Thursday 31 August 2017

No 12100, Thursday 31 Aug 2017, Arden


ACROSS
1   Live with man without love and complain (6) BEMOAN {BE}{M{O}AN}
4   Family in panic, could it be cosmetic? (8) SKINCARE {S{KIN}CARE}
10 Knowing how to work out tan and cosign (9) COGNISANT {TAN+COSIGN}*
11 Right in step with judge (5) TRIER {T{R}IER}
12 Dupe, escape and retreat (7) CONVENT {CON}{VENT}
13 Fish and wine bottles — put two and two together (7) HADDOCK {H{ADD}OCK}
14 Cut back and forth, no union leader can demand (5) EXACT {AXE<=}{CuT}
15 Final count accepted and honoured (8) ENNOBLED {EN{NOBLE}D}
18 Endless noise — breaking into a song on the island (8) SARDINIA {lesS}{AR{DIN}IA}
20 After two times ring the muse (5) ERATO {ERA}{T}{O}
23 Fire dummy projectile, keep it subsonic (7) IMPEACH {1}{M{Pr...lE}ACH} Anno for I not clear See comments
25 The empty train moves — goes on and on (7) ITERANT {ThE+TRAIN}*
26 Curbs placed on vegetation (5) SCRUB*
27 A crowd gets wild perhaps when terrified (9) AWESTRUCK {A}WESTRUCK Anno pending (Addendum - {A}{WEST}{RUCK} - See comments)
28 Half the country live in ordinary surroundings, not getting paid (8) HONORARY {HO{NORway}ARY} Hoary/Ordinary?
29 "No sir, please send some of them back to jail" (6) PRISON [T<=]

DOWN
1   Call frequency entered as one rode a bike (8) BICYCLED {BI{CYCLE}D}
2   Spy chief meets spy under a shade (7) MAGENTA {M}{AGENT}{A}
3   Daniel met cook who fed him (9) ALIMENTED*
5   Meat serf may play an advisory role (7,7) KITCHEN CABINET [DD] Serf or Safe?
6   Acknowledged promotion from day school (5) NOTED {D}{ETON}<=
7   Fat girl in a display (7) ADIPOSE {A}{DI}{POSE}
8   Vacancies at the top, make sure characters shout — bingo! (6) EUREKA {mAKE+sURE}*
9   A and the, articles in use — not a practical idea (6,2,3,3)  CASTLE IN THE AIR {A+THE+ARTICLES+IN}*
16 He guards the winner who gets increased payment (9) BEEFEATER {BEATER} over {FEE<=}
17 Hide difficult task — enter 'enter' (8) GOATSKIN {TASK}* in {GO IN}
19 Drug is good, one is hoping (7) ASPIRIN ASPIRINg
21 Warning signals as booze gets bottled, unfortunately (7) ALARUMS {ALA{RUM}S}
22 Provide uniform for half the academy, it's tacky (6) KITSCH {KIT}{SCHool}
24 Warning light, as child leaves the room (5) AMBER chAMBER

GRID

44 comments:

  1. Subsonic under 1mach
    27a A west (wild perhaps) ruck (group of PPL)
    5d I took chicken Tibetan*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THE 5D will become indirect anagram, right?

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    2. I am still learning syntax. I cannot say with authority. But kitchen cabinet is a ref to informal coterie (advisory role)

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    3. Great cracking Prasad for 1 Mack. I could anno 27A while I think Kitchen cabinet is as per CV Sir's parsing

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    4. yes. Was reminded of Charles Ernest Carson OF Downtown ABBEY, the main (meat) serf. But I took cryptic solving to close. Stand corrected.

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    5. Thanks Peasad, my mind was stuck on supersonic because 1 MACH is supersonic

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  2. A serf was a peasant and the lowest-ranking person in the feudal system of agriculture and so a household may have had 'meat serf' whose job was to kill animals, skin, cook and serve them to the Lord.

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    Replies
    1. But then how do you get CABINET?

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    2. In my view it seems to be a transcription error somewhere, as a 'MEAT SAFE'e is a kitchen cabinet

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    3. I wish Arden explains on clues under discussion.

