ACROSS
4 - Flow of water in the central parts of an exciting story (8) - {TH{RILL}E}{R}
8 - Put in twice the amount of work (6) - DOUBLE [CD] Why work?
9 - American award that may put you on an Honour roll (4,6) - BLUE RIBBON [CD] Had to google this
10 - Get rid of one in Houston city (4) - OUST [T]
11 - Usual time of the job (4) - PART ?
13 - Chick that is under par (6) - BIRDIE [E]
15 - Name initially another pandit performing outdoors in Nepal's temple (7) - {A}{P}{P}{O}{I}{N}{T}
17 - Foreigner in Sri Lanka is with the Vatican (4) - {SL}{A}{V}
18 - You have a Territorial Army on the hill top in the state (4) - {U}{TA}{H}
19 - Cigars got back in for secret agents out of power (7) - S{TOG<-}(
22 - Talk boastfully about the girl following the supporter (4) - {BRA}{G}
25 - Made to lie to the lady (4) - DAME*
26 - Jehovah's Witness (10) - WATCHTOWER [CD] !@#$%&*?
27 - Continue to be in charge of the first tenure of the chemical dependent person (6) - {ADD}{IC}{T}
28 - Bearer has an accident in the corners of the Cathedral relating to the brain (8) - C{EREBRA*}L
DOWN
1 - For this purpose introduce wine, overheard (2,3) - (~add){AD} {HOC}(~hock) What is the definition here?
2 - Star bike (6) - PULSAR [DD]
3 - Animal in Zambia kills the bear (5) - {Z}{EBRA*}
4 - Faith in a business concern (5) - TRUST [DD]
5 - Choice of a small portion of the dish (7) - {RARE}{BIT}
6 - Needing effort to dig an old burial outside (9) - LABORIOUS Anno pending (BURIAL* + O from old + OS from outside?)
7 - They may get very demonstrative in front of an audience (9) - EMOTIONAL ? Based on crossings.
12 - Son is in to fix the perch (5) - ROO{S}T
14 - School boy in the morning is up in the small castle outside (9) - {CLAS{S}{MA<-}TE*} Why would one link classmate to School boy?
15 - A descent that is very rocky (9) - AVALANCHE [CD] An avalanche would generally be linked to snow.
16 - Circle out an elevated zone in the country (5) - N(
20 - Artist in Belgium is the one to first communicate in the language (6) - {A}{RA}{B}{I}{C}
22 - Cut short the insides of the small intestine (5) - BOWEL(
23 - River in the holy ground (5) - A{R}RAY ?
24 - Fat man is the one not fit at the end of the day (5) - {HE}{F(
Hi
ReplyDelete15a APPOINT, 19a STOGIES 2d PULSAR 14d were cute. Agree with all your reservations. When faced with this sort of thing thoughts turn to other things. Eg:
8a DOUBLE reminded of the witches‘ song from Macbeth:
Thrice the brinded Cat hath mew'd.
Thrice and once the Hedge-Pig whined.
Harpier cries: 'Tis time, 'tis time.
Round about the Cauldron go;
In the poison'd Entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and Nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd Venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.
Double, double toile and trouble ;
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a Fenny Snake,
In the Cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of Newt, and Toe of Frogge,
Wool of Bat, and Tongue of Dogge,
Adder's Fork, and Blind-worm's Sting,
Lizard's leg, and Howlet's wing,
For a Charm of powerful trouble
Like a Hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toyle and trouble,
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.
Scale of Dragon, Tooth of Wolf,
Witches' Mummy, Maw and Gulf
Of the ravin'd salt Sea shark,
Root of Hemlock digg'd i' the dark,
Liver of Blaspheming Jew,
Gall of Goat, and Slips of Yew
Silver'd in the Moon's Eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips,
Finger of Birth-strangled Babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a Drab,
Make the Gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a Tiger's Chaudron,
For the Ingredients of our Cauldron.
Double, double toyle and trouble'
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.
Cool it with a Baboon's blood,
Then the Charm is firm and good.
