Tuesday 14 October 2014

No 11214, Tuesday 14 Oct 14, Exa


Nice brainteaser from Exa. I'm stumped by 27A.

ACROSS
1   Owner married to half-Indian architect (10) MASTERMIND {MASTER}{M}{INDian}
7   Lady/maiden leaving home in distress (4) DAME MAiDEn*
9   Possibly no good being less wise (8) SENSIBLE {BEINg+LESS}*
10 Bill and I abandoned seat, retreated for instance (6) CHARGE {CHAiR}{GE<=}
11 Tired horse needing time for rest (6) OTHERS {O{T}HERS*}
12 Confirm free contents to go with boxes (7) RECHECK {fREe}{CHECK}
14 Producer sees local woman reading about relief centre (9) PUBLISHER {PUB}{reLIef}SHE}{R}
16 Block of ice buried in vertical falls (4) CALF [T]
18 Put an end to king’s misfortune (4) KILL {K}{ILL}
19 Studies Frenchman involved in a mysterious CID case (9) ACADEMICS {A}{CADE{M}ICS*}
22 Accountants in love with small gambling centres (7) CASINOS {CAS}{IN}{O}{S}
24 Article about pink pants in paper (6) NAPKIN {NA<=}{PinK}{IN}
27 Bee hives can often make heads turn (6) ?E?O?E {Addendum - BECOME {BE{C}{O}{M}E} - See comments)
28 Crazy over a drink that's good, although harmful (8) DAMAGING {DAM<=}{A}{GIN}{G}
29 Summer does this as days get by (4) ADDS {AS+D+D}*
30 Figure D, say (10) SEMICIRCLE Definition by example

DOWN
2   Stunned as wife has energy to break open lorry (9) AWESTRUCK {AS+W+E}*{TRUCK}
3   High tea’s having good flavour (5) TASTE {TA{ST}E*}
4   Picture puzzles on large vehicles (7) REBUSES {RE}{BUSES}
5   Fragment of Euclidean theory (4) IDEA [T]
6   Immersed and pulled daughter for a second (6) DUCKED (-s+d)DUCKED
7   Paid back by the hour with silver - 1000 for separating membrane (9) DIAPHRAGM {DIAP<}{HR}{AG}{M}
8   Host entertains a soldier with charm (5) MAGIC {MA{GI}C} Host/MAC as in computers? (Addendum - {M{A}{GI}C} - See comments}
13 Composer’s close to the seaside (5) BEACH {B{E}ACH} How does E go in? See comments
15 Candies and rolls to get Penny sick on climbing up (9) LOLLIPOPS {LO{LLI}{P}OPS}<= (Addendum - {LO{LLI}{P}<=OPS} - See comments)
17 Not quite only fact I fancy going over - I like most stories (9) FICTIONAL {ONLy+FACT+I}*over I
20 Energetic detective catches a good number running north (7) DYNAMIC {D{YNAM<=}IC}
21 Pack the queen's shorts (6) BOXERS {BOX}{ERS}
23 Change wrongly entered name before joining date (5) AMEND {NAME*}{D}
25 Proper case to hold time device (5) PAGER {Pro{AGE}peR}
26 Count them aloud man (4) ADAM (~ add 'em)

GRID

34 comments:

  1. 8 Host entertains a soldier with charm (5) MAGIC {MA{GI}C} Host/MAC as in computers?

    Host=emcee/MC
    a soldier = a gi
    M(A GI)C

    ReplyDelete
  2. 13 Composer’s close to the seaside (5)
    Composer - BACH
    ’s - is/has - c/c ind, perhaps a weak one
    close to the - E (last letter of 'the')
    seaside - def
    Take 23d
    Change wrongly entered name before joining date (5)
    An excellent clue with neat wordplay and a very plausible surface reading that might well have been heard in many households including that of a retired army general

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And at least 2 persons here, to the best of my knowledge ;-)

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    2. CV but that was wrongly entered date and not name!

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    3. The 'adjustment' of birth dates in days of yore sometimes leads to ridiculous situations. My father's year of birth was changed by 2 years. As per the record at present, he is older than his elder brother.

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    4. Oh, I am sorry!
      Change of date was more common in the past decades when children were admitted in school not exactly by parents but by some relatives.
      Change of name is very common now, with the influence of numerology and astrology and some newspapers getting columns of classifieds.
      Well, I too have undergone change of date.
      My SSLC book shows an official communication from the competent authorities having accepted a change of date.

      Delete
  3. 30 Figure D, say (10) SEMICIRCLE Definition by example

    Reminded me of schooldays when we used to call the protractor as 'D'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, so that makes the clue a DD

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    2. The letter D and the dual letters DD I have seen only in the notes alongside images of certain apparels in those dhamaka shopping websites.

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    3. Well, we used 'Half a circle full circle half a circle A, half a circle full circle right angle A' for COCA COLA.

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  4. 15 Candies and rolls to get Penny sick on climbing up (9) LOLLIPOPS {LO{LLI}{P}OPS}<=

    I put this as: LO{LLI<-}{P}OPS
    Rolls is plural

    ReplyDelete
  5. 27 turn = BECOME. bee outside c... o... m... with hives as containment indicator

    ReplyDelete
  6. I recollect fond memories of my numerous telephonic conversations with Sankalak (PCJ) and occasional meetings.
    Today is his birth anniversary as I learn from an In Memorium ad in the paper.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Bangalore edition is carrying it too. RIP ...

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  7. CWE 2 - BUNDOBUST is on.
    It is the second post that is visible today.
    Scroll down from the end of the first post - when Comments are collapsed.
    Good luck!

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  8. Excellent puzzle from Exa. 23D was very well written, as pointed out by CV. 27A also was a head turner in some ways :)

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  9. Happy to have fared well (almost done) but with doubts on a few annos. Excellent, enjoyable brainstormer.
    A doubt about 2D-
    What is the role oh 'High'? Anind?
    'ST' for good?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I can understand our getting ST from saint or (after a leap) from good man, good woman, holy man, holy woman, religious person but from good?
    good = saintly, not saint.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think we can say Good = Pious ( is it = pi?)

      Delete
    2. Pi is found as an abbreviation in certain lists.

      Delete
  11. Very smooth work, Exa.

    Coincidentally, 13D works, in a way, as a DD too. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Beach)

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  12. Lovely puzzle EXA. I took pink pants as PINK* (pants as anagram ind). Didnt get good = T OR ST in 3D. 6D surface seems to point to SUCKED for me (minor point). Some superb surfaces for technical clues: 1D is my COD... Thansk...

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  13. Superb puzzle. Couldn't get become & as put by Col aptly solved by Buzzer.CV's interjection takes the cake(appa!)

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  14. Could not have put it better,right? Very apt.

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