Tuesday, 6 May 2014

No.11077, Tuesday 06 May 2014, Skulldugger

Easier than usual, exspecially once you catch on to the theme. We can only Marvel at this universe of
X men



ACROSS
1 Be amazed at incredible Maglev exhibiting resistance for gravity (6) MARVEL (MAGLEV+R-G)*
4 Shrunken appendages: what remains when the flames have died (6) EMBERS (mEMBERS) If the light was Members, it would a theme word
9 ….but Lyon’s in disarray (4) ONLY (LYON)*
10 Stylish radical embraced Christopher with excitement (10) SKITTISHLY (STYLISH* embraced KIT)
11 Device that made portraitists redundant arrived with artist? (6) CAMERA (CAME RA) &LIT
12 Coarse, manhandling North Dakota male wanting a bit of torn skin (8) HANGNAIL (MANHANDLING-ND-M)*
13 Reportedly, any system of organized knowledge breeds ignorance (9) NESCIENCE (~ANY, pronounced as "EN-E"= NE SCIENCE)
          Describes my level of knowledge of the X Men. Had to take old Wiki's help. Please let me know if I have missed highlighting any themed words ...
15 Cheating aids used in Indian college (4) DIAS (AIDS)* I am not sure if SD intended this. If so, rather obscure, I think BITS (DD) See comments
16 Seatrain regularly carries South Indian apparel (4) SARI (SeAtRaIn) Don't North, West and East Indians wear it? Maybe the West Indians don't ...
17 Old firearm manifests jam after it produces fire (9) MATCHLOCK (LOCK after MATCH)
21 On which a lush may light (8) BARSTOOL CD
          Or even fall between them ...
22 Provides 5 crates (6) CATERS (CRATES*) Rare that anagram indicator is pointed through a clue number - 5=mutant
24 Storm in, tie dishevelled, and perform services (8,2) MINISTER TO (STORM IN TIE)* Strictly perform services would be minister ...
25 Cross individual member of superhero squad (1-3) X-MAN (X MAN)
26 Wolverine, embracing Zen, finally turns to fruit (6) LONGAN (LOGAN embracing N)
27 Korean rapper has revolutionary mind (6) PSYCHE (PSY CHE)
          In line with the theme? Gangman style? Sorry, Gangnam style

DOWN
1 Magneto’s characters featured in a series of pictures (7) MONTAGE (MAGNETO*)
2 Song by pioneers of rock has young metal-heads excited (5) RHYME (R H Y M E)
3 Net measures new parcel of land (7) ENSNARE (ENS N ARE)
5 Freakishly abnormal dog ripped shirt off social worker (6) MUTANT (MUTT-T ANT)
6 Stan Lee is original and indispensable (9) ESSENTIAL (STAN LEE IS)*
7 Personality I met obsessed essentially with narcissistic images (7) SELFIES (SELF I ES
8 25 small earthworms (13) NIGHTCRAWLERS (NIGHTCRAWLER S)
14 Person of the book is 25? (9) CHRISTIAN (CD,DD) An X man = Christian, a man who follows the Cross)
          I remembered my study of religious jurisprudence, where the religions of the world are classified as "Kitabat" (People of the book) and others
16 Canadian national, wanting canine, went into special pound for a pooch (7) SPANIEL (CANINE-CN in SP L)
18 25,250 brief operations to contain malignancy in the end (7) CYCLOPS (CCL OPS containing Y)
19 Hearty squeeze given to legendary flier from the South! (7) CORDATE (ROC< DATE=squeeze, in slang...)
20 Black-market goods gang exterminated by Nicaraguan rebel (6) CONTRA (CONTRAband)
23 Reportedly speak ill of Britney’s work (5) TOXIC (~TALK SICK)

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58 comments:

  1. Chaturvasi6 May 2014 at 08:43

    I must say that a good crossword has got a good review from a good blogger on a good website for good readers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore6 May 2014 at 08:45

      After all, CV, we are the real X (word) MEN and WOMEN !

      Delete
  2. Chaturvasi6 May 2014 at 08:47

    In my time I have written clues for SARI (besides occasionally managing to fold the 5.5m garment into a reasonably presentable form), but Skulldugger's treatment is novel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raghunath6 May 2014 at 09:57

      SD's treatment is not 'novel' but regular to get S.A.R.I. :-)

      Delete
    2. Kishore6 May 2014 at 10:16

      ;-)
      If was novel he would have AIRS about it

      Delete
    3. Chaturvasi6 May 2014 at 10:27

      Ria's next change may be into it!

      Delete
    4. Appshank6 May 2014 at 23:17

      Or we might see it in Pisa, right now.

      Delete
  3. Bhavan6 May 2014 at 08:51

    15 Cheating aids used in Indian college (4) DIAS (AIDS)* I am not sure if SD intended this. If so, rather obscure, I think

    I had this as BITS (Pilani) DD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mukundala Balasubramanyam6 May 2014 at 08:54

      I too had it as BITS

      Delete
    2. Kishore6 May 2014 at 08:58

      More recognisable and works well. Better than what I got

      Delete
    3. Raghunath6 May 2014 at 09:05

      I too filled in my alma mater easily and the other meaning also was familiar though Chits was in vogue then and during school days.
      But most of the other clues were too specific and theme related about which I had no knowledge.