O! well done! I commend your pains,
And every one shall share i' the gains.
And now about the Cauldron sing,
Like Elves and Fairies in a Ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
Black spirits and white, red spirits and gray;
Mingle, mingle, mingle, you that mingle may.
By the pricking of my Thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, Locks,
Whoever knocks.
Hi everyone
ReplyDeleteMissed only a few. Some clues faulty, some unconvincing.
11A - How can part time be usual time?
15A - Liked this.
21A - How careless can one be !
22A - 'Supporter' - this setter's favourite clue.
26A - The Watchtower connection well made use of.
27A - 'chemical-dependent person' for a junkie - liked this.
28A - Thank Goodness, the 'supporter' did not crop up here.
1D - ADD HOCK and AD HOC - crafty !
2D - The Bajaj Group should be pleased with this promotion.
15D - not convincing.
@ Deepak
ReplyDelete24D - Fat man is the one not fit at the end of the day (5) - {HE}{F(i)T}{Y} Hefty is not fat!!
A fat salaried man can have a hefty wallet. That seems to be the only connection. ;)
16 D - not clear. How is elevated zone a region reversed? Does elevated indicate reversal?
ReplyDeleteThis clue is dedicated to our friend LNS and only he can post the solution here; others, if they so wish, could solve it privately.
ReplyDeleteSlipslop girl's support is mimimal, to begin with (11)
1D - For this purpose introduce wine, overheard (2,3) - (~add){AD} {HOC}(~hock) What is the definition here?
ReplyDeleteThis seems OK. 'Ad hoc' is Latin for 'for this purpose'. Add = introduce, hock = wine.
Deepak
ReplyDeleteI deleted a couple of posts as they were overtaken by ff. post. I was too quick to the draw! Sorry!
@Giridhar,
ReplyDeleteYes NJ does intend elevated to mean NOIGER <-
Thanks
ReplyDelete@CV
ReplyDeleteSo you remembered his lament about names!
Bearer has an accident in the corners of the Cathedral relating to the brain (8)
ReplyDeleteSome questions:
1. How can one bearer have an accident in the corners?
2. What's 'relating to the brain', the accident or the Cathedral?
3. If latter, how can (in surface reading) a cathedral be relating to the brain?
@Giridhar
ReplyDeleteYou got it!
- Usual time of the job (4) - PART
ReplyDeleteI think anno is {PAR}{T} Usual = Par
But the defn part = job or 'of the job' is a stretch.
I wonder if she intended "part of the job"
anywhich way doesn't make sense
When I was in high school, we had an egregiously bad teacher. Since the school was a government school, his position was safe.
ReplyDeleteEvery student, many parents, and a few of his fellow teachers, too, complained about his poor teaching, all the while providing crystal clear examples of his horrid work.
He, however, was convinced that there was nothing wrong with his teaching and chalked it all up to jealousy, prejudice, etc. As he had already made up his mind, he was totally impervious (though, not oblivious) to any criticism.
Ms. Nita Jaggi reminds me of him!!! Aaargh!!!
Good Morning all
ReplyDeleteI was about to fall by the confusions in some of the definitions and clues. Made my head spin and i could stand only with "support" after filling up some boxes with guess work.I am not really happy with ad hoc, hefty, estate, and avalanche though i have filled it.
It seems NJ is trying to give some beginners like us a "cerebral Palsy"
Good day
Mathu
What can I say about NJ...
ReplyDeleteWell, I always cut her some slack. She might not be perfect but more often that not, she makes me think out of the box. It's kind of funny solving her crosswords. The answers to her clues could really surprise you.
I was trying really hard to make sense out of 11A but couldn't help giving up. Perhaps this was just like yesterday's "Character in strips" Like cartoon, here the answer she was looking for is part i.e. time of job is part-time, like part time job.
VJ
ReplyDeleteLike I said yesterday you're entitled to your opinion and you're most welcome to admire some of NJ's clues that we find do not lead anywhere.
