8 - Turkey takes a film projector out on time warning a set of characters in the jungle (8,6) - {TR}{OP(-t)ICAL} {FORE}{ST} Since when is just Optical synonymous with Film projector?
9 - Submit the money (6) - TENDER [CD]
10 - Specified the regular list to half of them on the other side (8) - {I}{T}{EM}{ISED*}
11 - Berry from the root vegetable (8) - {EGG}{PLANT} I presume the EGG is a Berry and by root NJ means plant!
13 - Photographs of the games I play (6) - IMAGES*
14 - He is around the way at last in North America to initially see the creatures (6) - {H{Y}E}{NA}{S}
16 - Not humble enough to think of others (6) - EGOIST [CD]
19 - Thousand in North America are bewildered by an artist from the capital place (6) - {A{N{K}A}{RA}
21 - Send associate in to dehumidify back the work place (8) - {SHIP}{Y{A}RD<-} )
23 - The exploited little man (8) - UNDERDOG [CD]
24 - Set the price of the first electrical formula (6) - RECIP*{E}
26 - Nomadic gesture displays disappointment (14) - DISCOURAGEMENT*
DOWN
1 - Power of the saint again is initially not good to hide (8) - {ST}{RE}{N}{G}{T}{H}
2 - Pipa is near the dam in front (4) - TOA{D} Anno pending for TOA
3 - Painter follows the high rise mountain range (6) - {SIER*}{RA}
4 - Espresso chain popular in India (7) - BARISTA [E]
5 - Present IPO (8) - OFFERING [CD]
6 - Usually celebrate with the gin cocktail (10) - ORDINARILY Only thing that fits, Anno pending. I don't see any use of my favourite drink GIN in the answer. The clue suits me though as that is I how I usually celebrtae, with a Gin cocktail :-)
7 - Member is at ease to be seen outside (6) - {ES}{SENE*}
12 - Being widespread, nerve place is divided (10) - PREVALENCE*
15 - Holy city has a regular maintained spa for the upper class to enter at last (8) - {A}{N}{A}{N}{D}{P}{U}{R}
17 - Too apart to be rebellious in the city (8) - TARAPOTO*
18 - Word with no repeating letters in line (8) - ISOGRAM [E]
20 - Governess is on the banks of the Nile guarding the girl with a bit of interest (6) - N{ANN}{I}E
22 - One’s real development in the country (6) - {I'S}{RAEL*}
25 - Language in the will, not of the French (4) - (-de)CREE
GRID
Hi Colonel, Please elaborate on 23A
ReplyDeleteSembhayya,
ReplyDeleteIt is a straightforward answer no elaboration is needed, you can look up the word underdog in any dictionary and you will be able to get the meaning.
Looks like evryone has had their fill of NJ and are holidaying till Thursday. Cheer up, Gridman comes in on Friday.
ReplyDeleteCol, NJ ordeal ends on Thursday.
ReplyDeleteYes, Gridman will start from Friday
ReplyDeleteIs there a problem posting comments..Never seen this forum so muted.
ReplyDeleteHi Colonel
ReplyDeleteI attempted THC for the first time three weeks ago. Thanks to your blog I didn't give up right away and now I'm hooked!
Could you pl explain the 'es' part of 7D?
@Tushna,
ReplyDeleteI think this setter uses ES in place of 'ease' as it sounds like that
Very bad as usual. To begin with projector-optical, then eggplant,toad (essentially frog family not toad however a toad is part of the family, Ordinarily (god knows how one can work it out), ESSENE r off course jewish groups but how the hell does the generic member fit the definition of this is a mystery. Shipyard for workplace was another vague one.
ReplyDeleteliked the 2 anagrams prevalence and discouragement.
decree and tender were fine clues.
How does one know that for sierra rise is an anagram is another problem
@Colonel, could u please tell me what member has to do with essene? 7d.
ReplyDeleteSo many Country/City related clues today..19A,3D,15D,17D,22D
ReplyDelete@Colonel, In general, when we get a clue which contains the words girl or boy, Iam stumped. There are so many options for a girl/boy name. Based on your experience , could you please share some commonly repeated girl/boy names featured in thc. eg. Like ANN,LATA,TOM,MARY
ReplyDeleteAgent Chu,
ReplyDeleteWell I don't have any such list and names as too many to remember
@Sumitra,
ReplyDeleteSee the link provided againse ESSENE in the main post and you will get the idea
@col,
ReplyDelete.does tr represent turkey in 1 ac?
colonelji, ankara?!
