NJ has finally managed a Pangram!! As usual she has me stumped with 13 & 16A and 20D
ACROSS
1 - Half of Berlin first gaze at the composer (4) - {BER}{G}
9 - Not saying much, it's strange not drinking in United Nations as one hostage has no power (15) - {UNCOMM(-on}{UN}{I}{CA(-p)TIVE}
10 - Two follow the traffic signal in the desert (4) - {GO}{BI}
11 - Family goes back to the king on their first outing in the city (5) - {NIK<-}{K}{O} )
12 - Every other oratress has rows (4) - {O}{A}{R}{S}
13 - Worker used to circle the University (5) - SMITH ?(Addendum - S{MIT}H - Thanks to Maddy)
14 - Father raises the lad up in excitement to congratulate (7) - {AP<-}{PLAUD*} )
16 - Leaves out the book not in use with the engineers on both sides (7) - ???A?E?(Addendum - {VACA(-nt)}{T}{ES} - Thanks to Suresh)
18 - First judgment is doubtful at the moment (5) - {J}{IFFY}
22 - Shoe in the compartment of a car (4) - BOOT [DD]
23 - To persuade the woman with no energy to move quickly (5) - {WOO}{SH(-e)}
24 - Attack a shopping centre, overheard (4) - MAUL(~mall)
25 - Note the giant cozily is creeping outside the boundaries of Brunei on identification (15) - {RE}{COGNIZA{BI}LITY*}
26 - It's not difficult for an Asian specifically at the end of the day (4) - {E}{AS}{Y}
DOWN
2 - Being very unusual from most characters around an island (7) - {EX}{OT{I}SM*}
3 - This eminent wig has an unusual sign (6,3,5) - GEMINI THE TWINS*
4 - Interfere soon to solve the first problem (5) - {SNOO*}{P}
5 - Spiral serpent (5) - SNAKE [DD]
6 - Proving it to be true, an accountant is firm with a politician with the bill he has manipulated (14) - {AC}{CO}{MP}{LISHABLE*} One H gobbled up
7 - Walk on the street with a cycle (6) - {ST}{ROLL}
8 - Expected post-date payment (7) - OVERDUE [E]
15 - Place on top of a bed concealing the round sign (3,4) - {SET {O}{V}ER}(Addendum {LAY {O}{V}ER} - Thanks to Suresh)
17 - Excitement in a play for an individual in the borders of Oregon (6) - {ACT}{I}{ON}
19 - Girls in England do not take refreshments included in the wages (7) - FE{MAL}ES Anno for MAL can it be M(-e)AL ? not clear
20 - Crazy style to bargain in New Zealand is a bit old-fashioned (5) - ?O{NZ}?(Addendum - {GO}{NZ}{O} - Thanks to Richard)
21 - Sort of an expression cited by a famous person (5) - QUOTE [CD]
GRID
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteDeepak, I failed to get the very ones you have mentioned on top and a few others. I solved the rest after much head-scratching and nerve-racking.
@ Richard: I have also got stuck at the very ones mentioned but I was racking my head(whatever little grammage of brains that I possess) and scratching my rough nibbed pen on paper...
ReplyDeleteI know NJ is usually quite UNCOMMUNICATIVE, but words like NIKKO improves the RECOGNIZABILITY of a NJ crossword in a JIFFY, though ACCOMPLISHABLE even by GEMINI THE TWINS taking a STROLL through the GOBI and APPLAUDing FEMALES to BOOT.
ReplyDeleteLiked 18A and 25A.
ReplyDelete19A - I too took it as MEAL minus E = MAL.
@ Kishore, very creative. LOL
ReplyDelete@ Col: 19d Refreshments= Meal - England (e)+Mal
ReplyDelete@ Rich: I usually do this when I reply to Jeff Loeb on his Jumbles, I try to string all his words into a sentence, however crazy it may sound.
ReplyDelete13 - Worker used to circle the University (5) - SMITH ?
ReplyDeleteWorker - Defn
Used - SH, as in second hand
to circle - Inserticator
The University - MIT, as in Masachussets Insti of Tech
Well done Colonel.I think your guess on 13A SMITH is right. Maybe she meant Smith College, (not a University) or Adam Smith University.
ReplyDeleteMaking sentences with clue answers is a hobby in the comments thread of the crossword thread in the Forumhub.com. There are a few adepts in writing them!
ReplyDeleteThanks Maddy
ReplyDelete@ Suresh: If NJ meant Smith College, I think Maddy has done better, more meaningful
ReplyDeleteGood Maddy
ReplyDelete20D - Crazy style to bargain in New Zealand is a bit old-fashioned (5) - ?O{NZ}?
ReplyDeleteA wild guess:
style to bargain - GO (??)
New Zealand - NZ
a bit 'o'ld-fashioned - O
= GONZO
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/GONZO
gon·zo
–adjective
1.
(of journalism, reportage, etc.) filled with bizarre or subjective ideas, commentary, or the like.
2.
crazy; eccentric.
Such guesswork can drive one GONZO. Another addition to Kishore's string. :)
15D would be {LAY{O}{V}ER}.A layer would be a kind of bed like in case of ores.
ReplyDeleteIn that case 16A could be VACAT E(-NGINEER)S. Still figuring out the VACAT bit
@Richard. That was good.The def being Crazy style, can go be bargain
ReplyDeleteHere goes 16A. {VACA(-NT)}{T}{E(-NGINEER)S}. Apparently t is an abbreviation for the.
ReplyDelete@ Suresh, I share that doubt with you. And that accounts for the question marks in brackets.
ReplyDeleteAs for 16A, I too had VACATES in mind, but wasn't sure because of lack of clarity in the clue and the crossing. LAY OVER sounds plausible.
Can anyone tell me what the response in the Orkut circuit is? I am not a member, not as yet.
Thanks Richard. Not to forget T for the
ReplyDelete@ Suresh
ReplyDeleteRead your newer post. I guess your take is:
not used = VACANT
Out the book - Minus NT (New Testament)
the = T
Engineers on both sides - ES
Yes, that makes sense. Good job, Suresh !
The infamous long list gives go as bargain
ReplyDelete16 may be
ReplyDeleteESCAPES...
i have scratched my head like anything to solve even identify some of the clues.
Accomplishable and recognizability took a chunk of time...
really a tough bargain for rookie solver like me.
mathu
Thanks Richard & Suresh,
ReplyDeleteI did think of GONZO but didn't put it in as I just could not connect GO with BARGAIN, now that Suresh has mentioned it's infamous source the bell rings.
@Mathu,
16 A is VACATES, Suresh has given the explanation above
@Richard,
ReplyDeleteGenerally most of the ORKUT group takes a vaction when NJ appears !!!
As of now only 4 members (including me) have entered their quota of 3 solutions each, which still leaves 13 out of the 25 clues unanswered
By the way none has noticed my opening sentence. NJ has produced a Pangram today if my ABCD.... is correct
ReplyDeleteColonel I noticed your comment about this puzzle being a Pangram. Sorry I did not react. Wonder if it was deliberate or accidental
ReplyDeleteWith words like JIFFY, WOOSH, GONZO and EXOTISM it cannot be an accidental PANGRAM
ReplyDelete@ Deepak, I did read your comment on PANGRAM to begin with. But with clues like these, one's senses and memory tend to go haywire.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Deepak. It can't be accidental
ReplyDelete