Wednesday 16 November 2016

No 11853, Wednesday 16 Nov 2016, xChequer


ACROSS
7   Small vessels riding large swells (6) BLOATS {B{L}OATS}
8   Desists from fighting fire, ran with son (8) REFRAINS {FIRE+RAN}*{S}
9   Praise working man taking farce out of fun, returning narcotic drug (8) LAUDANUM {LAUD}{AN{fUn}M*}
10 Obscure stain left in place (6) INSTAL {STAIN}*{L}
11 Make amends, scoring century right away (5) ATONE {AT ONcE}
12 Dream of German is one to be apprehended (6) VISION {V{IS}{1}ON}
14 Splitting hairs, no wonder partners become less passionate (4,2,4,5) DRAW IN ONES HORNS {HAIRS+NO+WONDER}*{NS}
17 Trump usually stifles uproar (6) RUMPUS [T]
18 Cart with buggy helps (5) SHLEP*
22 "Trouble over judge getting present", says neighbour (6) ADJOIN {AD{J}O}{IN}
23 Swede, introverted at university, introduced to garba dancing (8) RUTABAGA {AT}{U}<= in {GARBA}*
24 Mounting exercise, stone set in arrangement (8) PEDESTAL {PE}{DE{ST}AL}
25 Obtain energy as per law (6) ELICIT {E}{LICIT}

DOWN
1   Concerned with smell of greasy iodine being discharged without consideration (9) OLFACTORY {OiL{FACTOR}Y}
2   Diamonds for one damsel in distress (6) MADDEN MA(-i+d)DDEN
3   Exploiting status in government quarters (5) USING [T]
4   Guy models, possibly in private, cutting fees if desperate (8) EFFIGIES {GI} in {IF+FEES}*
5   Gets to Erode train station on time at last (4,4) EATS INTO {timE}{STATION}*
6   Rat ending up in the middle of rattler perhaps (5) SNEAK SN(+e)EAK(-e)
8   Be impartial in true manner, plain not taking sides wilfully (6,7) REMAIN NEUTRAL {TRUE+MANNER+pLAIn}*}
13 Another time in the past, a return to business (4,5) ONCE AGAIN {ONCE} {A}{GAIN}
15 Battle's nothing for a king beyond assault with battery (4,4) WORK OVER {W(-a+o)OR}{K} {OVER}
16 Mention a new name (8) NOMINATE*
19 Arrogance of bachelor leaving rubbish scattered (6) HUBRIS RUBbISH*
20 Limits for creeps (5) EDGES [DD]
21 Confused in the main (2,3) AT SEA [DD]

GRID

26 comments:

  1. Slightly easy but some lovely construction of clues!

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  2. 9A- 'taking farce out of fun'- how does it lead to eliminating F&N?
    Swede for vegetable came up in yesterday's TOI CW.

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    Replies
    1. One definition of Farce is Stuffing. See http://www.thefreedictionary.com/farce

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    2. I took FARCE as dressing out and removed FN

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  3. XChequer in his elements..a challenging puzzle with some outstanding clues & original wp..had to struggle for Rutabaga & Draw in one's horns(where does he get these never heard of phrases?)

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    Replies
    1. Vasant - Could be a typo but may I point out that 'elements' means weather. When one is in his 'element' (singular) he is comfortable.

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    2. When he is 'in his elements', we are under the weather!

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    3. I think Vasant meant Xchequer is in his best mood.

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    4. CV Sir: not a typo.Error noted.

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    5. Good learning I always thought it was 'In one's elements'

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  4. oh its Xchequer?? quite gentle for him must say.. had same query for farce out of fun. this is new to me.. anyway i thought the erode clue was beautifully put together .. use of train to indicate anagram ,,, also Shelp (last for me).. with buggy as anagram indicator .. again rather clever surface ..

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  5. Liked 6D RAT as it's the favourite food for snakes.

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  6. Enjoyed it except for a couple of words that I have already forgotten.

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  7. NDTV in their news has spelt Ruckus as Rukus ' RUKUS IN ASSEMBLY' :-(

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    Replies
    1. Crossword enthusiasts would have been happy if it was Rufus ;)

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    2. Assembly might have been filled with CW enthusiasists!

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    3. they ( those in assembly) don't only cross words they cross sword

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  8. Indian Express has spelling mistakes in their headlines! (Missing CV?)

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    Replies
    1. Why! They even get the new wrong ... Like the quote attributed to the CJI

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  9. It is a different matter that I do their CW's when I get my hands to the paper. Do you know that it is being delivered free at a few places in T.Nagar?

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    Replies
    1. IE crosswords, in Orkut days, were generally in mess. Either the grid was wrong or a repeat of immediate previous day.

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  10. Nowadays it is better, though there are some repeats occasionally.

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  11. Is it because they are in a hurry to break''wind''- news that their script writers spell(they are great in eliding letters --rape for rap etc) their words so blatantly wrong? if news media are also a wing of journalism, their bloopers are unpardonable , though they give you some comic relief from the drudge and sludge that they pour out as news !!

    Watch out for Arnab Go (at)swami's bleats in some new channel he is proposing to infest (invest?) Like they say : Not so much blather has been lathered out in the history of audo-visual
    journalism !!

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