Thursday 30 January 2020

No 12845, Thursday 30 Jan 2020, Dr. X


ACROSS
1   Extremely popular garden tools (2,6) IN SPADES {IN}{SPADES}
5   Institution is close to infirmary in a ghetto (6) ASYLUM {A}{S{i...rY}LUM}
10 Hospital in Middle Eastern city dismisses old director (5) CHAIR {C{H}AIRo}
11 Consuming cocaine in excess? Grass is better (9) RECOVERED {RE{C}{OVER}ED}
12 Drive into compact shopping center in America (5,4) STRIP MALL {S{TRIP}MALL}
13 Return container with most spicy tortilla chip (5) NACHO {CAN<=}{HOt}
14 Ruses to avoid ultimately arduous fitness exercises (6) FEINTS FITNESs*
15 Model scoring ecstasy in sorrow shivers (7) TREMORS {T}{REMORSe}
18 Takes boxes filled with cocaine and heroin (7) FILCHES {FIL{C}{H}ES}
20 Escort outside dive going backless to entice (6) SEDUCE {SE{DUCt}E} (Correction - SE{DUCk}E} }
22 Speak briefly with weird revolutionary; he’s pathetic (5) SADDO {SAy}{ODD<=}
24 Eager fellow knocking back peg gets a strong desire to travel (5,4) ITCHY FEET  {ITCHY}{F}{TEE<=}
25 Where spectacles might be exactly (2,3,4) ON THE NOSE [DD]
26 One town torn asunder (2,3) IN TWO {1}{TOWN*}
27 Stressful time for Conservative in tears (6) TRYING (-c+t)TRYING
28 Trouble with maiden worried eating companion in army (8) MESSMATE {MESS}{M}{ATE}

DOWN
1   Cut defective menisci to eliminate source of misery (6) INCISE mENISCI*
2   Wire malfunctioning in enclosure where flight is located (9) STAIRWELL {STA{WIRE*}ALL}
3   It’s unimportant but life vests are provided on airplanes in case of this? (1,4,2,3,5) A DROP IN THE OCEAN [DD]
4   British noblemen holding most suitable parts of a winter cap (7) EARLAPS {EARL{APt}S}
6   Endless envy said to represent one of these? (5,6,4) SEVEN DEADLY SINS* &lit
7   Characters in hauntingly rich musical (5) LYRIC [T]
8   Rodent had run wild inside causing bedlam (8) MADHOUSE {M{HAD*}OUSE}
9   Form special religious group to grab power (6) SCULPT {S}{CUL{P}T}
16 I’m quitting choirmaster’s new band (9) ORCHESTRA CHOiRmASTER*
17 Kills husband! Extremely revolting development (8) OFFSHOOT {OFFS}{H}{TOO<=}
19 Drunkard about to guzzle a peg (6) SPIGOT {S{PIG}OT}
20 Bury most of collection on Greek island (7) SECRETE {SEt}{CRETE}
21 Battled in action to secure victory for king (6) STROVE STRO(-k+v)VE
23 Director casting wife in humorous song (5) DITTY {D}{wITTY}

Reference List
Hospital = H, Old = O, Cocaine = C, Model = T, Ecstasy = E, Heroin = H, Fellow = F, Peg = TEE, Conservative = C, Time = T, Maiden = M, Special = S, Power = P, Husband = H, Victory = V, King = K, Wife = W

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33 comments:

  1. RKE30 January 2020 at 08:32

    A MESSMATE of mine had to be SECRETEd away in an ASYLUM, which was a MADHOUSE in every sense. He had committed one of the SEVEN DEADLY SINS of singing a DITTY, instead of the formal LYRIC, when Major 'SADDO' (Sadanand had been nicknamed so by him) was inspecting the ORCHESTRA. He STROVE hard to escape from there, SEDUCing the sentry and even TRYING to jump out of the window from a CHAIR. He landed in the STAIRWELL sustaining INCISEd wounds IN TWO places on his ITCHY FEET and ON THE NOSE. He RECOVERED after suturing by Dr.X, but the experience left him with TREMORS. So, he could no loger SCULPT as he did before. He had to take up a job in a STRIP MALL selling NACHOs. The earning was not exactly IN SPADES, just A DROP IN THE OCEAN. He often FILCHES from the beer cask, by surreptitiously pulling out the SPIGOT in an ingenious FEINT. An OFFSHOOT of the incident is that the Major leaves the EARLAPS open during inspection to catch such offenders 100% of the time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vanchinathan30 January 2020 at 08:46

      That is a real tragedy. A sculptor ending up selling Nachos in a strip mall! It is a delight to read your imagination running riot, RKE

      Delete
    2. Padmanabhan30 January 2020 at 09:04

      I noticed it has got longer and better, but failed to notice that ALL the solution words have been used. Great job Doctor- close contest between the two. They seem to complement each other.

      Thank you. I had a great time solving. I was happy when I got the long ones.

      Delete
    3. Satyen Nabar30 January 2020 at 10:02

      Very creative Doc! Thanks Paddy.

      Delete
    4. C.G. BHARGAV30 January 2020 at 10:20

      One Doctor stating that another came to thr rescue! Very nice Sir.

