Wednesday, 4 March 2015

No 11333, Wednesday 04 Mar 2015, The Phantom


ACROSS
8   Wimp edges away, almost white facing a beast (6) IMPALA {wIMp}{PALe}{A}
9   Particular business venture provided one with source of cash (8) SPECIFIC {SPEC}{IF}{1}{Cash}
10 Wear kits used for this sport (5,3) WATER SKI*
11 Appropriate to take stock of a cooking method (6) BAKING {BA{KIN}G}
12 Complaint from woman in a soup (6) HERNIA {HER}{NIA*}
13 At home couple takes time to strip, chill, get cosy (8) INTIMATE {IN}{T}{chIll}{MATE} My anno seems far fetched See comments
15 Eat food that’s superior (5-2) STOCK-UP {STOCK}-{UP} Not sure if this is right (Addendum - STUCK-UP {S{TUCK}-UP} - See comments)
17 0 minus 0 resulting in a negative sign? (7) OMINOUS*
20 Busy bee recoiling in pain touching cable (4,4) LIVE WIRE {LIVE<=} {WIRE}
22 Staff divide reward and take off (6) PARODY {PA{ROD}Y}
23 Masked man’s identity exposed finally by knight (6) HIDDEN {H{ID}{e...eD}E}{N}
25 Old rover masquerading as master (8) OVERLORD*
26 Sexy legs drawing in trouble-maker’s looks (8) GLIMPSES {GL{IMPS}ES*}
27 Willows - very large, rise up (6) OSIERS {OS}{RISE*}

DOWN
1   Natural for adult males everywhere, to get enchanted by oomph? (8) IMMANENT {I{MAN+MEN}*T} Not sure of anno (Addendum - {I{M{MAN}EN}T} - See comments)
2   Berate clan shifting portable tent (10) TABERNACLE*
3   Travel sickness in Argentina? Use antihistamine (6) NAUSEA [T]
4   Rising high almost with drug (7) ASPIRIN ASPIRINg
5   Literally very bad time to lose tail-enders (8) VERBATIM {VERy}{BAd}{TIMe}
6   Relatives have caught up with Mark (4) NICK {NI{C}K}<=
7   None’s around? Take home songbird (6) LINNET {LIN<=}{NET}
14 Pitman all over the moon coming up with petroleum (7,3) MINERAL OIL {MINER}{AL {OI<=}L}
16 Socialist’s first priority is employees’ organisation (8) UNIONIST {UNION}{1ST}
18 One Maoist’s back to supply weapons delivery system? (8) UNDERARM {UN}{DER<=}{ARM}
19 Pity about being glum having lost nothing (7) REMORSE {RE|}MORoSE}
21 Frozen dripping in attic I cleared (6) ICICLE [T]
22 Chemical layer submerged in water body releasing oxygen (6) PHENOL {P{HEN}OoL}
24 Stupid call to get married (4) DUMB {DU{M}B}


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51 comments:

  1. Shrikanth4 March 2015 at 08:46

    Very interesting puzzle. 22A Take off as separate words sent me in a diff direction. 13 A I had it as IN + MATE + TIM (E)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shrikanth4 March 2015 at 08:48

      Of course that has one M extra

      Delete
    2. Deepak Gopinath4 March 2015 at 08:48

      You have an additional M to take care off

      Delete
    3. Shrikanth4 March 2015 at 08:50

      And no role for Chill

      Delete
    4. Chaturvasi4 March 2015 at 08:56

      Shri

      I too thought so! But then the setter's def is chill (out), get cosy.

      You won't cozy up to someone before getting a little excited first.

      Delete
    5. Shrikanth4 March 2015 at 08:58

      Or stripping :P ??

      Delete
  2. Chaturvasi4 March 2015 at 08:47

    18 One Maoist’s back to supply weapons delivery system? (8) UNDERARM

    I find this clue interesting.

    First of all, the question arise if there should have been an indication that 'un' is French. But as one may be pronounced as 'un in Eng conversation that may not be needed.

    The def is 'delivery system'. Nice that the clue-writer has moved away from the human body.

    But is the bowling action a 'system'? And is 'underarm' elliptical as I spoke of a clue the other day. 'Underarm' by itself cannot refer to the bowling action, or can it be?

    Talking of underarms, well, forget it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raghunath4 March 2015 at 09:00

      From Chambers:

      UN: or 'un pronoun, dialect, colloq one

      UNDERARM: said of a style of bowling in sports, especially cricket.

      I added system as it appears in "weapons dely system" . For an unconventional def would a ? mark not do at the end?

      Delete
    2. Chaturvasi4 March 2015 at 09:06

      Of course, I did see the QM for the unusual thing going on as per the setter's own judgement.
      All this discussion is towards appreciation of the finer points of this word game.

