ACROSS
1 - One is not fully employed in this post (4-4,3) - PART-TIME-JOB [E]
9 - Covers seances in trepidation (7) - ENCASES*
10 - World leader, greeting realm's leading communist, made a quick movement (7) - {W}{HI}{R}{RED}
11 - Nearly display Hindi honorific on Japanese screen (5) - {SHOw}{JI}
12 - Heinz sect recollected German philosopher (9) - NIETZSCHE*
13 - Animal has first-class palm drink (5) - {ASS}{AI}
15 - Eccentric persons dwell constantly on casino slickster (4-5) - {CARD-S}{HARP}
18 - Extremely large gun rooms I refit (9) - GINORMOUS* Never heard this word before
21 - Great short piece of Osibisa in slow movement (5) - {LARGe}{O} Osibisa, my favourite group when I was in College
22 - Meet bridge opponents at table (9) - {EN}{COUNTER}
24 - Professor, cool to begin with, assumes hard attitude (5) - {C}{H}{AIR}
26 - A portion of pilau or cooked pike in a butcher's shop (4,3) - {P}{OR}{K PIE*} Definition seems incorrect. This is a cooked dish which one wouldn't find in a Butcher's shop.
27 - Rums? Not by any means! Only patent medicine! (7) - NOSTRUM*
28 - Superior book held in central bank (4,7) - {GOLD} {RESERVE}
DOWN
1 - Coerce journalists to wisecrack about first of newsmen (5,4) - {PRESS} {GA{N}G}
2 - Page that isn't left (5) - RECTO [CD]
3 - Deponent to examine, provided ire is dissipated (9) - {TEST}{IF}{IER*}
4 - Kind of lodge where mother has a kind of boom (7) - {MA}{SONIC}
5 - Fungus in more interesting pronouncement (4-3) - JEWS-EAR(~juicier)
6 - Bombard old newspaper from Mumbai (5) - BLITZ [DD]
7 - Kind of critic removed from actual situation (8) - ARMCHAIR [CD]
14 - With little to do in this job, nice ruse is played out (8) - SINECURE*
16 - Isis coils in distress with disease (9) - SILICOSIS*
17 - Expert given weight in course of study (9) - {PRO}{GRAMME}
19 - A male to prepare breakfast food (7) - OATMEAL*
20 - More peaceful Frenchman accepted by rishi without one bit of emotion (7) - {SE{RENE}eR}
22 - See key agent (4) - {E}{SPY}
23 - What one may do when removing linen from the clothesline (5) - UNPEG [CD]
25 - Clothes-drying frame for broadcast network (5) - AIRER [DD]
Hi
ReplyDeleteThoroughly enjoyable ! Brought back lots of memories.
EN-COUNTER, NIETZSCHE*, PRESS GANG, LARG(-e)O, C-H-AIR, ARMCHAIR, , PRO-GRAMME were delightful. ASSAI, SHOJI and JEWS EAR had to be confirmed by Google. Pondered why RECTO (as opposed to Verso) referring to the right and left pages respectively does not have a similar connotation in Recitifed / Versified ! . IMO, CARD-SHARP (~CARDS HARP) was the best.
12a PGW used to use ‘He/she reads Nietzsche/Spinoza’ to indicate high brow or sham high brow characters.
6d BLITZ reminded of Russi (RK) Karanjia who reputed to have started the tabloid in 1941 with the lines “Our Blitz, India’s Blitz against Hitler”. Blitz was very popular for its sensationalism and held sway in roughly the same years as Desmond Doig’s JS did. Blitz achieved popularity with pictures of Zeenie Baby and Protima Bedi. The PB streak was a watershed moment in Indian photo journalism.
21a Largo reminded of the non musical Largo’s Emilio and Maximilian, arch villains in the Bond movies.
In 21a, Osibisa reminded of the band which visited in India in the seventies/eighties with their most popular song ‘Dance the body music’ and their popular members Teddy Osei and Daku Potato (the bald percussionist who is no more)and their rendering of ‘Raghupathi Raghava Raja Raam’.
DTBM
They came back in 2009 as a part of The Hindufest and played RRRR again:
RRRR
26a Col sab, you have echoed my exact thoughts !
ReplyDeletePlease read 'rectified' instead of 'recitified'in my 830 post
ReplyDeleteWasn't Blitz famous for the short satirical item that always ended "I don't know, my son". I forget the title of the piece.
ReplyDeleteAnd then (wiping my drool) the last page.
Hey Col, remember the flying elephant ?
ReplyDelete26A: Well the only comment I can make is
ReplyDeleteewwwwwwwwww.... just eeewwwwww....
Do some butchers sell cooked food?
Have a few bones to pick with Gridman today
ReplyDelete26A - A portion of pilau or cooked pike in a butcher's shop (4,3) Already noted by Colonel and Kishore
27A Rums? Not by any means! Only patent medicine! (7) Rums in plural doesn't make for good surface reading even if it is implied as drinks
1D Coerce journalists to wisecrack about first of newsmen (5,4). This is my biggest beef for today. Coerce as used here is a verb. Press gang is a noun referring to the unit that does the forcing. Shouldn't it be coercion?
