tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post1248128398120568282..comments2024-03-29T00:04:26.667+05:30Comments on THE HINDU CROSSWORD CORNER: No.11168, Wednesday 20 Aug 2014, ScintillatorCol_Gopinathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06166793743790376031noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-77011926822309877182014-08-21T07:01:25.906+05:302014-08-21T07:01:25.906+05:30I'm with VJ.
I'm primarily a solver for 2...I'm with VJ.<br /><br />I'm primarily a solver for 29 days of the month. <br /><br />I think the focus should be on what a solver says than what he does for a living (or a hobby). <br /><br />Colonel being retired has got nothing to do with his opinion of a clue or crossword. Similarly CV being a fellow setter is incidental to any concerns he raises about another's clue.Bhavanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05852787341816551917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-46354559957157782862014-08-20T17:47:23.550+05:302014-08-20T17:47:23.550+05:30Got around to doing this very late today. A scinti...Got around to doing this very late today. A scintillating time indeed - thank you to the setter, and also to the blogger and the cartoonists!<br /><br />I especially liked the clues for PLAYLIST and RAIN-CLOUD - deft wordplay and very smooth surfaces. Kudos to Scintillator!<br /><br />One quibble: in 25, the definition for LAUDATORY is given as 'praiseworthy', but laudatory actually means expressing praise. It is laudable that means praiseworthy. (For illustration: my LAUDATORY comments above are about the LAUDABLE clueing by Scintillator!)Abhayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04198192791769284895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-85448897666536772352014-08-20T17:42:22.451+05:302014-08-20T17:42:22.451+05:3028A, I feel Germany = G is not such a commonly abb...28A, I feel Germany = G is not such a commonly abbreviation that it could be used as an anagram fodder without any indicator.VJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06104893127782704192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-50012135480120187092014-08-20T16:27:59.337+05:302014-08-20T16:27:59.337+05:3023D: The clue works without 'at wedding', ...23D: The clue works without 'at wedding', but the surface suffers. The bride was possibly hungry after the elaborate rituals, and this plausible context is lost, and the clue reads brusque and crossword-ish.<br /><br />29A: The intended cryptic-ness was to stem from the use of 's, which has to read as 'has' for the cryptic definition to work. One 'has'/gets fine if one does not have a ticket. Agreed the clue is not wholly satisfying.<br /><br />28A: Bhavan is right - top=behead, topped IN=N, german=G, etc.<br /><br />7D: The question is not where one could face zero loss. The definition in a cryptic clue need only be <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_and_sufficiency" rel="nofollow">sufficient and not necessary</a>. I reckon "What you get from a profitable venture" is sufficient to define zero loss. It is not necessary since there could be other means/businesses to make zero loss.<br /><br />4D: I think there is a subtle difference: you soak in <i>your</i> sorrow, but you need to soak up or absorb the excitement in your environment. Suppose you are in a party where everyone is high and you are feeling left out, then the clue could be a goading from one of your friends. The bottom line is that while 'soak'='saturate', 'soak up'= 'absorb'. Again, 'get' helps the surface, and is universally accepted as a charade indicator, and reads rather better than the abrupt version without it.<br /><br />Kudos to the colour coding of wordplay by Kishore. He should have finished the puzzle really quickly.Scintillatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01535448151406227814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-24091525984431528582014-08-20T12:45:54.465+05:302014-08-20T12:45:54.465+05:30Away from today's topic. Is it possible for an...Away from today's topic. Is it possible for anyone to create dictionaries similar to "Bradford's Crossword Solvers Dic." or "Oxford Crossword Dictionary". I am suggesting this, as these books are not India based. I am not sure if everyone have seen these books..Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15507256986140206852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-51965452898221988212014-08-20T11:52:42.056+05:302014-08-20T11:52:42.056+05:30Yes...Yes...Aakash Sridharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12857485101313290643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-30245885241004624532014-08-20T11:32:45.467+05:302014-08-20T11:32:45.467+05:30+1
Mistakes committed by any of us, makes us aware...+1<br />Mistakes committed by any of us, makes us aware of pitfalls to be avoidedKishorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18398234335975124266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-63655576732721187052014-08-20T11:20:37.307+05:302014-08-20T11:20:37.307+05:30I don't think there's anything wrong in fe...I don't think there's anything wrong in fellow-setters commenting on clues written by their counterparts. Here, most setters continue to solve puzzles written by other setters and as solvers, if they wish to make a comment or two they should feel free to do so. As long as there's no personal attacks, it's all fine. As such, clues are discussed based on its merit and not on who's written it. A clue is sound or otherwise regardless of who's written it. <br /><br />As long as focus is on the clue in question there's nothing wrong in setters dropping their 2 cents in.<br /><br />VJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06104893127782704192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-73515247424417857702014-08-20T10:30:30.922+05:302014-08-20T10:30:30.922+05:30None of us perfect and we could make the odd mista...None of us perfect and we could make the odd mistake or two. I'm open to scrutiny by bloggers here.Raghunathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17162552411714117166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-22280457473078994012014-08-20T10:03:00.204+05:302014-08-20T10:03:00.204+05:30top as a verb means to remove the top off. Probabl...top as a verb means to remove the top off. Probably N = topped IN.Bhavanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05852787341816551917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-18267686415843304262014-08-20T09:54:03.101+05:302014-08-20T09:54:03.101+05:30In UK based blogs setters rarely drop by in the Co...In UK based blogs setters rarely drop by in the Comments section to answer any queries. Usually it's other solvers who clear any doubts.