Monday 3 February 2020

No 12848, Monday 03 Feb 2020, Hypatia


ACROSS
1   Bound well (6) SPRING [DD]
4   Ruffle at the back of husband’s suspender (6) HANGER {H}{ANGER}
9   Dull Persian poet (4) DRAB<= Persian indicating writing from right to left
10 Let’s cut and run away quickly (7,3) SCUTTLE OFF {LETS+CUT}* [RA]
11 Subtly amusing ridicule, essentially starts around it’s comeback (6) SATIRE {Su...y}{Am...g}{Ri...e}{Es...y} over {IT<=} &lit
12 Like those who raise sheep aren’t alongside wolves (8) PARENTAL [T]
13 Ravage Indra’s gallery (9) DEVASTATE {DEVA'S}{TATE}
15 Nerf set to shoot (4) FERN*
16 Hits bugs (4) TAPS [DD]
17 According to Spooner, married gambler who is incontinent (9) BEDWETTER (~ wed better)
21 Terribly sinful woman contracts base disease (5,3) SWINE FLU {SINFUL+W}* over {E}
22 Radio broadcast about new advance (6) INROAD {I{N}ROAD*}
24 We hear country backed secure gadgets for lubrication (6,4) GREASE GUNS (~greece){GREASE} {SNUG<=}
25 Hop into Oriental tour? Quite the contrary (4) LEAP {L{E}AP}
26 Upset student switching from American to European currency (6) SHEKEL {SH(-a+e)EKE}{L}
27 Start to suddenly turn direction and veer (6) SWERVE {Su...y}{W+VEER}* &lit

DOWN
1   The man Ruskin partly raised. Bond, perhaps? (7) SURNAME [T<=]
2   Plastic Barbie’s toe scratched minister (5) RABBI BARBIe*
3   Budding players carrying a book after Church (7) NASCENT {N{A}S}{CE}{NT}
5   Main road had railway line right inside (6) ARTERY {A{R}TE}{RY} Is line superfluous?
6   Live amidst winding gentle river in protected land (9) GREENBELT {BE} in {GENTLE+R}*
7   Avoid repeating lines (7)  REFRAIN [DD]
8   PR does this, we hear — doesn’t wait for one’s turn? (5,3,5) JUMPS THE QUEUE {PqR}
14 Supplement article complete in two pages (9) APPENDAGE {A}{P}{P{END}AGE}
16 Almost starts to take other rooms (7) TOWARDS {Take}{Ot..r}{WARDS}
18 Western proverb about fashionable tool (7) WHIPSAW {W}{HIP}{SAW}
19 Marine animal turning cartwheels in spring (7) EMANATE (+e)EMANATE(-e)
20 Exhausted by a remarkable performance on air (6) EFFETE (~ a feat) Never knew this pronunciation
23 One assists to straighten a Sultana, perhaps (5) RULER [DD]

Reference List
Husband = H, Base = E, New = N, Oriental = E, Student = L, American = A, European = E, Players = N,S, Book = NT, Church = CH, Railway line = RY, Right = R, River = R, Page = R,  Western = W, Proverb = SAW


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33 comments:

  1. RKE3 February 2020 at 08:36

    A Lesson in Political History by Prof.S.R. HYPATIA

    It was the SPRING of 1948, when Israel was created. A Polish Jew, who had changed his SURNAME to Ben Gurion, EMANATED from obscurity to be propelled TOWARDS prime ministership of the NASCENT nation, although some in the Knesset thought he had JUMPed THE QUEUE of potential aspirants.
    Ben Gurion had been a timid boy and strict PARENTAL disciplining made him a nervous BEDWETTER through his school years. The transformation occurred when he studied in the RABBInical college, at Warsaw, where he became a confident orator, full of SATIRE. He LEAPed his way up the political ladder. He reintroduced kibbutz farmimg to transform the desert, where only FERN grew, into fertile orchards, surrounded by GREENBELTS. On the military front, he made INROADs into Arab held Palestine, DEVASTATing their RULER, Yasser Arafat. He transformed the economy so much that the SHEKEL could hold on its own against the dollar or pound sterling. All the years of toil culminated in the fatal apoplectic rupture of an ARTERY in his brain in 1973. The REFRAIN of hallelujah was heard in every synagogue, as a grateful Israel paid homage to its founder

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kolluru Koteswara Rao3 February 2020 at 08:40

      Superb

      Delete
    2. Padmanabhan3 February 2020 at 08:50

      +1.Going down memory lane to formation of Israel.
      Again, almost all words covered.

      Delete
    3. RKE3 February 2020 at 08:53

      I swear I didn't make up any of it except the bedwetter part😊

      Delete
    4. Kolluru Koteswara Rao3 February 2020 at 09:28

      ItsI amazing how you related an event to this crossword!

      Delete
    5. Chaturvasi3 February 2020 at 09:38

      Re 'bedwetting'. I remember a Tamil story 'Thazhumbu' by Ashokamitran that I read many years ago. Under some circumstances in the family, an old man sleeps every day for a period with a young child. Every morning he discovers the bed wet. He thinks it's the child. However, soon it turns out that actually it was he himself because of medical condition.
      I have given the gist baldly. The writer's craft made it an engrossing story.
      Much later, after retirement from work, I got to know the writer.I used to meet him at literary functions. He wrote the foreword for my translation of Charukesi's stories.

