Saturday, 20 November 2010

No 10004, Saturday 20 Nov 10, Gridman

Gridman on an extended run? Must be because of 9999 and 10000.specials.
ACROSS
1   - Impaired as a result of age, mite may emerge (4-4) - {TIME*}-{WORN}
5   - Language of fellow and child you hear (6) - {MAN}{CH}{U}
10 - Wildly dreamt about sweetheart fetching lamb, perhaps (3,4) - {RED M{E}AT*}
11 - Parachutists have to take a pull at it (7) - RIPCORD [CD]
12 - This type won't stand straight (6) - ITALIC [CD]
13 - Publicity for feminist, an off-the-cuff speaker (2-6) - {AD}-{LIBBER}
15 - Sign from the last two letters of groom taken (4) - {OM}{EN}
16 - Endure to-do in final performance (4,6) - {LAST} {HURRAH}
18 - 50-50 will be one (5,5) - EQUAL SHARE [CD]
20 - Brother to take directions for beverage (4) - {BR}{E}{W}
23 - Lathis go wildly at huge opponents (8) - GOLIATHS*
24 - Area with not much growing for it? (6) - TUNDRA[CD]
26 - A foursome hoarding a new currency (7) - {A}{FGH{A}{N}I} The foursome is FGHI ?
27 - Implore for a group to spend time in bank, we hear (7) - {BE{SEt}ECH}(~beach)
28 - Substitute some farmers at zamindar's insistence (6) - ERSATZ [T]
29 - Judge: fool trampled roses (8) - {ASS}{ESSOR*}
DOWN
1   - Be upset in a rather late reaction (4,2,4,5) - TURN IN ONE'S GRAVE [CD]
2   - Press half a side to intervene (7) - {MEDIA}{TEam}
3   - Beetle is small, bad with no energy (6) - {WEE}{VILe}
4   - Consider part of strategy (4) - RATE [T]
6   - Q & A pileup resolved by design (8) - APPLIQUE*
7   - Slam Australian friend accepting inexperienced driver (7) - {C{L}OBBER}
8   - Not feeling well in a certain environmental change (5,3,7) - UNDER THE WEATHER [CD]
9   - Thieving exotic drape that's on the politician (9) - {PREDA*}{TORY}
14 - English city with cold/hot breeze for invalids (4,5) - {BATH} {C}{H}{AIR}
17 - Agreeable requests to queen's subject (8) - {PLEAS}{ANT}
19 - They are drawn off (7) - ULLAGES [CD] Had to cheat on this, new word for me.
21 - Rectify by changing one's habit? (7) - {RE}{DRESS}
22 - Chase give us pure change (6) - PURSUE*
25 - In the same place exists bird (4) - {IB}{IS} 

42 comments:

  1. 26 - A foursome hoarding a new currency (7) - {A}{FGH{A}{N}I} The foursome is FGHI ?

    Wow. Didn't think about it, but foursome as in the group of 4 successive letters of the alphabet - abcdeFGHIjkl...

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  2. 19D is is a good example of why I don't like CD's, firstly it is not a word which is commonly used (in my view) and secondly there is no word play to give a foothold to get the answer.

    How many of you got the answer to it without trying to look it up on the net?

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  3. Today was a toughie. Was stuck at many places. And quite a few new words too.

    28A: For too long was wondering what the significance of the word "insistence."

    26A: FGHI kinda thingy = foursome was new.

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  4. 11a Except when I have static at the DZ !

    Did not get 19d, nor the word play for Afghani. Wow, Satya.

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  5. @Colonel: Agree with you about 19D. Had to check the answer from your blog.

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  6. Deepak, on 19A, couldn't get it. A new word for me.

    I think CD's are all right in general i.e. if they are sharp and funny. When I was solving NIE crosswords for a short period of time, I came across a lot of nice CD's. Nothing you cannot figure.

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  7. Everyone is invited to have a go at a better clue for ULLAGES

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  8. VJ @ 8:52,

    CD's are okay for words which are commonplace

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  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  10. It gets drawn off when top of waste goes to the bottom (7)

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  11. Like Sandhya, I also had to look ullages here.

    And I agree with Colonel about CDs with no word play being no fun.

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  12. Deepak (858), I agree. It doesn't often work for not-so-commonly-used words.

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  13. Measure of pull a gestapo has (7)

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  14. They are drawn off by drunk servants - both losing their heads (7)

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  15. Empty space in a bottle when six is lost from the village in the US (7)

    U{(-vi)LLAGE}S

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  16. Agree with Deepak on ULLAGES. Had to cheat too

    Actually it is not a CD at all. It is a tough E(asy) clue

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  17. Deepak: Nice down clue, but as the word reqd is in plural, is 'it' OK?

