Thanks to Shuchi for the new header of my Blog.
NJ has me totally foxed today, I've just given up at places. 1D aptly describes today's CW
ACROSS
4 - Certain sailors have a round musical instrument (8) - {ABS}{O}{LUTE}
8 - Known for caves containing Buddhist art (6) - AJANTA [E]
9 - Liquid, only thrice for mother-in-law in Khmer Republic (10) - {BUT}{TER}{MIL}{K}
10 - Spiral transformer (4) - COIL [DD]
11 - Administrator is a part of a well-made academy (4) - DEAN Anno pending
13 - Asian is at home to help back the newcomer initially (6) - {IN}{DIA<-}{N}
15 - Run away quickly to throw over a pair of boats (7) - FL{EE}ING NJ's E boats again
17 - Look carefully at a nobleman (4) - PEER [DD]
18 - Drink for the king in the Bible is first accepted (4) - {K}AV{A} ?
19 - Descriptions of building floors, overheard (7) - STORIES(~storeys)
21 - Computer language for the mathematician (6) - PASCAL [DD]
22 - Joint source of coal (4) - SEAM [DD]
25 - Shop designed for the upper class (4) - POSH*
26 - Become specific by filling the road with building material (10) - CONCRETISE [CD]
27 - Quick to oddly call a woman in the capital of Russia (6) - {C}{L}{EVE}{R}
28 - Racist to distribute herbs (8) - ARCTOTIS*
DOWN
1 - Absurd situation in a comic play (5) - FARCE [CD]
2 - Consistency in the celebration holding an individual (6) - PAR{I}TY
3 - It is an oriental sword (5) - SABRE [CD]
4 - Roughly take-up the can of protein (5) - {AC<-}TIN Hah nailed roughly this time
5 - Hunting to inform the main ruler (7) - (~sea){SEE}{KING}
6 - Due recovery in shortages of outgoing officials (4,5) - LA{M}{E DU<-}CKS Where did M come from ?
7 - Gossipy discussion at four in Spain (9) - {TALK}{AT}{IV}E How is E for Spain ?
12 - Turn away a Victorian leader with difficulty in Thailand (5) - {A}{V}{ER}{T}
14 - Behaviour of a demon you are upset with (9) - DEMEANO{U}R*
15 - Modern brief for a foreigner has been reduced in size (6,3) - {FRENCH} {CUT} ?
16 - Care for sick shark (5) - NURSE [DD]
19 - Having enough money, peculiar novelist has no one (7) - SOLVENT(-i)*
20 - Narrow passage in the garden surrounding the circuit (6) - GR{O}OVE
22 - Secret agents have seven pastries (5) - {S}{PIES}
23 - Curve is over the layer of a nut (5) - {AR{E}C}{A} ?
24 - Main part covering the house work (5) - C{H}ORE
Black squares - 77 (34%)
White squares - 148
GRID
I second Chaturvasi on the appreciation for the new header. Great job by the designer !
ReplyDelete11 across - Administrator is a part of a well-made academy (4) - DEAN
I too am puzzled as to how DEAN is made up.
15 across - Run away quickly to throw over a pair of boats (7) - FL{EE}ING
If it is 'fleeing' the clue should have been 'running away quickly....'
18 across - Drink for the king in the Bible is first accepted (4) - {K}AV{A}
The Arabic name of coffee is 'Qahwa'. I am not sure if it has an Anglicized version like 'Kava'.
26 across - Become specific by filling the road with building material (10) - CONCRETISE
The verb form of 'concrete' is just 'concrete' and not 'concretise' or 'concretize' although the latter two are widely and rampantly used in India, threatening to soon obtain a seal of approval from the Oxford University Press dictionary gurus. ( In passing, I also mention the expression 'to pressurize'. I feel that it is wrong to use it for persons ike 'pressurize someone'. It is just 'press' or 'pressure' someone. 'Pressurize' is used only for gases etc. Over to experts again.)
7 down - Gossipy discussion at four in Spain (9) - {TALK}{AT}{IV}E
Your poser: How is E for Spain ? I think E is commonly used in Western countries to represent Espana, the Spanish name for Spain.
