Saturday, 2 November 2013

No 10920, Saturday 02 Nov 2013, Skuldugger


HAPPY DIWALI

ACROSS
5   British wastrel’s Irish accent (6) BROGUE {B}{ROGUE}
6   Capable of getting absorbed in a small area understood by few (6) ARCANE {AR{CAN}Ea}
9   Liable to change (6) LABILE* &lit
10 Where players go when they exit gates! (8) OFFSTAGE [CD] (Addendum - {OFF}{GATES}* - See comments)
11 Skimpy article of clothing Caitlin imprudently sports riding up (4) MINI [T<=]
12 Incapable of accepting proposal as it is not appropriate (10) UNSUITABLE {UN{SUIT}ABLE}
13 Tron’s unique, quirky but illogical rejoinder (3,8) NON SEQUITUR*
18 To go round giving invitation to teacher to release one’s frustrations verbally? (10) CIRCUMVENT (~sir come}{CIRCUM}{VENT}
21 Traditional Indian melody about jelly (4) AGAR <=
22 Very laconic, composed, but given to sudden outbursts (8) VOLCANIC {V}{LACONIC*}
23 Consent manufactured by a couple of congress leaders or Democrat (6) ACCORD {A}{C}{C}{OR}{D}
24 Earring and ring one concealed in workroom (6) STUDIO {STUD}{1}{O}
25 Raise in relief, give 'em to the chief (6) EMBOSS {EM}{BOSS}

DOWN
1   It is prudent to take nothing from someone running for office (8) POLITICO {POLITIC}{O}
2   Chest, back massage with water from France (6) BUREAU {BUR<=}{EAU}
3   Wall art showcasing tennis star Stefanie in great shape overcoming Agassi finally (8) GRAFFITI {GRAF}{FIT}{I}
4   Fellow's art dissipated by incantation (6) MANTRA {MAN}{ART*}
5   Get out of here, get a degree, get engaged in an activity (4,2) BEAT IT {BE}{AT IT}
7   Endless rent disparity to overwhelm (6) ENGULF {rENt}{GULF}
8   Upshot of putting criminals in a line-up? (11) CONSEQUENCE {CON}{SEQUENCE}
14 Concerned with ‘meaning’, our race gets involved in hunt for alien life and pursues First Contact (8) SEMANTIC {SE{MAN}TI}{C}
15 Punch oar excitedly, ready to set sail (2-6) UP-ANCHOR*
16 Leading couples in Virginstow, Northampton usually like wine (6) VINOUS {VI}{NO}{US}
17 Old city where rasam’s made almost before the morning’s evanesced (6) MADRAS {RASAM+maDe}* (Addendum - {MADe}{RASam} - See comments)
19 Hundred and fifty escaped from prison mess (6) COCKUP {C}{lOCKUP}
20 Emotional distress shielded by 4 you repeated (6) TRAUMA {manTRA}{U}{MAntra}

36 comments:

  1. Wishing all our friends here all the very best for Diwali

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A volcanic Diwali to you too, Kishore ;-)

      Delete
    2. Happy Diwali to you too and everyone on THCC.

      Delete
    3. A happy Diwali / Deepavali to one and all.

      Delete
  2. Pardon the minimalistic puzzle toon today. With the mornings festivities, had little time to draw ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Still figuring out the Paradise part

      Delete
    2. There are times when Kishore's quips are harder to figure out than Skuldugger's puzzles which btw was less than his usual level of difficulty.

      Happy Diwali to all at THCC.

      Delete
    3. To quote from Lee Falk, "This is one of those times" ...

      Delete
    4. @Kishore,
      That thought did occur to me, while writing.

      Delete
    5. Paradise is one of the approach points to this mountain.

      Delete
  3. Happy Deepavali to everyone here.

    20D- clue not understood though I was able to fill in, particularly the deletion part.

    No holiday announcement in Chennai 9nee,Madras- thank you Skulldugger! Not even Deepavali wishes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ditto in Bang Ed. Though a few days back there was a mention that since there was going to be no Sunday paper the classifieds usually printed on that day would be printed on Saturday.

      Delete
    2. 20 Emotional distress shielded by 4 you repeated (6) TRAUMA {manTRA}{U}{MAntra}

      I read it as: Mantra (4), u Mantra (repeated)(i.e. repeated mantra). I think the clue does not convey the meaning.

      Delete
    3. There is no deletion. It is an embedded clue [T]

      Delete
    4. It could be interpreted as [mantra u] repeatedly = mantra u mantra u, which still makes it a telescopic, albeit the surplus 'u'

      Delete
  4. 10A is a reverse anagram
    Def: "Where players go when they exit". GATES = Off (stage)*

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Deepavali to everyone on THCC ! There is no issue of the Hindu tomorrow (Sunday) in Hyderabad.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Who says there is no 'no-paper-tomorrow' announcement in today's CH edn? Look carefully right on the front page.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vinod Raman has won the 4th round and is currently topping the Leaderboard. All the best to him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unable to connect to the IXL site today

      Delete
    2. :-(

      Password issues again? I had no problem connecting at 1030.

      Delete
    3. Not password issue. Managed to connect around 4 PM only

      Delete
    4. Then it should be ok, I think. Though it does affect your score in this round, I think the effect is not significant, keeping in view your cumulative performance.

      Delete
  8. HAPPY DEEPAVALI to all.

    7 D - Clarification - When You say 'endless', it indicates both sides or one side removal.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Manuals have it that endless means deletion of last letter only.

    But as any word has two ends, why cannot 'endless' mean deletion of head and tail? This is an extreme opinion.

    I am merely answering your query - not wrt the clue above a I have not looked at it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it odd that words have two ends, but only one ending and one beginning

      Delete
  10. Happy Diwali to all !

    As regards 'endless', I have seen it being used by setters for deletion of not only the last letter but also the two ends of a word. The Chambers Crossword Dictionary allows both usages: ends deletion indicator and tail deletion indicator. Similarly, setters use 'edge' to select either the first letter or the ends of a word.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My edition of CCD (2006) does not indicate this.

      Annapoorani may have a later, revised edition.

      Delete
    2. CV sir,

      You're right. Mine is the latest edition of CCD.

      Delete
    3. I raised this question in a UK forum and a verdict has been provided by the forum owner, a leading UK setter:

      http://www.ukpuzzle.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=525

      Delete
  11. Sorry CV. I think it is due to colouring- I was browned out, in spite of searching for it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wishing everyone a very happy Deepavali.

    Nice one from SK, a couple of questions though:
    17D: Made is part of fodder, so not sure if I could locate an Anag. Ind.
    14D: IMO, Pursues is a bit misleading for a link word. I would expect A pursues B to be BA.

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com