Thursday 22 March 2018

No 12271, Thursday 22 Mar 2018, Gridman


Answer and annotation for 23A left for a first-time commenter till 10 AM.

ACROSS
1   Passed on that I am section editor (8) IMPARTED {I'M}{PART}{ED}
5   Female and boy despondent and uncultivated (6) FALLOW {F}{AL}{LOW}
10 The best possible plot unveiled about doctors' organisation (7) OPTIMAL {OPT{IMA}L*}
11 Every ogre driven off at brisk speed (7) ALLEGRO {ALL}{OGRE*}
12 Makes improvements with half of them taking bits (6) EMENDS {thEM}{ENDS}
13 Son’s getting comfy — learner leaving and moving very fast (8) SCUDDING {S}{CUDDlING}
15 We're told: "Lift beams" (4) RAYS (~raise)
16 Grecian den releasing member of family (10) GRANDNIECE*
18 Thug with history to make a public statement (2,2,6) GO ON RECORD {GOON} {RECORD}
20 Court's dead carpentry material (4) WOOD {WOO}{D}
23 Cover with a piece of cloth on extremely large arm (8) T?N?A?L? (Addendum - TENTACLE {TENT}{A}{Cloth}{LargE} - See comments)
24 Cunning hag and daughter (6) SHREWD {SHREW}{D}
26 Unfriendly quality here in FranceSen's in confusion (7) ICINESS {ICI}{SENS}*
27 Cultivation is up to date (7) TILLAGE {TILL AGE}
28 Carefully read and absorb a magazine (6) DIGEST [DD]
29 He led, we cooked up endless sweet-talks (8) WHEEDLES {HE+LED+WE}*{lesS}*

DOWN
1   How even a Leftist might be balanced (2,4,5,4) IN ONES RIGHT MIND [CD]
2   Product of a man of clay? (7) POTTERY [CD]
3   Cure: mere exercise — daily at start and end (6) REMEDY {MERE*}{DailY}
4   Thinks female abandoned slippery customers (4) EELS fEELS
6   Referring to mythical king imprisoned in a plant (8) ALLUDING {A}{L{LUD}ING}
7   On support, desi goes wild (3,4) LEG SIDE {LEG} {DESI}*
8   Deranged, she's now displaying perversity (15) WRONGHEADEDNESS*
 Joint ownership of cane stock in block (9) PARCENARY {PAR{CANE*}RY}
14 No way — such an area cannot progress (9) TRACKLESS {TRACK}{LESS}
17 Lubricators are great, helpful persons (8) GREASERS {GR}{EASERS}
19 Joker out to fall in with ruler making beastly noises (7) OINKING {jOIN}{KING}
21 Considering everything, old girl accepts fifty-fifty (7) OVERALL {O}{VERA}{LL}
22 Put away quietly for themselves in part (6) SHELVE {SH}{t...sELVEs}
25 At last, you have reversed role in US State (4) UTAH {yoU}{HAT<=}

GRID

68 comments:

  1. As always, great entertainment. Thanks Gridman!

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    Replies
    1. Incidentally, 10AC OPTIMAL appeared in Guardian Quick Crossword today!

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    2. Had enough time to do that as well?

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  2. Smoothy! Feeling happy & great.
    Parcenary was new to me and could not get.
    Strange- Got legside, but could not spot 'ON' as the def.

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  3. TRACKLESS in politics, thespians enter the fray.
    IN ONES RIGHT MIND anyone would like to do so. He may feel that he is the one REMEDY to wipe out all the ills in society and give OPTIMAL governance.
    But when they actually make up their mind, the GREASERS come into the picture!
    The TENTACLE of money power shows its ugly face and WRONGHEADEDNESS grows!
    You can easily DIGEST this scenario. It has been happening for ages.
    The newly elected, like EELS will slip out of the public scene with ease.
    The OINKINGS will continue. But is there going to be someone who will make EMENDS?
    OVERALL no rosy future seems to be in sight.

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  4. Gridman starts this run with the last of his grids-the 15 letter grid. High entertainment!
    17 minutes for this one with more than 7 minutes taken up for Parcenary-the LOI.

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  5. 8 minutes for all the rest is pretty fast,if I may say so.

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    Replies
    1. I have started timing myself. The practice is getting ingrained after reading the blog Times for Times where the blogger and most of the commenters give their timings. The Times puzzle lists a leaderboard for their daily puzzles with incredible speeds ranginging from 5 to 10 minutes for the leaders

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  6. Pretty fast? That is jet speed. Superb Vasant. I remember seeing Parcenery in some legal documents many years ago...

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    1. I don't think it is that fast sir. The super solvers would have sub 10 minute speed for this puzzle.

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    2. I learnt about parceners while reading about HUF(hindu undivided families)under IT law

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  7. Found this in the Guardian Cryptic today.

    Internet mob organisation (6)

    Solve and let me know if it's acceptable

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    Replies
    1. dont know acceptability but brilliant cryptic.

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    2. The elission fairness debate always comes up whenever we come across such brilliant clues!
      I think fair and acceptable.
      Entomb...with internet to be read as inter net..

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    3. Not fair when the def is part of the wp. Have seen this type in THC I think sometimes and did not like those.

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  8. It goes against not one but more than one convention in cryptic clue writing. Don't want to go into them Solve and forget. Can't list it as a top clue.

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    Replies
    1. It is quite akin to Gridman's clue for Brooklyn, isn't it?

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    2. THC 10279: Streamline New York's backward borough?(8)
      With streamline to be read as stream line

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    3. Here the def is separate from the rest of the clue. I think the only problem here is can BROOKLYN be generalised as borough? Don't think so.

