Friday 18 March 2011

No 10105, Friday 18 Mar 11, Neyartha

Photography is the theme today
ACROSS
1   - Quality of being firm shown by the missing model's stoicism (9) - StOLIDNESS
6   - One-hit wonder in the pan? (5) - FLASH [CD]
9   - Indicate ignorance about English rugby selection (5) - SHRUG [T]
10 - Sinhala composition describing Greece as paradise (7-2) - {SHAN{GR}I-LA*}
11 - Choose an Egyptian god for Agamemnon's daughter (7) - {ELECT}{RA}
12 - Accelerate when coming back to take the bed around to the private (6) - {CO{VER<-}T}
14 - Motionless picture? (5) - STILL [DD]
15 - Doctor, idling, brings the fool back inside with some musical notes (9) - {GLI{SSA<-}NDI*}
17 - Chemical processing requiring the fool's evaluation (9) - {NIT}{RATING}
19 - Female taking apprentice out in situation needing attention (5) - {F}{lOCUS}
20 - The French gangster arrested with thorium was quite dangerous (6) - {LE}{TH}{AL}
22 - Blind athlete abandons pot by mistake (7) - SH(-otp*)UTTER
24 - Resolved disagreement after removal of dam in the African plain (9) - SERENGETIdam*
25 - Rain god at home moving all the way back to exhaust … (5) - (-in)DRA(+in)IN
26 - … the messenger and misdirect the blame (5) - SHOOT [CD]
27 - Flying argus seen by Adam's son reportedly near the molasses source (9) - {SUGAR*}{CANE}(~cain)
DOWN
1   - These IT workers improve the efficiency of complex processes (7,8) - SYSTEMS ANALYSTS [E]


2   - Army officer securing arsenic compound from a thief (9) - {L{ARCENIS*}T}
3   - I'd go up with Gita for the first lesson about a type of computer (7) - {DI<-}{GITA}{L}
4   - This English region is against ale brewing (4,6) - EAST ANGLIA*
5   - To reel in the catch, go west instead of north (4) - S(-n+w)WAG
6   - Ferocious savage does fight for the non-adhesive sticks (7) - FAGGOTS Anno pending (Addendum - FAGGOTSadhesive* - See comments)
7   - Alert letters from the magi leaders (5) - AGILE [T]
8   - Protection against crazy medical bills (6,9) - HEALTH INSURANCE [CD]
13 - Pluto's blast in Germany's capital was outrageous (10) - {DIS}{GUST}{IN}{G}
16 - Built up anticipation after tip off about a much-hated plant family (9) - NICOTIANAtip*
18 - Opposed to getting profits in Austria (7) - {A{GAINS}T}
19 - Architect's break down … (7) - FOUNDER [DD]
21 - … at the sound of a ripped stitch from the body (5) - (~tore){TOR}{SO}(~sew)
23 - Fresnel somewhat upset by his own invention? (4) - LENS [T<-]



31 comments:

  1. Ferocious savage does fight for the non-adhesive sticks (7)

    I think it's an anagram of SAVAGEDOESFIGHT after deleting adhesive.

    I haven't done paperwork, though. Needs letter-matching.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Chaturvasi: You are absolutely right.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ferocious savage does fight for the non-adhesive sticks (7)

    I think it's an anagram of SAVAGEDOESFIGHT after deleting adhesive.

    I haven't done paperwork, though. Needs letter-matching.


    Indeed it is. 'Sticks' is the definition.

    ReplyDelete
  4. CV,

    You are right. No need to do any paperwork (you can use water);-).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Today the 'poor' category is going abegging !

    ReplyDelete
  6. In 5D, the clue should be "the catch" (SWAG) and not "to reel in" (SNAG).

    ReplyDelete
  7. How does Pluto figure into the answer in 13D?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Harveybirdman @ 8:58

    Catch =SNAG and SWAG = Sway, lurch, reel. See the link in the main post

    ReplyDelete
  9. Harveybirdman @ 9:00

    Dis is another name for the God of the underworld Pluto

    ReplyDelete
  10. All setters are capable and they have the potential to set a 'good' or 'average' puzzle. But if we still get puzzles that solvers categorise as 'poor', why? Because the setters are so busy in their own profession and hobby that they cannot bestow enough time over their work in this field? Or they have so many puzzles to create that they leave it off at some stage without taking a relook at the puzzle? Or they let the machine do the work without any human intervention? Or they want to see if solvers are awake? Or what?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Of dis Shuchi spake:

    http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2011/03/they-do-it-dis-way.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. DG @ 9:04 and DG @ 9:05, as well as CV @ 9:09: makes sense, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  13. After my post above, someone has ticked "Poor".

