Sunnet's preparing for Ugadi.
ACROSS
1 Selection of Mariam as queen leads to dramatic entertainment (6) MASQUE [T]
4 Detailed and written description provided to Chip (8) SPECIFIC {SPEC}{IF}{IC}
10 Charm of mid-January? (9) HORSESHOE (~
11 Servant to bear fruit (5) MANGO {MAN}{GO}
12 Spherical bullet (5) ROUND [DD]
13 Spies decoded nine lists (7,2) LISTENS IN*
14 Cut German's yen for sweetener (7) JAGGERY {JAG}{GER}{Y}
16 Torpedoed last sailor (4) SALT*
19 Direction to measure tree (4) NEEM {NE}{EM}
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24 See freedom fighter's unwilling to cover (9) LOINCLOTH {LO}{INC}{LOTH}
25 Drug, a diabetic has in the beginning of the year (5) UGADI [T]
26 Minute to Kansas is several days (5) WEEKS {WEE}{KS}
27 Chronicler Scot follows his central characters in the story (9) HISTORIAN {HIS}{
28 Let's face a local (8) RESIDENT {RE{SIDE}NT}
29 Heavy food for dull person (6) STODGE [DD]
DOWN
1 Open a piece of meat brought up to king (8) MAHARAJA {MAH}{A}{RAJA} <=
2 Indian Railway division's waiting room is missing hand sponge (8) SCROUNGE {SCR}{
3 Overturn state's limit (5) UPEND {UP}{END}
5 Exhorts printers (7) PRESSES [DD]
6 Urged the Spanish, French and German company representative to move ahead (9) COMPELLED {CO}{MP}{EL}{LE}{D}
7 Covering the heart of Nordic people in the end (6) FINISH FIN
8 Cries to seize partner's coins (6) CROWNS
9 Cold empty cry around mound (6) CHILLY {C
15 Applied to Queen to block cut (9) EXERCISED {EX{ER}CISED}
17 Roll up carpet with a peel of fruit (8) TAMARIND {TAM<=}{A}{RIND}
20 Flier to secure ambassador's number (7) MOORHEN {MOOR}{HE}{N}
22 Perhaps rose to run with engineers from the south (6) FLOWER {FLOW}{ER<=}
23 Virtuoso Sen unusually shrivels (6) WIZENS {WIZ}{SEN*}
25 Snake in Chandigarh perhaps — One that attacks by surprise (1-4) U-BOAT {U-{BOA}T}
GRID
Nice. HORSESHOE was tricky. Ball tampering in 18D?
ReplyDelete8D N is inside CROWS
Agreed, but then just N for partner is a bit of a stretch
DeleteFor 8D Raghu's anno is what I had in mind. I have seen partner (for N/S/E/W) being used in CWs before. Let me see if I can pull out some examples
DeleteMaybe player, but partner?
DeleteNormally partners are NS and EW as used in Bridge, so using it in the singular, even if done so earlier, is a bit of a stretch in my opinion
DeleteI could find a few.
Deletehttp://thehinducrosswordcorner.blogspot.in/2013/11/no-10934-tuesday-19-nov-2013-gridman.html
25 Prostitutes start pushing partner down (5) TARTS (-s)TART(+s)S
http://thehinducrosswordcorner.blogspot.in/2014/07/no-11150-wednesday-30-jul-2014-exa.html
3 Allow mind to work in partner's absence at lodges (5) ADMIT {A{MInD*}T}
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2015/08/05/guardian-26642-by-chifonie/
13 Caught Oscar and partner getting lustful with agreement (10)
CONSENSUAL
C(aught) & O(scar) & N(orth a partner in bridge) & SENSUAL
To support the COl.'s point of view
DeleteFrom http://www.fifteensquared.net/2013/10/14/guardian-quiptic-726-hectence/
Big Dave had this to say
11a Bird left eggs with partner (4)
LOON – L(eft) followed by two of the egg-shaped letters and a bridge “partner” – I know egg = O is used a lot, but I still don’t like it and I particularly don’t like a single bridge partner being used, rather than partners representing N & S or E & W
Superb one..a pangram too....Loved from A to Z...
ReplyDeleteA crossword published in a newspaper and which is in the public domain may well be criticised.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I wonder whether we can dismiss a puzzle saying "A very poor crossword" as a Commenter did yesterday.
