Tuesday 31 March 2020

No 12897, Tuesday 31 Mar 2020, Incognito

Day 7 of 21 Stay safe at home

ACROSS
8   Left harbour (4) PORT [DD]
9   Unflappable Scot sails around island (5) STOIC {STO{I}C*}
10 Judge Bill (4) BEAK [DD]
11 Perry is worried about a plea (6) PRAYER {PR{A}YER*}
12 Nobleman’s tennis venue? That's right (8) COURTIER {COURT}{IE}{R}
13 Luftwaffe or RAF use this and broadcast prisoner of war note and sector at last (3,5) AIR POWER {AIR}{POW}{E}{s...oR}
15 Accept tailless donkey despatched (6) ASSENT {ASs}{SENT}
17 Animal that may be part hen (7) PANTHER*
19 Towed dinghy to some extent for marriage ceremony (7) WEDDING [T]
22 A mobile telephone component, with outgoing voice-calls at first, for sci-fi writer (6) ASIMOV {A}{SIM}{Ou...g}{Vo..e}
24 Large deficit in fuel (8) COLOSSAL {CO{LOSS}AL}
26 Spanish media get one round of coffee (8) ESPRESSO {ES}{PRESS}{O}
28 It may be used to construct or destroy moat around rear of manor by middle of March (6) MORTAR {MO{m..oR}TA*}{maRch}
30 Dr. No returns satellite? (4) MOON {MO}{NO<=}
31 Stick with its end cut-off is attached to ring with a bit of nickel to produce a tiny particle? (5) GLUON {GLUe}{O}{Ni...l}
32 Ogle endlessly, matinee idol (4) STAR STARe

DOWN
1   In five, the number visible to a Roman (4) FOUR {fIVe}
2   Saint builds stupa around beginning of year and remains in same place (5,3) STAYS PUT {ST}{A{Year}SPUT*}
3   So crew is organised to create account to keep money in trust (6) ESCROW*
4   Study The European Organization for Nuclear Research for business enterprise (7) CONCERN {CON}{CERN}
5   Correct account by clergyman (8) ACCURATE {AC}{CURATE}
6   Sailor eats haphazardly and goes down (6) ABATES {AB}{EATS*}
7   To some extent, an American title (4) NAME [T]
14 Leaders of prayers set out aims around start of the month (5) IMAMS {IMA{Mo..h}S*}
16 Camouflaged assassin in Japan? (5) NINJA [T] &lit
18 Imagine English travel permit giving name at last (8) ENVISAGE {EN}{VISA}{g...nG}{namE}
20 Princess’s hair results in agony (8) DISTRESS {DI'S}{TRESS}
21 Executive committee record contains upper class Eastern poem (7) ECLOGUE {EC}{LOG}{U}{E}
23 Airman flies around 8 (6) MARINA*
25 Damaged melons and fruits (6) LEMONS*
27 Silence before rounds! Go away! (4) SHOO {SH}{OO}
29 Partly open one container (4) AJAR {A}{JAR}

Reference List
Island = I, Right = R, Note = E, Spanish = ES, Doctor = MO, Sailor = AB, English = EN, Princess = DI, Executive committee = EC, Upper class = U, Eastern = E


Dr RKE's TalePiece

SENIOR LOVE

Isaac was  the harbour master of the Chennai PORT (he still called it by its anglicised NAME,  Madras). His residence was a depressing brick and MORTAR quarters built during the British days. He had been in this house since his WEDDING and his wife was STOIC about STAYing PUT there till he retired, which was FOUR years away. The bond between them had been strong, as if they had been held together by some invisible  GLUONs. 

Though, of late, she preferred spending her time in PRAYER. No longer did she take a walk on the MARINA, gazing at the STARs and MOON, holding her husband's hand as she used to do in the past. No more of their evening outing to an eatery on the Beach Road, where he would have his ESPRESSO and she, her LEMON juice. Her CONCERN was the COLOSSAL loss she had made in her inexpert forays into stock market investments, something she had done without his ASSENT, falling for the sales pitch of the portfolio adviser from PANTHER investments. The so-called blue chip stocks the adviser had ENVISAGED had tumbled when the Sensex tanked by 5000 points in a single day. 

