Monday, 8 July 2013

No.10819, Monday 08 Jul 13, Buzzer

Great going, Buzzer !

ACROSS
9 Band is to go in tearing tops etc (3,2,2) AND SO ON (bAND iS tO gO iN)
          Buzzer's going topless here, right at the top of the clue sheet
10 Criticise a fruity self-introduction? (7) IMPEACH (I'M PEACH)
           Bharat ko mazboot banana hai
11 Overcoats, earmuffs, dresses in the main (2,3) AT SEA (T)
12 State units protected by our land (9) INDONESIA (INDIA around ONES)
13 Any can or tin holding items essentially (9) CONTAINER (CAN OR TIN itEms)* &lit
           I'd rather be holding some tin than the can !
14 Flexible, having woman as head of branch (5) WITHE (W replacting L in LITHE)
15 Blooming bud used to be lifeless (7) SUBDUED (BUD USED)*
           A pretty flowery family: The dad was a florist, the mom was pretty as a flower, the daughter was a budding 
          genius and the son was a blooming idiot
17 Doesn’t participate in guiding tourists right away (4,3) SITS OUT (TOUrISTS)*
19 Stiff like an outfit ironed on the sides (5) RIGID (RIG IroneD)
20 Estimate provided by aide? (5,4) ROUGH IDEA (Reverse Anagram of AIDE)
           Most of our government aides have no idea, not even a rough one
22 Place fit for trying suits (9) COURTROOM (CD)

24 Workers on edge in a plant (5) TULIP (TU LIP)
25 Tearing into one showing no appreciation (7) INGRATE (TEARING)*
26 Problems with brief ads (7) TEASERS 2

DOWN
1 Ancient city wall for example appears regularly in cruise (8) DAMASCUS (DAM AS CrUiSe)
2 Put up profile about an inventor (6) EDISON (SIDE< ON)
3 Shoot a cam underwater showing a popular tourist place (10) OOTACAMUND (T)
          A place with Charing Cross right in the middle of things. Nearby, Kannadigas can have "oota" in Ooty
4 Incognito sending out second of puzzles up front (8) UNSIGNED (pUzzle SENDING*)
5 Easily combustible material can be inflamed up? (6) TINDER (TIN RED<)
          Reminded me of The Tinder-box, a story by Hans Christian Andersen
6 Start // a tournament // for public (4) OPEN 2 3 See comments
          Remembered Giani Zail Singh declaring the Delhi Asian games open looking very much the Air-India Maharaja
7 Sort of latest singer (8) FALSETTO (OF LATEST)*
8 Initially misplaced praise for resistance (6) OHMAGE (HOMAGE with H misplaced)
14 It helps to have time on one’s hands (10) WATCHSTRAP (CD)
          Once upon a time we had a chain for the pocket watch. I have one of these which has gone kaput and 
          would like to get it repaired. But I am scared that I will not get it back from repair shop.
16 Object to move capturing say rook (8) BEGRUDGE (BUDGE around  EG R)
17 Like amulet worn by a partner (4,4) SOUL MATE (SO AMULET*)
           Paraphrasing an old ditty:
                     Every man has a soul,
                    Every woman has a soul,
                    And when the soul meets the soul,
                    There comes into being a new soul. 

           Some of you might recall that the original version was quite ribald
 
18 One’s mouth is closed by training (8) TRAPPIST (TRAP  IS inside PT) &lit
          Reminded me of the monks allowed to say just one sentence at the end of a year going: "I hate porridge.", 
          "I love porridge." and "I hate all this argument about porridge.
19 Ricochet from porcelain pan dropped accidentally (6) RECOIL (PORCELAIN - PAN)*
20 Game disheartened a sports fan (6) ROOTER (ROOsTER)
21 Case of lyric in song sounding sweet (6) DULCET (LyriC in DUET)
23 Split level for the audience (4) TEAR (~TIER)

LINK TO SOLUTION GRID

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56 comments:

  1. Bhavan8 July 2013 at 08:32

    Thanks for the blog Kishore.

    I must apologize for the homophone snafu in 23D. TEAR when pronounced as TIER has only the meaning of a tear drop and not the SPLIT/RIP meaning I had used. Case of not paying enough attention to the dictionary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore8 July 2013 at 08:36

      You are welcome, Bhavan. BTW, I am a bit tone-deaf.

      Delete
    2. Raghunath8 July 2013 at 08:48

      Except for that glitch very good one, better than Saturday's offering.
      A query on 'into' anagind in 25 A. Used as divided/multiplied or absorbed?

