Sunday, 16 February 2014

Special, Sunday 16 Feb 2014, Rainmon


Welcome to our new setter Rainmon.

1. Three answers per commenter (with annotations) upto 6 PM.

2. Constructive suggestions welocme with comments to encourage our new setter.




ACROSS
1   A darling is on fire (6)
5   Sachin for Dravid played at me twice (8)
9   Spooner's class strike for balance of payments (5,3)
10 Scoundrel from artist's state in America (6)
11 Moon walker lost control to keep fortress (10)
12 Many withdrawn from first Olympics (4)
13 As basics represented by X, say (8)
16 Former wife's wrongful act by force (6)
17 Doctor pokes about Jack in capital (6)
19 Double reserves to cover strong female’s ultimate craze for small fabrics (8)
21 Cleaner of house in vehicle (4)
22 pico-? (10)
25 See 2D
26 Generous husband leaves wife at last to accept current (second) girlfriend (8)
27 Revolutionary hiding Mandela's men at railway court (8)
28 Frank, a former minister, say, admitting secondary relationship with model (6)

DOWN
2,25A Sprinters of relay with me (5, 6)
3   Examine tailless duck's sound (5)
4   Takes on English for a long time (7)
5   Soldiers’ relationship with commander to get a food product  (7)
6   Contract for a newlywed to wear gold crown (7)
7   Plant by setter outside toilets compound (9)
8   Pastry?  Climb hill at lunchtime to get one from Italian restaurant (9)
14 Cook ignores the last girl?  She's in a mess for tip (9)
15 City accountant at first playing to cover (9)
18 Agreement for rent sent? i.e., excluding advance(7)
19 Need drinks?  Try this solution (7)
20 Confused of first love at one time, so leaves (7)
23 I love fresh fruit (5)
24 First-rate card (5)


To attempt the crossword on a separate page follow the link RAINMON1

Enjoy.

86 comments:

  1. 13. ABSCISSA. DEF. COORDINATES. X OR Y. EG.

    ReplyDelete
  2. First two from me:

    21A - CHAR = cleaner of the house {C(H)AR} H for husband in CAR

    7D - MISTLETOE = plant - setter =ME in {TOILETS}*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Corr. the second one should read ME outside {TOILETS}*

      Delete
    2. No hangover this. Pressure of late-night work spillover.

      21A CHAR = cleaner {C(H)AR} H for house in CAR (vehicle)

      Delete
  3. 5A Sachin for Dravid played at me twice (8) TEAMMATE {(at me )* - twice )

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations to Rainmon on debuting with a very good puzzle with tight wordplay and thoughtful surfaces.

    11 Moon walker lost control to keep fortress (10) (arm-)STRONG + HOLD
    12 Many withdrawn from first Olympics (4) LOTS (T<=)
    19 Double reserves to cover strong female’s ultimate craze for small fabrics (8) TA(F)(F)(E)TAS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Corr:
      19 Double reserves to cover strong female’s ultimate craze for small fabrics (8) TA(F)(F)(E)TA (S)

      Delete
  5. 27 CH(ANC)E RY
    23 OLIVE*

    ReplyDelete
  6. 19D Need drinks? Try this solution (7) THIRSTY (Try this )*
    23 D I love fresh fruit (5) OLIVE (ILOVE)*

    ReplyDelete
  7. 1 A: A darling is on fire (6) A + FLAME
    6 A: Contract for a newlywed to wear gold crown (7) A+BRID(G)E
    14 D: Cook ignores the last girl? She's in a mess for tip (9) BAK(-e) (SHE)(ESH*)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good debut by Rainmon. Like Bhavan said no slack in the clues.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Iron man thrashed new setter (7)

    Great beginning. You have already shown signs of a great future ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  10. In clue for 5A in the Across Lite version
    FOR ' ... to get food product'
    READ ' ... to get a food product'

    ReplyDelete
  11. 17A: SKOPJE ; { POKES *} {J} Defn: capital
    15D: {CA}{PARIS}{ON} ; Defn : cover

    ReplyDelete
  12. My 3rd :
    22A: TRILLIONTH ( pico is measure for 10 to the power -12)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sub for 23 D
    18 Agreement for rent sent? i.e., excluding advance(7) ENTENTE ( r ENT s ENT i E)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sub for 19 D
    4D Takes on English for a long time (7) ENGAGES (ENG +AGES)

    ReplyDelete
  15. 3D : Examine tailless duck's sound (5) AUDIO AUDI(-t)O

    ReplyDelete
  16. 2D and 25A : Sprinters of relay with me (5, 6) FIRST PERSON (A GUESS)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Attention all SANKALAK fans:

    This is just to ensure that no one will miss reading a message posted by his elder son, Jayashankar Jayaraman, @ 12:08 this afternoon on the obituary page of THCC.

