Tuesday 6 August 2013

No 10844, Tuesday 06 Aug 2013, Gridman

 Plenty of 'ones' in this nice one by Gridman.

ACROSS
1   Stable training in the era of clothes (8) DRESSAGE {DRESS}{AGE}
5   Book for the ABCs (6) PRIMER [CD]
9   Same French books — nothing for keepsake (7) MEMENTO {MEME}{NT}{O}
10 Covered by a policy (7) INSURED [E]
11 Jack maybe astute cheat (4,5) CARD SHARP {CARD} {SHARP}
12 Innocent one in church area (5) NAIVE {NA{1}VE}
13 Want to take an extract from a topline editorial (4) NEED [T]
14 It establishes one’s proprietary rights (9) OWNERSHIP [E]
17 Make one red? (9) EMBARRASS [CD]
19 Biblical character’s test uncovered gold (4) ESAU {tESt}{AU}
23 A hooker’s back in a U.S. city (5) TULSA {TULS}{A}<=
24 Figure in which two sides are equal (9) ISOSCELES [E]
25 Gang has trouble with fencing (7) RAILING {R{AIL}ING}
26 Tactical advancements in travel ways (7) INROADS {IN}{ROADS}
27 Correct force around new international (6) PUNISH {PU{N}{I}SH}
28 They can’t recall names confused by in-charges (8) AMNESICS {NAMES*}{ICS}

DOWN
1   Plant cub named correctly (4,4) DUMB CANE* Also known as the "Mother-in-law" plant or 'Mother-in-laws tongue'.
2   Stately shade-giver (3,4) ELM TREE [GK]
3   South Arcot lodge is the most reasonable (6) SANEST {SA}{NEST}
4   International battle with Chinese dynasty is an environmental threat (6,7) GLOBAL WARMING {GLOBAL} {WAR}{MING}
6   Shares sold out to entertain new self-starter in impetuosity (8) RASHNESS {RASH{N}ES*}{S}
7   Wren’s companion gets one drink (7) MARTINI {MARTIN}{1}
8   Right, milk-supplier is a stern aid (6) RUDDER {R}{UDDER}
10 Prime missions top spread an artistic movement (13) IMPRESSIONISM*
15 Unpredictable events bring about changes around a government (8) VAGARIES {V{A}{G}ARIES}
16 Maintains life by advance payments by one son way-back (8) SUBSISTS {SUBS}{1}{S}{TS<=}
18 Think over one working part of window (7) MULLION {MULL}{1}{ON}
20 Sybil could be taking the French course materials (7) SYLLABI {SYL{LA}BI*}
21 Purist out to cause trouble (4,2) STIR UP*
22 Uncommon mark on church (6) SCARCE {SCAR}{CE}

76 comments:

  1. Nearly one hour and no one is forthcoming...
    time for the enfant terrible...

    wrt 7d:
    Can I ask for one martinus ?

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  2. A regular visitor here confessed elsewhere that he had overslept, possibly on the skeleton bed...

    What about everyone else ?

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    Replies
    1. What about everyone else ? Add 'for' between about and everyone:

      One of these days.

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  3. Its been raining here since early morning. One of those days where you just don't feel like getting up. Let alone, getting up, completing the cw & posting here

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    1. Which part of india?

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    2. The newest state capital

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    3. For all you know, it looks like the Centre might declare it a UT and get all the revenue and rights there leaving both the proposed states high and dry !

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    4. A possibility but unlikely ! Votes/seats are more important than anything else !!

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    5. The dance of stepping on as many toes as possible across the country has already been done... Next expect a reorganisation committee, to which this issue too will be forwarded. The carrot will only be visible but not delivered eforelections, me thinks...

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  4. "A regular visitor here"

    "It's been raining here since early morning"

    I don't see any signs of rain here like the snowdrops falling slantingly on certain websites during the Christmas time..

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  5. Kishore @ 9:30
    Here I am ! So near, yet so far !! Got stuck on 5A and 23A. Quite an entertaining puzzle today. Thoroughly enjoyed ! Thanks Gridman.

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  6. 5A : In fact thought of PRIMER but let it go ! Had I only referred the dictionary !!

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    Replies
    1. Maybe some words that were quite common during the Raj and some couple of decades subsequently are no longer used in our country.

      When I was a boy I have seen, lying about our house, so many school textbooks with the word 'Primer' in the title. (My father was a school teacher before he joined the RIAF during the war time.)

      I myself studied in Tamil medium up to Second Form and so don't really remember having handled primers.

      Can you think of any similar words that were once quite popular but have now fallen into disuse? (NB: Anyone who answers this question must have been at least five years of age when India won Independence.)

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    2. I am out of the reckoning due to your proviso. I was just over a week old when we got independence...

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    3. Form : I remember having studied from first form to ninth form, the form of which was changed to standard from form and the form of form is no longer in use nowadays.