      Delete
    3. VJ8 July 2013 at 08:57

      I think it is to give the sense of "wordplay into definition. Not sure if this is sufficient, but still could work

      Delete
    4. Bhavan8 July 2013 at 10:01

      VJ is right. [anag fodder] into [def] is a valid used

      Delete
  2. Col_Gopinath8 July 2013 at 08:38

    Kishore,

    Refer you remark at 14D, if you are serious there is an old man who sits on the pavement with his mobile repair unit just after the junction of thread and needle street (don't know it's real name, off commercial street) and the road parallel to commercial street. He repairs all old watches (I mean the winding types). My b-i-l gave him a couple of antique ones to repair which he did. If interested call me and I will give you better directions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chaturvasi8 July 2013 at 08:45

    'Tier', in the sense of level, is commonly pronounced in India as 'tire'.

    So in a railway sleeper if I hear a fellow-traveller say it thus, I might in reply pronounce it as I do.

    Similarly, when someone uses the term 'buffet' in a particular way, I might immediately use it the way I do.

    So the question is:

    What word do you pronounce differently - whether right or wrong - from someone else?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore8 July 2013 at 08:47

      We sometimes have to hide under the facade of our pronunciation...

      Delete
    2. Col_Gopinath8 July 2013 at 08:49

      Another one is DAIS as DIAS

      Delete
    3. Kishore8 July 2013 at 08:51

      That brings me to my dairy about the diary farm

      Delete
    4. Kishore8 July 2013 at 08:51

      No complaint about being compliant

      Delete
    5. Kishore8 July 2013 at 08:53

      Most of our TV judges/celebrities are one teared. They shed just one tear when they get emotional.

      Delete
  4. Col_Gopinath8 July 2013 at 08:46

    In 8D isn't HOMAGE to OHMAGE akin to a reverse anagram? By which I mean that in this case we have to find a synonym for PRAISE and then shift a letter whereas in a reverse anagram we need to find the synonym and then anagram it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore8 July 2013 at 08:50

      I think there is a difference:

      Here, in 8d, we find the synonym and then shift a letter
      In a reverse anagram, the anagram indicator is a part of the answer and not in the clue: eg.20a

      What you wanted to compare it with was probably an indirect anagram, where you find a synonym and then anagram it, or rather the fodder is not explicitly listed in the clue.

      Delete
    2. Raghunath8 July 2013 at 08:58

      He maybe could have been more explicit in indicating the swapping of H&O. Not sure whether it's an indirect anag.

      Delete
    3. Col_Gopinath8 July 2013 at 08:59

      Yes I meant indirect anagram

      Delete
    4. Kishore8 July 2013 at 09:12

      Raghu, he did not talk of swapping H and O. Rather he talked of misplacing the H. However, Deepak is correct when he says he smells something like an indirect anagram.

      Delete
    5. Raghunath8 July 2013 at 09:14

      I meant that he could have worded the clue to mean swapping H & O.

      Delete
    6. Bhavan8 July 2013 at 10:03

      The anno I had in mind was OH < = > HO switch, which I see hasn't come off as cleanly as I thought it would.

      Delete
  5. Chaturvasi8 July 2013 at 08:54

    I can say with authority that the statement at 4d is factually correct.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhavan8 July 2013 at 10:04

      Being unaware of the actual working style of Incognito, I made that statement in good faith :)

      Talk about coincidence

      Delete
    2. Kishore8 July 2013 at 10:25

      +1

      Delete
  6. Kishore8 July 2013 at 09:08

    14D was a new word for me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raghunath8 July 2013 at 09:20

      Taking the bait.
      Especially in the age of mobiles showing time?
      Time pieces rejected?

      Delete
    2. Deepak Gopinath8 July 2013 at 09:56

      Could also be new to him if his watch is always on a fob like the one he wants to repair

      Delete
    3. Kishore8 July 2013 at 10:08

      Firstly, in error does truth sometimes hide. Raghu is right in the sense, that in this age of clocks everywhere, in the car, mobile, pc etc. etc. I have not been wearing a wristwatch for over 10 years.

      But my real error was reporting 14a as 14d. So Raghu bit a unintended bait.

      Delete
    4. Raghunath8 July 2013 at 10:36

      So Raghu bit a unintended bait.
      Fisherman's luck perhaps.
      Actually the third line in my 920 was to do with 14D.

      Delete
  7. Suresh8 July 2013 at 09:25

    6 Start a tournament // for public (4) OPEN 2

    I had that a little differently. A DD alright. But Start being one and 'a tournament for public' being the other.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raghunath8 July 2013 at 09:29

      I would take it as a TD:
      Start// a tournament // for public.

      Kishore, Typo in 16 D. Extra R in anno.

      Delete
    2. Deepak Gopinath8 July 2013 at 09:58

      I've corrected it

      Delete
    3. Bhavan8 July 2013 at 10:05

      Raghu's anno is what I had in mind. It's a triple with verb, noun and adj usage of the same word.

