Nice opener from Buzzer. Liked 8A, 11A & 3D.
ACROSS
ACROSS
8 Contents of diktat to opposition made lasting impression (6) TATTOO [T]
9 Helping a learner is sensible (8) RATIONAL {RATION}{A}{L}
10 Defence may perhaps close address early (8) REBUTTAL {RE}{BUT}{TALe} Not sure if Anno is correct (Correction - {RE}{BUT}{TALk} - See comments)
11 Issue brought up by one’s sister (6) NEPHEW [CD]
12, 19 One singularly incompetent sailor, old, to crash craft on shore soon after men went off (4,2,3,6,3,6,2,4) JACK OF ALL TRADES AND MASTER OF NONE {JACK} {O}{F ALL} {TRADE}{S AND} {MASTER OF NONE*}
14 Paroled criminal one spotted (7) LEOPARD*
16 Inspector took man for woman (7) DISTAFF {DI}{STAFF} Shouldn't that be 'women'?
19 See 12
22 Outstanding like Djokovic netting trophies endlessly (6) SUPERB {S{cUPs}ERB}
24 Business’ average for entertainer (8) COMEDIAN {CO}{MEDIAN}
25 Pronounced pressure on ship attendant (8) WAITRESS (~weight){WAIT}{RE}{SS} Not sure of anno See comments
26 Remove obstacle in river (6) DELETE {DE{LET}E}
DOWN
1 Best wishes to nurse … (4,4) TAKE CARE [DD]
2 … hit by small lorry (6) STRUCK {S}{TRUCK}
3 Design mascot for a family insignia (4,2,4) COAT OF ARMS*
4 Refrain from parts of central Alaska (3-2-2) TRA-LA-LA [T]
5 Put up whacky puzzle (4) STUN <=
6 Indoor growth which might yield grass? (3,5) POT PLANT [C&DD]
7 Cell door locked me in (6) GAMETE {GA{ME}TE}
13 Leotard I am wearing is perfect (6-4) TAILOR-MADE* &lit too
15 Good appearance given to capsicum (8) PIMIENTO {PI}{MIEN}{TO}
17 Punishment star suffered in creative pursuits (4,4) FINE ARTS {FINE} {STAR*}
18 Partners primarily booked over obscene acts sent across internet (7) WEBCAST {WE}{B}{ACTS*}
20 Pale, tense out of nerves (6) NEURAL NEUtRAL
21 Swelling number expected to welcome Labour leader (6) NODULE {NO}{DU{L}E}
25 Pronounced pressure on ship attendant (8) WAITRESS (~weight){WAIT}{RE}{SS} Not sure of anno
ReplyDeletePronounced pressure =~weight=WAIT
on=RE
ship=SS
Copy of mail received from Chaturvasi is pasted below
ReplyDeleteQuote
I thought I would pass on the sad news that Mr Krishnamurthy, one of THCC members, passed away in Bangalore a few days ago.
I got the news a couple of days ago. Yesterday's Hindu has the obit ad - which must be in BNG edn too.
He attended one of the S and B meetings at your home. He is at extreme left in pic 2 here:
http://thccfamilies.blogspot.in/search?updated-max=2011-07-11T23:50:00%2B05:30&max-results=7&start=7&by-date=false
Unquote
May his soul rest in peace.
Sorry to hear that. My condolences to his family.
DeleteMay his soul RIP.
DeleteRIP Sir.
DeleteReally sad news.
DeletePulled out the notice from Bangalore edition dated 28/04/2013 and posted a copy of it here in case anyone would like to contact the family.
Yes, I did have a good chat with him at the S & B.
DeleteMay his soul Rest In Peace.
Sad to hear. May his soul rest in peace.
DeleteVery sorry to hear the news. He attended the S&B meet in Bangalore so enthusiastically. May his soul rest in peace.
DeleteMay his soul rest in peace.
DeleteSympathies and condolences to the family
Delete10 Defence may perhaps close address early (8) REBUTTAL {RE}{BUT}{TALe} Not sure if Anno is correct
ReplyDeleteI took the last part as TALk
That's right. I am not sure of the 're' - 'may' connection
DeleteDo-re-may-fa-so-la-ti ;-)
DeleteGreat!!
DeleteAs usual Kishore has managed to come up with a very plausible sounding explanation even though what I had in mind was different.
DeleteDefence = Rebuttal
close address early = tal(-k) as rightly pointed out.
yam = tuber, so ...may perhaps = rebut ...
That brings me back to my old doubt about the indirect/revrse anagram. In this case we have to reverse 'may' first and then think of a synonym for it. Not fair in my opinion
Delete'perhaps' as a <- ind, or an indirect anagram?
