1 - Indeed, bed of hare is crooked (8) - {DE{FORM}ED}
6 - Indian community has no time for a couple of last letters? It's an overstatement (4) - {JA
9 - Journalist tried extraordinarily to hold a round (6) - {EDIT{O}R*}
10 - Note: hidden in cloth is bun (7) - {CHI{G}NON}
14 - Liking for State disbursement (5) - TASTE*
15 - Cut off the Devil (4) - NICK [DD]
16 - Congratulations (4,3,3) - GOOD FOR YOU [CD]
19 - A don froths widly and the list goes on (3,2,5) - AND SO FORTH*
21 - Remote from a recall of a foreign service (4) -{A}{FAR<-}
24 - Give in return (5) - YIELD [DD]
25 - Uses a bug? (7,2) - LISTENS IN [CD]
26 - No horse stranded in landlubber's locale (7) - ONSHORE*
27 - Protection for Romeo in love in Paris? (6) - {A{R}MOUR}
28 - African country's article thrown out: “Soapy stuff” (4) - SUD
29 - Preferment catapults me in post (8) - NEPOTISM*
2 - Prevalent in the area, mice ran helter-skelter following raid of den (7) - {END*}{EMIC*}
3 - Beginning external group (6) - {OUT}{SET}
4 - Explorer to strike back with firm loop redone (5,4) - {MAR<-}{CO} {POLO*}
5 - French nobleman has a bit of taste for old currency (5) - {DUC}{A}{T}
8 - Last letter before reportedly moving a kind of grape (5,7) - {Z}{ANTE} {CURRANT}(~current)
12 - G-man and hobbyist tossed gadgets for which you can't recall the name (12) - {THI{NGAM*}YBOBS*}
18 - Witchcraft to blind Opposition leader after Opposition leader (6) - {HOOD}{O}{O}
20 - Got into the habit, perhaps (7) - DRESSED [CD]
22 - Pointers to iron and copper covering special opponents (7) - {FE}{S}{CU}{ES}
25 - If you do, you will rise rather late (3,2) - LIE IN [CD]
Lotsa new words for me today. NEPOTISM, ZANTE CURRENT, CHIGNON, FESCUES…
ReplyDeleteNoodle casing was clever.
Had doubts on 12D. Looks like there's an alternate spelling.
Actually liked HELMET.
ReplyDeleteDeepak, I think you need to change the picture for FESCUES. The sense used here is the pointer used for teaching, not the plant.
Liked the pram cartoon.
Whatchamacallit. Hey the clever spell check did not underline this word !
ReplyDeleteYes, 12d has many alt spellings/variants, which I listed in the Orkut community:The Hindu Crossword Solutions.
ReplyDeleteThat's why the clue-writer has given an anagram so the solver is led to the chosen spelling.
However, I now wonder whether the word, noun no doubt, has a plural form. Or would the singular form itself indicate there are a lot of things?
What do resident usagists say?
FESCUE
ReplyDeleteFESCUES: Looks like those leaves can be used as pointers.
ReplyDeleteTHINGAMABOB:
ReplyDeleteThere are references to the plural form on the internet. Though I know the word, have never seen it used in daily conversation. An odd funny sounding word IMO
In Tamil, if, after listing a few things, we want to add others as well but can't quite name them, we say...
ReplyDelete...mannangatti, theruppuzhudhi
which terms comprehensively include all other things.
VJ: Leaves could be used as pointers, so can fingers. But there is an instrument/gadget called fescue better known as laser pointer which is used to point out phrases/keywords, usually on a projected Powerpoint presentation.
ReplyDeleteFescues are leaves with pointers, that is, sharp tips. Hence, the pointers that are used in lec-dems are called fescues.
ReplyDeleteSomething that Gridman learnt while at work.
This is by way of info (already provided by Kishore).
Kishore, yea, I get it. It's just that on seeing the pic posted by Col, the thought came up.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling the laser pointer is the thingummy referred to by CV. Hope he clarifies which pointer was he pointing at.
ReplyDeleteIn powerpoint presentations, speakers from a distance use a device which when pressed on a button or something casts a red spot of light on the screen.
ReplyDeleteWhat is that called?
I think it's a laser pen
ReplyDeleteKishore has already answered my question.
ReplyDeleteGridman had in his mind the device that is used in teaching, laser or non-laser.
Thanks, VJ.
ReplyDeleteCV has jumped the gun and clarified before I posted my question ! Talk about service efficiency. Wow.
ReplyDelete15a Is it not surprising that you just add the two letters st and a period in front of Nick and you get a much loved figure with an ETA of five weeks from now.
ReplyDeleteKishore @ 8:41,
ReplyDeletePicture since changed. While I was in the service we would use the telescopic antennas used in cars as pointers, the same could be easily carried in the shirt pocket like a pen.
Have you ever tried pointing the red dot from a laser pen in front of a dog. My dog goes bonkers trying to catch the red dot.