    Bhavan: Does your clue indicate that the word reqd is in its plural form?

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  18. Agree with Suresh. It doesn't have the character of a CD clue.
    I would say that such a clue is included in a crossword to add variety to the clue-type, whether adding spice or not. If many words are clued as anagrams or as charades, the criticism will be 'too many anagrams', 'too many charades'.
    Also, some grist is needed for the Comments mill!

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  19. @CV, doesn't measure take care of the plural too ? (like litres)

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  20. * Legal changes in America (7)

    This is a starred clue. LOL

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  21. Not to be picking holes in ICs but by way of brainstorming!

    l could be litre (one l) or litres (8l.)
    But I am not sure if 'measure' can be taken to indicate plural.

    * * *

    If we see a drunk slumped on the road, we would say in Tamil "avan full pola irukku" (Yes, this is the sort of semmozhi that film dialogue writers and glamorous TV anchors use always).

    It is not made up in TN. See 'full' in Chambers.

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  22. VJ
    You have done a Neyartha. Wonderful! Perfect wordplay!

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  23. CV In my view E clues should be zero in a cryptic crossword.

    Apna apna Khyal hai

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  24. Suresh
    I fully respect your opinion.

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  25. @CV, if measure doesn't tip it, the count (7) should since the answer is hidden anyway : )

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  26. @VJ: Great clue!

    @CV:"Also, some grist is needed for the Comments mill!" :D

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  27. Hi folks

    My changed working schedule does not allow me to take part here in the morning. Still stealing some time today -

    19D - Can our predicament be described as follows?

    Liquid shortfall in container confuses us all, for example (7)

    Another two potshots; not sure if they measure up to the cryptic standards -

    Seagull goes astray for liquid lost in shipment (7)
    Use gall, somehow, for this leakage from bottle (7)

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  28. VJ @ 9:40

    What would be the other words as part of the starred clues.

    lets have at least three more words from everyone to make up the starred set of words to go with ULLAGES

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  29. Good Morning all

    @ Deepak:

    A small number left including you in rural areas gives the residual amount.(7)

    I would say Gridman has really tested me in full. Plenty left undone. handful of clues answered but not filled as i am not able to get the crossings right.

    A real brain teaser from Gridman.

    Pl any one tell me on 14 d more (bath chair)...


    Mathu

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  30. Thanks Chaturvasi and Sandhya... Had to do it 'cause I didn't know how to define the word.

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  31. Deepak, one from me. Would LITERS fit? Theme being liquid measures.

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  32. @Mathu:
    14 - English city with cold/hot breeze for invalids (4,5) - {BATH} {C}{H}{AIR}

    BATH - Place in England
    C - cold
    H - hot
    AIR - breeze
    BATH CHAIR - a wheelchair for invalids

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  33. Thanks Sandhya P.

    I was confused on Bath...

    Mathu

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  34. I think it's really strange that the day others find it tough is when I solved most of the CW, that too without a single reference to the dictionary/thesaurus/internet/anything!!! :)

    Am I really that confused a person?!? Hmm... ... I guess I am!
    Mamma mia!
    Jo toto loco!!!

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  35. That said, I concur w/ most of the post-priori comments...especially:
    1) CDs ok if sharp and funny (VJ)... not if they are plain definitions.
    2) Satya: Wow! Never would have thought of that for foursome! :)

    ULLAGES, BATHCHAIR, PLEASANT and AFGHANI eluded me, though in hindsight, I should have got BATHCHAIR and PLEASANT! :)

    For a while, kept trying to find an anno for 7D thinking it must be AMATEUR... then once AD-LIBBER fell in, I deduced that MATE=COBBER! :)

    I thought TUNDRA could have been clued better. Not sure why the ? at the end. Also not sure why "insistence" at the end of 28A.. better surface reading maybe..

    Besides these gripes, I really enjoyed today's CW much more than the last 3-4 offerings! :)

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  36. Except ULLAGES I got the whole CW done in less than half an hour.Being a half day today I am logging in earlier than usual.

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  37. My god..I got only around 5-6...

    What about 27 AC

    How did beech come..

    Karthik

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  38. Kathik, I think BEECH comes from beach, a homophone.

    BANK = SHORE = BEACH

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  39. @Karthik - no surprises~! you've got company mate

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  40. Anyone know why it is called 'beach'?

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