ACROSS
1 - Scribbling para, suitable for nothing (8) - {GRAF}{FIT}{O}Anno for Graf not clear
5 - Almost arrived at quiet American school grounds (6) - {CAM
10 - Friend returns to get good bird (7) - {LAP<-}{WIN}{G}
12 - There's a way out of regression! (6) - EGRESS [T]
13 - Stud strutting around. What a magical feeling! (8) - STAR{DUST*} Anno pending
15 - Called from one end to the other, no end (4) - RANG
16 - This makes a person hesitant to deal with foreign things (10) - XENOPHOBIA [CD]
20 - Crazy for almonds, say (4) - NUTS [DD]
23 - Snare with given lie trotted out (8) - INVEIGLE*
24 - Mary's follower has almost 24 hours with Greek character (6) - {LAMB}{DA
27 - In apartment Oriental's swell (7) - {IN}{FLAT}{E}
28 - Cigarette for midshipman (6) - REEFER [DD]
29 - Trace CID fit enough to certify (8) - ACCREDIT*
DOWN
1 - Brilliant engineer and juror trap animal doctor detailing dog (6, 9) - {GOLDEN} {RE}{TRIE{VE
3 - Such an excuse is not acceptable (6) - FLIMSY [CD]
6 - Political system governed by one (8) - AUTARCHY [CD]
7 - Rep Burt moves to cause alarm (7) - PERTURB*
8 - Sari entrapments render it partly visible (15) - SEMITRANSPARENT*
9 - It should fetch you something for the present (4, 5) - GIFT TOKEN [CD]
14 - Ailing, yet showing cheeriness (9) - GENIALITY*
17 - Briefly, it's inside without end (8) - INFINITE Anno pending (Addendum - {IN}{FIN{IT}E} - Thanks to Chaturvasi. See comments)
19 - Setback concerning poetry (7) - {RE}{VERSE}
21 - Criticise an arrangement in plaits on the top (7) - {UP}{BRAID}
22 - Umpire has cigarette returned to old man (6) - {GAF}{FER}<-
25 - Girl's about to make record (4) - {DIS}{C}
Hi
ReplyDelete18 A had ‘mistreats’ and ‘cruelly’ sandwiching ‘ten Syrians’, the Anag Fodder. Both these words could, with some imagination be treated as AnInds and as Defs.
SEMITRANSPARENT (half beyond father and mother ?) reminded of the latest craze ‘the net saree’ and Mary’s Lamb in 24a reminded of the latter day version of the nursery rhyme:
Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow,
Wherever that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day,which was against the rules.
It made the children laugh and play,to see a lamb at school.
Mary had a little lamb, one day her father shot it dead,
Now it goes to school with her, between 2 slices of bread.
Egress brought memories of Barnum (of Barnum and Bailey) who noticed that people were lingering too long at his exhibits at his American Museum. He posted signs indicating "This Way to the Egress". Not knowing that "Egress" was another word for "Exit", people followed the signs to what they assumed was a exotic exhibit , on the lines of a “Negress”...and ended up in an alley outside the museum.
1a: Maybe, GRAF may be considered an abbreviation of PARAGRAPH, which is already appearing as an abbreviation PARA in the clue.
ReplyDeleteLink
Kishore @ 8:36,
ReplyDeleteI did think of GRAF from PARAGRAPH, was not convinced though.
Graf is a journalistc term or reporters' slang. Perhaps Richard will confirm.
ReplyDeleteRe
13 Stud strutting around. What a magical feeling! (8)
Not surprising that the anno is pending.
The clue should have been printed as
Re
13 *Stud strutting around. What a magical feeling! (8)
A graphical clue gone awry!
17d Role of 'briefly' is not clear
ReplyDelete@CV: 843: The star studded clue (Neyartha style?) with the star missing !
ReplyDeleteKishore
ReplyDeleteAny clue-writer setting out to write a clue for EGRESS will first think of the wordplay that you have indicated but an experienced clue-writer will avoid it like death and will come out with some alt clue like gridman has written.
In fine, you people need some cerebration or cogitation.
ReplyDelete@CV 847: I was not clue-writing, Sir. Just sharing the anecdote.
ReplyDeleteObama in yesterday's 20a cartoon and Osama in today's 16a cartoon. You dont miss any bets, Col. !
