1 - A grunter, thrown out, sounded genuine (4,4) - RANG TRUE*
5 - Isolate copper and gentleman (3,3) - {CU}{T OFF}
9 - Acknowledgement: that is back, having crept around stealthily (7) - {REC{EI<-}PT*}
10 - Excel in getting gold in a kind of game (7) - {OUTDO}{OR}
11 - A retaliator's motive (3,3,3) - TIT FOR TAT [CD]
12 - Coming back, noticed cigarette butts in refuse (5) - {WAS<-}{TE}
13 - Quits the day before starting nursery (4) - {EVE}{N}
14 - Loved going round on city's cycling track (9) - {VELOD*}{ROME}
19 - Free removal of electronic box (4) - SPAR
23 - Accepted standards in no royal manuscripts (5) - {NO}{R}{MS}
24 - What one should do to make deductions (3,6) - USE REASON [CD]
25 - Sweet plainer in style and variety (7) - PRALINE*
26 - Picture fit North Indian uncle getting around (7) - {T{ABLE}AU}
27 - Incongruous chapter rewritten unhesitatingly and completely at last (6) - {PATCH
28 - Fatherly commendation learner presented making no about-turn (8) - {PAT}{ERNAL
DOWN
1 - Antiques that are not common (8) - RARETIES [CD](Correction - RARITIES - See comments)
2 - Exec's wear that may be looped (7) - NECKTIE [CD]
3 - His is a fitting occupation (6) - TAILOR [CD]
4 - Latest order the Mountie put (2-2-3-6) - UP-TO-THE-MINUTE*
6 - Peacekeepers taken to hospital section: not easily guided (8) - {UN}{TO}{WARD}
7 - Up the river, big problem for marsupial (7) - {OP<-}{OS}{SUM}
10 - An addition that one is not bound to take (8,5) - OPTIONAL EXTRA [CD]
15 - Metalworker can be silent about university (8) - {TIN}{S{MIT}H}
16 - Still, team leader managed with broken spine (8) - {T}{RAN}{QUIL
18 - Sarcastic doctor downs rising doctor with worker (7) - {MO}{RD<-}{ANT}
20 - Bill on new door (7) - {POSTER}{N}
21 - Grab quickly revolutionary kitchenware for sale (4,2) - {SNAP<-} {UP} Anno not clear. UP from 'Up for sale' ?
22 - Complaint put up to the French is weak (6) - {FEEB<-}{LE}
Hello everyone
ReplyDeleteAs usual, posting this before going through blog annos.
Liked RANG TRUE, CUT OFF, TIT FOR TAT, VELODROME, EMPIRICAL, PATERNAL, RARITIES, NECKTIE, UP-TO-THE-MINUTE, OPOSSUM, MORDANT, OPTIONAL EXTRA (tough one to figure out), MORDANT, TINSMITH etc.
24A - I found this clue tricky. The noun form of both 'deduce' and 'deduct' is 'deduction'. At first glance, anyone would go for deduction=reduction, deletion. I am sure some solvers had difficulty here in arriving at USE REASON. A mere presumption.
26A - Nice one. I still remember there was a discussion here some months ago on TAU for Indian uncle. (Was it a Gridman puzzle?) An action replay today can be foreseen. (For some time, I was trying to fit it CHACHA or MAMA. :-) )
8D - Put it down as FARMER based on guess and crossings. Yet to check the blog anno.
Tau reminded of the Devi Lal time politics. Otherwise no specific comments. Simple and elegant CW.
ReplyDeleteKishore, Tau would remind one, besides Devi Lal, also of Shakti Kapoor 's awoo or Saif Ali Khan's wawoo!
ReplyDeleteBtw, 8D - after checking the anno above, it is clear, ammo = ammunition supplier, ARMER. Poor me, I was thinking of some ammonia-based fertilizer supplier ! ha ha ...
