Sunday 25 May 2014

Special, Sunday 25 May 2014, Raju Umamaheshwar


Only 2 (TWO) answers per commenter today (upto 6 PM). Reduction due to less number of clues in the grid set by Raju.
Positive comments/Brickbats are welcome to encourage Raju to set some more crosswords.


ACROSS
2   He doesn't have this inside information (4)
4   This impression is unwanted in one's car (4)
8   To provide safety, when surrounded (7)
9   With GPS’s, we can dispense with these references (7)
11 Gold diggers' can aspire to become, if they are wily! (15)
12 Unbranched inflorescences (6)
13 These auditors confront each other! ( 6)
14 Taste this! I’m sure it’s simply ample! (6)
15 Is adorable , this Spanish baby (5)
16 With or without g, these can be comely! (6)
17 Hold your breath - Not while asleep, though (6)
18 This lemony limo sounds very French! (7)
19  Lively 16 across, though equine! (7)
20 This band can proudly -- ay! (4)
21  No siblings? Just! (4)

DOWN
1   One sort of recycling? (15)
2   Special effects-in cameras? (6,9)
3   Adrift? (15)
5   To give shape, superficially? (15)
6   Group therapy - this way! (15)
7   Jesus!! (7,8)
10 These are shifted -- equal to American nickels? (9)

Across Lite version is available at the following link RAJU UMAMAHESHWAR 2

Enjoy.

64 comments:

  1. Although the clues are phenomenally fewer, 'this' and 'these' appear in several places!

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  2. 21 No siblings? Just! (4) BARE (DD)

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  3. 4 This impression is unwanted in one's car (4) DENT

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  4. 4 This impression is unwanted in one's car (4) DENT (E)

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  5. 2d DOUBLE EXPOSURES (E)
    11a MILLIONAIRESSES (CD)

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  6. Going out for a lunch rendezvous with Afterdark, Arden and Incognito

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  7. Across

    16 With or without g, these can be comely! (6) [g]LASSES

    19 Lively 16 across, though equine! (7) FILLIES (CD)

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  8. 3 Adrift? (15) PURPOSELESSNESS

    Compensating for 4 Ac @ 10:48

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  9. My second and last one.

    5 To give shape, superficially? (15) EXTERNALISATION (CD)

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  10. 9 With GPS’s, we can dispense with these references (7) ATLASES

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  11. 18A This lemony limo sounds very French CITROEN

    20A This band can proudly SASH ay!

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  12. 2A: DOPE (DD)
    12A: RACEME(Easy, Straight Clue)

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  13. Still to be solved:
    Across: 8, 13, 15, 17
    Down: 1, 6, 7, 10

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  14. 10D PAR A DIGMS. No homophone indicator unless Raju means the ?.

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  15. Unlike past specials, very few solvers here - is this one way of diverting/deflecting everyone to the usual Sunday , as there are more participants there? If so, I'm happy because I have always been exhorting for more participation for the regular .
    Sorry folks, this is my first attempt here and, I'm yet to see any brickbats flying fast and furious? I confess, I had deliberately put in 15 letters as a skeleton and worked my way in to the heart ! Looks like no one's heart has been captured?

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  16. 6d: TRANSACTIONALLY (CD)

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  17. 13a: ACCOST (AC for account + COST) coming together ("confronting each other"), defn=confront

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  18. The heart was tough, Raju, because it contained just one checked letter! Kudos to Suresh for getting it.

    After four of the smaller words went in quite easily, I found the rest really tough. Am still struggling with 7d and 15a!

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  19. After some!! botlles of beer at the ADAI meet (photos will be uploaded later tonight)

    7D - JEEPERS CREEPERS

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  20. Leftovers at 4 PM

    Across - 8, 15

    Down - 1

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  21. View photos of the ADAI meet at the THCC Families blog at this link ADAI Meet

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    Replies
    1. Nice pics Colonel Sir. Timely diversion from this tough puzzle! Am yet to get those 3 leftover clues!!

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    2. Nice photos. Is the venue we see, the Rajendra Sinhji Institute (located on MG Road opposite Cauvery Emporium)? This was named after Lt Gen Rajendra Sinhji, the first GOC of Indian Army's Southern Command who first mooted this idea of establishing officer's Institute as a meeting place for Army Officers and their families.
      There is a DSOI (Defence Service Officers Institute) in Dhaula Kuan, Delhi. Taking a cue from this, the IAS and other central services officers had started a Civil Services Officers Institute (CSOI) in KG Marg and then in Chanakyapuri.

