Friday, 20 March 2015

No 11347, Friday 20 Mar 2015, Buzzer


ACROSS
1   Flying UFOs no doubt is prohibited (3,2,6) OUT OF BOUNDS*
9   On reflection, notice mostly clean money in India (6) RUPEES {eRUP}{EES}<=
10 Pub to let drunk choke (6,2) BOTTLE UP*
11 Fifth of Jhelum is covered in many a water lily (5) LOTUS {LOT{jhelUm}S}
12 Temptations kept in check for Rolls (7) LURCHES {LUR{CH}ES}
13 Trim, hack, lop, snip etc., less for some plants (8) ACONITES {hACk}{lOp}{sNIp}{eTc}{lESs}
15 Vest vendor of Vadodara? (6) BANIAN [DD]
16 Like an African nation or belonging to one (6) SOMALI [C&DD] (Addendum - {SO}{MALI} - See comments)
18 Losing opener, kindly server spilled one cold drink (3,5) ICE WATER {nICE} {WAiTER}
20 Exercise a choice at odds with grand and vain person (7) PEACOCK {PE}{A}{ChOiCe}{K}
21 Piece of land round Egypt is available for hire (2,3) TO LET {TO L<=}{ET}
22 My favourite insect remedy? (8) ANTIDOTE {ANT}{I}{DOTE}
23 Crowds seen around eastern holy river (6) GANGES {GANG{E}S}
24 Fancy caterers at one government office (11) SECRETARIAT {CATERERS+AT+1}*

DOWN
2   Commune ate, naturally sharing leftover (7) UNEATEN [T]
3   Old foundation's beginning to crumble in a sanctuary (5) OASIS {O}{bASIS}
4   Bachelor left amidst beautiful women stutters foolishly (7) BABBLES {BAB{B}{L}ES}
5   Complete lie not fine or OK to express (9) UTTERABLE {UTTER}{fABLE}
6   Aquatic animal toy, one from Finland reportedly (7) DOLPHIN (~ doll finn)
7   Bar insurer firm, comprehensive one-year corporation trading shares freely on stock exchange (6,7) PUBLIC COMPANY {PUB}{LIC} {COMP}{AN}{Y}
8   US retailer has customized bookbinding material (6,7) RUSSIA LEATHER*
14 Flag that is three-line, including chakra at the front and belonging to us (9) TRICOLOUR {TRI{Ch...a}O}{L}{OUR}
17 Attending a broadcast put up simultaneously (2,1,4) AT A TIME {AT} {A} {TIME<=}
18 Selection of bickies, truly most awful (7) ICKIEST [T]
19 City of Natal stormed by army (7) ATLANTA {NATAL*}{TA}
21 Stag in the end snared by rank ferocious animal (5) TIGER {TI{staG}ER}

GRID

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25 comments:

  1. SandhyaP20 March 2015 at 08:36

    14D Typo in anno: O has to be added for TRIO

    {TRI{Ch...a}O}{L}{OUR}

    ReplyDelete
  2. Raghunath20 March 2015 at 08:38

    16 Like an African nation or belonging to one (6) SOMALI [C&DD]

    I think it's: SO MALI

    ReplyDelete
  3. RameshJ20 March 2015 at 08:38

    I had 14d as &lit

    ReplyDelete
  4. Padmanabhan20 March 2015 at 08:46

    Excellent Buzzer CW as usual. Enjoyed it though I was found wanting in a few- 13A, for example, where I did not know which letters to pick and trim.
    Russia leather was new to me though it could be done being an anagram.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Raghunath20 March 2015 at 08:48

    22 My favourite insect remedy? (8) ANTIDOTE {ANT}{I}{DOTE}

    Usually it is "dote on/ upon"

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chaturvasi20 March 2015 at 08:56

    13a is a good but an unusual clue. Also innovative, shall we say?
    It is not a telescopic clue.
    It is letter-picking from some words following 'trim'.
    But the words to be trimmed all happen to be synonyms of the very word 'trim' so that perhaps the idea of having to trim words occurs to the solver at a later stage.
    But what do you think of your having to pick one letter from some and two from others?
    Indeed there is a 1,2,1... pattern but that is just an extra from the setter.
    How would you classify this clue? Letter-picking as I have done?
    CCC
    (crossword clue connoisseur)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak Gopinath20 March 2015 at 09:10

      Isn't is just deletion of the head and the tail indicated by Trim

      Delete
    2. Chaturvasi20 March 2015 at 13:02

      I said earlier that in letter-picking you get one letter sometimes and two at other times.
      I agree it is rather a deletion clue, though I was looking at it from a different angle.
      Harping back on my earlier observation, each time you trim you cut only one letter on either side but you are left with one letter sometimes and two at other times.
      As I said before, the agglomeration of synonyms for 'trim' is nice.
      The first word is an instruction, the others are fodders for deletion.
      When you trim, do you always cut on both sides? Ponder.

      Delete
    3. Chaturvasi20 March 2015 at 13:03

      I wanted to add that 'trim' etc, with 'plants' is so apposite.
      All in all, a fine clue.

      Delete
    4. Deepak Gopinath20 March 2015 at 13:23

      Trim would be cutting all around

      Delete
  7. Padmanabhan20 March 2015 at 11:12

    As you say, it is more deletion of ends rather than picking one or two. It did not occur tome, but sounds absolutely logical once you say it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mukundala Balasubramanyam20 March 2015 at 12:57

    I for one, could trim the edges neatly to get those beautiful ACONITES! No problem there! NIce puzzle, Buzzer. Managed to score 90%.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mukundala Balasubramanyam20 March 2015 at 13:15

      Edge = The outside limit of an object, area,or surface. Source OED. :)

      Delete
  9. Padmanabhan20 March 2015 at 17:00

    Best Wishes to MB for a successful WC semifinal next week. You may breathe easy till then- at least I will.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Padmanabhan20 March 2015 at 17:00

    Let all Indian edges go past the boundary limit!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Unknown20 March 2015 at 18:17

    17 - D- Does the word 'firm'itself qualify as COMPANY?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak Gopinath20 March 2015 at 19:15

      Firm

      1. A business enterprise.
      2. An unincorporated business, particularly a partnership.
      3. The name or designation under which a company transacts business.

      Delete
    2. Kishore20 March 2015 at 19:28

      While in common usage, both are synonyms, in legal and accounting usage, firm usually refers to a partnership while company refers to an incorporated entity

      Delete
    3. Kishore20 March 2015 at 19:31

      In law, partnerships/firms and company are covered by separate Acts

      Delete
  12. Padmanabhan20 March 2015 at 20:09

    There is the CA breaking his long silence and joining the company. I am sure you are almost back to normal.

    ReplyDelete
  13. raju umamaheswar20 March 2015 at 20:30

    Great one from Buzzer. Incidentally, I got to do all the five days ,on line, thanks to the link. Thanks,DG !!

    Brighter and warmer days are on the way here in NY. Will take away my crossword quality time !!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sampatb21 March 2015 at 22:40

    How is "vendor of Vadodara" BANIAN?

    ReplyDelete

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