Wednesday 27 March 2013

No 10731, Wednesday 27 Mar 13, Buzzer

Nice opener again. Got Suresh's city at the stroke of 8:30.

ACROSS
1   Lines separating border mostly (3,3) ALL BUT {A{LL} BUT}
5   Lose a warehouse (6) GODOWN {GO}{DOWN}
10 At sea for the most part (2,3,4) IN THE MAIN [DD]
11 Senor’s accent (5) TILDE [CD]
12 Smashing of ulna not new in collision (5) AFOUL {OF+ULnA}*
13 Permits an artificial flavour for chewing gum (9) SPEARMINT*
14 Free sample of press release (7) HANDOUT [DD]
16 Stomach upset — bad sign (7) ABDOMEN {BAD*}{OMEN}
18 Calm constable took in account provided by one (7) PACIFIC {P{AC}{{IF}{1}C}
20 In relation to 5 is a 6 second? (3-1-3) VIS-A-VIS {V}{IS}-{A}-{VI}{S} My COD
21 Confidential summit about to be held by group (3-6) TOP-SECRET {TOP}-{SEC{RE}T}
23 Old country protected by Excalibur magic (5) BURMA [T]
25 Devoured a sheep reportedly (3,2) ATE UP ~{A} {TUP}
26 Unreasonably be so awful and get mad (4,1,4) BLOW A FUSE {BE+SO+AWFUL}*
27 Parting remark from copper on the phone (3,3) SEE YOU (~ c u)
28 Put in order rejecting article that’s broken (6) TIDIED {TI<=}{DIED}

DOWN
2   Allowed to travel for free (3,2) LET GO {LET}{GO}
3   Insect, let out, gets away in hurry (6,3) BEETLE OFF {BEE}{LET OFF} (Addendum -{BEE}{LET*} {OFF} - See comments)
4   Go through relay knocking off miles (7) TRANSIT TRANSmIT
5   Plant a firearm near criminal (7) GUNNERA {GUN}{NEAR*}
6   Half of firm to show opposition (5) DETER DETERmined
7   King seen in Shakespeare trivia mainly (7,2) WILLIAM IV {WILLIAM} {trIVia}
8   Supply Panama hats out in eastern Kiev city (13) VISAKHAPATNAM {PANAMA+HATS+IN+V}* (Addendum - {PANAMA+HATS+KIeV}* - See comments)
9   Seem more taken by arrangement to die (4,4,5) MEET ONES MAKER*
15 Perhaps bow to kiss relative of Spooner (9) NECKPIECE {(-p+n)NECK}{(-n+p)PIECE}
17 Console attorney getting second-hand jury (9) DASHBOARD {DA}{S}{H}{BOARD}
19 Reindeer vehicle, one dropping Santa regularly about (7) CARIBOU {CAR}{1} {aBOUt} (at from sAnTa)
20 Dismiss from office? Veto (4,3) VOTE OUT VETO*
22 Vacant piece of unkempt yard (5) EMPTY [T]
24 Way an ancestor expressed (5) ROUTE (~root)


39 comments:

  1. 8A was awesome. Vis-à-vis Visakhapatnam, pictured Suresh, wearing a panama hat to cover his brilliance, cycling across the crossword. 11a might have been a tad easier if TH had printed ‘Señor’ with the tilde mark.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, that should have been 8d

      Delete
  2. Thanks for remembering Vizag, Bhavan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remembered your brilliance too ;-)

      Delete
    2. Panama hats are a good idea for bald pates and hot climates

      Delete
    3. Also to stop the brain from evaporating

      Delete
    4. You're telling me! I have just the skin over four holes in my cranium!

      Delete
  3. Nice illustration for Tilde. Looks like a pair of eyebrows...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Remember old Ptenisnet speaking in hieroglyphics...

      Delete
  4. 8 Supply Panama hats out in eastern Kiev city (13) VISAKHAPATNAM {PANAMA+HATS+IN+V}*

    Correction in Anno:
    {PANAMA+HATS+KIeV}*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'out in eatern Kiev' doesn't look okay to me

      Delete
    2. Agree, but that's where the K in Visakhapatnam comes from, I think.

      Delete
  5. As usual excellent anagrams and good surfaces. VISAKHAPATNAM does looks iffy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let me assure you Raghunath that Visakhapatnam is a first-rate city. Nothing iffy about it.

      Delete
  6. 20 Dismiss from office? Veto (4,3) VOTE OUT VETO*
    This would be a double definition.
    1) dismiss from office
    2) reverse anagram VOTE* = VETO; out is AnagrInd

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is no 'out' in the clue

      Delete
    2. The solution VOTE OUT leads to VOTE* which gives VETO which is given as the clue.
      This is a typical example of Reverse Anagram.

      Delete
  7. The de-clueing for 15 dn " bow to kiss relative of spooner's" would be correct if done as follows:

    peck+niece which becomes neck piece...thanks to the spoonerism.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is what is shown in the main post as (-p+n) and (-n+p)

      Delete
  8. 3 Insect, let out, gets away in hurry (6,3) BEETLE OFF {BEE}{LET OFF}
    Anno needs correction
    insect - BEE
    let out - LET* - TLE
    gets
    away - OFF
    Defn: in hurry - (BEE)(TLE*) (OFF)
    (leave suddenly and as if in a hurry)

    ReplyDelete
  9. That should be
    Defn: hurry - (BEE)(TLE*) (OFF)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think the setter intended that in 11a the first word would have the special character but the action has not suited the word finally.

