Satyen Nabar's Sun Spl analysed

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Thursday, 10 August 2017

No 12082, Thursday 10 Aug 2017, Dr. X


ACROSS
1   Silver in swamp? That’s a fantasy (6) MIRAGE {MIR{AG}E}
4   Raced back to interrupt rogue primarily spreading rumours (7) CANARDS {CA{RAN<=}D}{Sp...g}
8   R. De Niro’s acting — Methodical (2,5) IN ORDER*
9   Largely unsettled opposition (7) ALLERGY*
11 Big break for pop group to enter A-list top concert! Fantastic (10) SABBATICAL {ABBA} in {A+LIST+Co...t}*
12 Absence of law influences troublemakers (4) IMPS IMPactS
13 Misbehave at stall (3,2) ACT UP [DD]
14 Be more truthful perhaps to provide support (8) UNDERLIE [DD]
16 Papers needed after marriage? (8) CONFETTI [CD]
18 One crazy about power of information (5) INPUT {1}{N{P}UT}
20 Perfume sample not top-notch (4) OTTO [T]
21 Where Mahatma Gandhi is exactly right (2,3,5) ON THE MONEY [DD]
23 Ones going to court? (7) SUITORS [CD]
24 Poem composed around beginning of era (7) RONDEAU {Era} in {AROUND}* Around on double duty! See comments
25 Brewing dissent? Most spiteful (7) SNIDEST*
26 Proceeded to get hitched concealing motive (6) WENDED {W{END}ED}

DOWN
1   Preoccupation with supernatural power consumes one (5) MANIA {MAN{1}A}
2   Exceptional piece of cheese on toast (7) RAREBIT {RARE}{BIT}
3   Gets ready to play snooker but fails miserably (4,2,3) GOES TO POT [DD]
5   Radical supporter ultimately fanatical (5) ALLYL {ALLY}{f...aL}
6   Drawing room? (7) ATELIER [E]
7   What murderer might do to dispose of body? Look for embarrassing information (3,2,4) DIG UP DIRT [DD]
10 Discloses — Charming in sack! Almost extraordinary (9) ACQUAINTS {QUAINT} in {SACk}*
13 Amir’s top desire — To have dismissed Virat ultimately with swing (5-4) ABOUT-TURN {Amir}{B{OUT}-{viraT}URN}
15 Commute from work leads to stress (5,4) DRIVE HOME [DD]
17 Showed contempt for oaf caught by FBI agent (7) FLOUTED {F{LOUT}ED}
19 Slogged and begged to acquire rum (7) PLODDED {PL{ODD}ED}
21 Watchdog responsible for showing fiends (5) OGRES [T]
22 Dash to start dodging animal (5) ELAND {ELAN}{Do...g}

GRID

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33 comments:

  1. Ramki Krishnan10 August 2017 at 08:33

    Thanks for the enjoyable grid Doc!
    16A was my COD!
    RONDEAU was the last one in - had the same doubt about around doing double duty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Satyen Nabar10 August 2017 at 08:36

      24A Anag of (AROUND + E)* Composed is the anagram ind.

      Delete
    2. Deepak Gopinath10 August 2017 at 08:41

      Okay thanks. My comments @ 8:36 and 8:38 below may be ignored

      Delete
  2. Deepak Gopinath10 August 2017 at 08:35

    CV's comment repeated deleted by mistake

    In 24a 'composed' ('set') (verb transitive in the past tense) is anag ind for the word 'around' that follows it. So no double duty - when single duty itself is hard..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak Gopinath10 August 2017 at 08:36

      I don't understand.

      AROUND is part of the Anagram fodder as well as the indicator for it to go around E

      Delete
    2. Deepak Gopinath10 August 2017 at 08:38

      Poem = Definition
      composed = Anagram indicator
      around = Anagram fodder
      beginning of era = E(-ra)

      So where is the indicator for {AROUND}* to go around {E(-ra)}

      Delete
    3. Satyen Nabar10 August 2017 at 08:41

      Hi Sir, there is no indicator to go around...Composed is the anagram indicator for what follows... it is the anagram of (AROUND + E)*

      Delete
    4. Deepak Gopinath10 August 2017 at 08:42

      Noted, thanks

      Delete
    5. Satyen Nabar10 August 2017 at 08:57

      Thanks Ramki :)

      Delete
  3. Raghunath10 August 2017 at 08:46

    Nice one doc. Liked 7d.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chaturvasi10 August 2017 at 08:49

    It is a bit tricky!
    I can understand
    a letter + anag of X' giving the answer
    'anag of X + letter giving the answer
    In the above clue it is
    anag ind anag fodder another letter
    won't the solver expect an instruction for adding the letter before anagram?
    I think this type of clue needs to be discussed for appropriateness.
    The col, Ramki and I (among others, maybe) were all misled and were groping.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Col_Gopinath10 August 2017 at 10:00

      I feel there should have been an instruction for addition before anagramming

      Delete
  5. Kolluru Koteswara Rao10 August 2017 at 08:50

    There are many DDs today (including of course, the discussion above on double duty!
    Thanks Dr. I enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chaturvasi10 August 2017 at 08:51

    anag ind - anag fodder - another letter
    this seems to lead to a charade

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chaturvasi10 August 2017 at 08:59

    Disclaimer: I don't exactly remember, I may have written a similar clue. But I am raising the question here whether this sort of clue is OK among solvers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Satyen Nabar10 August 2017 at 09:05

      For sake of discussion, let us say the anag ind was succeeding the fodder, for instance in this clue... Around beginning of era, composed poem. There would be no confusion I suppose.

      Delete
    2. Kolluru Koteswara Rao10 August 2017 at 09:11

      I personally see no problem.
      We have seen clues having:
      1. word+ anagram
      2. anagram+word
      3. word around anagram
      4. anagram around word
      When we can solve such clues, I don't think having a letter with anagram poses a serious problem.

      Delete
    3. Satyen Nabar10 August 2017 at 09:26

      So the question really is does it change if the anag ind precedes the fodder?

      Delete
    4. Raghunath10 August 2017 at 09:31

      No problem with the construction of the clue

      Delete
    5. Kolluru Koteswara Rao10 August 2017 at 09:37

      +1

      Delete
  8. Chaturvasi10 August 2017 at 09:01

    Satyen - can I raise this question in Facebook: 1ACross?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Chaturvasi10 August 2017 at 09:57

    The verdict there is the clue is OK - 'great', in fact.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Col_Gopinath10 August 2017 at 10:10

    Poem composed around era's beginning (7) Would have been better in my view

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mona Sogal10 August 2017 at 10:23

    Very enjoyable grid. Suitors, Confetti and Mirage were lovely :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Vasant10 August 2017 at 12:03

    Absolutely terrific puzzle. Great entertainment. On the money made me smile so did a lot of others clues.
    Thanks Doc.

    ReplyDelete
  13. raju umamaheswar10 August 2017 at 12:26

    Predictably True to your name Dr. Satyan ! UNDERLIE & DIG UP DIRT are well-framed.

    CONFETTI: Indian version in today's big fat weddings is :: Baharon Phool Barsao from atop a moving trolley on the bride & the groom ! Soft landing on the runway of wedlock; they'll realize what hit them as the take -off starts !

    ReplyDelete

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