1 - A long time to accept nice changes in offices (8) - {AG{ENCI*}ES}
5 - Capital Indian intelligence outfit rolled over and observed (6) - {WAR<-}{SAW}
10 - See old Indian coin following bits of special archaeology in tract (7) - {S}{A}V{ANNA} Origin for V not clear
12 - Frenchman taking primarily isolated place for environment (6) - {M}{I}{LIEU}
13 - Hint union collapsed over remodelling of den (8) - {INNU{END*}O*}
15 - An exclamation that a mistake has been made (4) - OOPS [CD]
18 - By which one wages every sixty minutes (6,4) - HOURLY RATE [CD]
20 - Stupefy cranks on their return (4) - STUN <-
23 - Rest in a relaxed manner after imbibing scheme for surgical procedures (8) - {RE{PLAN}TS*}
24 - Ramshackle, untried model leaves in a fluster (6) - RUINED
26 - Some capital I announced for one possibly from Milan (7) - ITALIAN [T]
27 - Not mixing with people (7) - ASOCIAL [E]
28 - Rubs out and relaxes, holding end of rubber (6) - {E{R}ASES}
29 - Down to the last detail, record lady puts ad out (8) - {MINUTE}{L
DOWN
1 - Ties to remote ham need to be sorted out — but not now! (2,4,5,4) - AT SOME OTHER TIME*
2 - Almost grudge Pole out to get cover (7) - {ENV
3 - Protuberant prisoner Victor departed (6) - {CON}{V}{EX}
4 - Dash from one road leading out of Ireland (4) -
6 - Amazes swarms by making way for bandits' leader (8) - A(-b+st)STOUNDS
7 - Well-groomed, Elizabeth goes in for a spin (7) - {SOIGNE*}{E} New word for me, had to google this
8 - Not wasting a single moment (7,3,5) - WITHOUT ANY DELAY [CD]
9 - Changelings film among variety acts (9) - {TURN{COAT}S}
14 - Finer Regt. fanning out for rummaging (9) - FERRETING*
17 - Leave holding a small portion, even if it's minor inconvenience (4,4) - {FLE{A} {BIT}E} Nice one
19 - At college, every other pose in the manner of Swedish city (7) - {UP}{P
21 - Half-scores I have are nerve-racking (7) - {TENS}{I'VE}
22 - Head of University receiving wild kudos all-round for puzzle (6) - {S{U}DOKU*}
25 - Garment in which every second of assistants came wrapped diligently (4) - {S}{A}{R}{I}
Hi
ReplyDeleteWITHOUT ANY DELAY, lemme say, and SOME OTHER TIME are antithesis of each other. Capitals in 8a, 26a. SARI was well draped. SUDOKU, a puzzle cryptically stated as 22d in a Crossword puzzle reminded of `A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma' by the guy who mixed up “I’ll crunch this now”.
Was the V in SAVANNA supposed to come from the Anji anna, I thought, remembering the Anglo-Indian lady who went shopping in Chennai and gave an Anna and told the shop keeper: “Kaal anna melaga, kaal anna ingi, kaal ana dhaniya and kaal anna kayle” in highly accented spiced up Tamil (probably sourcing here words from the Tamil version of Hobson-Jobson or Hanklyn-Janklin or whatever) leaving the shopkeeper wondering what the last thing was.
HOURLYRATE was later substituted for the initially filled in labour hour. SOIGNEE was second last and UPPSALA was the last to fall in, courtesy Google, but I took some time to get the anno.
And CV, re BLUE PILL, would it be PURE LIBEL to call it BULL PILE ?
Hi all
ReplyDeleteLooks like GM had vowed to trap us with a few tough ones like SOIGNEE and UPPSALA.
Many nice ones. ENVELOP (verb) and ENVELOPE (noun) always confuse English language students.
15a , just noticed pure libel aint the anagaram of 're blue pill'
ReplyDeleteCV, what are you up to, blue pills and innuendos ?
ReplyDelete10 - See old Indian coin following bits of special archaeology in tract (7) - {S}{A}V{ANNA} Origin for V not clear
ReplyDeleteSee = V, but this is a stretch I'm afraid. Hopefully there is a simpler meaning that I'm missing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_sign
relevant part being :
This handshape is also used in a number of signs, including "to see/look" done in a similar manner to the military use.
Oui, a stretch. And surprisingly the link shows the gentleman referred to in my first post today flashing the Victory symbol.
ReplyDelete1D - Initially, I took this as ON SOME LATER DATE and kept wondering why the crossings would not fit in.
ReplyDelete19D - Oopsadaisy! It was a real booby trap. Btw, those who have travelled from Mangalore to Kerala or Tamil Nadu by train may have come across a town called UPPALA in Kasaragod district of Kerala. I was reminded of it. Remarkable similarity except a letter.
