Thursday, 27 October 2011

Special 7, Thursday 27 Sep 11, Buzzer


3 PP till further instructions.

74 comments:

  1. A barred grid from our Buzzer! Wow!

    24d DENOTE*
    27d ORCHID*
    30d IRIS I[ng]R[av]I[ta]S

    ReplyDelete
  2. 23D {AC{IDI}C}
    28A ICE STORM*
    35A PREDECEASED*

    ReplyDelete
  3. CV
    30D needs to be corrected to

    GAIA

    G[-r]A[-v]I[-t]A[-s]

    ReplyDelete
  4. 12D motility
    14D jereboam
    26D atmans (-b)atman's

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deepak

    The perils of cold-solving! Thanks for the correction.

    ReplyDelete
  6. 12d MOTILITY*
    28a ICE STORM*
    35a PREDECEASED*

    Will now proceed to Excel it. Thanks, Buzzer.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I get three more ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. 2a SNOW LEOPA* RD

    Beautiful, the animal and the clue.

    ReplyDelete
  9. 22d A BID ED
    7D PEA HEN

    ReplyDelete
  10. I must doff my hat (let me see if it's the cap that I am wearing at present) to Buzzer for creating this puzzle.

    In India the chances of getting your crosswords are very slim. Why? Because most newspapers just use syndicated crosswords (I heard from a UK source quite recently that the payment that each puzzle gets from the local agency is a pittance: I say that if this was what a UK setter would originally get for a puzzle, they would not set it in the first place; this pittance is what the syndicate gets after having made most money from the same puzzle by repeated selling over the years).

    Secondly, newspaper editors are still in the old mindset that there are few setters in our own country. They are not alive to fresh winds blowing and they are not ready to explore and tap and encourage talent in crossword-setting.

    Finally, even if they want to carry original crosswords, there is nobody on the staff to evaluate and judiciously use crosswords.

    Under such circumstances, if someone sets a crossword - that too a barred one like this - and offers it for free, it must be for love of the wordgame and a generous spirit to share joy with friends.

    ReplyDelete
  11. *read: "getting your crosswords published are..."

    ReplyDelete
  12. 16A {NUT}{SHELL}
    29A A{TT}IRING
    11D SILVER MEDAL (CD)

    ReplyDelete
  13. 14D jereboam

    typo: JEROBOAM (DD)

    ReplyDelete
  14. 26D Typo in the clue: Instead of Ruce Wayne it should be Bruce Wayne (Batman).

    ReplyDelete
  15. No - the missing B is deliberate. -B for atman

    ReplyDelete
  16. Done. A couple of annos unsure. Nostalgia for CV and DD built in. Liked every (-B)uzzer clue. Liked the way a detailed word when filled in appears in its original form due to neighbouring word. Loved the ref to Sylvester.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Liked the way a detailed word when filled in appears in its original form due to neighbouring word.

    What I mean is the first letter of the second word is the letter deleted from the first word.

    ReplyDelete
  18. 33a, as so many others, is quite good.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Aah, CV has identified with 33a.

    ReplyDelete
  20. DD is still playing hide and seek.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Liked the way a detailed word when filled in appears in its original form due to neighbouring word.

    ---
    Kishore, I appreciated this only after you noted it. You're too keen. Do you ever need to use the razor?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Kishore

    You're wrong! I edit, not subedit! No underwhelming ever!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Take 3d: Any setter can be proud of such a clue.

    ReplyDelete
  24. CV 1038: Chalta hai. Arre yaar, Hindi mein socho, tum sub edit karte ho!

    Yes, 3d is great, after the setter has pulled wool over your eyes for some time, and you finally get the answers, you feel like you have lost the first two letters of this answer.

    ReplyDelete
  25. CV: 1036: Only Occam's.

    Regarding suits, nothing suits like a suit as Barney Stinson says.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Liked the Modus Operandi of another clue too.

    ReplyDelete
  27. You're too keen.

    Yes, I am tooken.

    In the lyrics of Hey Goodlooking, Hank Williams uses the word 'tooken' for rhyming with 'lookin' '
    and meaning 'taken / took'.

    http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/hey-good-lookin%27-lyrics-hank-williams/41c5c510db0fe56c48256e70002412a0

    ReplyDelete
  28. DG, Free for all now?

    ReplyDelete
  29. 9A S MO UR (heart of LURE)
    10A ALL EG ES
    13A RAJ A(<-)

    ReplyDelete
  30. DD 1122, I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat, ref to Sylvester in my 946

    ReplyDelete
  31. Did not expect this crossword. So logged in routinely around 10 am. and got through.

    While CV wowed the barred grid. I did not enjoy the grid, though I enjoyed solving the clues. Requires more concentration I felt

    ReplyDelete
  32. Suresh, Typo in 1148: 9a A MO UR

    The MO is the modus operandi ref to in 1054.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Tks for the correction Kishore. My left hand makes a number of errors

    ReplyDelete
  34. Yes, I wowed the barred grid.

