Thursday 30 October 2014

No 11227, Thursday 30 Oct 2014, Arden


Struggled in the NW corner. Stumped by 2&3D and some annos.

ACROSS
9   A person becomes sour when it gets arduous (7) ONEROUS {ONE}{SOUR*}
10 Pretender — he advances ruthlessly and keeps quiet (7) USURPER {USUR{P}ER}
11 What's done to spite the face with twitter's restricted opening (7) NEEDFUL ? Anno pending (Addendum - NOSTRIL {NOSe}{TRILl} - See comments)
12 Take correct medicinal cover (7) CAPSULE Anno pending (Addendum - CAPTURE - {C{APT}URE} - See comments)
13 A parody on booze as sister cracks the puzzle (9) CONUNDRUM {CO{NUN}D}{RUM}
15 Change workers, short man to stand guard (5) EMEND {tE{MEN}D}
16 Regularly with cell phone, it's definite end (7) CLOSURE {CelL+phOne}{SURE}
19 Without velocity never try making it back to earth (7) REENTRY {NEvER+TRY}*
20 Herb's subject undergoes change of heart (5) THYME TH(-e+y)YME
21 Wretched climate signifies gloomy outlook (9) DOWNTREND {DOWN}{TREND}
25 Bird's cry included in the list (7) ROOSTER {RO{O}STER}
26 Old space traveller encounters gravity, runs in again (7) GAGARIN {G}{AGA{R}IN}
28 Extremely nice to be among people when coronated (7) CROWNED {CROW{NicE}D}
29 Stay back with one clutching it — it’s hard rubber (7) EBONITE {EB<=}{ON{IT}E}

DOWN
1   After retirement able to try cold drink (6) COGNAC {C}{OG}{NAC}<=
2   Period hardly covered (6) ?E?S?N (Addendum - LESSON {LESS}{ON} - See comments)
3   Tie up space (4) ?O?F (Addendum - MOOR <= - See comments)
4   Stonework so odd with halo, with aura (6) ASHLAR {AS}{HaLo}{AuRa}
5   Instrument rim clued differently (8) DULCIMER*
6   Add flexible time to retain workers (10) SUPPLEMENT {SUPPLE}{MEN}{T}
7   Cleanest way to press and cut (8) SPRUCEST*
8   Warm day, Peter extremely lazy (8) FRIENDLY {FRI}{END}{LazY}
14 Revolting Nagas unite (10) NAUSEATING*
16 Approximate area surrounding a waterfall (8) CATARACT {CA}{T{A}RACT}
17 A word for example which is a little big (8) OXYMORON Definition by example
18 Older building for a party in Ophir, maybe (8) ELDORADO {OLDER*}{A}{DO}
22 Bet over name of composer (6) WAGNER {WAG{N}ER}
23 Silver wire entangled insect (6) EARWIG {AG+WIRE}
24 Dress is essential, stupid (6) DONKEY {DON}{KEY}
27 Girl's love is in jail (4) GAOL {GA{O}L}

GRID

42 comments:

  1. 11A {NOS(-e)}{TRIL(-l)}
    2D Period hardly covered (6) SEASON ( need to figure out the anno)
    3D Tie up space (4) MOOR<-

    ReplyDelete
  2. Same here. Had 3d as room and struggled till I managed to get nostril

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    Replies
    1. Same mistake I also committed.

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    2. When 'Up' is in the middle- which way do we go? Guesswork?

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    3. I too filled in ROOM. Think we can go either way depending upon the crossings!

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  3. 2d season = dd period// hardly covered

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  4. 2D Period hardly covered (6)

    Could this be {LESS}{ON}?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Any ideas on what 'take correct' has to do with Capsule?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think CORRECT is an anagram indicator. However, the anagrams of CAPSULE --- UP SCALE, SCALE UP & SPECULA are not synonymous with TAKE :(

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    2. 12 Take correct medicinal cover (7) CAPSULE Anno pending

      Take = CAPTURE
      correct = APT covered by medicinal = CURE

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    3. Thanks Bhavan, was just thinking about capture when your post came in.

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  6. 13A- Still not clear (even after reading the link) as to how 'parody' leads to cod? I filled in 'conundrum' based on on nun & rum.

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    Replies
    1. Parody = Mock/Sham = Cod. It's there at the link

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  7. Thank you Col. Missed it the first time.

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  8. 20A : Herb's subject undergoes change of heart (5) THYME TH(-e+y)YME

    Anno not clear pl. Why 'Y' only should replace 'E'? Any indication given to that effect?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That part of the thEme is understood, Suresh garu. My query was, what was the indication for choosing specifically letter 'Y'? 'E' undergoes change with which letter? Does it mean one has to keep trying various letters (in place of 'E') to get a word that gives the meaning of herb?

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    2. There is no indicator as to which letter has to replace it. The solver has to figure that out

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    3. Thanks, Suresh garu. That was final conclusion too! :)

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  9. 26A - g standing for gravity is ok but how can just the opening letter r stand for runs? And these two letters are supposed to be in 'again' but in the answer, g goes at the beginning and only r is in 'again' to yield the answer ' Gagarin' - old space traveller.
    16D - area( tract) surrounding a, is alright. But how does ca stand for approximate? Is it the short form of circa?

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    Replies
    1. Approximate = Circa = Ca. Ca is the short form of Circa.

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    2. 26 Old space traveller encounters gravity, runs in again (7) GAGARIN {G}{AGA{R}IN}

      R = Run (In Cricket - like B=Bowled, C=Caught etc).
      As for G there is a comma after 'Gravity," so it need not be included in "Again" (i.e. my thinking). So R goes in.
      My reasoning is based on the Anno given by Colonel Sir. Suggestions are welcome.

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    3. In bowling analysis it is given O M R W, over, maiden, RUNS, wicklet may be the origin for r=runs

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  10. 13A Parody ( cod) on booze ( rum) is ok but how does sister ( nun) cracks is an indicator that the nun goes inside cod rum?

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  11. Lots of blanks. Gave up & looked up the blog. Good learning experience. Peter=End , new for me as was FA a couple of days.

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  12. Lots of blanks. Gave up & looked up the blog. Good learning experience. Peter=End , new for me as was FA a couple of days.

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  13. Ab tubelight chamka: Peter out=dwindle, end.

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  14. In crossword parlance P for silent, soft or quiet and F for loud and noisy and C for either cold or even 'see' etc are the short forms in regular usage and even G for gravity has a scientific background but R for runs does look to me a little far fetched.I have not come across this earlier.Of course I do not do THC regularly.

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    Replies
    1. Stockings getting runs in clothes drier (5)

      From Guardian 26397 by Chifonie

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    2. Never knew that HO(R)SE is a clothes drier!

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    3. If you do any British crosswords you'll come across many cricket abbreviations like maidens, overs, runs wickets, extras, wides etc.

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  15. A second dictionary meaning of 'horse' is a frame or structure on which something is mounted or supported. In this sense, it's a clothes drier. However, I didn't know that ' hose' also means stockings.This is the advantage of doing CW. You may come across new words or little known alternate meanings of common words.For instance it was only thus that I learnt that there is a drink called snakebite.

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