Friday, 18 October 2013

No.10907, Fri 18 Oct 2013, Gridman

Gridman makes solving easy without requirement of 26a and lures one into a false feeling that setting must be equally easy

ACROSS
1 He refuses to accept East German’s wealthy (7) OSTRICH (OST= East in German, RICH)
5 Not in favour of a poem (6) AVERSE (A VERSE)
9 Paintings showing birds around top of nest (5) TINTS (TITS around N)
          This ! after yesterday's snake sting !
10 Batons aid in meting out torture (9) BASTINADO (BATONS AID)*
11 Work you finally gave is rich (7) OPULENT (OP U LENT)
12 The French tower first for one who sees things (7) TOURIST (TOUR=Tower in French, 1ST)
13 Trustee to put a stop to general drift (5) TREND (TR END)
14 Party a long time detaining Indian dancer (9) BALLERINA (BALL+ IN in ERA)
16 What 15 to a nearly full house looks for (5,4) EMPTY SEAT (CD)
          You have to see the competition for the last seat to believe it - especially at a sit down wedding meal
19 Redrafting of deed carrying notary’s initial brought to a close (5) ENDED (DEED* carrying N)
21 Money spent to bring in leading pandit to perform better than others (7) OUTPLAY (OUTLAY, bring in P )
23 Black ducks in container in the guard’s van (7) CABOOSE (B OO in CASE)
          In railway accidents, the last wagon is usually the first one to be hit. Why don't they put it in the middle to
          make it less vulnerable?
24 Certainly easy (2,7) NO PROBLEM (CD)
25 Concerning woman town official (5) REEVE (RE EVE)
26 Mystical knowledge one’s found after strange song (6) GNOSIS (1'S after SONG*)
27 Look up to hero worship? (7) RESPECT 2

DOWN 
1 Very tired, after having gone on an errand at a nobleman’s bidding (3,3,3,5) OUT FOR THE COUNT
2 Not up to certain monk’s hairdo (7) TONSURE (NOT< SURE)
          I wonder what is done when a new entrant presents them with a fait accompli
3 Detains stranger as a substitute (7) INSTEAD (DETAINS*)
4 Hospital not too competent, though fit for staying (9) HABITABLE (H A BIT ABLE)
5 A small group’s wealth (5) ASSET (A S SET)
6 Record I and French parish priest have taste (7) EPICURE (EP I CURE= French parish priest)
          From the parish in Paris?
7 Was somehow greeting on Long Island in a foreign language (7) SWAHILI (WAS* HI LI)
          Swahili and Nairobi seem very popular with setters ! Unasema Kiswahili?
8 U.S. city church officials get tonnes of building material (8,6) PORTLAND CEMENT (PORTLAND CE MEN T)
15 U.S. city detective more furious with untimely arrival (9) LATECOMER (LA TEC=de'tec'tive MORE*)
17 Take unfair advantage of Punjab University workers coming up with short refusal (3,4) PUT UPON (PU TU NOPe<)
18 Shows age and is cowardly (7) YELLOWS 2
19 Gets on board Oriental doctor on vessel to the South (7) EMBARKS (E MB ARK S)


20 See — one doc strays into the Bishop’s district (7) DIOCESE (SEE DOC 1*)
          Oddly  See=Bishop’s district too
22 Makes a long-distance call? (5) YELLS CD
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69 comments:

  1. Venkatesh18 October 2013 at 08:40

    1Dn would have been OK even without 'after'.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shafeeq18 October 2013 at 08:41

    I too extracted 'tec' from detective for 15D. But I'm still not sure why or how. Can someone enlighten me please? :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shafeeq18 October 2013 at 08:41

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raghunath18 October 2013 at 09:47

      tec noun, colloq a detective. from Chambers.

      Delete
  4. Chaturvasi18 October 2013 at 08:45

    In English many word are formed by 'clipping'. This happens over decades.

    E.g., 'Omnibus' became bus. Here the first part is clipped.

    'Paramedic' or 'paralegal' becomes 'para'. Here the latter part is clipped.

    'Tec' is an example where the clipping happens at both ends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore18 October 2013 at 10:18

      That means, apart from the haircut, he has had a manicure and pedicure too.

