ACROSS
1 Cassette set out legal precedent (4,4) TEST CASE*
5 Saint's longing for work with needles (6) STITCH {ST}{ITCH}
9 Thinks well of expression of friendship (8) RESPECTS [DD]
10 Art destroyed by backward university causes emotional shock (6) TRAUMA {ART*}{AMU<=}
12 Catches a glimpse both ways (4) SEES <=>
13 Saw animal, a Dalmatian (7,3) SPOTTED DOG {SPOTTED} {DOG}
17 That woman has degree from an old kingdom (5) SHEBA {SHE}{BA}
20 Joint exercise begins with blow-up (5) ELBOW {E
21 Knocked off policeman — that is deadly to begin with (6) COPIED {COP}{IE}{D
24 Where to put money — the tiny kit, perhaps (2,3,5) IN THE KITTY*
27 Look at the ship's negative balance (4) LOSS {LO}{SS}
29 Keen judgment of a copper on soldiers (6) ACUMEN {A}{CU}{MEN}
30 Cool, beta's distributed honey fungus (8) BOOTLACE*
32 Ignore? Reportedly is aware it's pug (4,4) SNUB NOSE {SNUB} {NOSE}(~ knows)
DOWN
1 Main point of military attack (6) THRUST [DD]
2 Network cosy, not firm, at branch (6) SYSTEM {
3 Principal loses one course preparer (4) CHEF CH
4 Framed organisation (5) SETUP [DD]
6 Enraged stree is curt (5) TERSE*
7 Almost correct, new copper was in the front and rolled along (8) TRUNDLED {TRU
8 Chief's terrible rage for helmets and the like (8) HEADGEAR {HEAD}{RAGE*}
11 Be in the loft and remain awake for long (4,2) STAY UP [DD]
14 Chew on promoting network with girl (4) GNAW {G}{NAW}<=
16 A critic I left confused and cold (6) ARCTIC {A}{CR
17 By the way, two directions for meat-and-potatoes dish (4) STEW {ST}{E}{W}
18 Snack spot's choice food is tender (8) DELICATE {DELI}{CATE}
19 Block old boy on street with curt treatment (8) OBSTRUCT {OB}{ST}{CURT*}
22 A motto is to pulp fruit (6) TOMATO*
23 German city accepts principally esoteric ascetic (6) ESSENE {ESSEN}{E
25 Woman on new town's major happening (5) EVENT {EVE}{N}{T
26 Rose has it — beginning to trumpet (5) THORN {T
28 Awkward try by upcoming cricketers (4) STAB <=
GRID
This is with reference to the turmoil over the past few days and a decision which I took on Saturday. Based on saner advice like "Why use a bulldozer to squash a cockroach?", "The case of the Pestilential Poster or Rambunctious Rotter", and "Why summon a meteor to strike a pest", which I got from wiser and saner followers of my blog, I have decided not to do what I had intended in the larger interest of this blog and all those who visit the blog including the silent visitors.
ReplyDeleteIn view of the above all of you are requested to just ignore and not react, you all know what I mean. Of course if the issue becomes overly offensive or derogatory I retain my right as owner of this blog to do as I feel fit.
lmost correct, new copper was in the front and rolled along (8) TRUNDLED {TRUe}{N}D{LED} Connection between D and Copper not clear
ReplyDeleteD: Denarius (British pence)
Thanks Sandhya
DeleteFlowed really fast and I thought I had the samosas. 1D spoiled it as I put Target and 'eyes' for 12A, wondering about 'both ways'
ReplyDeleteA doubt about 28D- Is bats enough for cricketers?
We do say 'Opening bats' for opening batsmen
DeleteThank you Col. I thought it was a kind of shortened form.
DeleteHorrible puzzle The clues don't have consistency only
ReplyDeleteBad grammar Magesh, go stand in the corner facing the wall.
DeleteFound myself completely in sync with most clues today.. so it went smooth and finished quickly. Thanks for the samosas :) but did have some trouble with the use of D as copper (i didnt know the precedence though i have seen D used for penny) and the definition of university as AMU (backward) i would have expected a different qualifier to the univeristy and the use of extremely in 23a to denote just one extremity..normally its both extremes no? Most other clues parsed well and flowed well.. :)
ReplyDeleteI solved Rufus crossword puzzle on The Guardian website in an interactive manner early this morning. It was an exhilarating experience. I have not recovered from it as yet. I am eagerly looking forward to his next contribution in the estimable newspaper. What a superb puzzle, all the clues gelling into a consistent whole. But, alas, it seems that for a similar experience with a Guardian crossword I have to wait for six more days as he will be followed by other horrible setters with their ignominious puzzles. Until Rufus reappears what can I do except twiddle my thumbs, twirl my nose and bend my toes.
