Saturday 10 May 2014

No.11081, Saturday 10 May 2014, Sunnet

Good stuff from Sunnet. Nice clues in UNARM, SEAT, VIED, RIGID, OLYMPUS and ROLLS. Looks like a politically correct puzzle. I counted 9. Let me know if I missed any. And yes a pangram too.

ACROSS
1 Bend a fastener (6) BUCKLE [DD]

4 Driver to train Guy (8) COACHMAN [COACH + MAN] Not sure who Guy (Fawkes?) is in the surface
10 People’s rule to exhibit broken car near empty city (9) DEMOCRACY [DEMO + CAR* + CitY]
11 Called in the Vietnam editor (5) NAMED [T]
12 To render harmless, manure for the most part, is burned (5) UNARM [MANURe]*
13 Measure news source’s head’s lack of substance (9) EMPTINESS [EM + PTI + NESS]
14 Part One : Street’s lawyers (7) LEGISTS [LEG + I + ST'S]
16 Central actor is placed by the side of main chair (4) SEAT [SEA + acTor]

                           Illustration by Bhargav
19 Competed in somersaulting dive (4) VIED [DIVE]*
21 To stimulate lubricant in burner (4,3) FUEL OIL [FUEL + OIL]
24 Platform for human celebration in a satellite (9) MANIFESTO [MAN + FEST inside IO]
                                                               Cartoon by Rishi
25 Name of Roe is in ruins (5) ROSIE [ROE IS]*
26 Stiff sentence on retrograde Indian policeman (5) RIGID [Rigorous Imprisonment + DIG <=]
27 In heartless Delhi, lawyer’s note became memorable (9) INDELIBLE [IN + DELhI + BL + E]
28 Survey old tax cut backed by left (4,4) EXIT POLL [EX + Income Tax + LOP<= + L]
29 A free standing kitchen unit from New Guinea perhaps (6) ISLAND [DD]

DOWN
1 Cover dirty quid placed in cummerbund (3,5) BED QUILT [QUID* inside BELT] Not sure this is a valid dictionary phrase
2 Spoil a camping movement (8) CAMPAIGN [A CAMPING]*
3 Substitute for old temperature measure in chimney (5) LOCUM [O + Celsius inside LUM]
5 Elevation of Greece’s only representative supported by America but not Norway (7) OLYMPUS [OnLY + MP + US] Is this fair given how far away from ONLY the instruction to delete N is?
6 Frank had an applicant (9) CANDIDATE [CANDID + ATE]
7 Limb of an associate (6) MEMBER [DD]
8 Bare philosophy? (6) NUDISM [CD]
9 Sheep, for example, without their ultimate watchers (6) GAZERS [GrAZERS] Which R of the two should be deleted?
15 Fancily dressed pups, if fed crackers… (7,2) SPIFFED UP [PUPS IF FED]*
17 See dreadful Bhaskar dropping rupee in a house (3,5) LOK SABHA [LO + BHASKAr*]
18 Reportedly puffed tobacco in plant (4,4) BLUE WEED [~BLEW + WEED]
20 Rectify princess’s farm (7) DISTILL [DI'S + TILL]
21 Crosses found around the Capital of Java’s narrow inlets (6) FJORDS [FORDS outside J]
22 Surface to quarter and blend (6) EMERGE [E + MERGE]
23 Commission agriculturist to showcase wild asses (6) ONAGRI [T]
25 Cylinders for a high end car (5) ROLLS [DD]


63 comments:

  1. A good puzzle. Thank you, Sunnet.

    Wedding anniversary greetings to Vijay Sarvagnam.

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  2. Vijay Sarvagnam, Happy Wedding Anniversary.

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  3. From my side 23D are also part of the theme !!

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  4. Replies
    1. No, I think DG has a point. 23d !

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    2. I too have been musing on that for donkey's years !

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    3. I didn't catch the joke earlier. Now I do! But a fair paraphrase of what the Col hinted at has been done by me in the last two sentences of the para below using words in the solution grid.

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    4. Kishore @ 8:52, you can't be that old

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  5. Happy Wedding Anniversary, Vijay.

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  6. 1 Cover dirty quid placed in cummerbund (3,5) BED QUILT [QUID* inside BELT] Not sure this is a valid dictionary phrase

    As per Chambers Cummerbund : wide sash worn around the waist. Could be taken as a BELT too I think.

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    Replies
    1. Raghu, Bhavan is talking of the entire Phrase

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    2. Cummerbund originated from Hindi / Persian कमरबंद kamar (waist) bund (closed, band)

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    3. The point raised by Bhavan is whether 'bed quilt' is a valid dictionary phrase. I don't think he is taking of cummerbund.

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    4. But see
      http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/single-bed-quilt

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    5. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Bedquilt.

      Bed´quilt` n.1. A quilt for a bed; a coverlet. But it's shown as a one word.

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  7. To please Raju
    Many people have VIED with each other in these elections. Not all can EMERGE victorious; some have to stare at EMPTINESS. The EC has NAMED some candidates for irregularities.What can poor UNARMED voters do? They are but mere GAZERS.

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  8. All the best on your anniversary, Mr and Mrs. Vijay

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  9. Mr And Mrs Vijay have attended a couple of S and B meetings in Chennai.
    Best wishes to them on their wedding anniversary.So also to other couples.
    An S&B meeting may take place in Chennai in late June/early July when Gita Iyer of California is visiting this city.
    Please await details nearer the date.

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    Replies
    1. Sloggers and Bloggers meet. A get-together of setters and commenters who visit this blog

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  10. This blog is a happening place!
    Intelligent comments come one upon another in which people learn, rejoice, chuckle, question, hint, blink, realise, greet, announce... what else?