    It is a message of thanks as also a tribute to his father.

    You can also read it here.

    Some rare photographs from their family blog are here.

    His blog is here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Richard.

      The coverage in today's newspaper THE HINDU is here

      It is quite brief and I hope a full fledged article follows in the near future.

      Delete
    2. The text in the print edition (Bangalore) is slightly longer:

      Setter of crosswords P.C. Jayaraman dead

      Chennai: P.C.Jayaraman, retired Joint Secretary in the Union Finance Ministry, passed away in Coimbatore on Friday. He was 82.

      He was a noted setter of crosswords, generally known for their accessibility and precision.

      Hundreds of crosswords set by him have been published in The Hindu, first anonymously and later under the pseudonym Sankalak.

      Delete
    3. That did not do justice even if it was a tentative announcement. He had been a long-standing setter for them.

      Delete
    4. That one from Bangalore is slightly better.

      Delete
  18. 5D- Tapioca
    Food product- def.
    Sailor- TA
    Relationship- Pi
    Commander- OC (Officer Commanding)
    A- a

    Too good for a debut- much better than either Dravid or Tendulkar!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Replies
    1. Is it this way or just 1 for lunch hour since 'a' is given separately?

      Delete
    2. Bharati (BSH) meant it as I (lunchtime) + a
      auto correction did the trick

      Delete
    3. Bharati is brandx? BrandY would have been better ;-)

      Delete
    4. I thought the last 'A' comes from 'one'

      Delete
    5. DG, if you are looking for BrandY, there are different BrandZ available...

      Delete
    6. BrandY is Sam Bahadur's grand daughter!

      Delete
  20. 9A- My COD
    Trade Gap
    By spoonerism it becomes Grade Tap!
    Class- Grade
    Strike- Tap
    Balance of Payments- Def.

    ReplyDelete
  21. My post @ 11:14 about the new compiler may have sounded wee bit uncharitable.

    I amend it as: New setter thrashed iron man (7)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Good show. Keep them coming, so Col. will have a good stock and we will have good fun solving.

    ReplyDelete
  23. MB @ 2:48 it's an Anagram SPRINTERSOF*

    ReplyDelete
  24. Rainmon=Pokemon !

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks all
    Thank you Col for everything and thanks to Afterdark, Mohsin and Lakhmi for always pushing me to set a grid and help ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With the asterisk, is it a correction and anagram fodder?

      Delete
    2. As ter is risk a I would say anag fodder:)

      Delete
    3. @Ajeesh Nice xword ,enjoyed it .Keep them coming :)
      @Richard what is anagram of Lakshmi ? :)

      Delete
    4. LV 7:40 There is no single-word anagram. Hence the name is unique. No wonder -Goddess of Wealth. :-)

      Delete
    5. Ajeesh 7:12 - I don't make anything out of "As ter is risk a" as posted by you. But it can create AS AIR STRIKES.

      Delete
    6. ;-) I was trying to make a sentence from asterisk

      Delete
  26. Congrats, Ajeesh! I only know now. Great.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Congratulations Ajeesh on a very well set debut cryptic - crisp and well rounded, with a mix of various clue types.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Calling crossword setters

    Rainmon or anyone else who has the time and inclination to contribute a crossword a month (standard cryptic 15x15 such as the one that TH publishes) please send a mail to chaturvasi{at}yahoo{dot}com
    with a sample puzzle.
    If empanelled, it is obligatory to send a puzzle a month before the 5th of each month. As of now, there are no casual one-time appearances.

    ReplyDelete
  29. congratulations Ajeesh on a nice debut grid with some tight clueing (as some have pointed out already)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Rainmon, you a fan of Dustin Hoffman?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am Rain* mon not man K :)

      Delete
    2. As a part of the process of Darwinian evolution, I thought, maybe the a lost its tail

      Delete
  31. Came across an interview of Sankalak. Delightful reading, and a lovely insight into his simple and unassuming yet sharp mind. http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2011/02/interview-sankalak.html

    ReplyDelete

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