Sunday 9 August 2015

Special, Sunday 09 Aug 2015, Rainmon


Three answers per commenter (Annotations compulsory) till 6 PM
Please try and give all your answers in one comment.


ACROSS
1   Scattered letters from clues parsed (6)
4   Wool manufacturer, Eastern, leaves a problematic place for Australian capital (6)
8   It is used for sex as an equivalent word (7)
9   Mistakes in the place where officers eat in court on Saturday (4-3)
11 Excited about entering exotic location for sex (10)
12 Opening step, say (4)
13 Appoint magistrate finally to the French court (5)
14 Most awkward doctors ask weight when exiting hospital (8)
16 Properties changed after use (8)
18 Film actor needs no introduction (5)
20 Former revolutionary and others (2, 2)
21 Agents read about dogs (5, 5)
23 Overcome revolution inside vessel (7)
24 A small amount of money is invested in creative design (7)
25 Silliness of Italian during duty (6)
26 Revised liquid diet leads to energy deficiency (6)

DOWN
1   States with nil power (3-2)
2   A European receives peacekeepers at the farthest point from the moon in a lunar orbit (7)
3   Order some pastry without egg for Bond’s boss (9)
5   Remain in bed at home giving misrepresentation in advance (3, 2)
6   A sage is injured with spear (7)
7   Small program not centrally developed is perhaps for a starter? (9)
10 Outraged as guests died in an accident while leaving England (9)
13 English lecturer has call essentially relating to voters (9)
15 Kindly leave from the south at the right occasion (4-5)
17 Attendant returns to the heart of Bolivian city (3, 4)
19 Mark follows unknown notice to locate way back (4, 3)
21 Swindle gift wrapping paper in the end (5)
22 Polish people break into borders of England (5)

Across Lite version can be accessed at Rainmon 3

Enjoy.

68 comments:

  1. 1ac Scattered letters from clues parsed (6) SPARSE (from clueS PARSEd) - telescopic
    21d Agents read about dogs (5, 5) GREAT DANE (agents read*) - Anag
    22d Polish people break into borders of England (5) E(MEN)D - C/c

    Is it OK if the first clue in a crossword is a telescopic one?
    Have you seen this in THC or any other newspaper crossword?
    A neat, well-written crossword.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think there is anything wrong.

      Delete
    2. I think I saw it a couple of times in ET. ok by me

      Delete
    3. Thank you.
      Rainmon: Don't take it amiss. Questions are raised to provoke discussion and also for all of us to be in the swim.

      Delete
    4. CV, R takes it amiss only if there is no space after the a in amiss. A miss is always welcome, R?

      Delete
  2. 17d: TEL AVIV = city
    VALET<-- around IV (heart of Bolivia)

    21d: GRIFT = swindle
    G{papeR}IFT

    25a: LEVITY = silliness
    LEV{IT}Y

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry - the wordplay for 17d is VALET<-- followed by (not around) IV.

      Delete
  3. 8 ACROSS: SYNONYM (IT AND SEX)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/IT

      it also means sexual intercourse

      Delete
    2. Not blaming you, but quite a few things in the free dictionary seem to mean that!

      Delete
    3. If one is said to BE AT IT, one is supposed to be having sex.
      Remember 'veettu kanakku' in a Balachander movie?

      Delete
  4. 18A LAYER
    {-P}{LAYER}

    20A ET AL
    {LATE<<}

    21A GREAT DANES
    {AGENTS READ}*

    Excellent Rain Mon. Keep them coming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bombadil - Welcome in another place. When the first clue from the handle appeared I guessed it must be someone from India though the name and avatar gave no clue whatever. A later clue confirmed it, so to say.

      Delete
    2. Hey, thanks Chaturvasi Sir!
      Yup, that's me.
      You must be "Rishi" I presume :)
      Great to be there...

      Delete
    3. Both of you share 'vas' ...

      Delete
    4. Heh heh... Well spotted, Kishore sir.