      Delete
    4. Kishore6 May 2014 at 09:09

      You must have read about the girl who kept a billet-doux in a class-mate's text book at engineering college. They never got together. He never opened his book for studying ...

      Delete
    5. Chaturvasi6 May 2014 at 09:23

      So what should she have done to attract his attention?

      "Prem, I Love You-da - Preethi"

      - A colourful slide in the Intermission part at the local multiplex?

      - A banner at the gym in the neighbourhood?

      - Skywriting? !

      Delete
    6. Raghunath6 May 2014 at 09:54

      Kishore,
      I can certainly relate to the unfinished sentence, but no girl ever hid a billet doux in my text book. Hardly any girl studied Engg those days.

      Delete
    7. Kishore6 May 2014 at 10:10

      Relating to the unfinished sentence, you lost out on a life sentence ...

      Delete
    8. Kishore6 May 2014 at 10:17

      CV, perhaps give him a clue in a crossword ...

      Delete
    9. Kishore6 May 2014 at 10:25

      perhaps play the ABBA song "I do, I do, I do, I do"

      Delete
    10. Raghunath6 May 2014 at 10:57

      No 'dancing queen' in those days

      Delete
  4. Chaturvasi6 May 2014 at 09:13

    In Tamil Nadu, where successive State Governments boast about preserving and nurturing the classical language, 'bits' was/is the term used for this kind of cheating in exam.
    "Nee bit adichchae pass panninvan-da".
    Ram, Padmanabhan please translate the above in chaste Tamil.
    Anyone: List other forms of exam cheating.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ramani6 May 2014 at 11:30

      Thunduth thaalaip parthu ezhuthiye therchip petravan nee! (I think what Sir has written itself is a good one like a punch dialog!)

      Delete
    2. Ramani6 May 2014 at 11:32

      Mass copying

      Delete
    3. Chaturvasi6 May 2014 at 12:20

      Ram
      Thanks for your thooya thamizh vaakkiyam!
      * * *
      As for other means of copying, well, I can think of
      - body-scribbling on one's left palm, on left arm (wearing half-sleeves), on inner thighs (wearing shorts)
      - broadcasting by a friend through loudspeaker from the outer compound
      - trained pet parrot at ventilator
      - sign language by a friend from outside the window. . .
      * * *
      On a different tack, these UP politicians always speak in Hindi, never speak in English even when the anchors of English channels ask questions in English. By contrast, UP students have come second in clearing IIT-JEE. Does it reinforce the theory that English education and flaunting is not needed for doing well in competitive/engineering exams?

      Delete
    4. Padmanabhan6 May 2014 at 12:34

      Or you forget all that when you enter politics! (most likely)

      Delete
  5. Col_Gopinath6 May 2014 at 09:25

    I don' t quite agree with the opening statement 'easier than usual' this cannot be solved unless you are a hardcore x- men fan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mukundala Balasubramanyam6 May 2014 at 09:32

      + 1 I am yet to watch an 'x-men' movie!

      Delete
    2. Kishore6 May 2014 at 10:13

      The first few clues fell quite so easily that I had to take a double take at who the setter was. In fact, all the across before 15 were easier than SD's usual ones.

      Delete
  6. Mukundala Balasubramanyam6 May 2014 at 09:45

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore6 May 2014 at 10:15

      MB's statement has been consumed by toxic ....

      Delete
    2. Mukundala Balasubramanyam6 May 2014 at 10:24

      Sorry for the deletion. Felt it was not in good taste!

      Delete
    3. Kishore6 May 2014 at 10:26

      I understand ;-)

      Delete
    4. Mukundala Balasubramanyam6 May 2014 at 10:28

      I did enjoy the intoxicating toxic song of Britney Spears. Thanks for the link, Kishore.

      Delete
  7. Mukundala Balasubramanyam6 May 2014 at 10:11

    3 Net measures new parcel of land (7) ENSNARE (ENS N ARE)

    Anno not clear pl. Particularly 'ARE' for 'parcel of land'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore6 May 2014 at 10:14

      Are is a measure of land. From this you get hect-are !

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hectare

      Delete
    2. Mukundala Balasubramanyam6 May 2014 at 10:20

      Thank you Kishore.

      Delete
  8. Abhay6 May 2014 at 10:24

    Chronologically, I should belong to Gen X, but this quiz showed me that I just don't know X-men. (I presume there are some X-women - I don't know any of them, either!)

    The non-themed clues were fun, and I could crack about half of the themed ones thanks to the wordplay alone. As for the rest...well, the theme (and the Britney reference) showed me this just wasn't my day!

    Thank you, Skulldugger - looking forward to a non-themed puzzle from you. And Kishore, double thanks to you for the decoding and the cartoon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. raju umamaheswar6 May 2014 at 12:07

      Me too !! I was all at sixens and sevens !! I belong to the Gen -infinity !! Non-themed clues were good.

      BARSTOOL and MINISTER TO were excellent cluing.

      Kishore : Thanks for the Osibisa link. Enjoyed going back in time !