But you're most likely to plough a lonely furrow: not exactly, the composer will be walking along with you.
If any of these clues over which we argue are passed as impeccable by any 'crossword editor' as we understand the term, I will withdraw my statement, which is:
The clue 'Usual time of the job (4)'
does not lead to the intended answer.
Maddy has said above: It doesn't make sense.
In yesterday's poll over a suspect clue, eight out of ten found it unacceptable. I have no intention of conducting any poll on this clue.
NJ's clues require 'Out of the world' thinking and not 'Out of the box'
ReplyDeleteCVasi sir explained in clear terms as to what is wrong with, say, the following:
ReplyDeleteBearer has an accident in the corners of the Cathedral relating to the brain (8)
Some questions:
1. How can one bearer have an accident in the corners?
2. What's 'relating to the brain', the accident or the Cathedral?
3. If latter, how can (in surface reading) a cathedral be relating to the brain?
As a solver, you read that clue and go, "Huh? What the hell is that about?" Even if you get it, sorry, let me rephrase that, even if I get it, I feel yucky. I don't experience any joy or jubilation. I bet our Colonel went through something similar so many times that, exasperated, today he declared, "I am ready to give up on NJ's CW, today is the limit!"
Now contrast this with one of Gridman's clues that I recall from the top of my head:
Do these put to rest children who cry their head off? (9)
The answer to which is:
Put to rest = LULL
children = BABIES
cry their head off = deletion indicator (of the first character)
resulting in LULLABIES
When I solved it, I was in a classroom proctoring a test and a big smile came on my face, I shook my head in utter amazement of the beauty of the clue and let out such an audible "damn!" that my students raised their heads and wondered what was up with me. I admit, not every one of Gridman's clues is that brilliant but assuredly, just about every one of them is well phrased and has a smooth surface reading. I bet if the great British setters were to look at Gridman's crosswords, they too would approve of the quality.
As noted often here, one gets the feeling that NJ just doesn't give a damn! And, that is very frustrating.
May be NJ is saying to herself:
ReplyDeleteMen may foam
Men may froth
But I go on the same way
207PM Ministerial oranges again?
ReplyDeleteBelated thanks to Dan for helping.Sorry I was out of station for a week. In today's 13Ac
ReplyDeletechick - Bird + that is - ie + birdie - under par should have been the anno, I think.
W/o any foaming or frothing...
ReplyDeleteDeepak, please allow me to raise some questions that you have ignored in your blog.
4 - Flow of water in the central parts of an exciting story (8) - {TH{RILL}E}{R}
***Is the surface rading OK? Flow of water in ... story is for real or fiction like the story?
8 - Put in twice the amount of work (6) - DOUBLE [CD] Why work?
***Yes, as you say 'of work' is superfluous.
10 - Get rid of one in Houston city (4) - OUST [T]
***Anagram fodder is excess but that is a done thing with some composers.
11 - Usual time of the job (4) - PART ?
***Questions have already been raised.
13 - Chick that is under par (6) - BIRDIE [E]
17 - Foreigner in Sri Lanka is with the Vatican (4) - {SL}{A}{V}
***Where do you get A from?
18 - You have a Territorial Army on the hill top in the state (4) - {U}{TA}{H}
***Is use of a here idiomatic, leave alone it's superfluous for wordplay.
21 - Property in Budapest-attested (6) - ESTATE [T] After ignoring one T
***You have already raised the question of an extra t in hidden fodder.
25 - Made to lie to the lady (4) - DAME*
***Is 'to lie' OK as anag signal?
28 - Bearer has an accident in the corners of the Cathedral relating to the brain (8) - C{EREBRA*}L
***Questions raised already.
DOWN
6 - Needing effort to dig an old burial outside (9) - LABORIOUS Anno pending (BURIAL* + O from old + OS from outside?)
***This question remains unanswered.
7 - They may get very demonstrative in front of an audience (9) - EMOTIONAL ? Based on crossings.
