Monday, 20 December 2010

No 10029, Monday 20 Dec 10, Gridman

ACROSS
1   - Joe wandering with dad on road facing unknown danger (8) - {JEO*}{PA}{RD}{Y}
5   - Dishes said to be Indian women's do (6) - PLAITS(~plates)


9   - Climax in the current situation (4,4) - HIGH TIDE [CD]
10 - Sort of game one is not out to play (6) - INDOOR [CD]
12 - Worry the French to give up poverty (4) - NEEDle
13 - Do up and speak after about one month (10) - {RE}{DEC}{ORATE}
15 - Specimen, small enough (6) - {S}{AMPLE}
17 - Father backs raw beginner working in stage area (5) - {AP<-}{R}{ON}
20 - Wasn't right to be hesitant about stop sign (5) - {ER}{RED}
21 - Superlatively unusual artist takes break (6) - {RA}{REST}
24 - In such a transaction one doesn't go in circles (6,4) - SQUARE DEAL [CD]
27 - Observed setting on the radio (4) - SEEN(~scene)
29 - Control second learner deployed in transportation (6) - {B}{RID{L}E}
30 - Salon treatment for fellow takes one season (8) - {MAN}{I}{CURE}


31 - Add to the beauty of niche rightaway (6) - {EN{R}ICH*}
32 - Ornamented in a showy way with gold in couch after couch (8) - {BED}{AU}{BED}
DOWN
1   - Guy that comes lately (6) - JOHNNY [CD]
2   - Rise and go wild in unrestrained celebrations (6) - ORGIES*
3   - Pairs of Australian toppers in vehicle (4) - {AU}{TO} Topper on double duty? (See comments)
4   - Not slam into car? (5) - DODGE [DD]
6   - Jargon used in calling orderlies (5) - LINGO [T]
7   - A venture to follow one attractive woman endlessly in excessive adoration (8) - {I}{DOLl}{A}{TRY}
8   - Estrange tipsy army man (8) - SERGEANT*
11 - Heavenly streaker (6) - METEOR [CD]
14 - Guard to tie up (4) - WARD <-
16 - Notice cut-out in exhibit (6) - {PAR{AD}E}
17 - Slip, leaving out fifty, into section of church (4) - lAPSE
18 - It's wise to be less tizzy (8) - SENSIBLE [CD] ?
19 - One rakes it in when the chips are down (8) - CROUPIER [CD]
22 - Stupefy engineer with figure — hesitation is gone (6) - {BE}{NUMBer}
23 - One new nurse is mean (6) - {I}{N}{TEND}
25 - Cherished object of the Spanish hidden in endless heap of hay (5) - {R{EL}ICk}
26 - Saying of the commercial times (5) - {AD}{AGE}
28 - Mother hoarding one bit of costly mineral (4) - {M{I}{C}A}

46 comments:

  1. Hi
    As usual Gridman was delightful, Adding to beauty (31a)with PLAITS(~plates), ornamented (32a) with a salon treatment(30a). Where is the NEED(-le) to RE-DEC-ORATE or be BED-AU-BED and get into JEO*-PA-RD-Y? Anyone here has had a woMANICURE ? I was BENUMBed by the references to the IAF (I know some apply to the other armed forces too, but GM has a connection): SERGEANT, APRON (with ref to aircraft parking), PARADE, and not the least JOHNNY (Wg Cdr J Green, who was the first to intercept a PAF plane in the 1971 war).
    http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Units/Squadrons/2-Squadron.html
    Of course, many would have remembered the drinkable Walker or Badruddin Kazi.
    Had some doubt on being SENSIBLE.
    B-RID(L)E, IN-TEND, AU-TO, DODGE are also good S-AMPLEs which have EN(R)ICH*ed today’s experience. I hope I have not ER-RED in saying it is HIGH TIDE someone followed this entertaining example instead of being a CROUPIER and laughing all the way to Po’s side, so that we get a SQUARE DEAL.
    Also, please see yesterday’s post for some Latin puzzles. Answers tomorrow morn.

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  2. Deepak, Havildar spelling to be changed !

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  3. Nice puzzle. Could complete the puzzle in quick time.

    There's one awesome song by Steve Earle by name Johnny come lately. I keep listening to it over and over again.

    Pairs = first two letters of Australian and toppers

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  4. Thanks Kishore,
    Main post corrected

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  5. Unable to figure out why "less tizzy" = SENSIBLE. Need help

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  6. It has been my pride and privilege of knowing Wg Cdr Ranjit 'Jit' Dhawan, who as a Sqn Ldr in the above mentioned squadron in 1965 was awarded the VSM, and who a real officer and gentleman, if I ever met one, during his lifetime.

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  7. 18 - It's wise to be less tizzy (8) - SENSIBLE [CD] ?
    All I could think of is anagram (tizzy being Anind) of less+be+in (from where?) to give sensible=wise

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  8. Could it be a DD:
    Its wise to be,
    less tizzy, less excited, hence level headed and sensible

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  9. Kishore
    You're so alive to Gridman's thinking.
    You're dead right.

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  10. Re 3A AUTO Toppers is doing double duty, Pairs only indicating two of them.

    Enjoyed the crossword, though I did not like 'SENSIBLE'.

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  11. Even I am not convinced by less tizzy = SENSIBLE. Sensibility is a feature observed over a period of time, while tizziness is momentary. Besides, if at all we were to accept that, then Less tizzy = More sensible, right?

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  12. Thanks, CV. But I was brain dead between 830 and 859. :-) It took some time to cotton on.

