Monday 27 September 2010

No 9958, Monday 27 Sep 10, Sankalak

ACROSS
1   - Boat race for a great time in the making! (7) - {REGAT(T)A*}
5   - Term promissory notes as open to doubt (7) - {DUB}{IOUS}
9   - A friend, a means of going up on board ship (9,6) - {COMPANION} {LADDER}
10 - What is accepted in a trendy scene shot in one go (6) - {IN}{TAKE}
11 - It goes to prove guilt — or innocence (8) - EVIDENCE [CD]
13 - Bons vivants sure to scamper after a long story (8) - {EPIC}{URES*}
15 - Lodging for worker, outwardly modest (6) - {SH{ANT}Y}
18 - They are needed to ensure production (6) - INPUTS [CD]
19 - Garment worn by people who provoke after a time (8) - {T}{ROUSERS}
22 - The measure of a jester's hat (5,3) - FOOL'S CAP (~foolscap)
24 - Good man, free, strays to rot away (6) - {FE(ST)ER*}
27 - Important part of airport? True, large, done up afresh (9,6) - DEPARTURE LOUNGE*
28 - On European soil our destinations include this place of pilgrimage (7) - LOURDES [T]
29 - Measure of disorder in funny new poetry (7) - {E(N)TROPY*}
DOWN
1   - Lean back and find a place of learning on track (7) - {REC}{LINE} REC are now NIT
2   - Range displayed by Greek character immersed in a bit of music (5) - {GA{MU}T} What's the link between 'gut' and 'music'? Is it from 'catgut'? (See comments)
3   - Athletes' wear shows marks left by clubs, say (9) - {TRACK}{SUIT}
4   - The central part of an alliance (4) - AXIS [DD]
5   - Starting afresh from Latin (2,4) - DE NOVO [E]
6   - To come down to earth after end of climb is boring (5) - {B}{LAND}
7   - Order for weapons to protect capital of Italy (9) - {ORD{I}NANCE}
8   - Pitifully bad to involve chief engineer in black magic (7) - {SOR{CE}RY}


12 - To seek charity is a bad beginning, say (3) - {B}{EG}
14 - Spontaneous in saying one's on time, for all to see (9) - {I'M}{PROMPT}{U}
16 - A dwelling that hobo's auntie, dropping in, violated (9) - HOUSEBOATin*
17 - Mineral with monetary value in Norway (3) - ORE [DD]
18 - A non-believer in life, daughter reformed (7) - {INFI(D)EL*}
20 - The knife treatment (7) - SURGERY [CD]
21 - Principles of a suave Liberal translated (6) - {VA(L)UES*}
23 - A tiny piece of something right in the outhouse (5) - {SH{R}ED}
25 - Brown to leave for a dance (5) - {TAN}{GO}
26 - Give up a part of your space de facto (4) - CEDE [T]

34 comments:

  1. Hi friends

    Smooth sailing, right from the word 'go' - REGATTA!

    Most of the clues very nice. Liked COMPANION LADDER, EPICURES, FOOLSCAP (would agree with Bhavan on Orkut that it would have better sounded as one word), DEPARTURE LOUNGE, LOURDES, ENTROPY, RECLINE, GAMUT, TRACKSUIT, AXIS (I hope I am right), DE NOVO, ORDINANCE, SORCERY, BEG, IMPROMPTU, HOUSE BOAT, ORE, INFIDEL, SURGERY, VALUES, SHRED, TANGO, CEDE - enjoyed each of them.

    Having finished the puzzle pretty fast, I had to sit 'empty' (Indlish for KhAli baithnA paDA) for the balance period of the usual time-slot! (Are you there, Kishore?) :-)

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  2. Good morning Colonel

    2d: 'Gat' is a term in Indian classical music. More here: Gat

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  3. Col, It is G{A{M}UT}* (G+TAU+M)*, I reckon...

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  4. 2D GAMUT Greek letter is MU and GAT is a structure in Indian Classical music.

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  5. 2 - Range displayed by Greek character immersed in a bit of music (5) - {GA{MU}T} What's the link between 'gut' and 'music'? Is it from 'catgut'?

    GAT - A fixed composition of music. (http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/CultureMusic.htm

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  6. Hi Shuchi,

    I found that just before your comment came in, so I deleted my earlier question. Thanks anyway.

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  7. Thanks everyone, I got mixed up as I was looking for GUT instead of GAT !!

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  8. Nice puzzle!!

    Solved 2D without knowing the anno. GAT is a new word for me.

