Saturday 17 May 2014

No.11087, Saturday 17 May 2014, Gridman


Election results special from Gridman in his usual style of wit and guile. So you can call it a kamal ka puzzle either way. Liked DOC, LIMO, HAIL, MODISTE, ROSEBUD, PULSATOR and OBSTACLE the most. On the flip side not sure some of the answers can be found in any common dictionaries (8d, 9d, 19 & 3d). Time for T being used multiple times, all for the same deletion (11a, 18a, 29a) can be overlooked given this puzzle must have been put together at short notice and ...er... when short on time.



ACROSS
1 Don’t begin work to pitch for source of energy (8) OILFIELD [tOIL + FIELD]
Monied enough to get purgative (6) EMODIN [MONIED]*
10 Sisterhood with more-than-enough needlework (7) SAMPLER [S + AMPLER]
11 Doctor’s order: take time off — a bit! (7) MODICUM [MO + DICtUM]
12 Not present to say ‘Here!’ (6) ABSENT [E]
14 If someone takes you to them, you’re done (8) CLEANERS [E]
15 Medico cut short (3) DOC [DOCk]
17 Wheels of fortune? (4) LIMO [CD]
18 Almost usual song expending time will get you the product (9) COMMODITY [COMMOn DItTy]
21 Resort 11’s taken unhesitatingly is irregular (9) SPASMODIC [SPAS + MODICum] Second S from?
24 Hard trouble from icy fall (4) HAIL [H + AIL]
27 See about Hindu leader’s Nepalese village (3) LHO [LO outside H]
29 Manufacturer of protective clothing to supply large car timelessly (8) ARMOURER [ARM + tOURER]
30 Mimic and copper get brief summary from France (6) APERÇU [APER + CU]
32 Fashionable dressmaker’s leading in style (7) MODISTE [1ST inside MODE]
33 Pretty girl got up with pal (7) ROSEBUD [ROSE + BUD]
34 Change Ministry oDefence provided with ultimate strategy (6) MODIFY [MOD + IF + Y]
35 This beats US patrol’s dithering (8) PULSATOR [US PATROL]*


                                                                                                                          Puzzle by Rishi
If you solve the above puzzle, please do not post the answer in this blog, so that others get a chance to solve it. The answer will be put up later in the day.
DOWN
Old boy finds twisted cleats a hindrance (8) OBSTACLE [OB + CLEATS*]
2 Central slum politician has problem following single, large payment (4,3) LUMP SUM [sLUm + MP + SUM]
3 See 19 (6)
4 Fabricator said to produce instrument (4) LYRE [~LIAR]
Irish region cares about extraordinary lad (8) MIDLANDS [MINDS outside LAD*]
Most problematical ties resolved following return of investigators (7) DICIEST [TIES* after CID<=]
8 Which means everything has been cleaned up (2,4) NO MESS [CD]
All alms I'm distributing in brief correspondence (5,4) SMALL MAIL [ALL ALMS I'M]*
13 Resting place put up in a book section (1,1,1) T O C [COT<=]
16 My noted presentation includes bridge player wearing a small crown (9) CORONETED [COR + NOTED* outside E]
19 and 3 US finalises do's for resolving Sri Lanka’s problems, say (6,2,6) ISSUES OF ISLAND [US FINALISES DOS]*
20 Struggle with fish (8) FLOUNDER [DD]
22 Groomed dog helped one to get out (7) POMADED [POM + AiDED]
23 When doubled, it’s a lively dance (3) CHA [CHA-CHA]
 
Bhargav shows a bit(?) of leg in this alternate answer to the clue
25 An agile performera sort of burglar, about to hold up (7) ACROBAT [ A + CAT outside ROB]
26 Headmaster goes round Indian mother in Turkish bath (6) HAMMAM [HM outside AMMA]
28 Observation post employs the works (6) OPUSES [O P + USES]
31 German woman starts false rumour about underwear (4) FRAU [Acrostic]


PS : Being so used to seeing Sankalak's name after Spinner's in the past, for a heart-stopping moment I thought this was the end of the line for Sankalak's posthumous offerings. But ...

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never is, but always to be blessed:
The soul, uneasy and confined from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.


43 comments:

  1. Ha ha ha.
    I still couldn't get out of this:
    Never-ending articles about one model dish

    Th-th-th thunder thighs!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "couldn't get out of ...thunder thighs!!

      Eyebrows raised !

      Delete
  2. Gridman refers to AMMA in 26Down

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And chai pe charcah in 23d

      Delete
  3. 26d how about

    Headmaster embraces Indian mother in Turkish bath (6)

    ReplyDelete
  4. 10 Sisterhood with more-than-enough needlework (7) SAMPLER [S + AMPLER]

    I took this as
    SisteR/hood (cover) = SR
    with - containment indicator
    more than enough = AMPLE
    Defn: needlework S(AMPLE)R

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Venkatesh
      That was not my intention but I grant your right to read it the way you do - it is still valid.

