Thursday 1 January 2015

No 11281, Thursday 01 Jan 2015, Gridman


WELCOME 2015

Personally not a good start for me in the new year with so many blanks. Was held up by some of the CDs like 1D :-(

ACROSS
1   Gone for a holiday — that's become an epidemic (8) OUTBREAK {OUT}{BREAK}
5   Old Indian leader is doubly responsible for the dilemma (6) CRISIS {CR}{IS}{IS}
9   Speaker systems for social network users (8) TWEETERS [DD]
10 Team caught up in date mixup got ready to fly (6) TAXIED {TA{XI}ED*}
12 Doctor commanding officer's favourable report (4) COOK {CO}{OK}
13 Film many in dilemma (alas) taking time (10) BLINDSIGHT {B{L}IND}{SIGH}{T}
15 Shake leg vigorously following Irish dance (6) JIGGLE {JIG}{LEG*}
17 Nothing to back? Try tongue! (5) LINGO {LIN<=}{GO}
20 My abandoning Chomsky caused big jolt (5) SHOCK CHOmSKy*
21 Vendor's storage space, say (6) SELLER (~cellar)
24 Man getting distant through far end of mine produces deadly emotion (6,4) MORTAL FEAR MORTAL {F{E}AR} Anno pending (Addendum - {MORTAL} {F{E}AR} - See comments)
27 About to take mantra to get into deep sleep (4) COMA {C{OM}A}
29 Kingdoms' genuine writings (6) REALMS {REAL}{MS}
30 A German briefly stumped a German scientist (8) EINSTEIN {EIN}{ST}{EIN}
31 Half of body parts ten use in symbol of mystery (6) SPHINX SPHIN{X}Anno pending (Addendum -{SPHINcters}{X} - See comments)
32 In which grey cells are twisted to produce hallucination (8) (Addendum - MINDBEND [C&DD] - See comments)

DOWN
1   Light-minded pursuit? (6) OPTICS [CD]
2   Shaking because of a fault, perhaps (6) TREMOR [CD]
3   Tear up assessment (4) RATE*
4   A range pertaining to hearing (5) AURAL {A}{URAL}
6   Backs right listeners (5) REARS {R}{EARS}
7   Son, flying, is rakish (8) SWINGING {S}{WINGING}
8   Second issue is treasonable (8) SEDITION {S}{EDITION}
11 Where there is no heavenly bliss (2,4) IN HELL [CD]
14 Cheat brother and similar type (4) (Addendum - BILK {B}{ILK} - See comments)
16 Government Orders frequently become lenient (2,4) GO SOFT {GO 'S}{OFT}
17 The French queen's sinister stare (4) LEER {LE}{ER}
18 Old saint commemorates old German capital (8) OSTMARKS {O}{ST}{MARKS}
19 Whiskey ingredient — it may become ours (4,4) SOUR ???? {OURS}* (Addendum - SOUR MASH {OURS}* - See comments)
22 Hold together carbon and oxygen at this place (6) COHERE {C}{O}{HERE}
23 Hurt due to Epad? (6) PAINED {PA{IN}ED*} ? (Addendum - {PA}{IN}ED} - See comments)
25 Criminal has no opening for promo professional (5) ADMAN bADMAN
26 Legal defence of fighter by big industry leaders (5) ALIBI {ALI}{Big}{In...y}
28 American journalist took drugs (4) USED {US}{ED}

GRID

31 comments:

  1. HAPPY NEW YEAR DEAR FRIENDS!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sandy. All the very best to all our fellow bloggers and sloggers.

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  2. 14D Cheat brother and similar type (4) {B}{ILK}

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  3. 31 Half of body parts ten use in symbol of mystery (6) {SPHIN(cters)}{X}

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  4. 19 Whiskey ingredient — it may become ours (4,4) {SOUR}* MASH (RA)

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  5. 32 In which grey cells are twisted to produce hallucination (8) (Addendum - MINDBEND [CD] ?)

    HINDHEAD or the OCCIPUT

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  6. 23 Hurt due to Epad? (6) PAINED {PA{IN}ED*} ?

    PA in ED= E(PA)D

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  7. 24 Man getting distant through far end of mine produces deadly emotion (6,4) MORTAL FEAR MORTAL {F{E}AR} Anno pending

    man = MORTAL
    distant = FAR

    But is FAR through minE or the other way round for the containment to work?

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  8. 32 In which grey cells are twisted // to produce hallucination (8) (Addendum - MINDBEND [CD] ?)

    CD,DD

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    Replies
    1. So is it MINDBEND or HINDHEAD ??

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    2. I don't know any more since Kishore's explanation seems plausible. I found HINDHEAD in Chambers so thought that might be it, but Gridman often uses words/phrases that are not in any dictionaries.

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  9. Yesterday's NOUN CASE turned out to be COIN CASE after all, as everyone suggested

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  10. Friends
    First of all, Happy New Year to everyone.
    Having gone to the temple at around 6 a.m. for some voluntary work and to be in the midst of devotees thronging on the New Year's Day and Vaikunta Ekadasi, I returned home just now.
    Well, there is a ghost theme in this puzzle. Something which escaped my own mind when I was revising this puzzle and also, it seems, a pre-solver. It struck me after I read these comments.
    Now, will anyone try to exorcise the ghost?
    When once the theme is discovered, 32a should resolve itself.

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    Replies
    1. Cookbooks!

      Coma, Mortal Fear, Blindsight etc, beside Cook itself!

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    2. Cookbooks! I thought of recipe books. Nearing lunchtime!

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    3. Mindbend to be added to the list. Just got it confirmed.

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    4. Add to that Outbreak, Crisis, Shock and Sphinx

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  11. 24a: The repetition of 'far' in WP and in clue wording was not noticed at any stage. It should have been avoided. My apologies.

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  12. 5A- I was trying to double CR and got nowhere!
    11d- In Hell seemed too obvious and I kept it on only because I could not get any other reasonable alternative.
    'Pained' was good, but though I filled in with the help of crossings, it was clear only after K's 'un'tangling.

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  13. A Big Thank you for all the Best Wishes and I am adding my own here- for 2015 and beyond. More solving- more blogging- more meetings.

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  14. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY

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  15. Sorry friends, I had guests and could not fully list the theme words. I still vividly remember that the first and last passages of the first Robin Cook book I read, Coma, were identical. Both are in the OT and have a catchphrase "something was wrong, something was very wrong" - in the first case due to the patient slipping into a coma and at the end due to the presence of the police outside the OT.

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  16. Wish all members here and their families all the very best in 2015.

    O/T: Further to yesterday's exchange on infant food, I recalled a real-life anecdote.

    Some years ago, while abroad, I had asked my family doctor - of course an Indian - 'If red meat gives me cholesterol, salty food blood pressure and oil / ghee weight gain, should I start with Cerelac?'

    He shot back, 'Please don't do that. You might eat it by kilos'.


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  17. Humorous but very true. They make all baby foods very tasty- but, as was rightly pointed out by Richard, spice-less. Taste will be unidirectional,if I may say so.

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  18. With the children/grandchildren home, I have been unable to find time to find time to do the cw!
    A very happy new year to all fellow bloggers and their families. Wishing you good health, peace and contentment. Happy solving!

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  19. Wish you all a very happy New Year! Cook is my favourite author.

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