      Delete
    3. Raghunath4 March 2015 at 09:09

      Welcome the discussion.

      Delete
  3. Shrikanth4 March 2015 at 08:49

    1D I also had the same anno, but could not justify everywhere.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RameshJ4 March 2015 at 08:52

    Delivery system = method of bowling = underarm seems fine.
    However is weapons = arm or arms or both are ok?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raghunath4 March 2015 at 09:03

      arm someone with weapons ... Chambers

      Delete
    2. RameshJ4 March 2015 at 09:10

      Weapons as a verb still leads to arms. I am not able to come up with a sentence where weapons can be substituted with arm and still retain its meaning

      Delete
    3. Deepak Gopinath4 March 2015 at 09:20

      Supply weapons = arm

      Delete
    4. Raghunath4 March 2015 at 09:33

      Chambers: ARM
      1 to equip (with weapons). Or supply as Col's put

      From thefreedictionary.com;

      To supply or equip oneself with weaponry.

      Delete
    5. RameshJ4 March 2015 at 12:21

      Finally got it. Thanks Col & Raghu

      Delete
  5. Chaturvasi4 March 2015 at 08:54

    13 At home couple takes time to strip, chill, get cosy (8) INTIMATE

    Well, well, well.

    Is Shri's anno right?

    IN MATE - what goes into this is TI. Does 'time to strip' gives TI or TIM? Can stripping be involved removing two letters. Maybe, when you strip you (speaking of us men) may have to take off your shirt and then your banian (forget the poonool).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chaturvasi4 March 2015 at 08:59

    As usual I did not solve this but as I read some clues and solutions above, manya re quite good.
    E.g., 24d. Super-smooth surface.

    As SU picks annually best clues from alien CWDs, someone here should do so from the desi THC.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chaturvasi4 March 2015 at 08:59

    Of course, the last time she did pick one from India but I don't think it was from THC.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Chaturvasi4 March 2015 at 09:04

    Re anno for 1a.
    I am not convinced as yet.
    Let's see how our ace annotator Sandhya tackles it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Padmanabhan4 March 2015 at 09:04

    27A- Is 'up' an Anind? 'Up' not a reversal indicator?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chaturvasi4 March 2015 at 09:07

      On this form that 'up' is a suitable anag signal has been explained more than once.

      Delete
    2. Padmanabhan4 March 2015 at 09:13

      Apologies.

      Delete
  10. Padmanabhan4 March 2015 at 09:07

    Col.'s anno for 1D looks ok.
    Adult=Man
    Males= Men
    Oomph= It
    Everywhere- Anind

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RameshJ4 March 2015 at 09:12

      Except that it makes it an indirect anagram.

      Delete
    2. Shrikanth4 March 2015 at 09:39

      Raghu has clarified. Everywhere is the container ind

      Delete
    3. Deepak Gopinath4 March 2015 at 09:41

      Repeating my query here. How can 'males everywhere' indicate 'man in men'?

      Delete
    4. Shrikanth4 March 2015 at 09:42

      That's a point :)

      Delete
  11. Deepak Gopinath4 March 2015 at 09:46

    On second thoughts my query is incorrect

    adult = MAN
    males everywhere = MEN all around
    adult males everywhere = {M{MAN}EN}

    ReplyDelete
  12. Raghunath4 March 2015 at 09:47

    INTIMATE: I did have "to strip CHILL" (to the bare minimum) as CV's put it, in mind.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Bhalchandra Pasupathy4 March 2015 at 10:55

    Had 15A as STACK UP. Difficult to be sure

    ReplyDelete
  14. VMA Nair4 March 2015 at 11:34

    stuck up - tuck in sup

    ReplyDelete
  15. Unknown4 March 2015 at 12:55

    23 A - Hidden . Which is the containment indicator in the clue?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RameshJ4 March 2015 at 13:16

      's = has & serves as a containment indicator

      Delete
  16. Raghunath4 March 2015 at 13:21

    15 Across is S(TUCK)- UP. Eat is Tuck into & SUP =food

    ReplyDelete
  17. Srividya4 March 2015 at 13:31

    very smooth surfaces on many clues by Phantom...thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. PKPSwami4 March 2015 at 16:55

    Nice puzzle with fantastic step-like clues. Once I cracked 22a(impressed with the def.), 22d easily popped up.5,14&18d equally nice with well-sculpted clues. But,alas! 6d miserably failed me on the count that I put 'tick' instead of nick. Anyway I fully enjoyed the crossie which is simply phantomatic. Thank you,sir.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Mukundala Balasubramanyam4 March 2015 at 18:55

    Logging in late. An enjoyable puzzle from Phantom. Missed just a couple of clues in the South-West corner. Thanks Phantom. :)

    ReplyDelete

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