Friday 14 August 2015

No 11473, Friday 14 Aug 2015, Vulcan


ACROSS
1   Publicity for a proposal (9) PROMOTION {PRO}{MOTION}
6   Perform a step (5) S?R?E (Addendum - STAGE [DD] - See comments)
9   A claim that is strange (5) ALIEN {A}{LIEN}
10 Amusing or otherwise, he's a fool (9) IGNORAMUS*
11 A cove quite difficult to avoid (10) EQUIVOCATE*
12 Immunity protecting the body (4) UNIT [T]
14 Hard part of a vessel (5) STERN [DD]
15 Looking back, negligence stopped patient's heart (in observation) (6) ESPIAL {ESP{tneItap}AL}<=
17 Sounds like someone who laps up alcohol (6) LIQUOR (~licker) Good one
19 Track inventory, say (5) ?T?N? (Addendum - STALK (~stock) - See comments)
24 Recess/interval first off (4) APSE lAPSE
25 American president's “is” — where one could be wrong (10) EISENHOWER*
27 Prepare a detailed document to defend one at the receiving end (9) ADDRESSEE {A}{D{DRESS}EEd}
28 Examine a draft written in American English (5) CHECK [DD]
29 Bird, for example, on tree primarily (5) EGRET {EG}{RE}{Tree}
30 Official rate perhaps more reliable (9) TREASURER {RATE*}{SURER}

DOWN
1   Request from a cricketer perhaps to change sides (6) PRAYER P(-l+r)RAYER
2   Tube poet caught outside university (7) OVIDUCT {OVID}{U}{CT}
3   Musician Novello captivated by a mantra: “Mind is assimilating everything” (10) OMNIVOROUS {OM}{N{IVOR}OUS}
4   Foolishness of one trapped by “I Do” — extremely crazy (6) IDIOCY {I}{D{1}O}{CrazY}
5   No. It's a message conveyed through puzzles almost daily and even followed (8) NINETEEN NINET{E'EN} Anno pending (Addendum - {NINa}{ET}{E'EN} - See comments)
6   Kind of entertainment that releases pressure (4) SORT SpORT
7   Country song about people of a kind (7) ROMANIA {R{OMAN}IA<=} People of a kind should be 'Omani' (Addendum - ARMENIA {AR{MEN}IA} - See comments)
8   Fake tears shed by a character (6) ERSATZ {TEARS*}{Z}
13 Small delay after vessel stopped initially for random inspections (4-6) SPOT-CHECKS {S}{POT}-{CHECK}{St...d}
16 Teach a class with railway model (5,3) TRAIN SET {TRAIN} {SET}
18 Member of home team first to retire (7) INSIDER {IN}{SIDE}{Re...e}
20 Having sound/good musical perception, it's the starting point (3,4) NEW YEAR (~ knew ear) ? (Addendum - LOW GEAR {LOW} {G}{EAR} - See comments)
21 Home, overwhelming one (6) PALACE {P{A}LACE} &lit
22 Composed a song that didn't have a good ending (6) SERENE SERENadE
23 With no money, runs to a middleman (6) BROKER {BROKE}{R}
26 Warmth of the attic (4) HEAT [T]

18 comments:

  1. 6 Perform a step (5) S?R?E STAGE

    7 Country song about people of a kind (7) ROMANIA AR(MEN)IA

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had

    6a : STAGE

    5d : NINa + ET + EEN

    7d : AR(MEN)IA

    Not sure about 19a

    ReplyDelete
  3. 5 No. It's a message conveyed through puzzles almost daily and even followed (8) NINETEEN NINET{E'EN} Anno pending
    ---
    Nina, as you know, is a message hidden in the grid. Almost etc will give NIN, E'EN is from 'even followed'. As I was wondering how we the rest,y, the thought struck me. I didn't have it when I started typing. It is ET for Economic Times from 'daily'.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 19 Track inventory, say (5) STALK (~stock) ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was thinking the same, with 20d being LOW GEAR which helps at the start, but can't anno

      Delete
    2. Looks like LOW (having sound) + Good + EAR

      Delete
    3. Yes. LOW corresponding to Moo

      Delete
  5. 20 Having sound/good musical perception, it's the starting point (3,4) NEW YEAR

    LOW G EAR

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well, the def No, (though cleverly written with the full stop to denote that it is an abbr. of 'number' and also misleading as it is a refusal word in the surface reading) seems insufficient. What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Was about to comment on the same. I personally don't think it is sufficient.

      'No.' is an abbreviation of Number, so defining Nineteen as 'number' is one thing and as 'no.' is another. That is like me defining 'popeye' as 'ab' since ab is the abbreviation for sailor.

      Delete
    2. That's right. But as CV said it's a nicely constructed clue along with a lot of other clever clues.

      Delete
    3. Agree that it is insufficient as a definition.

      Also not happy with LOW in 20D

      Delete
  7. 15 Looking back, negligence stopped patient's heart (in observation) (6) ESPIAL {ESP{tneItap}AL}<=

    Doubt regarding the container indicator: Isn't it I which stopped LAPSE?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. from crosswordunclued:

      Stopping

      To stop is:

      to fill or close, as in stopping a hole
      to check or intercept, as in stopping a landslide
      So, A stopping B in a cryptic clue can mean:

      A acting as stopper inside B
      Times 24633: Stopping revolt at last, become elevated as emperor (5) TITUS
      [revol]T, in SUIT (become) reversed

      A taking hold of B
      Times 24692: Heart stopping left a problem (7) TICKLER
      TICKER (heart) around L (left)

      Delete
  8. A toughie..a struggle ..missed out on stage..stalk..low gear...thought nineteen was nicely done..

    ReplyDelete

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