Thursday, 25 April 2013

No 10756, Thursday 25 Apr 13, Gridman


Gridman gave me a tough time in the SE corner today, otherwise an enjoyable offering.

ACROSS
1   Part of plane furiously fuels anger no end (8) FUSELAGE {FUELS*}{rAGE} No end for deletion of head? Is it correct?
5   Financial fellow is almost unperturbed (6) FISCAL {F}{IS}{CALm}
10 Travels free to sing with abandon (7) RIDINGS {RID}{SING*}
11 The Hun loses foot as he lands in New York in a stylish way (7) NATTILY {N{ATTILa}Y}
12 One church to grab provider of cold comfort (3,3) ICE BAG {1}{CE} {BAG}
13 Soldier to order nothing (8) COMMANDO {COMMAND}{O}
15 Reportedly recognises part of plane (4) NOSE (~knows)
16 Priest's joy in Biblical book (10) REVELATION {REV}{ELATION}
18 I'd all peace spread out in Utopia (5,5) IDEAL PLACE*
20 U.S.astronaut loses foot in valley (4) GLEN GLENn
23 Essential multinational passing over Indian city having no head (8) INTEGRAL {INTE{aGRA}L}
24 Insect, female, not small, swallowing insect (6) MANTIS {M{ANT}ISs}
26 Mountain lake is first of highlights to lose lustre (7) TARNISH {TARN}{IS}{H}
27 Shun the ancestor lacking energy (7) FORBEAR FOReBEAR
28 Passes for groups of workmen? (6) RELAYS [DD]
29 Somewhat nosy about extremely nifty manuscript having words of a feather (8) SYNONYMS {NOSY*}{NiftY}{MS} 'Words of a feather'? Definition not clear to me. See comments.

DOWN
1   Clergyman from outside is an important diplomat (7,8) FOREIGN MINISTER {FOREIGN} {MINISTER}
2   Dane's capsized ship is cause of crying (7) SADNESS {DANES}*}{SS}
3   Straight line I approach (6) LINEAR {L}{I}{NEAR}
4   Blast energy out of visitor (4) GUST GUeST
6   Hitman is disguised as a foreign national (8) ISTHMIAN*
7   Greek character not for red wine (7) CHIANTI {CHI}{ANTI}
8   What one would do to stop an ongoing war (3,4,4,4) LAY DOWN ONES ARMS [CD]


9   Disrespectfulness in maintaining no silence (9) INSOLENCE*
14 Beau's companion having terribly achy heart complaint (9) BELLYACHE {BELL{ACHY*}E}
17 Terrorist organisation's man stalking the Italian in a vexatious manner (8) PLAGUILY {PLA}{GU{IL}Y} Is the PLA really considered to be a terrorist organisation?
19 Charm from unearthly, limitless comic (7) ENTHRAL uNEARTHLy*
21 Drawing in a little lustre as a bit of painting peels off "Earthenware" (7) LOTTERY {L}{pOTTERY}
22 Head set? (6) HAIRDO [CD]
25 Touchy master quitting is doubtful (4) IFFY mIFFY

49 comments:

  1. 8d reminded me of Ben Battle, oft quoted by PGW:
    . .. a cannon ball shot off his legs and so he laid down his arms.

    13a Reminded me of the SSG commando who could escape from the courtroom along with his escorts and the police could not do anything.

    20a Direct reference to Astronaut (later Senator) John Glenn. I had first come across him in a book titled ‘We Seven’, which recollected the experiences of seven early astronauts.
    http://www.amazon.com/We-Seven-M-Scott-Carpenter/dp/B000CBHTLA

    Gridman started this run with colic and has bellyache today.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 29 Somewhat nosy about extremely nifty manuscript having words of a feather (8) SYNONYMS {NOSY*}{NiftY}{MS} 'Words of a feather'? Definition not clear to me.

    Like 'birds of a feather' are similar birds, 'words of a feather' are similar words...

    ReplyDelete
  3. 17 Terrorist organisation's man stalking the Italian in a vexatious manner (8) PLAGUILY {PLA}{GU{IL}Y} Is the PLA really considered to be a terrorist organisation?

