I am yet to get familiar with Skulduggers cluing style. As usual he has me tied up in knots!!
ACROSS
1 They ensure a clean slate — a white one for every quarter (6) WIPERS {W}{1}{PER}{S}
4 Count, abandoning England, follows behind Charles the First
(6) CENSUS {C}{ENSUeS}
9 Rats! Deliverance days truncated! (4) ?O?S (Addendum - DOBS - Date Of Birth'S - See comments)
10 Stirred fruit compotes after removing pips to make small
confectionaries (5,5) PETIT FOURS {FRUIT+comPOTES}* How does 'removing pips' mean removing 'com' from compotes? (Addendum see comments)
11 The beau monde’s a black bunch (3,3) JET SET {JET} {SET}
12 Marking register at Hotel Grand (8) CHECKING {CHECK-IN}{G}
13 When one was green and ate greens? (5,4) SALAD DAYS [DD]
15 Reportedly fitting measure (4) METE (~meet)
16 Kanjira’s peculiarity: ringing sound (4) RASP [T]
17 Period without bloodshed (9) PEACETIME [E]
21 Yesterday, Arcturus’ board-members okayed leading duos’ annual
publication (8) YEARBOOK {YEar}{ARcturus}{BOard}{OKayed}
22 The French players appeared before the Englishman’s home (6) CASTLE {CAST}{LE} Only Englishmen live in castles??
24 Amateur traveller’s first crossing over the dateline’s
intoxicating (10) DILETTANTE {T+T+DATELINE}*
25 Short high jumpers (4) (Addendum - ROOS [CD] - See comments)
26 Grown man? Not entirely true. It’s ambiguous (6) MATURE {MAn+TRUE}*
27 Suit up. Extreme batting change on the cards (6) BEDECK BE{DECK} Anno not clear {Addendum - {B}{E}{DECK} - See comments}
DOWN
1 Seek the favour of my Indian club in Sydney (7) WOOMERA {WOO}{MERA}
2 Job openings for newspapers (5) POSTS [DD]
3 Well-known queen to be appointed needs no introduction (7) REPUTED {eR}{dEPUTED}
5 Admission for exceptional pre-teens with no second thoughts
(6) ENTREE pRE-TEENs
6 Most sturdy, solid retailer carries a bit of everything (9) STOCKIEST {STOCKI{E}ST}
7 Extraordinary rendition of St. Anger (7) STRANGE*
8 Prying into other people’s affairs: what Edward VI had to do
following switch after Henry’s end (13) (Addendum - STICKYBEAKING {STICK}{Y}{BE A KING} - See comments)
14 Spongy kebabs or Bento boxes (9) ABSORBENT [T]
16 Booze-guzzling, gossipy old woman drinking in one’s element
(7) RHENIUM {R{HEN}{1}UM}
18 Look askance at pupil’s condition (7) COCKEYE [DD]
19 A thousand head of buffalo annihilated? Rubbish! (7) MULLOCK {M}{bULLOCK}
20 Chopper regularly carried the European leaders (6) COPTER {ChOpP{T}{E}eR}
23 This might get strong returns (5) SHARE ? (Addendum - SURGE SERVE [CD] - See comments)
1 Seek the favour of my Indian club in Sydney (7) W
ReplyDeleteWOO MERA
woo= seek favour of
my Indian= mera
club in Sydney=def
I got that at the stroke of 8:30!!
DeleteWoomera in Sydney would have been more apt rather than club in Sydney
Delete22 The French players appeared before the Englishman’s home (6) CASTLE {CAST}{LE} Only Englishmen live in castles??