DeleteBuzzer should have some other explanation as he himself is not in favour of indirect anag.
Delete@Raghu, not sure where is an anagram here?
DeleteYam = Tuber, so I was indicating Rebut as "may perhaps" which is yam in reverse
I'll choose it as TUBER = REBUT* from REBUT* and BRUTE*.
DeleteNot sure what 'perhaps' signifies?
To get 'yam' we have to firstly reverse 'may' using 'may perhaps' and then get YAM = TUBER after that since we got YAM from MAY, TUBER becomes REBUT. Not fair in my opinion.
DeleteWhat does perhaps mean?
DeleteIf we were to consider it using a bit of lateral thinking.
DeleteYAM perhaps gives TUBER
MAY perhaps gives REBUT
If we were to consider it using a bit of lateral thinking.
DeleteYAM perhaps gives TUBER
MAY perhaps gives REBUT
Neyartha has commented in yesterdays post that POLICE(~pelisse) was indeed the correct answer and some overenthusiastic person at The HINDU changed 'Auditor' to 'Author'!!
ReplyDeleteGreat deduction by After Dark. Kudos.
DeleteDidn't know Neyartha was Ganesh!
DeleteMistakes don't happen because of overenthusiasm on the part of staff but absolute lack of enthusiasm, total apathy, lack of pride in job, failure to update knowledge, distractions from the mobile phone on the table and perhaps youtube clip on the computer monitor, sense of well-being caused by food eaten in the office canteen and waft of cool breeze from the airconditioner vent, absentmindedly pressing "No" when faced with the message "Do you want to save?" etc.
DeleteI don't think that the change from 'auditor' to 'author' can be considered as a typo. It clearly appears as if the person who was entering the text felt that 'auditor' has no part in the wording and took his own initiative and changed it to 'author'
DeleteHaha, good one, CV
DeleteDo you feel predictive typing could have had a role ? I am not sure if the paper staff are cuuting and pasting or typing out using software having predictive function.
DeleteCan the person at TH not check back with the setter, assuming that auditor was indeed a mistake?
DeleteAs a former journalist let me say how mistakes might happen.
DeleteIs the copy sent by a contributor set or re-set at the publisher?
If so, is there a pucca proof-reading system in place?
How is the proofreading done?
If I merely read the set matter, I will pass over 'author' because the word in itself is correctly spelt.
OTOH, if someone holds the copy and reads it and if someone else makes the markings on the set matter, then the reader will read it as 'auditor' and the corrector will see 'author' and make the necessary change.
Newspapers in the past decades before the computers came had such a proofreading department - outside which you could hear different voices reading different articles. The corrected proof was sent to the setter for making the corrections.
Nowadays most if not all newspapers have abolished the proofreading dept and the task of checking the proof is cast on the subeditors themselves. Now if I as a sub look at the set matter and quickly run my eyes over it I would skip 'author'.
The remedy is for newspapers to restore the old proofreading method at least in key features such as the crossword where every word matters.
Of course, with newspapers receiving nearly 99 per cent of copy on computers the need for setting matter from copy is gone. The sub merely recalls the copy on the computer and edits it on the machine. Alertness is needed!
If the article as sent by the writer is recalled on the computer and processed, imagine the burden cast on the writer (crossword setter) in submitting pucca copy. The reward that he gets may not match the effort that he puts in.
If you read public engagements column, 'power outage timings', notifications from government departments and the corporations where uneducated or careless people type matter on computers and send it to the papers, you will find all kinds of funny mistakes because the subeditors rarely work on them at their end.
Delete@Raghu, leave checking back with the setter. There seems to be some trouble even in responding to one. :) Post my first one and the feedback I received, I checked on the already submitted puzzle and felt it ought to be changed. Wrote to them and awaiting a revert yet.
DeleteAfterdark, Good luck trying to send in a changed version of a puzzle. The answer that I have heard (in the exact same situation) is: "Please get it right the first time" :)
DeleteI'd have sent out revised versions more than a couple of times (may be 4 times out of 6-7 puzzles submitted so far :0) and THC team has been kind enough to make all necessary changes each time (except for may be once when it was done only partially and so I wouldn't complain). The earlier versions contained terrible howlers and had they been published it'd have been really embarrassing. So I'd really have to thank THC for accepting my last moment revisions.
DeleteNonetheless, I feel it'd be nice if TH had a proper crossword editor test-solving and proof-reading the puzzles before they're published - one who could figure out what's going wrong and what necessary changes need to be done to make sure that the puzzle is of reasonable quality. No matter how much care setters take, there's every possibility that errors may go unnoticed. And it's also possible that the setter might have an idea which he/ she might believe works(out of wishful thinking more than anything else), but in reality, may not. So it always helps if setters' works are read from a different perspective.