***"They may get..." suggestst the ans. reqd. is a noun whereas it is an adj.
14 - School boy in the morning is up in the small castle outside (9) - {CLAS{S}{MA<-}TE*} Why would one link classmate to School boy?
***Question raised already.
15 - A descent that is very rocky (9) - AVALANCHE [CD] An avalanche would generally be linked to snow.
***Question raised already.
22 - Cut short the insides of the small intestine (5) - BOWEL(s)
***Here the deletion fodder is (bowels) is the same as the def for word reqd (insides)
23 - River in the holy ground (5) - A{R}RAY ?
***Not sure about the above answer.
24 - Fat man is the one not fit at the end of the day (5) - {HE}{F(i)T}{Y} Hefty is not fat!!
***Question raised already.
@Muthaiah,
ReplyDeleteI had highlighted the definition incorrectly. Under par is the definition, BIRDIE being one under PAR in Golf
@Chaturvasi,
ReplyDeleteWe can raise these questions for our satisfaction but it has no effect on NJ, I am sure she must be reading the comments here, but does not seem to be willing to change
22 - Cut short the insides of the small intestine (5) - BOWEL(s)
ReplyDelete***Here the deletion fodder is (bowels) is the same as the def for word reqd (insides)
I think I should have written it the other way.
The deletion fodder is insides (BOWELS) and the def for word reqd is 'small intenstine'. The point I am trying to make is bowels = INTESTINES = insides.
@CV: you mad at me? I didn't know the Orkut group rules. The good Colonel informed me. So peace, okay?
ReplyDeleteWe're not wired appropriately to crack Madam-ji's clues. btw, did you know Nita Jaggi is a giant jig confused?
:)
@CV:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clue. Here's a nice example from a TV serial I used to see when I was a road warrior viz., "The Sopranos"
Christopher Moltisanti: Maybe Vesuvio's is bugged and it's Feds who told Johnny.
Silvio Dante: What, conspiracy theories now?
Christopher Moltisanti: Why not? Play captains against each other, create a little dysentery among the ranks?
Tony Soprano: First of all, the place is swiped for bugs twice a month. Second, there are much more interesting things being said at that place than Ginny Sack's fat ass!
LNS
ReplyDeleteNo prob!
On 'first day, first show' people tend to be excited!!
Mind you, I said day!!!
BTW, where in the US do you live?
In any case, after NJ yesterday, it was inevitable. Also, I had tabbouleh for dinner. Maybe that kicked in. Also, there was no excitement yesterday. Jeopardy had celebrities come in - it always makes for a poor show.
ReplyDeleteI live in Michigan.
Re: Vasi Sir's clue for LNS
ReplyDeleteYou had it coming, LNS :)
@Anokha: Nice seeing you
ReplyDelete@ Col: As you will know, the limit (in math terms) is always approached and not reached, hence there is further scope .... ;\x
ReplyDeleteReg:CV's special clue:
ReplyDeleteOne doesn't want to be "a vast suppository of information".
@LNS: Girl before disheartened old Benin is a disease (6)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kishore. Did you know that in Switzerland, Germany etc, they only give suppositories instead of regular tablets for children under 3. Ditto with taking temperature. They don't stick the thermometer in the kid's mouth or the armpit.
ReplyDeleteSome of these clues seem not so bad to me.
ReplyDelete8 - Put in twice the amount of work (6) - DOUBLE [CD] Why work?
***Yes, as you say 'of work' is superfluous.
One meaning of 'double' is to work in two capacities e.g. He doubles as grid-maker and clue-writer. The clue would hold without 'of work' too, but it would be too direct. Of course, it may be argued that working in two capacities is not strictly the same as putting in twice the amount of work.
11 - Usual time of the job (4) - PART ?
***Questions have already been raised.
I don't find much wrong except the minor flaw of a superfluous 'the' (which is considered OK by other THC setters, why pick on NJ?)
usual = PAR, time = T. job = part = a role of work or duty. e.g. He applied for the part/job of cook and cleaner at the hotel.
24 - Fat man is the one not fit at the end of the day (5) - {HE}{F(i)T}{Y} Hefty is not fat!!