    I had initially thought of PLO. PLA is the world's largest employer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some countries have rebel outfits called People's Liberation Army (PLA), like in Yemen, Sudan and others.

      Delete
  4. 29 Somewhat nosy about extremely nifty manuscript having words of a feather (8) SYNONYMS {NOSY*}{NiftY}{MS} 'Words of a feather'? Definition not clear to me.

    Similar to Birds of same feather

    ReplyDelete
  5. 14D - Could not understand the role of Heart in the clue. Took me on a chase for a while. And 22D I jumped the gun to put Stereo and obviously head was spinning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bellyache here is not tummy ache. When someone has bellyache, they are petulant, they complain, whine, etc. Perhaps the setter had all this in mind when he wrote 'heart complaint'.

      Delete
    2. Secret grudging is 'heartburning', as you know,

      Delete
    3. Oh OK. Incidentally, in medical terms heartburn is the reflux condition in the oesophagus and because of its placement in the body, people think that the heart is burning.

      Delete
    4. And I believe that a bellyache can also be a symptom of a heart attack.

      Delete
  6. Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA) was set up as the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

    'man stalking the Italian': Stalking is to chase/ follow. How does it signify inclusion, as: GU{IL}Y

    For 1 AC, Gridman went ahead with no end to suit the surface, but I think usage is usually for the tail deletion.
    23 AC: Felt 'multinational' leading to INTEL(In case the pointer is to the Chip maker) could have been bit more explicit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'stalk' has the sense "to go after game, keeping under cover"

      As vt, it means "to stalk over or through (a tract of country, etc)."

      Delete
  7. Gridman started this run with colic and has bellyache today.
    Not tomention amputations and executions.

    ReplyDelete
  8. 23A - A friend of mine had a sticker pasted above his PC.

    Intel Inside. Idiot outside.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sometimes we tend to say idiot inside also!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Don't want to bellyache, but this was one tough CW! 17D - Plaguily? -never heard of it before! Thank you, Gopinath Sir, for solving so many of my unsolved ones.
    Good morning, all. Cloudy morning in Delhi to-day.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Col.,
    Letter types and colouring of Def. looks real good. I suggest this may be continued if not too difficult and time consuming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. minus 2

      While the colour scheme, use of bold, ital., etc, is fine, I feel the type size of clue text is rather small.

      Having expressed that opinion, I leave the choices entirely to the blogger whose engagement with the puzzle and posting of answers/comments provoking lively discussion in the Comments section by fellow-members are highly appreciated.

      Delete
    2. 2 pluses and 2 minuses makes it zero

      Delete
    3. No. it is -3 +1 making it still -2. You can add my -1 also to make it -3. (DS's +1 to CVji means -1 or may be -2 as CV has given -2). Too much of negative publicity!

      Delete
    4. I was always bad at maths, but I think you have ignored the vote of the proposer of the vote Mr P. Also, On one man one vote, you can count CV as one. Further, DG obviously liked it too, else he might not have changed. Which, I think brings us back to zilch. So lets let each blogger decide for himself, how to present it, unless G wants to set a house style.

      Delete
  12. I have my doubts about an "isthmian" being called a foreign national. The link also does not make it very clear.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ISTHMIAN: relating to or situated in the Isthmus of Corinth or the Isthmus of Panama

      Delete
  13. Thank you Raghu. Yes, I saw that in the link.

    ReplyDelete
  14. 23 Essential multinational passing over Indian city having no head (8) INTEGRAL {INTE{aGRA}L}

    J&K is an integral part of I.

    ReplyDelete
  15. As vt, it means "to stalk over or through (a tract of country, etc).

    CV,

    Thanks. Does this mean that for e.g.
    Stalk over: GU(IL)Y
    stalk through: I(GUY)L
    and also follow: IL GUY?

    (assuming the words make sense):

    ReplyDelete
  16. Shamshad Begum finally says teri mehfil mein kismat aazma ke hum bhi dekhenge. RIP.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'Kahin Pe Nigahen Kahin Pe Nishaana', 'Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon', 'Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar' and 'Kajra Mohabbat Wala'... Some of the evergreen songs from her.

