Sunday 20 November 2016

Special, Sunday 20 Nov 2016, Balderdash


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

BLACK OR WHITE?


I am not referring to the present POTUS or the POTUS-elect. No, I am also not referring to the colour of your money, though that may be of topical interest. Nor am I referring to Michael Jackson’s song. I am not even referring to those squares you stare at in a crossword grid. In a world war of sorts that is raging now, one sometimes gets Black and sometimes White. Sometimes Black wins, sometimes White and sometimes neither. After a dozen battles, there is a possibility that it might move into rapid mode and  blitz or end in Armageddon.We have heard that they have even used Trumpowsky! What will be the final result? Well, we should know by the end of the month, though the winner has been, at different points, Black or White. Wouldn’t you want to know the answer in black and white? Let's see what the squares say ... 


ACROSS
8   Arab lads saunter to place serving greens (5,3)
9   Greek style found in medallion icons (5)
10 Lug student to nobleman (4)
11 Animal's horn's broken around midpoint (5)
12 Egg's round and has some violet and unusual mould for starters (4)
13 Shake dry in 10 shakes (6)
15 New hairstyle without using a drop of lotion results in frenzied excitement (8)
16 Excited Mongolians in absence of Ali designed parts of time-keeping devices (7)
18 Smuggle broken goblet with ring (7)
21 After garden trip commenced, had a bite with teeth (8)
23 Send away old bird (6)
25 Macy's restructured organisation for youth (1,1,1,1)
26 River animal loses tail at the end of struggle (5)
27 Gentlemen, at first, usually hold list for ordering at a restaurant (4)
29 Animal commonly seen in Kenya lately (5)
30 Tom's at Head Office with some French terminals (8)

DOWN
1   Wine found rejected during a vacation (4)
2   Lothar dances and gets old tart (6)
3   Aden beer poured out for terrier, perhaps (8)
4   Maidens wait for this man? Correct! (2,5)
5   Stop going back around four swings (6)
6   Blameless Sara left non-sectarian organisation (8)
7   Prepared ten curries for inspector (10)
14 Indian moron has no right to travel in these times (4,6)
17 Mad Alan's bad drawings (8)
19 Injured humans left damaged apartment house showing dramatic performance (8)
20 Enchant female dog around beginning of Easter week (7)
22 Windbag's top class cars crashed (6)
24 Drum to manufacture initially, and repeat (3-3)
28 North Eastern England port's primary vegetable (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at BALDERDASH 8

Enjoy

Update 1st Dec.2016: At the World Chess Championship concluded yesterday, Magnus Carlsen retained the title of the World Chess Champion, as highlighted below in the solution grid of this puzzle:



56 comments:

  1. 8A- salad bar- (Arab lads)
    Def.-Serving greens

    10A- (Ear)L- Def.- Nobleman

    2D- harlot- (Lothar)*
    Def.- Old tart

    ReplyDelete
  2. 11A:RHINO:I(mid poInt)around HORN*
    16A:GNOMONS:{MONGOLIANS-(ALI)*}*
    3D:ABERDEEN:(ADEN BEER)*

    ReplyDelete
  3. Easy-peasy
    4a Maidens wait for this man? Correct! (2,5) MR RIGHT - cryptic def
    5a Stop going back around four swings (6) PIVOT - v in rev. of pots
    27a Gentlemen, at first, usually hold list for ordering at a restaurant (4) MENU - men + u - unusual telescopic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 4a Maidens wait for this man? Correct! (2,5) MR RIGHT
      Maidens wait for this =defn
      man= MR Correct=RIGHT

      Delete
  4. 4 down: MR RIGHT:Man: Mr. Correct : right- Mr Right : every maiden's dream to get married to !

    18 across: BOOTLEG-- anagram oof GOBLET and O for ring- To smuggle- bootleg

    NYALA: Animal seen in KeNYA LAtely : NYALA contained in the words Kenya lately:

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used frequently cross the Nyali bridge when at Mombasa

      Delete
    2. I lived near the Nyali bridge fronting a marina ! I was told of there being a Njinn beyond the bridge in a black outfit seeking a lift to the northern end ! Nearer the spot, I used to step on the gas driving my Citroen !!