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    4. As I said these clues are written occasionally when in a sudden flash a rule is deliberately broken with the wink of an eye. The solver sees it and solves. Can't be graded as brilliant. And it should not be overdone.

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    5. Prasad: defintion is borough
      Stream=Brook
      Line=L
      New York backward=YN<

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    6. Raghu: since Brooklyn is a suburb of New York the clue is semi & Litish and can be considered as borough of New York

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    7. Still it has to be world famous as a suburb. If it was the argument holds

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    8. Vasant ji, My point was abt def and wp together. otherwise we have "endless" kind of cluing all the time. internet is the first time i have seen in my limited hobby of THC.

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    9. Prasad:I think elission applies to definition inclusive of wp..or def and wp

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  9. Seems quite easy although it certainly merits a question mark

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    Replies
    1. Unconventional clues, once in a while are, I think definitely welcome. Key being "once in a while". The question mark should certainly have succeeded this clue. Not that it is tough at all in any way, but still should have been there to indicate to solver that something different is being done.

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    2. Would love to see some "unconventional" clues from Dr. X

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    3. I think most setters in THC follow Ximeanian principles..as do most in the Times..only in Guardian we see Libertarian clues ( rarely in THC.
      .Brooklyn being a rare clue)

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  10. Can our deletions- additions expert formulate a clue to give an answer as MERCENARY from PARCENARY? The two words are not ordinary but anything but complimentary !

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    Replies
    1. Grasping setter takes over dad as co-owner (9)

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    2. I throw out dad from joint ownership to get merc, perhaps.

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  11. well done,vasant & sree_sree. I'd like some more! Where are the veterans and greenhorns?

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  12. Father outgoing paves way to Master of Engineering a soldier of fortune (9)

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  13. Clue in today's ET CW-
    May afternoon,briefly (5,9)

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  14. Replies
    1. Didn't solve today being a particular hectic day..my day starts eith THC..and Guardian next..if I get time, Independent & ET..on a really good day(read free)..FT also...reading fifteen squared & Times for Times is compulsory.

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    2. Of course I didn't mention this blog of which we are an integral part. There you are...my commitment to cryptic crosswords.

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    3. There is also FB group:1Across, CCS & CCS Devnagri. In particular 1 Across which publishes some great puzzles and clues.

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    4. CCS:Cryptic Crossword Society

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  15. Which crosswords you solve?Which blogs/fb groups you read?

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  16. Blog- Only THCC and occasionally 1 across
    CW- THC,a couple of quick CW(Guardian and DC) ET- I miss a few days, but I try to do it.
    I am more into reading books, nowadays a bit of Tamil as well.
    I miss CW unclued mails.

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    Replies
    1. Great Paddy. Your plate is full. I think you should have a look into Times for Times & if time permits Fifteen Squared.

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    2. Which Tamil books are you reading?

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    3. I am learning Tamil..learning reading..quite difficult..but what a language!

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    4. Of course we do miss crossword unclued's regular posts..Schuchi are you listening?

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    5. I read a wide variety of Tamil books- some religious, Some from a lending library- various authors like Sujatha, some passed on to me by CV ( really choice ones)
      The religious reading is more of poems with commentary- most enjoyable. I feel sorry that my children also miss the pleasure of reading Tamil poems, educative as well as enjoyable.

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    6. That is very nice to read. My target for this year to read Tamil literature..a wish my late father who passed away recently(he was a student of Tamil literature) desired.

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    7. I recently read CV Sir's transalation of a Tamil story..a beautiful..beautiful story..

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    8. I read the Tamil original as well (given by CV) and one more by the same author. The translation was a tough job, but was done exceedingly well. I mean, it was as good as reading the original.

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  17. You may remember Srinivasan (DS) who was a fairly regular visitor to our blog some time back. He is very much interested in Tamil literature and keeps forwarding to me whatever he finds interesting incl. old Tamil poems, some very rare.

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  18. 1a: dipolomat – diploma(award)+t(model)
    2a: rookie – rook(bird)+ie
    9a: jailbird – j(a̷i̷l̷)+(alibi*)+ r(o̷a̷)d
    10a: stoner – (onset*)+r(i̷o̷u̷t̷u̷s̷)
    12a: cast(dd)
    13a: penologist – pen(write)+o(l̷d̷)+logist(one …..science)
    15a: fabler – f(i̷n̷e̷)+abler(mo…..nt)
    17a: bosun – bo(-n+s)u(-s+n), bonus (with poles n&s switched)
    20a: crook – c(a̷s̷t̷l̷e̷)+rook(castle in chess)
    24a: camera team – came(arrived)+{ar(tist)<=}+(mate*)
    27a: iota (T<=)
    29a: escape – esc(key)+ape(animal)
    30a: stripper – s(o̷u̷t̷h̷e̷r̷n̷)+tripper(hol……er)
    31a: malady – mala(d)y
    32a: brakeman: {banker + ma(n)}*

    1d: deject – de+j(u̷v̷e̷n̷i̷l̷)e+ct
    3d: orbs(acronym)
    6d: outdo – out(away) + do (party)
    8d: - earn tons – (resonant)*
    14d: dark – d + ark(boat)
    16d: locate – (col<=)+at+(f̷e̷n̷c̷)e
    17d: brim(cd)
    18d: ice cream – ice(~eye – I)+scream(yell)
    19d: cosmical – {co(s)mical}, zany – comical
    23d: matron – {tr(on)am*}
    25d: rapid – (r+paid*)
    26d: actor – (factor – f)
    28d: sink (dd)

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