ReplyDelete18 - Sarcastic doctor downs rising doctor with worker (7)
ReplyDeleteWhat if any is downs adding to the clue? Better surface reading?
Nice puzzle. I found this one to be a bit tougher than the other 3 we've had this round.
ReplyDeleteI was stuck on 24A for some time. But soon realized that it had got nothing to do with math.
We got EMPIRICAL and USE REASON in the same puzzle. Looks like Gridman was in an EMPIRICISM vs RATIONALISM argument recently.
Couple of nice CD's, today.
@ Richard - ah! REASON! :) Yep, u presume right. I should've thot of it some more... but figured I'll look here as I had only 3-4 left to finish.
ReplyDelete26A : - haha! I couldn't think of anything BUT "TAU"... courtesy of the ad showing up on TV .. "Ram Ram Tau".. :-D
14A and 18D were nice. So was 27A
Was stuck on 13A: E?E? and 10A: O?T?P?R..
Didn't do 20D either..
All-in-all, another pleasant fare. Not too dramatic, but not too exciting either. :)
Bhavan, Being a down clue, I think "downs" fits perfectly.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally we had this on Thursday's FT puzzle!
ReplyDeleteWork with amount of money to capture very large animal (7) - FT 13510
VJ, I'm not contesting its presence. Just thinking aloud what does its omission deprive the clue of?
ReplyDeleteVJ
ReplyDeleteYou're right! 'downs' (v.) would mean 'puts down' or 'disparages'.
Without the word, the surface reading suffers.
And, as you say, it works because this is a Dn clue.
Still, team leader managed with broken spine
ReplyDeleteWas wondering if broken is an apt indicator for detailing! Doesn't it suit anagrams better?
ARGH! And again! Stoopid me misspelt opossum (opposum anyone?!) in a hurry... and was stuck on 10A! Dagnabit! :-)
ReplyDelete@ Bhavan : I suppose u r right. It definitely makes for better surface reading. Otherwise, I suppose it's a vague indication that MO and ANT are 'downing' RD... i.e- in the middle of the two??
Bhavan, I don't know what "Sarcastic doctor rising doctor with worker" would mean. Doesn't sound nice to me.
ReplyDelete@ Sudalamani 8:51 - I wasn't quite sure of the wording of this clue. The answer had to be tranquil, but I would have thought 'tail-less spine' or something along those lines would have been better. 'broken' spine seemed to indicate an anagram for quill... not a deletion indicator for l...
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteYou're right! 'downs' (v.) would mean 'puts down' or 'disparages'.
Without the word, the surface reading suffers.
Downs is in the clue, like we all agree for improved surface reading. My only question was its presence as a innocuous filler or if there was some other hidden purpose.
The above comment by CVasi, puts the doubt to rest.
btw... can someone explain 13A to me?
ReplyDeleteQuits = EVEN??
as in ... u guit when you are even w.r.t. gambling???
sorry... "guit" = "Quit". :-D
ReplyDeleteTo ignite the fuse Richard warned about in the first comment:
ReplyDeleteWhat alternatives could Gridman have used to North Indian uncle for arriving at TAU ? Lets discard the cliched Greek letter which I'm sure Gridman wanted to avoid in the first place.
@Hari :
ReplyDelete(Courtesy : WordWeb)Quits as an adjective means : On equal terms by payment or requital.
eg : "we're now quits"; "finally quits with the loan"
so quits = equal = even.
@ Bhavan 9:04 - Picture fit in restaurant without ranters?? :-D
ReplyDelete@ Bhavan 9:06 - Ah! Duh! Didn't even think of quits in that context... despite having used it numerous times! Brain freeze! :D
ReplyDeleteThx.
TAU ~ THOU is one option
ReplyDeleteUncle from North India, is tight without a tea (3)
ReplyDelete@ Kishore 9:21 - nice!
ReplyDeleteamending mine:
Restaurant not accepting ranters.
Aunt's end goes before and drops new uncle
ReplyDeleteJeer without the book, uncle.
