Monday, 13 January 2020

No 12831, Monday 13 Jan 2020, Incognito


ACROSS
8   Fertilizer confiscated by a bureaucrat (4) UREA [T]
9   Old boy instructed to drop India created a hindrance (10) OBSTRUCTED {OB}{inSTRUCTED}
10 Missing sailor’s near ward (6) ABSENT {ABS}{ENT}
11 Strange that uncle gives up the French mystic chant on Monday (8) UNCOMMON {UNCle}{OM}{MON}
12 Waltz, say, after Indian spies retreated with a martial performance (3,5) WAR DANCE {DANCE}<=>{RAW<=}
14 Took care of denim stitched by daughter (6) MINDED {DENIM*}{D}
16 American marine engineer finally becomes a drug addict (4) USER {US}{m...nE}{e...eR}
17 Susceptible and lying (5) PRONE [DD]
18 Gals returned vitrified cinders (4) SLAG<=
19 Bruce Wayne, an army assistant (6) BATMAN [DD]
21 Baker whipped up a couple of eggs and some yeast for annual (8) YEARBOOK {BAKER+OO+Ye..t}*
23 Size of paper for dunce’s hat (8) FOOLSCAP {FOOLS}{CAP}
26 Catch an errant parent (6) ENTRAP*
27 Suitably included father or mother giving up Tango, it seems (10) APPARENTLY {AP{PARENT}LY} (Correction - {AP{PARENt}TLY} - See comments)
28 Hear flying bird (4) RHEA*

DOWN
1   A bare Asian swimming in our western waters (7,3) ARABIAN SEA*
2   Perhaps banker ate a vegetable at first and got a plant (8) LAVENDER {L{A}{Ve...e}ENDER}
3   Chinese dumpling returned? Not now! (3,3) WON TON {NOT}{NOW}<=
4   Isaac's son mentioned in the thesaurus (4) ESAU [T]
5   Charmed a butcher and got old Greek money (8) DRACHMAE*
6   Soldiers following a copper’s good judgment (6) ACUMEN {MEN}<=>{A}{CU}
7   Vote out an objection (4) VETO*
13 Chemical Poe mixed with unknown ingredients (5) EPOXY {POE*}{X}{Y}
15 Explained at length about electronic laboratory after Ed replaced mad Roy (10) ELABORATED {E}{LABORAT(-ory+ed}ED}
17 Father stole and got worried (8) PANICKED {PA}{NICKED}
18 Tory boss rewrote a sad tale (3,5) SOB STORY*
20 Muslim theologian’s soft muslin cloth is placed on a bench finally (6) MULLAH {MULL}{A}{b..cH}
22 Double approval for a lemur (3-3) AYE-AYE {AYE}{AYE}
24 Spook comes back after king goes away with an expression of apology (4) OOPS SPOOk<=
25 Step back to reveal domestic animals (4) PETS<=

Reference List
Old boy = OB, India = IN, Ward = ENT, The French = LE, Mystic chant = OM, Daughter = D, Unknown = X,Y, Electronic = E, King = K


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31 comments:

  1. RKE13 January 2020 at 08:36

    Learnt that 'batman' was a (British) army officer's assistant today but Bruce Wayne was a dead giveaway. With Incognito, it is not about whether you can solve all the clues but how fast you can do it. Today it took 14m34s. Still way too long, compared to records of solving Times cryptic in under 3 minutes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vasant13 January 2020 at 09:28

      I think the way Times For The Times commenters are preoccupied with solving times, we aren't in any way. Even our super solvers don't time themselves- if they do I am sure they would also be recording such incredible speeds.

      Delete
    2. Chaturvasi13 January 2020 at 10:05

      Decide to time ourself. Don't read clues. Just enter random letters in empty cells of a 15x15 standard blocked grid and tell me the time taken.

      Delete
    3. Vasant13 January 2020 at 10:27

      Oh Just read your comments completely!
      You mean it would take more than 3 minutes to enter letters randomly in a 15x15 grid:-)

      Delete
    4. Col_Gopinath13 January 2020 at 11:59

      It took me 2 minutes (on the computer) to enter gibberish in the special CW Across Lite grid of yesterday, without reading the clues.
      If I had read the clues first and then entered the gibberish I am sure it would have taken me at least 5 minutes

      Delete
    5. Vasant13 January 2020 at 12:14

      But I think a sub 10 minute time is achievable by you Colonel and other supersolvers.

