The days of us enjoying his puzzles are numbered, so the dichotomy of anticipation of the next puzzle and also the fear that it will be the last, makes me even more nostalgic of Sankalak.
I thought this puzzle was absolutely top-drawer with smooth surfaces and excellent wordplays. I started listing the clues that I liked and decided it is easier to say all. Still, ANGSTROM, AURAL, PACHYDERM, MINERAL WATER, OPEN SEASON, SMOKERS were all crafted wonderfully. Also noticed quite a few French references.
ACROSS
1 Cloth-maker with the might to make a vague threatening appearance (5,4) POWER LOOM (POWER + LOOM)
5 Funny mantra, one accepted by hollow critic (5) COMIC (OM + I inside CritiC)
8 Disney went round northern university for a seed (6) WALNUT (WALT outside N U)
9 An extremely small measure — not grams, silly! (8) ANGSTROM (NOT GRAMS)*
11 Trains // for birds which have been in the news (4) EMUS (DD)
12 State of isolation as tirade in English may lead to (10) QUARANTINE (QUA + RANT + IN + E)
14 After a short time, the little dog might finish off what is left of the enemy (3,2) MOP, UP (MO + PUP)
15 Back up LPG needed in a way for pasta (7) LASAGNE (GAS<= inside LANE)
16 Beautiful girl // who might knock one out (7) STUNNER (DD)
17 A range of the ear (5) AURAL (A + URAL)
19 Weed, tough one, somehow was more significant (10) OUTWEIGHED (WEED TOUGH I)*
20 Pale brown colour seen in a fine crust (4) ECRU (T)
22 Cutting out old prisoner going around statistical body of India (8) EXCISION (EX + CON outside ISI)
23 Customs permit for a motor with safety device (6) CARNET (CAR + NET)
24 The soft lustre seen in that girl gets two points (5) SHEEN (SHE + E + N)
25 Thick-skinned creature in a dry camp: he went crazy (9) PACHYDERM (DRY CAMP HE)*
DOWN
1 Take one and make a quick departure (6) POWDER (CD)
2 Bristly growth as sported by David Boon? (6,9) WALRUS MOUSTACHE (CD)
4 Rare malt wine, treated, is a safe drink (7,5) MINERAL WATER (RARE MALT WINE)*
5 The mafia is a negative in a business university in South India (4,6) COSA NOSTRA (NO inside CO + SASTRA)
6 Union permit? (8,7) MARRIAGE LICENCE (CD)
7 Strive hard like the French nobleman taking physical education (7) COMPETE (COMTE outside PE)
10 They drink wine with a set of people who help each other (7,5) SUPPORT GROUP (SUP + PORT + GROUP)
13 When it is legitimate to hunt for apes, no one’s bothered (4,6) OPEN SEASON (APES NO ONES)
16 Their habit is singular, irksome: flustered, I quit (7) SMOKERS (S +iRKSOME)*
18 “Age cannot wither her, nor … stale her infinite variety” (Antony and Cleopatra) (6) CUSTOM (GK)
21 Change with victory on a track (4) VARY (V + A + RY)
I thought this puzzle was absolutely top-drawer with smooth surfaces and excellent wordplays. I started listing the clues that I liked and decided it is easier to say all. Still, ANGSTROM, AURAL, PACHYDERM, MINERAL WATER, OPEN SEASON, SMOKERS were all crafted wonderfully. Also noticed quite a few French references.
