Thursday, 23 January 2014

No 10989, Thursday 23 Jan 2014, The Phantom


The Phantom's taken on the underworld today!

ACROSS
8   Dread small dog that’s grown old? (6) TERROR {TERR(-ie+o)OR}
9   Trouble returning as girl with reluctance crosses path of 15 (8) GANGSTER {GAN<=}{G}{ST}{ER}
10 Crook’s crown placed on one-time gangster (8) CRIMINAL {CR}{1}{MIN}{AL}
11 Criminal directed to stay within Perth’s interiors (6) ERRANT {pER{RAN}Th}
12 Crazy losing head over pineapples (6) ANANAS bANANAS
13 Runner, complacent sprained leg in inaugural race (8) SMUGGLER {SMUG}{LEG*}{R}
15 Mobster’s cover: smokestack (7) HOODLUM {HOOD}{LUM}
17 Betrayal by agent back on Friday, taking away radium (7) PERFIDY {PER<=}{FrIDaY}
20 Doorbell fixed on cathouse (8) BORDELLO*
22 Outrage and row after umpire’s odd selection (6) UPROAR {UmPiRe}{OAR}
23 Fugitive’s awl? (6) OUTLAW {AWL}*
25 Cunningly lure trio with this purpose? (8) ULTERIOR*
26 Sailor crosses river, in time to head south to quays (8) HARBOURS {H{A{R}B}OUR}{S}
27 Couple of boys going round an antelope (3-3) DIK-DIK <=

DOWN
1   Attack and rip report in two (4,4) TEAR INTO {TEAR} {INTO} (~in two)
2   Expert soldiers of French origin in air defence marched (10) PROMENADED {PRO}{MEN}{A{DE}D}
3   Apes with very large frames stood on ground (not level) (6) ORANGS {O{RAN}{Ground}S}
4   Everlasting, perhaps hair cream base found in a vessel (7) AGELESS {A}{GEL}{E}{SS}
5   Girl’s kiss sure to leave son with attachment (8) ANNEXURE {ANNE}{X}{sURE}
6   Addict’s drug supplier is outside pub (4) USER Anno pending (Addendum - pUShER - See comments)
7   Person with heart of a cheeseparer, in other words, a selfish person (6) MEANIE {M{E}AN}{IE}
14 Forgo and risk everything? (2,3,5) GO FOR BROKE {FORGO}*
16 Gun with no-good leader of L.E.T is highly illegal (8) UNLAWFUL {gUN}{L}{AWFUL}
18 Wicked individual engaged in spread of spurious oil is caught (8) DIABOLIC {B{I}AD}{OIL*}{C}
19 Fashionable and very coquettish. Not right (7) VOGUISH {V}{rOGUISH}
21 Playful jack’s dropped eyepiece (6) OCULAR jOCULAR
22 Disorganised, failing in duty (6) UNTIDY*
24 Barium used by students in research centres (4) LABS {L{BA*}S}


44 comments:

  1. 6D pUShER ph=public house=pub

    User, Ulterior and Bordello could also be theme words. A little more stretch would bring Harbours also into it.

    Just sent to toon, Deepak.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Harbours brought two things to mind. One, harbouring criminals. Second, those people planted in concrete in drums and dumped in harbours in some old Phantom comics, and eaten by the fishes leaving skeletons with a concrete base.

      Delete
  2. Enjoyed the roguish crossword :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Being near the Deep Woods, have you had the pleasure of seeing Mr Walker walk?

      Delete
    2. I think it's a long walk from where Sandhya lives the Deep Woods. Gachibowli I think is her place.

      Delete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Kishire: Loved the cartoon - very apt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops, that was supposed to be KISHORE.

      Delete
    2. My concept behind the cartoon was the mathematical riddle of rounding a square. But you seem to have gone one step ahead and made a round into an i. ;-)

      Delete
    3. Puts me in the same league as Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Berkshire, Yorkshire and the lot

      Delete
  5. It is a pity that there is no goonda or dada among the gang.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With the number of goondas or dadas around, even the Phantom would have his hands full. Unless, of course,he is an Indian film hero.