ReplyDelete12d - being widespread has to be PREVALENT, not PREVALENCE, isnt it?
ReplyDeleteI thought 20 down was DUENNA and got completely sidetracked. The gin cocktail in 6 down baffled me completely. All in all my inspired guesses deserted me today .
ReplyDeleteGive me New Indian express any day. Only the Sunday[cryptic of course] On NIE is tough . But the answers are available in another page.
well said jaggu bhai!
ReplyDeleteanyway we all sincerely hope and pray NJ will metamorphose into a beautiful swan one day.
ReplyDeletecolonelji, does the ximenian principle entail a crossword clue to be grammatically correct?
ReplyDeletethanks chaturji on your clarification on the setter of NIE crossword.
ReplyDelete@Dr RP,
ReplyDeleteYes, TR is for Turkey
@vck,
ReplyDeleteThousand = K
in = inclusion indicator
North America = NA
are bewildered = Anagram indicator
by = Connector
an = A
artist = RA
from the = connector
capital place = Definition = {A}{N{K}A}{RA}
@vck,
ReplyDeleteYes it should be PREVALENT but you know......
Regarding the Ximenian principle and grammar, I'll leave it to Chaturvasi or Shuchi to comment on it.
ReplyDeleteX rules pertain not only to grammar but also to other elements of composing.
ReplyDeleteBut before we even mention X, a crossword composer must have total grip over grammar.
One might not have read the X book at all but one might make the correct observation about prevalence/prevalence. As Commenter vck above has done.
Now, when the clue writer has not seen even that and has tossed off a clue, why talk of X?
Finer aspects come in only when the basics are adhered to.
Read prevalence/prevalent
ReplyDeleteThanks Colonel. I think I was confused or rather not convinced with "little man" part in 23A.
ReplyDeletethanks chaturji and colonelji.
ReplyDelete@ col. thank you. 12 ac ano.for toa is still pending.pipa is a kind of frog and toad belongs to the same family.toa ?hope NJ answers that.
ReplyDeleteSince we seem to be tiring of NJ, and today there is a discussion on Ximenes and clueing grammar etc., I thought I will post a passage from DS Macnutt's Ximenes on the art of the crossword. It is a small passage that gives an idea of how much thought to clueing is put by a very good setter and the attention paid to grammar, composition and the conveyed meaning. The following passage is an explanation to a clue that solves in the Everyman as "OPAL" (Chap. 10, Swallowtail books, 2001 ed.).
ReplyDeleteQuote
22 Down OPAL: Even with so short a word, several ideas are suggested by the letters. There's OP. (short for a musical work) and AL (nearly ALL, or a familiar name for Albert, etc.). Connect this witha gem found in a necklace or ring, and youc ould have "Make short work with Albert in the ring". The weakness there is that one makes short work "of", not "with", so let's abandon it. The reverse of LAP + O doesn't look very promising; nor does PA in the reverse of LO. What about the straightforward O+PAL? "Love a friend, one in the ring?" That's not bad, but it's not an easily imagined situation. The same O+PAL could represent a person addressing his friend with the words "O pal!" and it's quite easy to picture a boxer's friend shouting advice to him from outside the ring. Here we are, then: "Address to a friend, one that's in the ring? [4]" .
A final reminder that, since an opal might be found in a ring, a brooch, a bracelet etc., we can't definitely say that it is in the ring, but we can suggest the possibility - hence the question mark.
End quote
excellent elucidation veerji!
ReplyDeleteAnd, thanks to Shuchi for putting me onto this book by DS Macnutt - had to buy it from UK to save some cash - it is 50% cheaper there than in US!
ReplyDeleteAnd here is another clue, a prize winning clue I believe, short and sweet like some posters here like it (again taken from Macnutt's book):
A down clue:
Cake with nuts on top (6)
@vck: Thank you, but thanks to Mr. Macnutt. (In as wistful a tone as one can muster writing) Wish I could lay claim to the elucidation. And please, drop the -ji when addressing a comment to me, first names / handles are good enough for me (makes me feel tool old otherwise). Thanks.
ReplyDeletesure veer
ReplyDelete