ACROSS
1 - It will signal end of weekend anytime now — what a dampener! (7) - {MON}{SOON}
5 - Outrage about splitting a source of Veerappan's income? (7) - {S{C}ANDAL}
10 - Smack contains heroin and Indian cannabis (5) - {B{H}ANG}
11 - To maintain discipline, punish that girl falling short at sea (3,1,5,4) - RUN A TIGHT SHIP
13 - Not one bachelor is virgin (8) - UNMARR
15 - Get rid of mother for property (6) - {DO{MA}IN}
17 - Sorry, no new book for duplication (6) - REPE
19 - Fundamentally sound to a certain extent (2,1,5) - IN A SENSE (~in essence)
22 - Guy from England participated in this plan to let loose grown-up, old pet (9,4) - GUNPOWDER PLOT*
25 - Harass genuine soldier out of boredom (5) - ENNUI
26 - Elected an army officer without bias (2,7) - {IN} {GENERAL}
27 - Look outside the French craft (7) - {S{LE}IGHT}
28 - Capable saint executed (7) - {S}{KILLED} Is S for Saint acceptable?
DOWN
1 - Feel dejected with setter's work (4) - {M{OP}E} Definitely not with this Setter's.
2 - No way alcohol can be a cure for all ills (7) - {NO}{ST}{RUM}
3 - Frequently turned up in internet forums (5) - OFTEN [T<-]
4 - It may make a batsman nervous en route to a landmark (8) - NINETIES [CD]
5 - Openers of Sri Lankan eleven did get encouraged to mouth obscenities on the cricket field (6) - {S}{L}{E}{D}{G}{E}
7 - Play about British honour and old money (7) - {DRA{CH}MA}
8 - Bowler's on top? (3,7) - {LEG} {SPINNER}
12 - Exposed manipulators on boats (10) - {OUT}{RIGGERS}
16 - He could be representing a singer without a hint of talent (5,3) - {INER{T} GAS*} Nice one
18 - Write to an English Church for atonement (7) - {PEN}{AN}{CE}
20 - Real old city in South African province (7) - {NAT{UR}AL}
21 - Notice gulf at sea (6) - {AD}{RIFT}
23 - Air circulation is facilitated with this one garment (5) - {LUNG}{I} Air circulation is most definitely facilitated when wearing a Lungi!!!
Hi everyone
ReplyDeleteIs cricket the partial theme today?
MONSOON (this too is connected with cancellation of cricket matches these days!), SCANDAL (match-fixing!), PAST TENSE, BHANG, RUN A TIGHT SHIP, DOMAN, GUNPOWDER PLOT, IN GENERAL, {M(OP)Y}, NOSTRUM, SLEDGE (hope the Lankans won't cry out 'Not cricket!), ALBATROSS, LEG SPINNER, OUTRIGGERS etc.
Still doubtful about 28A, 16D and 23D. Will check blog. If 23D is {LUNG}{I} it's hilarious.
Please read the first para above with 'were nice' added at the end.
ReplyDelete6 Reportedly, Einstein advanced with a score well below par (9) - (~albert){ALBAT}ROSS Anno pending for ROSS. If Spiffytrix meant ROSS~rose, I don't think it is correct pronunciation.
ReplyDeleteDitto
8 - Bowler's on top? (3,7) - {LEG} {SPINNER} Anno for LEG ?
On = Leg like in cricket, onside = legside
Thanks Bhavan
ReplyDelete25 - Harass genuine soldier out of boredom (5)
ReplyDeleteIs GE for soldier a known abbreviation or is this an oversight ?
Appears to be an oversight, even I overlooked it while giving the Anno!!
ReplyDeletenot looking at answers... but had to chime in. :) Similar experience w/ Spiffytrix yesterday also. All-in-all, definitely a breath of fresh air. I thoroughly enjoyed some clues (my defn: brought a smile to my face!) :-D But then I was stuck around half way through.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, Mathu said it best for me (as he normally does!) :-D They did make sense after reading the annos but I doubt I would have got a lot more than I did yest. Today is a little better... will give it a li'l more time and see how it goes.
I hate missing out on the banter the early hours generate here! haha
28A - Occasionally, saint is shortened to S, especially Sanctus in Latin. If a church is dedicated to two saints, it is referred to with a prefix Ss., e.g. Ss Peter and Paul Church.
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard,
ReplyDeleteNever seen it used before.
@Richard : That's cool. Knew S & ST both are used for Street but not for Saint.
ReplyDeleteSpiffytrix could be a Mallu who pronounces Ross as rose!