8D Makes more sound with this tool (4) Again, makes more is jarring to read as meaning adds
CV: Yes, I remember the one you are referring to, can't recollect the title immediately. BTW, JS was popular for its 'Love is .... ' cartoons depicting two angelic(?) kids (?) in the buff.
ReplyDeleteCV, I remember KA Abbas used to have a regular column in Blitz.
ReplyDelete1D: I think "Coerce" is the word to be defined.
ReplyDeleteCoerce = PRESS GANG
CV 840 Ref to the last line: The last page was not large enough to accommodate the drool, huh?
ReplyDelete@VJ, that's what I thought too and posted my question, but looking again at Colonel's annotation, I think the word is journalists
ReplyDelete1D Coerce journalists to wisecrack about first of newsmen (5,4)
ReplyDeleteBhavan
Here the def is 'coerce',v., which gives PRESS-GANG.
The wordplay is
PRESS (journalists, collectively) + GAG (wisecrack, v. but also as n. in wordplay) about (c/c ind) N (first of newsmen).
Thanks VJ,
ReplyDeleteSince corrected.
Bhavan, if that was the case, word to be defined would be sandwiched between two different parts of the word-play. That doesn't seem right.
ReplyDeleteThis is how I took it.
Coerce = PRESS GANG
journalists = PRESS
wise crack about first of newsmen = {GA{N}G}
@CVasi, I derived the answer exactly like you described. But pressgang is a noun and coerce is a verb. That's what my question was. If it is acceptable that way.
ReplyDelete@VJ, I was going to comment on the placing of the words next, but looks like we all agree that the final word should mean coerce.
ReplyDeleteBhavan
ReplyDeleteRe the use of RUMS (in plural form) see
http://www.forbes.com/2005/08/01/rum-lifestyle-passmore-cx_np_0802feat_ls.html
I rest my case (of beer cans).
PRESS GANG is verb...
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't matter even if it was a noun. Such deviations are accepted. I've seen that happen many times.
Bhavan
ReplyDelete'Press-gang' can also be used as a verb.
See Chambers.
PRESS GANG is verb...
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't matter even if it was a noun. Such deviations are accepted. I've seen that happen many times.
I disagree. The clue cannot work unless PRESS-GANG is also a verb. It is and the clue works.
@VJ, @CVasi, thanks for verb usage clarification.
ReplyDelete@CVasi, I wasn't contesting the usage of RUMS, just commented that it didn't make for good reading!
@CVasi 09:04 - Exactly the reason I raised the question in the first place. But, All's well that ...
ReplyDeleteBut, All's well that...
ReplyDeleteYes, when it's Much Ado about...
Chaturvasi,
ReplyDeleteI think I didn't clarify my point well enough.
Second part of my comment was a general one in reference to verb/ noun conflict. Supposing the word "coerce" has a nounal form, it's all right if the solution takes a verb form or vice versa right?
Kshore @ 8.30 & 8.44,
ReplyDeleteYou referred JS, and I get in.....
A few Love is........ from JS:
..... denying when he insists he is going bald
..... being patient when she isn't
..... answering her nasty words with kind words
..... carving her a jack-o- lantern for Halloween
..... having each other when bad news is received
..... telling his family how great he is
..... not treating her like a second-class
citizen
..... giving your sapre time to a charity
..... taking a stroll when he lets off steam
..... trying to fix all the dripping faucets
for her
..... sending him a card for no special reason
..... knowing what she is going to say before
she says it
Kishore, it is indeed "down the memory lane"!
@Venkatesh on Collective nouns;
ReplyDeleteHere are a few from JS 'confected and distributed" by none onther than the inimitable
Jug Suraiya:
A pomposity of politicians
A hoard of blackmarketeers
A portfolio of ministers
A hijack of airliners
A clutch of cops
A jargon of jounalists
A contraband of smugglers
A bond of spies
A zodiac of film stars
A sideboard of chamchas
A dose of doctors
A flash of photographers
A stark of streakers
And a word for collective nouns themeselves?
How about " a chimera"?
Or since it was "my" idea to begin with, what about "A JUGful of collectives"?
..... JUG SURIYA in "Rear Window" JS Vol VII No.12 (year .. dunno)
Dr DS,
ReplyDeleteSince you've started on the Love is, here are some more which I had cut from JS and sent to my wife to be, which she has preserved since the 70's
Love is
... sneaking him a kiss when he least expects it.
... meaning every kiss.
... when she's always on your mind.
... not mentioning his spreading middle.
... when a feeling goes from you to someone else and back.
... still being romantic as the years pass.
... supervising her exercise program.
... for the warm and willing.
... a family together.
... feeling as if something's missing when you're apart.
... knowing he'll always be yours.
... never wanting to say goodbye.
... holding hands in the movies.
