Monday 12 August 2013

No.10849, Mon 12 Aug 2013, Buzzer

Tricky one !

ACROSS
8 Compound drug like heroin (6) POTASH (POT AS H)
9 Expenditure incurred leaving an office (8) OUTGOING (2)
          But I think that for expenditure it is always used in the plural as Outgoings
10 Spells I cast around one (8) ELLIPSIS (SPELLS I 1)* The "..." forms the definition
11 Mrs. first, mother next — title for a woman (6) MADAME (MA DAME) See comments
12 It is not a sure thing (8,7) DEFINITE ARTICLE CD
         But it is !
14 Sound of flight is plain? (7) STEPPES (~STEPS)
16 One living prosperously in the German way (7) DWELLER (WELL in DER)
19 Take a shortcut in a board game to advance (4,2,3,6)  MOVE UP THE LADDER (CD,DD) in a Snake and Ladder game
          What goes up, must come down ? A serenader using a ladder to the beloved's balcony knows his way 
          down when the shotgun bearing pop appears... 
22 Capital, as described in those days (6) ATHENS (AS around THEN)
24 High drama on one highway (4,4) MAIN ROAD (DRAMA ON 1)*
25 Find record gone (8) DISCOVER (DISC OVER)
26 Hindrance removed in a raging flood (6) DRENCH (HinDRaNCE)*


DOWN
1 Disease said to be nasty and affecting pets (4,4) FOWL PEST (~FOUL PETS*)
2 Town in Maharashtra is home to quarry of deer (6) WAPITI (WAI around PIT)
          The first aircraft of the first squadron (based at Drigh Road, Karachi) of the IAF when it was formed in 1932
3 Direction to position a container ship suited for sailing (4,4,2)THIS SIDE UP (SHIP SUITED)*
4 A pillow for support (7) BOLSTER (2)
5 Couple showing excitement? On the contrary (4) ITEM (T) as in They are an item
6 Benevolence shown in sensible inheritance plan (8) GOODWILL (GOOD WILL)
7 Codename “Lancer” has protective cover (6) ENAMEL (T)
13 Green mountain in the outskirts of Delhi (10) RAWALPINDI (RAW ALP IN DelhI)
          Not sure if definition is missing or there is a place called Rawalpindi near Delhi

15 Bearing gifts for the auditor (8) PRESENCE (~PRESENTS)
17 Cheap yet fetching feature of some pirates (8) EYEPATCH (CHEAP YET)*
18 Conservative man over time shows some imagination (7) CHIMERA (C HIM ERA)
20 Get over battalion at odds (6) OBTAIN (O BaTtAlIoN)
21 County of Tudors etc. (6) DORSET (T)
23 Husband of Braun’s revolting (4) SAVE (EVA'S<)

99 comments:

  1. 20 D:
    Wonder about the 'O' as abbrv. for over?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought so, but is it acceptable?

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    2. I don't see any problems. OMRW has been used earlier.

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    3. Though it is not there in the long list, I think it should work

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    4. Not sure, though Gridman may have used it (I don't remember).

      For, in the score table, O would be Overs, not Over.

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    5. I suppose it's fine as M R W are also used.

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    6. You are not supposed to use maidens ...

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    7. Replying to CV.
      M: Maiden as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossword_abbreviations. But in OMRW I think it is maidens.
      So O: Over and Overs.

      Delete
    8. I don't agree. If o in OMRW is overs, it can stand only for overs.

      For me to be convinced, you have to give me a context in which 'o' is for 'over'.

      o is for 'of' because in will-o'-the-wisp and elsewhere, o is for 'of'

      Delete
    9. Chambers shows it as : over(s) (cricket), so 'O for Over or Overs' should be accepatble

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    10. Thanks!

      But my responders are skirting the question!

      Give me a context in which O is 'over'. In the OMRW table, it can only be 'overs'. Do you agree on that?

      Unless the score was 1-0-0-1 when only one ball had been bowled (and even one wicket taken) and no further proceedings took place in the match called-off by rains.

      Is my cricketing knowledge sufficient enough to allow that possibility? Have I given a context unwittingly?

      Delete
    11. Please Turn Over, Sir !

      Delete
    12. If M is for Maiden as listed in crosswordunclued, and M in OMRW is for Maidens, why cannot O be for Over/s? IIly R: Run and R is in plural in OMRW.

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    13. Raghu, I have given an example in my 1104.

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    14. Also, KO...

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    15. Rubik's cube is easier to solve!

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    16. KO is knock out or kick-off.

      Now I don't know what I should do with Kishore. I will give a hint: I am looking for a feather.

