Tuesday 8 December 2009

No 9708, Tuesday 08 Dec 09, Sankalak

Was stuck for a long time on the top left corner
ACROSS
1 - The power of a parliamentary committee in town (8) - C{A}{PAC}ITY
5 - Sailor, like a journalist, is humiliated (6) - {AB}{AS}{ED}
10 - A bit thick, fully developed part of the body (5) - THIGH Anno pending (Addendum - {T}{HIGH} - See Shuchi's comments below)
11 - Kind of energy that reflects help in an allotment (9) - RA{DIA<-}TION
12 - Monarch produces powerful article with note (9) - {POTENT}{A}{TE}
13 - Fruits, highly valued ones (5) - PLUMS [DD]

14 - Impudent boy gets wide assistance (5) - {W}{HELP}
16 - Bitterness shown by an agent about returned car part (8) - {A}{SP{ERIT<-}Y}
18 - Measure of pressure — for a small one at the pub? (8) - MILLI{BAR}
20 - Distinction of an English sort, dismissing German guard on time (5) - {E}{CLA(-ss)}{T}
24 - Dance that a king cut back (5) - {POL<-}{K}A<- )
25 - Team leader, efficient sailor, is one that adds taste (5,4) - {T}{ABLE} {SALT}
27 - Very beautiful former partner is quite upset (9) - {EX}QUISITE*
28 - Sound made by container of money, about a rupee (5) - T{R}ILL
29 - Bones buried in a sinister national cover-up (6) - STERNA [T]
30 - A good man called the queen an alien (8) - {ST}{RANG}{ER}
DOWN
1 - Spiteful ones finger one chosen for an unpleasant task (4,3) - {CATS} PAW Sankalak could have used a more refined definition for PAW!!
2 - With the right help, it becomes a magic potion (7) - PHILT{R}E* Never heard this word, had to google search this
3 - German-Jewish philosopher who was a company bird (5) - {CO}{HEN}
4 - Warning from a note put in a thing just mentioned (6) - TH{RE}AT
6 - Speak irreverently if unconcerned about hemp cultivation (9) - BLAS{PHEM*}E
7 - Provocations to limit U.S. design (7) - STIMULI*
8 - A powerful family that was unpleasant after an empty day (7) - {D(-a)Y}NASTY
9 - Unfavourable notice on poetry (7) - {AD}{VERSE}
15 - Neediness, a point Ravi trashed (9) - PRIVATION*
17 - A leader like the pirate Kidd (7) - CAPTAIN
18 - Dear children would wash dogs (or cats?) (7) - {MOP}{PETS}
19 - Kind of glassware that makes the French quail miserably inside (7) - L{ALIQU*}E

21 - Preference for education without right (7) - LEA(-r)NING
22 - Shore bird, one given to idle talk (7) - TATTLER [DD]

23 - A purpose without love is miserable (6) - {A}{(-o)BJECT}
26 - An also-ran among players (5) - EXTRA [CD]



GRID

15 comments:

  1. 10 - A bit thick, fully developed part of the body (5) - THIGH Anno pending

    This looks like T (from T[hick]) + HIGH.
    HIGH = fully developed, as in 'high tide'

    ReplyDelete
  2. I too had a problem with the top left corner. Rest of the grid was OK.

    As you said, 1 down could have had a better clue.

    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  3. Philtre is a word that I must have come across first when I studied A Midsummer Night's Dream where the old man complains how his daughter is seduced by her suitor with magic potions.
    Wait a minute.
    Let me see if I can trace it!
    No, I am wrong in thinking that it was in that passage.
    But that is a beautiful one and pleas allow me to copy-paste:
    Stand forth, Lysander: and my gracious duke,
    This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child;
    Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,
    And interchanged love-tokens with my child:
    Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung,
    With feigning voice verses of feigning love,
    And stolen the impression of her fantasy
    With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,
    Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, messengers
    Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth:
    With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart...

    ReplyDelete
  4. 15 - Neediness, a point Ravi trashed (9) - PRIVATION*

    There are ten characters - an extra 'a' - marked in blue.

    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  5. My objection to 'paw' from 'finger' would not be because of any coarse connotations suggested by either word but simply because a paw is the whole of the hand and so 'finger' cannot yield 'paw'.

    What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Deepak,

    Thanks for your image of a 'lalique'.

    I have found out just now that the word is from the name of "a glass designer, renowned for his stunning creations of perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks and in the latter part of his life, automobile hood ornaments. The firm he founded is still active today'. (wikipedia)

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Chaturvasi,
    I must say that you remember your poetry very well. I couldn't remember it even after a day of trying to memorise it in school.
    I agree that finger does not point to paw!!

    @Richard,
    Thanks for pointing out the error, have since rectified it

    ReplyDelete
  8. The link to Rene Lalique is provided in the main post

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pawing someone would mean the same as fingering someone? I guess we need to look at it as a verb

    ReplyDelete
  10. @Suresh,
    There is no doubt on the meaning of paw, the connotation of the word was the point of discussion

    ReplyDelete
  11. Silly me.

    You're correct, Suresh!

    If we look at 'finger' and 'paw' as verbs they might be synonymous.

    It is only in Comments of this sort that we come to see things.

    I must confess that though I tried hard I was never able to promote this sort of interaction in my Orkut community where solver do post answers but are reluctant to comment.

    My ideal for THC has been a blog by one member and comments from various other solvers just as we have in some international blogs but this ideal I had even before these cropped up.

    Long before that time I have prompted - promoted -post by single member giving all the answers but I must also say that it never caught on.

    ReplyDelete
  12. In my earlier post I saw 'finger' and 'paw' as nouns and wondered how they could be equated.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My ideal for THC has been a blog by one member and comments from various other solvers...

    The above has been achieved by Deepak. I wish him greater glories.

    ReplyDelete

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