Monday 25 April 2016

No 11684, Monday 25 Apr 2016, Arden


ACROSS
1   In Japan, the ones who are revered (8) PANTHEON [T]
5   Chauffeur left? Nonsense (6) DRIVEL {DRIVE}{L}
10 French nobleman rings up to make moving pictures (7) VICOMTE Anno pending {MOVING + PICTURES}* - {RINGS+UP}*
11 Hail essentially damages crops all around — goes on and on (7) PROSAIC {CROPS}* around {hAIl]
12 Place of birth (5) NATAL [DD]
13 Changing realities for Jacobson, perhaps (9) ISRAELITE*
14 Worrying condition of road — a stretch on both sides (12) HYPERTENSION {HYPE}{R}{TENSION}
18 Coming weekend is the start of Christmas season (6,6) ADVENT SUNDAY {ADVENT} {SUNDAY}
21 It points to the bottom of the plant (9) ARROWROOT {ARROW}{ROOT}
23 He makes an effort getting right in step (5) TRIER {T{R}IER}
24 Basically scrap covering the pit — spreading disease (7) CHOLERA {sC{HOLE}RAp}
25 Robber faces jail in addition (7) BRIGAND {BRIG}{AND}
26 In the mountains he keeps woman well covered (6) SHERPA {S{HER}PA}
27 Endless work for base worker — one in the Army base (8) SERGEANT {lesS}{ERG}{E}{ANT}

DOWN
1   Stately dance for top people — way to hold one (6) PAVANE {Pe...e}{AV{AN}E}
2   Good they removed him with finesse (6) NICETY {NICE}{TheY}
3   Greeting in Asian language, for one on the mountain range (9) HIMALAYAN {HI}{MALAYAN}
4   Say a line is on median, so line is straight (3-11) ONE-DIMENSIONAL*
6   Flower power at last, make it sharp (5) RHONE {p..eR}{HONE}
7   Putin post victory — away from lights in his den (8) VLADIMIR {V}{LA{DIM}IR}
8   Stands to decentralise organisation, lacking idea (8) LECTERNS deCENTRaLiSE*
9   Theatre feature on board... (9,5) OPERATING TABLE {OPERATING} {TABLE}
15 ...come close, it's a miss! (4,5) NEAR THING {NEAR} {THING}
16 Lawyer unravelling scam with American capital (8) DAMASCUS {DA}{SCAM*}{US}
17 Subtle hint — After second round, football club goes from top to bottom (8) OVERTONE {rOund}{(-e)VERTON(+e)E}
19 Not a fighting force surrounding country capital (6) TIRANA {IRAN} in {TA}
20 Leading company, it's under loss, gets money from the bank (6) CREDIT {Co...y}{RED}{IT}
22 Woman's aid to give birth (5) WHELP {W}{HELP}

GRID

48 comments:

  1. 10A - rings up + vicomte = moving pictures - Composite Anagram

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  2. 10 French nobleman rings up to make moving pictures (7) VICOMTE

    MOVING PICTURES - RINGS UP = VICOMTE

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  3. 10a if you add rings up to vicomte and anagram it you get moving pictures. I am still figuring how that works

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    Replies
    1. http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2011/01/composite-anagrams.html

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  4. Dreadful puzzle. so many clues just do not work . Can't we have Neyathra once again

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    Replies
    1. Mahesh, you don't even spell your ardent setter correctly. How are we supposed to understand that you are a serious crossword solver?

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    2. Probably the setter has him spellbound.

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    3. It is a small typing mistake yet you take advantage of it and question my seriousness
      This arrogance is unforgivable

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    4. Magesh, take it easy...goood boy...goood boy

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    5. Dreadful, now that's a new word. Thought somebody had used up all the adjectives they knew, already.

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  5. If every day it were a puzzle from Neyartha,
    Will it from the solver produce a hurrah?
    Variety is the spice,
    They say, of our life;
    So let's have a variety of grids, sariya?

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  6. Missed out on Tirana...got most of the clues in first go but had to stretch for a few like One-dimensional...hypertension & advent sunday...nice start to the week & Arden's run

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    Replies
    1. For 19d, if you had just sung a thillana, you would have got the answer. Take your mind off any intransigent clue and indulge in some other activity - even sleep - and you will get the answer. On waking uo after a good night's sleep, I have often risen with a well-formed clue in my head!

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  7. It will not be a problem if others set good puzzles.

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    Replies
    1. Everyone here thinks it is a good puzzle. So we cannot see the problem, unless it is with your understanding.