      Delete
  5. Jayaseelan18 October 2013 at 08:46

    Note to 23A: ha ha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore18 October 2013 at 08:52

      I am sure no railway engineer here has the answer to that one ;-)

      Delete
    2. Rengaswamy18 October 2013 at 17:25

      He is supposed to safe-guard the passengers. Not self-guard. That is why it is at the end.

      Delete
  6. Venkatesh18 October 2013 at 08:50

    2Dn Gridman finishing off yesterday's hairdressing exercise in style!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore18 October 2013 at 08:51

      When one enters a salon or saloon the first thing one wants is 16

      Delete
    2. Rengaswamy18 October 2013 at 17:28

      Not if the hairdressing is done by ladies

      Delete
  7. Kishore18 October 2013 at 08:50

    Raghu and Sandhya might recollect the recent ref to Dench in WP ...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Venkatesh18 October 2013 at 08:59

    6Dn Has Gridman broken a rule of grammar by putting first person before third person?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Richard18 October 2013 at 09:28

    23A - Re K's note: Whenever Team India performed better in the second innings of a test match, the commentators - Ravi Shastri and Sunny Gavaskar - have been heard asking, 'Why can't they play the second innings first?'

    7D - To K's question again, Nasoma kidogo kidogo.

    ReplyDelete
  10. C.G. BHARGAV18 October 2013 at 09:30

    He has compiler's license. You may even get tit for t(e)at.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Raghunath18 October 2013 at 09:45

    I think the def in, 3 Detains stranger as a substitute (7) INSTEAD is "as a substitute".

    ReplyDelete
  12. Unknown18 October 2013 at 10:04

    Good morning all. Thank you Gridman for this smooth CW.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Padmanabhan18 October 2013 at 10:09

    Fooled by 3D. did not see the anagram.
    Kishore,
    I have seen the Guard's van in the middle in a goods train esp. if it is too long. Probably the idea was to be able to be seen from the engine and not as intended by you.
    By the way, Congratulations on your maiden venture in Hindi. And still the wonder grows.....Not yet had time to make an attempt for the prize

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rangarajan18 October 2013 at 10:25

    Regarding yesterday 's discussion on the word TAKEAWAY, I remember the same answer a few days ago in THC (10900?). Interestingly it was hinted as (4,4) and not as (8) as was the context yesterday. Point to ponder..

    ReplyDelete
  15. RameshJ18 October 2013 at 10:29

    Hyderabad micro S&B is on ! We are meeting tomorrow at 6:PM at Minerva Coffee Shop Himayat Nagar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore18 October 2013 at 10:58

      Zara hallu hallu karke yaaron, hamey bhi aatien

      Delete
    2. Raghunath18 October 2013 at 11:08

      Zara hallu hallu karke yaaron, hamere ko bhi aatien (hamey gen. is used in N India or good Hindi speakers)

      Delete
    3. Kishore18 October 2013 at 11:34

      Imagine my difficulty in adjusting to Hyderabad 'Hindi' when I moved there from Delhi in 1973. Nakko yaaron, aisee museebat

      Delete
    4. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 11:44

      That was one of the first things that made me jump !

      In an era when ROTFLOL was not yet used ...

      Delete
    5. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 11:47

      When we were about to move in 1976, we needed to buy some trunks for transporting household goods. When asked about a pair of trunks, the shopkeeper told us 'Dono ekich size hain, par ek dusre se thoDa baDa hai'

      Delete
    6. Col_Gopinath18 October 2013 at 12:13

      Send me some good quality snaps of the micro s&b

      Delete
    7. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 12:15

      microphotos on a microchip

      Delete
    8. Raghunath18 October 2013 at 12:47

      The one I sent you of my meeting with Suresh & Vijaylakshmi, not good, I think?

