send out a silent prayer to all those geniuses who invented the internet and such devices that have made communications so easy and distances so short.

    Lifted my spirits after being jet-lagged sleepless.

    God bless.

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  12. Now-a-days many young moms complains that their son-babies are very crazy of cars and collect car
    toys. Is it so?

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  13. Gridman starts with a jaunty(jalopy) run. Kishore follows it up (knowingly/ unknowingly) with his nice fonts- of course in his inimitable style. Raju sings "Mere plane ko kisne banaya" from far off NY and I read it not far from him (NJ)- thanks of course to modern inventions. Thank you all so much for the nice Cw and equally nice exchanges.

    I filled in 'Guard van' in stead of 'goods van' and got caught in a corner. BTW, I think the guard van has also vanished. I expected a ref. to the film,Those magnificent men in...., What a film!

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  14. Kishore: Incidentally, the Brake vans are still in use. When I shifted to CBE all my worldly belongings were brought in intact in the brake van from BBY. Can any one tell me why they are called brake vans? Why brake? Why Van?

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  15. I must say the blog post is just useful for everyone else reading it because the information and knowledge it contains is very important. I like the post! Excellent job! Keep sharing such valuable information through your blogs.

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