Gridman opens across clues with CLOSING (DATE) and closes them with OPENING (MOVE). Just like Microsoft, which hides its 'Shut Down' button under the 'Start' menu. Some pairings observed in this crossword: Unchain/Strap (displaying the same contrariness), Stay Apart/Move About. In addition, we have the Inamorata/Courtroom/Stay Apart trilogy of events and the African quad of Sudan, Serengeti, Botswana and Tripoli. On the whole, in sum, Entertaining.
ACROSS
1 After which competition entries are barred (7,4) CLOSING DATE (CD)
9 Let loose international series of letters (7) UNCHAIN (UN CHAIN)
When one is unchained, he can sing THIS
10 Racket around a sacred chant is offensive (7) NOISOME (NOISE around OM)
11 Trunk is approximately on tabletop (5) TORSO (T OR SO)
12 What an eavesdropper does (7,2) LISTENS IN (CD)
And here I had thought Prism was a light manipulator. Maybe it does something in the Optical Fibre Cables, hence
Prism. Probably that was the whole idea of shifting to OFCs. Talk of locitus interruptus ...
Prism. Probably that was the whole idea of shifting to OFCs. Talk of locitus interruptus ...
13 Work long time on musical composition (5) OPERA (OP ERA)
15 A Tatar spy managed to live separately (4,5) STAY APART (A TATAR SPY)*
18 Go from place to place to get U-boat? (4,5) MOVE ABOUT (Reverse anagram of U-BOAT, which is ABOUT*)
21 Small, feverish throng (5) SWARM (S WARM)
22 Plain green site traversed (9) SERENGETI (GREEN SITE)
Those African plains are never ending, occasionally interrupted by a Thorn tree here and a Thorn tree there,
and you can spot wildlife from quite a distance
24 As used to bind together recoiling bits (5) STRAP (PARTS<)
26 Indicates node affected by setback (7) DENOTES (NODE* SET<)
27 If i get caught in core-transformation, there's opening (7) ORIFICE (CORE* around IF I)
I like my water neat; or if ice is available, on the rocks... of Vagator
28 Eve moping on botched-up start to a chess game (7,4) OPENING MOVE (EVE MOPING ON)*
Reminded me of e4, the title of the first paragraph in Mukul Sharma's Mindsport.
Correspondingly, the last para was titled 'End Game'. Missing that column like the hell after being
a regular there for nearly two decades ! Read more about Mindsport here. I am very nostalgic about the very last
puzzle there which I had solved with my son (the whole exercise taking about 2 gruelling hours) and was gratified
to hear that only 11 persons had solved it. Here's a sample from 2008 (in which your's truly's response was published).
The site was hacked and lost quite a bit of data and was never repaired fully.
puzzle there which I had solved with my son (the whole exercise taking about 2 gruelling hours) and was gratified
to hear that only 11 persons had solved it. Here's a sample from 2008 (in which your's truly's response was published).
The site was hacked and lost quite a bit of data and was never repaired fully.
DOWN
1 Where people have a trying time (9) COURTROOM (CD)
2 Happen to have a small measure in our midst (5) OCCUR (CubicCentimeter in OUR)
3 Animator’s drawn to a mistress (9) INAMORATA (ANIMATOR* A)
4 Man gets the French falcons that are trained (7) GENTLES (GENT LES)
5 As a result of which a name is confused (7) AMNESIA (A NAME IS)* &LIT
I have forgotten what I wanted to say here
6 Cut short the priest the journalist backed (5) ELIDE (ELI ED<)
Contrast Elision with the Prothesis glide, addition of a sound in the beginning eg: i-school in Hindi
7 Country to which baton was switched (8) BOTSWANA (BATON WAS)*
8 Sensitive enough to express grief over the dead (4) KEEN DD
14 One is surrounded by them (8) ENVIRONS (E, NON CRYPTIC)
16 Helping one cheat to follow the fool (9) ASSISTING (1 STING after ASS)
17 A bit of horological instrument (9) TIMEPIECE (CD)
One way to multiply your stock of timepieces is to run it over with a vehicle and end up with more timepieces
19 Supervise deliveries to the bishop’s domain (7) OVERSEE (OVER SEE)
20 Journey ol’ one put together for Mediterranean capital (7) TRIPOLI (TRIP OL 1)
22 African country’s article thrown away: “Bubbles” (4) SUDS (SUDan'S)
23 Explosive overturns our empty container (5) NITRO (OuR TIN)<
25 Animal horn I chopped up (5) RHINO (HORN I)*
In the Horn of Africa ?