***Question raised already.
Definition is all right - 'hefty' and 'fat' are synonyms in the sense of abundant. e.g. He was paid a hefty/fat sum of money to keep his mouth shut. The indicator for removing "I" is flawed IMO: "is the one not fit" cannot give FIT - I.
I don't have issues with following clues. I set my bar a little low perhaps.
ReplyDelete28A: For better reading, the first part of the clue and the definition part (relating to the brain) could have been separated by a semi colon.
6D: I think OS comes from `to dig' = `open' = OS
14D: Every school boy is somebody's classmate.
15D: Avalanche could be linked to rocks too.
24D: Fat could be one of the definitions of hefty and vice-versa. So they're synonymous. Ref: www.thesaurus.com
8A and 11A, clues with twists.
On the flop side, 21A is inexcusable. A very bad error.
I can't believe I am defending NJ and criticizing Gridman :) but here goes, in response to Satya's comment:
ReplyDeleteDo these put to rest children who cry their head off? (9)
A very nice idea, marred by a surface grammar flaw - a child cries his/her head off; children cry their heads off.
Shuchi, "one not" is a succinct removal indicator IMO. Succinct and cryptic.
ReplyDeleteDo these put to rest children who cry their head off? (9)
ReplyDeleteCryptic definition and charades in a single clue. Nice one.
@VJ: "one not in fit", "fit without one", "one out of fit" can all be valid removal indicators for FIT - I. "one not fit" can give I - FIT, but not FIT - I.
ReplyDeleteAlso, "is the" is a poor filler, a problem that could have been avoided by using an apostrophe-s instead of "is" to double as 'has' in the wordplay.
Shuchi
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. You have put things in correct perspective.
VJ
I believe "one not fit" doesn't quite convey the operation to delete I from FIT.
Let me not be misunderstood for raising so many questions. Only when we dissect clues like this do we improve our appreciation of clues and the difficult art of clue-writing.
ReplyDeleteJust giving answers to clues doesn't help.
I believe that if composers spend more time on and thought on clues they can vastly improve their work.
ReplyDeleteMass production does tell on quality of at least some clues in a puzzle.
@Shuchi, your suggestions are nicer but "one not fit" fits this particular clue better. Furthermore, it's like a telegraphic removal indicator.
ReplyDelete@Chaturvasi, I think we once again have to agree to disagree :)
@Chaturvasi,
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with being critical. It's nice that you expect the best. I hope your message reaches the right people.
NJ makes 10 in a row and her sloppiness shows that she gets things done in a rush, like some dime a dozen deal. I think increasing the panel size might help. It breaks the monotony too.
@VJ: "one not fit" fits the surface only, not the wordplay.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of this Times clue:
Cold and uncertain? Not very (4) {-v}AGUE
If "one not fit" = FIT - I is correct,
then "uncertain not very" must be V - VAGUE? But it isn't, it's VAGUE - V.
Which is right?
@Shuchi,
ReplyDeleteI am okay with both the clues and this is just my opinion. They seem like the same kind of clues. Experts may have a different view, but for all I care, I could solve the clues just by reading them. So they don't really seem wrong to me.
@VJ: To understand your view better, does this logic of "same both ways" extend to other indicators/clue types too?
ReplyDeleteYou say: (A not B) can be (A - B) or (B - A).
Can these work both ways too?
1. A minus B
2. A around B
3. A before B
Anyone who's familiar with NJ can solve this clue just by reading it:
Loudly post on the vessels (4)
Easily solved - but is it a good clue?
Well while I believe NOT (as a function) could work both ways, I wouldn't say the same about AROUND and BEFORE.
ReplyDeleteA NOT B could be interpreted as "A NOT, B" as in "without A, B"
B NOT A could be interpreted as "B without A" as in "without A, B"
The above would not work in the case of AROUND and BEFORE.
Mathematically A MINUS B =/= B MINUS A, but while expressing in words, we could make this change.
Disclaimer: This is just the way I see it.