Monday, 23 December 2013

No.10963, Monday 23 Dec 2013, Sankalak



HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO

COL. DEEPAK GOPINATH

ON WINNING THE IXL CHAMPIONSHIP

He was always the uncrowned King of Crosswords and now he has been officially coronated !


A classic Sankalak that will make your Monday morning blues disappear!
 
ACROSS
1 Prison time for a derelict without wife (7) STRETCH  (ST wRETCH)  When I test solved this puzzle, the word 'Street' was present before the word 'derelict'


5 Forceful holding of skipper by leaders of ultra radical establishment (7) CAPTURE  (CAPT. U R E)
10 A bite for the walrus, large (6) MORSEL (MORSE L) Morse is an archaic English word for walrus
11 Generous artist caught in defamation (7) LIBERAL (RA in LIBEL)
12 Old students get the luminary off-track, confused (6) ALUMNI (LUMINAry)*
13 Article found in a side street while travelling (2,3,3) BY THE WAY (THE in BY WAY)
14 Mother soaked in dye by a brute (6) ANIMAL (MA in ANIL)
15 Go back to the start of the tape (6) REWIND (CD)
18 Tree seen in a city (American) covered by prohibitory order (6) BANYAN (A NY covered by BAN)
          Sankalak has deftly sidestepped the a/an controversy by using a parenthesis and avoiding 'an American city'
20 Weaken the little devil with wind (6) IMPAIR (IMP AIR)
23 Lee talks ramblingly about bones (8) SKELETAL (LEE TALKS)*
          Reminded  me of Lee Falk's Ghost...
25 A specific aspect of French follower (6) DETAIL (DE TAIL)
26 A cockerel on glorious song, here, soon (3,4) ERE LONG (T)
27 Sick? Call back leaders in Unani practice (4,2) LAID UP (DIAL< U P)
28 Long, thin lines right inside cuts of beef (7) STREAKS (R in STEAKS)
29 Backlog of work stored in unfamiliar rear shelves (7) ARREARS (T)
DOWN
2 Blow the horn? As well let rip! (6) TOOTLE (TOO LET*)
3 Dough got without effort by corrupt yeomen, say (4,5) EASY MONEY (YEOMEN SAY)*
4 Element of a musical composition with soprano replaced by leader of chorus (7) CALCIUM (MUSICAL-S+C)*
6 Referee a retired artist, one with a tendency to chew (7) ARBITER (RA< BITER)
7 A shield to shorten the aim (5) TARGE (TARGEt)
           Reminded me of Vitatstatistix's mode of transport
8 Knowledge acquired afresh about old king supported by books (8) RELEARNT (RE LEAR NT)
9 A large house, top in grandeur, in this world that is a single community (6,7) GLOBAL VILLAGE (A L VILLA G in GLOBE) ie (GLOB(A L VILLA G)E)
16 Indicator of middle age spread (9) WAISTLINE (CD)
          Where things go to waste, as exemplified by Vitalstatistix
17 Accommodation for car passenger with unsolicited advice (4-4) BACK SEAT (CD)
19 The web, perhaps, handy for old boys! (7) NETWORK (CD, ref to Old boys network)
          Where they can stay Linked in
21 Quiet snake, with a bit of labour, gets boat person (7) PADDLER (P ADDER with L)
22 Drink makes loser quit dancing, abandoning set (6) LIQUOR (LOseR QUIt)*
24 Feudal superior who could be mendacious with extremes of grace (5) LIEGE (LIE GE)

84 comments:

  1. Thanks Kishore. Fabulous drawing. Shall preserve it for keeps

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pardon the plagiarisation of the earlier sketch. The only change I made was add the diagonal strap of the bag you were wearing at the finals and rejig it a bit.

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    2. Nice one,the only objection I got is, it's supposed be a King, but you've drawn a Prince ;)

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    3. I am informed by Richard that there is no such word as plagiarisation. I did find it in some online dictionaries, but their credentials may not be impeccable. I stand corrected. In fact, even plagiarism would be a wrong usage in this context as the essence of plagiarism is pinching someone other person's stuff and depicting it as mine. Hence, it might be proper to use 'recycling' in the above context.

