Saturday 16 December 2017

No 12190, Saturday 16 Dec 2017, Aspartame

Answer & anno of 25A left for a first time commenter till 10 A.M

Across

1. Participate in famous conference with communal editor having hypermobility (6-7) DOUBLE-JOINTED Anno pending {JOIN}{TED} & {JOINT}{ED} = {DOUBLE-JOINTED} See comments
8. Was designed to absorb ultimately (4) SWAB {WAS}*{absorB} &lit
9. Collect sapling for fish (10) LUMPSUCKER {LUMP}{SUCKER}

10. Extremely poor Indian city's retrograde agreement (3-3) PRE-NUP {PooR}{PUNE<=}
11. Celebrate Eid with liberal — head of unemployment (8) IDLENESS {EID+L*}{NESS}
12. Asps preened mangoes often to get supplement (9) APPENDAGE {AsPs PrEeNeD mAnGoEs}
14. Colour band (4) AQUA (DD)

15. Always value tip-offs (4) EVER {rEVER}
16. Spoiled engineer to hire one male assistant (6,3) OFFICE BOY {OFF}{I}{CE} {BOY}
20. Presentation on Oda's coup requires editing (8) DOCUSOAP {ODAS+COUP}*
21. Instigate former mate with sex appeal in church (6) EXCITE {EX}{C{IT}E}
23. Another hip surgery for high priest (10) HIEROPHANT {ANOTHER+HIP} New word for me.
24. Observes dame ultimately express agreement (4) EYES {damE}{YES}
25. Figure of speech used to describe other map? (5,8) M?X?D M?T?P?O? MIXED METAPHOR {OTHER MAP*} RA See comments

Down

1. Measured powder density in blob of water (7) DEWDROP {POWDER+D}*
2. Union managed to bring in boy belonging to the city (5) URBAN {U}{R{B}AN}
3. Supporter covering boxingamazing play (4,3) LILY PAD {LI{PLAY*}D}
4. Springboard, say as a starting point (7-3,5) JUMPING-OFF PLACE (CD&D)
5. Some cousins ultimately are rude (6) INSULT (T)
6. Process to disburse cheque money (9) TECHNIQUE {CHEQUE+TIN}* Indirect anagram
7. River apes sent into high pressure zone (4-3) DEEP-SEA {DEE}{APES*}
13. Will's female caretaker? (9) EXECUTRIX (CD)
15. I-It’s minute, potentially self-serving (7) EGOTISM {EGO}{IT'S+M*}
17. About IT engineers being hired in a state where energy is low (7) INERTIA {IN{RE+IT*}A}
18. Our wheat is treated for hard compounds to last longer (7) OUTWEAR {OURWhEAT}*
19. Found Vagator piddock to be slow-moving (6) TORPID (T)
22. Move putting king at harm is reported by European (5) CZECH {~CHECK}

GRID

Reference List
Editor=Ed, Liberal=L, Head=Ness, Engineer=CE, One=I, Former mate=Ex, Sex appeal=It, Church=CE
Density=D, Union=U, Boy=B, Money=Tin, River=Dee, I=Ego, About=Re, Hard=H

Colour/Font Scheme

DefinitionSolutionComponent lettersEmbedded links, Anagram IndicatorC/C indicatorReversal IndicatorHidden word IndicatorLetter Pick indicatorDeletion IndicatorHomophone IndicatorMovement IndicatorPositional IndicatorSubstitution, IndicatorLink/Connector, Extraneous

43 comments:

  1. 1A: Communal=Joint
    Editor=Ed
    Participate in famous conference=DO+Uble?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Googling uble didnt reveal any famous conference

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    2. Def:having Hyper-mobility

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    3. It is join in doublet if one takes participate as join. Then what happens to communal. But will doublet qualify as famous conference

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    4. It is {JOIN}{TED} {JOINT}{ED} giving double jointed. Nice one Aspartame

      Delete
  2. Although Hypermobility reveals a double jointed conference!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hypermobilty syndromes Association!

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    2. Participate in:join
      Famous conf:ted (x talks)
      Communal amounts double
      Editor :reversed

      Double jointed.
      My understanding

      Delete
    3. Having thought about it, I think anno is (DOUBLE)(JOINT)(ED); Semi & Lit

      Delete
    4. Correction of auto correct
      Communal joint/double

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    5. Perhaps (DOUBLE)(JOINT)(ED); Semi & Lit

      Delete
  3. HIEROPHANT- Let's leave it to CGB to put it in his para. We're not going to use it today in our everyday conversation or letter to the editor or FB post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As far as he deciphers the mysteries of world using THC solutions, we should give him the title.

      Delete
  4. 25A : Mixed Metaphor.. reverse anagram clue
    *( Other Map )

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Birthday, Deepak! Many Happy Returns!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't 18th Col.'s birthday?

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    2. 18th is Col's FB birthday!

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    3. Col. following the time honoured army tradition of maintaining two birthdays?

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    4. Thank you all. 18th is my birthday in all documents and was always celebrated accordingly till 1982 when my younger son was born on my actual birthday which is 16th. So for economy of effort it has since been celebrated on 16 Dec

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  6. Well, what can one say?
    A tall order putting one between the Devil and DEEP SEA.
    The URBAN OFFICE BOY could no longer take any INSULT.
    He was often scolded for his IDLENESS.
    For being TORPID with the SWAB. For his INERTIA when given an errand. For often being found singing the AQUA song. (Poor boy. That and many other songs did EXCITE him.)
    He was on the verge of being shown the door. On hearing the news from the grapevine he felt like moving to some JUMPING OFF PLACE...
    But there came a saving grace in the form of a Tarot Card reader who was summoned to see why the business house had lost its popularity.
    Everone waited with bated breath. The fifth card.The HIEROPHANT!!
    "You have to send your Office boy to the Super Singer contest."
    And the rest is history.

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  7. Many Happy Returns Of The Day,Col.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy Birthday & Many Happy returns of the day!
    Nice to be celebrating your Birthday with old friends. Have a great Day.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tough one today by Aspertame with a few new words giving rise to varied interpretations.

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  10. Many more happy returns of the day Col.

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  11. Many happy snruter of the day , dear Col. Have a great day and pop up the bubbly with your friends, singing'' He's a jolly good fellow '' ! God bless you with good health, cheer and peace for all the days to come.

    Who was the newbie commenter today ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shravan Kumar. Let him say something about himself..from where he is, what he does

      Delete
  12. I am not convinced re the clue for double jointed. How does it mean it gives hypermobility.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pl. refer to this link to Free Dic. giving the meaning for double jointed-
    https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/double+jointed

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks to all for the b'day greetings. Just got back after a trip to Lavasa near Pune

    ReplyDelete

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