Some of Scintillator's definitions are devious. Plenty of body parts thrown around today.
ACROSS
1 Put together articles in Greek (6) GATHER {G{A}{THE}R}
4 Conforming to a timeless salutation (8) AGREEING {A}{GREEtING}
9 Sailor and steerer died inside a ship (6) ABOARD {AB}{OAR}{D}
12 Drains where combustion gases are released (8) EXHAUSTS [CD]
15 Regressive, low degree catastrophe (4) DOOM {D}{OOM}<=
16 Right to pierce lip? That’s rashness! (10) IMPRUDENCE {IMP{R}UDENCE}
20 Osteoporosis, with scleroma, could end up hollowing out bones (4) OSSA {OsteoporosiS}{ScleromA}
23 Natural tea served beside a small hotel (6) INNATE {INN}{TEA*}
25 Galleries showing a red van’s model (8) VERANDAS*
27 Be concerned, girl; I’m with a fellow policeman (4,1,3) GIVE A FIG {G}{I'VE} {A} {F}{IG} (Are "I've" and "I'm" the same? - See comments)
28 High priest’s short rota requires retrieving money (6) SILVER {tSIL}{VER}<=
29 Stake all to clear up zone of brackish waters? (4,4) SALT LAKE*
30 The gestalt’s contents have useless materials (6) EGESTA [T]
DOWN
1 Being forward-looking, urge a man to enter inside (2-5) GO-AHEAD {GO}-{A}{HEAD} (Addendum - {GO-{A}{HE}AD} - See comments)
3 Chief’s blown away from terrible scolding (6) EARFUL fEARFUL
5 Pluck of learner not committed to excesses (4) GUTS GlUTS
6 Sight a sweet and pretty person (3,5) EYE CANDY {EYE} {CANDY}
7 Factory sample’s released in river (5) INDUS INDUStry
8 Demagog played on a simulated sport (3,4) GOD GAME*
11 Put up with design of Macintosh that’s not stylish (7) STOMACH MACinTOSH*
14 Kalam’s idealist, say (7) DREAMER [DD]
17 Without tranquillisers, a throbbing head is put out and gets worse (9) NOSEDIVES {NO}{SEDatIVES}
18 Customers’ pay sees a slump (8) FOOTFALL {FOOT}{FALL}
19 Singer dancing under female’s skirts (7) FRINGES {F}{SINGER*}
22 See 24
24, 22 Worthless self-analysis about one’s abs? (5-6) NAVEL-GAZING [C&DD]
26 How could you call Richard 'busy’? (4) RICK [DD] Second part of anno not clear 'busy' & 'rick' (Addendum - DICK [DD] - See comments)
26 How could you call Richard 'busy’? (4) RICK [DD] Second part of anno not clear 'busy' & 'rick'
ReplyDeleteDICK
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=BUSY%20DICK
Thanks and 'Ahem'
Delete"Ahem" yes, because I too could not find busy, (but found a known usage) in thefreedic -:)
DeleteNo 'ahem" need be spewed out.
DeleteDick is short form of the name Richard.
It also is a short form of the word detective.
Busy is a term that also means detective.
What I have tried to say is that the word 'dick' is not used in the sense of body part (of which there are other instances in the grid).
DeleteAnd 'busy' = detective = dick
That's why it's not highlighted in the grid!
DeleteR wrote: "Ahem" yes, because I too could not find busy, (but found a known usage) in thefreedic -:)
DeleteWhat is the known use you're talking of?
If it can't be stated publicly, please send a mail to chaturvasi yahoo com
14 Kalam’s idealist, say (7) DREAMER [DD]
ReplyDeleteRef to:
“Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep.”
― A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Wings of Fire: An Autobiography
Thanks for the reference to the context.
DeleteSlight corr in anno:
ReplyDelete1 Being forward-looking, urge a man to enter inside (2-5) GO-AHEAD {GO}-{A}{HEAD}
A, HE inside GOAD
from thefreedic:
Deleteadj.
Characterized by energy and assertiveness: a go-ahead marketing strategy.
Thanks Raghu,
DeleteI saw light before your answer came in, that's why I deleted my query.