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  3. 5d: The def is "[it] may play an advisory role"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CV sir- doesn't the lack of "it" change the part speech of the def from a noun to an adjective?

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  4. Replies
    1. Why?
      Spy chief=M(James Bond's boss)
      Spy=Agent
      Agent is under A
      M+AGENT+A

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    2. If AGENT is under A then it becomes M A AGENT.

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    3. meets->raises/redeems agent under a.

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    4. I think in a down clue someting under A would mean something before A?

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    5. Spy chief = M
      meets
      spy under = AGENT (below)
      a = A
      shade = definition = {M}{AGENT}{A}

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    6. That is very logical👍

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  5. Did the puzzle the hard way. For some reason, the IA version wouldnt open in my lap top.What to do?
    Went to my mobile. Copied the clues from the IA version, mailed the same to me. Pasted the clues in my excel grid and solved. We crossword addicts are crazy, arent we?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. why not solve on the phone.

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    2. Quite difficult to skim through the clues,Prasad.The size of the screen too makes it difficult.

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    3. Can't be crazier than me! My wife takes the trouble of driving to a xerox shop to take copies of the Times of India Sunday two-in-one . In Nairobi, The Club library girl used to dutifully cut all the crossies from all the old newspapers of London after they are read. In Bombay, my sister-in-law cuts daily crossies of the ET and have them sent over to me , while my backside neighbour here, sends me the Business times ones ! and of course, friends like you send me the grid and clues when I'm desperate ! Makes two of our lind, eh, Vasant ?

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    4. TOI Sunday Times & ET crosswords can be solved in your computer. If you require the grids and how to copy paste the clues I can help. No need to take xerox printout or ask someone to take cuttings. In today's times duniya muthi mein!

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    5. TOI Sunday Times uses only two grids. ET has 5 types of grids

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    6. I used to solve both regularly. But now I have given up. ETs are all reruns whereas the STOI clues-atleast most of them-are standard Rufus fare collected and recycled year after year

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    7. Thanks, Vasant. I prefer pen on paper , more so because I want to collect the solved ones. I do many others online already like the Guardian and Hindustan Times
      but Have to collect the clippings in my pile for my update in the Limca Book. I agree that doing online has advantages but only the Guardian allows one to save as all others don't, unless I take the trouble of screen-shots.

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  6. A friend of mine in Mumbai, at my request, has sent me clippings of crosswords from Mumbai papers. I shall write my notes on them tomorrow.

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    Replies
    1. I hope it includes the Giant crossword that appears in the Afternoon Courier once a week. I can hardly wait to see your comments tomorrow !

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  7. I got to this late today and struggled with it. A few question:
    In 19D "Drug is good, one is hoping (7)" What is the indication that g(good) is to be removed from "aspiring"?
    23A- Impeach is different from "fire", isn't it?
    16D- How does "increased" become a reversal indicator, even in a down clue? If the logic is "increased=gone up", it seems to be one level removed as an instruction.
    29A- doesn't a hidden word have to be "completely" hidden?
    8D- is "shout" an anagrind?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 19D:Reverse addition. Aspirin+G
      23A:I think fair enough. You impeach someone to remove him
      16D:Think it is a fair indication.
      29A: Perhaps you are right

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    2. 23a Yes. Technically impeachment is only "process by which a legislative body formally levels charges". It does not include removal. Removal is a separate process.

      16d increased-> raised

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    3. Incidentally, Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson were impeached but not removed.

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    4. Thanks for the replies. MB- then what's the role of "shout" is "bingo" is the def?

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    5. I think definition is Shout bingo=eureka

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  8. I'm having a problem with this, in that case. :) Shout bingo is a verb phrase, eureka is not.

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    Replies
    1. I think it is an exclamation meaning I have found it! Translated to Shout:bingo!

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    2. Nice of you to raise such queries.Makes one think deeper and find out more.

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    3. Thanks. Just to be clear, I do appreciate the efforts of the setters, even though I am stumped/ find myself in disagreement at times with the clue constructions.

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