      Delete
  17. By no means a Hindi film fan, I remember the song: 'Leke pehla pehla pyaar'

    ReplyDelete
  18. Poor Heart or Dil !The core of our being. Such a soft thing, yet it has other properties, like breaking, compassion, Used by all in various contexts.
    A lover gives it away, whereas, a jilted lover gives a heart ache or a heart break, being a flirt is a heart-breaker.A lover is a heart-throb When he changes his mind, he has a change of heart ! Lovers have their hearts set on each other..A cruel man is hard-hearted or heart-less.A kind host gives a hearty welcome.A merry man is heartsome .A condoling is heart-felt. As mentioned above, heartburn or acid reflex is after you eat masala food or heartburning is when you nourish a secret grudge.Heavy-hearted is when one is distressed.Self search leads to heart-search.Something touchy warms the cockles of your heart.Of ocurse, you have a heart to heart chat with your chum. A student learns his lessons by heart.Has the heart got a bottom? if no, why from the bottom of one's heart? We all put our heart and soul into our passion of crosswords.

    Have I shown my feelings openly? well,I have worn my heart in my sleeves.

    A heart murmurs? Oh no. Don't get a heart attack reading all these.I have written all this with a;ll my heart. So take heart Don't have your heaert in your mouth !

    A poet's delight is the word heart or dil !!



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suppose only a poet can truly follow what you've written!

      Delete
    2. Hearty congrats on te composition

      Delete
    3. Well, Its been in my heart ;it incidental that this topic came on to our blog as, I have been wanting to write on this subject for a long time as my random thoughts ! Whenever, I used to listen to the dialogues or lyrics of the songs in Hind films, I put my heart into this topic and pour my heart out.

      Dil-ke tukde hue hazzar ? How did the lover survive?

      I shall be happy to see additions to the versatility of this unique organ in our body.

      Delete
  19. CV,

    Pl check my post of 11.05 for using stalking in various ways

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did but couldn't respond to it immedicaely for paucity of thought.

      In one crossword clue that I wrote I used "seduce" as an inserticator but a friend said that might not be most apt. But IMO it suited the surface reading.most appropriately.

      I think occasionally we can be a bit liberal.

      Having said that, let me check. Chambers CWD Dict. does include 'seduce' as a c/c ind.
      After seeing my use of 'stalk' as a c/c ind, they might prob. include it as well.

      Delete
    2. I concede that 'stalk' as an ind. may be used in those ways.

      Delete
    3. That's what makes English CWs so interesting and challenging. I don't know how it is in other languages.

      Delete
  20. Talking of Stalking, My girlfriend thinks that I'm a stalker. Well , she's not exactly my girlfriend yet.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Remember also from Mela 'Dharti ko akash pukare' perhaps the shortest song in Hindi Movies in terms of lyrics.

    ReplyDelete
  22. @kishore 1.48:
    The is 'heartless':)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good spotting, Raghu. I was wondering who would spot it first.

      Delete
  23. There are some of us who read not every word but sometimes every letter( I do not mean mail) of Kishore's. As in this case what is missing is equally if not more important! Keep it up Kishore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He is good at eviscerating words / making mincemeat of them, while still being a vegetarian.

      Delete
  24. Hello all, hello Gopinath Sir.

    I saw your comment on the Cricinfo crossword grid on Sachin Tendulkar's captains. Was great to see your comment on it. I thought there might be others who read this blog who might find it interesting. So posting a link here. Hope you don't mind.

    (I used to be a daily solver of THC, and still do it sporadically. I work at ESPNcricinfo now, and run The Stands, where the crosswords are posted.)
    http://www.espncricinfo.com/thestands/content/story/631984.html

    This grid includes the names of 10 captains Sachin Tendulkar has played under.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Nitin,

      Some of those who comment here did try out that particular CW. A link to it was posted by someone yesterday that's how I saw it and did it. The comment of course was to answer the doubt raised by Karthik.

      Delete
    2. Hi Nitin,

      Very glad to note the cricinfo connection to our blog. Did the CW yesterday and enjoyed it too.Thank you.Quite a few of us here are cricket buffs and follow cricinfo. One of your earlier CW's was also brought up here.

      Would it be too difficult for you to provide alink here to any of your future CW's?

      Delete

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