    As a former journalist, I can say that problems exist between systems in the whole printing process. I would find that when I passed a page the special character was there. But later when I looked at the plate (that is clamped on to the rotary) it wouldn't be there. To ensure that it is there, in some other department steps must be taken after passing a page and before producing negative to be made into plate. Nowadays it is 'computer screen to plate-making' without [in my days] what used to be called 'stripping' when four negatives were put together.

    Whatever it is, it is negligence.

    Haven't you seen that on the same page, one word that requires a special character has it but another does not have. Perhaps the person who edited the latter story did not know that a word in it requires a special character!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Top class one from Buzzer. Hats off (Panama?)to him for the classic! Visakhapatnam was enjoyable though very difficult to reach. From the by line I thought Col. was in one of his train rides and reached Vizag at 8.30 AM sharp!

    My COD was 15D-the spooner- since I could not do 20A.

    ReplyDelete
  12. For 11A, the copy I had sent has the diacritic over n. Now I think I should have added a note pointing out it needed to be printed exactly for the purposes of wordplay.

    When filling the grid at 8D, I had a vague clue in mind when words like visa, khap, at, nam jumped out so went ahead and filled it in. Come clueing time, I realised none of them were convincing enough, so ended with this version. It is debatable if "out in eastern Kiev" accurately denotes "Kiv", but I felt it was good enough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhavan

      I have inside knowledge. The subeditor on duty was well aware that the word needed to have the ~. I don't know what happened later.

      You can always say: The 'save' button didn't work!

      Delete
  13. HAPPY HOLI to fellow bloggers.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bhavan,
    8 Supply //Panama hats// out in eastern Kiev city (13) VISAKHAPATNAM

    A technical point, assuming KIV somehow does fit in the anno:
    Supply is an anagrind with PANAMA HATS as fodder. Doesn't KIV need an indicator to be part of that fodder?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anagram indicator = Supply
      Anagram fodder = Panama hats Kiev(-e)
      city = def

      I was using "out in eastern Kiev" to mean delete E from Kiev

      Delete
    2. Many nice clues, but not entirely happy with 8A

      I ain't really convinced with "out in eastern Kiev" giving KIV. Well, the intention here is to remove E from KIEV and it should take a form that's close to "KIEV out of E," "KIEV without E" or "E-less KIEV." Not sure if "out in" carries the same meaning as "lacking in."

      Delete
    3. I personally do not see a problem with 'out in eastern Kiev'. 'Out of eastern Kiev' may have been better

      Delete
  15. Talking of accent for Senor, I think the clue reads fine without it in the print. I think the slip in the print actually did no harm and maybe improved it a bit.

    Senor's accent. The accent that is wanted is the Tilde.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then that should read 'senor's missing accent'.

      Delete
  16. Some brilliant clues, and 20A speaks of rare ability. This could well be an &lit too, and those are not so easy to construct.

    Agree with the sentiments about 8D, mainly since other ways could have been found to incorporate the elusive 'KIV'. But then we tend to be harsher on the good setters!! Considering some of the fare one comes across, this should hardly have raised an eyebrow!

    ReplyDelete
  17. The best I like about Buzzer's puzzles is that he attempts to make clues sound plausible and nothing seems out of place, which is also why the anagrams are well hidden.

    Am still trying to figure out this anno as I have not come across this kind of usage. Can someone please explain?

    19 Reindeer vehicle, one dropping Santa regularly about (7) CARIBOU {CAR}{1} {aBOUt} (at from sAnTa)
    Dropping Santa regularly gives: AT, which then is removed from 'about'. How, is it done without an indicator, as 'dropping regularly' is to delete only from SANTA.

    About 8 D this to me seems OK:
    Supply Panama hats out of east Kiev city (13) VISAKHAPATNAM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 19 As mentioned by you 'dropping' is the deletion indicator. What you drop is Santa regularly, i.e.'a' and 't'.

      Delete
    2. I think the instruction for deletion here could've been a little better and clearer. "About dropping Santa regularly" and "dropping Santa regularly about" do not convey the same message. Of course all the elements are there to figure out the answer without any ambiguity, but still......

      Delete
    3. VJ. This is a crossword puzzle. We are not looking for straightforward clues. Clues should be well disguised, though fair to the solver. I think this has both elements.

      Delete
  18. 19 "*Reindeer *"vehicle, one dropping Santa regularly about(7) 
    This means:'
    Reindeer vehicle one dropping AT about. Means 'one' loses AT. What's to say that about loses AT?
    But Buz should be lauded for bringing Santa in a clue involving reindeer.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The best I like about Buzzer's puzzles is that he attempts to make clues sound plausible and nothing seems out of place, which is also why the anagrams are well hidden.

    Hear, hear!

    [Although I must confess that there have been better grids than today's in his oeuvre.]

    ReplyDelete

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