Wednesday, 9 December 2009

No 9709, Wednesday 09 Dec 09, Nita Jaggi

15A has me stumped
ACROSS
2 - Money received at home by a commander in the East (6) - {IN}{COM}{E}
7 - The dynasty has some rich Englishmen (4) - CHEN [T]
9 - Plain, university girl is disheartened at the end of the day (4) - {U}{G(-ir)L}{Y}
10 - Demon hurt, slid out in low spirits (2,3,8) - IN THE DOLDRUMS*
12 - An incomplete state for an Indian primarily with a disorder (7) - {A}{PHAS(-e)}{I}{A}
13 - Glands ready for the fight-or-flight response? (7) - ADRENAL [CD]
15 - Butler is initially injured this month (4) - RA{B}{I} ??
17 - Somehow has to be used back by the rulers (5) - SHAHS Anno beats me (Addendum - SHA*{HS<-} See comments of Chaturvasi below)
18 - Sound of confusion in the time periods (4) - DAYS(~daze)
19 - Deity in Ganga has no weight that she can change (7) - {GAN(-g){ESH*}A}

21 - The French go back provided ice is on the structure (7) - {ED<-}{IF}{ICE}
23 - Kind, redhead teen cooked in the recipe on time (6,7) - TENDER HEA{R}{T}ED*
27 - Look around for a new animal (4) - {L{I}O}{N}

28 - Extraordinary artist has the hesitation to go back (4) - {RA}{RE<-} )
29 - Pretender to ring up the boy at last (6) - {PHONE}{Y}
DOWN
1 - Used the last word to hold a lot of seafood (6) - SHRIMP Fits in as per the crossings but annotation beats me (Addendum - {SH}{RI{M}P} - See comments of Maddy below)

2 - I invite Tia to demonstrate the leading action (10) - INITIATIVE*
3 - Watching-over a vehicle in England (4) - {CAR}{E}
4 - French dressing is on the sweet potato served up in Ohio (4) - {MAY<-}{O}

5 - Religious teacher is with the man in the old city of Uruguay (4) - {G}{UR}{U}
6 - Smooth covering on a rare wordbook (8) - GLOSS{A}{R}Y
8 - Helped an officer with a bit of dismay (5) - {AIDE}{D}
11 - Order in the fluid measure for a coin (7) - {DRA{CH}M}{A}
13 - To win a leader shortly before five in the evening at first (7) - {A}{CHIE(-f)}{V}{E}
14 - Nothing more to be said after this period! (3,2,5) - END OF STORY [E]
16 - Where animals are put to an end for an eater’s temptation? (8) - ABATTOIR* [CD]
20 - Anyhow she covers the Spanish with formal wear (5) - HE{EL}S* Why formal?

22 - Woody arrangement for a dancer (6) - CEDARN*
24 - National leader is in England on time (4) - {N}{IN}{E}
25 - Calm Henry in an American house (4) - {H}{US}{H}
26 - Similar to a clan (4) - {A}{KIN}


19 comments:

  1. 10 across, 19 across, 23 across, 2 down etc were good clues / anagrams. But a few others could not be made head or tail of.

    Another phase of agony and acrimony appears to be part of our destiny.


    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  2. 17A.Are the words used back intended to indicate a palindrome?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wished to keep away but in view of the intense speculation I shall enter...

    In 17a the compiler's thinking is

    Somehow has - anagram has to get SHA
    to - position ind
    be - filler
    used - SH from second-hand
    back - rev ind giving HS
    to get - filler
    by - nonsensical filler
    the rulers - def

    OK, I have given the anno. Pray tell me what the surface reading is.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Col Sir,
    I ve not done the c/w, my take on the suspects ( Disclaimer - I am just stating what I assume, not endorsing the clues )

    Butler is initially injured this month (4) - RA{B}{I} ??
    RAB I(-njured) with 'is' being a connector - Rab Butler was a British politician, that may be what NJ intended,I just hope there's another better explanation and I am wrong. Else, using the name of an obscure British politician, that too w/o any indicator, in THC is just not done.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rab_Butler