    I can't think of any other instance where an Indian composer has used the barred grid for his/her published crossword. Anyone know?

    Many clues are very good. Slight criticism may be made of a word here or there (I don't like the use of the word 'soon' in 35a, for example. Or the wordplay of 7d seems familiar) but overall it's a commendable effort.

    In the UK such grids are usually used for advanced cryptics but occasionally it is used for a plain puzzle as well. I would think that this is a plain barred, unless Buzzer has tucked away a Nina that we haven't yet spotted.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I didn't understand the wordplay of AMOUR until it was mentioned here. But I didn't think too hard lest my brain should hurt!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Should words 'decreasing' and 'petty' have been italicised? A cryptic clue has a cryptic element and so why this emphasis?

    ReplyDelete
  37. Kishore 11:54.

    A good software can take care of that! All the work (and plaudits or brickbats arising therefrom) is in the writing of the clues.

    ReplyDelete
  38. For CV My comment on the grid does not mean I did not enjoy the crossword. I loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Deepak. Kishore is eagerly waiting for "further instructions"

    ReplyDelete
  40. I understand, Suresh. I took the opportunity to write about use of the barred grid. I too am not a big fan of that. I rarely solve puzzles using that type of grid.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Yes, Suresh, waiting to contribute my Morse-l.

    ReplyDelete
  42. 20A {GALA}{HAD} ~night
    21D ARTHUR
    33A SU{BED}IT

    ReplyDelete
  43. Kishore @ 11:48

    No free for all as yet as lot of visitors may not know about this CW since I had put in a post at 7 that there will be no CW today.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Kishore's 11:48 is, I presume, because DD jumped the gun

    ReplyDelete
  45. Apologies - I took the remainder list as being the starting gun!
    Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Kishore
    (from today's comments under yesterday's blog)
    If you are talking of the two-in one crossword that DH publishes, it's a UK syndicate.
    I remember the grid using checked letters liberally (with fewer blocks than usual)- as you say many answers will appear by themselves as you enter solutions of others.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Diwali greetings to all.

    Thanks for the feedback.

    It was my first barred puzzle so I let the software do most of the work (grid pattern and auto filling the words). The only thing I can take credit for is rejecting some of the grids with words that were even more obscure than in this.

    Although Kishore in his inimitable style unearthed a few patterns, there wasn't any conscious attempt on my part. Lets put it down to sheer dumb luck the way 15A,16A and 25A, 26D appeared to be linked.

    For 1D, I had an exclamation mark at the end of the clue instead of the ital. But then I thought that looked self-congratulatory. So instead ...er... looks like I did the same unwanted thing in a different way. No wonder they say 'a pat on the back is hardly any distance from a kick in the ...'

    ReplyDelete
  48. Also 11D Silver medal was an attempt at a &lit or a semi &lit with (derive small)*. Looks like it didn't come off well.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Clearing up some obscure refs in above mails and what has been referred to by the Sting Operator (which I had not shared above):

    The Sylvester ref I made was to the cat burglar (!) who usually grabs Tweety of the "I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat" fame.

    I loved several other things about this CW:

    Snow leopard braving it in the ice storm.
    A smaller CAT elbowing out the ounce from the corner.
    The hidden mountain in the second row.
    The detailed zulu ref.
    The de-creasing use.

    The fourth row says it all. i knitted my BROW, i was NUTS, but what the HELL.

    It was not a lit or semilit silver medal effort.
    It was zimbly superb.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Simply superb puzzle. Thanks Buzzer and Col for putting this up. Had a crack at it quite late today. Here's 3 from my list:

    15A BROW (brown -n)
    18A RAITA (atria*)
    32A HYDE [T]

    ReplyDelete
  51. Aah, DD's 32a has popped in.

    ReplyDelete
  52. DG, 21d posted by Mathi at 1243.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Krishnan,

    The anno is {LA}{ZUL(-u)}{I}

    ReplyDelete
  54. @kishore
    My park of choice is St James Park - but have enjoyed some very lazy days in Hyde. Also very much liked the Lodhi Gardens last week

    ReplyDelete
  55. Standing on packing cases ?

    ReplyDelete
  56. Ah - if I got on my soapbox, I might never get off

    ReplyDelete
  57. If I am on a soapbox, I will be...

    ...bubbling.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Grid with solution will be added to the main post tomorrow morning, so there is time till then for someone to have a go at the remaining 5 answers.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Late to the party and filling in the blanks, if I may.

    6D: ELATER (CD&D)
    8D: {RE}AL(-t)ER
    25A: (-can)TAB(-ile) (-h)OR(-n)

    Nicely done by Buzzer and quite inspiring really, to see a barred grid from one of our own.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Sumitra,
    34A is INDIA (I for India)

    ReplyDelete
  61. The anno for 34Ac for me was last in as it took me a while to get the 'heard on the radio' reference to the NATO phonetic alphabet. That leaves 17Ac..

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com