Note the hyphen in the solution. It is an adjective.
DeleteI believe that the def "being forward-looking" leads correctly to the adj. answer
27D
ReplyDeleteUsually, it is used in the negative connotation: Don't give a fig (to mean 'don't care about it at all'). Surprising to see this usage in the clue.
'I am with' and 'I've (with me)' are same.
22D in the solution grid to be corrected:
ReplyDeleteRAZING to GAZING
A good tricky puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI just have Q on G for girl? Not in Chambers, Thefreedictionary.com, nor in Wikipedia's list. Not sure of OED.
Found it's use in Arden's CW too.
g - girl is found in XWD - A Dict of Crossword Abbreviations (Chambers).
DeleteI think I too have used it and before using an abbr. I often check if its use can be defended.
20a OSSA may also be treated as body parts
ReplyDeleteHad no GUTS ! Developed FEET OF CLAY !! Then NOSEDIVED !!! Gave up too quickly. Could'nt get even pass marks. :(
ReplyDeleteKishore has a penchant for abbreviations and acronyms - remember BHO & POTUS.
ReplyDeleteHere is one from today's paper:
DBO - This is the world's highest airfield
Daulat Beg Oldie
Reminded me of the wonderful time I had at Dover AFB
Delete...and here comes one more !
DeleteBUSY is slang for detective
ReplyDeleteCharacter coming last busy entering a second race (6) AZTECS {Z (character coming last) TEC (busy), in A S (second)}
DICK is an informal short form of "detective"
Detective mounted routine trap for outlaw (4,6) DICK TURPIN
[Source:
Detectives In Cryptic Clues from Shuchi's Blog - Crossword Unclued
Everyone's got 'busy' doing a dics job, delving in dics for the meaning of Dick.
Deleteकस्तुरी कुंडल बसे, मृग ढूंढे बन मांहि ।
DeleteFrom one of Kabir's dohas:
DeleteRoughly translated as:
The musk deer possesses the musk in its belly-button, (24,22d ?) but searches the entire forest for the source of the smell...
...missing the forest for the trees !
DeleteRaghunath @ 12:50
DeleteI too was 'busy' going through the dics and was relieved to learn that I'm not one of those 'clever Dicks' !
High quality puzzle from Scintillator...
ReplyDeleteIn a thematic crossword, a thematic word may be used as part of a clue where the answer itself is not theme-related. Here the word LIP occurs in 16a.
ReplyDeleteAnd face in 17a, bones in 19a, head in 17d, abs in 24/22d
DeleteLiked 7d. That factory dare not let samples/s into any river nowadays, as Pollution Controls boards are quite struct.
ReplyDeleteTypo. Read strict for struct
DeleteI do not think that "GIVE A FIG" can mean 'be concerned'.
ReplyDeleteThe idiom is only used in the negative sense of 'Do not give a fig', meaning not being concerned, but bu just removing we are creating an expression that does not exist nor correct. It is okay if this kind of thing is used as a part of the clue which would lead to an answer, but not as the answer itself.
Expressions like 'flower' for river are fine when they are a part of the clue but not if the definition is river and the answer is 'flower'
DeleteI could not find the expression 'Give a Fig' anywhere on the net.
Delete27 Be concerned, girl; I’m with a fellow policeman (4,1,3) GIVE A FIG {G}{I'VE} {A} {F}{IG}
I’m with a fellow policeman, translates to: I'VE A F IG with me. What happened to the 'with me'? IMO with me should be part of the ans or else, the ans should have just: G + I'M + A F IG.
Tough puzzle. I was able to do only the anagrams. Clues for DICK and DREAMER require a lot of additional knowledge. Can someone clarify how 'lip' is used for IMPUDENCE and pay is used for FOOT?
ReplyDeleteSorry to be a pest, but there is a punctuation error in the headline again, it needs to be Scintillator's ...
Madhu
'Lip' means 'cheekiness' so impudence works.
DeleteIs 'demagog' an acceptable spelling? I consider veranda doubtful as well.
ReplyDeleteDemagog is doubtful but Veranda and also Verandah, both are there in OED.
