Thursday, 8 November 2012

No 10614, Thursday 08 Nov 12, Buzzer

At Coimbatore to attend my schools 150th year celebrations. Buzzer has really floored me today with some awesome anagrams.

ACROSS
6   Bulletproof car in old building (4-4) IRON-CLAD*
9   Grounds to reject a rational artist (6) ARENAS {AR}{ENAS}<=
10 Jug or just ewer essentially (4) STEW [T]
11 Lip shown by a spokesperson (10) MOUTHPIECE {MOUTH}{PIECE}
12 Base of a gangster, one who is death personified (6) ALKALI {AL}{KALI}
14 Harassed husband and wife left hurt (7)  HOUNDED (+h-w)HOUNDED
15 Currency of Niger? (7,8) FOREIGN EXCHANGE ? [CD](Addendum - {OF +NIGER}* {EXCHANGE} - See comments}
18 Official misused a wiretap ignoring direction (7) PATWARI {A+WIReTAP}* An Indian indicator would have helped the cause.
20 Recurring issue I had with energy by end of the game (2-4) NO-SIDE {NO-S<=}{I'D}{E}
22 Simply tell on a friend (10) INFORMALLY {INFORM}{ALLY}
23 Fiction author’s article cut short (4) MYTH {MY}{THe}
24 Fruits from Garden State over in Australia (6) (Addendum - ANJOUS {A{NJ}{O}US} - See comments)
25 Failing to conquer two peaks (4,4) WEAK SPOT*

DOWN
1   Eat greasy nachos and wafers for starters (4) GNAW {G}{N}{A}{W}
2   Measuring the depth of water in a drainage system (8) PLUMBING [DD]
3   It is said cashew is a good mouth freshener (6) CACHOU (~cashew)
4   Criminal hands bribe in prison (6,4) BEHIND BARS*
5   Guardian's setter put on notice? Quite the opposite (8) WATCHDOG {WATCH}{DOG}
7   Badger angrily when limits are crossed (5) RATEL iRATELy
8   Doctor dealing with a hurt relative (8-2-3) DAUGHTER-IN-LAW*
13 A prince say, without riches, upset and depressed (1,3,3,3)  
16 One against new pope? Not perhaps (8) OPPONENT {N+POPE+NOT}*
17 Drug dealer from the outskirts of Canterbury has a wide network (8) CANDYMAN {C AND Y}{MAN}
19 Palm OS touch-screens more or less (6) ALMOST [T]
21 Same song with a different ending (5) DITTO DITT(-y+o)O
23 Flightless birds bury head under to meditate (4) MUSE (-e)MUS(+e)E




35 comments:

  1. 15 Currency of Niger? (7,8) FOREIGN EXCHANGE ? [CD]

    {FOREIGN*(OF + NIGER*)} {EXCHANGE}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Should there be a new annotation type to indicate reverse anagram ?

      Delete
  2. Thanks Sandhya. Buzzer has been in awesome in this run. I'm stumped for 13D and 24A

    ReplyDelete
  3. Official misused a wiretap ignoring direction (7) PATWARI {A+WIReTAP}* An Indian indicator would have helped the cause.

    Agree, that clue had undergone so many changes that I lost track of what I had sent finally. At one point it read:

    Indian official misused a wiretap ignoring direction from centre (7)

    which now I think I should have retained.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Bhavan,

      Tell me frankly, how long did you tak to set this one?

      Delete
    2. Col, for the puzzle or just that one clue? Actually in either case I don't have a concrete answer.

      I spend a few mins each day. Have never written all clues in one go.

      With some clues I keep tinkering until it is time to send the puzzle off :)

      Delete
  4. 24 A is ANJOUS {A{NJ}{O}US

    ANJOU is a pear , NJ= Garden State ( New Jersey)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Replies
    1. @Bhargav, good to see you here.

      You have the right 1 _ 3 3 combination

      The first 3 letter word is not key. But it the key to it is ... prince say...

      Delete
    2. a bed too low perhaps . But unable to explain. Defn = depressed which matches with "a bed too low".

      Delete
    3. My guess would be 'A WEE TOO LOW' anno of which I do not know

      Delete
  6. pet?- (pert-r)
    I read that one of the meanings of 'pet'is pique or sulkiness leading to low?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Could anagrams be difficult to spot and solve? Yes,says Buzzer.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Why only 2 of Buzzer? But he himself cites lack of time. No wonder- as Col. says this must have needed a lot of time and preparation. Thank you so much,we enjoyed this run immensely.
    Of course we have Sunday specials too from him.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Deepak is probably right on Wee too low. Wee sounding like we, which is what a prince would say.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. Tool comes from riches upset ( loot taken up) . Without indicates that 'prince say' should go around the upset riches. Wonder where 'Wee ow' comes from.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Re 13D - I had it as A PEG TOO LOW

    A P (E.G.) -- A prince, say

    What stumps me the "Without riches" part ??

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ah! Ramesh's 11:25 helps clarify.

    A P (E.g.) -- A prince say
    TOOL - Riches Upset (LOOT reversed)
    OW -- Wihout (WO) reversed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brilliant, both setter and solver! To have all but two letters in that string and yet to agonise over it so much!

      8D: Solved this finally with the crossings, but the fodder has 2 letters extra?

      Delete
    2. Actually 3, not 2. But it seems we should take only w for with, then it works fine

      Delete
    3. Sridhar had the parsing I had in mind.

      @Bhala, with = w was my intention.

      Delete
  14. Just finished yesterday's crossie. I put in RIVER BED but wonder what's the parsing here: :A channel dedicated to Krishna ,perhaps.(5,3)Can BUZZER clarify? BURIAL GROUND was another that took some time figuring out as an anagram of DURING LABOUR tho' it was right there staring at me !! so was FIDEL CASTRO-- sent me looking for the first name of CICERO !! Thought that 8 Down- fabric was fabricated for some exotic french cuisine item !Cruel CRUETS!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have a question relating to the rules of the game - especially related to the usage of articles.

    Seeing these clues
    1.Base of a gangster, one who is death personified
    2.Simply tell on a friend
    3.Drug dealer from the outskirts of Canterbury has a wide network

    articles such as 'a'have only been used for better surface reading and do not form a part of the clue,. Gridman however is unlike buzzer and sets 'tight' clues in which articles mostly form a part of the answer.

    Is it to the discretion of the setter to decide either ways or is some one making a mistake here ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What about 18 A and 13 D ?
      Btw I have seen Gridman's puzzles also with articles not being part of clue.
      Experts can say more about this usage .

      Delete
    2. I'm no expert but I think the usage of articles in all the clues that you've mentioned is fine.

      A gangster = AL (Al is a gangster)
      A friend = ALLY (Ally is a friend)
      The outskirts of Canterbury = CY (CY is the outskirts of Canterbury)

      Delete
    3. @Ramsundar, very interesting question.

      I did say earlier that I prefer surfaces to cryptic readings although I try and make both of them sound for each clue. In the specific examples you raised, VJ had the parsings I was thinking about.

      A general guideline that I try to follow is to not stick unnecessary words in a clue and confuse the solver - except for hidden word clues.

      Delete

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