      Delete
    6. Col_Gopinath3 February 2020 at 10:08

      Dr RKE if you can send me your tales before 8:15 or so I can include it in the main post like I used to do for Bhargav earlier

      Delete
    7. RKE3 February 2020 at 10:20

      Thanks Col, will try and do

      Delete
    8. Chaturvasi3 February 2020 at 11:08

      I believe that no deadline need be given. Being a medical professional, he may not always have time to write his tale esp. when he has to complete the puzzle before he can start writing. Let him post his writing as and when ready. I think there is no harm if it is under Comments. It is read by all of us.

      Delete
    9. Col_Gopinath3 February 2020 at 12:43

      Agreed, in case I do get it before 8:15 I will put it in the main post, if not possible it can put it under the comments

      Delete
    10. Hypatia3 February 2020 at 14:53

      Brilliant imagination Doctor. Enjoyed reading it and how you have managed to fit so many words into a story seamlessly.

      Delete
    11. RKE3 February 2020 at 15:38

      Thanks Prof.S.R.Hypatia!

      Delete
    12. maradnusro3 February 2020 at 17:06

      Fantastic spin with the solved words. Hypatia
      You are a great wordsmith. Thanks

      Delete
    13. sujatha Natraj3 February 2020 at 19:18

      Brilliant..Hypatia and Dr. RKE

      Delete
    14. Vasant3 February 2020 at 21:09

      Wonderful tale piece befitting a wonderful puzzle.

      Delete
    15. Hypatia3 February 2020 at 21:22

      To RKE (@15:38) You’re welcome Doc
      To Maradnusro @17:06) - Thanks 🙏 What with my spin and the doctor’s talepiece, we have a spindoctor combination (it was supposed to be Spinners “turn” today, maybe that’s why lol”)
      To Sujatha (@19:08) - Thanks and Welcome to the THCC blog, Hope to see you here often.
      To Vasant (@21:09) - Looks like your position in the commenting order has moved along with your move RO Thailand. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement as always Vasanthji.

      Delete
  2. Kolluru Koteswara Rao3 February 2020 at 08:39

    Liked it Hypatia!
    26ac I left out

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    Replies
    1. Hypatia3 February 2020 at 14:54

      Thanks KKR garu. You should’ve extracted the last shekel :)

      Delete
    2. Kolluru Koteswara Rao3 February 2020 at 15:21

      I would have loved to do that. But I was getting late for the travel and would have lost my shekel!!!

      Delete
    3. Hypatia3 February 2020 at 21:23

      Ah.. that explains it..

      Delete
  3. Padmanabhan3 February 2020 at 08:45

    So did and 25A as well.
    Liked the PR skipping the Q!

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  4. Prasanna Rao3 February 2020 at 10:20

    fabulous RKE!!!indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. RKE3 February 2020 at 11:15

    🙏🙏

    ReplyDelete
  6. raju umamaheswar3 February 2020 at 11:56

    I wondered how pPRs help in jumping the queue ! Though they do , as movers and fixers! The clue is very clever P -Q , . R . Very beautiful.

    The word flu brings lots of shivers, especially when the viruses mutate, latest being the Corona virus.

    Rev Spooner lives for ever in the compilers list. Can we let him rest in peace ?

    Thanks Sowmyaji for good and quick crossie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hypatia3 February 2020 at 14:57

      Thanks Rajuji. I was wondering how 8D would be received by the solvers since it’s a bit out of the box. Glad most people liked it:) Yes, this crossword was set quite some time before the Corona Virus attacks, but the very thought is scary now..As for Rev Spooner, I am too much of a fan to let him rest though many solvers including Colonel don’t like him too much:) Glad you enjoyed the grid. Always nice to hear from you.

      Delete
  7. Rita Mathur3 February 2020 at 12:42

    Wonderfully composed! Enjoyed it as much as the crossword, itself. Didn't get 26A.

    ReplyDelete
  8. maradnusro3 February 2020 at 17:12

    Actually my praise is for RKE who weaved a story with great felicity
    But RKE's talent wouldn't have come to light but for the clever puzzle set by Hypatia. Thank you both Hypatia and RKR.

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  9. A-VM3 February 2020 at 18:56

    Nice crossword..

    RY can be line/lines , railway line/lines and railway
    Reference: Old puzzles from fifteensquared blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hypatia3 February 2020 at 21:24

      Thanks for clarifying on my behalf Ajeesh. Much appreciated.

      Delete
  10. Vasant3 February 2020 at 21:22

    The sort of puzzle that one loves to do after a hard day's work (of course you would love to do any time of the day). The PR clue when you get it takes out all the tiredness.. throw in the & Lit clues and the beautifully hidden Parental and the Persian poet, then you are actually dancing.
    Thank you Hypatia.

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    Replies
    1. Hypatia3 February 2020 at 21:25

      Wow - this is the icing on the cake. Thanks for such kind words. Made my day :)

      Delete

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