Monday 8 February 2016

No 11619, Monday 08 Feb 2016, Aspartame


ACROSS
1   See 14 Ac.
8   Stare at Lego construction (4) OGLE*
9   Nip a cooking appliance? (7,3) ROLLING PIN {NIP}*
10 Steal extremely elegant, embellished decorative item (6) TASSEL {STEAL+S}* S from?
11 Best case scenario: I get tea and idly curry (8) IDEALITY {I}{TEA+IDLY}*
12 Connection between one plane and another? (3,6) AIR BRIDGE [CD]  One plane and another?
14, 1 Became wealthy from a masterful loan? (4,1,5,7) MADE A SMALL FORTUNE {MASTERFUL+LOAN}*
15 He will head out to procure sulphur for trade (4) SELL (-h+s}SE'LL
16 Metal is tough, almost like titanium after it’s made partially hollow (9) STRONTIUM {STRONg}{TItaniUM}
20 Composer, instrumentalist — one about to get caught (8) LYRICIST {1}{C} in {LYRIST}
21 Vehicle carrying policeman toppled over? That’s terrible! (6) TRAGIC {TRA{GI}C}<=
23 E-Explosive? (6,4) LETTER BOMB [CD]
24 Flyer in Iraqi bistro (4) IBIS [T]
25 Government organisation’s doctor receives crest (6,7) SECRET SERVICE*

DOWN
1   A fellow Asian president has this nationality (7) AFGHANI {A}{F}{GHANI}
2   Searches for bearings (5) MIENS [DD ?Connection to 'searches' not clear See comments
3   Stories about the Spanish high inquisitor found in German Rhine (7) LORELEI {LOR{EL}E}{In...r}
4   Dentist clinics are arranging frames on long posts (7,8) FILLING STATIONS {FIL{L}ING} {STATIONS} Frames/Filing ? See comments
5   One hired to manage editorial fronts is devastated (6) RUINED {RU{1}N}{EDi...l}
6   Cowardly aunt fights with first nephew harbouring bitterness (9) UNGALLANT  {AUNT+Ne...w}* around {GALL}
7   Communication record of waterlocked land broken by onset of tsunami (7) EPISTLE {EP}{IS{Ts...i}LE}
13 Stroking Bills cat, one goes crazy (9) BALLISTIC {BILLS+CAT+1}*
15 Son’s aloofness is said to result in lack of confidence (7) SHYNESS {S}{HYNESS}(~highness)
17 Halloween time — 33% discount on tax to be gained (7) OCTOBER {TO}{BE} in {OctRoi ? }
18 Employ beginners to upgrade terminals in large institutions supporting engineers (7) UTILISE Acrostic
19 Stab a bond actor (6) PIERCE [DD]
22 Mali bishop found an excuse (5) ALIBI [T]


25 comments:

  1. 2 Searches for bearings (5) MIENS [DD ?] Connection to 'searches' not clear

    SEARCHES = LOOKS = MIENS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had the same anno, but don't think the clue works. Mien does not have a second meaning.

      Delete
    2. same question here.. could it be homophone for mines and miens..

      Delete
    3. Mien means Air or look (in the sense explained in CV's poem below) and bearing. It appears Aspartame has taken the other meaning of Look

      Delete
  2. 4D- I think arranging is filing.Then frames must be stations?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think CV & Kishore would remember Jiggs running away from rolling pins all the time in the cartoon serial.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :-) Thank you. I could not recall the name immediately, but searched it out.

      Delete
  4. Read about Jiggs, Maggie and her rolling pin here-
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_Up_Father

    ReplyDelete
  5. Enjoyed todays xword. Collage of life it seems.. with wealth (fortune), flying weapons (rolling pins), style and oomph through pierce, cowardliness, shyness and ballistics :), lechery and ideality... thrill in secret service.. comedy and tragedy, music, energy and strength.. kewl one )

    ReplyDelete
  6. After a long time... Got almost all the answers... Only missed out MIENS and TASSEL.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'mien' is the usual expresion on one's face or more usually one's usual behaviour

      I think we get miens from'looks'.

      The second meaning is 'bearings', 'carriage', 'behaviour'

      I am not sure if 'mien' is countable and if it can have the plural form.

      This word I came across first when my father read the poem 'The beggar Maid' to me and my siblings -

      Her arms across her breast she laid;
      She was more fair than words can say:
      Bare-footed came the beggar maid
      Before the king Cophetua.
      In robe and crown the king stept down,
      To meet and greet her on her way;
      "It is no wonder," said the lords,
      "She is more beautiful than day".

      As shines the moon in clouded skies,
      She in her poor attire was seen:
      One praised her ankles, one her eyes,
      One her dark hair and lovesome mien:
      So sweet a face, such angel grace,
      In all that land had never been:
      Cophetua sware a royal oath:
      "This beggar maid shall be my queen!"

      Delete
    2. Wow! Very well elaborated and explained! :)

      Delete
    3. This poem that I studied at school was where I first came across the word "mien" as well :) Thanks CV sir for reviving the memories!

      Delete
  7. Nice challenging one from "As per tame". Last in was 14A/1A..Liked Filling Stations..Made a small fortune...rolling pins...air bridge

    ReplyDelete
  8. E+ BULL + I.E- N'T - Bull for one who buys in the stock exchange- National Stock Exchange .

    Going back to yesterday's 14 down: I had meant isn't as int . On Thursday, I had put together this crossie in a hurry to reach the Col on time for the Sunday Special. That's how the clue ' no later ' got germinated ! As ye-all know, annotation is not my forte' nor is splitting hair , so long the answer falls in place. I'm still learning the grammar of cryptic crossies and do find the latest techniques of deletions and additions and alternate letter- building as specialised by Afterdark and others and marvel at their patience in building up such clues. I'm more used to a ready-to-use food on the table and by and by will try to stir up some good stuff, garnishing and all. I am not a foodie and believe in the dictum: Neeyat bharna and not peth bharna ! If the taste is good, presentation can take a second place for me !! Sorry folks, may be a few typos also got ye-all climbing the wall !!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Got it this time without any doubt!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks Raju for an enjoyable cw. Znd whzt is a few typos between friends. I think everybody got ebullient without knowing how.

    ReplyDelete
  11. How nice if we can get ebullient like that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So long as it doesn't mean a whole lot of bull !! Bull was also in my mind when I compiled due to the recent cow & bull and Jallikattu brouhaha !!

      Why can't folks be like all of us in this blog, ''tolerating the intolerables'' like me !

      Thanks Suresh gaaru for your coming to my rescue on aint , isn't Is not etc taint that would have stuck on me .Itain't affecting me , though !

      Delete
    2. Raju does that mean in Mathematics at school it's just the answer that matters and not the derivation?

      Delete
  12. Ugh , don't remind me of school and mathematics in particular !

    If the end justify the means and if the end is just and the means are not devious and dubious, I can be justified. We're dealing with cryptic crosswords and all errors and omissions are excepted, no? pardon my sins of omissions and commissions please !

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com