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    4. Eversilver, holdall, quite a few gadgets which have gone out of use, ...

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    5. Matriculation

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    6. SILVER SCREEN. Ha ! Got one at last !!

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    7. In fact I'm not eligible to give the above mentioned answer as I was just 10 months old when we got independence !

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    8. Eversilver was a brilliant marketing name for stainless steel. In a single word it points to the weakness of its competitor for dining cutlery ( i.e silver , which over time tends to become discoloured ) while positioning itself as a superior replacement as a cooking vessel ( Bronze possibly being its competitor there. Association with silver lends stainless steel a touch of superiority )

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    9. I remember my grandma referring to stainless steel vessels as eversilver. I am not sure whether it was a brand name or general usage.

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    10. One by one, members unhesitantly (unwittingly?) revealing their age. ;-)

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    11. Richard, not so easily...

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    12. "Stainless steel" is the proper term. But customers and traders of vessel stores referred to it as 'eversilver'.

      Once during my working days when I used this term while speaking with a colleague, he repeated the word derisively and looked at me contemptuously as if I had done some sacrilege (Was he born with a silver spoon in his mouth?) Why a man living in Chennai shouldn't accept a term that Chennaians use is beyond me.

      An SS dinner plate, oval-shaped, that I use even today was gifted to me when I was some ten years old. It is still without any stain as it was a branded one from a good company (those were the days!).

      I have utter contempt for the so-called SS vessels that we get nowadays: they are small, light, cheap to look at and they soon develop cracks and become rusty.

      More loathsome are the stickers that they carry - these don't peel off easily and if they do the sticky surface never gets cleaned, making it bothersome for the holders of tumblers.

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    13. Richard @ 2:49
      I don't hide my age by dyeing my hair(whatever is left on my half bald head)!! :-)

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    14. I, Deepak and Suresh too !

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  7. 1D: DUMB CANE : Otherwise known as "Mother-in-Law" PLANT or "Mother-in-Law's" TONGUE (Courtesy Col.Saheb)
    IMO the former GROWS and the latter LASHES ! Hope our lady bloggers agree with me !?

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    Replies
    1. I have a barrel cactus at home which is around 17 years old. When we brought it home it was the size of a golf ball. Today it is bigger than our normal watermelons. It has solid spikes/spines and is lovingly called mother-in-law's seat. If suitable word comes in the CW, I will try to upload a picture of it.

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    2. Mother-in-law - Reminds me of Woman Hitler!

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    3. I can send you snap if you give me your mail id

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    4. Could you suggest a word upon whose appearance in THC you would get a chance of uploading the pic.

      You may give one or a list from which one may be chosen.

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    5. Cactus,
      barrel cactus,
      Spikes,
      Thorns,
      Mother in law,
      Spine/s

      My plant looks like the first photo at

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_cactus

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    6. It really looks thorny ! Mother-in-Law of a porcupine !!

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    7. Kishore at 1142: my email id is n.rengaswamy@gmail.com and you may send me the snap. I have the Woman Hitler at home!

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    8. Photo ready !

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    9. Here is the correct ref to the one I have:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinocactus_grusonii

      The article says it's called Mother-in-law's cushion, not seat as I said earlier.

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    10. Not much difference but both are THORNY alright !!

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    11. Renga, snaps sent.

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  8. 24 Figure in which two sides are equal (9) ISOSCELES [E]

    It took sometime for me to figure out which figure we are talking about!

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    Replies
    1. The trouble with the word ISOSCELES is even if you figure out the answer, you are never sure of the spelling unless you check it out with dictionary.

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    2. Renga @ 11:13
      Can't figure which figure you were imagining initially ! :-)

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    3. Many figures, including human, are symmetrical, so both sides are equal at first glance, though there could be minor differences

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  9. Plenty of 'ones' in this nice one by Gridman.

    One of its kind by Gridman.

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  10. Col's bugbear appearing in 1D.

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    Replies
    1. My 1127 deals with it rightly, I presume

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    2. so also MB's 1044 debugs the same

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  11. 16A How did 'subs' get there,got the answer thru the second half of the word
    also put 18D as mulling and got stuck with 27a

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    Replies
    1. subscription = adv payment ( from Col's link as usual )

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  12. For a bit of diversion: Renga and MB mentioned something of this kind a few days ago.

    INDIANISMS

    MORE INDIANISMS

    What to do? We are always like this only!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Richard !
      Enjoyed your INDIANISMS and MORE INDIANISMS ! I am also one of the culprits of that category !! It was an eye opener for me !!! Thanks.

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    2. I thought the 1st link was interesting. "Sleep is coming" sounds kinda hilarious.

      I think the reason we got these kinds of usages is, we tend to translate some of the commonly used phrases of our native language directly into English. For instance, "Do one thing" is a direct translation of "Ek Kaam keejiyae and similarly we got "thoookkam varudu," which is like "Sleep is coming." "Romba varsham munnadi" translates to "Years back." Prolly there'd be many such examples.