Second part of my comment was a general one in reference to verb/ noun conflict. Supposing the word "coerce" has a nounal form, it's all right if the solution takes a verb form or vice versa right?
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean.
A word might be a noun/verb/adj in surface reading. But as the def for word reqd, it must be capable of being in the same part of speech as the word reqd.
Shuchi (or any other person) will confirm whether I have stated it properly.
The bard wrote:
ReplyDeleteLove is not love,
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
Oh, no! It’s an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests..and is never shaken.
DS: Your typo reminded me of Madhu Sapre and her ad with Milind Soman ! Sapre time indeed :-)
ReplyDelete@ Dr DS
ReplyDeleteThanks for the delectable CNs.
Russy Karanjia was a fearless person who always courted controversy (and bans of his tabloid). His expose' of the Mundhra scandal (with Firoze Gandhi)and signature campaign for mercy plea for Commander Nanavati will be recalled by old timers. V Gangadhar, whose "A slice of life" in the Sunday supplement of The Hindu gives us a humorous and nostalgic take on life in those days, used to be a columnist for Blitz.
ReplyDeleteBlitz and Sapre time to bring back memories (old and new). There's a fairly good wiki page on the Nanavati case. It was interesting to know that he lived in Canada until 2003 emigrating there after the pardon.
ReplyDeletePopular opinion playing a role in the case, brings to mind our politicians, when arrested/convicted saying "We will win in the people's court"
For GenY, a brief recap of the Nanavati murder case (Bombay, 1950s):
ReplyDeleteIndian Navy’s young and dapper Commander Nanavati shot and killed his wife's paramour, Prem Ahuja, a Sindhi businessman. Blitz painted Nanavati as a hero, his wife Sylvia an unfortunate victim of circumstances, and Ahuja an unmitigated scoundrel known for seducing the wives of defence officers away on duty.
The trial in Bombay created nationwide interest (just like the OJ Simpson trial four decades on). While the jury found Nanavati 'not guilty', the judge disagreed and sentenced him to a prison term. Finally, responding to strong public sentiment, the then Governor of Bombay State, Dr Vijayalakshmi Pandit, pardoned Nanavati. He is understood to have migrated to Canada with his family(as mentioned by Giridhar). The trial inspired the veteran film maker RK Nayyar to make the Hindi movie - Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke.
CV/CGB might recall the other famous murder cases in Madras around that time – of Alavandar, Lakshmikanthan and Suryanarayana. In the first case, the Madras police discovered a huge steel trunk at the Central station with a mutilated male corpse, and successfully identified it from the work done on its teeth as the body of Alavandar, who worked in a fountain pen making firm. A local Casanova, he started blackmailing Devaki who broke off with him to marry Menon. Devaki confessed to her husband who decided to do away with Alavandar. Devaki called him home and Menon did him in. They got rid of the head (thinking the sea would swallow it and make identification of the body-in-the-trunk impossible) and then fled to Bombay. While the jury found the couple guilty, Justice ASP Ayyar took a sympathetic view sentencing them to only a few years in prison. On their release, they set up a business in Kerala.
Madhabhushi Rangadurai, a noted columnist and legal and film historian, has written up these cases under his pen name, Randor Guy. The Suryanarayana murder case was made into a Tamil movie, “Sadhu mirandal” starring TR Ramachandran, and later into a Hindi movie, “Saadhu aur Shaitaan” starring Om Prakash.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVenkatesh: Awesome post.
ReplyDeletebtw, Nanavati murder case was a trial by jury. But there was no sequestration of the jury, so after this trial, the GoI abolished trial by jury.
The film 'yeh raaste hain pyaar ke' had Leela Naidu (one time wife of Dom Moraes, son of Frank Moraes, ex ed-in-chief of the Indian Express) in the lead role. It had very nice songs. Leela Naidu died last year.
Lakshmikanthan murder case was the one in which NS Krishnan, Thyagaraja Bhagavathar etc got implicated.
Growing up, I used to overhear a lot of discussion around these topics between my parents, uncles etc.
BTW, RK Karanjia's brother BK Karankia was editor of Filmfare and Indian Express and (I am not very sure here, maybe CV can confirm) headed owned a tabloid called 'Current' which was similar to Blitz but not as 'peppy'.
ReplyDeleteReferring to Mundhra, recall that Haridas Mundhra and Harshad Mehta shared their initials !
ReplyDeleteIn the Mundhra scandal, the then Finance Minister, T T Krishnamachari (TTK), pressured LIC into bailing out industrialist Haridas Mundhra of Calcutta, by buying shares worth Rs 1.24 crore in six companies owned by him. The shady deal was exposed by Firoze Gandhi, Nehru's own son-in-law who viewed corruption in high places as a betrayal of the ideals of the newly independent nation. The one-man commission with Justice MC Chagla appointed by the PM conducted a speedy and transparent inquiry - all its hearings were in public with proceedings aired on loudspeakers. Mundhra was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and TTK had to resign.
ReplyDelete