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    4. Thanks to Richard for pointing it out

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    5. @Kishore Where is the crown? :)
      Nice portrait :)

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    6. The clown left out the crown intentionally. The 'K' coneys everything. Beyond that would be sycophancy ...

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    7. Or as AWAD says today, it would make me a lickspittle

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  2. I had been to Bangalore for the IXL finals last Saturday and had the opportunity of meeting our friends with whom I have been corresponding over blogs for the last few years. It was great. It was touching when the first thing CV asked on entering the venue was "Where is Venkatesh?"
    Hearty Congratulations to Deepak, Vinod Raman and others.

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  3. 24 Anno should be LIE with GE.

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  4. Congratulations Colonel on acing Indian Crossword League. We, THC addicts, are overjoyed.

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  5. Just repeating my congrats to Col sa'ab.

    12A - I am often amused to read expressions like 'He is an alumni of so-and-so institution'. The singular form is alumnus. (Feminine: alumna in singular and alumnae in plural form).

    Two other examples of wrong expressions we come across are phenomenon and criterion, which are singular forms. Many a time they are wrongly used as 'It is a phenomena' or 'the criteria is...' and the like. 'It is a phenomenon' and 'the criterion is ...' are correct forms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I once came across a lady called Philomena. Maybe in reality she was two philo-menons

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    2. I don't watch TV serials, much less Kannada TV serials.

      Any conversation in these serials I hear is by accident when I walk into a room to get something.

      Today in a Kannada serial a young woman was complaining to her husband over the phone about her father-in-law's "stomach-burning" about something that she does.

      A translation of the Kannada expression "hottae uriththae" and equivalents in other vernaculars.other:

      Attn: Richard. Is the word 'vernacular' OK? Or does it have any hoity-toity or disparaging air about it?

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    3. Now then, CV, you have laid a trap. Kishore is sure to see some varna or colour in it!

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    4. I don't believe in varna, since I am colour blind!

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    5. As it is well-known, the vernacular is the commonly spoken language or dialect of a particular people or place, or jargon relating to a particular trade, occupation etc.

      I have come across some English papers often referring to the 'vernacular press', which I find to be patently smacking of condescension. Perhaps the tone has emanated from the Latin root vernaculus, meaning 'belonging to a household slave (verna=household slave).

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    6. With ref. to CV's Kannada usage of "hoTTae" or "stomach", it reminds me that there is/was a political outfit called HoTTae Paksha in Bangalore

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  6. Excellent cartoon. Beautiful sketching, no prob about using a sketch/part of a sketch from the past with modifications in another fresh cartoon.
    Talking of cartoons, Subhani (who was a pocket cartoonist) is now doing some main cartoons in color in DC - I like them.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. Actually both the cartoons are self-plagiarisation. Talking of prisons, a politician recently said that everyone should go to jail once. When the nation is asking for removal of convicts from parliament, a leader proposes just the opposite - almost making it a precondition.

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    2. I would not qualify under those proposed conditions, but if being in a mental hospital is considered a suitable qualification, I will again be in the fray. I was once in NIMHANS ...



      ... to make and attest a will for an inmate with the doctor being the witness certifying that the person was in a sane frame of mind when he made the will.

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  7. Kishore, That caricature of Deepak should appear after 10A.))

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    Replies
    1. I was planning to link it to the walrus, but forgot at the last moment.

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    2. Suresh, 10:10, that would mean raising the (handle)bar,,,

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  8. Hearty congratulations to Ry. Col. Deepak Gopinath and the other toppers from Bengaluru.

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    Replies
    1. I have seen Ry used, but always wondered what it stood for. Any answers? Or were you planning to use Retd., CGB?

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  9. Recently I received an invitation with the bridegrooms name appearing as Chi.Ry.
    I googled to find that Ry. stands for Rajamanya meaning King.

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  10. It it was RY, I would have said Robust and Youthful. Well, as for Rajamanya, indeed he is...

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  11. An article on the IXL Finals has appeared in The Telegraph today.

    Read it at THE TELEGRAPH

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  12. The Chennai edition of TH in the 'Variety' page today carries a brief agency report on the IXL. The title has 'Bangalorean' as the winner.

    Qn: Now that Bangalore is Bengaluru what do you call a resident of that city.

    It is a misnomer to be calling him/her as Bangalorean.

    It seems journalists work in a groove or beaten track and don't think of such dilemmas.