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  22. Raju
    You always lament that there is no participation for the regular Sun crossword.
    The reasons are many.
    The Everyman puzzle may be on the easier side in the UK but in India it may not be really easy. So few people have the patience to persist with it.
    Secondly, it's a rest day for those who go to work and they will want to spend it with their family.
    Thirdly, even if they solve it while attending to their Sunday chores, they may not want to come to the computer because all through the week they have worked sitting before their computers at the office.
    Fourthly, they may reserve it for late-evening solving and so they wouldn't care to come to the blog.
    Fifthly, ... if we think more, we will find more reasons. They are as plentiful as blackberries.

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  23. Since Raju is looking for brickbats, here is a nit.

    There appears to be a noun / adjective and noun / adverb conflict in a few clues.

    Nevertheless, a great effort, Raju. One rarely comes across FIVE 15-character words in a puzzle. Keep it up.

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  24. 8 To provide safety, when surrounded (7) ENGUARD

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  25. The pattern of some the clues set here, reminds me of those, we come across in Guardian's Quick Crossword!

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  26. It's 7:00 PM now! Looks like we are in for a long wait to get those remaining answers!!

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  27. Hi Raju sir ,
    Not much cryptic elements but good effort.

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  28. Suresh,
    For 10D what Raju means is 'digms' rhyming with 'dimes'. We must take the question mark as the synonym indicator.
    I parsed it this way-
    They are shifted- Def.
    Equal- Par
    American nickels?- digms ( but nickel is different from dime,isn't it?)

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    Replies
    1. Nickel = 5 cents, dime = 10 cents, so quite a difference!

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    2. Paddy 7:18 I guess you meant homophone indicator and not synonym indicator in your response to Suresh.

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  29. He could have simply said coins.

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  30. Also, do we have to take A for American?

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  31. 1d can be CANNIBALIZATION (CD)
    Then, 14a SAMPLE will not fit.

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    Replies
    1. 14A could be TIPPLE. How?

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    2. That's what I feel. Tipple = Have too many.

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    3. 14A - SIPPLE meaning to 'sip often'

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    4. In that case Venkatesh's 1Dn CANNIBALIZAION is correct, I feel.

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    5. Thanks, Col for clarifying.

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  32. 15A ISIDRO (meaning - gift of ISIS)

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  33. If it is 'Isidro' what is 6D? Earlier answer given (Transactionally) doe not fit.

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    Replies
    1. It does fit - the 'I' comes in at the right place. But I don't see how ISIDRO fits the clue.

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  34. 14A is only Ample. No doubts about that.

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  35. Raju required for clarification!

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  36. Replies
    1. I think so. pl see the link. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/enguard

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  37. Raju,
    A very good beginning. Succeeded in making us all think awhile.
    Something attempted, something done.
    Keep the cryptics coming.
    Next time, give us more clues and a variety of them.

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  38. Is 15a ISIDRO, then? What is the parsing?

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  39. Thanks ye-all for your comments and only minor barbs.

    Richard: I 'm sorry for those abominable 15 lettered answers. It was my intention to do away with those first at the periphery and do the innards. MY Wren & Martin is a bit tatty and I was too much in a hurry to complete the task at hand which seemed to me to be too much to have been taken up. I was getting frustrated with the power outages , compelling me to redo all over, over a period of five hours.

    MB: If you found any resemblance to any cluing similarities to any other crossword or compiler, it was purely unintentional and incidental. I was too busy compiling an original one.

    Padmanabhan: sure, I'll try and put in more cryptic clues in my next. Shubh aarambh toh kar diya ! I'm not very familiar with the facilitator I was using and had to struggle to get the grid first and then the fills. I've now learnt the tricks.

    CV: if we think more, we will find more reasons. They are as plentiful as blackberries. Thanks for picking cherries in my raspberries , as I was only trying to pick the lowest available berries. However, i bow to the Elderberry tree !

    Ajeesh and Abhay and Venkatesh: Thanks for your valuable comments.

    Suresh: Paradigm shift is a buzz-word that is commonly used nowadays and i found it convenient to use it. Peculiarity of the English language where the digm is pronounced as dime !

    My next one will be a mixed bag and more in keeping with the Special that we are all used to. Brace yourself, ye-all. Thanks for your active participation and a SPECIAL thanks to dear Col for allowing me to break the cue balls in the crossboard.

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