ACROSS
1 Cloth-maker with the might to make a vague threatening appearance (5,4) POWER LOOM (POWER + LOOM)
8 Disney went round northern university for a seed (6) WALNUT (WALT outside N U)
9 An extremely small measure — not grams, silly! (8) ANGSTROM (NOT GRAMS)*
11 Trains // for birds which have been in the news (4) EMUS (DD)
12 State of isolation as tirade in English may lead to (10) QUARANTINE (QUA + RANT + IN + E)
14 After a short time, the little dog might finish off what is left of the enemy (3,2) MOP, UP (MO + PUP)
15 Back up LPG needed in a way for pasta (7) LASAGNE (GAS<= inside LANE)
16 Beautiful girl // who might knock one out (7) STUNNER (DD)
17 A range of the ear (5) AURAL (A + URAL)
19 Weed, tough one, somehow was more significant (10) OUTWEIGHED (WEED TOUGH I)*
20 Pale brown colour seen in a fine crust (4) ECRU (T)
22 Cutting out old prisoner going around statistical body of India (8) EXCISION (EX + CON outside ISI)
23 Customs permit for a motor with safety device (6) CARNET (CAR + NET)
24 The soft lustre seen in that girl gets two points (5) SHEEN (SHE + E + N)
25 Thick-skinned creature in a dry camp: he went crazy (9) PACHYDERM (DRY CAMP HE)*
DOWN
1 Take one and make a quick departure (6) POWDER (CD)
2 Bristly growth as sported by David Boon? (6,9) WALRUS MOUSTACHE (CD)
Image belongs to www.virginmedia.com
3 Note about where in France to find a rake (4) ROUE (RE outside OU)4 Rare malt wine, treated, is a safe drink (7,5) MINERAL WATER (RARE MALT WINE)*
6 Union permit? (8,7) MARRIAGE LICENCE (CD)
7 Strive hard like the French nobleman taking physical education (7) COMPETE (COMTE outside PE)
10 They drink wine with a set of people who help each other (7,5) SUPPORT GROUP (SUP + PORT + GROUP)
13 When it is legitimate to hunt for apes, no one’s bothered (4,6) OPEN SEASON (APES NO ONES)
16 Their habit is singular, irksome: flustered, I quit (7) SMOKERS (S +
18 “Age cannot wither her, nor … stale her infinite variety” (Antony and Cleopatra) (6) CUSTOM (GK)
21 Change with victory on a track (4) VARY (V + A + RY)
Superb cluing - loved solving it!
ReplyDelete+ ...
DeleteAny number there would be too small
Niceee...Angstrom my COD
ReplyDeleteSimply superb ! Missed only 1 Down.(POWDER). Had to Google 18 Dn for CUSTOM.
ReplyDeleteThe slangy idiom in 1d seems to be similar to our Tamil dhoosi kilapparadhu.
ReplyDeleteWhen a criminal mounts on a horse and makes a hasty getaway on hearing that the police are on the way, he will no doubt create a lost of dust (powder) in his wake.
Note that the idiom is 'take a powder' - not just 'take powder'. Hence 'take one' as the def.
But 'dhool kilapparathu' has entirely different meaning!
DeleteHow did dhool become a Tamil word? Did anyone take a permission from the patriarch of this State? not to forget that we all come out of dhhool and end up in handful of dhool !!
DeleteIn Tamil the same word applies for 'dust' and ''bits, fragments' - but with difference in pronunciation (dhool, thool). However, speakers are notorious for being careless, I think.
DeleteWhat is 'pattaiya kelapparathu'?
+1 for Bhavan's opening remark.
ReplyDeleteDid not get the reference to powder until I saw the blog.
+2 for Bhavan's remarks.
ReplyDeleteTruly enjoyable puzzle.
We will remember Sankalak always.
LOST : Orkut is not found ! What's ERROR 404? Lodged a complaint with the local police station !!
ReplyDeleteJoining after a bit of gap. Loved the puzzle; +.... as Kishore Said for Bhavan's Remarks & Blog.
ReplyDeletePlus +++... for Bhawan's remarks.
ReplyDeleteMamaged to track down Orkut from my PC ! Great effort by immortal Sankalak !
ReplyDelete\
Where's every one today? Quarantined at home? work place?
How would any one classify the Col's mous?
Mohan Bhagwat too has a walrus moustache
ReplyDeleteMore pronounced was Lech Walesa's.
ReplyDeleteWonder what would our Colonel Sir call his moustache !?
ReplyDeleteSame as 2D
DeleteThank you Sir !
DeleteCould do the puzzle only in the evening since I was out the whole day. Just loved it for itself, for the surfaces. My COD is smokers. I correctly guessed it was Bhavan from the opening remarks. Add my ++++...
ReplyDeleteI made my hat trick of 100% - may be a delayed one. First ball of the next over?
Pity Col. could not thank him for mention of his moustache.