Thursday 7 July 2016

Special, Thursday 07 Jul 2016, Pluralist


EID MUBARAK

Three answers per commenter as usual till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please provide all your answers in one comment


ACROSS
1   City of buns - could be Turkish? (4)
3   Girl heard setter is behind bars for deliberate concealment of treason (10)
10 Trendy toffs uncovered a foul at snooker (2-3)
11 See sporty assortment in strains of microorganisms (9)
12 Distinctive umlaut is interchangeable (6)
13 Dead Levantine - or Argentine, perhaps - deceives the birds (8)
15 Torque for churning cheese (9)
17 Worship starts late after initial reservations materialise (5)
19 Shortened tests, primarily, enable X-ray analysis much sooner (5)
21 Edward the Little imbibes enough brew to be fortified (9)
23 Vehicle spun clear of the prison (8)
24 EU flow affected? That’s sad! (6)
27 Again provide short umpire with pot - and one’s husband! (9)
28 Spherical germs intermittently crop cacti (5)
29 Get subordinate to run (10)
30 Water pipe makes the sound of bell (4)

DOWN
1   Cooking arrangement for biscuit brand from Gustave’s 1 across (4-5)
2   Rowers’ bench - or berth - often containing... (5)
4   (&25 down) ...motheaten sofa to pick endlessly - necessarily! (4,5)
5   Inflated temporary structure has holey walls! (10)
6   Animated greetings uncovered by 21, for one (7)
7   Strong urge has little devil raving in Seoul – drug-free! (9)
8   Goal-oriented effort helps us in not holding back (5)
9   These days, Olga vacantly moves round about apartment (2,4)
14 Disagree with shrink eating half of diet (10)
16 Confused Frida comes into money divided into four parts (9)
18 Screaming about overuse of vigorous singing (9)
20 More transparent smears, oddly, about legendary lover (7)
22 Illicit liquor is a joke on Switzerland (6)
23 Symbol of plenitude cut in half by horn-like projection (5)
25 (see 2 down)
26 Avoid some fresh unrest (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at PLURALIST 7

Enjoy.

76 comments:

  1. Holiday special as there is no CW in the paper

    ReplyDelete
  2. 12A: MUTUAL(UMLAUT)
    24A:WOEFUL(EU FLOW)*
    28A:COCCI (CrOp CaCtI)

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  3. Eid Mubarak!
    Thanks Col for putting this up!

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  4. 29A- Understand
    Def.- Get
    Subordinate- Under
    To run- stand

    26D- Shun (T)

    9D- Of Late- These days- O(FLAT)E

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  5. 14 Disagree with shrink eating half of diet (10) CONTRA(DI..)CT
    16 Confused Frida comes into money divided into four parts (9) QU(ADRIF)ID
    18 Screaming about overuse of vigorous singing (9)Y(O.D)ELLING

    Error in 9D. Obama & Olga both end in ‘A’

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Where did you get Obama from?

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    2. Yes about 9D. I had that doubt while filling in, but hesitated in pointing out.

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    3. It is given as Obama in the interactive crossword

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    4. 18D Screaming about overuse of vigorous singing (9)Y(O.D)ELLING

      My take was {Y(OD<==)ELLING}

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    5. My intent was Raghunath's reading - overuse giving OD.

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    6. So 'overuse' = 'over dose' = O.D. as Raghu had meant.

      Delete
  6. 21A Edward the Little imbibes enough brew to be fortified (9)T{OUGHEN}*ED

    10A Trendy toffs uncovered a foul at snooker (2-3){IN}-{(-t)OFF(-s)}

    1D Cooking arrangement for biscuit brand from Gustave’s 1 across (4-5){BAIN}-{MARIE}

    Bain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homme_au_bain_(painting)

    ReplyDelete
  7. 15A Torque for churning cheese (9) ROQUEFORT {TORQUE FOR}*
    19A Shortened tests, primarily, enable X-ray analysis much sooner (5) EXAMS {Acronym}
    30A Water pipe makes the sound of bell (4) BONG [DD]

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  8. 23D Symbol of plenitude cut in half by horn-like projection (5)
    CORNUCOPIA - Symbol of plenitude
    DEF: CORNU - horn-like projection

    a horn-shaped projection of the thyroid cartilage or of certain bones (such as the hyoid and the coccyx).

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  9. 7d Strong urge has little devil raving in Seoul – drug-free! (9) IMPULSION (IMP plus SION - anag of insoul after deleting e - drug)

    22d Illicit liquor is a joke on Switzerland (6) HOOTCH (HOOT plus CH) - a sp var of 'hooch' that is more common in India

    26d Avoid some fresh unrest (4) SHUN (hid in 'fresh unrest')

    ReplyDelete
  10. Still to go...
    Ac: 1, 3, 13, 17, 27
    Dn: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 20, 25
    (E & O E; discretion may be used)

    ReplyDelete
  11. 2 DN - IPSO FACTO - Sofa To Pic(k)
    27 Ac - REFURNISH - REF(Short Umpire) - URN(Pot) - ISH (One's H)
    3 AC - MISPRISION - MIS (Girl heard) I with PRISON

    ReplyDelete
  12. 2 DN - IPSO FACTO - Sofa To Pic(k
    I think the clue is 4 and 25dn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely right, CV - 2 down is a standalone clue; it is 4dn and 25dn that are linked.