ReplyDeleteRoss would be a mallu pronunciation of rose:))
ReplyDeleteBeing a Mallu myself, I didn't see it from that angle ;-)
ReplyDeleteooohhh!! just got 13A! Crafty!!! haha
ReplyDeleteInert gas is probably the best clue today.
ReplyDeleteI also loved this clue from NIE today:
18 Dis duck - or dat? (5)
Deepak, the cartoon you selected for 5A suits both Veerappan and SCANDAL. Congrats.
ReplyDelete16 - He could be representing a singer without a hint of talent (5,3) - {INER{T} GAS*}
ReplyDeleteI found the use of the word 'He' a bit out of place. 'It' could easily have been used without disturbing the surface reading
The Veerappan cartoon is terrific. I must admire Deepak for picking out such apt cartoons from I don't even know where
ReplyDeleteGreat toon Col! :)
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised at how much progress I made in the last half hr. Had an empty SW corner of the grid, but once NATURAL fell in, the others were really quick.
Had trouble w/ MONSOON... Felt pretty sure that 1D was MOPY... but for some reason, I couldn't shake SUNDOWN as a possible 1A! :)
P.S:
@ Col: Isn't 1D {M{OP}Y}, instead of MOPE? courtesy of setter's in possessive...
@Suresh: He being a representative of inert gases, the surface reading for the clue in its present form is good too.
ReplyDelete@Colonel: Agree with Richard and Suresh, the cartoon is very apt.
I thot BHANG was only a drink... courtesy Mr. Bachchan and Rekha(?) in Rang Barse... song. :-D Looked it up and found an interesting pic on wiki main page!
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhang
Bhavan I do not like 'he' because inert gas is not a person. I found it jarring to the ears, when read with the answer.
ReplyDelete@ Suresh 9:34 - I didn't get connection between INERT GAS and 'he' either. In fact.. I still don't! :)
ReplyDeleteHari, Bhang is mixed in Thandai (a drink), laddus etc. Has strange and interesting effects.
ReplyDeleteOn most evenings I go to the local temple where some of us talk of dis and dat for some 30 minutes.
ReplyDeleteOnly yesterday a 80-year old gentleman - a spiritual master and by no means a smoker or a drinker - was telling us how 'bhang' is prepared.
This followed when the talk veered from coffee, chicory, appointment of a young female as police chief in a Mexican town, drug-peddling...
Sorry got it rather late. He stands for Helium
ReplyDelete16 - He could be representing a singer without a hint of talent (5,3) - {INER{T} GAS*}
ReplyDeleteSuresh
I don't see any prob here.
He is a personal pronoun in surface reading.
As def for word reqd, He, which is appropriately at the beginning of the sentence taking a capital letter in its own right, is a symbol of Helium.
@Suresh, there is no personification the way I see it !
ReplyDeleteHe (helium) could be representing a ... INERT GAS ...
@Hari, hopefully that explains : )?
Thanks CV I got the answer just as you posted it. Quite obvious it was.
ReplyDeleteAnd the best part of it is, "He" is rightly followed by "could be." Awesome!!
ReplyDeleteAh! D-uh!!! :):):)
ReplyDeleteThat was very clever! I didn't see it at all, and now it's painfully obvious! haha
Thx CV, Bhavan, Suresh
"18 Dis duck - or dat? (5)"
ReplyDeleteFarcical, funny and awesome. Chaturvasi once wrote that all crosswords that appear on NIE, are compiled by Roger Squires aka Rufus. His works are really nice - they're simple, nice and fun. I especially love his CD's. I wish I could solve NIEC's daily, but don't get to solve any crosswords regularly these days 'cause I spend my mornings outdoors.
good for u VJ. It's all abt. balance! :)
ReplyDeletehi all
ReplyDeleteNo joy. Half full. Hari got his (my) opinion in advance. Though some of the clues were nice (but only after reading the annos and answers) I put (put a tight grip instead of Run a tight ship there goes bang...struck for a long time.) similarly i thought realising (reasoning) and dhoti (lungi) would be apt. But all i have done is wrote the answer (both) in the notepad not filling the grid.
I need time to crack and have a go on spiffytrix. When i started develop a liking for NJ it would not be a big deal...
I have not at all guessed gunpowder plot...not my cup of tea...