@VP , @Vulcan , I received a revert and I could submit my revised puzzle.To give credit when it is due :)
DeleteSorry to hear about one of our bloggers passing away. I join others in condoling his family.
ReplyDeleteGot stuck in SW corner with both servers. Do waitresses also serve aces?
ReplyDeleteMay be when they place tennis or wait upon tables at a tennis club
DeletePlay seems to have become place in above post
DeleteSpeaking about 'court'ship...
DeleteServing strawberry & cream?
ReplyDeleteCol,
ReplyDelete13 Leotard I am wearing is perfect (6-4) TAILOR-MADE* &lit too
How is it an &lit when perfect is the def?
Well, Bhavan seems to have given an example of enu exceeding 15, as mentioned in Shuchi's blog's current topic
ReplyDeleteNice one.
ReplyDeleteWas stuck with anno for 10A, both versions appearing here would not have occurred to me (some dispute with both anyway), so it was more a question of filling in the blanks.
Col: for 12-19A: the anno is given correctly but the solution shows BUT instead of AND. Is a correction required or the standard phrase should be as shown in the link?
The linked phrase has neither 'and' or 'but', but 'and' matches the wordplay and the crossing with neural. So 'and' it is. And, hence, the Colonel has to correct the solution, but not the wordplay and the solved grid. But, now I think all of you have had enough of but and and.
DeleteBhala, I had put in BUT in the first round later when I figured out the anno I forgot to change the solution part. Have amended it now. No more ifs and buts
DeleteCOL:I was curious to know whether all the solutions to the Sunday Spl puzzle of ( 28th) were clued in by those who attempted ?
ReplyDeleteI'd like a parsing of 21 down:Why the worn rug was thrown out? (4,6) HAIR RESTORER
*
DeleteAs I'd entered the answer I can only say that the person used a hair restorer and hence got rid of the wig (rug). I felt the clue was not framed correctly. "Because" a hair restorer was used is not conveyed.
Q - Why the worn rug was thrown out?
DeleteA - Because the HAIR RESTORER was used.
Any other interpretations?
DeleteIn fact it should be
DeleteQ - Why the worn rug was thrown out?
A - HAIR RESTORED
I had actually put in restored & restorer in the answers on Sunday. Restored makes sense.
DeleteI had actually put in restored & restorer in the answers on Sunday. Restored makes sense.
DeleteImmensely enjoyed this one from Buzzer, especially the phrase spanning two 15 letter grid slots.
ReplyDeleteYam, tuber connection did not strike me, although we recently saw something similar with scam & turncoats (from Phantom ?).
While Buzzer delights as usual, a couple of questions still buzz about in my mind:
ReplyDelete26A) Remove obstacle in river (6) DELETE {DE{LET}E}
How is "LET" an obstacle?
20D) Pale, tense out of nerves (6) NEURAL NEUtRAL
How can "pale" be construed as "Neutral"?
let 2 (lt)
ReplyDeleten.
1. Something that hinders; an obstacle: free to investigate without let or hindrance.
(from free dict)
I remember having read in some passports the reference that the holder be allowed to travel without 'let or hindrance'.
Deletepale as in colorless?
ReplyDelete15D: Good = PI?
ReplyDeleteCol's comment in cricinfo crossword
ReplyDeletePI stands for very good, it's british slang for 'pious'
Oh, thanks.
DeleteDeepak: You overlooked the first part of my comments. Were all the solutions received? Just curious !
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteThanks. I remember having put HAIR RESTORER when I solved it first in Nairobi in 1998 and even added on to my book of words and phrases by Norman Pulsford. Even then, I had found the answer to be a bit offbeat !
DeleteCongrats to all those who solved this crossword. I used to enjoy these as they used to appear every Friday in the East African Standard with a prize for one night for two, full board. at a game reserve. I used to collect them in a separate lot away from my usual ones .
Raju
DeleteI looked up my copy of Pulsford's dictionary. I have the 1967 edition. In H-12 HAIR RESTORER is very much there.
Raghunath et al
DeleteI believe the compiler's solution is likely to be HAIR RESTORER. 'Hair restored', though grammatically correct, does not appear to be a phrase in its own right to be included as a crossword answer.
BTW, this clue I did not like at all, though I admired a couple of other clues in this CWD as mentioned in my Comments on that day.
Exactly what I'd conveyed in my 2.14.
DeleteWondering whether CV was in touch with Gordius when he asked for clues linking Alliance and Dalliance.
ReplyDelete"Trifling gets many a committed union" in the Guardian Cryptic today.