I do grant that the solver is quite entitled to hold such an opinion.
But when he expresses it publicly and especially under a blog that is devoted to the crossword we would expect him to spare some time and tell us why he thinks that the crossword is 'very poor'.
Especially when he uses the intensive 'very'.
We would appreciate his taking a couple of clues and telling us in what way those clues don't come up to his expectations.
On reading his comments we might agree with him or we might try and give a different perspective.
He can tell us if he thinks a Times or a Guardian crossword is infinitely better deserving of the title 'crossword' and the desi product that THC is desrves to be ignored. I do grant that however much an Indian crossword can try, even the best of them cannot be a patch on the British product, nay institution.
If the commenter thinks so and says so, I might agree.
But I won't dismiss an entire effort as 'a very poor crossword'.
No reasons given by the solver yesterday, that too one who has perhaps made his maiden appearance here. Wonder which crosswords he solves?
DeleteThank you Sunnet for Ugadi Samosas!
ReplyDeleteBar is raised? Several good enjoyable clues. Historian, loincloth,Jaggery,Horseshoe to name a few.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sunnet for showering advance Ugadi greetings. Same to you too!
ReplyDeleteHorseshoe and Loincloth took time to crack. Great fun solving them.
Had half a mind of adding Loincloth to the list of themed words :-)
ReplyDeleteCatch me wearing that
ReplyDeleteThat would depend on how fast you can run & how fast the catcher can run wearing a loincloth
DeleteThe Fruits of Labour are sweeter than the Gifts of Fortune"...It was an enjoyable hard grind though! A magnificent puzzle stuffed with all the ingredients of Ugadi pachhadi. Thank you, Ramesh. :)
ReplyDeleteNot a good puzzle.
ReplyDeleteRufus sets good puzzles.
What are the characteristics of a good puzzle?
DeleteMahesh, you had this same comment yesterday. Could you clarify why this puzzle is not good with examples? Just making an off the cuff remark 'Not a good puzzle' will not suffice as you are the only one who finds the CW 'Very poor' yesterday and 'Not good' today.
DeleteOr do you mean that you were 'very poor' at solving the CW yesterday and 'not very good' at solving it today, in which case no explanation is needed from you, we can only hope that you get better at solving by continuously trying
DeleteI am a fan of Rufus puzzles. I have solved his puzzles for ages since the 1970s. I have corresponded with him and he has indeed sent me a puzzle book of his as a present.
DeleteYet I can't judge a crossword with the Rufus puzzle yardstick.
When the solver still says a puzzle is poor or 'not good' without going into the specifics, I think there's no point in trying to start any conversation with the solver but just leave him with Rufus puzzles.
Would like to know from him where he solves those Rufus puzzles. In The Guardian? On other days of a week when the Rufus puzzles don't appear in that paper what does the solver do?
Okay Ramesh/Sunnet set a sweet one today.. Nice theme going there.. Loincloth and resident quite clevva:) the local references are appreciated and they are the ones that help evolve a xword keeping the broad rules intact i suppose. Question on 20d.. why is ambassador HE?? didnt get that reference...
ReplyDeleteHis Excellency
Deleteoh i see.. thanks Ajeesh :)
Delete28A : Let's face a local (8) RESIDENT {RE{SIDE}NT}
ReplyDeleteI read the clue as 'Let us face a local'...and got the answer 'RESIDENT' for 'a local' but was struggling to parse it till I saw the blog! I should have taken it as 'Let has face...a local' to get {RE(SIDE)NT}. I Got to be careful whenever apostrophe (')appears!
Generally people are afraid of apostrophes! Isn't it? A safe one there!
ReplyDeleteDoes Def to WP with TO as connector work?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree with what you say.
ReplyDeleteI am curious how 10A and 20D can be considered cryptic clues. The "cryptic" nature of these clues eludes me. Also, why "Mid-January" in 10A? And "ambassador's number" in 20D? Could the masters explain?
ReplyDeleteI am a newbie to cryptic crosswords and my question could well be out of ignorance. Thank you.
Mid-January = Middle of January = U. Which looks like a 'Horseshoe'
DeleteHis Excellency = H.E. and Number = N
WOW! (though I also said hmmm. :-))
DeleteThank you.