      Delete
  13. Thank you for putting this up, Colonel.

    I apologise to everyone for the two errors that I missed - the use of OlgA/ObamA in 9D where the fodder needed to end with E, and the typo in the clue for 25d which refers to 2D rather than 4D. I am mortified that the slips should have made it to the final version! :(

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  14. 11 across: SEROTYPES- anagram of SEE SPORTY- a strain of microorganism

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  15. 6 down: INTENSE- animated - from GREETINGS (-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The answer needs a re-look please! How do you account for 21?

      Delete
    2. GREETINGS -- delete GRG(DELETE)add N ? TOUGHENED (FROM 21)=INTENSE any better annotation?I'd love to know

      I/m doing this crossie by rote - Didn't expect a Special today and hence logged in late- not in my elements , maybe ?

      Delete
    3. Me too late today...The answer could be INTEGER as 21 is an example.

      Delete
    4. GS uncovered from greetings and animated being the anagrind

      Delete
  16. 5DOWN: PORTENTOUS- Holey wall POROUS and TENT- temporary structure- anagram of POROUS &TENT- Inflated= PORTENTOUS

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  17. Raju says: "I am doing this crossie by rote"

    What does he mean?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ROTE- parrot fashion ! involuntary: reflexive action == That's the present state of my mind !

      Today's crossie made me lose a few more strands on my pate !

      Today's crossword made me lose a few more of my left-over strands of hair !

      A few new words learnt as synonyms : Prison as in23 across. Can't say I'm now doing it by rote !

      A very infectious theme for cryptic crosswords? COCCI and SEROTYPES ? I'm riven into a 16 down !

      Delete
  18. THE FINAL SEVEN YET TO BE SOLVED

    Across : 1, 13, 17 & 23

    Down : 2, 8 & 20

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  19. I got THOFT by deductive logic - Past tense of THEFT? HA HA another new word learnt. I've never seen this in any of my perigrinations of cryptic crosswords.

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  20. One across is very refreshing !

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  21. 17 across is a mental contortion -- terrific Turkish delight - very yummy clue !

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  22. A cornucopia of cryptic clues ! Good Eid fare for the bheja !

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  23. I wonder who'll make an 8down to get the deceiving birds in 13 across!

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  24. The deceiving birds are SEAGULLS.
    Dead Levantine = (DEAD) SEA
    Deceives - GULLS

    ReplyDelete
  25. Replies
    1. Absolutely - Dead, Levantine, and Argentine are all names of seas.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Abhay.
      It is quite enjoyable spread today!

      Delete
  26. Got 8D at last, but my hands are tied!

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  27. Raju, thoroughly enjoyed reading all your comments! Thank you for your appreciation of the clues.

    ReplyDelete
  28. 1A : BATH (DD) Bath Bun & Turkish Bath
    17A : REIFY {Reservations}{dEIFY}
    23A : CARCERAL {CAR}{CLEAR*}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had intended 1A as triple definition: city, buns, and "could be Turkish".

      Delete
    2. But you will not go Scot-free ?

      Delete
    3. Well, I have already put myself in prison in 3 across! :)

      Delete
  29. Thank you Abhay for a brainstorming session. Should I also thank TH for not publishing a CW today?! (enabling us to do yours)

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  30. I would call it a brain-teaser! Got all except 1 & 17 across. Thanks Abhay. :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you for the appreciation, Paddy and MB!

    I must say I was surprised that 1A was among the last to fall. When setting the clues, I had felt it was one of the most straightforward clues of the lot.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Yes indeed. I too got it first and thought that 'Turkish' easily led to it. Of course, I got caught in 'Integer' and a few others.

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  33. Abhay, a real brainteaser. Learnt a few new words today. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  34. 20 dn. Heer and (s)m(e)a(r) = s(heer)er

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  35. 20 dn. Heer and (s)m(e)a(r) = s(heer)er

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  36. This crossword was conceived when I came across (and fell in love with!) the word MISPRISION while watching the British TV series, "The Tudors". Even as I continued watching, the clue formed in my head, and the "setter in prison" image was alluring enough to try to put the word into a crossword - and here were are! :)

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  37. Nice xword Pluralist..loved the clues across the grid..was travelling the whole day & tried to cold solve most clues...shall try solving in across lite in the evening

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  38. Allow me to make a digression:
    This is Absolutely Brilliant:
    The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
    As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".
    In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.
    There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
    In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
    Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
    Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
    By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
    During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.
    Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi TU understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
    Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
    If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.
    And....
    Congratulations...! You have learnt German within minutes...

    ReplyDelete
  39. I will stay with Britain that has exited EU and I will follow Br Eng.

    ReplyDelete

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