ReplyDeleteYou could wiggle your ears, like I do. Or learn more about solving crosswords like this ->
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVWdbO6FFfw
Not just 6 days. You have to wait 2 weeks.
DeleteOh, hell!
DeleteThank you GM for giving me second course! Enjoyed the Rufus Crossie too.
DeleteEnjoyed the samosas. Thanks GM!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gridman! 23 D had me for a while, but I did qualify for the samosas, finally!
ReplyDeleteAm a green horn. Thanks to this community I keep learning. Today I could solve half of them. I enjoy Gridman's puzzles, often they flow well!
ReplyDeleteCould not see the print edition today, but on the online version (www.thehindu.com) has 15A as
ReplyDelete15 Deceitful snake cheats for end of matrimony (6). Saw the right version in the blog above.
Surprisingly the print edition and e-paper has what is shown in the blog above. i wonder why the online edition has another version of the clue
DeleteFelt elated today.Could solve the tricky puzzle easily thanks to tracking clues.1d- thrust-main point ok but military attack is news to me.21A- Just had a feeling as if getting trained hands-on. 32a- first tried stub-nosed but took the cue from'ignore'.On the whole a consummate puzzle giving fantastic feeling.Thanks GM.
ReplyDeleteWas able to come to the puzzle only in the afternoon; what a lovely puzzle; elegant cluing that had the stamp of the maestro; the 10-letter grid was smoooooth!
ReplyDeleteAnother fast one for me. Felt elated. Thank you, Gridman.
ReplyDeleteKishore: Your U tube forward took me back to my Nairobi days where time in the Women's coffee House (For Ks 5= I used to get a bite of sandwich and a cup of freshly brewed coffee that was my lunch) I got to meet a few snooty Irish and scots doing the crossword--- especially the accent ! Hilarious ! Thanks . I have book marked it for my collections !
ReplyDeleteAs opposed to this, in the train while commuting in Bombay I used to make friends who will sit spread-eagled to accommodate me between them to do the TOI cryptic crosswords together !
Today's puzzle is simply superb, in other words less difficult and thoroughly enjoyable. Most THC puzzles are too complicated for me to enjoy while attempting to solve. I have immense respect for the setters as well as solvers here. However, I do sometimes feel that only around 0.1% of The Hindu readers can probably make a confident attempt to solve these puzzles fully. I appreciate the need for the setters to male the puzzles challenging enough for most, but in the bargain they are shutting off the opportunity of the most to have their daily dose of crossword fun which they are entitled to as the readers of the newspaper. Maybe the setters can make the puzzles a bit more fun and interesting for the sake of the aam aadmi readers like me. Looking at this blog for the lost few years, the list of contributors is not growing, proving that even 0.1% of the readership enjoying the puzzle is an overestimate.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I encourage all to solve to Rufus puzzles. 100% of readership will enjoy his puzzles
DeleteThere's a solver who loves puzzles of Rufus
ReplyDeleteHis liking for UK setter he would confess
Day in and day out
Comes the clear shout
'You can solve Rufus even in nightdress'
Hi friends, I saw the Colonel's email and wanted to see what the commotion was about. It looks like what a normal blog goes through as readership expands. I remember the time when the Col. would throw a personal acknowledgement to the 100,000th visitor and so on and now we have had well in excess 3.4M views. At some point the blog becomes truly a "public domain" and attracts all kinds of folks and comments including ones we find not in the best taste or decorum we are accustomed to expect. So be it and we will take it as a by product of success and learn to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteTo one of the comments that the THC is too cryptic for the vast majority of readers, it may be true. Nevertheless, I think some of it is rooted in the history and culture of the Hindu and what it aspired to be - a mainstream Indian English newspaper that started in the late 1800's to rival the best that acknowledged leaders in the field from overseas such as the UK newspapers that we refer to. Such papers have solved the problem of appealing to the many spectra by offering more than one crossword - a daily cryptic, a daily quick and so on. The answer may be in not diluting the cryptic crossword but also offering another crossword that is also simpler as is done by major newspaper around the world. Not sure if the Hindu is even interested in that..
Long time no see Veer. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteVeer,
DeleteA simpler crossword (The Guardian Quick Crossword) syndicated from the Guardian appears daily in The Hindu in the Metro Plus section. it's not a Cryptic Crossword though
Nice to read a Comment by Veer after a long time. But I know how busy they must be in the country of their work. He is one of those who called on me while visiting Madras from his place of residence some years ago.
ReplyDelete