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    Replies
    1. CV,

      NR had a doubt yesterday on the MANGALORE clue in yesterday's special which was the prelim CW in the finale. I don't think you would have read it

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    2. Surprisingly nothing on the variety page in the Bang Ed

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  13. I read 'The Telegraph' report.

    I hope Kishore doesn't get any ideas for a cartoon from the caption that TT has given to the news item !!!

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    Replies
    1. Wham, bam, thank you, ....

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    2. I hope Mohsin doesn't take me to court for 'beating' him

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    3. Thank heavens, news headlines are not evidence

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  14. @Richard 9:03 'Terminus' - 'Terminii' also join the league - isn't it?

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    Replies
    1. Ram 11:13 - Such nouns with irregular plurals fall under the same category. There are many of their kind like fungus-fungi, radius-radii, abacus-abaci, syllabus-syllabi, bacillus-bacilli, cactus-cacti, magus-magii, nucleus-nuclei, uterus-uteri and many others. Crossword-setters trap us with such nouns many times.

      I was harping on the wrong usage of commonly used words like criterion and phenomenon.

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  15. No Monday blues ! It was a cakewalk for me but for 1 Across and 2 Down. ST in 1 Across Anno is not clear.

    Thanks Sankalak, for an entertaining CW !

    ReplyDelete
  16. RY is Rajasree? as an appelation?

    CV: Bengalooruavaru?

    Kishore: Would like a cartoon of the Col twirling his moosh northerly, razor sharp, in pride a la - Shaheed Bhagat Singh?

    As for prison as a pre-condition for being a politican or a parliamentarian, ask Lallu -a ala- Prasad Yadav and Kill=-lladi Suresh, who are glorified upon release on bail?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have never seen him twirl it. What I have seen are:

      A. Comb it
      B. Use the edge of his thumb on the lower edge of the curvature in a side swiping motion to sort of prop it up. For understanding what I mean, please see video clip in Shuchi's blog

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    2. Does he carry item "A" too in that bag of his ?! No offence meant please :)

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    3. Item A is carried in the back pocket and what should be in the back pocket gets carried in the bag :-)

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    4. Bengalooruavaru is fine. Similar to Chennaian - so natural. And they call them Chennaite or Chennai-ite or some such nonsensical term.

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  17. Visit Crossword Unclued to see some video reports on the IXL

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  18. RU 11:18 I knew only one Rajshree, daughter of Padma Vibhushan Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre (1901-1990), the Hindi film-maker from Kannada roots, who was commonly known as V Shantaram.

    He gave us classics like Do Aankhen Baarah Haath, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne, Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli and many others.

    Rajshree acted in a few movies. While shooting for Around the World in 8 Dollars with Raj Kapoor in the US she fell in love with an American and soon got married to him, leaving one or two movies under production in the lurch. .

    Among the movies of hers which I had seen, Suhaag Raat was best remembered - but it was for the storyline and lilting music by Kalyanji Anandji than any histrionics.

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  19. Copy pasted below is what CV has erroneously posted in yesterday's post

    Instant wordgame
    Add two more lines - a rhyming couplet to that in Kishore's cartoon.
    Mine:
    Inside, the warders may secretly keep track
    Of me, outside my wife keeps me on the rack!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My two lines:

      Once out, I am free to steal and loot -
      But while home: freedom? My foot!

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  20. Richard: I meant RajA sree and not Rajshree- an a makes it male and minus a makes it a female !

    Raja sree could have its roots from Maha raja raja sree ? Pilferred and plagiarised as MR?

    To add on to your peeve : Agendum and Corrigendum?

    As for the actress Rajsree :She was just a glamourpuss and no great as an actress ! she was known for her frontal dental assets and bouffon !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RU: I was not disputing your point on the word but was trying to add a humorous touch. And regarding your remarks on her histrionics, full marks to you! Thank Goodness you added that word 'dental' there, otherwise....

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    2. There may have been more than one Rajashree or Rajshri.
      In Kadhalikka Nermaillai, the Tamil romantic film, remember one of these in the song sequence 'Anubhavam pudhumai'. (She was hugging...... just a pillow.
      The song sequence may not be 'hot' by the present day standards but in those days an actress wearing a diaphanous dress might have been a 'hit'.
      What is this? 'They say 'twerking' was invented by someone abroad recently!
      Haven't we seen this in our films long before?