      Delete
    17. I don't see what the objection is. In "OMRW" O could either be over or overs depending on the number of overs bowled. Neither is necessarily the only way to interpret it. For instance, if a bowler has bowled just one over, O in this case cannot be "Overs." Similarly, if a bowler has bowled more than one, it couldn't be "Over."

      Delete
  2. Re 13D

    As per wiki - Rawalpindi is a village in Tehsil Phagwara, Kapurthala district, in Punjab, India, with a population of 1087 and is famous for its Police Station which in 2008 was the fifth best police station in all of Asia-Pacific !!!.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So does that make it an &lit. Still confused how it works !

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    2. There seems to be something else to it as it's not exactly in the outskirts of Delhi.

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    3. Pretty large skirts for Delhi, huh ?

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    4. And it is not a green mountain, so at best it can be a semi &lit. But not really convinced ...

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    5. 8: 52 No skirting the issue, please...

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    6. ... , about a subject one feels deeply about ...

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    7. 13 Green mountain in the outskirts of Delhi (10) RAWALPINDI (RAW ALP IN DelhI)
      Not sure if definition is missing or there is a place called Rawalpindi near Delhi

      Clue could have been "Green mountain in the outskirts of Delhi city."

      I enjoyed the clue - nice wordplay by Bhavzzer.

      Delete
    8. I liked the wordplay immensely

      Delete
    9. This was the clue submitted for 13D:

      Green mountain in the outskirts of Delhi city (10)

      Don't know how the publishers managed to lose an entire city.

      Delete
    10. At least we don't have to blame Rawalpindi for loss of a city ...

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    11. Not sure of the 'in' though in place of 'on'.

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    12. This clue (as foreshadowed by Renga) is much better.

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    13. Raghu, you are right. I mixed up 'on the outskirts' and 'in the suburbs' and ended up with an ungrammatical hybrid.

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    14. There's a lot of discussion on the net on this:

      http://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/search/google.aspx?q=in+the+outskirts&cof=FORID:10&ie=UTF-8&sa=Search&cx=partner-pub-2694630391511205:bm47g3z09jd

      Delete
  3. 11 Mrs. first, mother next — title for a woman (6) MADAME (M A DAME)

    Anno not clear? Dame : Mother?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mrs. = Definition = MADAME
      first, mother = MA
      next —
      title for a woman = DAME

      Delete
  4. The Q & A session was a bit frenetic, so overlooked complimenting Buz for a nice puz :)

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  5. 2D - What a pity, did not get WAPITI !

    13D - the correct expression is on the outskirts - but then the def would not have suited.

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    Replies
    1. That's right. I was looking for a word starting with D and ending with I and not DI at the end.

      Delete
  6. Tell you what, at times, when I have difficulties with crosswords, I decide that poverty in solving skills is just a state of mind!

    By chance, am I infringing upon someone's intellectual property rights?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No. But you are infringing upon some individual's poverty rights.

      Delete
  7. Col would be satisfied seeing 1 AC :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe 'pleased' is a better expression.

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    2. Sorry! I meant 8 AC. (Usually the 1st clue is 1 AC)

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    3. Potash is the example you have given for a charade type of clue under types of annotations in he left panel

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  8. 13D cartoon reminded me of the famous saying when I started my carrier : My work is so secret that I myself don't know what I am doing!

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    Replies
    1. It is such a big secret that the expression 'God knows' would also e innappropriate

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    2. Renga, what did you carry? Puliodarai? More Saadham?

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    3. That's an apt question, CV. ;-)

      aircrafts, as the one proposed in in Kochi !

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    4. CV ji, I spoiled my career.

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    5. Why, you didn't like the food in it? And what did the Mrs say?

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  9. 3 Direction to position a container ship suited for sailing (4,4,2)THIS SIDE UP (SHIP SUITED)*

    Another good one by Buzzer. Well concealed anagram and anind.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good cw as usual by Buzzer. Except for the missing definition in RAWALPINDI.

    ReplyDelete
  11. In 12A,

    It is not a = def (a negative def if you like since 'the' is definite article unlike 'a' and 'an')
    sure = definite
    things = article

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A' type of defn.

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    2. I saw 'it' as: IT (object) as a general article, not a sure thing.

      Delete
  12. Lost a well-crafted para on then/in those days when Blogger said 'Oops'.


    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually i had asked Buz this Q:( I did not lose it, but deleted it)
      22 Capital, as described in those days (6) ATHENS (AS around THEN)

      Could he have done w/o 'in', as those days: THEN? But the surface would have been marred.

