Arden seems to be filling up the void created by Manna's absence
ACROSS
1 - Was scared when asked if one was insured (7) - COWERED (~covered) 'V'~'W' strikes again!!
5 - Sick animal gets some transport (7) - MACABRE {MA{CAB}RE}
9 & 10 ac. - It possibly could, by some reckoning, be a technological marvel (5,9) - CLOUD COMPUTING {COULD*} {COMPUTING}
10See 9 ac.
11 - Asian diet cooked in West Bengal, say (4,5) - EAST INDIA*
12 - He doesn't believe Kelvin should stay on top of a tree (5) - KAFIR {K}{A}{FIR}
13 - Most important that the King is not a day early (4) - ARCHmonARCH
15 - May be crazy to let one in, but it is good for you (8) - NUTRIENT {NUT}{R{I}ENT}
18 - Liberal writers trouble these spinners (8) - TWIRLERS {L+WRITERS}*
19 - One following a comic scene is crazy (4) - GAGA {GAG}{A}
22 - Returning iceman got a shock (5) - APPAL {A}{PPAL<-}
24 - Curved deflection designed to miss nothing (9) - INFLECTED DEFLECTIoN*
26 - He relates to some God if cure not possible (9) - RACONTEUR {RA}{CURE+NOT}*
27 - What fish takes to cook? (5) - SKATE*
28 - With rain a possibility, met outside the tower (7) - MINARET {M{RAIN*}ET}
29 - Others follow the first lady right to the top (7) - EVEREST {EVE}{REST}
DOWN
1 - The treasure had the Turkish leader's seal (6) - CACHET {CACHE}{T}
2 - Forest men could hold the rafters in place (9) - WOODSCREW {WOODS}{CREW}
3 - They all have a central meeting point (5) - RADII [CD]
4 - Degradation of French intonation (9) - DECADENCE {DE}{CADENCE}
5 - Snake maiden is in learned company (5) - MAMBA {MA}{M}{BA}
6 - As it grips the fish one finds it amusing (9) - CHUCKLING {CHUCK}{LING}
7 - Concise dossier (5) - BRIEF [DD]
8 - A ringed construction that would encircle (6) - ENGIRD*
14 - It could be tough on the ship if one is uncompromising (9) - HARDLINER {HARD}{LINER}
16 - This group is formed specifically to work under pressure (4,5) - TASK FORCE {TASK} {FORCE}
17 - Having gone away with it, had something to haggle (9) - NEGOTIATE {ATE+GONE}*{IT}
20 - It grows either way (6) - MARRAM <->
21 - Wanted review, losing a wicket for five in the beginning (6) - ADVENT {V+wANTED}*
23 - Canape prepared without a nut (5) - PECAN CANaPE*
24 - It is absurd for it to allow the writer's return (5) - INEPT {I{NEP<-}T}
25 - Two points the girl should follow (5) - ENSUE {E}{N}{SUE}
ACROSS
1 - Was scared when asked if one was insured (7) - COWERED (~covered) 'V'~'W' strikes again!!
5 - Sick animal gets some transport (7) - MACABRE {MA{CAB}RE}
9 & 10 ac. - It possibly could, by some reckoning, be a technological marvel (5,9) - CLOUD COMPUTING {COULD*} {COMPUTING}
10See 9 ac.
11 - Asian diet cooked in West Bengal, say (4,5) - EAST INDIA*
12 - He doesn't believe Kelvin should stay on top of a tree (5) - KAFIR {K}{A}{FIR}
13 - Most important that the King is not a day early (4) - ARCH
15 - May be crazy to let one in, but it is good for you (8) - NUTRIENT {NUT}{R{I}ENT}
18 - Liberal writers trouble these spinners (8) - TWIRLERS {L+WRITERS}*
19 - One following a comic scene is crazy (4) - GAGA {GAG}{A}
22 - Returning iceman got a shock (5) - APPAL {A}{PPAL<-}
24 - Curved deflection designed to miss nothing (9) - INFLECTED DEFLECTI
26 - He relates to some God if cure not possible (9) - RACONTEUR {RA}{CURE+NOT}*
27 - What fish takes to cook? (5) - SKATE*
29 - Others follow the first lady right to the top (7) - EVEREST {EVE}{REST}
DOWN
1 - The treasure had the Turkish leader's seal (6) - CACHET {CACHE}{T}
3 - They all have a central meeting point (5) - RADII [CD]
4 - Degradation of French intonation (9) - DECADENCE {DE}{CADENCE}
5 - Snake maiden is in learned company (5) - MAMBA {MA}{M}{BA}
7 - Concise dossier (5) - BRIEF [DD]
8 - A ringed construction that would encircle (6) - ENGIRD*
14 - It could be tough on the ship if one is uncompromising (9) - HARDLINER {HARD}{LINER}
16 - This group is formed specifically to work under pressure (4,5) - TASK FORCE {TASK} {FORCE}
17 - Having gone away with it, had something to haggle (9) - NEGOTIATE {ATE+GONE}*{IT}
20 - It grows either way (6) - MARRAM <->
23 - Canape prepared without a nut (5) - PECAN CAN
25 - Two points the girl should follow (5) - ENSUE {E}{N}{SUE}
1 - The treasure had the Turkish leader's seal (6) - CACHET {CACHE}{T}
ReplyDeleteLooks like Arden scratched the lower half of the S from yesterday's 1d to get today's
29 - Others follow the first lady right to the top (7) - EVEREST {EVE}{REST}
BTW, Everest (as in the name of George Everest) was pronounced as given in this clue EVE REST before it was pronounced in the present fashion of EVER -EST
As usual, the informativEST EVER.
