Liked GRIN, SPAN, MATURE, CONTEMPLATING and THEISTS. I know this is only Afterdark's second puzzle, but I have a few questions/comments, mostly about the use of padding words and articles that don't contribute to the cryptic reading of clues
ACROSS
1 More confusion in my recollection (6) MEMORY (MORE* inside MY) Does the nounal anagram indicator 'confusion' work?
4 Antelope drank beer bottoms up before approval (6) REEBOK (BEER<= + OK) For reversing an across clue, bottoms up doesn't seem apt
9 Smile at the endless routine (4) GRIN (GRINd)
10 Gainful for the expert to be doubly strong (10) PROFITABLE (PRO + FIT + ABLE)
11 Snow giant on a lazy walk (6) STROLL (S + TROLL) Snow = S ?
12 Considering replacing the wasted ruler (8) THINKING (THIN + KING) What is the role of 'replacing' in the clue?
13 Those crazy should apply lime all over and get fit (9) LITHESOME (THOSE* inside LIME) Is 'fit' an accurate definition for 'lithesome'?
15 Excavates the dead police officer with a spade (4) DIGS (D + IG + S)
16 Sleeps, turns for a stretch (4) SPAN (NAPS<=)
17 Power & freedom are commonplace (9) PLATITUDE (P + LATITUDE)
21 Chart men designed for the tradesman (8) MERCHANT (CHART MEN)*
22 Potion that priest had eleven rounds for starters (6) ELIXIR (ELI + XI + R)
24 Rebels in rush take over the book society (10) INSURGENTS (IN + SURGE + NT + S)
25 You return the money for the portion (4) UNIT (U + TIN<=)
26 Mother possibly true & sensible (6) MATURE (MA + TRUE*)
27 Evaluate the fools’ first sample (6) ASSESS (ASSES + S)
DOWN
1 Great Indian chariot fighter expresses no surprise at the language (7) MARATHI (MAha RATHI)
2 Chap ordered to fetch a fruit (5) MANGO (MAN + GO) Is 'Go = ordered to fetch' ? In what sense?
3 Irritates the public prosecutor inside, creates waves (7) RIPPLES (PP inside RILES)
5 Draw out the insurers in the return tie (6) ELICIT (LIC inside TIE<=)
6 Expel the learner with outside support before schedule (9) BLACKLIST (L inside BACK + LIST)
7 King Albert’s conclusions read on the first day of the month (7) KALENDS (K + AL + ENDS) 'read on' seems like unnecessary and misleading padding
8 Deliberating about organising a new secretary in, dismissing the rookie (13) CONTEMPLATING (N + TEMP inside COLlATING)
14 Census initiated by chief nobleman (9) HEADCOUNT (HEAD + COUNT)
16 Severe doubt about the bone (7) STERNUM (STERN + UM) Is 'about' needed as a link word?
18 Believers for bar burglaries? (7) THEISTS (T + HEISTS)
19 Cow barns in disrepair ? Organise after sending out a press release first (7) DAIRIES (DISREpAIr)* First might be superfluous?
20 Jeopardy in dancer leaving college for a girl (6) DANGER (DANCER with G for C)
23 Acclimatise to the trendy old city in the Orient (5) INURE (IN + UR + E) The 'in' is again misleading
ACROSS
1 More confusion in my recollection (6) MEMORY (MORE* inside MY) Does the nounal anagram indicator 'confusion' work?
4 Antelope drank beer bottoms up before approval (6) REEBOK (BEER<= + OK) For reversing an across clue, bottoms up doesn't seem apt
10 Gainful for the expert to be doubly strong (10) PROFITABLE (PRO + FIT + ABLE)
11 Snow giant on a lazy walk (6) STROLL (S + TROLL) Snow = S ?
12 Considering replacing the wasted ruler (8) THINKING (THIN + KING) What is the role of 'replacing' in the clue?
13 Those crazy should apply lime all over and get fit (9) LITHESOME (THOSE* inside LIME) Is 'fit' an accurate definition for 'lithesome'?
15 Excavates the dead police officer with a spade (4) DIGS (D + IG + S)
16 Sleeps, turns for a stretch (4) SPAN (NAPS<=)
17 Power & freedom are commonplace (9) PLATITUDE (P + LATITUDE)
21 Chart men designed for the tradesman (8) MERCHANT (CHART MEN)*
22 Potion that priest had eleven rounds for starters (6) ELIXIR (ELI + XI + R)
24 Rebels in rush take over the book society (10) INSURGENTS (IN + SURGE + NT + S)
25 You return the money for the portion (4) UNIT (U + TIN<=)
26 Mother possibly true & sensible (6) MATURE (MA + TRUE*)
27 Evaluate the fools’ first sample (6) ASSESS (ASSES + S)
DOWN
1 Great Indian chariot fighter expresses no surprise at the language (7) MARATHI (MA
2 Chap ordered to fetch a fruit (5) MANGO (MAN + GO) Is 'Go = ordered to fetch' ? In what sense?
3 Irritates the public prosecutor inside, creates waves (7) RIPPLES (PP inside RILES)
5 Draw out the insurers in the return tie (6) ELICIT (LIC inside TIE<=)
6 Expel the learner with outside support before schedule (9) BLACKLIST (L inside BACK + LIST)
7 King Albert’s conclusions read on the first day of the month (7) KALENDS (K + AL + ENDS) 'read on' seems like unnecessary and misleading padding
8 Deliberating about organising a new secretary in, dismissing the rookie (13) CONTEMPLATING (N + TEMP inside COL
14 Census initiated by chief nobleman (9) HEADCOUNT (HEAD + COUNT)
16 Severe doubt about the bone (7) STERNUM (STERN + UM) Is 'about' needed as a link word?
18 Believers for bar burglaries? (7) THEISTS (T + HEISTS)
19 Cow barns in disrepair ? Organise after sending out a press release first (7) DAIRIES (DISRE
20 Jeopardy in dancer leaving college for a girl (6) DANGER (DANCER with G for C)
23 Acclimatise to the trendy old city in the Orient (5) INURE (IN + UR + E) The 'in' is again misleading
Thanks for holding the fort Bhavan. I'm Back to normal now after a day of body pain and high temperature.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon!
