Tuesday 21 July 2015

No 11452, Tuesday 21 Jul 2015, Spinner


Spinner has spun a lot of clues into the clues today! 10A has  me stumped.

ACROSS
1   Company's hiding electronic links (6) UNITES {UNIT{E}S}
4   Set top clues in two-line rhymes (8) COUPLETS*
10 Give a speech in English to look appealing (7) E?O?U?E (Addendum - ELOCUTE - {E}{LO}{CUTE} - Thanks to Ramesh)
11 Little devil's fantasy is to beg (7) IMPLORE {IMP}{LORE}
12 Refined lustre on vessel unaffected by oxidation (8) RUSTLESS {LUSTRE*}{SS}
13 Actor's soft coat (6) PLAYER {P}{LAYER}
15 Designed bush for wheel parts (4) HUBS*
17 Spinner can't clue complicated word for 'instil' (9) INCULCATE {I}{CANT+CLUE}*
20 Construct fine clue with a bit of 'Neyartha' colour (9) INFLUENCE {FINE+CLUE+Ne...a}*
21 All military men, at first, love firepower (4) AMMO {All}{Mi...y}{Men}{O}
24 From one point of view, home's not home (2,1,3) IN A WAY {IN} {A WAY}
25 Free a tribe questionably captured by the French (8) LIBERATE {L{A+TRIBE}*E}
28 Arranges a sip of drink next to bar (5,2) LINES UP {LINE}{S UP}
29 Absence of a certain type of furniture is conspicuous (7) NOTABLE {NO}{TABLE}
30 Route? Go left! (8) PASSPORT {PASS}{PORT}
31 Desert spot (6) DEFECT [DD]

DOWN
1   Discovers sun revolving around planet! (8) UNEARTHS {UN{EARTH}S*}
2   Implements required to tackle a course (5) IRONS [CD]
3   Peers initially express reservations, having no money (6) EQUALS {Ex...s}{QUALmS}
5   Exclude outstanding American college (4) OMIT {O}{MIT}
6   Crack a clue fashioned by common people (8) POPULACE {POP}{A+CLUE}*
7   Arrange meets around pleasant community (9) ECOSYSTEM {E{COSY}STEM*}
8   Promises ship to protect Don (6) SWEARS {S{WEAR}S}
9   You can shoot texts with one, but you do not shoot one! (9) MESSENGER [CD]
14 Start off ventures, pursuing interesting roles (9) FUNCTIONS {FUN}{aCTIONS}
16 Old money wrapped in belts/kerchiefs (9) BANDANNAS {BAND{ANNA}S}
18 Solves complex RA clues with practice (6,2) CLEARS UP {CLEARS U*}{P}
19 Campaign more vehement all over the place except here, bizarrely (8) MOVEMENT {MOre+VEheMENT} Not necessarily all over the place :-)
22 Counter-tablet provided for boost (6) FILLIP {FI}{LLIP}<=
23 Eye chef's top main course (6) CENTRE {Chef}{ENTRE} Seems to be an error here 'Entre' is not an alternative spelling for 'Entree' See comments by Spinner
26 Wander with or without right (5) AMBLE rAMBLE
27 Urge found in ambitious pursuits (4) SPUR [T]

GRID

35 comments:

  1. Missing word in 23D.

    Should be

    Eye chef's top main course endlessly (6)

    Apologies.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 19D- I think 'all over the place' is meant to indicate the removal of 'here' which is not in order.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Except is the removal indicator and bizarrely is the 'not in order' indicator, making 'all over the place' superfluous in my view. I think Spinner added it for anagraming the remaider after deleting 'here', whereas there is no requirement of anagramming after deletion

      Delete
    2. Yes, I did not notice 'bizzarely'.

      Delete
    3. Bizarrely I think is only for anagramming the word here before deletrion. All over the place is the anagram indicator for 'more vehement' after removing 'here' bizarrely. So there are two aninds required.

      Delete
    4. That is exactly for Col. is saying- there is no anind needed since its in correct order already after removing 'here'.

