ACROSS
1 - Plant that gets a fat prize (9) - {BUTTER}{CUP}
5 - A measure for time in old European money (5) - LI{T}RE
8 - The appellation given in a Spanish article for a cover for grinders etc. (6) - E{NAME}L
9 - Indian girl to support fictional lady who would misuse words (8) - {MALA}{PROP}
11 - Garden tool under a keeper’s care here (4) - RAKE [T]
12 - They carry goods but may themselves get carried away (10) - CONTAINERS [CD]
14 - Better prepared German drops soldier, pocketing a million (5) - G{AM}ER(-man)*
15 - To go back to an earlier state is the right way out (7) - {R}{EGRESS}
16 - Something to eat from a river in Pakistan, oil-cooked (7) - {RAVI}OLI*
17 - Violin-maker provided with a cover underfoot in Air India (5) - A{MAT}I
19 - Body of troops who initiated governance in Asia, say (10) - CONTIN{G}ENT
20 - Hot deposit from a meat and vegetable dish (4) - {M}{ASH} (Correction - {H}{ASH} - See Sriks7's comments below)
22 - Revolutionary cadre tripped by a conifer (3,5) - {RED} CEDAR*
23 - It is in footwear or in a fish (6) - {IN}{SOLE}
24 - An ancient land, say, with unknown little part (5) - {EG}{Y}{PT}
25 - Highly pleased to get illumination in action (9) - DE{LIGHT}ED
DOWN
1 - In Bellary, losing a pound and getting upset makes the eyes dim and red (5) - BLEARY(-l)*
2 - It is time to feel grateful to the Maker (12,3) - THANKSGIVING DAY [E]
3 - Jug, one among those we recently found (4) - EWER [T]
4 - He pretends to be virtuous and makes a lamentation about flowers (7,5) - PL{ASTER S}AINT
5 - Star of the show but he need not necessarily show the way (7,3) - LEADING MAN [CD]
6 - Jerome’s work about a trio afloat (5,3,2,1,4) - THREE MEN IN A BOAT [E]
7 - What a lensman does (7) - EXPOSES [CD]
10 - It makes it possible for a flier to get on board (8,4) - BOARDING CARD [E]
13 - Personification of an English doctor with time to take in cricket match people (10) - {E}{MB}{ODI}{MEN}{T}
16 - Do that bend again on therapy, swallowing a bit of vanilla (7) - {RE}{CUR{V}E}
18 - Protection for the Spanish eating suspect dish? Quite the reverse (6) - SHI{EL}D*
21 - Problem caused by a society worrier (4) - {S}NAG
GRID
A mixed bag of a puzzle. Fun, enigma, challenge etc. all put together. The only solution I could not get was 4 down.
ReplyDeleteAcross
8 The appellation given in a Spanish article for a cover for grinders etc. (6) ENAMEL
A tricky one.
9 Indian girl to support fictional lady who would misuse words (8)
I have observed Chaturvasi as being well-versed in English novels and other literary works. He should be happy to see this clue. Mrs Malaprop, a character created by Richard Sheridan in his Restoration comedy of 1775, The Rivals, was known for using inappropriate words in her speech.
Besides that, good play with Indian name Mala and 'prop'.
12 They carry goods but may themselves get carried away (10) CONTAINERS
Liked this one.
14 Better prepared German drops soldier, pocketing a million (5)
15 To go back to an earlier state is the right way out (7) REGRESS
Right + egress - good clue.
16 Something to eat from a river in Pakistan, oil-cooked (7) RAVIOLI
Nice one.
17 Violin-maker provided with a cover underfoot in Air India (5) AMATI
24 An ancient land, say, with unknown little part (5) EGYPT
e.g. + y + pt - brilliant !
Down
2 It is time to feel grateful to the Maker (12,3) THANKSGIVING DAY
Though long, an easy one.
5 Star of the show but he need not necessarily show the way (7,3)
This too is a good one.
6 Jerome’s work about a trio afloat (5,3,2,1,4) THREE MEN IN A BOAT
Hadn't heard of this. But could be easily guessed from the clues.
21 Problem caused by a society worrier (4) SNAG
This too was good.
A curious thing we regularly see in crosswords is longish clues - often 10+ words - leading to short, normally three or four or five-lettered, solutions.
Interesting !
Richard
By the way, Colonel, how come your posting is always on the dot at 8-30 am, not a bit hither or thither? Do you prepare an off-line version first and then post it exactly at the appointed hour?
ReplyDeleteJust curious to know. Not a trade secret, may I presume?
Richard
Hi Richard,
ReplyDeleteNo trade secret here. My blog is scheduled to appear at 8:30 AM irrespective of the time at which I complete it, no off-line working, this is a feature available in the site hosting this blog.
Deepak
THREE MEN IN A BOAT has been clud before:
ReplyDeleteTHC (Sun):
Name the baritone mutilated in novel (5,3,2,1,4)
ET/Daily Mail:
Funny story keeping a number of chaps afloat (5,3,2,1,4)
Also THC (Sun):
Novel – name the one a Brit translated (5,3,2,1,4)
Desi (don't know composer's name):
Jerome K. Jerome's sailing trio (5, 3, 2, 1, 4)
Now, which crossword will you prefer?
I usualy take "say" as a homophone indicator
ReplyDeleteand was mis-led on both places today.
Onece it was used as a indicator for instance
& the other to mean "example"
Also 1D was wrongly published as (5) where as bleary is (6)
ReplyDeleteI got 20 AC as HASH H(ot)+ASH.
ReplyDeleteAnd for 'Gamer' clue I saw it as game = prepared (as in I am game) so gamer as better prepared.
Hot deposit from a meat and vegetable dish (4)
ReplyDeletesriks7 - Your answer HASH is more likely.
In the clue 'from' is misleading.
Better prepared German drops soldier, pocketing a million (5) - G{AM}ER(-man)*
ReplyDeleteBetter = Definition
prepared = anagram indicator
German = Anagram fodder
drops = deletion indicator
soldier = man
pcketing = inclusion indicator
a = A
million = M
Better = {G{A}{M}ER}(-man)
@sriks7,
ReplyDeleteThanks, HASH is correct, I have since amended the main post
20 AC: Like sriks7, I too had got HASH, but had missed seeing MASH in Col's original post, which is now corrected. HASH is most likely.
ReplyDeleteRichard
Thanks Col. for the anno.
ReplyDeleteTwo reason why I felt otherwise were:
Bettor is usually prefered spelling for one who bets.
Secondly GERMAN - MAN gives you GER with out the need for an anagram indicator ie. the letters are in sequence and a simple deletion would do.
But I defer to you better judgement
An experimental blog on today's Hindustan Times crossword (originally from The Times of the UK is posted here:
ReplyDeletehttp://cgrishikesh.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/the-times-cryptic-21867/
Isnt it a boarding pass? Or is it a boarding card? Help me I am clueless.
ReplyDeletepallavi
While the Colonel will field that question, may I point out that it is a little infelicitous that a large part of the solution is in the clue, viz., BOARD.
ReplyDelete@Pallavi,
ReplyDeleteNo need to be clueless, both are correct, though the BOARDING PASS is what we hear more often than not. Notwithstanding see this BOARDING CARD