ReplyDeletequite a few new words today.
ReplyDeleteThough I knew thingamy,the"bobs"part did not bob up.Had to google Zante part of currant.Can someone explain the connection between special opponents & "S","ES"in 22d?
Yes Col.I have also tried it with dog .Amazing!
ReplyDeletePadmanabhan,
ReplyDeleteI think S is from special and ES from bridge (opponents in bridge)
Deepak, 936, I once had a telescopic thingummy with a magnetized tip. Was useful for fishing out washers, screws and bolts which had slipped into any gadget/machine, which invariably they do. Probably from a time when magnetized screwdrivers were not around. Any idea what this thingummy is called?
ReplyDeleteAlso request the four words following out in the above are all read as nouns and not as plural noun, verb and verb.
Paddy/Paddu (whichever you dont mind):
S=s(pecial)
ES=Opponents in a bridge game
Knick knack paddy whack, give a dog a bone..
ReplyDeleteGood Morning
ReplyDeleteI thought 13 a as chisle out and wasted a lot of time on other crossings. As said Blacksmith would have been better. Lots of new words as pointed. Incidentally nepotism fell just like that. I got current but not zante.
on the whole a nice one.
Mathu.
Good morning, please tell me how 10A answer chignon is arrived at ?
ReplyDeleteKrishnan @ 10:50
ReplyDeleteNote = G
hidden = Inclusion indicator
in
cloth = CHINON
is
bun = Definition = {CHI{G}NON}
Thanks a lot Colonel.
ReplyDeleteGridman,
ReplyDeleteThoroughly enjoyed today's puzzle. All the clueing outstanding and a handful of new words to learn.The good thing about learning new words from crossword solving, in my experience, is that they get registered in memory for almost forever because of the logical inference.
This week has been a rewarding experience, thanks to you.
Kishore
ReplyDeleteI know that you will never cock up.
PS: Please read the penultimate word with the last word as a phrasal verb.
Chaturvasi, have you noticed? There are hardly any R rated clues from Gridman these days.
ReplyDeleteCV114: I did, with my SMLE.
ReplyDeleteVJ
ReplyDeleteSeriously, has Gridman ever written what you call R-rated clues - clues that are to be solved only those 18 and upwards.
If so, could you cite any of them?
Mere use of words such as 'strumpet' or 'whore' or 'nudist' in clues or these words as lights in the grid does not render it R-rated.
For such clues you must go to Private Eye.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKishore
ReplyDeleteWas there a loud report? Any ricocheting?
VJ
ReplyDeletePrivate Eye crossword contains clues such as the following:
Warning: Anyone who is too squeamish may not read any further but close their eyes or skip to next Comment if any.
(Down) Clue (by Cyclops)
In the morning, the almighty erection – you’d better believe it! (5)
It is hilarious!
Thanks,VJ & Kishore.It confirms my surmise (which I got after my post here!)I should have got it earlier as a follower of bridge.
ReplyDeleteKishore,
Padhu/Paddy-anything is fine as long as there is no contender in this blog.Feel free.
Chaturvasi, R not in the idealistic sense but in the way our film boards rate movies. Well for 'em, even a mild reference is enough you know.
ReplyDeleteWell I don't recollect the clues but they were funny - like something that goes like "girl streaks in rain" or something.
LOL, that clue from Private eye's totally funny. Hilarious!
CV 1244: Well, for 6 goes in one sitting at Iblur, I had one in the magpie, three in the inner and three in the bull. Simple arithmetic will tell you that one of my fellowmen was taking potshots at my target.
ReplyDelete1308: :-)
Here be dragons, also hippogriffs, slithering toves and the like, so beware:
Also, reminds me of the Japanese guy who when interviewed by a political correspondent and asked "When did you have your last election ?" replied: 5 am.
CV: 1244: I remember the SMLE sequence was insert, lock the chamber (which included cock), open the safety catch, aim, fire, extract/eject... whereas LMG Bren sequence was cock, set selector on single/burst/auto (were there only two in Sten ??), fire, stop periodically for change of mag/barrel.
ReplyDeleteIn the prone position, care had to be taken for avoiding spend empty shells from burning the forearm when they dropped out in the LMG. In the Bren they dropped out the bottom whereas in SMLE they popped out of the top where the bolt was drawn back.
Deepak may be able to correct me if my memory has played up.
Missed JAZZ, the bun and the grape. Somehow I find the connection between "reportedly moving" to CURRANT not very convincing.
ReplyDeleteNICK (in the context of the DEVIL), DRESSED (again, in the CW context) and FESCUES were all new to me. Likewise, the bun and the grape.
Navneeth,
ReplyDelete"reportedly moving"is current as in a river current,which is a homonym of currant.
I confused myself by thinking that 'reportedly' indicated a synonym. Thanks.
ReplyDelete