Across
1 This should help one to start afresh — on paper (1,5,5) A CLEAN SHEET (CD)9 Little boy with a toss back in the lottery (7) TOMBOLA {TOM}{BOL A<=}
10 Has faith in including hard forces (7) THRUSTS {T{H}RUSTS}
11 Top saint's practice (5) USAGE {U}{SAGE}
12 Coinages one put out confuse goalies except ace (9) NEOLOGIES {ONE*}{GO
13 Flock of cattle // took a spin (5) DROVE (DD)
15 Generate methods to produce traps (9) HATCHWAYS {HATCH}{WAYS}
18 Completely drunk — not alive and being difficult (4,5) DEAD TIGHT {DEAD}{TIGHT}
21 “Theirs __ __ reason why” (3,2) NOT TO (FITB)
22 Bypasses desi's pets in trouble (9) SIDESTEPS {DESI'S PETS}*
24 Cut of beef is pale, we're told (5) STEAK{~STAKE}
26 A phrase uttered in altercations (7) AFFRAYS {A}{~PHRASE}
27 Mira, I go ga-ga over work in paper (7) ORIGAMI {MIRA I GO}*
28 Has emptiest means to keep oneself occupied (4,3,4) PASS THE TIME {HAS EMPTIEST}*
Down
1 Head of administration whispered about Tamil leader being in a daze (9) ASTOUNDED {A2 From problem materialises a logical proposition (5) LEMMA (T)
3 In harmony, soldiers start taking compensation (9) ATONEMENT {AT ONE}{MEN}{T
4 Loyal // firm (7) STAUNCH (DD)
5 Doesn't dine in — seat's broken and chic no more (4,3) EATS OUT {SEAT*}{OUT}
6 Somehow sort out body (5) TORSO {SORT+O}*
7 Being hopeful, worker embraces doubtful pairs (8) ASPIRANT {A{PAIRS*}NT}
8 Covers up not many questions (4) ASKS {
14 Infrequent // switch operations (2,3,3) ON AND OFF (DD)
16 Presents fish in bar (9) HANDSPIKE {HANDS}{PIKE}
17 Gather cattle by the side of large building (9) STOCKPILE {STOCK}{PILE}
19 Mention European country's oils (7) GREASES {~GREECE'S}
20 Match cancelled? Maybe 'stet' (4,3) TEST OUT {STET*} Rev Anag Defn?
22 Thus crossed, one is dogged by ill-luck (4) STAR (CD)
23 Imprint from street electrical unit (5) STAMP {ST}{AMP}
25 I mean to turn out as a friend in France (2,3) EN AMI {I MEAN}*
Reference list
Hard=H, Top=U, Ace=A
Soldiers=Men, Out=O, Worker=Ant, Many=M, Street=St, Electrical unit=Amp
Color/Font Scheme
Definition,Solution,Component letters,Anagram Indicator,C/C indicator,Reversal Indicator,Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator,Deletion Indicator,Homophone Indicator,Movement Indicator,Positional Indicator,Substitution Indicator
Lovely puzzle as usual from the maestro
ReplyDeleteSowndarrajan:kindly see my yesterday's comments..posted late
20 Match cancelled? Maybe 'stet' (4,3) TEST OUT {STET*} Rev Anag Defn?
ReplyDeleteI think Match: TEST OUT
Role of cancelled?
DeleteMatch cancelled = TEST OUT
Delete1) TEST OUT = TEST* = stet
Delete2) Match - TEST; cancelled - OUT
As wordplay 'Match cancelled' could be 'Test Out', but not as a definition
DeleteMaybe 'stet' is the def
DeleteI mean "Maybe 'stet '" is the definition
Delete"Maybe 'stet'" is also word play and not a proper definition
DeleteIt is a cryptic definition. Anyways it did not have a jarring effect So, I think it is okay.
DeleteSince so many messages are there on a single clue, I cannot ignore them. I must reply.
DeleteSorry I am unable to classify the clue type and say with any amount of certainty as to how it works.
I wrote it. Solvers have got the answer. Chalta hai.
Can we take 'Match cancelled' as def?
Now, this can give any number of alternatives. Game off, Test called off, 'No Test!' etc
To zero in on a particular answer, the second part "Maybe 'stet'" helps, I think, for, only this suggests TEST OUT. If 'test' is anagrammed, we get STET.
Honestly, despite my experience, I am unable to say if this is really OK.
I might add that in proofreading when we cancel something, sometimes we may want to 'stet' it. I think that line of thinking made me toss off this clue.
If wrong, I seek your indulgence, traces of it I already see from you generous people.
One might say 'Test off" is more natural than 'Test out'.
DeleteCV Sir, Here's my guess about what happened...
DeleteFor the word TEST OUT, Gridman thought of two wordplay options and wrote them both down:
Charade: Match (TEST) cancelled (OUT)
Reverse anagram: Maybe 'stet'
During his checks, he saw that 'cancelled' and 'stet' link with each other and thought the clue was complete, he missed noticing that the idiom TEST OUT lacked a definition.
Or did he notice but decided it worked anyway? Gridman does sometimes write clues without definition.
Thank you, Shuchi.
DeleteThanks also for the link. That is an interesting read. I had not remembered that.
An occasional clue not strictly adhering to rules but at the same time leading the solver to the answer may be tolerated, I think.
I liked your analysis of the clue under discussion and throwback to a couple of previous Gridman clues. You seem to know more of Gridman than Gridman knows of himself.
(from yesterday's late Comments)
ReplyDeleteMohan,
Thanks for clarifying that the spelling variants ALU/ALOO and GADDI/GADI are all valid in Scrabble.
I had checked an online Collins Scrabble word checker which probably has not updated its dB to the latest edition of Collins dictionary.
Progs and apps are as good as their dBs.
Isn't Mohan Mover who used to set in THC & former scrabble champion..his puzzles were very good
DeleteVasant, please see: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/senior-bureaucrat-bags-scrabble-title/article7276520.ece
DeleteNice to see a quote from 'The charge of the light brigade'- 'Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die'. Old memories.
ReplyDeleteDoing an MB today. 25 D the def should also include 'as'. I had put in "un ami" ( a friend) and was stuck on 24 A. Then googled for the verification after filling EN AMI.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Corrected
DeleteQuaint and enjoyable one :) flowed well. Used google only to confirm handspike .. meaning of pile as large building and pale meaning stake. Thanks sir
ReplyDelete