Good opener from Buzzer. Didn't raise too much of sweat, unlike normal Buzzer CW's.
ACROSS
1 Made a duck/0 perhaps (11) ABBREVIATED [CD]
9 Antelope seen regularly in field, grazin' (6) NILGAI
11 Lift up to sky briefly (5) HEAVE HEAVE
12 Old Times article penned about one Englishman (7) OXONIAN {O}{X}{ON}{1}{AN}
13 Forces bandages around wound essentially (8) DURESSES {D{
15 A number of XXXL rolls (6) EIGHTY {XXXL*=LXXX=EIGHTY}
16 Given to joking when judge is out of sight (6) OCULAR
18 Mobile library carried hardback with coarse humour (8) RIBALDRY {RIBAL{
20 Fizzy cola, popular drink (7) ALCOPOP {COLA*}{POP}
21 Has a crash crushed bones? (5) SACRA [T]
22 Urges boy to eat a healthy dish (3,5) EGG SALAD {EGG S}{A}{LAD}
24 It helps scripted characters make a good impression (6,5) CARBON PAPER [CD]
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| Cartoon by Bhargav |
DOWN
2 VIP beaming stupidly (3-4) BIG-NAME*
3 Say raze and build (5) RAISE (~raze)
4 Sticky British noblemen axed National Trust (7) VISCOUS VISCOU
5 Rocky Balboa, wet and in a weakened state (2,1,3,3) AT A LOW EBB*
6 Pretty female leaves an impression (7) ETCHING
7 Sort of tutorage which is free (7,6) WITHOUT CHARGE*
8 Burst and tore as one keeping fit (5,2,6) STAND TO REASON [T] Great T clue
14 Second outing by staff to a barely pleasing place (5,4) STRIP CLUB {S}{TRIP} {CLUB}
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| Cartoon by Rishi |
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| As perceived by Bhargav |
17 Grasshopper from a specific place, middle of Utah? (7) LOCUSTA {LOCUS}{
19 Sanction insurers so divested of capital (7) LICENCE {LIC}{
21 Went round windy southern country (5) SYRIA {S}{YRIA}<=
GRID
Comment by Koteswara Rao on yesterday's CW
ReplyDeleteQUOTE
I am not sure how many of you have noticed, all the erstwhile princely states mentioned herein are Associate Banks of State Bank of India. That includes 23D Mysore as well. The notable omission was of course, Patiala.
UNQUOTE
The peg? ;-)
Delete& Hyderabad
DeleteTrust Raghu to bring it up :) as CV was mentioning sometimes these things are too clever to be noticed at once. Great one from Neyartha.
DeleteFunnily Koteswara Rao didn't bring it up he being from AP.( maybe that's why with the present divided state;-) )
DeleteJaipur is also partially there in 'State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur'
DeleteA great actor Robin Williams passed away yesterday
ReplyDeleteI used to enjoy his Mork & Mindy TV shows.
Delete7d is an anagram
ReplyDeleteTutorage which*
DeleteThanks didn't notice that
DeleteTutorage is the charge for instruction by a tutor.
DeleteSo, besides anagram, the clue can be taken as an &lit.
8D - Agree with Col. An awesome T clue.
ReplyDelete8D utterly brilliant. So was 16A 18A and 5D. Such a pleasure solving Buzzer
ReplyDelete8 D was truly a well hidden clue. I thought it was an anagram. I didn't see it till I saw it in the blog.
Delete8D is Buzzer's brilliance!
ReplyDelete21 Went round windy southern country (5) SYRIA {S}{YRIA}<=
ReplyDeleteA couple of points:
Chambers has S for South.
I felt 'went round' does not convey reversal. It doesn't apply here, but assuming it did, 'went round' should have followed southern windy.
S = Southern also, don't think any issue with that. I did feel that 'going around' or 'gone around' rather than 'went around' would have been better
DeleteIs 'going/ gone around' bus = SUB Or Bus 'going/gone around' = SUB?
DeleteBoth would be ok, imo
DeleteBuzzer always leaves me with a buzz. Though a tad on the easier side, it was very interesting with the usual, well-crafted surfaces.
ReplyDeleteDid have some peeves though, not enough to spoil the pleasure, but just to see what the author or someone might make of them:
- 1A: I felt '0' or zero is not an abbreviation, and the slash is really out of place there
- 2A: 'in' appearing as part of both wordplay and fodder, not something usual for B
- 13A: 'Forces' is not something I would agree with as a definition. Acts of force, yes
- 24A: 'scripted characters' really not required. Doesn't help with the solving and sent me on a wild goose chase
- 11A: 'to' as a connector doesn't work, and again not usual for B
Above just as a matter of detail and maybe I have missed some considerations involved. But I did enjoy the puzzle, and several brilliant ones, 2d, 5d, 7d, 8d to mention a few
I can't really find 'duresses' in Oxford or Cambridge. Only 'duress' as a mass noun. Does a plural exist?
Deletehttp://www.memidex.com/duresses
DeleteI also saw that (http://www.memidex.com/duresses), but not sure how reliable it is.
DeleteMaybe , miss the extra es because of too many esses that mistresses cause when you are under a duress from your missus ? Yes?
DeleteJust saw from CGB's link that 'duress' is also a verb!! In which case 'duresses' and 'forces' would both be OK. But I have never come across this usage
DeleteMostly all valid points Bhala:
Delete1A: I felt '0' or zero is not an abbreviation, and the slash is really out of place there Agreed
2A: 'in' appearing as part of both wordplay and fodder, not something usual for B 'in' was meant to be only part of the fodder
13A: 'Forces' is not something I would agree with as a definition. Acts of force, yes Already discussed and debated I see.
24A: 'scripted characters' really not required. Doesn't help with the solving and sent me on a wild goose chase I don't agree, but see what you mean.
11A: 'to' as a connector doesn't work, and again not usual for B 'to' was meant to be part of the definition.
That 'duress' can be used as a verb is new to me. May be it is obsolete.
ReplyDeleteIn modern English the noun is uncountable.
BRB or Concise Oxford does not show it as a verb.
Nor is it in Chambers.
DeleteRaghunath
DeleteChambers is known as BRB in UK crossword circles - big red book.
Enjoyed very much, as usual. 1A was awkward. I too mistook 7D to be a CD until I read the comment here claiming otherwise.
ReplyDelete