    Deepak, I am sorry that I cannot set any store by these grades as the person who chooses a particular grade is anonymous.

    If I say that a particular crossword is poor or good, I would like the whole world to know that it's I who am saying it. I take responsibility. And if asked why I say so, I will back up my assessment with pucca details.

    While the person who marked this 'poor' is entitled to her (or his) opinion, can they come and tell us why they think so?

    ReplyDelete
  14. CV, I personally rate an anonymous rating system as poor for exactly the same reason. It is open to mischief or misterchief (before I am accused of gender bias-I see that you have taken this precaution too). I have stopped rating, when it is poor. If it is good, then I like putting in my tick of encouragement. Absence of recognition of a puzzle as good should in itself be enough to indicate dissatisfaction.

    Deepak, liked your Serengeti picture. The tree reminded me of my days at iconic Thorn Tree cafe at The Stanley Hotel in Nairobi, where once, after I had requested for a black coffee, a 'trained' waiter asked me whether I would like my black coffee with or without milk.

    ReplyDelete
  15. CV,
    I agree with your comments however there are some who want to remain anonymous for reasons best known to them. Obviously the person who marked this as poor, is someone who is either a novice at CW's or someone with a grudge, not ruling out the mischief-mongers though, like those who scribble in lifts, what pleasure they get out of it I am unable to fathom.

    ReplyDelete
  16. And the ticking could be by accident too! A slip of the finger! A jerk of the hand! The cat leaping on the keyboard!

    ReplyDelete
  17. The mouse falling on the keyboard...

    ReplyDelete
  18. Though I did not get 5-6 and just gave up, I thought that the puzzle was good overall except the homphonic TORSO but that is always a moot point.
    Besides, I thought that in 19D it could be better constructed as good DDs require exactness.
    6D was clearly my COD as a very clevery concealed angaram there that had to be deduced.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I quote Lavesh:

    Lee's parents have five children, the names of the first four are La, Le, Li, and Lo.
    What's the name of the fifth child?

    This fairly simple one has set the cat amongst the pigeons elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Kishore
    Too easy!
    Am reminded of that ad in which a silly-looking umpire puts up his little finger like pupils used to do in classroom when they wished to go out on the pretext of visiting the 'small room'.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Before anyone starts getting any doubts, I want to clarify that I've not marked this one as poor.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Meghna,
    Let me assure you that we have no such doubts!
    Some of us - by which I mean gentleman-solvers - are among the foremost critics of certain crosswords and we can be - and are - very picky!
    No-one can disagree with the recent criticisms that you have made on this forum.
    Such detailed analysis we have made before. Not only here but elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  23. CV, there is a reason I have mentioned it here despite being 'too easy' and also why I have given the final line of my previous post.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Meghna. I agree with CV. My mention of your cup of woes was not meant to discourage or disagree with you. In fact, I for one has been missing your comments the last couple of days

    ReplyDelete
  25. Easy one from Neyartha.
    23D my COD

    ReplyDelete
  26. CV/CGB,
    What would be correct plural of gentleman-solver?
    Gentleman-solvers/Gentlemen-solver/Gentlemen-solvers

    ReplyDelete
  27. Sowndar asks

    Can some one explain the clue for 1a

    ReplyDelete
  28. Having opened the can of worms at 1031 and no bites, I give below my response which was posted after seeing a near equality of votes for Lee and Lu

    La-vesh, this one is a Lu-lu. You've got people running all round ;-)

    Well, the logical minded have suggested Lu based on the vowel stream, while the numerically enabled would have counted, even without polydactyly, that out of 5, 4 children have been listed and Lee (whose parents' children are under discussion) must be the fifth.

    I go with the second option unless Lee's paternity is in doubt !

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sowndar, as explained by Deepak:

    1 - Quality of being firm shown by the missing model's stoicism (9) - S(-t)OLIDNESS

    stoicism=stolidness
    missing model= deletion indicator for T (as in Ford's car T model)
    left over word is 'solidness' which is definition of the answer as indicated by 'Quality of being firm'

    ReplyDelete
  30. @Venkatesh

    Good question!

    Gentleman-solver is an "iru-peyarottup-panbut-thogai!"

    "gentleman-solvers" therefore ...

    ReplyDelete
  31. I see no problem with 'gentleman-solvers'.

    I can't say I know grammar (don't ask me what 'pluperfect tense' is!) but I am confident I can write correct English. Reading good books and instinctively absorbing usage can help one write correct English.

    You say 'yeoman farmers', not 'yeomen farmers'!

    ReplyDelete

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