Monday 23 January 2017

No 11911, Monday 23 Jan 2017, Buzzer


Rather interesting set of clues I must say from Buzzer today - 1a, 13d my favs..not very sure of the definition in 24a - this being a word I am rather familiar with :)

ACROSS
1 What has one with a hairy job in a lather? (7,5) SHAVING CREAM (CD)
8 Fancy woman that man is chasing (4) WHIM W(HIM)
9 Notice thug running to contact another (3,2,5) GET IN TOUCH (NOTICE THUG)*
11 Cool song to woo, sweeping off a date (6) SERENE SEREN(-AD)E
12 Moving in is some unwanted issue (8)  EMISSION (IN IS SOME)*
14 Surrealist painter has a pulse on unity (4) DALI (DAL)(I)

16 Real awful getting into public transport in a European country (7) BELARUS (REAL)* in BUS

18 On the other hand, brave alternative (7) VARIANT VA(-L+R)IANT
19 Swelling trend, out of line (4) STYE STY(-L)E
22 Representative of a country's decline, many going outside for master's degree (8) DIPLOMAT (DIP){LO(MA)}
23 Look to talk about automobile's safety feature (3,3) AIR BAG (AIR)(GAB)<=
24 Being aware of entities inside, explores pond enthusiastically (10) RESPONDENT (T)
26 Reflect on victory that is won (4)  VIEW (V)(IE)(W)
27 Sound daft if ladies are around (3,2,1,6) FIT AS A FIDDLE (DAFT IF LADIES)*

DOWN
2 It might punch a hole in a bad actor's rehearsal (6,5) HAMMER  DRILL (HAMMER)(DRILL)

3 Very unprincipled person lacking primarily in style (5) VOGUE (V){(-R)OGUE}
4 Name say for a maniac (6) NUTTER N(UTTER)
5 Australia perhaps lacking good representatives (9) CONTINENT {CONTIN(-G)ENT)
6 I love dogs for example (3) EGO (EG)(O)
7 Cut and run blocking throw (5) SHRED (R) in SHED
10 Lock in operation to stop takeover (4,2) COOP UP (OP) in COUP
13 Wandering in essentially very vast place (5,6) SPACE TRAVEL {(vERy) (VAST PLACE)}* &lit

15 Hidden explosives in elms? (9) LANDMINES L & M in E S
17 Ridicule when raising tax (6) SATIRE (AS)<==TIRE
20 Bored, stifle the thing reflexively (6) ITSELF (STIFLE)*
21 Anxious entering middle age reluctantly (5) EAGER (T)
23 Did catch trends appearing periodically (5) ACTED cAtCh TrEnDs
25 Spinner turning up for a bowl (3) POT (TOP)<==

Legend : Solution; DefinitionLetters in Wordplay; Indicators (anagram, containment, removal, replacement etc)

 GRID

28 comments:

  1. 15D is brilliant, I don't think I would ever have got it

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    Replies
    1. It came in one of the specials on Sunday and I remember asking the parsing for it.. though guessed at the answer.. think ajeesh helped there

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    2. Yes, it was repeat from Sunday Special.
      The unclued grid [meant for removal at the end of day] came in very handy today as the Hindu paper's grid is not functioning.
      Thanks Col, for the new feature.

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  2. Could get 15D because we had a similar clue in one of the Sunday Specials.

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  3. Bruno on 18th Dec last:
    16 They are usually buried under elms? (9)

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    Replies
    1. Didn't solve the 18 Dec special, but I feel the surface is better in the clue today

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    2. Hidden is well used 😀

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    3. PS I too felt today's ver. is better. I didn't solve both the puzzles. Even if I had, I don't have the prodigious memory to recall earlier vrsions. After seeing today's Comments I merely searched for and got the earlier ver. Often two setters may independently write clues using the same wordplay.

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    4. One certainly remembers a clue which requires lateral thinking

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    5. I mean one remembers the anno.

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    6. Good point Raghu .. but I did not remember the niceties of the surface though I did notice the surface was different

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    7. I think without crossings today's clue has a better chance of getting solved..the definition Hidden Explosives leads to Landmines..the definition They are buried..would require a few crossings to get the answer as it happened with me & I am sure with others in the Bruno puzzle

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    8. Obviously several of you archive the clues .. is this from this blog archive or do you have your own personal methods?

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    9. As CV Sir mentioned in the blog in the search head type in the word & you have all the results listed chronolgically in descending order..in this case if you type in elms..you will get the results

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    10. Of course you will have to access the web version and not from your cell

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  4. A brilliant puzzle with gems strewn all over the place..If shaving cream and fit as a fiddle were lovely, the simple Ego was outstanding..the trick in Landmines, though brilliant, didnt have that aha moment as it came recently in the Bruno puzzle..
    An equally brilliant blog Srividya.
    Thanks for the entertainment & a superb beginning to the new week.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks vasant.. yes Dogs as a placement indicator is unusual .. thanks for pointing it out

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  5. A gem of a puzzle! And as much of the discussion today was on 15dn dangerous LANDMINE, thought of sharing this joke....😊

    A man is walking down the street when he steps on a landmine. His leg is blown clean off as well as some distance down the street. As he looks up he sees a stray dog grab his leg and begin carrying it down the street. This infuriates the man so, in a state of shock, he stands on his one leg and starts hopping like the devil is chasing him down the street. Just then, a nearby onlooker yells at him "You'll never catch him! That dog has FIVE legs!"

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    Replies
    1. No online solving possible? So, have to be happy to read the blog though I'd have loved to solve this much-discussed crossie. I'll try the grid formation from the site given by dear Vasant so thoughtfully.

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  6. Excellent CW with quite a wide variety of clues, all equally brilliant. Thank you Buzzer.
    I would never have got Ego & Landmine (in spite of its appearance in a recent Sunday special)

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  7. So howz this .. composed to commemorate the passion that lies just below..

    Dey..sounds like you are Pigging out on aspic! Pig...nope .. it's all just bull (10)

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