ReplyDeleteProb based on
An Englishman's home is his castle
27 Suit up. Extreme batting change on the cards (6) BEDECK BE{DECK} Anno not clear
ReplyDeleteI took extreme Batting changE as B and E
Cards = Deck
27 Suit up. Extreme batting change on the cards (6) BEDECK BE{DECK} Anno not clear
ReplyDeleteExtreme= ends of "batting change"=be
cards=deck
Cluing doesn't convince me
DeleteNor me. I am just justifying ;-)
Delete25 Short high jumpers (4)
ReplyDeleteGiven the Australian connections today I am betting this is a CD
ROOS
short for Kangaroos, high jumpers
That's right
Delete10 Stirred fruit compotes after removing pips to make small confectionaries (5,5) PETIT FOURS {FRUIT+comPOTES}*How does 'removing pips' mean removing 'com' from copotes?
ReplyDeleteFRUIT (-com) POTES
com = pits : centre of FRUITCOMPOTES
It's PIPS and not PITS in the clue. I suppose by PIPS Sk... means CENTRE. I am not convinced by the clue though.
DeleteSorry, I meant to write PIPS.
DeleteWell, pip means seed...
Deletebut as you said, I am not very ok with using this for a couple of words bunched together. Same thing happened in 27 too
Going from pips to pits (free dictionary lists seed as one of the meanings of pit) and then extrapolating pits to "central part" seems too far-fetched to me. But I guess that's the only explanation.
Delete23 This might get strong returns (5) SHARE ?
ReplyDeleteSURGE ?
a SURGE on the stock market can get you good returns
A surge in the sea waves can return you strongly, too
Delete8D STICKYBEAKING
ReplyDelete(STICK)(Y)(BE A KING)
Well done RR. Used only down under, so some indicator would have helped.
DeleteBravo, RR
DeleteQuite a few Aussie terms here
Woomera
Roos
Mullock
Stickybeaking
and the date line too
The clue reads "what Edward VI had to do following switch after Henry’s end"
DeleteSo that becomes
what Edward VI had to do = BE A KING
following
switch = STICK
after
Henry’s end = Y
Which would become {Y}{STICK}{BE A KING}
@RR: Good one!
DeleteI got the word, but was stuck with the anno!
Another overreach effort by Skulldugger and I'm not saying it because I was stumped all over, that appears to be my general take.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAnyone has the answer for 9A?
ReplyDeleteSome sort of Australian rat, in the plural?
DeleteIt might be OOPS, which is an exclamation of messing up something, like rats. But I am yet to fully get it.
DeleteI had (-w)EEKS at first but deleted it as it didn't fit
DeleteYes, I had seen that before I posted my WOOMERA, and then saw that suddenly woomera had come in and 9a was dropped. Exactly at 830
DeleteWoomera waghaira waghaira... Woh mera chai ka pyala nahin!
DeleteWah Janaab! Der se aaye, par durust aaye!
DeleteDeliverance days ka kuch gyan bhi dijiye...
Woe mera bhi chai ka pyala nahin
DeleteDec 22, 1939 as per Jinnah's call
DeleteAapne Girija ke ghar pe kuch to suna hoga is ke baare mein...
DeleteKishore Saab, 'Jab sun-ne wale bolne lagte hain, toh qayamat aayegi...'
Delete9:30 Girze mein toh bahut saara suna hai, lekin Girija meri purani padosan thi, janaab!
DeleteHum intezar karenge tera qayamat tak, khuda kare ke kayamat ho aur /
ReplyDeleteor deliverance days aa jaye
Oh Lord, deliver us from this bombardment of shaayari...
DeleteMatthew 7:7
DeleteThe devil quoting the scripture, huh?
DeleteYe mera shayar nahi :-) ( Skulldugger started all this with 'mera')
ReplyDeleteSurface reading seems to have taken a beating all over.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Richard's 9.22. Not my cup of tea either.
ReplyDeleteWhen my wife serves me tea, I always mutter "This is not my cup of tea. This is not my cup of tea" under my breath (so she may not hear it) but I always drink it. Thus my marriage has survived for more than 40 years.
DeleteGreat! For a happy married life, the husband should always have the last word, saying 'Sorry!"...
DeleteBack home with access to the Internet.
ReplyDeleteThe col is defeated by
9 Rats! Deliverance days truncated! (4) ?O?S
but he has carefully given us the word pattern. We are grateful to him.