      Delete
    5. ये तो 'वास्तव' है जी

      Delete
  5. 11A: COPULATION: CO (PU <) LATION*
    16A: FEATURES: (AFTER USE)*
    13A ELECT: (E)(LE)(CT)

    ReplyDelete
  6. 13A : ELECT {E}{LE}{CT} E being end of magistratE
    20A : ET AL Def : and others

    13D : ELECTORAL {E}{LECTOR}{{cALi}

    ReplyDelete
  7. Re 11a How does the setter work Write a fun clue for a word and put the word in the grid or put a word in the grid and write a clue for the word, a clue that turns out to be fun?
    In 13a he might have had ERECT if he had had a good clue to begin with, I guess.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sir ,
      I had a different version for copulation initially. * it is based upon coital mating (10)* uponcoital*
      Later athu enakku pudikkala. So changed it . Sorry I never thought of erect :-D

      Delete
  8. A bit of both, I think. Re 13a and the (ahem!) theme:

    At heart, the rector is upright (5)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was in reponse to CV's querysomehow, CGB poked in his assegai

      Delete
  9. 10D DISGUSTED (GUESTS DIED-(E))*
    16A FEATURES *

    ReplyDelete
  10. Does அசகாய in the Tamil phrase அசகாய சூரன்come from 'assegai'.
    BTW, kudos to the setter for writing a clue by avoiding 'fool'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Reading the Tamil assegaikaran makes me muse ... Is the Swahili word (of Arabic origin) Askari meaning soldier also related?

      Delete
    2. My mistake... That is sooran not kaaran

      Delete
  11. Excellent puzzle, Rainmon! Very nice clues indeed. My favourites are 3, 8, 15, 24, and 26.

    I couldn't parse 19 - shall wait for the solver who does get it to see what I missed!

    Thanks to Rainmon and DG.

    ReplyDelete
  12. 1D: States with nil power (3-2) SAY-SO [SAYS + O]

    23A: Overcome revolution inside vessel (7) PREVAIL [REV inside PAIL]

    26A: Revised liquid diet leads to energy deficiency (6) EDITED [anag of DIET + leading letters of Energy Deficiency]

    Great clues. Extremely enjoyable

    ReplyDelete
  13. Compensating for 13 & 20A

    12a : GATE {~GAIT}
    26A : {EDIT*}{ED} Leads of Energy & Deficiency

    ReplyDelete
  14. Compensating 26A

    3D : SPYMASTER {SOME PASTRY}*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MD Even 3D has already been taken.

      Suggest you use ctrl+F, place your tentative answer within text box and press enter to see if that word appears already.

      Delete
    2. Didn't notice that Sir. However typo in 3D {SoME PASTRY}* : SPYMASTER

      Delete
    3. Thanks for suggesting the use of ctrl+f for avoiding duplication Sir.

      Delete
    4. I experimented with your suggestion Sir. It's working out nicely. Next time onwards I shall follow this method before publishing my answer. Thanks a lot Sir. :)

      Delete
  15. Beautiful puzzle. My COD was the above one i.e. 3D : SPYMASTER for its crafty surface reading. Thoroughly enjoyed solving. Thanks Rainmon.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Very enjoyable Xword..8A, 15D, 19D, 7D, 1D... et al enjoyable

    ReplyDelete
  17. 9 Mistakes // in the place where officers eat / in court/ on Saturday (4-3) (MESS)-(UP)(S)
    24 A small amount of money is invested in creative design (7) S(M)IDGEN*
    DOWN
    7 Small program not centrally developed / is / perhaps // for a starter? (9) APP[-L]ET/IS/ER

    ReplyDelete
  18. 19D (Y)(EAR) (DOT) Defn: way back (A very long time ago; too long ago to be dated)
    15D (WELL) (TIMED<=) Defn: at the right occasion

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was my breakup for 19d too. I understand where Y and DOT come from, but what is the explanation for EAR? It seems to correspond to "notice to locate."

      Delete
    2. Ear = notice

      sorry took liberty to use to locate as a connector

      Delete
    3. Ah! That makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up - and kudos again on a great puzzle!

      Delete
  19. Lovely clues Rainmon - enjoyed solving them! :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Rainmon: Raining such puzzles will take you places!! Best wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  21. People who 5D may be late in coming to post answers.

    ReplyDelete
  22. 2D: APOLUNE {A POL{UN}E}

    I think that's the only one left :) Lovely crossword Rainmon. Too many good clues to mention - LAYER was my favourite for the super-smooth surface reading.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Let me wrap it up

    5D - {LIE} {IN}

    Great job Rainmon

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks all and special thanks to Bhala, Aakash and Amrith.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Day is not far off when we will see Rainmon on THC. Well done & thank you. (Joining too late much later than the lie in period)

    ReplyDelete
  26. An interesting puzzle Rain Mon. Liked it very much. Sorry didn't find time in the morning.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Enjoyed the puzzle a lot, Rain! My favorites were 8A, 16A, 18A, 1D and 3D.

    ReplyDelete

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