While filling in the grid, sometimes I do plant some little contrasts or similarities. Yesterday it was many containers, I think. I am so glad that in the brief time that is available between solving and blogging, you have been able to notice CLOSING DATE/OPENING MOVE and STAY/MOVE in the grid today.
ReplyDeleteWarning: This kind of plantation is not done in every grid. So if anything occurs to you, let it. Otherwise, don't waste your time looking for something that is not there.
A blind man wearing dark glasses in a dark room looking for a black cat which is not there...
DeleteI introduced cryptic crosswords to my 11-year-old granddaughter with the clue 25d above. She was quite excited.
ReplyDeleteBut her visit was all-too-brief and she has now hopped from Chennai to BNG.
Great ! I hope she was not alarmed at the horn-chopping Grandpa
DeleteHere is another Mindsport where my puzzle was printed in the endgame:
ReplyDeletehttp://o3.indiatimes.com/mindsport/archive/2008/02/25/4894977.aspx
This was Mukul Sharma's response when giving the solution:
Delete(No one was able to get the Hindi song connection -- mainly because it's from about 900 years ago or something. Anyway the setter's who's obviously from the same era helped us out. He says it's "___________________". -- MS)
I will give out the answer later in the day.
Eagerly looking forward to it !
Delete
DeleteMehmood at work in Bhoot Bangla to Pancham's music
Sures,as usual, is perfectly right. It is Aao twist karen from BB.
DeleteWonder which is the tough part? Getting the hang of what the clue is or the answer :)
ReplyDeleteWrongly filled in Trialroom for 1D and went on a spin
ReplyDeleteSo near, yet so far ! Missed out on 3 and 8D. On the whole quite an enjoyable puzzle.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Long time no Shuchi topic here, I have her mail saying she is still buying in Pune and will be posting soon.
ReplyDeleteHow did busy become buying in above ? No clue.
DeleteIn Gridman puzzles I not only come across a few new words but also find words ending with vowels A,I,O,U,AE,EAU etc, a bit tough ones to get,
ReplyDeletebut not today ! (Barring 3D). To be precise I find 9 such words in today's puzzle ! BTW I am an amateur.
@ Kishore 18A MOVE ABOUT (Reverse anagram of U-BOAT, which is ABOUT*) Is it &lit style clue?
ReplyDeleteKishore has correctly mentioned it as a reverse anagram. It is an unusual clue-type such as &lit, which is also unusual.
DeleteUsual clues are telescopic, charade, anagram, homophone, etc .
Thanks CV sir.
DeleteCorrection. I mean I am an amateur CW solver !
ReplyDeleteWe never thought you were an amateur play actor nor an amateur golf player.
DeleteThanks, CV Sir for accepting as an amateur.
DeleteAgain correction ! Thanks for accepting me as an amateur.
Delete18 Go from place to place // to get U-boat? (4,5) MOVE ABOUT (DD)
ReplyDeleteThis is a Double Definition.
1) Go from place to place
2) To get U-boat
MOVE ABOUT = ABOUT* = U-boat
Not really. The second half is not a definition of 'move about'.
DeleteWhen clarification has been given by CV himself at 12:34, I do not know why there is confusion in some minds!!
DeleteToday's TOI has a small snippet about Cryptic Crossword. Some research says, to become an expert in Cryptic Crossword one needs nine (9)years. On that token i am a novice, because i started very late.
ReplyDeleteCV Sir @ 8.48 - A 'Suchi' in the making?
Delete