      Delete
  5. ACROSS
    13 Shake dry in 10 shakes (6) RATTLE - TT in EARL*
    DOWN
    14 Indian moron has no right to travel in these times (4,6) ANNO DOMINI anagram of Indian Moon -r
    17 Mad Alan's bad drawings (8) MANDALAS anagram of MAD ALAN'S

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am not able to connect the CW to the elaborate preamble referring to an event where an Indian ace is missing after a long long time. The event has so far been even- not just because of his absence. Possibilities are opening up for a rapid or blitz.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The reference is to the World Chess Championship 2016 currently on between reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen and challenger Sergey Karjakin.

      Delete
    2. Or Armageddon. Puts me on the edge! ;)

      Delete
    3. Starts rather late- otherwise we can follow live. Location to blame.

      Delete
    4. Actually watching a chess match live is less interesting than a hare and tortoise race. Re-enactment is more fun

      Delete
  7. 10 in in 13A refers to 10 A. It held me up for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Black & White Squares of Chess-Board.
    Sergey(Karjakin) or Magnus (Carlssen) Is Champ for the forthcoming World Chess Championship

    ReplyDelete
  9. I got that, but I was expecting some clues or answers pertaining to the event.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Extraordinary Grid..Encore Balderdash!

    ReplyDelete
  11. 22 Windbag's top class cars crashed (6) AI (RSAC)*
    24 Drum to manufacture initially, and repeat (3-3)TO M- TO M
    28 North Eastern England port's primary vegetable (4)N E E P

    ReplyDelete
  12. Surprise offering from Balderdash thanks to Deepak's good gesture in honour of ???? . Chequered grid?

    ReplyDelete
  13. ACROSS
    18 Smuggle broken goblet with ring (7) BO(O)TLEG*
    21 After garden trip commenced, had a bite with teeth (8) EDEN T ATE
    23 Send away old bird (6) EX TERN

    ReplyDelete
  14. Will it be the Champ on the right or the challenger on the left?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Who'll be at top and bottom ?

      Delete
    2. I read the sides coninuously as:
      Top row with right column
      Left column with bottom row

      Delete
    3. How can the champ be at the top and also at the bottom. Bit of a paradox?

      Delete
    4. Depends on whether you are a rightist or a leftist. NR has it

      Delete
  15. Still open:
    Across: 9,12,15,25,26,30
    Down:1,6,7,19,20

    ReplyDelete
  16. 9A: IONIC (telescopic)
    12A: OVUM (acrostic)
    15A: HYSTERIA (hairstyle -l)*

    ReplyDelete
  17. 9A. IONIC (T)
    12A. OVUM (Acrostic)
    15A. HYSTERIA (HAIRSTYLE-L)*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ramki was probably a few seconds earlier. Please try again

      Delete
  18. 25A Y M C A*
    26A RHINO- O + (-Struggl)E
    30A CAT + HO + DES

    Nice Gambit to keep us on the edge(s) K

    ReplyDelete
  19. ALL DOWN CLUES:
    6D INNOCENT (Anagram of Non-sectarian minus Sara)
    7D SCRUTINEER (Anagram of ten curries)
    19D OPERETTA (Anagram of apartment house minus humans)

    ReplyDelete
  20. 20 D BEWITCH ( B Easter Week ITCH ) def: ENCHANT

    ReplyDelete
  21. That's all folks. Thanks for participating

    ReplyDelete
  22. If you are bald can you become balder?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mr S has a bald head, but maybe he has some sideburns and hair just above the nape. When he loses one of these (sideburns/hair over nape) , he becomes balder. When he loses both, and is less hirsute when compared to a billiard ball, he is baldest (compared to other bald people). I restrict myself to the head

      Delete
  23. Thank you BD for the interesting exercise and the more interesting message it carried. This comes after the football world cup. But it may take longer to spot the champ.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since the matches are played over a fortnight, and there is a possibility of the winner being clearly identified before all the 12 matches are played or even by next Sunday, I had to place this puzzle today. The finalists for the Euro cup (not World Cup) were known just 2 days earlier, so I had very little time there compared to this one, but decision there happened in a few hours

      Delete
    2. That was a different ball game, so to say

      Delete
  24. This looks to be a no-ball game. That was real quick and it had clues for both options, which was superb.

    ReplyDelete
  25. :-)
    I did not mean the CW, but the chess match.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Back after the worst round of Golf I have ever played :-((

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Golf requires one to have a good vocabulary of four letter words;)

      Delete
    2. Cheer up! That means there's a very high probability of doing better next time

      Delete

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