      CV: Do you know why they feed the crows first on Shraddh days first, before the brahmins are fed? The poor crows are tried out for absence of any toxic food !! Who is cleverer? The brahmins? The survival of the fittest or the cleverest?

      In Coimbatore, we still wake up to Koels and Peacocks ! No sp[arrows at all, but a few bobtails and other chirpies !

      Delete
    2. Padmanabhan6 May 2014 at 13:01

      Talking about 'shraddha' (ceremony) and the feeding of crows, my memory goes back to the nice enjoyable hilarious "Washingtonil Thirumanam" (marriage in washington) Rockefeller wants to witness a South Indian style marriage in Washington and they 'import' everything from Madras and when the Sastrigal needs to perform a Shraddha too, they run out of crows to feed!

      Delete
    3. raju umamaheswar6 May 2014 at 13:41

      Ha Ha , In those days, they could have '' smuggled'' a few Indians with the Indian crows as they are called.

      Delete
    4. Mukundala Balasubramanyam6 May 2014 at 14:55

      One of my little friends asked me once :- 'Cock - Crows, but Crow - Caws, why not Cocks?'

      Delete
  9. raju umamaheswar6 May 2014 at 12:10

    I came to know that the crows were first'' imported'' into Mombasa by the Indians who went there in dhows as railway workers. I used to get so irritated to see the crows refusing to budge despite several shooings !! Are the crows cock-eyed? they always look sideways? there is a legend in the puranas about it of having been shot in the eye?


    ReplyDelete
  10. Padmanabhan6 May 2014 at 12:39

    All X & Y to me!
    Anyway, I have a doubt about 13A-
    If you take 'EN-E' for any, Science is one E short. There is no deletio indicator either. Am I missing something?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6 May 2014 at 13:04

      Reportedly 'any'='en e' sound or 'N E'

      Delete
    2. Abhay6 May 2014 at 13:05

      If you break it up as "N E SCIENCE", saying it aloud will sound like "ANY SCIENCE" - thus, "any system of organised knowledge". There's nothing being deleted here as far as I can see.

      Delete
    3. Padmanabhan6 May 2014 at 13:08

      In the blog, it is given as 'EN-E'. That is why my doubt. I think it needs to be corrected.

      Delete
    4. Abhay6 May 2014 at 13:17

      Sorry, Kishore - my reply seems to have crossed yours.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous6 May 2014 at 18:01

      No problem, Abhay. After all this is a CROSS word blog

      Delete
  11. Nadathur Rajan6 May 2014 at 12:47

    24Across Storm in, tie dishevelled, and perform services (8,2) MINISTERS TO
    Extra S? For correction as MINISTER TO.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6 May 2014 at 13:05

      Thanks for pointing out typo

      Delete
  12. Padmanabhan6 May 2014 at 13:13

    CV,
    Talking about pure Tamil, I am reminded of a real life joke. In one of the newscasts, they mentioned 'Perundu Nilayam' and someone around asked me what it is. When I told him it means 'Bus stand', he promptly replied "Thamizhla sonna purium' ( meaning if they talk in Tamil I can understand) Bus stand is more Tamilish that the tongue twister! After all, the purpose of any language is communication.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. raju umamaheswar6 May 2014 at 13:46

      How about this for a tongue-twister? Dalan Valan Vibhag in Maharashtra ! Means, Transport and communications Dept ! They do transport you to a different world by this communications gap !

      As you say, Tamil is a funny-peculiar language !! I used to think that Perundhu means push hard to get in the buses, when I arrived in CBE the first time !

      Like in Nairobi,. I used to wonder as to who is this Mbwa Kaali who owns so many houses -- ti means Watch out for ferocious dogs !!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6 May 2014 at 14:13

      His realtine Hatari Sitima owns even larger number of houses, al also Securicor

      Delete
    3. Venkatesh6 May 2014 at 19:09

      Mbwa Kaali reminds of Awas!!! Anjing!!! the hilarious Vivek comedy in Malaysia.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous6 May 2014 at 19:33

      Raju, that should have been:

      His relative/neighbour Hatari Sitima owns even larger number of houses, as also Securicor

      Delete
  13. raju umamaheswar6 May 2014 at 19:59

    Hatari Sitima ! means Danger , electricity. Sitima is a corruption of the word Steam .This is a No tice found on all the transformer areas. Securicor was a name of a security company which is now defunct !! Watchmen stealing !! Reminds one of the recent political accusation?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6 May 2014 at 20:04

      Yup, and those boards were more in number in Nairobi and Mombasa than the Beware of Dog ones...

      Delete
  14. Balaji7 May 2014 at 02:46

    What is the anno for nightcrawlers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kishore7 May 2014 at 06:52

      8 25 small earthworms (13) NIGHTCRAWLERS (NIGHTCRAWLER S)
      25 is a ref to the answer of 25 X MAN and NIGHTCRAWLER is one.
      small=S
      earthworms=def=NIGHTCRAWLERS

      Delete
    2. Balaji7 May 2014 at 14:04

      Ah, thanks Kishore. So, is CYCLOPS another Xman reference?

      Delete

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