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  21. Kishore: you have raised the level of pun to a paronomasia; (paramapitha of Asia ?) lets use this word instead of pun for fun !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Which pun prompted you to say that?

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  22. Entry for CV's contest:

    After his wife realised that with the female warden he was living in sin,
    Three times did we let him out, and three times did he climb back in.

    Partly inspired by "I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse" (JC).

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    Replies
    1. Talking of husbands climbing into beds, who can forget Roald Dahl's story, The Great Switcheroo ?.

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  23. Congratulations Col Sir.
    The bloggers here have taught me the art of crossword and I am happy that one among them has won the IXL.

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  24. Sankalak's crossies are a gentleman's way of teasing one's brains--very decent , gentle and smooth like taking a toddler on his first steps. The stuff as crossies ought to be.

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  25. Heartiest congrats Col sir, I don't know if you remember me, but I used to be a regular visitor/ commentor of your wonderful blog few years ago. Sadly, work and other commitments have kept me away from crosswords and this blog for the last few years. never imagined xword competitions would be conducted in India also and kudos to the organisers for the initiative. Hope its not a one off event and would love to participate in some future edition

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Maddy, I do remember you, have forgotten your real name though if ever you had revealed it.

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  26. Am Anish Madhavan. Had been outside on work for few years, back now and at Kochi for the time being

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  27. 16D - Does anyone remember the topical that Amul had come out with over two decades ago, alluding to Air India's fiat on airhostesses' age limit?

    It spoke of something like the middle age spread. It was withdrawn when a ruckus was raised. Amul only conveyed the message of the spreading of butter. Trying to sound very innocuous, I presume...

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  28. I was an avid follower of Amul Ad's for a very long time as well as that of Air India. But I do not remember this particular ad. But I do remember the ruckus not only about the ad but also about air hostess's age limit. You seem to have some access to Amul ads. can you back in time & search?

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    Replies
    1. Paddy, 4:35 - I have the entire collection since 1976. May need some time to pore over them.

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    2. From 1976?!! Great! Treasure trove ! I do enjoy your monthly forwards. Maybe I should start collecting them too.

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  29. Hi Maddy !

    You may not know me but I do remember the comment by you made on May 20, 2009 in Suchi's Crossword Unclued column regarding "THC Setters : Your views" !
    Your assessment of various setters was apt and I liked, in particular, your assessment of Nita Jaggi very much ! Wish to see your comments in this blog too.

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    Replies
    1. Those were the days ... Thanks Bala ( hope I can call you that) for reminding me of those good old days... Lots have changed since then and looking at the setters' bylines on the blog archive I can see that The Hindu Crossword line-up has also been overhauled ...Unfortunately, I have not solved the crosswords of the new lot of setters but I gather that the change is for the better. Will try and drop in whenever I can, its always great to make new friends here and catch up with old ones, though am not sure how many of them are still around

      BTW does anybody still group solve the Old Times crossword which used to be published in The Hindustan Times? I had very pleasant memories of solving those on the Orkut group managed by CV sir, am not sure if the group is still alive since I no longer have an orkut account.

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    2. Yes. But it needs more participation. We had a good group going with Bhavan, Venkatesh, Sandhya, CV, and Col. It's now at:

      http://xwordsolutions.wordpress.com/

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    3. Thanks Maddy, for responding to my post. You can call me Bala. Most of the bloggers here call me MB, as my name is quite a long one, like Hanuman's tail !

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    4. I suggest retention of MB as there is another gentleman called Bhala !

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    5. MB, could you please send me your email id at kishoremrao@hotmail.com

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    6. MB, I need your email ID too. Pls msg me at rlasrado@gmail.com.

      Delete
  30. Talking of moustaches, I cannot but help recollect the David and Manorama pair in Hindi movies. She never permitted him to keep it twirled up, so he would let it droop on the side of his visible to her, but keep it pointing up on the other side to assert himself ...

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  31. I got just 7 answers in 30 mins for IXL puzzle

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  32. Was watching the Mohd Rafi special on Sony Mix and on seeing the clip 'Dil ke jharokon mein tujh ko bhiTaker ...' from Brahmachari, recalled the discussion today about Rajshree ...

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