23 - Curve is over the layer of a nut (5)
ARECA fits there perfectly. But curve = ARC. Layer ?
Richard
Thanks, richlas.
ReplyDeleteThat comment was deleted for some reason. My appreciation for the new header remains.
richlas,
ReplyDeleteI might tell you that I have always only pressured people. Don't ask me if they yielded!
Chaturvasi,
ReplyDeleteI have always been enjoying your quick - often tongue-in-cheek - repartees on different occasions.
Richard
Hi Richard,
ReplyDeleteCONCRETISE os CONCRETIZE is already there in the Oxford Concise dict. and is shown as a verb meaning 'make concrete instead of abstract'. So also PRESSURISE with meaning given as 'attempt to persuade or coerce into doing something' besides the meaning given by you.
I need to remember E for Spain like I remembered CA/Circa/about/roughly, today
ReplyDeleteRichard
ReplyDeleteThere is a word concretize in the Oxford Dictionary. It means 'make(an idea or concepta0 real; give specific or definite form to.
Areca: eis a abbr. for layer, don't know why. Colonel, I am sure you will remember the areca nut plantations on the foothills of Nilgiris after Mettupalayam.Nice memories
Hi Suresh,
ReplyDeleteI do remember the Areca plantations, there is a big water theme park 'Black Thunder' in that area now.
Suresh,
ReplyDeleteBack in 1957, a whole bunch of us (I was 14 then) drove in a black Plymouth to the foothills of the Nilgiris from CBE, with an older cousin, hardly out of school, at the wheel. I remember Kallar and Burliar from that journey. On that occasion, we didn't go beyond.
Kallar is at the foothills where the Areca nut plantation is. Burliar is halfway up to between Kallar & Coonoor. Coonoor being the place where both Suresh & I had a stint at St Josephs though not together
ReplyDeletePardon me Col and Suresh, getting from the subject of your outings over areca gardens back into crosswordesque 'in' things:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info that the words 'concretize' and 'pressurize' have now barged into the portals of OUP dictionaries. Must be late entrants over the past two decades. High time that I updated myself with new editions of dictionaries. In college, we were being repeatedly told by our erudite professors to beware of these pitfalls.
Re your new masthead:
While repeating that it looks cute, the letter 'C' in 'Corner' can further slant to the right a wee bit. Now it runs the risk of being read as 'Lorner'. Incidentally, does the idea of making it look like 'L' - resembling a learner's licence plate - suggest the presence of a lot of learners on this blog? Just joking.
Richard
That angular letter serves a purpose: that you are driven to a corner, that you have been cornered by the composer, who is trying to elbow you out...
ReplyDeleteI'll leave it to designer Shuchi to answer those questions
ReplyDeleteHa ha, another one of your one-liners, Chaturvasi !
ReplyDeleteRichard
Pardon! Your slip is showing!
ReplyDeleteThe following clue has been published in a Daily Telegraph crossword in the UK:
Having a spin in car — but I give a couple a lift (3)
Have you guessed the answer?
Do not reveal it!
Glad y'all liked the new header.
ReplyDelete@richlas: The angle stands for corner, as CV has hinted at in his inimitable style. It is placed asymmetrically to offset the staggered change in font sizes of the text. That way, at least to my eye, the whole header looks more pleasing.
A regular 'C' would make it more legible of course, but see it like a logo where uniqueness and memorability matter more than readability.
The font sizes are different so that the most important aspect of this blog - the "Corner" bit, a place where THC buffs congregate - gets the maximum visual impact.
Before someone complains I sound like Picasso explaining one of his cubist paintings, I'll stop :)
Yes CV that is an interesting clue for a staid English paper
ReplyDeleteQuite a late post, this. I missed mentioning earlier:
ReplyDelete7 down - Gossipy discussion at four in Spain (9) - {TALK}{AT}{IV}E
Does one who is talkative have to be gossipy? Not necessarily. 'Loquacious' could have fitted better.
What sayest thou?
Richard