Tuesday 16 December 2014

N0 11267, Tuesday 16 Dec 2014, Vulcan



ACROSS
6   Busy and need to work in silence? Quite the opposite (7) ENGAGED {EN{GAG}ED*}
7   Movie I’d heard about (3,4) DIE HARD*
9   Flip a big rock squeezing a dog (5) CORGI [T<=]
10 Unaware of boiling hot tea, drink (2,3,4) IN THE DARK {H+TEA+DRINK}*
11 Lead added in manufacturing plant (7) POTHERB {P{OTHER}B}
13 Layers of pastry separating when it’s all flipped (6) STRATA {S{TRAT}A}<=
15 Many scandals breaking out, one arrested in popular tax haven (6,7) CAYMAN ISLANDS {MANY+ SCANDALS}* around 1
19 America has alternative fuel that’s effective (6) USEFUL {US}{FUEL*}
20 Upheaval in Rome stopped, according to top leader (7) EMPEROR {EM{PER}OR<=}
23 Can time spent in therapies provide solutions? (9) TINCTURES {TIN}{C{T}URES}
24 Give something extra (5) SPARE [DD]
26 Anchor’s partner returning home bored (7) MOORING {MOOR{IN{G<=}
27 Loaded with work, mostly with no time for food! (7) OPULENT {OPUs}{LENT}

DOWN
1   Extract of algae found in Niagara (4) AGAR [T]
2   Light and soft coal left out of the mix (6) IGNITE lIGNITE
3   Exercising freedom of speech? (2-7) AD-LIBBING [CD]
4   Disorder developed by people entering a diet program (8) DEMENTIA {DE{MEN}TIA*}
5   Lizard inside dark emergency room left a guy disturbed (10) SALAMANDER  {SA{L}{A}{MAN}D}{ER} Are they classified as lizards?
6   Avoid leakage (6) ESCAPE [DD]
7   Occasion to go out with one's partner (4) DATE [CD]
8   Boy comes back to abruptly interrupt farewell statement (6) DIKTAT {DIK<=}{TA}{To} Anno not clear (Addendum - {DIK<=}{TATa} - See comments}
12 Bad-natured individual basically working for an association (5,5) TRADE UNION {TRADE UN*}{In...l}{ON}
14 Abuse when being interrupted by one (9) ASPERSION {AS}{PERS{1}ON}
16 Mass critical about poll starting late (8) MOUNTAIN {M{cOUNT}AIN}
17 Form of copper most toxic (6) CUSTOM {CU}{MOST*}
18 Familiarise with countries in the far-east, say (6) ORIENT [DD]
21 Animal's posture, for the most part, a problem (6) POSSUM {POSe}{SUM}
22 Prison run inside large vessel (4) BRIG {B{R}IG}
25 One getting chance to help (4) ABET {A}{BET}

53 comments:

  1. 8 Boy comes back to abruptly interrupt farewell statement (6) DIKTAT {DIK<-}{TAT(-a)}

    ReplyDelete
  2. 8 Boy comes back to abruptly interrupt farewell statement (6) DIKTAT {DIK<=}{TA}{To} Anno not clear
    I think what you have given is perfect.
    'Statement' is the def.
    After rev. of KID, TAT is indicated by the interruption or stopping short of TATA, which is from just 'farewell'.
    Though 'farewell statement' could perhaps be taken as def, with 'statement' doing double duty.

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  3. Sandhya
    All that typing cost me to lag behind you!!!

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    Replies
    1. Your explanation will definitely help newbies. :)

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  4. Maybe the Col got the anno just before he posted the post, but didn't have time to remove the ital. words.

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  5. 5 Lizard inside dark emergency room left a guy disturbed (10) SALAMANDER {SA{L}{A}{MAN}D}{ER} Are they classified as lizards?
    Will check with Gussy Fink-Nottle

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kishore
    Alan Connor's book on crosswords, Two girls, etc, has the whole initial chapter on crosswords in PGW's stories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will try to get it. I remember reading an article on solving some unsolved PGW clues (many without enu) in some newspaper or blog.

