Monday 4 June 2018

No 12334, Monday 04 Jun 2018, Dr. X


ACROSS
1   Creative freedom for Keats? (6,7) POETIC LICENCE [CD]
8   Equipment largely found in pub that’s used by smokers (5) BRIAR {B{RIg}AR}
9   They provide the support for lofty ventures? (4,5) BASE CAMPS [CD]
11 Lady in novel embraces husband in a passionate manner (10) ANIMATEDLY {LADY+IN}* over {MATE}
12 Honest genius left out (4) FAIR FlAIR
14 Poorly watered resinous plant (7) TARWEED*
16 Relaxation with drink reduces pressure (5,2) EASES UP {EASE}{SUP}
17 Demanding information during flight (7) EXIGENT {EXI{GEN}T}
19 Ignoring a report about marijuana scam (7) TWEEDLE {Ta{WEED}LE}
21 Raging controversy after getting stumped out (4) RIFE stRIFE
22 One providing solution for decreasing marks? (3,7) DRY CLEANER [CD]
25 Daughter replaces new skimpy outfit with something more modest (9) MIDISKIRT MI(-n+d)DISKIRT Semi&lit
26 Cry of frustrationAgra’s terribly hot (5) AARGH {AGRA}*{H}
27 Used the exhaust fan and resolved an unpleasant situation (7,3,3) CLEARED THE AIR [DD]

DOWN
2   Renowned English actor, one featuring in Academy award-winning movie (7) OLIVIER {OLIV{1}ER}
3   Bullied, harassed teen overwhelmed by strain (10) THREATENED {THREA{TEEN*}D}
4   Century by experienced guy (5) CABLE {C}{ABLE}
5   Hurt? Ultimately heartbroken in love! Time to have a bit of Scotch on the rocks (9) INSOLVENT {Sc...h} in {h...eN+IN+LOVE+T}*
6   No time to train every one (4) EACH tEACH
7   Needing five at the end! Advance and clear boundary (7) COMPASS {COMe}{PASS}
8   What a member of rock band might do to indulge in publicity (4,3,4) BEAT THE DRUM [DD]
10 Barely conduct an investigation? (5,6) STRIP SEARCH [CD]
13 Declare solemnly — Lost at sea! About to break off (10) ASSEVERATE {AT+SEA}* over {SEVER}
15 Wanting a little pint? Need permit! Silly rule (9) DETERMINE {NEED+pERMIT}*
18 One desecrating, defiling? Not religious essentially! (7) INFIDEL DEFILINg* Semi&lit
20 Ancient Roman coins in drain? That is strange (7) DENARII {DRAIN+IE}*
23 What film editor might do to be successful (3,2) CUT IT [C&DD]
24 Terrible nausea! Not new, universal on the ocean (4) ASEA nAuSEA

GRID

53 comments:

  1. 18d semi&lit?

    Doc felt like incognito today. Has THC asked the setters to soften?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. +2 for 18D.
      Didnt seem as easy as Incognito.
      With puns, CDs and DDs I thought it was very entertaining.

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    2. 18D as semi-&lit yes. No such instruction by TH! Perhaps you are now a super solver Prasad:) Thanks Vasant!

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    3. Setter's (poetic?) license!

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  2. 3DN: Thread=strain?
    I thought strand and string as synonyms.
    Not found in Chambers. Can you clarify? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. theme or characteristic running throughout a situation or piece of writing.
      synonyms: train of thought, drift, direction, sense, theme, subject matter, motif, tenor, strain, thrust, subject, gist, burden, action

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    2. Yes thread/strain of a story. Thanks Prasad.

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    3. Thanks Doc and Prasad.
      I always consider Chambers as final authority on synonyms.
      May I know the source of these synonyms?

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    4. Collins dictionary. Chambers and Collins are the two I use. But was quite aware of thread/strain of a story KKR.

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  3. 22AC Doc provided the solution in de-creasing marks!
    Can this also qualify for &lit?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Enjoyable surfaces inviting guffaws. Thank you Doc.
    Compass is not quite clear to me. Where do we get 'come' from?

    ReplyDelete
  5. We keep getting reminded about Laurence Olivier- the other day by Arden.

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  6. Col.
    Typo in 20 D. 'In' is coloured pink in stead of 'That is' (ie)

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  7. Patents can be borrowed, but not stolen!

