Friday 12 December 2014

No 11264, Friday 12 Dec 2014, Incognito


Relit Tiler spots and stops a leper to repel the Devil who lived for strap parts.
Thanks to Incognito,I've come to know that I'm classified as a 11A. 

ACROSS
1   Special identification possessed by hero is shaped like a rugby ball. Quite the contrary (8) SPHEROID {SP}{HERO}{ID}
5   Irritated Desai's stage whispers (6) ASIDES*
10 Look back around first pillar and drive away (5) REPEL {RE{Pi...r}EL<=}
11 Glutton gets some non-vegetarian food without payment (4-5) FREE-LIVER {FREE}-{LIVER}
12 Leaders of primitive English yeomen often tried eating a type of cactus (6) PEYOTE Acrostic
13 Lyric composed by Latin in-charge of Eurasian script (8) CYRILLIC {LYRIC*}{L}{IC}
15 Locates pimples, say (5) SPOTS [DD]
17 A Greek sailor, in absence of king, and the French are pleasant (9) AGREEABLE {A}{GREEk}{AB}{LE}
19 A hypnotic note in a type of male voice (9) BARBITONE {BAR{B}ITONE}
20 Bans rotating toy in screw steamer (5) STOPS {S{TOP}S}
21 Attendance check involves adjustment of collar in front of two rookies (4,4) ROLL CALL {ROLL CA*}{LL}
23 Accelerate puppet's return after being disheartened (4-2) STEP-UP PU-PpETS<=
27 Overhear: “Dover apes mutated” (9) EAVESDROP*
28 Supple person may hide a diseased one (5) LEPER [T<=]
29 South African director is primarily terrifying — a lover of cruelty (6) SADIST {SA}{D}{IS}{Te...g}
30 We left flowers around First for these merchants (8) FLORISTS {FLOweR{1ST}S}

DOWN
1   Thong made from tarps (5) STRAP*
2   Bar marketing device 60 minutes after hiding a couple of pennies in hay (5,4) HAPPY HOUR {HA{PP}Y} {HOUR}
3   Ignited again when prophet is in Rome tower initially (5) RELIT {R{ELI}T}
4   Little knowledge is found in buckskin folders (4) INFO [T]
6   Inanity of southern disease overwhelming setter (9) SILLINESS {S}{ILL{I}NESS}
7   Satan, even after beheading, remains wicked (5) DEVIL dEVIL
8   Rock steps remodelled into wheel teeth (9) SPROCKETS*
9   Unused type of cricket ball for an American from the Big Apple (3,6) NEW YORKER {NEW}{YORKER}
14 Christmas singers have a roll, with ecstasy, in cars (9) CAROLLERS {CA{ROLL}{E}{RS}
15 So Swiss capital is invested on second son? That shows prudence (9) SOBERNESS {S}{BERNE}{S}{S}
16 Ship carrying accountant surrounded by damaged etuis and travelling bags (9) SUITCASES {S{UIT{CA}SE*}S}
18 Welding torches are primitive weapons (9) BLOWPIPES [DD]
22 Spoke falsehood about five and survived (5) LIVED {LI{V}ED}
24 Headless Hitler becomes a doorkeeper (5) TILER hITLER*
25 Fathers have right roles in dramas (5) PARTS {PA{RT}S}
26 Operation by criminal to get precious stone (4) OPAL {OP}{AL}


52 comments:

  1. Good spotting, Deepak. A couple of things more about those words in the grid.

    In 17a, I think ‘is’ should have been used in place of ‘are’.

    Regarding the second line from Deepak about 11a, I think it is the cakes from yesterday speaking ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The reversed answers also figure in the appropriate places

      Delete
    2. Kishore

      Re
      17 A Greek sailor, in absence of king, / and the French are pleasant (9)
      I believe 'are' works!
      Since there are commas before 'in' and after 'king', that clause is in what I belleve is called apposition. (These grammatical terms are not known to me.)
      Now we have 'A Greek soldier' and t'he French'.
      As there are two persons, 'are' works. These two persons are pleasant.
      'Is' will be needed if the punctuation is
      17 A Greek sailor, in absence of king and the French, is pleasant (9)

      Delete
    3. You is correct, CV!

      You are on the right track, Raghu... please proceed further ...

      Delete
  2. 1 Special identification possessed by hero is shaped like a rugby ball. Quite the contrary (8) SPHEROID {SP}{HERO}{ID}

    Speaking from experience, feel the Def should have been at the beginning. Here it seems as if it's not shaped like a rugby ball.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The statement is true. A rugby ball is not shaped like a spheroid

      Delete
    2. If the 'contrary' part applies to " is shaped like a rugby ball", then the wordplay becomes: HERO surrounding SP & ID.

