Friday, 17 May 2013

No.10775, Fri 17 May 13, The Phantom

The Ghost who Walks did not disappoint. A Fun-tome of a crossword. Not a frightening Friday.

ACROSS
1 Fish, the Italian flipped with a bit of condiment, for seasoning (6) GARLIC (GAR IL< C)
4 Old ship’s chief arrives in, ahead of time (8) SCHOONER (CH inside SOONER)

It wath the thcooner Hethpereth ... (as a lisping kid in PGW books recites Longfellow's poem)

10 Father’s old books find space in a lounge perhaps (5,4) FRONT ROOM (FR O NT ROOM) Reminded me of Chesterton's Father Brown: Where do you hide a dead body ?
11 Old flame’s painting returned being surplus (5) EXTRA (EX ART<)
12 Stout one’s in passage (5) AISLE (1'S in ALE)
13 To improve technically Navy is following procedure with speed (9) MODERNISE (MODE RN IS E)
14 Refuse // to quarrel (5) SCRAP 2 Talking of refuse, I came across a sign yesterday: "Dont thorough garbage here". Enterprising painter being paid by the letter has made more than intended or has wasted paint.
16 Home for workers at end of shift is a low-level place (8) BASEMENT (BASE MEN T)
19 Reprehensible act of fraud in distribution of fuel (8) SHAMEFUL (SHAM FUEL*)
20 To reduce in amount a bill’s returned with change at the end (5) ABATE (A TAB< E)
23 Free from control, nun crashes out leaving conservative (9) UNHARNESS (NUNcRASHES)*
24 Peer at fat cat’s leg? Not good (5) NOBLE (NOB LEg) How can one forget that esteemed peer, Clarence Threepwood,  The Earl of Emsworth, who loves to peer at his pig !  The Indian nobs were called nabobs by the Brits
26 Out of thin air an African currency plucked out (5) NAIRA (T)
27 Prepare diagrams about start of route to carnival (5,4) MARDI GRAS (DIAGRAMS* around R)
28 It’s said to be difficult to maintain being white and bulky (8) ELEPHANT CD, a white elephant, usually gifted by the King of Siam to his 'friends'
29 Property of English Government (6) ESTATE (E STATE)

DOWN
1 Clown cartwheels — entertains — genteel females laugh (6) GUFFAW (WAG< around U(pper Class=genteel)  FF (females) ) Beautiful
2 Settle down with son going back to origins (5) ROOTS (ROOT S) (ROOsT+S) See comments
3 In a cycle of respiration express couple of conflicting views (2,3,4,6) IN THE SAME BREATH CD
5 Journalists caught up in trickery by wit (8) COMEDIAN (MEDIA in CON)
6 I tried badman’s trick at gambling machines (3-5,6) ONE ARMED BANDITS (ONE (TRIED BADMANS)*)

With apologies to Mad magazine's Don Martin for starting the text in his typical style, though my cartoons can't hold a candle to his

7 Announced new treatment, about one not having to consume for sustenance! (9) NUTRIMENT (~NEW TReatMENT  around 1)
8 Concerning catalysts used in chemical reactions (8) REAGENTS (RE AGENTS)
9 Order to leave New Delhi starts to convey separation (5) COMMA (COMMAND)
15 Ready, having captured Queen, to drive right away and submerge quickly (5,4) CRASH DIVE (R in CASH DrIVE) Batten down the hatches !
17 Provision is for a new course starting in care of Sue (8) ISSUANCE (IS SUE around A N C)
18 Demigod sends you and me back quietly to untenanted Easter Island (8) SUPERMAN (US< P EasteR MAN, (Island, Isle of ) )
21 America, universally gets adverse publicity for attempt to arrogate (5) USURP (US U PR<)
22 Leaseholder occupies smaller English house, finally (6) LESSEE (LESS E E)
25 Changing hands, tattered album shows country formerly known as this? (5) BURMA (ALBUM-L+R)* Combining with 15d, remembered Lord Mount-'batten', Earl of Burma


LINK TO SOLUTION GRID



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49 comments:

  1. Kishore17 May 2013 at 08:45

    Thanks for biting, Richard. Replied in yesterday's blog with the reason for the gooses.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Raghunath17 May 2013 at 09:01

    Typo in anno at 23 AC: UNHARNESS (NUNcRASHES)*

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shrikanth17 May 2013 at 09:30

    Is 6D fair ? Substitution of I with one ? I agree that it doesn't meddle with the anagram. Yet !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shrikanth17 May 2013 at 09:34

      So is 7D. A homophone with deletion & insertion.

      Delete
    2. Suresh17 May 2013 at 09:38

      I have no problem with 6D or &D. Both fair clues IMO

      Delete
    3. Chaturvasi17 May 2013 at 10:03

      Re 6d

      I can see the clue-writer's anxiety to avoid the use of ONE in the clue as it is part of the answer.

      But the use of I for ONE in the anagram fodder by which the solver has to substitute ONE for I after deciding it is not the pronoun but the digit in alphabetical sequence is quite unusual. I am not sure if a (UK) crossword editor would allow that.

      OTOH, I have seen words used in anagram fodder where instead of the actual word one has to use a well-known (and possibly only) abbr. so that the anag fodder becomes correct in length.

      What do others think?

      Delete
    4. Chaturvasi17 May 2013 at 10:08

      I don't see any problem with 7 d where we have a homophone plus a charade component with deletion by taking I from one - 1.

      This would have become difficult if some other word for 'treatment' is given. But the clue writer has given the word gratis.

      Delete
    5. Shrikanth17 May 2013 at 10:17

      OK , now I get it . I read the whole part together and had my doubt. But if that is split as Homophone + Charade, then there is no issue.