    Somehow has to be used back by the rulers (5) - SHAHS

    (SHA)*HS<-
    somehow - anagrind
    HAS - fodder
    to be - connector
    used - SH ( as in second hand)
    back - reversal indicator

    If we take 'to be'also as part of the wordplay, the pharsing of course fails since then 'to be used' has the exact opposite connotation of second hand.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Used the last word to hold a lot of seafood (6) - SHRIMP

    Used - SH again

    The last word - RIP
    To hold - container indicator
    A lot - M

    => SH RI(M)P

    Now like Vasi sir said, I ve given the anno, someone xplain the surface :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is not quite accurate to call RIP the last word. As found on epitaphs, it is an abbreviation for a phrase that comprises three words.

    This is my opinion whether you agree with me or not!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vasi Sir,

    I totally agree with you. Like I said in my earlier post, I was just trying to unravel NJ's line of thought, without dwelling on whether they are fair or not.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes, maddy, I do understand the situation.

    If we start pointing out the problems in this crossword, it will go on and on.

    International blogs on UK crosswords too bring up contentious points about certain clues but the discussion brings up the niceties and nuances of the English language and sometimes throws up strange meanings of words that we - a majority of solvers and commenters - did not know until somebody throws the book at us.

    In the face of a barrage of misgivings on any particular clue, the setter himself comes, declares that he is the setter and admits he might have gone overboard there.

    Here the exercise is futile and we are only left disenchanted, disappointed, disrespected, dissed...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Chaturvasi & Maddy,
    Thanks for the anno of SHAHS & SHRIMP.
    There is no point in trying to make sense with regards to the surface reading of NJ's clues they are generally nonsensical

    ReplyDelete
  10. The last word generally in CW's indicates AMEN

    ReplyDelete
  11. 21 - The French go back provided ice is on the structure (7) - {ED<-}{IF}{ICE}

    Didn't one of our readers very recently complained here that the clue 'the French' is wrongly used for 'de' by setters ? 'De' is French for 'of', isn't it?

    A big 'Merci beaucoup' to someone who can clarify.


    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  12. Correction:

    The word 'complained' in my above post should read 'complain'.

    Thanks


    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  13. DE for THE, is nothing new for NJ she always uses it!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. For those interested:

    Just as the Col and Chaturvasi pointed out, the last word in Christian prayers is always AMEN (Latin equivalent of Sanskrit TATHASTU, meaning 'So be it').

    RIP is not a word, but an abbreviation of 'Requiescat in pace' (May he / she rest in peace), which is recited at the end of a prayer dedicated to the dear departed.

    The abbreviation RIP commonly appears in obituary announcements and in epitaphs.


    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  15. 20 - Anyhow she covers the Spanish with formal wear (5) - HE{EL}S* Why formal?
    Some posh restaurants/clubs require formal wear for entrance. Men must be in tuxedoes & black shoes and women in dresses & heels.

    During our vacation to Bangkok, we wanted to visit a restaurant reputed for its fantastic top view of the city. We had to abandon the plan as we were not carrying heels in our backpack.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Shuchi

    Thanks for your input.

    As a down-at-heel person frequenting only the Saravan Bhavans around the city, where you have to be stand to partake of the tiffin, and having escorted no woman even when I occasionally went to clubs, I was ignorant.

    But in all my innocence, may I ask if heels are "formal wear" or "part of formal wear" when a woman visits these posh clubs.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Those club owners are real heels to insist on heels for women!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. @CV: They're part of formal wear, of course. If one is wearing heels but capris and tee, still not allowed entry.

    If you're referring to the definition in the clue, I think it's all right to define heels as "formal wear". Just as one can define SARI as "traditional Indian wear", even though it is actually part of an ensemble. I have no objections to even BINDI defined as "traditional Indian wear".

    The same logic by which we represent a word by its class - like President = ABE, even though he is not the only President.

    It is the bizarre surface of the clue that bewilders me.

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com