      Delete
  13. Bhavan, Any comments on Rawalpindi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suresh,
      Read downwards from his 1043.

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    2. I had not sen that. Something like many US cities going bankrupt

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    3. Trust CAs to spot bankruptcy and 'outgoings'.

      Delete
  14. I will briefly rewrite:

    I don't have any problem with 'in those days' = then.

    My college life was adventuresome. I used to cycle in those days.

    My college days were exciting. I used to wear an exotic scent then.

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  15. 23 D - -h from SHAVE (Braun SHAVE). IS IT O.K.?

    ReplyDelete
  16. 24A : High drama on one highway (4,4) MAIN ROAD (MAIN ROAD)* Can we write anno as (DRAMA ON I)* ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that would be a better way to put it. By habit, I put it in the format we follow on Orkut.

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    2. @ Kishore Is High an anagram indicator?

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    3. Yes. (I haven't solved this puz and don't check the context in which you're asking this question.

      In general terms -

      'High,' which also means 'drunk' is a valid anag ind. A 'drunk (n.) totters and so there is some agitation there!



      Delete
  17. 10A Ellipsis- how does it fit in?
    12A was confusing
    23D-husband & save-dont see the link either
    personally -bad show
    BUT- after going through this blog found the clues(except above 3) good

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 10 Spells I cast around one… (8) ELLIPSIS (SPELL I 1)*
      What's the problem? Ellipsis means ... or ***, which you can see in the clue at the end as the Definition.

      12 It is not a sure thing (8,7) DEFINITE ARTICLE CD
      IT means an object or that thing, which is general and not specific or definite. Sure = "definite" thing "article."

      23 Husband of Braun’s revolting (4) SAVE (EVA'S<)
      Eva Braun was Hitler's mistress. Hope you can work out the rest of the anno. Braun's revolting is EVA'S reversed, i.e SAVE. Husband also means to save

      Delete
    2. THE DEF AS GIVERN BY BHAVAN IS 'it is not a'

      Delete
  18. O M R W : O = Over, M = Maiden. R = ? W = ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know what R and W stand for ! It seems many are familiar with OMRW !! If someone can clear my doubt please ?

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    2. Sorry MB. I missed your Q on R & W. If you are familiar with cricket, O M R W are found on top of Score sheet.

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    3. My thanks to Usha and Raghu. I'm a Cricket fanatic and am now quite clear about O M R W !!!

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    4. In Geoff Boycott's parlance, it is 'roons and wickits'...

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    5. ....his Yorkshire accent mimicked by Gavaskar is quite enjoyable !!!

      Delete
  19. I have just discovered that The Statesman of Kolkata republishes The Independent crossword on the same day as the original.

    The epaper has it in a neat layout. (Don't know where the solution of the prev. CWD is printed.)

    PDF (of the entire edition - not the particular page alone) is downloadable. I was able to do this w/o any payment or sign-in.

    Years ago it used to publish The Times CWD on weekdays and the Guardian CWD on Sundays.

    ReplyDelete
  20. OMRW- Overs/ Maidens/ Runs/ Wickets as in a cricket score card!

    A small typo in 10A- SPELLS in the anagram fodder. One S is missing.

    Excellent CW Buzzer, thank you. Loved 'The- Definite Article'.

    19A- Did not notice such a well concealed anagram until I saw it in the blog. Ingenious.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Today's toughie was indeed offbeat! Did'n't like RAWALPINDI at all when parsed, though I found it to be the only answer. Similarly, 19 across: rode me up the wall ! could be ROSE, !MOVE. GONE. Not a clue up my street ! Anyway, is RAWALPINDI not part of Pakistan now? or Ma I geographically challenged ? Why is Buzzer getting a bee in his bonnet, by claiming it as part of INDIA -- Delhi? Aren't our cup of tea already brimming over with our neighbours?

    Again, 12 across: DEFINITE or INDEFINITE ARTICLE ? A certain thing ? the operative words are THE and ARTICLE -- leading us to look for the Wren and Martin !

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  22. Kishore: Isn't today's a Borderlline case? A case for FRINGE benefits? BANG(S) ON?

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  23. Today's 13 down will not do anything to 4down the 6down between India and Pakistan !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raju if you had bothered to read any of the comments above, you would have noticed that there was a printing mistake in 13D that missed out the word 'city' at the end of the clue.

      Please do enlighten me about how a misprinted clue in a crossword is going to affect the goodwill between two countries.

      Delete
  24. Raju,

    Please read all the comments that have come in before yours and then put in your comment. A lot of your misconceptions will get cleared there.

    ReplyDelete

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