      Since we're not native English speakers, these phrases are excusable IMO. I'm pretty sure other countries (where English is not the first language) have these kinds of unique phrases too.

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    3. Why, in Tamil we say "oru kaariyam pannu".

      We Tamilians don't give respect and we don't take respect.

      I would think that "do one thing" is something even a native speaker of English might say.

      Visit

      http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://thinklink.in/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/tip1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thinklink.in/do-one-thing/&h=239&w=203&sz=14&tbnid=Ln-whbSx26Tw7M:&tbnh=86&tbnw=73&zoom=1&usg=__cd1ItUffuhZC15lhoqRHslgMV8k=&docid=HyZXP5EnF9TP6M&sa=X&ei=0N4AUsfZHZCGrAexxoHIBA&ved=0CGYQ9QEwCQ&dur=1331

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    4. Enjoyable though at least one of them (Prepone) has, I understand, entered the latest OED. Which means it has official recognition. And rightfully so. After all it is such a convenient word.

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    5. Answering the phone I could say 'Suresh this side'.

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    6. You could also use one of the Indianism, in India. I find it strange because if you translated exactly from any Indian language you would get Indianisms instead of Indianism.So the 'Ek kaam karo' argument does not work here

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    7. 'Anyways' we are all Indians!!!

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  13. Wren & Martin has been our first and last book for English Grammar. I am not sure now.

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    Replies
    1. You might know that Wren wrote an only novel too.

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  14. Indianisms or any "foreign language"isms arise out of transliteration in stead of translation. A doubt-
    "passing out"- Did it originate from 'passing out parade'? We have our own Col. (and a Services aspirant)to confirm this. Are you there, Kishore?

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    Replies
    1. Here I am ! Yes,I thought so too, and funnily sometimes an odd cadet passes out in terms of the other meaning of the term. Of course, at Khadakvasla,you get tipsy pudding for your efforts.

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  15. I have heard about the difference between thinking in the language you are speaking in stead of thinking in another language and attempting a translation. You never get it right, that way.
    My father used to say - "I am COMING there" is wrong. I believe "I am going over there" is the correct way- archaic? before Independence?

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    Replies
    1. In the US, Paddy, you must be eating breakfasts that are fixed. In our country, we make or cook breakfasts and fix cricket matches.

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    2. They say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". If it is brokefast, one is allowed to fix it...

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  16. Thank God, I only fix breakfasts and not cricket matches! - I do not have a benevolent F in law!

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  17. What does the e and the end of the explanation mean

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  18. What does the e and the end of the explanation mean

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    Replies
    1. I think NSM is ref to the E in the anno of 14, 24 etc. which means te solution is easy, noncryptic and straightforward

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  19. Talking about Indianism: Can I say : I'm next to myself today? for I'm beside myself !! Really. Orkut has failed to load The HCC and what a let-down. On Sunday too, there was a black out on the screen in place of the grid. Or is it that the snoopers have snooped and having snooped have decided to snip the crossword section? Who's responsible? Uncle Sam? or who is the owner of this section in the Orkut? I'm going so crazy and bananas and nuts that the entire THCC group can have a nice dessert !! In the US they say: I.m goin' mad ! I'm mad at the Orkut. I'm sitting in a corner, sniffing for some snifter of a hope, like an addict of a dope, waiting for a refill . Can any one out there help me? Like all these homeless persons at every corner of the street in New York asking for a ''weed '' !! My SOS's are either not being seen or heeded to, by B for Bhavan, C for CV , D for Deepak and K for Kishore, the Brahma and Vishnu of this blog ! So Siva(Umamaheswar) is in a tandav mood !!

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    Replies
    1. Dance on, Siva, for we too suffer at the 15 of the links involved. The problem lies, not necessarily with Orkut (which too misbehaves frequently handing or refusing to hand out donuts and (not joints as in NY)) but with The Hindu's placement of the grid in the right location which stymies the Orkut App which is looking for a grid but finds something uncompatiable. So you have a couple of options, both involving some extra work from your side:

      a. Go to http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/ and copy the clues and print the grid by copying into paint/word
      b. Get the clues from Orkut's community tab and the grid from past offerings of the same setter from the archives of this blog. You may sometimes have to check which solution grid is suitable as some setters use more than one.

      If you do not have a printer, you will have to recreate the grid yourself in MS Excel.

      Aaah, the woes some non residents have...

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    2. Thasnks Kishore. My woes as a non-resident are to be short-lived as I'd get back to Coimbatore by mid -Oct and then it will resume in Nov when I'll be in Nagoya. I have enough clippings of old crossies unsolved to keep me going in addition to books to last a life-time. However, I hate having to miss even one of the Hindu's ! So, as these guys say here, 'No big deal ' ! Hopefully, from Jan next It'll be all again'' Hunky dory "

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