      Delete
  7. 11 Lead added in manufacturing plant (7) POTHERB {P{OTHER}B}

    What's role of 'manufacturing'? And similarly that of 'out of the mix' in:

    2 Light and soft coal left out of the mix (6) IGNITE lIGNITE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. in 2d 'out' is needed, but 'of the mix'?

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    2. Raghunath
      In both the above clues I would treat those words as 'connectors'.
      While I do agree that there must be no superfluous words in a clue, that sort of highly concise or economical treatment of words may not always be possible.
      WP manufactures the reqd word.
      'Left' leaves a certain mix (of words/letters as in 'lignite')
      I think we must not be too strict or rigorous!

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    3. Agreed. Just a doubt as both tend to indicate that there are anagrinds.

      Thinking again, I think 'manufacturing' seems OK in the sense of 'getting' or 'producing'. I too am faced with a similar situation in a clue in the forthcoming puz, hence my query.

      Delete
  8. OT
    I am writing some thoughts on Raju's article on bindi in the paper the other day.
    If the Col has any reservation about this post, he may delete it.
    Re women who have a 'kaalana size' kumkumam, I know one or two among those who live in the same area as I do and one of whom happened to become a friend of mine only the other day. She turned out to be a Tamil short story writer and presented some books of hers after she heard a talk by me in Tamil of a Tamil book to an audience.
    My own mother used to sport a bindi in the shape of a U where those ends meet some way up (got it? - what is the shape known as?) and always of a particular shade.
    Later in her life she ceased using the bindi and for me it looked bare without that familiar mark - and the skin at that spot was perceptibly of a different paler colour.
    The faces of some elderly women - the key word is 'some' - certainly look very mangalakaram (I am thinking of an apt English term for this) with their bindi. Maybe that is imparted by the regular use of vermilion to wash their faces - a practice that may not be preferred by modern-day fashion-minded women. In this category I can think of an aunt of mine, another relative still living in our complex and whose husband is a centenarian, and a lady who comes to the local temple every day but who is a stranger to me.
    A well-known public figure in Chennai continues with the use of bindi and flowers even after a certain event but in such cases do husbands tell their spouses that they should give up nothing in their life?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember that long back ladies used to use a dab of wax first and then stick the kumkum powder (Gopuram brand?) on it. Sometimes they even used to develop some allergic reaction/ringworm infestation at the spot.

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    2. My mother used it on a regular basis. It was in a small, circular box.

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    3. Wonder if Sowmya put Gopuram in her grid!

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    4. @Kishore It is eyetex or shingar , my mummy used . Now she has stopped it bcos of allergy as you said .
      @CV sir , Sowmya is yet to use that brand :)

      Delete
    5. Shingar (with Swaroop Sampat )Paresh Rawal's wife now) came much later when she became famous for here comedy serial Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. Gopuram, as CV said was a small circular box of some whitish metal. Eyetex was better known for kaajal, if I am not wrong.

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    6. You may be right but I remember my mom asking me to get this eyetex box of red wax from the nearby shop . Eyetex also made this with kaajal a more popular product . I have not seen this gopuram at that time .
      She always prefer home made kumkum :)

      Delete
  9. Some of the clues are excellent. Thank you Vulcan

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  10. An article about CBSE crossword championship http://www.crypticsingh.com/jamshedpur-school-wins-crossword-contest/

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  11. CV: Can you please give me more details of the Book by Alan Connor on Crosswords? I am a fan of PGW and hence it can add up to my collections.Is it available on Flipcart?

    Centenary Book on Crosswords arrived this morning.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am amazed to see the mixed comments on the website on my article on Bindi !
    My intention was merely on the evolving of the size, shape and form and non-use. No religious undertones were aimed at, though folks are likely to misunderstand me as a campaigner of of the saffron brigade !