      Delete
    4. Kishore8 July 2013 at 10:09

      Updated it, Bhavan. Thanks, Deepak

      Delete
  8. D.Srinivasan8 July 2013 at 09:34

    Kishore gets 100/100 for his blog today and Pres Zail Singh "declaring" open the Games takes the cake!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Chaturvasi8 July 2013 at 10:06

    I learn from a news item in NIE that Dennis the Menace has now roped in a female sidekick whose name Angel Face should not be misconstrued. She can be more bothersome to neighbours than the boss himself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore8 July 2013 at 10:11

      Poor Margaret and Gina. There go their hopes of mending DtM

      Delete
  10. Kishore8 July 2013 at 10:12

    Shuchi's back with a new post

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhavan8 July 2013 at 10:17

      +1

      Delete
    2. Richard8 July 2013 at 17:59

      First I thought she got a new job assignment and was about to congratulate her.

      Delete
  11. Raghunath8 July 2013 at 10:13

    Incorporated all generally used clue types. An acrostic clue would have made this a complete puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chaturvasi8 July 2013 at 11:49

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Chaturvasi8 July 2013 at 11:50

      In my humble opinion, we should not expect a crossword to have all types of clue. In fact, a typical 15x15 crossword might not be able to embrace every conceivable clue-type.

      We must be satisfied if there is a good mix of clue types.

      Preponderance of clue-types such as CDs and DDs in a CWD or anagrams in another might annoy us. More so, if two contiguous clues are anagrams.

      The absence of a particular clue-type should not bother us.

      Writing clues one after the other might not be too difficult, but keeping an eye on clue-variety takes its toll of time and attention. Perhaps we setters even while seeding a grid with words must keep in mind their pliancy to a homophonic clue or a palindromic clue.

      How many of us examine a finished crossword from the angle of clue variety?

      Delete
  12. Chaturvasi8 July 2013 at 10:17

    VJ

    If I may ask...

    Have you tried setting a full-fledged crossword?

    You might do well!



    ReplyDelete
  13. RameshJ8 July 2013 at 10:25

    Nice one from buzzer.
    A Question:
    13A Any can or tin holding items essentially (9) Is "any" a valid anagrind ?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Chaturvasi8 July 2013 at 11:57

    Anyhow, anyway, another are all valid anagrinds. Any may not be an accepted anag signal but this clue is too good for us to be nitpicking too minutely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RameshJ8 July 2013 at 13:03

      Agreed. Buzzer of late has been finding new anagram indicators with reasonable explanations (if they are not obvious) as to why they are valid indicators. So wondered if he had an convincing explanation for this, and if so whether I can use this in future offerings. The aim wasn't to nitpick.

      Delete
    2. Bhavan9 July 2013 at 06:24

      Ramesh, I used 'any' in the sense of 'whichever' or 'no matter which'. Admittedly it doesn't sound as convincing as the ones CV mentioned, but thought will just about make the cut.

      Delete
  15. Raghunath8 July 2013 at 13:08

    CV,
    Not taking away anything from a very well crafted, tricky puzzle of quality. Not having an acrostic clue today was said in passing. It's still a very good CW.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Unknown8 July 2013 at 14:32

    My observation - difference, between GRIDMAN/SANKALAK and other setters, is the first two make it easier for us to solve and others try to make it difficult.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mukundala Balasubramanyam8 July 2013 at 14:45

      I fully agree with you !

      Delete
    2. Bhavan9 July 2013 at 06:28

      Vijay, your observation is correct about the relative difficulty of solving a particular setter's puzzle.

      I can't speak for all, but personally I don't 'try' to make it harder or easier. For each answer, I write a clue that I'm satisfied with both in surface and cryptic readings. Sometimes they turn out to be easy to solve and sometimes not.

      Delete
  17. Mukundala Balasubramanyam8 July 2013 at 14:40

    21D : "CASE" (meaning outer protective cover), a novel indicator for middle letters deletion ! So "lyric" becomes "LC"! I'll add this to my list of a few indicators like : Disheartened,Empty,Extremes,Surroundings etc ! Thanks, Buzzer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhavan9 July 2013 at 06:22

      'Case of' is actually an indicator to select the first and last letters of the word rather than deletion of letters in-between.

      Delete
    2. Mukundala Balasubramanyam9 July 2013 at 07:14

      Noted promptly !

      Delete
  18. raju umamaheswar8 July 2013 at 20:56

    Buzz, buzz, buzz, (bus, bus, bus) stop buzzing Buzzer ! He has given us a nice brain-buzzer. Annotations are fine, but not in tone, when too much moan is intoned !

    Compilers give us good food for thought; we should be grateful for the plateful ( or trayful??) Would you do this pick-nitting when on a picnic with your food cooked by your wife? She'd promptly tell you, go cook your own. So let's be grateful for the ready-to-eat food on our plates and say GRACE, gracefully.

    Aaam Khao, aur maze lootao !! You never get a hyvbrid mango of alfonso and malgoa and gutli at one go.!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhavan9 July 2013 at 06:20

      I don't mind the scrutiny. In fact, all feedback is good feedback as long as it is spelled out reasonably.

      Delete

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