<br />Even rarer is a setter commenting on the clues of a fellow-setter.<br />However, in this blog we find that is almost always a setter who points out what he perceives are errors or inconsistencies in the clues.<br />I don't find anything odd in this.<br />In India, most solvers do the puzzles in a perfunctory manner. Those who look at the clues in a critical manner are those who by innate nature or education or practice or a combination of all these are those capable of turning into setters or those who are already setters.<br />So there is nothing surprising in setters anatomising the clues.<br />I, for one, am not averse to my clues coming under the scanner of my fellow-setters.<br />Opinions on this Comment welcome from fellow-members of this esteemed blog.Chaturvasihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00284780490945841507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-59226839920158408192014-08-20T09:29:06.751+05:302014-08-20T09:29:06.751+05:30I too was thinking on those lines. But I am not su...I too was thinking on those lines. But I am not sure how 'topped in X' can give the initial and last letters of X.Chaturvasihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00284780490945841507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-12133358674498542122014-08-20T09:16:20.284+05:302014-08-20T09:16:20.284+05:30I presume Scintillator means "topped in Germa...I presume Scintillator means "topped in German" as G and N from GermanDeepak Gopinathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06337043600355573557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-55424373838528072602014-08-20T09:14:44.968+05:302014-08-20T09:14:44.968+05:30VJ
Other than Bride or Bridegroom what else can yo...VJ<br />Other than Bride or Bridegroom what else can you infer from "newly-wed" ?Deepak Gopinathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06337043600355573557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-90812075394370262442014-08-20T09:11:50.543+05:302014-08-20T09:11:50.543+05:30Yep, CD could have been better. A person who's...Yep, CD could have been better. A person who's fined is not "fine."VJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06104893127782704192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-26631580033794933652014-08-20T09:09:19.084+05:302014-08-20T09:09:19.084+05:30I think "at wedding" is used to properly...I think "at wedding" is used to properly define "newly-wed." A woman is not a bride long after I.e. days after the wedding is over though she could still be newly-wedVJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06104893127782704192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-23026712929813743492014-08-20T09:08:54.431+05:302014-08-20T09:08:54.431+05:3028 Relatively tough criminal topped in German reso...28 Relatively tough criminal topped in German resort (8) STRONGER (G RESORT)*? N from?<br /><br />The answer to 'N' maybe found in 'topped'?Raghunathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17162552411714117166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-57012536600519149072014-08-20T09:02:27.996+05:302014-08-20T09:02:27.996+05:30"Dope to soak up excitement" looks fine ..."Dope to soak up excitement" looks fine to meDeepak Gopinathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06337043600355573557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-2182356642591489902014-08-20T09:01:13.254+05:302014-08-20T09:01:13.254+05:30Could work but the surface may seem incomplete. Wi...Could work but the surface may seem incomplete. With "get," the clue reads betterVJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06104893127782704192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-79512299466028750362014-08-20T08:58:50.311+05:302014-08-20T08:58:50.311+05:30Can the clue work w/o 'get'?Can the clue work w/o 'get'?Raghunathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17162552411714117166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-53308042917454093342014-08-20T08:57:22.891+05:302014-08-20T08:57:22.891+05:30It's a tribute to Kishore, having posted the b...It's a tribute to Kishore, having posted the blog by 0830. This is a tough one. Raghunathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17162552411714117166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-33813256828850915292014-08-20T08:56:25.057+05:302014-08-20T08:56:25.057+05:30It works in my opinion. It's like "gettin...It works in my opinion. It's like "getting" one wordplay component to another and arriving at the answerVJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06104893127782704192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-61041410688584967502014-08-20T08:55:47.894+05:302014-08-20T08:55:47.894+05:30Why, can't the newly-wed appear elsewhere in a...Why, can't the newly-wed appear elsewhere in a coffee club or theatre or somewhere else?<br />But it's quite correct to say 'at wedding' does not play any part in the clue.<br />Chaturvasihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00284780490945841507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-44503222041485689012014-08-20T08:53:56.777+05:302014-08-20T08:53:56.777+05:30IMO get is not needed. Soak up 'fun' = Soa...IMO get is not needed. Soak up 'fun' = Soak up excitement.Raghunathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17162552411714117166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195377761774996603.post-27657897251394539832014-08-20T08:53:08.409+05:302014-08-20T08:53:08.409+05:30I see what you mean. In fine, this CD doesn't ...I see what you mean. In fine, this CD doesn't seem to come off quite well.Chaturvasihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00284780490945841507noreply@blogger.com