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  8. Loved the topical surface reading of 20D. How nicely it fits in?

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  9. 17D- 'Top to bottom'- I was trying various reversals. I realised my mistake after seeing the blog.

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  10. Replies
    1. After having solved 30a in that crossword, I resolved that I must make amends and so I absolved myself by shouting BHARATMATA KI JAI!

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  11. Thanks, Arden! Never thought I could get samosas from you! You being such a miserly person! Phew! It was a two struggle worth enjoying though. :)

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  12. puzzle light in parts and deep in parts.. a true chiaroscuro today :) Sherpa was sweetly clever :) pavane needed google help..almost went with paving and thankfully reexamined. Got Tirana towards the end and liked how TA is defined as Not a fighting force.. reference to Territorial Army (not Teacher's Asst) :) Got Sergeant but could not parse.. work as erg didnt occur.. why is base = E? 20a - credit is well worded surface.. wonder which banks give money to companies in the red :) Rhone too a well worded clue.. Arden i suppose to celebrate the anniversary of the bard?

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    Replies
    1. e=base of natural logarithm

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    2. oops.. so it is. i forgot as usual.. thanks Ramesh :)

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    3. Srividya,
      Your comment in the second last line @1033, remember "the king of good times"?

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    4. You mean companies go in the red AFTER taking a loan from the bank, becoming king of bad times?

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    5. Banks give loans to those who are NRIs, those who have dual citizenship, those who are nominated to the Rajya Sabha or similar exalted positions, those who say banks have no right to ask them to declare their assets held abroad or disclose bank accounts that they may have in tax havens, those who can make a quick, quiet, perhaps facilitated exit when the heat is on.

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    6. I meant in spite of knowing co's in the red, banks gave loans, sometimes in the hope that it would help them tide over the slump

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    7. A banker is one who lends you an umbrella when the weather is pleasant & takes it back as soon as it starts raining.

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    8. Sometimes they forget to take it back ;-)

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  13. i forgot to mention Vicomte.. i knew it would be ??comte coz of the french nobleman connection and hit upon vicomte but could not parse - thought it should have something vaguely to do with movie. The Comp Anag bit was wow and made me reexamnine the clue.. it is brilliant technically of course as Comp Anag are quite difficult and least used...but also on the surface there is a nicety. - i mean the "time" orientation - old worldish vicomte -- moving pictures .. rings up - moving pictures they make a nice story :) Thanks Arden

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  14. A technical clarification needed-
    What is the difference between a deletion clue (of which we get a lot these days) and a composite anagram? Is it only a difference in surface writing of the clue or there is more to it?

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    Replies
    1. Regular anagram with deletion : Solution=Anagram(FodderA-FodderB)
      Composite Anagram : Anagram(Solution+FodderA)=FodderB
      Solvers are likely to approach both in the same way (i.e Perform FodderA-FodderB & then anagaram), but the annotations will differ

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    2. Exactly the point I had in mind. Thank you Ramesh. Of course, the cluing would help us to get the right anno.

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  15. 10A : Anno needs anind* also Sir. I think it can also be shown as {MOVING PICTURES - RINGS UP}*...since it is a Composite/Compound anagram clue.

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  16. My dear Mahesh,
    This has reference to today's Guardian crossword by Rufus, the setter who is so close to your heart.
    You haven't told us where, in which paper, you solve Rufus's crosswords. Surely, it can't be the Guardian because Rufus appears there but once in a certain number of days.
    Be that as it may, I wonder if you solved today's Rufus in The Guardian.
    In that context, I wonder if you thought that that crossword was terrible/dreadful because of 31a. If so, did you get a chance to air your esteemed view?
    If not, please let me know. I will tell you where you can let off steam.
    Thanking you,
    Yours sincerely,
    CV

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  17. Sh...Ahem... He needs an exeat from our institution.

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  18. 22D . Whelp is used in case of only dogs. Is that woman a bitch ?

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  19. Does anyone else here know the anagram of "Sham He"?

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  20. Briliant crossword from ARDEN. Liked the composite anagram. VICOMTE brought back memories of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL by Baroness Orczy.

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  21. I had no problem with Exeat. The only view I wish to air is that the puzzle was excellent As expressed earlier I appreciate good puzzles and encourage those producing bad puzzles to set better puzzles

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  22. The collective arrogance here is surprising If you don't want to criticise the puzzle it is your wish. You decide. but why criticise me? I am only trying to help

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  23. I have never made this personal. But if you want me to I can do it

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  24. If I am worse for criticising a puzzle imagine how worse you are for criticising me . This is something to think about

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