Tuesday 10 May 2016

No 11696, Tuesday 10 May 2016, The Phantom


Mr Walker also has me in knots today! I seem to be losing touch day by day.

ACROSS
8   Ornamental cover camouflages a compartment (6) ALCOVE [T]
9   Succeeded in winning a term somehow against the tide (8) UPSTREAM {UP}{S}{A+TERM}*
10 Trampling grass banks Penny felt upset (8) (Addendum - STAMPING {S{TAM}{P}<=ING} - See comments)
11 Bring in police to break up riot (6) IMPORT {I{MP}ORT*}
12 Sacks comprising black strands (6) BLOCKS ? {B}{LOCKS} (Addendum - FIBRES {FI{B}RES} - See comments)
13 Catching unruly boy barging in? On the contrary (8) GRABBING {B} in {BARGING}*
15 Tramp losing direction stumbles round a corner (7) (Addendum - TRAIPSE {TR{A}IPs}{SE} - See comments)
17 Will bishop start off with prayer? (7) BEQUEST {B}{rEQUEST}
20 Active Greek staying healthy cartwheels regularly (8) ATHLETIC Anno pending (Addendum - {AT{hEaLtHy<=}TIC} - See comments)
22 Resolved due to change in plan (6) MADE UP {MA{DUE*}P} The Phantom has sent me a note apologising for the wrong enumeration, which should be (4,2)
23 Specific tips from detective to follow (6) DETAIL {De...vE}{TAIL}
25 Studied different verbs in reference book (8) OBSERVED {VERBS}* in {OED}
26 Often duel’s intended as a challenge (8) (Addendum - DEFIANCE {DuEl}{FIANCE})
27 Medicine/drug having no function in cosmetic (6) EMETIC {E}{cosMETIC}

DOWN
1   Tailor reluctant to stitch rice bags (8) (Addendum - CLOTHIER {C{LOTH}IER*} - See comments)
2   Carry money in advance; cash, primarily in foreign currency trade (10) (Addendum COMMERCIAL {COM{M}E}{R{Cash}IAL})
3   Prodigy is invariably first in class (6) GENIUS {GEN{In...y}US}
4   Synthetic glue to cover crack in gear (7) LUGGAGE {LUG{GAG}E*}
5   When provoked keep quiet, take a breath (8) ASPIRATE {AS}{P}{IRATE}
6   Turning up in usual joint for gin (4) TRAP Anno pending (Addendum - {PAR}{T}<= - See comments)
7   Empty building filled with rice husk (6) BARREN {BAR{RicE}N}
14 Fix sign around hairpin bend showing limits (10) BOUNDARIES {BO{U}ND}{ARIES}
16 Inform about terrorists’ revolt subsiding (8) (Addendum - SETTLING {S{ETTL<=}ING})
18 Reminder making one nervous (8) SOUVENIR {1+NERVOUS}*
19 Two-wheeler firm opens new store (7) SCOOTER {CO} in {STORE}*
21 Support beneath terrace shifts position to sway unsteadily (6) TEETER {TEE}{TERrace} Position and Race ?
22 Old weapon’s missing part kept in condition (6) MUSKET {MUS{KEpt}T}
24 Pivot of a figure pirouetting (4) AXLE [DD] (Addendum - AXIS - {A}{XIS<=} - See comments)

GRID

44 comments:

  1. 6D Turning up in usual joint for gin (4) ({T}{RAP})<-

    ReplyDelete
  2. 12 Sacks comprising black strands (6) BLOCKS ? {B}{LOCKS}
    FI(B)RES

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is what happens to a one-track mind :-(

      Delete
  3. 15 Tramp losing direction stumbles round a corner (7)TR(A)IPS E

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  4. 24A - could be AXIS A SIX <==

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  5. 1 Tailor reluctant to stitch rice bags (8) C(LOTH)IER*

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  6. 1D Tailor reluctant to stitch rice bags (8){C{LOTH}IER*}

    ReplyDelete
  7. +1 for the tagline. For the last 3 days what all has been left unsolved in the blog at 8.30, I also had them open.

    ReplyDelete
  8. 26 Often duel’s intended as a challenge (8) DE FIANCE

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  9. 10 Trampling grass banks Penny felt upset (8) S({TAM}{P}<-)ING

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  10. Thanks KKR, Sandhya and Shrikanth

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  11. Replies
    1. None of the known logics worked to me

      Delete
    2. Attic comes from Greek. Not sure of rest

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    3. "Hle" comes from regularly healthy in reverse

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    4. That's what I too had in mind. But then what have cartwheels got to do here as regularly comes at the end and not after healthy.

      Delete
    5. "For this relief, much thanks."

      Delete
    6. Healthy Cartwheels = YHTLAEH
      YHTLAEH regularly = HLE

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    7. That's what I too had in mind. But then what have cartwheels got to do here as regularly comes at the end and not after healthy.

      Delete
    8. Surprisingly, the above message reappeared without my intervention. When it showed error 502, all I did was refresing!

      Delete
  12. I was rechecking my set of puzzles sent to the paper and today it was in yet another checking that I found a mistake that had escaped my attention in the earlier instances.
    You will recall a Don Manley quote that I mentioned here some days ago.
    Ideally a setter must have a test-solver but I am afraid that luxury is unavailable to most of us setters.
    Editors of newspapers that publish original crosswords don't seem to have test solvers; they have only sub-editors who do bestow some attention but they may not be crossword solvers capable of bringing to bear critical acumen on the task.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Putting together earlier suggestions for 20!-
    Attic from Greek
    HLE from hEaLtHy =< (cartwheeling being the reversal indicator)
    {AT(HLE)TIC}

    ReplyDelete
  14. Finally able to post today..was showing error(Error 502; don't know what it is) since morning..
    +1 for the tagline..found it unusually tough...but could complete albeit in the lunch break only...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I too have been getting that Error 502 for the past couple of hours.

      Delete
  15. 15 Tramp losing direction stumbles round a corner (7)TR(A)IPS E

    Can someone explain the presence of "losing direction"in the clue?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ramesh has explained it above at 10:35.
      Tramp - def
      losing direction - delete diretion - delete S (from)
      stumbles - TRIP after deleting S from trips
      round a - c/c ind; so TR(A)IP
      corner - quarter - SE so TR(A)IP[s] SE

      Delete
    2. I think KKR has assumed E to be corner, hence the problem. If you take it as SE then you can work out the deletion of S from TRIPS.

      Delete
    3. Thanks Vasi sir and Raghunath.
      Couldn't see Ramesh explanation due to Error 502.

      Delete
  16. In my opinion some setters, check for difficulty in solving. Is it true?

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  17. Just wondering how much time on an average, does setters spend on a typical day: on setting, solving or blogging. Curious.

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  18. I try not to read news online but sometimes these headlines hit my eye.
    Shveta Salve and Carol Gracias may be pregnant but they still walk the runway better than you ever will - so runs a crosshead.
    I want to see them taking that walk.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Quite a puzzle from Phantom ! Managed to get all but could not parse several..in Stamping.. where does Sing come from? grass is mat.. Penny is P..rest? Thanks for the parsing on Trap,Commercial..athletic remains still iffy to my mind..Emetic is a super clue !! also Musket and Scooter :) Thanks Phantom.. tackled this late but glad i didnt miss this.. :)

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  20. grass = sing = to inform the police agianst someone or give away information that had been withheld for as long as possible

    ReplyDelete
  21. oh thanks Vasant and CV sir.. now its clear :)

    ReplyDelete

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