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  13. Pairs of Australian toppers in vehicle (4)
    ---
    Here "Australian toppers" is the fodder from where we take 'pairs' (whose position in the fodder is not indicated).
    So I don't think 'toppers' is doing double duty.

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  14. Shyam, I think it's kinda all right seeing that in one sense of the word, SENSIBLE = balanced. Again, balanced could mean, remaining calm, sober (emotionally) etc.

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  15. CV@10:47 With due respects can we not read toppers as a position indicator, even if it was not intended by Gridman.

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  16. My son on his way back from the Dominican Republic picked up a copy of the Daily Telegraph (17 Dec issue) from the aircraft. Shall put it up on my blog using Across Lite as per the procedure mentioned by Shuchi on her blog. I will upload it on the coming Sunday (26 Dec) as Sunday CW's generate very little comments.

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  17. Suresh
    You're most welcome to view the clue as you like. I was only clarifying that the way the clue is written, 'toppers' cannot be taken as doing double duty.

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  18. Refer my 11:16, I meant I shall upload the Cryptic CW from that issue

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  19. Hi, I've started Hindu Crosswords recently. I would appreciate if someone could guide me to a list of basic rules that will help a beginner like me.

    Thanks in advance

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  20. Hi AVK,
    I suggest you visit 'Crossword Unclued', link to which site is available on the panel on the left. At that site there are various articles to read which will give you all that you need to tackle crosswords. The link is repeated below for your convenience
    www.crosswordunclued.com

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  21. AVK, I think this would be a good start.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptic_crossword

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  22. Thanks Deepak & VJ. I'll go thru the suggested sites.

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  23. Enjoyed todays puzzle. Didnt get CROUPIER.BTW, how to remove the photo while posting comments? :)

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  24. Deepak, Happy to note your 1116, sad to inform you I will be awol starting 26th till 30th as I will be away at Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Kodai and shall be during the:
    - day, pulling backward on things that take you forward and discussing wormholes (not earthworm ;-) )
    - night, star gazing, weather permitting

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  25. Ajeesh, I think you will have to go to your profile and remove the photo

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  26. Hi Kishore,
    Thanks. I removed the photo from my profile. But still showing the photo while commenting. There was an option to show/add the photo near this editing box which is not showing now :)

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  27. Aha, the mysteries of the cyber world !

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  28. 1) In 17A, is ON got from "working" or "working in" ? What's the origin of this usage?
    2) What indicates a homophone in 27A?

    Hi AVK,
    This is a useful link I found while googling. This is what I have been using of late as I too am new to crossies.
    http://www.mythic-beasts.com/~mark/random/indicators/

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  29. Ben,
    17a the motor is on is equivalent to the motor is working

    27a "on the radio" indicates that this is how you would hear it, i.e. a homophone. Scene when heard on the radio would sound like seen.

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  30. Kishore, can others join you at the Kodai observatory? :) And do you go on trips like this on a regular basis?

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  31. Hi Ben

    Really an extensive list in that link of yours. But I doubt if they are standard abbreviations, given many are absent in OED/Chambers.

    Btw, any idea why e=5000 or o=11000??

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  32. Sorry, Navneeth, nope. I do it once every few years to meet some like minded people, I being the only layman in a galaxy of scientists. Some friends let me use the telescope, so that I get a visual confirmation of our insignificance. Last time we got a naked eye view of the ISS. It is really humbling. Other years I prefer the Hims for Dec. since they give me enough peace to last an entire year.

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  33. Shyam, e=5 for fifth letter is understandable, but 5000 ? But some commonly used ones like e for ecstacy are missing. And I thought e was Euler's number...

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  34. Oh, okay. :) (Lucky you, though!) I have seen the ISS quite a few times, and even photograph it once in a while (you can see it here). The "slow-moving" space station in its long-arced path is indeed quite a mesmerising sight.

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  35. Yes Kishore. But we could turn to the list especially during NJ's set. We may end up finding some explanations :P

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  36. Shyam Greek numerals may help. 5000 is e or actually epsilon. Don't know about 11000. Maybe omicron

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  37. Actually 5000 is represented by Epsilon with an Iota subscript.

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  38. Beautiful, Navneeth. I specially liked your comments on the squiggly photo and the conjunction. I was travelling from Bangalore to Hyderabad by bus in Nov.1980 and we had stopped in the middle of the night near Kurnool. There was near total darkness at ground level and visible horizon and the conjunction of four bodies, including the moon was terrific.

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  39. Suresh, it is all Greek to me :-) But great finding !

    Talking of numbers, you would have heard 13 is unlucky. But 17 too is considered unlucky ...

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  40. BTW, tomorrow is the Winter Solstice and there is a total lunar eclipse.

    Bad news, not visible in India. :-(

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  41. Found it.:) The Dashboard link on top right near Sign Out to update photo/display name etc. btw Visitor no-313113. So many 13s :)

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  42. Thanks, Kishore. I remember a few years ago, while travelling at night by bus (in Karnataka, incidentally) I woke up at around 2 or 3 AM only to have a look at what was possibly my only view of the disc of Milkyway. It wasn't very clear...just a kind of "haze" around Sagittarius and Scorpio, but in that half asleep moment I couldn't attribute it to anything else.

    Suresh, do you have a link about the Greek letters and numbers?

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  43. Thanks Suresh. Greek numerals are new to me. Nice to learn :)

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  44. Navneeth, The wiki link provides sufficient data.

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  45. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_numerals

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