DeleteDemagog is a variant spelling of demagogue
DeleteIt is spelt 'demagog'' in American English whereas it is 'demagogue' elsewhere. But the problem is how a setter would enumerate the solution if it has variant spellings. For instance, if he enumerates it as, say, 7 (demagog), I would rack my brain for hours together to unlock it because I am familiar only with the longer word and not with the shorter one. If he enumerate it as 7, he should be specific (or rather cryptic ! ) in his clue to give away its usage in specific locations: for example, 'an American rabble-rouser' for 'demagog' (7). Any thoughts?
DeleteRef. Kishore @1:58. Even from reference to context, it is easy to make it out as DOVER AIR FORCE BASE
ReplyDeleteMadhu,
ReplyDeleteCan someone clarify how ... pay is used for FOOT?
We can say 'foot the bill' instead of 'pay the bill'.
Thanks Rajan and Groucho. I am not aware of these meanings. I feel this is a puzzle for advanced solvers only.
ReplyDeleteOne of the facets (may be less known) of the unique personality of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was his endeavour to harness the potential in the technology created by him for multiple applications, especially for the community.
ReplyDeleteOne such spin-off benefits was the use of the light weight carbon-compound material he had designed for Agni to make callipers for the polio affected which effectively reduced the weight of the calipers to 400 grams (a tenth of the original weight).
The Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences in our city Hyderabad has witnessed many such defence technology spin offs from Kalam's labs -DRDL, DMRL and RCI.
Dr Kalam has once said, "Seeing the children run with lighter callipers brought tears to the eyes of their parents. That was the real moment of bliss for me".
Tough one, but enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteAs are many of the comments in the beginning!!
Is fig in 'give a fig' related to the F word? Tamil people know fig as the athi pazham. The tree is also the Bodhi maram under which Buddha received enlightement.
ReplyDeleteGive a fig has been used here.
http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/1830340/report-why-you-should-give-a-fig-about-figs
Sure Rajan, but it was a headline used in the context of the news item below. Much like the various cryptic expressions used in crosswords.
DeleteBut it is not a correct English expression and hence I do not think it can be an answer.
I go with Suresh. The expression ' give a fig' is always used in the negative. Others examples used in the negative are: " I don't give a damn" , "She doesn't care / give a hang" and " We don't give a hoot"
DeleteThe Indian Express has launched as National Standard in Bangalore as it cannot use the IE tag under its agreement with TNIE. The crossie is a 15x15 cryptic but the grid is printed too small for comfort. TNIE grids are qruite ok at present.
ReplyDelete26D : How could you call Richard 'busy' ?
ReplyDeleteOnly Richard can answer it ;-)
Talking of Richard and Dick reminded of a curious thing
ReplyDeleteLord Mountbatten's nickname was Dickie. Surprisingly Richard is not one of his names, while Nicholas is, which led to Nicky. And there were plenty of Nickies in the royal family, including by extension, the Russian one. So Lord Mountbatten was called Dickie instead.
Today's Silver Jubilee Convocation of the Dr MGR Med Univ reminded me of Dr Lalitha Kameswaran, who as the first VC had given ita firm foundation and set high standards. The decline started setting in with her successor. On an earlier occasion, I had attended the Convocation. There again the Chancellor (Gov Dr Chenna Reddy) presided and, no doubt giving consideration to the harmony in relations between Him and the then CM, most senior Professors chose to stay away. We were surprised to see two Ophthalmologists awarded Honorary Doctorates - Dr S Badrinath (Sankara Netralaya, Chennai) and Dr G Venkataswamy (Aravind Eye Hosp, Madurai). An official of the Univ later let the cat out of the bag - that it was Prof. R. Venkataswami, Hand Rehabilitation / Plastic Surgeon, who had been selected along with Dr Badrinath by the Syndicate. But, by mistake, the letter was issued to the wrong Venkataswami by the Registrar. Incidentally, both Venkataswamis are alumni of the prestigious Stanley Medical College.
ReplyDeleteVenkatesh,
DeleteWhat has this got to do with today's CW? Please refrain from publishing news items here. You may send it to the newspaper for publication as letters to the editor.