      Delete
    5. Aah. I did not quite spot the fact that thr letters of movement were in order, in the fodder itself. I treated it as an anagram after deleting anagrammed fodder. The surface also fell in place.

      Delete
  3. Lovely enjoyable CW. Thank you Spinner- no googlies.I was bowled by a couple of straight ones like for example,1A & 9D.
    Loved 29A & 2D, which I got very late.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 10A- I was trying to fit in 'orate' in the solution and when it did not fit, the only other option was 'elocute'. Then I started looking for anno and cute was appealing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nicely spun xword...quite simple but njoyable..

    ReplyDelete
  6. Entree is the course before the main course. Even with endlessly it wdnt parse.. instead of main course it shld read first course or maybe just course

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Free dictionary begs to differ. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/entree.

      Delete
    2. As per Chambers

      Entree is a dish served between the chief courses of a formal dinner, also (esp N Am) a main course, and (esp Aus) a starter. It also means entry, freedom of access and admittance. So Srividya is right

      Delete
  7. Put TOOLS for implements and CENTRY for eye which hindered getting UNITES and DEFECT. :((

    ReplyDelete
  8. So have the Powers that Be at The Hindu now decided that the crossword will be placed at this awkward, middle of the page position? Earlier it was a game of hide-and-seek, to discover where the crossword and Sudoku would be!
    I wish it would go back to the old placing, with both on separate pages!
    What do fellow bloggers feel?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. None of the bloggers seem to be happy with the present position, but TH does not seem to bother. Probably we have to learn to live with it.
      Ram,
      I had also put in tools first until Unites was filled and then I thought of Col. while filling in irons.

      Delete
    2. With apologies to whoever wrote this

      If wishes were horses, beggars would ride:
      If turnips were watches, I'd wear one by my side,:
      If, If's and And's were pots and pans, there'd be no work for The Editors' hands.:

      Delete
    3. Somebody at TH must be deriving a lot of pleasure at our discomfort !

      Delete
    4. Maybe the design editors feel that crosswords should not be solved while cycling, but only while sitting at a table.

      Delete
  9. Good one Col. I was wondering what is the connection until I came to the editor.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You would have seen a lot praise for the modified layout of The Hindu in the Letters to the Editor, which implies TH will turn a deaf ear to the placement of THC and sudoku to a more convenient location.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Enjoyable one from Spinner. Missed out on 28A,22D & 23D.

    ReplyDelete
  12. 29A reminds me of the NOTABLE surgeon who was NOT ABLE to perform the operation because there was NO TABLE

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  13. My namesake Suresh,
    Congrats for this interesting word play on NO TABLE

    Suresh Panje
    New Delhi

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have not seen the recent perambulations of the THC in the printed edition. Isn't it easier to allocate a slot, say on the right hand top or the left hand bottom corners of the last page for all times? If the English papers in the UK and elsewhere can do this why not the Hindu too ? or the designer there has other designs for earning money on ads? Does any one and in particular the features editor ever read our blogs and our gurgling gripes?

    Interesting reads on the up and coming youngsters as new setters in Shuchi's Crossword Unclued ! Their fresh look and approach to cluing is welcome. Good work, Spinner , Exa and Mac. More power to your brains ! I wish that cryptic crosswords cluing and solving are made a compulsory subject in the schools and colleges curriculum !

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beautiful crossword. Loved the 'clue' and 'setter' references

    ReplyDelete
  16. For the attention of both Suresh Dorbala and Suresh Panje -

    The NOTABLE conundrum was mentioned here once earlier. Pls click and read:

    http://thehinducrosswordcorner.blogspot.in/2014/05/no-11094-monday-26-may-2014-gridman.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know it is an old (perhaps stale) one

      Delete
  17. Dear Suresh Panje, do you have any Karnataka connection? We had a great man called Panje Mangesh Rao in Mangaluru.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you all for your comments. Today was a very motivating day :)

    ReplyDelete

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