So we could do a word search with relevant software.
But the snag is, this is a noun in plural form or a verb with the -s termination. How many word pattern search software give inflected forms of words? Maybe all or some do, but suppose the noun/verb is a rare word, will the sw throw it up?
(to be continued)
(giving some time for others to work it out if possible)
9 Rats! Deliverance days truncated! (4) ?O?S
ReplyDeleteRats! This must be the def, for it's at the beginning. The word/words at the end is/are not promising.
Look at the EM after the word rats.
So 'Rats!' is more likely to be a noun than a verb.
In what context would you exclaim 'Rats!"
When the rodents crawl all over the place?
An interjection to express your annoyance?
(to be continued)
But, what if it is a verb?
ReplyDeleteRat as a verb means 'to desert'.
If somebody rats, they change sides with ulterior motives or for some unworthy cause.
If somebody rats, they may just be hunting or catching rats. In my second-floor flat, my wife does! She is not a cat!
(to be continued)
Wow! such a lot of research for a four letter word!!!
ReplyDelete9 Rats! Deliverance days truncated! (4) ?O?S
ReplyDeleteThe learned men above (they are all learned men) are talking of deliverance in its religious sense. But in a cryptic crossword clue, words should never be taken at their face value.
Could deliverance be used in the simple sense of 'parturition'? Did I say 'simple sense'?
(to be continued)
Could it be 'GOES'? As in 'to desert'? Long shot, and not really apt, but I would appreciate your opinions.
ReplyDeleteRita,
DeleteIt's not GOES.
My exegesis (Richard?) will continue. I am going out for a while. Will come back to this soon
'Deliverance' leads us to Gods (why 's'?)So does the EM, but rats? I give up.
Delete23D This might get strong returns (5)
ReplyDeleteI had this as SERVE as in Lawn Tennis "serve" getting strong returns....
But Skulldugger has hinted at another Aussie word. Strong returns of serve are a rarity,isn't it?
Delete9's the ozword. Sridhar's right on 23.
DeleteSkullduggers 11:01 which got deleted when I deleted his earlier mail which he deleted is repeated below
ReplyDelete@ Deepak's 8.55 :It depends on how you choose to read it. If you read it as - what Edward VI had to do following switch after (Henry’s end), then you indeed get the ystickbeaking, but if you read it as - what Edward VI had to do following (switch after Henry’s end), then stickybeaking is obtained.
Surge for 23 is incorrect. CV's dance of thought on 9 is fascinating, so I'll leave it to his linguistic forensics. I will say however, that it is another Aussie term
Whichever way you look at it it's still {Y}{STICK}
DeletePlease enlighten me on the difference between
switch after (Henry's end)
and
(switch after Henry's end)
Yeah, looking at it again I confess I am in the dark about this and can shed no light on the matter. Apologies to both Deepak and to the world at large.
DeleteApologies not required, mistakes happen.
Delete(taking up the thread)
ReplyDelete9 Rats! Deliverance days truncated! (4) ?O?S
So deliverance = parturition = birth
deliverance days - what could they be? birthdays? birth days? birth dates? dates of birth?
(to be continued)
CV, I must say you have everyone waiting with bated breath for a four letter word!!!
DeleteOur expert from Down Under is on vacation else we would have got the result long ago I presume
Delete9 Rats! Deliverance days truncated! (4) ?O?S
ReplyDeleteWe have looked at 'rats', 'deliverance', 'deliverance days'. There is this word 'truncated'.
Deliverance days truncated?
What, do we have the emergence of a pre-term baby? (Talking of this, Narasiah has written a story in Tamil about a female child that decides to arrive on this planet some months earlier than usual. It is included in "From Out of Clay and a few other stories of Narasiah" translated in English by C. G. Rishikesh (Palaniappa Brothers, Peter's Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600 014, published in January 2013).
'Truncated' could mean 'abbreviated'. So dates of birth abbreviated gives us DsOB?
No, we generally have DOB, that is, date of birth. So dates of birth is DOBs.