ReplyDelete...fit time with gold ...
ReplyDeleteUncle say, Gorilla gorilla, without real Cryptonyte and Bernard Lee in a single letter.
ReplyDeletelol!!! The last 5-6 posts r too good!
ReplyDelete@ Kishore 9:36 - huh?!?! totally lost there! :)
A zoological name which has both the parts same, like say, gorilla gorilla or naja naja, (as against panthera tigris)is called a tautonym.
ReplyDeleteTautonym - tony (real name of Cryptonyte) and M (Bernard Lee in a single letter) as in James Bond's boss
"Tania with determination in University"
ReplyDeleteZodiacal bull without diminutive Russian.
ReplyDelete'Free gift' say, without a toy or a log.
ReplyDeleteDouble turnstile in logic, without a toy or a log.
ReplyDelete1. Reservist acceptable to Indian uncle
ReplyDeleteIndian uncle says Bye to you
ReplyDeleteTaught without the Graduate Handbook Template.
ReplyDeleteTab with you replacing the bee.
ReplyDeleteTame, you instead of me.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a very fertile ground...
ReplyDeleteUse the ramrod in the muzzle loader without the politician.
ReplyDeleteUncle, the answer is a Three letter word for brown,
ReplyDeletebut do remember to turn the last letter upside down.
please ignore that capitalisation of T in three
ReplyDeleteYou replace the X-men from the guys from the income tax department.
ReplyDeleteColonel, I hope we are making up for the unusually slow day yesterday !
ReplyDeleteUncle said using Cockney slang for cold without a short short remark, you add.
ReplyDeleteAdmiration for avuncular relationship going wild !
ReplyDeleteMixed tuna's husband in North India.
ReplyDeleteGood morning
ReplyDeleteExcept opossum I got all right ofcourse without clear about annos for something. Valedrome and untoward took me a long time.
I liked 24 a and 10 d. But i had reservations about optional extra....I thought both given the same meaning in different connotations ( when you have option you have something extra to drop )
otherwise a simple outing perfectly gridman.
happy week ahead
mathu
Deepak
ReplyDelete1d is spelt RARITIES.
I first came across the word as a noun in Browning's 'My Last Duchess':
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
A whole essay can be written on the significance of those concluding lines in the dramatic monologue.
Mathu, What are your reservations on Optional Extra?
ReplyDeleteAn optional extra is like something a car dealer offering say power windows, or ABS as an optional extra.
Kishore at his best.
ReplyDeleteThat's why Richard said " you can't leave this forum".
Enjoyed everyone's attempt, thanks to Bhavan's initiative.
Ta ( as used in Yorkshire).
Suresh
ReplyDeletePoint well taken.
Mathu
@ Sudalamani, a few friends' quest for a shorter name for you here last week appears to have remained unfulfilled.
ReplyDeleteSince you haven't proffered anything either, I propose 'Sumi' for short. Is that OK for you?
I am looking for someone to second it (or third even...) :-)
Richard
ReplyDeleteI am not for such a radical change.
If a short form is necessary, I would go for SM (for Sudalamani).
Besides, 'Sumi' is a girl's name.
Thank you Uncle ji!
ReplyDeleteFine, CV, as long as there is no one else here with similar initials.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, who is this niece referring to?
Richard
ReplyDeleteYou gave me creeps with Sumi, Suni and the like. Recall Einstein: Everything must be made as simple as possible, and not simpler! :)
You can call me Smani or SM!
Richard @14:28
ReplyDeleteThe niece is referring to '{TA}{U}' :-)
SM 14:30 and DG 15:07
ReplyDeleteBoth matters are clear now. Thanks a lot.
A crossword clue for my mathematically inclined friends (requires a five step reasoning/equation):
ReplyDeleteReversed bed for the ex British PM (5)
Five steps referred above is in its most expanded version. Some steps could be truncated/merged.
ReplyDelete