      Delete
    6. Vasant13 January 2020 at 12:23

      Interesting to note that the time taken in the final puzzle of 2019 Times Championship by the Winner Mark Goodlife was 10 minutes.

      Delete
    7. Col_Gopinath13 January 2020 at 12:47

      10 minutes is reasonable for champion solvers

      Delete
  2. D N M Rao13 January 2020 at 08:55

    Bless(ing in) 'disguise'!

    ReplyDelete
  3. C.G. BHARGAV13 January 2020 at 09:20

    AYE AYE.

    It will indeed be good if people MINDED their own business. People were made to do so by MULLAH Nasruddin by going roun the city sitting backwards on his donkey!

    Thank God. There APPARENTLY will be no war and people need not feel PANICKED.
    SOB STORIES will be ABSENT. Good.

    And the war PRONE areas near the ARABIAN SEA will stay calm.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Padmanabhan13 January 2020 at 09:38

    Typical Incognito Puzzle. Enjoyed it immensely. faster the solve,more enjoyable it seems.
    Was familiar with batman being an army assistant, but had to confirm Bruce (memory to blame)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Prasanna Rao13 January 2020 at 10:06

    sir, Today's puzzle such a simple and too easy.col.sir, I could not see the CW grid in hindu portal.I think it might be paid services. pl.adv. ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Col_Gopinath13 January 2020 at 11:45

      The Hindu Crossword is now available only through paid subscription

      Delete
    2. Prasanna Rao13 January 2020 at 12:33

      Thanks a lot col.sir.

      Delete
  6. Padmanabhan13 January 2020 at 10:29

    Yes,it has become a paid service. Please send me your mail ID and I will try to send you the grid.My ID is padmanabhan.pb@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Prasanna Rao13 January 2020 at 11:17

      Thanks paddy. I need it badly. cos, in Bhilai, no Hindu subscriber other than me. and the paper man denied for single customers. any way, the below is my mail address...
      prasana.rao@gmail.com Have a gr8 day.

      Delete
    2. sree_sree13 January 2020 at 11:24

      TH is running campaign for epaper @1999 for 5 year. Easy to catch that.

      Delete
    3. Prasanna Rao13 January 2020 at 12:33

      ok. sree sree. either i will opt for e paper or printed edition.

      Delete
    4. Col_Gopinath13 January 2020 at 12:49

      It's better to go in for the epaper as 1999/- for 5 years works out to Rs 33/- per month, whereas the print edition will be around 160/- per month

      Delete
    5. Chaturvasi13 January 2020 at 13:00

      But does the subscription for ePaper allow you to solve interactively? I think you can subscribe to TH crossword alone and be able to solve interactively. Research thoroughly before deciding.

      Delete
    6. Prasanna Rao13 January 2020 at 13:18

      Thanks to Col & Chaturvasi sir for the guidance. I am delighted to interact with this blog.

      Delete
    7. Padmanabhan13 January 2020 at 13:57

      TH is also offering the print edition at 999/- per year which works out only to Rs.85/- per month. I have taken this since I prefer solving with pen on paper. Earlier I was paying something like what Col. said- about 160 per month.

      Delete
    8. Col_Gopinath13 January 2020 at 14:16

      Epaper will not provide access to the interactive version.
      Subscription to TH Crossword alone will not give you access to the news items of the paper.

      Delete
    9. Vasant13 January 2020 at 14:22

      For me e-paper works as I download the pdf version and solve pen on paper. I can also read the news items which helps me stay in touch with news of our country.

      Delete
    10. Prasanna Rao13 January 2020 at 15:47

      @col.sir, I just opted a trial version for a week and got my today's e-paper. wherein a QR code provided for interactive version. if you click k that code that will take you to interactive version.

      Delete
    11. Col_Gopinath13 January 2020 at 16:03

      You can't just click on it. You need a QR code scanner and when you scan this code it will take you to the pages with the interactive version where you can play the trial games, however if you want to play the current games you will have to subscribe

      Delete
  7. Vasant13 January 2020 at 10:41

    Hi Gemini!
    You can start with the following link:
    https://www.crosswordunclued.com/2008/08/tackling-cryptic-crosswords-7-step_11.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. sree_sree13 January 2020 at 11:25

    27a typo in anno!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amita Baviskar13 January 2020 at 13:02

    When the puzzle is this easy, I feel a bit let down. Much prefer something that gives the brain a more vigorous workout.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Padmanabhan13 January 2020 at 14:00

    But still this CW is enjoyable and gives us the thrill of getting 100%. Some of the clues make you chuckle while filling in.

    ReplyDelete

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