    My only doubt is on 18D. INFIDEL is a pretty strong word. It's old fashioned and I think it's used only by religious extremists.

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  9. Does GAT have anything to do with GATAM?

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  10. Just checked Sandhya's link. Thanks.

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  11. REC for a place of learning, so I guess we can expect IIT and IIM and NIT to pop up in the future?

    Is this acceptable - more specific than school, college, etc?

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  12. Giridhar REC is perfectly acceptable in my view. You will find ETON frequently in English Crosswords. So it is not unusual

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  13. Hi all, after Hari's and Navneeth's turn, it is my day today. I cracked all the clues after a long long time. Thanks Colonel for your wonderful blog and thanks to all the fellow ace crackers.

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  14. Good morning all

    Though i cant shout at joy at home i am immensely happy i solved todays clue 100% ofcourse on a "fever"ish pitch. Hope the temperature inside gets cooled down after filled in the last of the grids De Novo. This is the first time i have solved without frequenting thesaurus or dictionary. Once i looked for foolscap and Shanty. De Novo is purely crossing and guess work.

    Thanks its de novo from tomorrow.

    Thank you all and a special thanks to Sankalak.

    Good day.

    Mathu.

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  15. Colonel, how many more Sankalaks ? or is it the Return of Nita Jaggi from tomorrow ?

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  16. Krishnan,

    Sankalak has 2 more after which we will be with Nita Jaggi

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  17. Unless some more changes by THC. Maybe some more TSGN.

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  18. I think TH needs a bigger panel. Right now, the size is pretty small.

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  19. Aaahh... so close! :)
    After hitting he CW on n off thro' the am, I finally quit with 3 left...
    Did not get AXIS (duh!), ORE and TROUSERS...
    Well... Duh for all 3! Just didn't have the patience today! :-) Still... felt good to get many of the clues today.

    @ Mathu & Krishnan: Congrats! I'm glad u guys reached the promised land today! :)

    Looking forward to 2 more days of fun!!

    Cheers all. Have a great week.

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  20. @ Col: As always, nice toons! :-)

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  21. Hari: Thanks. ORE was the last one I filled. Yes TROUSERS gave me a horrid time but at last latched on it :-)

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  22. so, nita jaggi is still on? i thought that with the new compilers, Hindu had seen the light...

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  23. Nita Jaggi is next as per sequence, but you never know (a.k.a Fear Factor)!!

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  24. What say, enna ji ?

    Methinks, we should have the good and bad, so that we realise what is good, it would indeed be a monochromatic world, if only good existed...

    If you dont like the word bad, you can substitute it and good by comparative/superlative of good.

    As Reinhold Niebuhr noted:

    God grant me the serenity
    to accept the things I cannot change;
    courage to change the things I can;
    and wisdom to know the difference.
    Patience for the things that take time
    Appreciation for all that we have, and
    Tolerance for those with different struggles
    Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways, the
    Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other and the
    Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.
    Living one day at a time;
    Enjoying one moment at a time;
    Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
    Taking, as He did, this sinful world
    as it is, not as I would have it;
    Trusting that He will make all things right
    if I surrender to His Will;
    That I may be reasonably happy in this life
    and supremely happy with Him
    Forever in the next.
    Amen.

    Let us all live one clue at a time and enjoy it to its fullest.

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  25. Welcome back Kishore,

    All in the well I hope!!

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  26. The CBDT has extended the due date for corporate returns on account of my difficulties by 15 days.

    Deepak, we frogs have to go "ribbit ribbit" till we croak. Am finally able to sit up after more than 10 days.

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  27. Nice to see that you're feeling better.

    And some nice message in your 1711 comment. Let everything appear as good.

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  28. Varuga varuga; thangal varavu nalvaravaaguga, Thiru Kishore

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  29. Krishnan, welcome to the club.

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  30. Off to meet MR India..

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  31. Kishore:

    Niebuhr's verse that you have quoted reads like a Christian prayer. I used to drive every day past the church that they built for him in Detroit (then called the Bethel Evangelical, but now the Mayflower Baptist). Strangely enough his original congregation (or rather its descendants) have become more or less conservative socially and culturally. Being anti Gay, anti Abortion. And in one recent episode they also prohibited the building of a Hindu temple. Although his influence on non church circles is mostly liberal, I admit.

    I feel the best way to understand these pre 1960's preachers, especially Mid Western preachers, is thru Sinclair Lewis's novel, Elmer Gantry.

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