Lots of places or locations is what stuck me when doing this puzzle:
ReplyDeleteAgencies, Warsaw, Savanna, UT, Milieu, Milan, Ireland, Uppsala/Sweden.
Kishore, 08:30 - Remember the cigar-loving statesman's other famous wartime quote: 'Some chicken! Some neck!'?
ReplyDeleteAnna! Kayle? Is it Kattu kattu keera kattu?
ReplyDeleteFriends
ReplyDeleteKishore's reference to the blue pill follows a late post of mine yesterday.
You see someone offers me teh blue pill at 61 per cent discount.
I was wondering whether it will act to its full extent.
* * *
You've heard of the famous saying Veni Vidi Vici.
There, 'vidi' means 'saw'.
'Vide', an inflected form, means 'see'. Used in bibliographical references. Its short form v is used in subsequent instances in the same bibliography.
So you see red in the blue...
ReplyDelete@CVasi 08:48, never vidi that coming.
ReplyDeleteOk... It's official! Gridman is formally miffed at the continual "not too hard" comments of the first few days, and is out to show what hard really means! And no... this is not in reference to the blue pill discussion!!! :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm actually quite pleased with myself, even though I still have 7 clues to go... The first quadrant was a nightmare... till I finally put them in place. Still haven't figured out the anno for MILIEU (assuming it's correct... haven't seen answers yet!)
Really liked:
5A - WARSAW (took a while, but got it as soon as 8D fell in place)
21D "Half-scores" was brilliant! :)
3D CONVEX This was a clever... Had me going for a while... thinking CONVICT -V is CONICT?! :-)
26A A rare telescopic, where the word was really well hidden... at least, I thot so.
6D ASTOUNDS fell in, but still haven't figured anno...
Ok.. some more time, and I'll be back! hahaha
Richard
ReplyDeleteIs Uppala a coastal place with salt pans in there?
In Tamil 'uppalam' means 'salt pan'.
The '-am' termination is peculiar to Tamil which is mostly absent in words in the Kannada language, I think.
CV 09:10 Yes, UPPALA is a coastal junction town and lies on the Panvel-Kanniyakumari national highway. Your guess makes sense. Uppu is salt in Kannada, Tulu and Malayalam. The town may have had salt pans in the days of yore.
ReplyDeleteA little more on Kasaragod:
Kasaragod taluk, until the reorganization of states in 1956, was part of the South Kanara district (headquarters: Mangalore) in Madras Presidency.
In 1956, Kasaragod was given to Kerala, while the rest of the SK district joined Mysore state, which in 1972 was named Karnataka. South Kanara is now known as Dakshina Kannada. The Udupi district was carved out of it in 1997.
Re UPPSALA.
ReplyDeleteIn crosswords clues for certain words/phrases will keep repeating themselves.
Maybe because the particular word does not lend itself to a variety of breakups. Maybe the setter has a filing system and he resorts to it when the word comes up and puts down the clue from the bank.
However a careful setter might not resort to a dB but try to give a fresh treatment each time a word presents itself.
When Gridman wrote the above clue he must have started with a fresh slate.
For, in my dB of his clues for more than 600 crosswords, I find the following clues for the same word:
State pals are scattered at a Swedish University city (7)
Pup lost by Urdu leader in a Swedish city (7)
A slap-up foreign city (7)
I don't want to imagine what the poor fellow will do when the word crops up another time.
For SARI he has given a somewhat fresh treatment here but woe unto him when the garment is thrown over him next.
Sa ri ga(G) ma(M) ni (nee) pa da ... tha paadu....
ReplyDeleteok.. that's it..
ReplyDeleteunable to figure out 7d, 9d, 17d (?L?A BITE) and 27a... grr...
here I come answers! :)
Swedish city reorganizes to appal us (7)
ReplyDeleteShuffle up Alps and receive top award in the Swedish city (7)
Salt from Tamilnadu put endlessly on North Indian brother-in-law and landed in Sweden {UPP(-u)}{SALA}
ReplyDeleteI would place 8D as an E clue not CD.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable CW today except for the E clues
damn! That was close!
ReplyDelete- I had TURNCOATS.. but didn't pen it 'cos I wasn't sure of the anno.
- Shud've got ASOCIAL! never crossed my mind! :(
- Would definitely not have gotten FLEA! :-D
- Heard SOIGNEE before, but not enough to make an impression. Clearly, I don't have to worry about that word making an impression anymore! :)
Regarding the anno's
- ASTOUNDS : Awesome!
- SAVANNA : ... still not getting the V
- ENVELOP : Not crazy on this clue. Grudge=Envy... meehh.. I guess I can live w/ it...
- TURNCOATS : Can't make association between "variety acts"=TURNS...