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  8. Nice CDs and DDs added to the fun of solving as these are my favourites . STRP SEARCH is a new age clue -- are midiskirts exempted ? A gold-digger will take her INFIDEL husband when she diccovers that he oesn't love her any more to the DRYCLEANER and make him insolvent! He can then suck into his empty BRIAR pipe . AARGH !!

    Nice stuff for a novelette , Doc !

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  9. I'm sure no one will STRIP SEARCH my script for typos !

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  10. The bouncer and the dancer - Part 53

    DCC:

    AARGH. The Czech oldie was disappointed with the information given by the cryptologist.
    He felt sorry for not having arranged a STRIP-SEARCH which was the procedure. Now there would be no EASE UP for him. He would be THREATENED for not having taken care to DETERMINE the genuinity of the envelope and then letting the two to leave.

    Also the CCTV footage would expose him further as he would be seen ogling at Kayal wearing a purple MIDI SKIRT.

    Shangri-la:

    SS: He was blissfully unaware about the situation in DCC and was secretly holding ANIMATED discussions with the three dancers about an influential visitor to the school.

    Uncle Sam: Like TWEEDLEDUM and Tweedledee Kayal had a twin sister Payal. Was it Kayal or Payal that he had seen?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Re: Discussion on dictionaries.
    I remember having the BRB when I was in school and my love for words increased manifold as I used to thumb through it discovering a treasure and a world of its own. Alas after many shifting, I lost that. In college I had a dictionary gifted by my class mates which I still have:Webseter's collegiate , an equally impressive one(and it is in Red colour too!).My cousin's grandfather, who was an avid crossword buff had Collins. Many a days were spent alongside him as he used to solve puzzles and constantly refer the dict. Alas he has passed away but the Collins is still there and when I visit my cousin at Indore, I nostalgically thumb through the moth eaten pages. Now I have my Chambers alongwith the Websters. The Chambers I got at Flora Fountain Mumbai a few years back at a princely sum of Rs. 400 from one of the many street shops.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PS: My present Chambers is not the BRB; it is a pruned up version of BRB.

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    2. Admire your love for words Vasant and identify with it!

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  12. So which dictionaries do you have?
    Any memories associated with them?
    I am sure Col. and CV Sir will have lots of stories about dictionaries.

    ReplyDelete
  13. In our house we had quite a few including Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable and Daniel Jones' English Pronouncing Dictionary. I presume these might still be found in CV's book shelf. He gave me an older edition of Chambers a few years back...

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    Replies
    1. Never heard of either Brewer or Daniel Jones. They sure must be collector's delight in addition to their verbal values.

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    2. And I think we had Webster to check American spellings.

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    3. The Webster collegiate international is pretty comprehensive. It's etymology & usages make it as close to the BRB. Of course BRB scores over in termsbof many CW references including abbreviations.

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  14. Once I bought a COD in Chennai Book Fair. Later I found a page missing. I took it back and began " In this copy..". Even before I could complete the sentence a fresh copy was handed over to me. What customer service! Those were the days!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They sure were!The halcyon days.
      COD must be C....Oxford Dict?

      Delete
  15. Yes Concise Oxford Dictionary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes!Just forgot concise!We have that in our house in Indore alongwith three other volumes: one a reverse Ox Dict, oxford book of proverb & quotations and one other vol. which I cannot recollect

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    2. But the Concise parodixically is pretty comprehensive, isnt it?
      I think it is called so because of the voluminous OED(24 volumes?)

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  16. Vasant: Is there any possibility of a visit by you to Coimbatore? If yes, you can be my guest at home and feast your eyes with a whole lot of dictionaries anf reference books that I have collected from my Bombay & Nairobi days. One includes the Readers Digest Word finder amongst an array pf other RD publications. They are all stacked in my carousel shelf.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a possibilty of my visiting Coimbatore. My uncle, father's younger brother,a cousin(his daughter) live there.
      My visit to South is long overdue.
      I will certainly feast on your collections of dict. and CWs.

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    2. And there is a direct train from Nagda to Coimb..as also, grapevines tell me, a direct flight from Indore to Coimb..Raju we will meet sooner rather than late😀

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    3. Yes meeting Raju is on my bucket list...! was fortunate to meet his bro... an absolutely delightful gentleman.

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