      Delete
  5. 33a reminded me of
    http://www.shmoop.com/gather-ye-rosebuds/poem-text.html

    Seeing that a pretty girl is a rosebud, is the poet asking us gather as many as we can?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Venkatesh, in the interest of keeping the Rishi's puzzle open for other solvers, I have deleted your mail, though your answer was correct. Sorry for that. I am also requesting other not to provide the solution here.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gridman's grids generally do not have three-letter slots.
    As Bhavan has guessed, this was done at short notice after the sub agreed toa ccommodate it out of the setter's turn.
    Just at the time of finishing the puz, I discovered that the top left and bottom right sections were cut off from the rest of the grid - that is a nono, so I made some alterations, which brought in those short lights.
    At 5 p.m. yesterday I found that T for time was used in multiple instances but it was too late to rewrite clues to avoid it.
    As I have said it's the analysis after a CWD is set that takes more time and labour - at one stage we need to let it go.
    Not only CWDS any art might always have some more work that could have been done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is great news. After this out-of-turn MODIsh special, we will still have Sankalak on Monday.

      Delete
  8. Thanks, Gridman - this took quite some time, but it was time spent enjoyably! And thanks, Bhavan, for the blog.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Please have a dekko at

    http://www.dramadose.com/mariamla-moorane-madhuve/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So used to Facebook, I was looking to hit "Like"!

      Delete
  10. 6 Irish region cares about extraordinary lad (8) MIDLANDS [MINDS outside LAD]

    In the Anno LAD needs * please.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That was quick work by Gridman. Kudos to the setter for being able to come up with this at such short notice.

    And Congrats to Modi and the new government for a resounding victory.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great effort! Did Gridman have at least part of this crossword ready, foreseeing the result, or did he put it yesterday?

    Shared on Crossword Unclued's FB page.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just peeped into your entry there and the poser about other supposedly difficult names. Trust Gridman to come up with something with them as well !! Where there is Gridman there is a way.

      Delete
  13. There is not a MODIcum of doubt that India has been MODIfied.
    Government might change , but Sankalak still lives on( looking forward to Monday).

    ReplyDelete
  14. Here are some more words with MODI (excl. variations):
    discommoding; hemodialysis; hemodilution; incommoding
    modi (plural of modus); modillion; modiolus; modish; outmoding
    plasmodium; psalmodies; unmodifiable; unmodish

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice and topical Xie from Gridman. Enjoyed the Rebus as well..As for the ubiquitous Ts, I guess it is only a matter of "time" that makes a T vendor into a TsuNaMo:) that swept the nation:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Congratulations to KCR and Chandrababu Naidu. The former has been given an opportunity to prove himself on his promise of developing a 'Bangaru Telangana' (golden Telangana). The latter has been able to successfully convey to the electorate his ability to develop a new Andhra state on his track record of development - he has NaMo's collaboration to help him.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Just like Valmiki was saying " mara mara ..." , Loin was saying " Mona Mona ..."

    ReplyDelete
  18. The mention of architect-turned-cartoonist N Ponnappa brought to mind the late Maya Kamath, a woman cartoonist - a rarity in an arena dominated by men. She had made this village of boiled beans "Bendakaluru" her home.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You must also remember Manjula Padmanabhan.

      Delete
  19. When I saw too many MODIs I knew that this is a themed and schemed for MODI. Since when did Gridman become a cheerleader : MODI, MODI, MODI MODI ? So from now on, is it to be a MOD,MOD,MOD world? GOP wa told to GO, GO,GO? Let's all get used to be Modified to a new Government at the Centre. Hope, we don't have to resort to EMODIN due to Indigestion following too much of me, Modi, myself !.

    Mama Mia,, What a drubbing for the Mamma and her ladla !! Was he deliberately clean
    shaven to make him look what he is ? Mama's baby?

    Is the good old Hamam soap derived from Hammam?

    Issues of Island? I don't get this !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. U R Right. Hamam soap, marketed by Hindustan Unilever Ltd, derives its name from the Persian word Hammam for a public bathing establishment in the middle-east. There was a popular TV commercial - '10 skin problems, No tension'

      Delete
  20. 30 Mimic and copper get brief summary from France (6) APERÇU [APER + CU]

    Need some help in understanding the above anno:
    MIMIC = APER -- shouldn't it be Ape instead of Aper ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mimic, one who mimics/apes, is also called an APER.

      Delete
  21. Update on solution to CV's rebus as announced earlier:

    COMMA-MA+MODI-I+IOUs= COMMODIOUS

    Anno for cryptic clue:
    Large=defn.= COMMODIUS = CO MM ODIUS

    Congrats to those who got both, better luck next time to those who did not and half-congrats to those who got either half ...

    ReplyDelete
  22. For 21a could we not think of the second S from modicum's?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From 11's, is where the other s comes from.

      Resorts= spas, 11's= modicum's-um(unhesitatingly)

      Delete
    2. Won't work. The word in the clue is Resort and not Resorts. If you use the 's then the answer will become {SPA}{MODIC(-um)'S} or SPAMODICS

      Delete

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