Wednesday 13 April 2016

No 11675, Wednesday 13 Apr 2016, Exa


ACROSS
7   Rogue day after day consumed drug (5) DEMON {D}{E}{MON}
8   Stupidity of one racing recklessly (9) IGNORANCE*
10 Name of maiden sporting fancy tiara (6) AMRITA {M} in {TIARA}*
11 Retired police force helping to find a pattern (8) TEMPLATE {TEM<=}{PLATE} Anno for Plate pending See comments
12 Hunt after a special, captivating bird (8) PARAKEET {P{A}{RAKE}ET}
13 Incriminate the robber that snatched a chain (6) TETHER [T]
14 Kid played with electronic device (7) DECEIVE {E+DEVICE}*
16 Chameleon left a man panicking in the office (7) ECHELON CHamELEON*
20 A strong, beautiful relationship (6) AFFAIR {A}{F}{FAIR}
23 Most of pig meat too swallowed by a reptile (8) ANACONDA {AN{bACON}D}{A}
25 A chap at harbour crosses river to get to this shrine (8) AMARNATH {A}{MA{R}N}{AT}{H}
26 A number taken in by magician producing crow (6) MAGPIE {MAG{PI}E}
27 Safe to live in a resort (9) INVIOLATE*
28 Sound positive (5) UTTER [DD]

DOWN
1   Fill a lover with ecstasy (8) PERMEATE {PER}{M{E}ATE}
2   Mention a different name (8) NOMINATE*
3   Rock it cracked one's doorway (7) AGITATE {A}{G{IT}ATE}
4   Foreigner invested in huge beauty product (8) COSMETIC {COSM{ET}IC}
5   Everyone's entertained by live bar dancing (6) BALLET {B{ALL}E}{T}
6   Cast healed the man's injury (6) SCATHE {CAST*}{HE}
9   Parcel a starter of beef and beer (4) BALE {Beef}{ALE}
15 It might be of great, little, or even no value (8) VARIABLE [CD]
17 Stretch out stylishly elegant carpets (8) ELONGATE {ELEGANT}* over {O}
18 Turn female away — bank needs to employ male veteran (3-5) OLD-TIMER {fOLD}-{TI{M}ER}
19 Teach me to swing a knife (7) MACHETE*
21 Encourage ladies to go topless in paper (6) FOMENT {wOMEN} in {FT}
22 Clever Democrat stops a riot from raging out of control (6) ADROIT {D} in {A+RIOT}*
24 Top spun around by Exa (4) ACME {AC<=}{ME}

GRID

28 comments:

  1. After taking some food, we may go in for a second 'helping'. Or at the buffet we may get a fresh 'plate' of, say, samosas. I think that was Exa's thought in 11a. Exa, appadithaanae?

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  2. 11 Retired police force helping to find a pattern (8) TEMPLATE {TEM<=}{PLATE}

    Helping: Plate

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  3. 14 A was meant to exactly 14 A

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  4. 1 down took me enough time as initially assumed inundate (fixing date as lover. But amrita opened my eyes.
    Good one Exa.

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  5. Tks Exa for the samosas.. could not parse Template and Parakeet fully.. thank u for that Colonel.

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  6. Loved Ignorance, Acme and Cosmetic. Nice one, crisp as ever from Exa. Sure the puzzle would've done what 1A suggests, albeit for the crossword lover :P

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  7. Tough going for me today, could solve just four. Filled in 'apex' for 24D. Thought of elongate, parakeet and anaconda but was not sure if I was right.

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  8. A superb puzzle that left me wanting more...demon..template...parakeet et al..nicely done

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  9. I also put in apex, though I could not explain the unknown,

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  10. Found it difficult because some clues doesn't work even . Awful

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  11. I may agree with the first 3 words of your entry- found it difficult. Even I did, but I know it was due to my shortcoming and not that of the setter. Generalised criticism will not help anyone. Which are the clues you find "Doesn't even work"? We may be able to find where the problem lies.

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  12. A solver says some clues don't work
    What can we do to remove the quirk
    Give clues some implements
    And drive them to nuts
    So they perk up and don't shirk.

    ReplyDelete
  13. In 11 across there is no role for to find It is simply there to paint the picturre . In 13 across there is no use for the word 'that'. What is the use of these extra words when it becomes a burden

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1) In 11A, "to find" is a connector between the wordplay and def - to find . It is similar to "to get", "for" etc.
      2) In 13A, instead of "that snatches", it could possibly be "snatching" which removes the extra word and still works as a telescopic clue.
      However, in both cases, the clues work as they are - and I don't think the words you have mentioned are really a "burden" for the solver.

      Delete
  14. http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2009/08/easy-crosswords.html

    Crossword Unclued: Crosswords For Beginners

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2008/08/tackling-cryptic-crosswords-7-step_11.html

      Delete
  15. Ajeesh☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

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  16. Such comments are immature If you do not want to take time to understand my points then that is your trouble. I have been solving the Guardian for years So think properly before making these unacceptable remarks

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  17. If a puzzle is good I will acknowledge it If a puzzle is bad I will acknowledge it. Rufus consistently sets good puzzles

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  18. Explanations please!

    7A, 20A (beautiful=fair, the rest?), 28A (+ve?), 24D (AC<-??)

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 7A Rogue = Definition = {D}{E}{MON}
      day = MON (Monday)
      after = Position indicator
      day = D
      consumed = Encapsulation indicator
      drug = E (Ecstasy)

      20A - A = A
      strong = F
      beautiful = FAIR
      relationship = Definition = {A}{F}{FAIR}

      28A - UTTER = SOUND/POSITIVE (See the link at UTTER)

      24D - Spun = Reversal indicator
      around = CA (About)
      spun around = AC<=

      Delete
    2. 7a How is day = Mon. Why it can't be Tues, Wed etc?
      What is meant by 'encapsulation'?
      drug = E - how can we derive this? Can't it be Benadryl which my mother gave me when I had cough?
      20a 'beautiful' has so many synonyms like lovely, pretty... How do we select just 'pretty'?
      24 d How is spun a reversal indicator? When something revolves, it goes round and round. So CA becomes AC, then CA, then Ac - when do we stop it to get AC?
      And how do we get CA from 'about'? Is it English?
      How can setters make things work as they want them to work. It is all puzzling.

      Delete
  19. How do we get F from strong? F is F but strong begins with the letter S. If we take S from strong, I can understand. Is it from 'forceful'? If so why can't they give 'forceful' itself? Where do these setters learn their English? Do they all go to London?

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  20. Mahesh, a couple of examples:
    Rufus in Guardian 22650 (22d): Father quick to get high religious office (6)
    Rufus in Guardian 24290 (12a): By endless work, advanced to become rich (7)
    Do you feel that "to get", "By", "to become" are all burdensome in the clues? Please suggest how one could rewrite the clues to work without them?
    Thanks.

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  21. In the above clue the indication endless work is next to advanced is clear with application of the word by Is this clear in the template clue? No it is not .
    And don't think I didn't notice the tone in the above comments

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  22. Chaturvasi - Did you confuse me for some one else, or found my leg nearby and attractive? :-):-)

    ReplyDelete

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