Her DISTRESS was hightened by the indifferent attitude of Isaac, who non-chalantly played NINJA warriors or read an ASIMOV sci-fi novel, whenever she tried pouring out her heart to him. An IMAM from the Saifee Mosque, a long time friend of the family, came during one such moment and heard them talking as the door was AJAR. The perspicacious Imam made an ACCURATE assessment of the situation and counseled them. Issac no longer SHOOed his wife away when she came to seek solace and she, on her part, became more mature in her investment decisions.  The bond which had threatened to ABATE became stronger and the spark was re-kindled.

25 comments:

  1. Nature's NEMESIS

    Respected Commissioner,

    With my most humble PRAYER I am writing this letter to you Sir.It is about my only daughter's WEDDING slated FOUR days from today.

    The STARS were matched some six months back and this was the ACCURATE date arrived at.

    The arrangements I have scaled down from the earlier planned COLOSSAL level. The dinner for 500 STAYS PUT and order for party flags cancelled.

    Guests less than a score who will be served plain water with LEMONS (pH 9.9) squeezed.

    It is as much my CONCERN as yours that public should not be put to DISTRESS.

    I am not asking for the MOON. I am enclosing the invite, just for reference and not addressed to you Sir. Your name as Chief Guest was printed three months back.

    I request you to give your ASSENT for the wedding ceremony to take place.

    Thanking you in advance

    Deputy Commissioner (Entertainment)

    P.S. The gold chain purchased for you is enclosed. Please wear it on that day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We share your CONCERN and join you in your PRAYER!!!!

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  2. Imam can become a gluon! Nothing in a name.

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  3. A gold chain for the Chief Guest! Must be much more for the bride. Fortunately there is no ban on it by Covid.

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  4. Thank you Incognito. Like Oliver Twist we ask for more- probably 2 CW's in a day to do in the same time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for remembering the story of oliver twist during my collage days.

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  5. In today's puzzle the clue in 1 Down for FOUR making use of 5 is brilliant. Enjoyed it.

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  6. lovely puzzles.. esp. 1d,6d,26a....was my favorite. apart from all the entire gris was abs. interesting. thanks to Col and Incognito

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  7. 10AC I couldn't fill. After seeing here, I had a smile as I remembered an old joke I read:
    "One man goes to a shop selling ducks. He selects one and takes it to the cashier and says "May I have the bill please?"
    The counter clerk replies "No sir! You have to buy the entire duck!"

    Thanks Incognito for a smooth run in this round.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And so are the tales of RKE and CGB

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    2. Judes have to be keen nosed to be caled a bill? On checking I found it is an English slang- curious to know the background. Can anyone clarify?

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    3. He will probably have a draw a bill by hand to explain!
      How many of you remember Rajkapoor (Shri 420) remembering his'Isthiri' on hearing 'sthree'. He will proceed to draw both for us to start laughing in anticipation of all the clothes on fire!

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    4. typo in my entry@11.58- It has to be 'Judges'.

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  8. In case any of you are interested in Tamil Crosswords here is one I made a week ago. https://udhirivedi.blogspot.com/2020/03/2020_23.html

    (Normally I make only a single clue everyday. Once in a few months I make full grid puzzle.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will continue if Eru(mai) is correct 😉

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  9. @Cryptic Academy: Yes you are correct and can continue!

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  10. Another quick solve, so quick that I was tripped and wrote appeal for 11A. Of course I corrected myself. More interestingly I filled in grain for 31A and didn't try to parse it. This left me with SCHOLAR as the only possible answer for 21D. While thesaurus.com has no synonyms for scholar (!) it has scholar as one of the equivalents for executive! That as well as gluon is a learning for me.

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  11. Yes,Gluon was new but was able to get it with wp.

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  12. I am sure tomorrow Incognito will be fooling around.. I mean an All Fool's Day Special

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  13. Hazaron kwaishe aisi ki har kwaish pe dum nikale
    Bahut nikale hai mere armaan ke phir bhi kam nikale
    -Mirza Galib.

    ReplyDelete

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