    Oh no !! I'm not getting involved with this Swamiji and his views sent to me by mail !!


    dear ru
    you have to teach girls this way they should not forget our culture if
    all the young girls were wearing simple cotton saree and blouse
    covering her back and front and a big bindi with flowers in her hair
    bangles in her wrist not shaping eye brows not bleaching face not
    allow hair to fly no rapist dare to rape he will get divine feeling
    does our godess photos are drawn and painted with pant and tight top
    no when i told this to girls in city bus they were rapt in attention
    honestly they dont know forgive them for they do not know what they
    are doing-jesus said in the name of stupid fashion they are
    sacrificing their life just imagine how delhi girl nirbhaya suffered
    and now cab driver victim and that too night when they travel alone
    showing even a senior citizen will be tempted to ...the hovering eyes
    are dangerous the cab driver used to observe again and again in the
    mirror and as said senses are treacherous hence scripture says unless
    married woman should be in care of father,husband and son but now in
    the name of independence and wearing such they are inviting trouble
    who said if you wear bear shoulder top and tight top showing your
    bosom and legs up to knees and back up to waist this is the curse of
    industry revolution and fashion cat walk etc to sell their products
    market flooded with 1000 design of dress for women men dress is simpe
    pant and shirt and women are paying the price there is always a price
    tag as you sow so you reap, go ahead write for all the english news
    papers and try to open the eyes, even married and senior women citizen
    making mistake

    god bless you

    swamiji

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL,, Either this Swamiji is a complete nutcase or is just trolling. Holding this kind of mindset, as exhibited by this Swamiji, would send us back by at least a couple of 1000 years. Everybody's got the right to have an opinion, but these kinds of outrageous ones deserve to be mocked and ridiculed. Sadly, there are so many things that don't seem right that one wouldn't really know where to start.

      Delete
  13. CV: On your kalana sized bindi, I used to be scared stiff of a woman who used to knock at our home in Bombay with a huge bindi with a big plate with a Goddess' idol and lots of kumkum for favours to be bestowed and lest we close the door on her face, she would be clever enough to put her leg inside the moment the door js opened !! So hypnotic and weird her looks were !!

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  14. Raju
    I have stopped reading the reactions in the Comments sections under news items.
    They are written by committed comment-mongers of interested groups or by illiterate individuals or by inveterate writers who to beat the word-limit of individual post go in for multiple Comments.
    There are instances of a famous newspaper stopping my Comment but allowing less relevant or badly written Comments.
    The mail that you have received is typical of a particular group.
    Just a while ago as I was walking along my road a poster caught my attention: It is an ad for pen or pencil or paper. Says: Happy Teachers Day. The ad shows a famous actress in tight T-shirt. The actress has the pen poised over the paper but is hardly in a mood to bring the two together.
    Now, my question is when these actors sign up for an ad campaign, don't they see how they fit into it?

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  15. Sorry for the delay, Deepak, I remembered till yesterday and forgot about it today. Senior moments as one of our friends puts it.

    Wish you a Very Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns of the Day, Deepak.

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  16. Here is a link to the front page of The Dawn of 17.12.1971. This was after the surrender of their forces in EP in the afternoon of the 16th by Lt. Gen. Amir Abdulla Khan "Tiger" Niazi, but seems to be in denial.

    https://twitter.com/husainhaqqani/status/544625330573828096/photo/1

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  17. Logging in late. Many, many happy returns of the day, Colonel Saheb. :)

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  18. Many many more happy returns of the day Col

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  19. Deepak aka Doppleganger aka dear Col saheb !! Belated birthday--- though the(K) night is still young !! greetings to you. Go for an Andy Capp night !! God bless you . Sapna joins me too .

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  20. Nay_ Go for several Doubles with your gang !! Spelling f Doppel is intentional to double your joys of existence !!

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  21. Yppah, yppah,............Col Sir

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  22. Many happy returns of the day, Col!

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  23. Many many happy returns of the Day, Col Sir

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  24. Many happy returns dear Colonel. Wish you a wonderful year ahead.

    CV sir, as Lakshmi said rightly, I haven't yet clued Gopuram:)

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  25. Many happy returns of the day Col.

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