Other than the last 2 clues, really nice! :)
Oops Sala! Topic for today?
ReplyDeleteI guess GMan is getting his fill of new UPPSALA clues for his dB! :-D
ReplyDelete@ Satya 9:47 - Clever! That's 2 clues for the price of 1! haha
@ Col 9:48 - Wow! Nice regional diversity! :-D Only small change would be w/ the Angrezi spelling of b-i-l ... 'saala'.
Here's my shot:
- Northern state with note that it's like Swedish city
Does that fly?!? :-D
@Suresh (10:11)
ReplyDeleteNice one Suresh. Loose ball padindi. Laagi manchi six kottaru. :-)
@ CV sir: Any idea how Gridman got the V in SAVANNA? :-)
ReplyDeleteHi all
ReplyDeleteUppsala, Turn coats, Soignee, Replants eluded me. Others are good. Especially i liked 25d.
on the whole a very nice puzzle. Became energetic after half an hour the grids are over but for the above four.
Hari: liked your way of never say give up attitude...come on man...i trust we can do it on a regular basis.
Mathu.
Swedish city government taking in note of a boy (for Indian newspapers only :D)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHari @ 10:26
ReplyDeleteThank you, my friend. I hope my pleasure is not short-lived. With CVasi sir as the arbiter, I never know. However, if he approves, as well, I will reach for my Chivas and pour myself a stiff one. :-)
@ Mathu: Thanks! STY! :)
ReplyDeletedeleted prev. post, 'cos I mistakenly posted one where I was playing w/ html tags to figure out how to type in italics and bold. :)
I get it now I think . :)
@ Satya 10:26 - Lol! I remember "stiff one" from one of the recent CWs (last month?). Can't remember the clue, but I remember some discussion on it... and also on "patialas", etc.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of being admonished by Col, I'll say that it's particularly funny in light of today's opening comment! :)
Hari Read CV at 08:48 for your answer to V
ReplyDelete@ Satya - I just looked at ur profile and noticed something that blew me away!!! You teach in Cookeville... Did you by any chance study in TTU, Cookeville?!? If yes, then boy, it's a small world! Will elaborate later if true...
ReplyDeleteAh! Thanks Suresh! I read that, but didn't at all realize that he was referring to the clue! :)
ReplyDelete@ Satya - Never mind. I found my answer online! You probably know my wife and other friends who finished in '95 and '96. Subbu M, Suresh O, Muthu R, Srividya R, Sasi D... many others. :)
ReplyDeleteIts a small world after all! :)
@Hari,
ReplyDeleteOh wow!!!
Yup. I certainly know them all. I got my masters from TTU in 92 and doctorate in 96. Now I am a faculty member in the same institution.
Wasn't Sasi a Telugu-speaking girl but from Tamil Nadu? And Srividya was from Chennai whose uncle is a EE professor here? Awesome man.
Alas, a very quiet union showed up in the Swedish city.
ReplyDeleteDidn't realize clueing was happening for Uppsala. Here are mine :
ReplyDeleteAwake chanting a song endlessly, one in a Swedish city (7)
Dad with a settlement in Sweden (7)
I got UPPSALA in surface reading itself because of 23A and 26A, as University of Uppsala was famous for chemistry research papers during my PG days.
ReplyDelete@ Satya - Yep. The very same ones. Sasi is my wife. :) I actually spent the summer of '96 in Cookeville, while Sasi was finishing up her thesis. We had just returned from India after marriage. I chose to spend the summer there, as my advisor's (IIT, Chicago) RA funds had run dry for the summer qtr. :) All the afore-mentioned folks are married w/ children. Except for Srividya, everyone else is still in the States.
ReplyDelete@ Bhavan : Glad u could join in w/ the cluing. :) Btw, what's "settlement"? Plus??
@Hari, I meant for it to be doing double duty:
ReplyDelete1)To settle or anagram "dad with a" (pa plus a)
2)Settlement as in a place.(in Sweden here)
ah. claro! :)
ReplyDeleteBhavan
ReplyDeletePoint 5 in Shuchi's latest post seems applicable to you!
http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2010/10/clue-writing-mistakes.html
I didn't set any CWC for UPPSALA but only wondered how Gridman would treat it when the word cropped up next.
ReplyDeleteWith so many entered now I shall try to present a critique of the clues.
It will take me a while to type out the comments. I will try to post it before 8 p.m.
Swedish city reorganizes to appal us (7) UPPSALA*
ReplyDelete***Anag of APPAL US. Good anag fodder. However, I find 'to' an intruder. if we say 'reorganization of APPAL US', 'of' wouldn't be considered intrusive.
Here, after 'reorganizes' we must have only the anag fodder. I am afraid some revision may be necessary to make this clue perfect.