DeleteYesterday veer raised a concern about cryptic grammar pertaining to the usage of link words - especially "for".
ReplyDeleteCubicles built initially for a shoot out (6) - BOOTHS {B}{SHOOT*}
Earlier in the day Padmanabhan also brought up a query regarding usage of "up" to indicate reversal in an across clue.
Alpine feature brought up in the space city (3,3) - ICE CAP <-
Both are valid questions.
When we met at S&B 4, Arden had an interesting take on a question along similar lines - does he see the need to alter his clues/style based on solver feedback about cryptic grammar.
His response was that he is not overly bothered about Ximenean or any other "rules" with respect to clue writing. If the surface is smooth and the solver is able to grasp what was intended, that is good enough for him.
This is not to say that we shouldn't air our concerns. I personally agree with whatever veer and Padmanabhan said regarding those two clues. But I also agree with Arden that he has the liberty to write clues the way he wants : )
I subscribe to Arden's views
DeleteUnfortunately I beg to differ :) Does one speak/write English with bad grammar in day-to-day life and justify it simply because the listener is able to decode whatever he has to say? Crosswords are a game and the rules are in place not to hassle setters, but to make the game fair.
DeleteCubicles built initially for a shoot out (6) - BOOTHS {B}{SHOOT*}
Even if we forget the padding 'for a', the clue still needs a hyphen between shoot and out, because only 'shoot-out' is a noun.
There may be bad clues which solvers manage to solve, and good clues which they do not get solved - solvers cannot figure the annotation easily does not make a clue bad, does it? :)
The reason padded clues are a commonality in THC is because these clues are not sent back to the setter for edition. Obviously setters will improve their skills if a proper editing mechanism is put in place.
Hi Shyam, nothing like a well-reasoned and contrary view to make the discussion lively.
DeleteFor the record, I have a problem with this clue today:
6 - As it grips the fish one finds it amusing (9) - CHUCKLING {CHUCK}{LING}
I'd like to add that a rudimentary level of editing is happening with the puzzles, but it is neither sufficient nor proficient enough. But better than none.
Nowadays the word 'Ximenean' has become unfashionable, it makes you think of a humorless nitpicker. 'I don't care about Ximenean rules', in contrast, sounds like you're creative, know how to take it easy and enjoy the game.
DeleteWhich is sad, because most Ximenean rules are a template for fair, elegant cluing and Ximenean need not equal dull. I can understand a setter resorting to intrusive padding because the idea behind the clue was great and s/he couldn't come up with a better way to frame the clue. But I appreciate it far more if there is an attempt to polish the clue - getting the cryptic grammar right, dropping superfluous words - rather than outright dismissal of the need for doing this.
Agree about the CHUCKLING clue.
Wish you all a very happy and colourful Holi!
Happy Holi
DeleteHaving just got back from a Holi binge, without a holier than thou attitude, may I say that on this holy of holies, if you want the joy to be whole-some please keep the liquids and powders away from the holes in the head.
DeleteHappi Holy
Bhavan,
ReplyDeleteNow it is my turn to agree with what you say. Yes,ultimately, what counts is there is reasonable understanding between the setter and solver. Of course,we all take it that each setter has his own unique style or 'cachet'(stamp)as in today's CW.
Shyam has a valid point. Deepak and many of us did fairly well in solving NJ too.
ReplyDeleteWhile Arden or any setter certainly has the right to clue as he wishes without regard to Ximenean or otherwise, I still think it is a pristine art if a setter can consistently set clues acheiving a meaningful and sometimes humorous surface while making every word in the clue count as wordplay or definition (i.e., no padding). That for me would be the highest form of practice in the art of setting. I think this is what sets apart some of the other syndicated crosswords from what the THC is. The current crop of setters certainly do care to aspire to a higher standard but it is also a fact that this type of clue setting takes more time and effort and very likely, there is not enough economic stimulus that pays back the extra diligence. Cannot really fault the setter overmuch - like the lack of an editor for crosswords, this is just another facet of the system under which the THC exists.
ReplyDeleteI'm away to Bombay for a family wedding and hope to be back in ten days and this is being logged in from my brother's comp. Will be missing ye-all for ten days and the Hindu crossword too. (TOI reaches CBE but then why not HIndu too in Bombay?
ReplyDeleteJust saw yesterday's comments on Ximenian rules.Couldn't agree with Schuchi more. There must be some rules of the games to be followed , like we do in all other aspects of our lives. We van put up with some maverick compilers like NJ once in a while to add spice but not every day. Granted The Hindu crosswords compilers are a unique lot and many of us have tackled successfully NJ types. Exceptions to the rules are permissible but shouldn't be the norm. We traditionalists would like to preserve the sanctity of a good cryptic crossword.