I for one did not enjoy today's crossword, though I have completed it. The compiler has repeated parts of clues at various places like AD for example and has not clearly come out with the wordplay in some places. (Update - I have added as comments Chaturvasi's explanations which he gave on another community)
ACROSS
1 - Totally commit to bargain at the opening sound of the house girl (2,3,5,3) – GO THE WHOLE HOG Annotation not clear
8 - Sound way to reason around in Durham area (9) – RESONA*NCE ?
9 - Heard of a grille relatively large in size (5) – GREAT (~grate)
10 - Commotion surrounding the right training for a sea weapon (7) – TO{R}{PE}DO
12 - Essential component proper for Albert (6) – PRIM{AL}
14 - Well-informed of the battle in the East (5) – AWAR{E}
16 - Get rid of the gardener’s building (4) – SHED [2]
19 - Leave out the doctor returning the thing (4) – OM<-IT
20 - Evaluation of a para slip device (9) – APPRAISAL*
21 - Added profit from an investment (4) – GAIN [CD]
22 - Reasonable bridge opponents after it (4) – SA{NE} Annotation for SA not clear
25 - To remove all contents of the large family around Spain (5) – CL{E}AN Connection between E and Spain not clear
27 - Short period of a flash of lightning (6) – STREAK [CD]
29 - Overeat in a large state around Iowa (7) – SAT{IA}TE*
32 - Half keep the black tar for grilled food (5) – {KE}BAB
33 - Destroy the half dry area perhaps for the trap laid back (4,5) – T{EAR A*}{PART<-} Annotation for T not clear 34 - Regular article has the dimension of a full-time film (7-6) FEATURE LENGTH
DOWN
2 - Second boy has a verse formed to celebrate (7) – OB{SERVE*} Annotation for OB not clear
3 - A joint greeting is no good for the Oriental (5) – HI{N}{G}E No indication for taking the first letters of no good
4 - Blow away the success at present (6) – WIN{NOW}
5 - Left hand going up to measure the kiln (4) – OV{EN} Connection between OV and left hand not clear
6 - Enthusiastic about each point in Greece (5) – EAGER Annotation not clear
7 - Single degree of a colour change (9) – GRADATION Annotation not clear
8 - Amounts for an artist set comes up (5) – RA<-{TES<-} 11 - Rucksack has a notice turned up at the end of the way for a container (7) – DA<-{Y}PACK
12 - For each, issue the first letter of an identity (7) – PERSON{A}
13 - Solid design on objects of worship (5) – IDOLS*
15 - Saying on the present day period (5) – AD{AGE}
17 - Central part of a French note taken up as a herb (5-4) – HEART PLANT (Correction - HEART-LEAF) I have this plant at home and never new its name!!! See its picture at the link
18 - Turn up this era on a new chapter of an Eastern art form (5) – DA<-{N}{C}E Again no indication for taking the first letters of New Chapter
23 - Very determined today, in the morning for a worker (7) – AD{AM}ANT
24 - Put pressure right after the river (5) – EXE{RT}
26 - Foolish person is unwell to launch an attack (6) – ASS{AIL}
28 - A very black Old Testament for the head monk (5) – {A}BB{OT}
30 - An entourage in railroad cars (5) – TRAIN [2]
31 - Popular performer hiding in the best area (4) – STAR [T]
8 - Sound way to reason around in Durham area (9) – RESONA*NCE ?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter lives in Durham, North Carolina (NC)
Can't explain the E.
Test
ReplyDeletea
ReplyDeleteChaturvasi
ReplyDelete1A Totally commit to bargain at the opening sound of the house girl (2,3,5,3)GO THE WHOLE HOG
Totally commit is def; the - the; opening sound - hole, hom. of 'whole'; girl - g .I can't see how house give ho, maybe it's an abbr. used in classified ads.
8A NCE is Intended to be an anag of reason around NC (NC, as Bhargav said in his comment, is North Carolina where Durham is located). E is left hanging. Like Bhargav, I am unable to explain where that component comes from. (My comments Durham is in East North Carolina)
22A SA - sex appeal - it - sex appeal
25A E - Espanaol (in Spanish) - E
33A There seems to be some problem here. Your anno is clear. Even if we take that the gives t (this happens in advanced cryptics like the impenetrably hard Listener crosswords), I don't see what 'half dry' is doing there.
2D I too am groping! Usu. old boy, senior citizen gives OB. What's second doing here? I will leave it to other enlightened members to handle this.
3D No good is crosswordese for NG. Chambers records the abbr. NG = no good. Suggest you get hold of a copy of The Chambers Dictionary, known popularly as the Red Book. I have 1998 edn. In the UK two more editions have come, incl. 2008 revised. But cheaper, Indian edition of 2008 will take years. I have been looking for years for the Indian edition of 2003 which I believe has just been published but I don't get to see it prominently in book stores here. Please note Chambers 21st century Dictionary is a pared down, modern dict and is useless for crossword purposes.
5D vo is abbr. for verso, which means the lefthand page in an open book. See your COD. It is in Chambers anyway.
6D each - EA, point - E in GR, Greece
7D An attempt at a two def clue. degree or single degree - gradation; colour change - gradation. I think it is a term from printing. In an image at one end the colour is dark to begin with and gradually becomes less and less darker until it is pale at the other end. I think that effect is called gradation.
18D new - N, C or Ch - Chapter. Recognised abbrs.
Col,
ReplyDelete17 D: Central part of a French note taken up as a herb (5-4) – HEART LEAF. You have missed out LEAF or is it not right? French [le] Note [af]?? OR is it Leaf as in Note/ page?
Posted a comment yesterday to which you have not replied about MI:
26 - Note the old thing taken up by the penny pincher (5) - {MI}SER Cannot explain how SER is indicated by ‘old thing taken up’
Hi Raghunath,
ReplyDeleteIt was a typo HEART-LEAF is correct
SER of MISER of yesterday eludes me as well so I cannot explain it
Col,
ReplyDeleteI had actually asked you how the {MI} figured in Miser, in:
Note the old thing taken up by the penny pincher (5) - {MI}SER