Shuffle up Alps and receive top award in the Swedish city (7)
***If the first clue was not worthy of celebration with a stiff whiskey, this might be! (7) UPPSAL* A
The AInd is followed by the anag fodder UPALPS in surface reading as well as what Shuchi calls cryptic reading. A is obtained by 'top award'. The surface reading is smooth. One can climb the Alps and receive the award in Sweden, so I don't find any problem in it.
Salt from Tamilnadu put endlessly on North Indian brother-in-law and landed in Sweden (7) UPP[u] SALA
***Regional flavour appreciated. And both the South and the North treated evenly! Perhaps we could do away with 'and landed in'? It would make for smoother reading. 'in Sweden' is OK for 'a city in Sweden'.
Northern state with note that it's like Swedish city (7) UP PS A LA
***OK, all components in word breakup treated properly and logically but the surface reading is no-great-shakes.
Swedish city government taking in note of a boy (7) ?
***How does this work? UP P SALA? Or what? Help needed.
Alas, a very quiet union showed up in the Swedish city (7) U PP SALA <
*** Smooth surface reading. ALAS is given gratis. 'very quiet' gives PP and 'union' U. However, 'a' before 'very' is redundant in wordplay; it cannot be taken as adding to the surface reading.
Awake chanting a song endlessly, one in a Swedish city (7) UP PSAL[m] A
***That's how I look at it. 'chanting' is redundant in wordplay. If the breakup above is OK, 'a' before 'song' is redundant in wordplay, no? The I take 'one' to yield A. The first part of the sentence being imperative, I don't know if it can be followed by the words 'one ,,, city'. I am not taken in by the surface reading.
Dad with a settlement in Sweden (7) PA PLUS A*
***I didn't understand this until it was explained. Indirect anagram of PA PLUS A. Indirect anagrams are no-no generally (some non-mainstream UK crosswords and some in THC too might use the device). 'settlement' is AInd. It can also be taken as doing double duty as part of def 'settlement in Sweden' though 'in Sweden' in itself can be taken as def.
I may be excused if any of the comments are presumptuous.
I am not happy about "REPLANT".The correct word for reattachment of severed limb is re implantation. Replant is more appropriate for agriculture and not for a surgical procedure.Having said that, if the online dictionary says it is a surgical procedure who am I to argue?
ReplyDeleteSwedish city government taking in note of a boy (7) ?
ReplyDelete***How does this work? UP P SALA? Or what? Help needed.
UP{PS AL}A - Yay! I believe I have managed to confound a pro! But eagerly looking forward to the critique.
CV,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the critique
jaggu
ReplyDeleteI respect your opinion on 'replant'.
If I had come across the sentence 'The surgeon replanted the limb unto Mr X' I would have had the same reservation as that expressed by you, who I believe is a medical professional.
However, Gridman generally does meticulous dictionary work. Chambers, "the crossword addict's favourite tool", has:
replant to replace surgically (a severed limb, digit, etc).
@Chaturvasi: Thank you for your valuable feedback. I really appreciate the effort put into clue-writing by setters.
ReplyDeleteCVasi
ReplyDeleteRequest you to comment on my clue (19:14) which you seem to have overlooked!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI was away for dinner in the course of writing the note. Also, I am a hunt and peck typist (thank god, not with a single digit but two.
ReplyDeleteI have come across at least two published writers who use only one finger.)
Swedish city government taking in note of a boy (7) UP{PS AL}A
ReplyDelete'government' for UP is insufficient, I believe.
'taking in' as inserticator is fine.
'note' for PS is unusual, though I don't quite object to it. PS is usually postscript, afterthought, etc.
In any case, I can't quite derive PS AL from 'note of a boy'. UP Government may be 'Government of UP' but from 'note of a boy' we can get only AL'S PS, not PS AL.
And how do we get A? Unless we are expected to get UPA from 'government'. Now I realise that this was the clue writer's intention. So my introductory sentence is withdrawable.
All in all, rather a difficult clue.
Late entrant, CV:
ReplyDeleteHyderabad suburb mixed with South Africa but found in Sweden.
Upper Provinces pals start adventure in Swedish city
And CV, I just posted at your Orkut community.
Thanks a lot CVasi. I have really learnt something useful from your analysis.
ReplyDeleteThanks CVasi, Sudalamani.Did not know about the indirect anagrams.
ReplyDeleteKishore,
ReplyDeleteI don't know whether Uppal can still be considered a 'suburb' taking into account the expansion of the city.
Giri, I agree. I lived in Hyd in the mid '70s. A little water must have flown down the Musi from them (except for one major reported flood in 1908 I have hardly seen water in the river).
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot CV sir! Very enlightening analysis. Much appreciated! :)
ReplyDelete