Thursday, 28 March 2019

No 12585, Thursday 28 Mar 2019, xChequer


ACROSS
7   Not new at university to get burnt out (4-2) USED-UP {USED}{UP}
8   Crack on epitaph's stone foundation (6) RIPRAP {RAP}<=>{RIP}
10 Case where say you may escape rule-breaking charge without consequences (4-4) SCOT-FREE {SCOuT}{F{R}EE}
11 Guide people reaching prominence (6) MENTOR {MEN}{TOR}
12 Sore, painful cervical wound (5) ULCER [T]
14 Token victory has queen adopting expression of pain (7) VOUCHER {V}{OUCH}{ER}
15 Flare up very loudly in folly, then head going for a spin (3,3,3,6) FLY OFF THE HANDLE {FF} in {FOLLY+THEN+HEAD}*
18 Pop drinks wine before sunrise (7) PREDAWN {P{RED}AWN}
19 Aerial salute for the Reverend according to pilot (3-2) FLY-BY {(-b+fl)FLY}{(-fl+b)BY}
20 Small light meal over, folding empty cloth bag (6) SACHET {S}{A{ClotH}ET<=}
21 Creep out when husband leaves hall? (4,4) EDGE AWAY Defintion by example
23 Flip side of British public houses (6) OBVERT {O{B}VERT}
24 Promising misery if switching sides (6) BRIGHT B(-l+r)RIGHT

DOWN
1   Joke's effective without introduction or prompt (8) PUNCTUAL {PUN}{aCTUAL}
2   Fresh every time (4) PERT {PER}{T}
3   Henry breaking down on turning a dictator (6) FUHRER {FU{H}R}{RE<=}
4   Indiscreet type, preposterous private doctor, entering bar ahead of hospital (3,5) BIG MOUTH {B{GI*}{MO}UT}{H} (Addendum - {B{GI<=}{MO}UT}{H} - See comments)
5   Knockout count, having hooked right with risky punch (10) TRENCHANCY {T{R}EN}{CHANCY}
6   Turmoil in northern Argentina or outskirts of Peru (6) UPROAR {AR<=}{OR}{PerU}<= Overall reversal indicator? (Addendum - {RA}{OR}{PerU}<= - See comments)
9   Hot day had even turned oppressive (5-6) HEAVY-HANDED {H}{DAY+HAD+EVEN}*
13 Squeaker's vocal, see impossible to keep silent (5,5) CLOSE SHAVE {VOCAL+SEE}* over {SH}
16 Uniform sample boasting English flannel (8) FLATTERY {FLAT}{T{E}RY}
17 Destroy at will, razing contents? Answer in short, yes! (3,5) LAY WASTE {AT+WilL+A+YES}* Semi&lit
18 Instruments of pain, so dreadful (6) PIANOS*
19 Pentagon possibly unleashing new weapon in bombardment (6) FIGURE {FI{GUn}RE}
22 Star going round a constellation once (4) ARGO [T]

GRID

Posted by at
Labels: ,

42 comments:

  1. Chaturvasi28 March 2019 at 08:37

    In 6d 'Turmoil in northern Argentina or outskirts of Peru', if we take 'northern' as a rev ind in a Down clue, then does AR+OR+PU give UPROAR? Am I going wrong?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KARTHIK28 March 2019 at 08:52

      +1;
      However it gives UPRORA;
      IMHO RA is used for Argentina;

      Delete
    2. Kolluru Koteswara Rao28 March 2019 at 08:56

      I still feel it is confusing. Argentina is AR, that is definite.

      Delete
    3. KARTHIK28 March 2019 at 09:10

      Republica Argentina in Spanish;
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina

      Delete
    4. Bhalchandra Pasupathy28 March 2019 at 10:11

      Overall reversal. RA for Argentina. Ref Oxford or Chambers, ++

      Delete
    5. Chaturvasi28 March 2019 at 10:23

      I took ar as it is the internet country code for Argentina.

      Delete
    6. Deepak Gopinath28 March 2019 at 10:39

      Wikipaedia shows the ISO 3166 Code for Argentina as AR

      Delete
    7. Bhalchandra Pasupathy28 March 2019 at 10:46

      Not sure where this is leading. AR may be Argentina, but so is RA, where's the problem

      Delete
    8. Col_Gopinath28 March 2019 at 12:04

      No problem Bhala, I was just mentioning what's given in Wikipedia

      Delete
    9. Bhalchandra Pasupathy28 March 2019 at 12:09

      Cool, just that the same thing may be expressed in different ways, and that Wiki also has RA. But anyway, I always look for dictionary support, that's the primary reference for most setters

      Delete
    10. sree_sree28 March 2019 at 12:10

      RA is IVR, vehicle registration code. As per chambers.