ReplyDelete@Kishore08:49
ReplyDeleteOK. OK.
Ah, CV sets it clear in 847 In fine as in summing up, ie. briefly
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know the idiom in fine meant in short. So that takes care of the anno for 17D.
ReplyDeleteMe neither... Briefly = in short = in fine is a new one for me.
ReplyDeleteApropos the use of 'avoid it like death' by CV, though idiomatically correct, is factually wrong as one cannot avoid death at all. Best illustrated by Somerset Maugham's
ReplyDeleteAppointment in Samarra
One of the shortest short stories I ever read.
Kishore, nice one
ReplyDeleteKishore at 08:58:
ReplyDeleteYou're telling me!
Everyone:
http://cgrishikesh.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/the-appointment-in-samarra/
Hi everyone:
ReplyDeleteCompleted early, logged in late. Some nice clues.
8D - Liked this. One could 'see through' Gridman's tongue-in-cheek cluemanship.
Graf is a journalistc term or reporters' slang. Perhaps Richard will confirm.
Much before confirming, I, for a while, was thinking of Steffi. @ Satya, Gabbie is Gabbie, anytime. ;-)
Have you taken part in Shuchi's poll?
ReplyDeleteSee the link our blogger has provided alongside.
Re 'semitransparent':
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of the line from old Tamil film song:
Adhu illadhadhupol irukkudhu...
Adhu edhu, don't ask me!
Oh, such material they used to call 'vengaya sarugu'.
A long, long way from what we see in films now; why films, even on TV.
I've taken part and have gone with the second one...
ReplyDeleteShuchi has set up a Poll on her blog follow this link to participate in the Poll
ReplyDeleteLINK TO POLL
CV@9:20,
ReplyDeleteNowadays actresses don't need to use semitransparent stuff, they wear totally transparent / invisible stuff !!!
Elsewhere a debate is on for and against straightforward clues in THC.
ReplyDeleteYou see, a setter while writing some thirty clues for a puz may sometimes get tired of breaking up word after word into components and finding some definitions for them before having to do some operations with those bits and pieces - add A and B and get AB or BA or put C in AB and get ACB, that sort of thing - to get the solutions.
So he may dismiss a clue or two in a hardly cryptic manner: the straighforwardness also lends some variety in the midst of all the devious twists and turns through which the crossworder has gone.
Did Gridman not write a cryptic clue for FLIMSY?
Let me try! (You too can!)
Getting inspiration from SEMITRANSPARENT (forgetting coloured, ribbed, scented, dotted, extra-long, etc)...
3 Thin condom is my need! (6)
3 Too weak to soar with muddled belief(6)
ReplyDelete3 Mixed up movie followed by survey in short, is not strong (6)
ReplyDelete@CV 914: Went to your link. You have aptly said no summary is requried. It is so short that any attempt to summarise it may actually ending up lengthening it !
ReplyDeleteA SIM, a fragile one, was swallowed by a fly and it broke (6)
ReplyDelete3 Slight head of fly, slimy, squashed as it is! (6)
ReplyDelete3 MILF returning from Syria is thin and delicate (6)
ReplyDelete22D GAFFER - Deepak, can you pls check the link you have given? It leads to a pic of Golden Terriers.
ReplyDelete3 In giving toefl I'm synonymous with an onionskin.
ReplyDeleteOne lady wearing a zipper made of chiffon, say
ReplyDeleteVinod,
ReplyDeleteThat's great! If the word had not been set, the solver will have some thinking to do before determining which is the def in your clue.
Delicate house pest holding a Masters degree (6)
ReplyDeleteThin paper used with typewriter is a lame excuse
ReplyDeleteVery thin bird flew initially and regularly laid eggs in the borders of Massachusetts at the end of the day (6)
ReplyDeleteA tribute to... well you know....
VJ: Initially nine Indians took a space jaunt along green globe isthmus (4,5)
ReplyDeleteA 'flimsy' clue fest going on here!
ReplyDelete..in the borders of.." as far as I can recall, meant putting the 'border' letters together. I am not sure there was ever a solution where there were other letters 'within' the 'borders'. So VJ's clue fits the pattern well.
ReplyDeleteThose with more experience of this setter's puzzle - correct me if I am wrong.
CV,
ReplyDeleteWho is the winner of the 'flimsy' contest?