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  11. Thanks to the setter and to Bhavan!

    Missed GAZERS completely despite having all the crosses in place. @Bhavan: not sure why the question about which R to remove; only one can go without requiring rearrangement of the word.

    Not happy about BED QUILT, but Google does throw up some hits, so I guess the phrase is indeed used.

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    Replies
    1. Abhay, you are right when we first find the answer and then retrofit the wordplay. I was talking about the ambiguity of the instruction when there are two. That is similar to saying 'pointless' in a clue that has more than one of N,E,W or S

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    2. I too think an indicator for a specific R is missing in GRAZERS.

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    3. Agreed, Bhavan - and given that I didn't get the word, I can always say that I *might* have got it had the placement of the superfluous 'R' been indicated! :)

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    4. I think I have read somewhere that where there are two instances of a letter to be removed from a fodder, no precise indication need be given as to which one is to be removed.
      The clue as constructed is clear. You look for a word that means sheep (grazers) and remove R to get GAZERS (watchers).
      Once you think of GRAZERS there is no puzzlement over which R is to be deleted to get the solution.
      .

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    5. 'pointless' to remove N E W or S is not acceptable because you don't know which is meant by point N E W or S - when more than one of these points are present in the fodder.
      OTOH, there is no ambiguity in 'their ultimate'. It's R and nothing but R. Which of the two Rs in fodder is to be removed is for you to think over and decide.

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  12. New setter Pluralist is making his debut in tomorrow's Sunday special. Do give your opiwin on the clues with your answers

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  13. Many more happy returns of the day Vijay ...

    ... of yesterday Colonel and Kishore

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  14. Nice one from Sunnet, enjoyed solving it.

    Vijay, wishing you a very happy anniversary.

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  15. CV: The grid in the Orkut may be black and blank but my mind is not ! It is never void or devoid of ideas. i have been solving the old Hindu crossies of the 2003s and find them engrossing. How will it be that I'm pleased? but isn't it so frustrating to see that mocking black? Even today it is ! who is in charge of this ? Knock, knock ! Please open up !!

    Will there be a Special after the election results are out to celebrate the victory or to mourn the loss? It has been a very exciting experience to be taken for a ride in the Election express. But does any one feel opr observe that Rahul was rooting for the BJP?

    Vijay S: May you have many more happy anniversary with your life mate. God bless you both !

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  16. Belated greetings to Mrs. & Mr. Vijay. Many happy returns of the day.

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  17. Nice cartoons.
    CV,
    It is best 'buruda' of all and so easy to make, not KEEP!
    Kishore,
    Why the island cartoon on the belt buckle(?) ? Did I miss anything significant?

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    Replies
    1. In the grid you will find the word ISLAND at the antipode of the BUCKLE.

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    2. You can connect unconnected things! But yes, it is diagonally opposite.

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  18. Thank you Sunnet for the election special. Enjoyed solving it.

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  19. 9D-
    I actually filled in 'masses' and got stuck.Of course I would have missed 'Z' of the Pangram.

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  20. 'Tis a strange football field where many teams are in the fray.
    They walk and tread into many areas that are probably grey.
    Many self goals they score,
    Till we can laugh no more,
    When some speak and some bark and some very loudly bray.

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    Replies
    1. Are we the ball that is being kicked around by everyone?!

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  21. Looking forward to the puzzle from the new setter {TRIAL PLUS}* as Sunday special.

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  22. Replies
    1. Isn't his wedding anninversary today?

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    2. Oops! So it is. Much safer to say "many Happy returns of the day"

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  23. Hindu has made the crossword size smaller, but legible even when cycling.

    The weather report does not figure anymore. Maybe the editors feel that the paper is not for mundane things. But readers like to see mundane things as well.

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  24. Suresh,
    I understand which weather report you're referring to.
    This takes me back to several decades. At that time I was not an employee of The Hindu group but I was a very observant newspaper reader.
    For a couple of days from the time when they redesigned the weather report with the satellite pic, the columns did not have any explanation such as Max. and Min nor even whether the figures were in C or F. And what was meant by 'tr'. I wrote a letter to the Editor and the next day the paper introduced the four-line legend that used to appear at the end of the report.

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  25. Thanks to each one. above.

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  26. No. Of cartoonists on the rise! May their tribe increase. Welcome Bhargav as a cartoonist! I think this is his first here as far as I know.

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  27. The picture depicts the plight of a first time solver and what he/she gets from the surface reading: Central actor / placed by the side of / main chair

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  28. Shuchi has discussed the 'pointless' topic:

    http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2013/03/talking-pointlessly.html

    As I said above pointless cannot be an acceptable del ind because you don't know if you have to delete N E W or S.

    My question is when the component to be deleted is not a compass point but a letter, (e.g., R) should we specify which one when there are more than one R. Please record your opinion.

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    Replies
    1. We can figure it out for ourselves. No need to spoonfeed. I am also okay with what you considered unacceptable NEWS. Again we can figure out.

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  29. Thanks for all the comments folks

    Happy Anniversary Vijay.

    4A : Guy is common first name. Sir Guy of Gisborne. So the surface talks about a driver who is employed to train a boy named Guy ( in the art of motorcycle maintenance perhaps )

    1D : Bed quilt seems to be common enough usage & Dictionary.com seems to allow it.

    5D : I believe it is fair enough. If the solver had to find a synonym that had an 'n' then perhaps the objection would have been valid.

    9D : Waiting for other opinions on this, So far CVji & Suresh seem ok with it


    (Electoral) Rolls was a part of my theme words ( and no, the hoofed creature was not a part of this list )

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  30. Back you on 5d but not on 9d.

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