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

42 comments:

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

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

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

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

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

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    6. Wikipaedia shows the ISO 3166 Code for Argentina as AR

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

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

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    9. 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

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

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    11. Agreed as Wikipedia is not 100% reliable

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

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  3. A bit easier today! Thanks xChequer. :-)

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

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  5. Prasad, it becomes indirect anagram, I think

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 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.

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    2. 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.

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    3. 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

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    4. Preposterous as in opposite to normal. Thanks KKR.

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    5. 'preposterous' is usual crossie speak for reversal

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

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    7. Rishi, setter's intention is:

      B(GI<= MO)UT H


      Does this clarify?

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    8. 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.

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    9. From OED
      GI2


      noun


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

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    10. 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. 6d outskirts as out+skirts. Out as anind for ar+or. Skirts for edges. Northern overall reversal!

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

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

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    3. 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?

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

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    2. well said. sree_sree. Thanks you so much.

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  8. 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.

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

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  10. 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.

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