      Your ref. to Indian thugs reminded me of the stellar MB Shetty

      Delete
    2. The good old Bollywood baddie the late Muddu B Shetty's son Rohit Shetty has made a name as a director in slapstick comedies of Golmaal series and also appeared as a judge in Comedy Circus TV shows.

      Delete
    3. Poor Shetty was always getting beaten by the heroes after initial successes in the fights

      Delete
  6. Today The Hindu BusinessLine has launched a two-way quick/cryptic crossword.
    Available in the web edition just as we get THC.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice concept. Keeping the words same in both helps a beginner to get an additional defn.

      Delete
    2. Nothing new!
      I first met this in Sun crosswords called 'coffeebreak'.
      Don't know if there is an earlier version than Sun's.

      Internet research has revealed that the TH BL crossword is syndicated.

      http://www.knightfeatures.com/KFWeb/content/features/kffeatures/puzzlesandcrosswords/LUC/twowayxw/twowayxw9369.htm

      Uses the same grid but different sets of clues.

      Delete
  7. 14 Forgo and risk everything? (2,3,5) GO FOR BROKE {FORGO}*
    DD 1) risk everything
    2) reverse anag (GO FOR)* (broke - AnagrInd) = FORGO

    ReplyDelete
  8. Similarly, for 23Ac Fugitive’s awl? (6) OUTLAW {AWL}*
    fugtitive = OUTLAW
    (LAW)* = AWL (out - AnagrInd)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would not call these DD. They are both rev. anagrams and the Colonel has shown them has such, though he may not have explicity mentioned the words rev.anag.

    ReplyDelete
  10. 18 Wicked individual engaged in spread of spurious oil is caught (8) DIABOLIC {B{I}AD}{OIL*}{C}
    spread = DAB, individual - I
    {D(I)AB}{OLI*}{C}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This clue has smooth and excellent surface reading! Congrats to the setter.

      Delete
    2. Tks CV. Col's anno makes it look like an an&lit. But spread is redundant. I had the anno in mind which SR has put in.

      Delete
    3. Surface is nice, but I thought there were a couple of issues. "Of" is not a part of wordplay and "is" ain't neither. And these linkwords aren't generally considered fair.

      Delete
  11. A doubt about 16D- How do we get 'awful'. Again from 'no good' or from 'highly' (in which case it would become awfully?

    Considering the CW is on the harder side I am glad to have got more than pass mark, no distinction for sure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Had the same question at first. Both Chambers & free dict list awful as adverb as well (where it equates to highly).

      Delete
  12. Off topic: One Jennifer is stalking me in the Spam folder, trying to have a talking-to..
    Please advise what I should do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Reflected maps may not be what they look like

      Delete
    2. Reflected a while to decode 'reflected maps'!!

      Delete
    3. CV 9:04: Soon Joan and Jean may follow suit. But first consult wifey.

      Is there any law to protect harassed males? Just curious to know.

      Delete
    4. Richard, You got it! I raised the question with exactly that thought in my mind.

      There are so many women leaders (most of them look alike, most of them are vociferous, most of them may not have a stirring even when a male wearing Axe passes by) who are ready to take the cudgels on behalf of women, but is there one man speaking for harassed males?

      Delete
    5. Take up axes against cudgels?

      Delete
    6. Nope, quite the reverse: take up cudgels against battle-axes

      Delete
  13. You could add BORDELLO and maybe GO FOR BROKE also to the theme

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow!! Every new setter's coming up with a themed puzzle these days.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice one from The Phantom, enjoyed solving it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hard struggle for me today, but better than yesterday. Managed to get pass marks, 60% :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Kishore, 9:02 Main shire toh nahin, magar....

    How about Bannerghattashire?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arre yaar mere tum bhi ho gazab ...

      Delete
  18. Nice one from TGWW. I particularly liked the grown as the substitution indicator in 1Ac.

    Col,
    Is it also possible to add other labels apart from themed ? If it is not too much work can this be added ?

    We seem to have 4 types of 'special crosswords' 1) Themed 2) Pangram 3) Nina 4) Clue Acrostic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What do the others have to say on the above suggestion?

      Delete

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