Saturday 24 January 2015

No. 11300 Saturday 24 Jan 15, xChequer


As one expects from this setter, an engaging puzzle with smooth surfaces and unambiguous cryptic instructions. Lots of clues to like. I’m not sure of my anno for 10ac and can’t work out 17ac – so paging Sandhya :-) or any one else who can explain them. Thanks Colonel

ACROSS
7 Appropriate greeting card (6) HIJACK [greeting=HI + card=JACK] 
8 Unfinished, badly built housing area is publicised (8) BLAZONED [BADLy* outside area=ZONE] 
9 Extremely faithful male lover carrying a torch (8) FLAMBEAU [FaithfuL + Male + lover=BEAU outside A]

10 Giants originally, finally lost for good (6) TITANS [GIANTS –Good + losT]*
11 Representative of a man (5) AGENT [A + man=GENT]
12 Equanimity or a measure of acidity on getting married? (6) PHLEGM [measure of acidity=PH + on=LEG + Married]
14 Delaying actions in part, or wavering (15) PROCRASTINATION [ACTIONS IN PART OR]*
17 Miss Tina acting in serial from next episode (6) SEQUEL [serial=SEQUE(ntia*)L]
18 Twists, fighting against limits of physics (5) WARPS [fighting=WAR + PhysicS]
22 Dish to cook at short notice, a simple bread dish (6) PANADA [dish to cook=PAN + short notice=AD + A]
 
23 Breathe in when angry to maintain poise (8) ASPIRATE [when=AS + angry=IRATE outside Poise]
24 Precious element, a metal essentially, in highly valued rings (8) PLATINUM [A + meTal + IN inside highly valued=PLUM]
25 Winning sympathy, becomes arrogant (6) UPPITY [winning=UP + sympathy=PITY]

DOWN
1 Rural folk poorly buried in makeshift graves (9) VILLAGERS [poorly=ILL inside GRAVES*]
2 Empty gun holding bullets perhaps? Nonsense! (6) GAMMON [GuN outside bullets=AMMO]
3 Lofted edge from crease caught by slip (5) SKIED [creasE inside slip=SKID]
4 All the gods displaying power other than one (8) PANTHEON [Power + THAN ONE*] 
5 Continued to hold part-time worker in disdain (8) CONTEMPT [CONTinued outside part-time worker=TEMP] 
6 Slight in speech conveying mock attack (5) FEINT [~slight=FAINT]
8 Feverish from that bug, he died (6,3,4) BOUGHT THE FARM [FROM THAT BUG HE]* 
13 Photoshopped, thanks to controversial issue (3,6) HOT POTATO [PHOTO* + thanks=TA + TO] 
15 Victim unconcerned at first, tense with anxiety in the end (8) CASUALTY [unconcerned=CASUAL + Tense + anxietY] 
16 Familiarise Bill with one described as being new to town (8) ACQUAINT [bill=AC + one=1 outside as being=QUA + New + Town]
19 Precipitate or salt showing up in sides of retort (6) ABRUPT [salt=AB + UP inside RetorT] 
20 Moving up close to enemy lines, captures American chopper quite casually (5) LAXLY [ (enemY + lines= L L) <= outside American chopper=AX] 
21 Go on son, pull a face (5) SPOUT [Son + pull a face=POUT]

GRID

40 comments:

  1. More difficult one. Isn't 10 A an &lit?

    ReplyDelete
  2. 10 Giants originally, finally lost for good (6) TITANS [GIANTS –Good + losT]*

    Raghu - I agree it is an &lit.
    But excuse me - where is the anag signal?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, I don't understand. Will someone give a detailed annotation or what we may call explanation?

      Delete
    2. At CV sir and MB's request:
      Assuming it's an &lit ...
      Giants originally = anag of GIANTS
      Which takes finally los(T) in place of G(ood)

      Delete
    3. Thanks Aakash. I am getting it slooowly now! :)

      Delete
    4. I should have been more specific,
      How is 'originally' an anag signal?
      Before I saw the anno, I was quite aware of the letter substitution but was in the dark about the anno operation.

      Delete
    5. I think that is fine..
      Originally = 'in an original way' = in a 'fresh'/'novel' way
      However the substitution seems iffy

      Delete
    6. Now where is the definition?

      Delete
    7. Since we think it's an &Lit the whole clue is the def, meaning Titans (the original giants) do not exist anymore

      Delete
    8. For good ?

      Tough one. Looks like letter picking or deletion(essentially, edge, close to etc.) is his favourite clue type :-)

      Delete
  3. 24 Precious element, a metal essentially, in highly valued rings (8) PLATINUM [A + meTal + IN inside highly valued=PLUM]

    I parsed it another way: TIN as metal and A TIN in PLUM to give PLATINUM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then 'essentially' has no role

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    2. If that be so then where is the insertion indicator

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    3. "Rings" is the container ind

      Delete
    4. My take on Anno : {PL(A TIN)UM} 'A TIN' is essentially/centrally ringed/contained in PLUM.

      Delete
    5. ..which is more or less similar to one given by Rengaswamy @ 9:03.

      Delete
    6. The problem with the "A TIN..." anno is that:

      a) essentially plays no role (as already mentioned by Raghunath)

      b) 'in' would then be a container indicator, making 'rings' (encircles) redundant. ["X in Y encircles" doesn't read right]

      Delete
  4. Have not come across T as abbreviation for 'town'?

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  5. Tough one but enjoyable. Learnt two more aninds : Originally - in 10Ac and Other - in 4Dn. The most tricky clue, originally and finally being 10Ac, in my opinion!

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    Replies
    1. Addendum to the above Aninds - 'Shopped' in 13Dn. Photoshopped meaning the photo was repaired!

      Delete
  6. Shouldn't 16d be 'one described by' as one goes inside QUANT, not outside..
    And 20d be 'moving down' rather than 'moving up' ? As Close to enem(Y) is moved down in the down clue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 16 Familiarise Bill with one described as being new to town (8) ACQUAINT [bill=AC + one=1 outside as being=QUA + New + Town]

      It is like this:

      AC with(and) I(one) described (contained) QUA (as being) = AC(QUA)I + N+T(own). Just wonder about T =Town

      20 Moving up close to enemy lines, captures American chopper quite casually (5) LAXLY

      In the order of the words in the clue: Y + L+L moving up (reversing) and taking in AX = L(AX)L+Y

      Delete
    2. Both the explanations don't work for me..

      Delete
    3. Okay I get 16D now .. Seems to be okay if we imagine a comma after 'described' .. Thanks

      Delete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. No net conn in my PC. This is using my mob. so its a pain to comment

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  9. 17Ac : Definition needs to be highlighted pl.

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  10. Truly taxing - but enjoyably so! Thanks to xChequer and Bhavan.

    Some very nice surfaces here, and some imaginative charades and "anagramming". I did find a couple of clues a bit tenuous, but the rest more than compensate for that!

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  11. Brilliant crossword. Some absolutely delightful clues

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  12. Many super clues from xChequer today. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

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  13. Found it tough... Loved most clues especially Sequel, Warps, Hot potato, Gammon...

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  14. Terrific run from Exchequer!

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