      Delete
    3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spheroid

      Delete
    4. Checked Free Dictionary. The picture of globe (Earth) given there is shaped exactly like a rugby ball.

      Delete
    5. From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spheroid

      A spheroid, or ellipsoid of revolution is a quadric surface obtained by rotating an ellipse about one of its principal axes; in other words, an ellipsoid with two equal semi-diameters. If the ellipse is rotated about its major axis, the result is a prolate (elongated) spheroid, like an American football or rugby ball.

      Delete
  3. One more doubt re. 1A-
    It is the 'Hero' who is possessed by 'SP' & 'ID'. In other words, is 'By' necessary? Simply say-"Possessed hero".That way the surface reading may not be ok.
    A really smooth flowing CW. The header by Col. is equally enjoyable.

    ReplyDelete
  4. In surface reading of the Clue, how can Sp ID ... be shaped like a rugby ball?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In Sci-fi stories, identities may be proved using uniquely shaped objects.

      Delete
  5. I think I have done a CWD in which some anagrams were in slots symmetric to each other. Such crosswords with special effects have not been noted in the dB that I keep.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In this puzzle, the words in the symmetric slots are a special case of an anagram, ie. a reversal. Hence, they are semordnilaps. Read together with each other, they form two word sentences like
      Strap parts
      Repel leper
      Relit Tiler
      Stops spots or spots stops
      Devil lived

      By their very nature of being semordnilaps of each other, these sentences are, by definition, palindromic

      Delete
    2. Awesome to echo Shrikanth's comment

      Delete
  6. I am attending a horticultural meet tomorrow. According to their pamphlet they have space only for 25 participants. The pamphlet adds 'on first cum first serve basis' I am not really sure if they intend to check us out on that account. PE wins !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cum, cum Kishore you're not serious, are you?

      Delete
    2. Reminds me of a joke I came across some time back.

      A padre, when visiting an old lady, observed something peculiar on her chamber organ. There, floating in a bowl of water, was a sheath. He couldn't control his curiosity for long and asked her what it was.

      She said, " that's a wondeful thing. I found it in the park and followed the instructions on the wrapping. It said 'place on organ and ensure that it doesn't go dry'. It also said it would prevent diseases from spreading. Believe it or not, i've not been sick since I placed it there"

      Delete
    3. Raghu has explained that. In other words something similar to pee, but faster.

      Incidentally the pamphlet also says "The workshop will be mostly through interactive mode with demos, exhibition and pictures,"

      Delete
    4. They have not specified whether wild oats will be supplied or we have to make our own arrangements

      Delete
    5. Your invitation also talks of giving you " a very basic, but essential 'hands-on' experience "

      Delete
    6. To answer VJ, private equity

      Delete
    7. VJ
      That's a trap! Don't fall into it!

      P is for a term that may be used when babies are born before they are long due. E is for a term that may be used for a sudden, loud remark.

      Delete
    8. Accountants always talk of the PE. It is a ratio. The price to earnings ratio. Deposits are to be held for long duration for the interest or earnings to be substantial. If the deposit is withdrawn prematurely then the interest or earnings returned will be too low. Sometimes negative too resulting in disaster.

      Delete
    9. CGB, of course, aware that I was a kanakapillai long ago

      Delete
  7. So, come what may, you will attend?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, my wife is sponsoring me ... It's my birthday gift from her!

      Delete
  8. Guys,

    'The Hindu' website is not updated with today's crossword till now.

    is there any other option to get crossword other than Hindu website ?

    As I stay outside India, please don't suggest newspaper ;-)

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. See the page on top of this page entitled 'Solving THC interactively: A suggestion'

      Delete
    2. Gotcha.. Thank you very much Col :-)

      Delete
  9. Birthday party continues - Thanks Incog. for samosas!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice puzzle studded with palindromes.That too, we made it easy today. Thank yoy Incognito.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I would say a nice puzzle studded with spicy, crispy Samosas for the second day in quick succession! Thank you Incognito. :-)))

    ReplyDelete
  12. Kishore: Watch out !! If you cum first, you'll have to serve and not be served !!! Note the difference !

    ReplyDelete
  13. "They also serve who only stand and wait".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In a restaurant , who is the actual waiter? We the customers ! A case of misnomer ?

      Delete
    2. CGB,
      Old memories- I remember to have read that article by G.K.Chesterton in my Pre University course!

      Delete
    3. Raju,
      Things change over a period of time. Once they were waiting for our orders, but now we have to wait for basically getting a table in a good restaurant and then wait for the food to be served!

      Delete
    4. Please wait for my take on this ...

      Delete
  14. Replies
    1. Even when you make a monkey out of them. (Reverse evolution?!)

      Delete
    2. PP, I hope you are not referring to a particular person ;-)

      Delete
  15. PP it is very nice to hear your favorite line after a long time.

    ReplyDelete

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