      Delete
    6. Bhavan17 May 2013 at 11:10

      ...But the use of I for ONE in the anagram fodder by which the solver has to substitute ONE for I after deciding it is not the pronoun but the digit in alphabetical sequence is quite unusual. I am not sure if a (UK) crossword editor would allow that....

      In this case ONE is not needed to be part of the anagram fodder for the clue to work ( I hope that's how the setter meant it to be)

      We write down 'I' in the answer when we encounter ONE in wordplay without batting an eyelid, so why not this? And I don't find it all that unusual since you can read it as the Roman numeral for ONE

      Delete
    7. phantom17 May 2013 at 11:48

      Is the reverse acceptable? Meaning when say 'I 'is to be deleted can 'one' be removed or 'I' removed for 'one'?

      Delete
    8. Chaturvasi17 May 2013 at 12:08

      In fact my note earlier (though wrongly based in respect of the clue) was making the point that the reverse as you say can't work.

      An anagram fodder can't have I the pronoun in the clue and expect us to substitute ONE to complete the reqd anag fodder.

      Am I making myself clear?

      Delete
  4. Shrikanth17 May 2013 at 09:31

    I liked 9D.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Suresh17 May 2013 at 09:39

    A very enjoyable crossword today.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Shrikanth17 May 2013 at 10:19

    Picked it up from Twitter. Today's Guardian

    One warm kiss leads to discharge, almost a disaster (4,4)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhavan17 May 2013 at 11:02

      Excellent one that. nearly missed it!

      Delete
    2. Shrikanth17 May 2013 at 11:35

      :)

      Delete
    3. phantom17 May 2013 at 11:58

      Nicked myself on cheek while using the razor. Was a very...

      Delete
    4. Chaturvasi17 May 2013 at 12:00

      I don't do the Guardian crossword but upon reading the clue here I solved it instantly/

      Did the clue-writer know about the peccadilloes of our Navy officers - some of whom are getting 'discharged' exactly for making one warm kiss (probably more than one warm kiss) with wives of 'brother officers' whether the latter are annas or thambis.

      Delete
    5. Chaturvasi17 May 2013 at 12:01

      I imagine myself juxtaposed with a PYT.

      Delete
    6. Kishore17 May 2013 at 12:15

      A pyt-hon?

      Delete
  7. VJ17 May 2013 at 10:51

    13A, howz speed = E?

    22D, Leaseholder = LESSEE, is it ok? The clue word and definition are too close to their roots.

    I think ONE for I is ok.


    ReplyDelete
  8. phantom17 May 2013 at 11:07

    CV,.
    If I get what you mean: the 'one' in question is not part if the anagram, as correctly annotated by Kishore and AD.

    Re 7 d. I had thought of another word for Treatment, but felt that it would not be fair to derive treatment from that and then add I and delete 'eat'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chaturvasi17 May 2013 at 11:53

      Oh I see!

      I had not realised that it is ONE + anag of TRIEDBADMANS

      There is no prob. about that. Apologies.

      Delete
  9. phantom17 May 2013 at 11:09

    IMO anno at 2D needs relook.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhavan17 May 2013 at 11:11

      2 Settle down with son going back to origins (5) ROOTS (ROOT S)

      Hadn't noticed Kishore's anno. You might have intended it to be ROOST (settle down) with S moving back?

      Delete
    2. phantom17 May 2013 at 11:23

      You're right.

      Delete
    3. Kishore17 May 2013 at 12:14

      Thanks, corrected

      Delete
    4. Chaturvasi17 May 2013 at 12:24

      In a down clue when we take ROOST and then shift S to make it ROOTS, does S go back or go down or go ahead or go to the end or what?

      Delete
  10. Sudha A17 May 2013 at 12:21



    6 down I tried badman’s trick at gambling machines (3-5,6) one-armed bandits


    instead of (3-5,6) it should be (3-5,7)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17 May 2013 at 12:33

      You are correct. I noticed it but forgot to bring it up.

      Delete
    2. phantom17 May 2013 at 13:43

      While checking the enus and I had noticed this error. I don't know how it reappeared.

      Apologies to all, in case it had misled any of you.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous17 May 2013 at 17:50

      When I filled in the singular, I was a letter short. Then I saw the plural being used. also, saw symmetrical slot in th grid and put in the plural.

      Delete
  11. phantom17 May 2013 at 13:35

    CV at 12.08

    Absolutely clear.

    I asked because the clue was available. What if say OR is to be removed from the anag fodder. Can I use GOLD for it in the clue? Or say remove AB when sailor is in the clue?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Chaturvasi17 May 2013 at 14:26

    I don't think so!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shrikanth17 May 2013 at 15:21

      What if , let's say we mention Gridman's gold for OR , AU etc ?

      Delete
    2. Raghunath17 May 2013 at 15:49

      'a la Mackenna's Gold!

      Delete
  13. VP17 May 2013 at 14:51

    Nice puzzle from Phantom. I got stuck for a while trying to fit in rate for Speed in 13A. "E" -> Speed (the drug) is new to me.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Raghunath17 May 2013 at 15:51

    The Col's not dropped in today?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VJ17 May 2013 at 16:36

      What happened to Raghu, the critic, today? He doesn't seem to have dropped in yet ;)

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17 May 2013 at 17:47

      Raghu, Col. Is a bit under the weather I understand.

      Delete
    3. Raghunath17 May 2013 at 17:55

      Hope he recovers before scary Saturday:)

      Delete
    4. Anonymous17 May 2013 at 18:31

      Wait and see

      Delete
    5. Anonymous17 May 2013 at 18:36

      Right now I think he is in the custody of the Chief Marital Law administrator

      Delete
  15. Raghunath17 May 2013 at 16:41

    From one critic to another?
    See 9.01 & 3.49

    ReplyDelete

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