Hari...u were missing yesterday...enna aachu pa?
mathu
@ Mathu: I was trying to solve it thro' the day, but realized that I have only a certain attention span on CWs! After about 9am or so, I just can't concentrate like I need to. Sometimes, I'll be stubborn and not look at the blog till late... and by then, most ppl have finished commenting to their fill. :-D
ReplyDeleteI do agree that there were quite a few that "seemed" to fit... but what I have noticed is that if the anno doesn't make sense to me, it's probably not right... case in point : SUNDOWN instead of MONSOON! :)
GUNPOWDER PLOT sutthama theriyile. ALBATROSS was a guess... knowing it started w/ AL... :)Didn't get about 5-6 today, and I was thinking LUNGI, but felt sure after an unexpected peek at the man in the bright blue lungi! haha
Hari, of course it's about balance. While crossword is a very recent thing for me, sports is something I've been obsessed with since long, and nothing like playing under the hot sun especially in Chennai heat :) Some might say that the weather's been pleasant the last few days, but personally, I'm waiting for our good ol' summer.
ReplyDeleteah! an outdoorsy guy! what else besides tennis then? :)
ReplyDelete22a reminded of Guy Fawkes of the Gunpowder Plot, which is celebrated with fireworks as Guy Fawkes day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a revelation Kishore!
ReplyDeleteHari, used to play cricket in my younger days, but not anymore. These days just tennis, jogging and a bit of ultimate. My favorite's tennis.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteyesterday i got 6 answers...today i got 5..too tough for me..1D
ReplyDeleteVery enjoyable grid, today; did not complete it, though.
ReplyDeleteLoved INERT GAS, and LUNGI was hilarious (as was the suggestion that the setter is a Mallu)!
While reading 22A, "Fawkes Day" passed my mind but I didn't connect the two until much later. I guess the clue confused me after 'plan'.(And I had to look up the article about Fawkes to remind myself of the name of the plan once I had PLOT. :D)
23A: Perhaps the anno should be
ReplyDeleteLUNG I &Lit
VJ
ReplyDeleteI agree with you.
It is a charade.
'garment' may be taken as def.
However, it could also be what is now called "all in one" (for &Lit) in which we have to read the whole clue again for def.
Esp, now that bloggers have universally endorsed.
Perhaps air circulation will be still better if the garment is hitched up far above the waist, with the lower portions of the undergarment visible.
Chaturvasi, LOL... I suggested it only on the basis of what I've read here. I've never worn a lungi, so I can't really say, but I think I'll take Colonel's word for it :)
ReplyDeleteAs regards your tip, I think what you mean is.... lungiya mela katti madichu kattanum daanae? like our village-style...
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteApologies for the inadvertent error in 25 Ac. Iam still trying to figure out how it escaped me.
VJ don't sleep in a lungi unless you are alone. Otherwise the air circulation will be even better
ReplyDeletespiffytrix, I wouldn't dare say that it was due to, er... ennui. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSpiffytrix said,
ReplyDeleteApologies for the inadvertent error in 25 Ac.
Wow! The man himself, in person, comes here and apologizes!!!
If only the other setter extended this kind of courtesy ...
Spiffytix, bully for you, owning up. Would also appreciate your take on some of the divergent views we have had yesterday on the annos and what you planned as the anno.
ReplyDeleteRegarding, lungi, one, I have always had an aversion for it since Newton 'invented' gravity, and two, flying the lungi on 'half mast' in a south Indian movie usually signifies that a fight scene is about to begin.
Enough of Guy Fawkes , Guys (and gals), that's all folks,
Suresh, LOL, thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteSatya, for one error, one can apologize. For a string of them, improvement would be the only apology possible.
ReplyDelete"If only the other setter extended this kind of courtesy ... "
ReplyDelete... then when will he/ she find time to write clues?
"If only the other setter extended this kind of courtesy ... "
ReplyDeletethen the record for the number of apologies, if any, in the Limca book of records would be broken.
For those who care, news has just come in that Paul is dead.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he had a premonition.
ReplyDeleteflying the lungi on 'half mast' in a south Indian movie usually signifies that a fight scene is about to begin.
ReplyDeleteTrue.
I am trying to recall the Tamil film song in which Viji and a couple of foreigners in some exotic locale are in this very garb and in this very fashion (thank god, they are wearing the classic striped or checked 'drawers' and not thongs). Theradi veedhile...therinjukko? Anyone know?
@Kishore,
ReplyDeleteWould you be kind enough to mention which annos need clarification.
S = Saint is a valid abbn given in Chambers, the accepted dictionary of reference.
CV : the classic striped .. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe used to call these ubiquitous garments 'Haalappa cheDDi' in Bangalore since milkmen usually wore them, with or without a lungi.
Satya@19:53, re: "the man himself," was Spiffytrix's identity revealed somewhere? (The Crossword Who's Who does not contain an entry, as far as I can see.)