DeleteThanks Sandhya, I'm back to normal now
DeleteFrom yesterday
ReplyDeleteRight now I think he is in the custody of the Chief Marital Law administrator
With all at home confined to bed the CMLA took off to meet a friend!!
CMLA reminded of Tiger Niazi
DeleteCol, do get well soon. Probably CMLA needed some respite, too!
ReplyDeleteAfter a long while, got to complete the CW. Thought I had lost it, completely!!
Thank you, thank you Afterdark, for restoring my confidence.
When are the regular setters returning?
Thanks Rita .. I hope by regular, you meant Old setters. Otherwise we are deemed to be irregular
DeleteBy "old" iAd means those who have been setters for ten years and more such as Sankalak and Gridman, those who are accustomed and familiar to solvers. It may also mean "having gained affectionate approbation". It does not refer to advancement in years nor does it mean they are worn-out.
DeleteAgreed 100% :)
DeleteRead: By "old" is meant ...
DeleteThanks Bhavan. Few of your observations I have an opinion on, may not be right but still there is
ReplyDelete4 Antelope drank beer bottoms up before approval (6) REEBOK (BEER<= + OK) For reversing an across clue, bottoms up doesn't seem apt
I agree - it's an oversight
11 Snow giant on a lazy walk (6) STROLL (S + TROLL) Snow = S ?
Yes & I think it has been used in the past and it is acceptable
12 Considering replacing the wasted ruler (8) THINKING (THIN + KING) What is the role of 'replacing' in the clue?
This part I am confused. Should the connectors always be amongst the approved few? Replacing in its actual meaning, suggests that those words replace the definition. I took the liberty of using it because it gave a good surface
More in the next commment
13A Those crazy should apply lime all over and get fit (9) LITHESOME (THOSE* inside LIME) Is 'fit' an accurate definition for 'lithesome'?
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I got this definition. After the feedback, I searched and I could not find fit as a synonym. So it appears to be wrong
2D Chap ordered to fetch a fruit (5) MANGO (MAN + GO) Is 'Go = ordered to fetch' ? In what sense?
I took 'ordered' for 'go' . On hindsight the clue is not good
7D King Albert’s conclusions read on the first day of the month (7) KALENDS (K + AL + ENDS) 'read on' seems like unnecessary and misleading padding
Could it have been just 'on' , if so the sentence doesn't seem to have a meaning. I agree that 'read on' doesn't sit well. Can you please elaborate on how it is misleading though?
I thought 7D is okay if read(~red) is considered in the past tense.
DeleteIt was past tense only. That's what I also felt
Delete16D Severe doubt about the bone (7) STERNUM (STERN + UM) Is 'about' needed as a link word?
ReplyDeleteWithout 'about', it could not have been severe but severely. So I used 'about'
19D Cow barns in disrepair ? Organise after sending out a press release first (7) DAIRIES (DISREpAIr)* First might be superfluous?
:) It wasn't there initially. I was worried that the comment would be otherwise if it wasn't there. Between the two , I decided having it would be safer
23 Acclimatise to the trendy old city in the Orient (5) INURE (IN + UR + E) The 'in' is again misleading
Yes, you are right. That was the first mistake that hit my eye in the morning on seeing the paper. CV's tips about printing the puzzle and checking it is being helpful. But this was sent before that learning. (now I am committed not to make mistakes by saying so)
ON 6D, incidentally the original clue was different. It had CSK & Hussey in that. I was requested to change that. First it was Hutton as I was wary about the living person rule, but somehow I felt Hussey would not be improper too. So when I went back with a request to change Hutton to Hussey, they asked me to change the clue. I promptly complied. Considering how many times I had bothered them :)
ReplyDelete2D - Chap Ordered to fetch a fruit - I first took it anagram of 'melon' - ordered ==> Menlo ! But mango fitted better.
ReplyDeleteA number lead the union in time wasting action (9) - Sunday Times last week . Reminded of CV's challenge few weeks back
ReplyDeleteNice work except for the reversal issue in 4 AC. Could cut down on usage of 'the' as pointed out.
ReplyDeleteLiked PROFITABLE the best.
Nice one from Afterdark, looking forward to many more. In addition to all issues that have been pointed out, found the use of link word "drank" in 4A a bit misleading.
ReplyDeleteJust completed yesterday's Phantom's grid. Very well compiled. However, didn't anyone notice the gaping gap on the left of A of 9 down: COMMA? As it is the blocks in the printed grid are unclear, playing decoy with the solver and such a gap only confuses further ! No doubt, the symmetry of the grid and the clues do make the solver to fill the cavity. !! A dentist's job !!
ReplyDeleteMy choice of the best clue of this grid is 25 down: CRASH DIVE.
World over, crossword grids and clues are broader and clearer to read and fill in. THe Hindu is also competing with the Times of India supplement's crossie and the Indian Express Jumble. Kishore would say: to get us cross-eyed ?