      Delete
    9. Deepak Gopinath18 October 2013 at 15:34

      That was too dark, could hardly see anyone in it

      Delete
  16. Venkatesh18 October 2013 at 10:33

    6 Record I and French parish priest have taste (7) EPICURE
    One who has taste is an EPICURE.
    The defn HAVE TASTE would point to EPICURES.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Padmanabhan18 October 2013 at 10:37

    Besr wishes for a good get together tomorrow in Hyderabad. have a good time and hopefully plan for a bigger meet!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Venkatesh18 October 2013 at 11:17

    Here is one from Arden (THC 10459):
    A bon vivant on the saga of a river (7) {EPIC}{URE}

    ReplyDelete
  19. Kishore18 October 2013 at 11:38

    Talking of hairdressers, there was a peculiar usage when I was young. Richard might have come across this. We used to say in Konkani that we were going to do 'crof' for saying 'comb our hair'. I am not sure if it was from the word 'crop' in English meaning 'cut'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard18 October 2013 at 11:53

      We are from a recent crop, you know...

      I remember that to intend a haircut it was being said 'getting a crop done'. Phew! What harvest! What yield!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 12:11

      We used to ask Dad "Crof kornu soDi"

      Delete
    3. Rengaswamy18 October 2013 at 17:37

      In Tamil we say "Pattibhishegam"

      Delete
    4. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 18:53

      We use that idiomatically for haircut

      Delete
  20. Nadathur Rajan18 October 2013 at 11:50

    Kishore's acronyms make one think. Is it Rolling On The Floor with Lots of Laughter?
    I have seen the shorter version ROFL (Rolling on floor laughing)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rengaswamy18 October 2013 at 17:38

      Rolling On The Floor Laughing Out Loud

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 18:27

      I did not ask: How?

      I confirmed in the Hyderabad: How! which translates to Haan! in North Indian Hindi

      Delete
  21. Nadathur Rajan18 October 2013 at 12:00

    Kishore's sojourn in Delhi seems to have paid off in spades. An excellent Crossword in Hindi. Wonder how he gets time to do his auditing and also puzzle us.

    He deserves to be conferred with a title. Request CV to decide and do the honours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 12:12

      I eat evenly, not oddly

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 12:14

      CV has given me an unparalleled title long back : mundrikottai

      Delete
    3. Mukundala Balasubramanyam18 October 2013 at 12:53

      If I were to confer a title, it would have been "Mandrake the Magician" !

      Delete
    4. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 13:02

      Phonetically mandrake is similar to mundrikottai

      Delete
    5. Mukundala Balasubramanyam18 October 2013 at 13:29

      ...but Mandrake is not a "nut" ;-)

      Delete
    6. Navneeth18 October 2013 at 14:15

      Well, neither is a mudrikottai, despite its name. ;-)

      Delete
    7. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 14:31

      So both names don't fit !

      Delete
    8. Rengaswamy18 October 2013 at 17:40

      Sagalakalavallavan will fit aptly.

      Delete
  22. Mukundala Balasubramanyam18 October 2013 at 12:29

    Power cuts started again in Hyderabad(Ameerpet). Morning 10:30 to 12 O'clock and evening 4:30 to 6 O'clock.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Padmanabhan18 October 2013 at 13:08

    MB,
    Shall we change it to 'Mendrake.....' since he is puzzling a whole lot of us?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mukundala Balasubramanyam18 October 2013 at 13:31

      If you wish, yes ! He's a puzzling illusionist !!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18 October 2013 at 15:57

      I have been called worse names ;-)

      Someone recently called me a cunning linguist !

      Delete
    3. Mukundala Balasubramanyam18 October 2013 at 16:18

      Very cunning of you :)

      Delete
  24. Mukundala Balasubramanyam18 October 2013 at 14:12

    It was a wonderful feeling to have spent some time with Shrikanth yesterday , here in Hyderabad. His photo in the handle, helped me in recognising him immediately(with that special beard of his) !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shrikanth18 October 2013 at 20:19

      It was my pleasure too MB . Just logging in for the day

      Delete
  25. Ajay18 October 2013 at 14:39

    Hi where is the Hindi crossword, folks?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Raghunath18 October 2013 at 14:48

    www.Crosswordunclued.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Ajay18 October 2013 at 14:58

    thanks raghu

    ReplyDelete
  28. Rangarajan18 October 2013 at 16:57

    25A I think the definition must include town also : town official

    ReplyDelete
  29. C.G. BHARGAV18 October 2013 at 18:14

    cunning linguist. Quite a tongue twister.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mukundala Balasubramanyam18 October 2013 at 19:19

      ...and if you have any doubt, see his yesterday's comment @ 9:38 !

      Delete

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