Clearly Arden does not have triskaidekaphobia. The long ones (all starting with C, incidentally) are handled beautifully. Especially 8d.
A Nina can be seen today ...
A Nina can be seen today ...
ACROSS
1 Comes down after the bird’s in a holiday location (6,7) CANARY ISLANDS (LANDS after CANARY IS)
10 As a parting remark, gold has to perish (5) ADIEU (AU has DIE)
11 Native’s roots in Lincoln (9) ABORIGINE (ORIGIN in ABE - Abraham Lincoln)
12 First timer created inferno over west-bound train (9) DEBUTANTE (DANTE, the author of Inferno, over TUBE, the underground train, <)
13 Make hundred to fifty-fifty in own surroundings (5) HALVE (L in HAVE surroundings)
I especially like the splitting of fifty-fifty into 2 parts, the first as a part of the definition and the second as
a part of the word play
14 Maintained one got it wrong, following a victory (7) AVERRED (ERRED following A V for victory)
16 Inspector of gold and diamonds finds it with gold (7) AUDITOR (AU D IT OR)
18 A mild sort protecting gunners’ top officer (7) ADMIRAL ((A MILD)* protecting RA)
The first Sea Lord, is an Indian male first, ...
20 In future aluminium will be used sideways (7) LATERAL (LATER AL)
22 Soldiers transport gets a representation (5) REBUS (RE BUS)
24 Bitter when gas ran out at sea (9) ANGOSTURA (GAS RAN OUT)*
Time to pull out the shaker
26 Gratifying, but against it originally (9) SATIATING (AGAINST IT)*
27 Fish like thoughts? (5) IDEAS (IDE AS)
28 Minor logistic problem for an investigator (13) CRIMINOLOGIST (MINOR LOGISTIC)*
DOWN
2 Friendly one follows another during walk (7) AMIABLE (A following 1, during AMBLE)
3 Crooked art dealer swaps amateur for something classy — he is never faithful (9) ADULTERER (ART DEALER -A +U)*
4 Long to hear a story (5) YEARN (~YARN=story)
5 Delay on the way by one week, everything will follow (9) STONEWALL (ST ONE W ALL)
What night-watchmen in cricket tests used to do
6 His mother converted to a fundamentalist sect (5) AMISH (HIS MA)*
Reminded me of Amish Tripathi author of the Shiva Trilogy
7 Soaring flyer’s allowed very little (7) DRIBLET (BIRD< LET)
8 Help coming up when crushed between vehicles, for others it could be fatal (7,6) CARDIAC ARREST (AID< between two CARs, REST)
9 Intellectual plays arising from a complaint (8,5) CEREBRAL PALSY (CEREBRAL PLAYS*)
15 Coaster in a Chinese port is spotted, perhaps (9) DALMATIAN (MAT in DALIAN)
17 Finding Charlie’s gone for Sunday and hating it (9) DETESTING (DETECTING-C+S)
19 The hoodlum gets the crowd back mostly (7) MOBSTER (MOB STERn)
21 Trouser tailored for transmission devices (7) ROUTERS (TROUSER)*
I wonder if they are used by Reuters
23 Cramp finally affects deep sea diver’s arm (5) SPASM (affectS deeP seA diver'S arM)
25 Russian writer left after he was repeatedly told to leave (5) GOGOL (L after GO GO)
Arden is always delightful and very smooth.
ReplyDelete(Off topic but on crosswords)
ReplyDelete(From yesterday)
The puz in that Tamil paper has error today too. It seems that subs proud of their work are becoming rarer and rarer.
Also, use of English words such as '(news) reel' in a Tamil crossword is questionable.
Same thought I had precisely. 1a according to me was Venus, am I right ? Anyway I bungled it up totally :(
Delete1d was Mayor .. So it just doesn't work ... Another English word by the way..
DeleteThis way it can't last for long ... The Rani Muthu puzzles used to be better ...
DeleteI didn't solve it. Just glanced at it. 1d is not Mayor. It might be Sheriff. 1a might be Serena. In any case, not worth sweating over it.
DeleteI have not seen it, but hazard a guess for 1d from your exchanges : Minor ...
DeleteCV Sir , for both 1A and 1D the enu given is 3. Anyway as you say , not worth a sweat at all.
Delete@ CV
Delete"...... use of English words such as '(news) reel' in a Tamil crossword is questionable"
Unfortunately even English crosswords are no exception when it comes to the use of alien words. We still come across words such as 'ennui', 'en masse' , 'etc', 'en passant' , 'inter alia' - with or without dialect indicators. Just as English has anglicised many of the foreign words, so has Tamil. There should not be any objection so long as Tamil crossword clues carry dialect indicators.
In 24A I have my doubts if Bitter by itself can lead to 'Angostura' since they are always referred to as 'Bitters'
ReplyDeleteAlways in the plural, as you say.
DeleteSame doubt here
DeleteThanks Kishore with help from your could spot the Nina successfully :D
ReplyDeleteI purposely 'drew' attention of our friends to the Nina
DeleteHowz yarn and yearn homophones?
ReplyDeleteYes, I too have a doubt here ! Checked with "Wordweb" voice system.
DeleteKishore, your cartoon reminds me of this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonparlett/484012121/
ReplyDeleteAnd you reference to "night-watchmen" brought to mind something wonderful which I came across just yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6W2ZMpsxhg
Took my breath away , Arden. This crossword is a masterpiece in compiling art. Those long phrases like CARDIAC ARREST and CEREBRAL PANSY, CRIMINOLOGIST AND cANARY ISLANDS were true gems embellishing the borders of this beautiful damsel, as are DEBUTANTE,SATIATING, ANGOSTURA & ABORIGINE as necklaces and waistbands. I Grace is the word that jumps to the mind !! I compare it to a beautiful damsel because of its elusive elegance in construction; hiding what it should do and making the solver to appreciate the form. As mysterious too when at first glance one beholds only the shyness and reserve.
ReplyDeletePANSY ?
DeleteSorry, Pal, see it was a typo !! should have been PALSY
ReplyDelete