Sunday 23 March 2014

No 2783, Sunday 23 Mar 2014



ACROSS
1   Absurd, like the team that always loses? (9) POINTLESS [C&DD]
6   Start of Boléro- unaltered arrangement (5) BASIS {B}{AS}{IS}
9   Peacock's last put in to annoy Bohemian poet (5) RILKE {RIL{K}E}
10 Guide showing policeman clergyman's residence (9) DIRECTORY {DI}{RECTORY}
11 Managed to invite endless resentment (7) RANCOUR {RAN}{COURt}
12 Fiery type, husband associated with Proust novel (7) HOTSPUR {H}{PROUST*}
13 Oddity in terribly icy dairy sons may reveal (12) IDIOSYNCRASY*
17 Gofer may make off with diamonds, jewels originally in our vaults (6,6) OFFICE JUNIOR {OFF}{ICE} {J}{UNIOR*}
20 Rally rounding on head of state (7) MONARCH {M{ON}ARCH}
21 Weird row on street (7) STRANGE {ST}{RANGE}
22 Game not about to be brought round in place of cheese (9) ROQUEFORT {cROQUE{FOR}T}
23 Water animal and swine beheaded (5) OTTER rOTTER
24 Guide showing prophet round heart of marketplace (5) STEER {S{T}EER}
25 Stand for the Queen over there (9) REPRESENT {ER<=}{PRESENT}

DOWN
1   Picture - left artist with it (8) PORTRAIT {PORT}{RA}{IT}
2   Poorly in one in very large state (8) ILLINOIS {ILL}{IN}{O{1}S}
3   Tired and emotional and shabby (3,5,3,4) THE WORSE FOR WEAR [CD]
4   Embarrassed, the Parisian put up church official (5) ELDER {EL}{DER}<=
5   Additional payment made by cleaner entering sweep (9) SURCHARGE {SUR{CHAR}GE}
6   Having completed a circuit, but no further forward? (4,2,6,3) BACK TO SQUARE ONE [CD]
7   Careless in dock, arrested by undercover agent (6) SLOPPY {S{LOP}PY}
8   Crime writer wasted year on board (6) SAYERS {S{YEAR*}S}
14 Happy hour - binge in one next door (9) NEIGHBOUR*
15 Duff gen? Vet it for sketch (8) VIGNETTE*
16 Genuine Greek and Italian film (4,4) TRUE GRIT {TRUE} {GR}{IT}
18 Feels upset and annoyed in trading centre in centre of Nassau (6) SMARTS {naS{MART}Sau}
19 Single and alone (6) UNIQUE [DD]
21 Build scenery at university (3,2) SET UP {SET} {UP}

11 comments:

  1. 8d SAYERS - In this blog, this has appeared as a solution in another Sunday crossword and as part of wordplay in a Sunday crossword and, most recently, in a Gridman puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Special at 10:30 by Doppelganger

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  3. I generally don't click on advertisements, even if they reveal Victoria's Secrets.
    Recently I was tempted to click on 5 signs of Alzheimer's.
    There can't be a more annoying ad than this.
    It goes on and on - even an amateur copy writer will laugh at repetitions and obvious teasers.
    I was fairly patient and clicked and clicked to subsequent pages but even my patience was tested and I abandoned it - without going on to even considering purchase - leave alone actual purchase.
    Now, what's that about Victoria's Secrets?

    ReplyDelete
  4. 8D - Sayers reminded me of Leo Sayer's hit When I need you (1976).

    The opening lines of the Hindi song Tumse milke, aisa laga tumse milke from the movie 'Parinda' (1989) have a close likeness to this song.

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  5. Richard has rightly identified the similarity. Actually, the song 'Tumse Milke' written by Khursheed Hallauri and set to tune by R D Burman has been copied from the song "when I need love, you are just a phone call away" sung by George Benson.

    No doubt, there are a few occasions, as in the present case, when the copied songs turn out to be as good or even better than the originals.

    Khursheed is known for his classic poetry. Residents of Hallaur, a Shiite centre situated near the banks of Rapti river in eastern UP, are referred to as Hallauri.

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  6. There are some other instanceswhere the "copied" Hindi songs are an absolute treat to listen to.
    "Jab koi baat bigad jaaye" with lyrics by Indeevar and music set by Rajesh Roshan sounds better than the original - "100 miles away from home" sung by Peter, Paul and Mary.
    The tune of Majrooh Sultanpuri's 'Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan, zarra hutke, zarra bachke, ye hai bambai meri jaan' from CID, sung by Mohammed Rafi and picturised on Johnny Walker, is a copy of the background music of John Ford's 1946 western "My Darling Clementine".

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  7. But when music directors copy/adapt famous tunes such as Come September or zubie zubie zoo (sorry, my examples will be from previous decades), it becomes laughable and boring.

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  8. Well, it opens a mind full of ideas, brain as well as something to open like a Pandora Box. Fantastic, excellent crosswords, I really like it very much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I too liked today's crossie which i could only complete in more than 35 minutes and in particular, the long 15 lettered phrases. A pity that other bloggers get attracted to the Special as a magnet; but I'd love to know the reasons why they don't either attempt or comment on this regular Sunday fare ( like Britishers Roast ?) if they'all are inveterate solvers !

      Delete
  9. On plagiarism, we have had enough comments on this blog in the past. Imitation or improved version is the better form of flattery and honour to the original creator ! Why only songs? If one watches the Hollywood movies regularly, one can easily feel the sense of de javu seeing the hindi versions. One all-time claasic example is the film Padosan which is a remake of a Telugu original? A case of Chela outsmarting the Guru?

    ReplyDelete

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