      Delete
  2. RKE30 January 2020 at 08:51

    🙏🙏.Hope someone catches the import of 100% in this tale

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kolluru Koteswara Rao30 January 2020 at 09:29

      Excellent, Dr. RKE,
      This time, you have covered all the answer words in your story!

      Delete
    2. RKE30 January 2020 at 10:21

      Thanks. ALL have noticed the 100%!

      Delete
  3. Vanchinathan30 January 2020 at 08:51

    As usual Dr X comes with wonderful twists to long phrases, Drop in the Ocean (3Dn) was really funny. Even the easy to solve ORCHESTRA (16Dn) (I'm quitting choirmaster) caused a chuckle. There were quite a few well-camouflaged ones in 13 Ac 2 Dn etc
    Thanks Dr X. Though I missed solving more than half of them , coming here and knwing the solutions was also fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Satyen Nabar30 January 2020 at 10:01

      Glad I could raise a chuckle Mr Vanchinathan :)

      Delete
  4. Kolluru Koteswara Rao30 January 2020 at 09:31

    It took long time to solve 14AC and 18AC.
    Thanks for the entertainment Dr. X!

    ReplyDelete
  5. C.G. BHARGAV30 January 2020 at 11:11

    What happened next?

    Our MESS MATE, Mate, got into a MESS.
    Very TRYING times indeed!

    A new bar had opened in the STRIP MALL and the ORCHESTRA was accompanied with some lewd LYRICS and people crying "NACHO"!!

    Our guy (the mess mate) sat in a CHAIR next to a shapely dame who had just returned from China and was constantly sneezing without a napkin ON HER NOSE.
    Wanting to SEDUCE her he forgot all about the warnings.
    And the OFFSHOOT?
    He had to be admitted in a hospital. However he soon RECOVERED and thanked the Doctors.

    ReplyDelete
  6. raju umamaheswar30 January 2020 at 11:43

    A DROP IN THE OCEAN. So idiomatic. It is idiotic of me to close my eyes and refuse to hear or see the demos on board during take off of flights. I get frozen in denial ,hoping that this could never be a possibility for anyone to drop in the ocean in the event of any emergency. One would not be even aware when one drops in the ocean. Such a drop in the ocean is indeed a DROP IN THE OCEAN. Air raft simply disappear and no one is any the wiser!
    Thanks Doc, for yet another ecstatic wife killing the husband,invariably after an intake of C&H.

    I

    ReplyDelete
  7. C.G. BHARGAV30 January 2020 at 11:50

    Tiny drops make a mighty ocean and you give an ocean of information at the drop of a hat!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. raju umamaheswar30 January 2020 at 12:39

      What a drop in the ocean ! Into oblivion, as no one gets aware when the drop drops in the ocean

      Delete
  8. Amita Baviskar30 January 2020 at 11:57

    Dr X and Dr RKE are on a roll! Thank you. A super puzzle. It helped that the 2 long entries came easily. I didn't get 14A, alas.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ramki Krishnan30 January 2020 at 18:22

    Nice grid as ever Dr X! Got stuck on 4D (new word) but smooth sailing otherwise. Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. sree_sree30 January 2020 at 20:29

    Regarding the discussion with ref to wordplay.com posting THC solutions and its source, I want to test if the source is THC interactive version. Can someone with the access to interactive version post 2 or 3 clues only here (on the blog) before 4am IST. Please

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Padmanabhan30 January 2020 at 22:05

      Soory Prasad. While I want to help in your efforts,I have access only to the print edition.

      Delete
  11. Vasant30 January 2020 at 21:50

    A late evening solve. This is going to be the schedule for me for the next two months.
    A beautiful puzzle..tough in parts but enjoyable wholesome.. the two down long ones going immediately but the shorter ones especially feints and filches(I couldn't make out boxes=files till the end).
    Thanks for a wonderful puzzle, Dr. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Satyen Nabar30 January 2020 at 22:09

      Thanks Vasant. You seem to be working very hard indeed!

      Delete
    2. Vasant30 January 2020 at 22:22

      Yes Doc.. Project work. In easier times I could find time during breaks.. But now it is tough to find time.. So. I take print out of the puzzle and solve after work.

      Delete
  12. RKE30 January 2020 at 22:35

    I still have 2 days left of my month's subscription to the online interactive THC and so it should be easy to get you 2 or 3 clues even as early as 0030 hrs IST. Though I am clueless to the scheme of sree_sree Sherlock, like Dr.Watson, I am willing to work the graveyard shift. Sherlock can divulge the game plan at the listening post drrke12@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Vasant30 January 2020 at 22:41

    So in these busy times what are the puzzles to solve.
    No 1 of course is THC
    Then The Times Quick Cryptic, a 13x13 that is easy and most enjoyable to solve.
    Then the Times 15x15..the classic puzzle.. No RA, no CA. no elission.. In the moulds of Gridman, Dr. X, KrisKross
    And if times permit the Guardian puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vasant30 January 2020 at 22:44

      Did I forget the 1 Across fortnightly? A definite solve.

      Delete
  14. RKE31 January 2020 at 00:17

    Here are 3 clues from THC 31.1.20 Dr.X
    1A Hurried to get rid of small, terribly basic cycle rickshaws (8)
    1D Stand by president facing dishonour (6)
    2D Draw out and criticize revolting drunk (6)

    ReplyDelete

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