      Delete
    11. Col_Gopinath28 March 2019 at 12:46

      Agreed as Wikipedia is not 100% reliable

      Delete
  2. Chaturvasi28 March 2019 at 08:39

    RIPRAP is a new word for me. Thanks, xC.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mukundala Balasubramanyam28 March 2019 at 08:41

    A bit easier today! Thanks xChequer. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mukundala Balasubramanyam28 March 2019 at 08:45

    4Dn Anno...Anind ind? Private = IG (Inspector General) Ok?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kolluru Koteswara Rao28 March 2019 at 08:53

    Prasad, it becomes indirect anagram, I think

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sree_sree28 March 2019 at 08:57

      KKR, I said many times. I am still a student here so do not venture on the correctness/syntax. I Just try and get the mind of setter.

      Delete
    2. Kolluru Koteswara Rao28 March 2019 at 09:20

      No Prasad, you are no more a student.
      In fact, after referring to Chambers I found totally different meaning for the word Preposterous:
      Literally inverted, having or putting the last first (rare)
      So, this meaning can mean Private as GI inverted avoiding the indirect anagram view.

      Delete
    3. Chaturvasi28 March 2019 at 09:22

      Re 4dn Indiscreet type, preposterous private doctor, entering bar ahead of hospital - BIG MOUTH
      I think BIG is from preposterous, MO is from doctor, BUT is from BAR (very nice) and H is from hospital. 'ahead of' is pos ind. 'entering' is c/c ind 'indiscreet type' is a broad def for word reqd - so far so good. Then J flounder. I am not able to gel them.I am missing something

      Delete
    4. sree_sree28 March 2019 at 09:37

      Preposterous as in opposite to normal. Thanks KKR.

      Delete
    5. Bhalchandra Pasupathy28 March 2019 at 10:12

      'preposterous' is usual crossie speak for reversal

      Delete
    6. Chaturvasi28 March 2019 at 10:24

      Will someone give the annotation with symbols as we usually do?

      Delete
    7. Bhalchandra Pasupathy28 March 2019 at 10:28

      Rishi, setter's intention is:

      B(GI<= MO)UT H


      Does this clarify?

      Delete
    8. Chaturvasi28 March 2019 at 10:46

      Thanks for your clarification, Bhala.
      At last, I see light.
      My difficulty so far has been how private = GI.
      I know GI = general issue, government issue, Joe, soldier
      Till novw I was not able to equate private (soldier) = GI
      I am not sure if a private soldier = GI.

      Delete
    9. Bhalchandra Pasupathy28 March 2019 at 10:54

      From OED
      GI2


      noun


      A private soldier in the US army.
      ‘she went off with a GI during the war’

      Delete
    10. Padmanabhan28 March 2019 at 12:54

      I am a little surprised. Gi is regularly used for U.S. soldier, they are also called privtaes. I have come across this frequently in books and in CW's as well.
      But it is a different matter I could not make it out today.

      Delete
  6. sree_sree28 March 2019 at 08:54

    6d outskirts as out+skirts. Out as anind for ar+or. Skirts for edges. Northern overall reversal!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhalchandra Pasupathy28 March 2019 at 10:23

      Prasad! Creative but you make me cringe, wouldn't want to write a clue like that

      Delete
    2. sree_sree28 March 2019 at 12:11

      So it should not be used or left to setter? For my understanding only, pls.

      Delete
    3. Bhalchandra Pasupathy28 March 2019 at 12:24

      My view as a setter is that your anno would not lead to a grammatical or logical solution. First of all, if 'out' is used as anagram indicator, it is not best practice to combine it with another word. Even if so used and accepted, it then has to be tagged with 'skirts of Peru' and not to the fodder preceding. Further in your anno, 'northern' would have no role to play, because with an anagram the positioning of fodder becomes irrelevant. Does this help?

      Delete
    4. sree_sree28 March 2019 at 16:51

      Thanks.

      Delete
  7. Prasanna Rao28 March 2019 at 08:58

    col.sir, RAP word could not get the definition. for RIP, the definition was awesome. the stone where the names can be written after a person death. w.r.to the stone the word RIP emerges but not foundation.. Please correct me if I am wrong. <=>

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sree_sree28 March 2019 at 09:02

      Rap and crack both mean "to strike sharply"
      https://chambers.co.uk/search/?query=Rap&title=21st

      Delete
    2. Prasanna Rao28 March 2019 at 09:09

      well said. sree_sree. Thanks you so much.

      Delete
  8. D.Chandrasekhar28 March 2019 at 11:49

    Excellent repartee. Enjoyed the Blog as was the grid. Thanks to Col in particular and others as well. Chaturvasi sir's comments are similar to mine though not with such diction.

    ReplyDelete
  9. raju umamaheswar28 March 2019 at 12:49

    Though I appreciate the furious furore in the parleys on the grammar and syntax, the poor sledge-hammer broke and the hair survived !

    ReplyDelete
  10. raju umamaheswar28 March 2019 at 13:15

    I endorse the Col that exchequer has a unique style. In today’s crossie , Ifound the wordplay in 10 a & 16 band 18 d superb and unique. He has of course lowered the bar a bit or is it that I have raised mine ? I did the whole grid in twenty minutes ! Thanks Bhala.

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)