ReplyDeleteSpiffy, sorry, mea culpa, I was a bit disoriented. I was thinking of a couple in the Sunday Everyman and it seemed just like yesterday.
ReplyDeleteCV: My knowledge of Tamil movie songs is limited, I just remember 'Jambazar....'
ReplyDeleteSpiffytrix@20:18, the anno. for ALBATROSS, please?
ReplyDeleteIn Hindi, I recall Mehmood using the garment in 'Kunwara Baap' talking in Hyderabadi.
ReplyDeleteMy father, a retired IAF officer, never had any time for Tamil films or film songs. The latter he must have heard when we children tuned to Radio Ceylon or Vividh Bharathi.
ReplyDeleteBut he had a great liking for that Jambazaar song.
Spiffytrix,a warm welcome to you on my blog, happy to see you here, now we can get the correct solutions whenever we err.
ReplyDeleteCol Gopinath - It's my pleasure.
ReplyDeleteReg Albatross , the intended anno was homophone of Albert + Rose. The IPA for Albatross is (ˈælbəˌtrɔs, -ˌtrɒs)and in my opinion, Albert+rose is pretty close to it when read together,as is required in the clue.
Sometimes we think it takes the cake,
ReplyDeleteSometimes we think it's a mistake,
But when Spiffytrix is around,
We are pretty safe and sound,
For we can expect to know his take.
Spiffytrix. Never heard a proper English Gentleman pronouncing albatross. I guess if they did curl the 'o' to sound like 'ou',it would sound like rose. But, of course, Kerala is nearer to us.
ReplyDeleteKishore @21:05, Very nice.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you compose Hindi Shayarees, too.
Suresh, If I can trust Coleridge, it rhymes with a cross.
ReplyDelete'Is it he?' quoth one, 'Is this the man?
By him who died on cross,
With his cruel bow he laid full low
The harmless Albatross.
Kishore. You are overlooking the fact that Spiffytrix gave an alternate pronunciation in his post of 21:00. If you know how to read the notation, that is
ReplyDeleteThanks, Satya, but not Hindi, Urdu. I used to write in Urdu in early 80s. In Hindi, I usually like to distort the meaning of songs for eg:
ReplyDeleteMera mehboob aaya hai, (advertising by a nanny's beau?)
Sung by a hotel F&B assistant: Pyaaz hi pyaaz beshumar
Suresh, I agree with the alternate given. I just brought an English speaking native's version in.
ReplyDeleteNavneeth,
ReplyDeleteI am afraid, I do not know for a fact whether Spiffytrix is male or not. However, the person displayed only slightly better than average intellect. Had this person exhibited a far superior intellect, I would have immediately concluded the person was a female. You see my logic?
Now, why in the world is my tongue so firmly stuck in my cheek!!! Somebody help!!!
2129 Satya, what price some other identified female ?
ReplyDeleteIs your wife poring over your shoulder, Satya?
ReplyDeleteKishore @21:22,
ReplyDeleteUrdu? Dang. What all languages do you know, sir?!?!
My guess is, Konkani, Kannada, English, Hindi/Urdu, Marathi (all of these fluently) and Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, and Tulu (somewhat fluently).
The one and only one way to ascertain whether you (a generic you) know a certain language is this - can you speak it well enough to cheat the autowallah into thinking that you're a local? :-)
Spiffytrix, thanks for the anno.
ReplyDeleteSatya, :P
Satya@21:39, going through Kishore's bio, I would venture a guess that he also knows Python, or C, or perhaps both, or maybe even some more. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSuresh said,
ReplyDeleteIs your wife poring over your shoulder, Satya?
Suresh, stop analyzing me that accurately. By such accurate analysis, you're forcing me to classify you as a person of superior intellect thus forcing me to contradict myself. :-)
82 comments today, 83 including this one and not a single one from those with 'far superior intellect' as classified by Satya
ReplyDeleteI just finished watching "Some like it hot" and I'm suddenly tempted to pose like one.
ReplyDelete@Colonel: The 'far superior intellect' decided to let the MCPs have a field day :P
ReplyDeleteAha, so that's the reason is it. Wonder what would happen if I decided to have a women only comment day, if I remember right we have on 5 of the kind commenting here Sandhya, Sandhya, Shuchi, Dr Pankajam and PP
ReplyDeleteDeepak, I guess you missed a few others, including Gita I...
ReplyDeleteThe FSIs know when to hold reserve their comment unlike other hair-triggers.
ReplyDeleteFor the record I should exclude Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tulu and Python, but include some other non specified ones.
2009 2010
ReplyDeletePaul made it the front page of TH 27.10.2010
Richard, 2309, miss doing triple duty
ReplyDelete