Saturday 15 November 2014

No.11241, Saturday 15 Nov 14, The Phantom


Good stuff from The Phantom. Nice mix of difficulty in clues allowed the puzzle to be unravelled steadily. And good stories too. Especially liked OFFEND, CONTACT, SAFARI, INDIRECTLY, CONDUCT, AGENCIES and CHALLENGER.

ACROSS
8 Spring roll stuffed with egg and chocolate at both ends (6) BOUNCE [roll=BUN outside egg=0 + ChocolatE]
9 Musical instrument one’s finally able to arrange (8) ORGANISE [musical instrument=ORGAN + 1'S + ablE]
10 Eldest in group joined military … (8) ENLISTED [ELDEST IN]* group is anag ind?
11 … action uninitiated following new belief (6) NOTION [New + action=mOTION]
12 Displease by not working towards goal (6) OFFEND [not working=OFF + goal=END]
13 Clerk adopting imperial measure, not kilo, in deciding factor (8) CLINCHER [CLERk outside imperial measure=INCH]
15 Approach an argument against something with diplomacy (7) CONTACT [argument against something=CON + diplomacy=TACT]
17 Individual learns about one nameless West Asian (7) ISRAELI [individual=1 + LEARnS<- + one=1]
20 Place in gym that’s home for Monday’s games period? (8) PLAYTIME [place=LAY inside gym=PT + Monday inside that's = IE]
22 Officer — Chief of army decorated with star given by ruler (6) SULTAN [officer=LieutenanT + Army inside star=SUN] 
23 Trek a long way into the heart of Asia (6) SAFARI [a long way=AFAR inside aSIa]
25 Direct contact process is one in which inert gas combines with oxygen (3-2-3) ONE-ON-ONE [ONE outside inert gas=NEON + Oxygen]
26 Think trend is reversing in match? (8) MEDITATE [trend=TIDE<- inside match=MATE]
27 Cabbage in garden showing signs of decay (6) AGEING [T] is showing needed for the def too?

DOWN
1 Fellow caught in tornado shaking like a pendulum (2,3,3) TO AND FRO [Fellow inside TORNADO*]
2 Spread dirt nicely in a roundabout way (10) INDIRECTLY [DIRT NICELY]*

3 Divorcing wife, went to occupy flat for five years (6) PENTAD [wENT inside flat=PAD]
4 Study of French court’s administration (7) CONDUCT [study=CON + of French=DU + CourT]
5 Times retains nice well-organised offices (8) AGENCIES [times=AGES outside NICE*]
6 One wearing tunic that’s short (4) UNIT [TUNIc]*
7 Inclined to run after appeal’s rejected (6) ASLOPE [appeal=SA<- + run=LOPE]
14 Champion’s hold over inaugural race broken by new rival (10) CHALLENGER [CHampion + hold=ALLEGE + Race outside New]
16 Gangster caught, hauled up, hiding Indium often in den (8) CRIMINAL [Caught + den=LAIR outside iNdIuM <-]
18 Student’s receiving knowledge (8) LEARNING [student=L + receiving=EARNING] isn't L for student from Learner itself?
19 Girlfriend’s escaped quietly, disguised as Victor, following boy (7) BELOVED [Boy + escaped=ELOPED with Victor for quietly=P]
21 Foliage left over part of roof (6) LEAVES [Left + part of roof=EAVES]
22 Notice put up, was for a children’s plaything (6) SEESAW [notice=SEE + WAS<-]
24 Detectives trailing a tart (4) ACID [A + detectives=CID]

36 comments:

  1. 15A CONTACT....... my favourite word in Crossword learning decades ago, with the clue : Study diplomacy with touching effect

    ReplyDelete
  2. Agree with Bhavan's opening remarks. A good mixture of nice,easy/ hard ones. Enjoyed solving though I was found short in a few, esp. in SW corner & by challenger.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice to hear from you,DS, after a long time.thank you for the equally good contact.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I too agree with Bhavan's opening remarks. A steady progress and could complete the puzzle. 22A SULTAN was the last one in.
    This is the second time I could get a centum of a Phantom puzzle. Had problems in annotating a couple of clues like MEDITATE,
    CHALLENGER etc. On the whole, a real entertainer from the ghost who walks. Thank you Phantom. :-)))

    ReplyDelete
  5. Samosas going away to Hyderabad!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I echo Bhavan's opening comments. I also share his reservations about "group" as an anind.

    Several lovely clues here, and a very nice puzzle overall. Thanks to The Phantom, Bhavan, and "Me!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. About 'group' as an anigrind, I also had some misgivings. But these are the other meanings associated with it from Chambers:

      assembly, crowd, flock, collection, bunch, clump, cluster, knot, batch, lot, combination, element, bracket, formation, grouping, class, category, classification, genus, species, family, school formal conglomeration. Out of these 'combination', ;conglomeration' convey a sense of mixing up.

      Delete
    2. I too thought group was fine.

      Delete
  7. Recent Sunday mornings have turned PLAYTIME for crossword lovers. Can an ISRAELI take part in the IXL competition? No, it is open only to Indian citizens.

    Young, AGEING and elderly folks too take part in the competition with gay abandon. After nine rounds, the CLINCHER, the tenth round will be on tomorrow.

    Many who were under the NOTION that the crosswords are easy and got ENLISTED had to MEDITATE on one or two clues in every round to solve correctly. Some were even a bit OFFENDed with the construction of a clue or two.
    Many are keen to CONTACT their friends after completing the crossword to find out how they fared and how soon they had submitted!!
    All in all not an easy roller coaster ride but somewhat like a desert SAFARI with ups and downs and twists too!
    In the last two rounds some may BOUNCE back to come within the top ten! And then it will be finals!!
    A ONE-ON-ONE or should we say ONE AGAINST NINE??
    Great fun and thanking and expecting the IXL team to ORGANISE the competition year after year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GCB's found his touch again!

      Delete
    2. Nice one from CGB on IXL 2014 ! It's fun and agony too. I met my waterloo in the last round! After solving a couple of clues, a message popped in "You have submitted", when I didn't even touch the relevant button!! Don't know where the fault lies. :-(

      Delete
  8. Nice one CGB. You are back to form- as good as the double ton we saw recently.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy to score 90% of The Ghost who walks. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  10. I may not be
    PERFECT
    but
    I am ME!

    - legend on the T-shirt of a person who passed me from the front as
    I was walking this morning.
    Was able to take it in fully (though it was in letters of different sizes) because it was on the chest of a young man. Flat out!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nice weekend puzzle.smooth surface.No out-of-currency usages.could not crack 3d.25a enjoyed atricky application. First I thought one to one. But later found out. In fine Phantom proved himself a wonderful wordsmith.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Even though I could get only 70%, was able to appreciate the beautiful construction of the clues.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Are you'll able to get to the IXL site? The page to login is just not opening at my end

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did a couple of hours back and they had not yet published the results.

      Delete
    2. Login doesn't work .leads to blank page

      Delete
    3. I can login & the solution grid is out , not the leaderboard .

      Delete
  14. I tried just now and it leads me on to the last week's puzzle, but solutions does not open.

    ReplyDelete
  15. It's working now. Maybe at the time I tried they must have been uploading the solution. I think there is an error in the solution for 6D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Error has been rectified the answer is correctly shown as TALLOW now

      Delete
  16. What lovely clues! Truly a treat from Phantom!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I must appreciate that links between wordplay and definition have been strictly followed ! Less commenters for a Saturday ?

      Delete

deepakgita@gmail.com