How do we write it in the grid?
DOBS.
But what's DOBS got to do with Rats?
(to be continued)
Skulldugger at 11:31 has indicated that it is an Aussie term
DeleteSo DOBS it is
DeleteThis is what Wiktionary has
dob (third-person singular simple present dobs, present participle dobbing, simple past and past participle dobbed)
(slang, chiefly Australia) To report (a person) to someone in authority for a wrongdoing.
I’ll dob on you if you break in.
You dobbed me in! — I never did!
I now betake myself from the computer chair and repair to the bookshelf where there is an array of dictionaries.
ReplyDeleteChambers: dob (Austr colloq) (usually with in) to inform on, to betray
It also records
dob abbrev: date of birth
Let's turn to COD
dob v. (dobbed, dobbing) Austral/NZ informal inform against
So our answer is DOBS.
Clap clap clap, unfortunately we don't have the smileys here, like on PP's hub
DeleteI appreciate CV's detailed explanation of the thinking process behind the solving the clue much more than the clue itself.
Delete@ CV Sir,
ReplyDeleteWow! What an explanation.Very clear and simple.wow!
CV you can now turn your attention to 23D, since Skulldugger says SURGE is incorrect.
ReplyDeleteCol. 23D is SERVE as per Skull dugger.You may accordingly change the original entry.
ReplyDeleteWell if SERVE is the answer it is a very poor clue by all standards, in my opinion, and considering the standards that Skulldugger has.
ReplyDeleteTough one this and of course, enjoyable. Cud not finish a few.
ReplyDelete6 Most sturdy, solid retailer carries a bit of everything (9) STOCKIEST {STOCKI{E}ST}
ReplyDeleteWhy the word Solid. Feel this is superfluous and misleading. Strictly speaking a retailer is not a stockist. Setter's licence I think.
20 Chopper regularly carried the European leaders (6) COPTER {ChOpP{T}{E}eR}
What sort of clue is this? &LIT?
Last month several other setters were there after KKK before Skulldugger appeared...
ReplyDeleteWhew! what a crossword! I must confess my slate was very clean (very little filled up)!
ReplyDeleteWhile the annos and comments have helped me understand many of the clues a couple are still puzzling.
1) 24A: Amateur traveller’s first crossing over the dateline’s intoxicating ; Traveller's first gives us a "T"; where does the second "T" come from?
2) 15A: Is "meet" a synonym of "fitting"? Somehow that did not seem to gel...
Can someone throw some light?
Traveller's (two of them) so T & T
DeleteCol: how can traveller's with an apostrophe give a plural? And how does 'over' work, when TT is inside? Me not convinced
DeleteT is from 'The' or else the is superfluous. There seems to be nothing wrong with 'over', meaning T crosses over into T + DATELINE*
DeleteApostrophe for surface reading purposes
DeletePhew. Was left with a few when I decided to give it a break and come to the blog. Interesting discussions here, DOBS thesis quite enlightening.
ReplyDeleteQuite a few good clues and calling for lateral thinking, so great job there. I guess comments have been already made about a bit of setter's license, eg 8D. In similar vein, I did not like 4D: 'follows behind'. Even if grammatically OK, seemed a bit redundant, and the surface suffered. Like some other clues, might have even left 'follows' to do double duty!
@Sridhar 1:45 - 15A: Yes 'meet' is fitting, or appropriate. Re 24A: I think it is crossing, but this is again double duty?
Message from Ajeesh
ReplyDeleteHi Col,
From that long list
t: cross
t: crossed
So second T is from crossing?? :)
24 Amateur traveller’s first crossing over the dateline’s intoxicating (10) DILETTANTE {T+T+DATELINE}*
Thanks
Ajeesh
Copy pasted from Mrs PP's Hub
ReplyDeleteComment by CLUELESS
QUOTE
Re today's crossword:
the dictionary defines SKULDUGGERY as VERBAL MISREPRESENTATION.
I wish to respond with its synonym = JIGGERY-POKERY.
UNQUOTE